Beyond Words

The Character Depot: Love Bites - Jeanne Bannon #VPK2

2017-01-30T06:08:00.001-08:00

The Character Depot: Love Bites - Jeanne Bannon #VPK2: Cupid worked overtime to bring you the Valentine Pets & Kisses 2 boxed set, which will be released on January 31, 2017. In the meanti...

Give me Wings by Joy Redmond

2016-05-10T13:18:00.002-07:00

In the first of this three-part series, a child named Carnikko is born into dire poverty and raised by an over-zealous religious mother and an alcoholic non-believing father. Life is hard in the backwoods, especially when there's little to eat and no coal for the stove. Carnikko is taught to believe in the power of prayer, and when that doesn't seem to be enough to help her with the trials and tribulations she faces, she turns to an invisible companion called Purple Angel.

Her young life is incredibly difficult as she constantly deals with hunger, inadequate clothing, ridicule at school, and the constant fear that each time her father leaves for an extended period of time, he might not come back. As bad as things are for the young child, things can always get worse, and unfortunately for her, they do.

A tragedy of epic proportions comes crashing down into the center of her life, changing everything, and setting her on a completely different path into the future. The nature of her challenges and difficulties are new and different than those she had become accustomed to, and now a new battle for survival is waged in this incredibly gripping, and at times, heart-wrenching tale that has made readers laugh and cry along with little Nikko.

Bio:

After retiring from her career as a phlebotomist, Joy, decided to pursue her passion for writing. She lives in Kentucky. She's the mother of three and the grandmother of seven.

Purchase Link:

Amazon

Campanelli: Seige of the Nighthunter by Frederick Crook

2016-05-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

Campanelli: Siege of the Nighthunter

Hello, everyone! March 29th, 2016 saw the release of the third installment of the exciting dystopian crime thriller series, "Campanelli", by author Frederick H. Crook.

June, 2110. A serial killer strikes the populace of the City of Chicago. The first victim is a wanted man by Detective Frank Campanelli’s Sentinel Division. His body had been mutilated and, from the evidence uncovered by forensic genius, H. Lincoln Rothgery, it has been partially consumed. The unknown invader leaves a trail of corpses behind in short order, including that of a homicide detective.

To add to the mystery, the DNA evidence retrieved from a stolen vehicle indicates that the killer is former military, but special encoding prevents the murderer from being identified. Frank’s partner, Marcus Williams, seems to know more about what’s going on than he lets on, until the former Navy SEAL calls in a friend from the FBI to help.

“The Nighthunter”, as the media has labeled him, instills terror and virtually shuts down Chicago. Together, Campanelli, Williams, and the agent must work to capture the enigmatic and frighteningly efficient cannibal.

Excerpt from, “Campanelli: Siege of the Nighthunter

Lincoln caught Frank’s gaze. “We found two different types of blood, two sets of DNA in the car.”

“Go on,” McLain prompted.

“Herman Werner’s and the killer’s. No ID’s been matched to his,” Rothgery stated and stood from his chair. He stepped between the two detectives and stepped casually toward the sedan. “The killer’s DNA has been engineered, as has the blood, but there’s no identification to be found in the cells. He is a he and appears to be of military origin, but it goes beyond anything I’ve ever seen.”

“So, you’re telling me that the killer is a soldier. American?” Frank asked as he stopped next to Lincoln and stared at the driver’s seat of the ruined car.

“I can’t even determine that without a serial number, Frank.”

“Soldier or not, Mister Rothgery…how the hell did he get outta that?” McLain asked from Lincoln’s other side. The big man waved his hand over the wreckage as he spoke. “That should’ve been fatal…engineered genes or not.”

“I agree.” Rothgery slid his glasses from his Roman nose and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. “Gherling is still researching the DNA and the blood while Teri is carrying out more tests.”

“You said Werner’s blood was in the car,” Frank stated.

“Yeah,” Lincoln said then nodded. “Not much of it, though. A lot of the DNA we found in it was from hairs in the carpets and seats. My opinion is that he used the car for some time. Months, perhaps close to a year.”

“So, Werner was cut out of the seatbelt…then thrown through the air.” Kirby stepped up to the side of the car and studied the sliced seatbelt. In the bright light, the precision cut was much more impressive.

“Definitely,” H. Lincoln affirmed as he replaced his eyeglasses. “And…before I forget…there are teeth marks on the body.”

“We saw those,” Frank said. He leaned back on the workbench behind him and crossed his arms. “The bites on the shoulder.”

“I’m not talking about those, Frank.”

This took Kirby’s attention from the wreck to the forensic genius. “What are you trying to say, Mister Rothgery?”

“I’m saying he had a little nibble on some muscle tissue while he cut out the heart and liver. It’s also confirmed that the heart and liver were eaten.” Lincoln met the eyes of McLain then looked to Campanelli.

“God,” Kirby uttered and stepped away from the sedan as if it exuded heat.

“How do you come to that, Lincoln?” Frank asked.

“Pieces of both organs were left behind in the car. Nothing more than shreds, really. Seems he had to pick them out of his teeth as he drove.”

Frank lifted his right hand to his chin and rested it, keeping the left arm tucked. “You’re telling me that we have a soldier of unknown origin turned cannibal, running around the streets of Chicago.”

“From everything we’ve gathered so far, Frank, that’s about the size of it.”

Buy it here on Amazon!

myBook.to/CampanelliSiegeoftheNighthunter

Author Bio

Frederick was born in Chicago in 1970 and now lives in Villa Park with his wife, Rae and their three dachshunds. He began by writing fictional works all through high school, but didn’t take himself seriously until 2009, when Frederick began writing his first novel, The Dregs of Exodus, which was self-published in late 2010. This was followed up with another novel, The Pirates of Exodus in 2012.

Throughout that year and 2013, he continued writing and published four short stories in eBook form for Kindle. Runt Pulse, The Fortress of Albion, Lunar Troll, and Campanelli: The Ping Tom Affair.

His third novel, Campanelli: Sentinel, was picked up by Solstice Publishing in late 2014. The novella, Minuteman Merlin, was released for the Kindle by Solstice Publishing in March of 2015 and followed up by his fourth novel, Of Knight & Devil in September. His fifth novel, Campanelli: Siege of the Nighthunter was released by Solstice in March, 2016.

He is currently an editor for Solstice Publishing and working on novel number six, a paranormal historical fiction.

Book Link

myBook.to/CampanelliSiegeoftheNighthunter

Website

http://frederickcrook.wix.com/crooksbooks

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/TheDregsOfExodus/?ref=hl

Twitter

@FrederickHCrook

Amazon Author Page

http://www.amazon.com/Frederick-H.-Crook/e/B00P83FW02/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIiKxKPL6iaEmKqOLfoYbqQ

myBook.to/CampanelliSiegeoftheNighthunter

Koolura and the Mayans (Koolura series Book 3) by Michael Thal

2016-03-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

I'm honored to host author, Michael Thal, on my blog today. Today marks the release of his latest novel, Koolura and the Mayans (Koolura series Book 3) which is available on Amazon.

I want to wish Michael the very best of luck with his new endeavor.

Blurb:

Koolura is no ordinary girl. Neither is her best friend Leila. While visiting Mexico, the girls discover a device which hurtles them back in time to an early Mayan civilization. The Mayans have troubles of their own—the alien Aquari people have all but enslaved them. They need a goddess to set them free. Could Koolura be the one?

Excerpt:

Twelve-year-old Koolura Akopyan stood in the middle of her bedroom, staring at the open suitcase on her bed. She looked at what she had already packed. “Okay, I think I have everything. Laptop and books are in the backpack. Clothes and bridesmaid’s dress in the suitcase.” She paused and flopped onto the bed. “Gosh, I can’t believe Daddy and Terri are finally getting married.”

Koolura took a deep breath and stared out her window. Palm tree fronds swayed in a gentle Southern California breeze under a cloudless sky. Her room was decorated in a seaside motif with navy blue pillows pressed against the headboard and resting on a turquoise comforter. The ceiling was dotted with billowy white clouds she had painted during a boring winter vacation.

“Enough daydreaming, time to go.” After all, there was a wedding to attend in beautiful Oaxaca, Mexico. It would be followed by a parade with a mariachi band and Mayan dancers and then a big wedding reception and party.

She stood up and latched shut her suitcase. Then she slung her backpack over one shoulder and picked up her suitcase with her other hand. She thought of the weekend trip she and her dad took to visit her best friend forever (BFF) Leila and her parents a few months ago. The drive to Marin County had been seven hours of boredom.

This will be a lot quicker.

Then, focusing on the memory of Leila’s bedroom, Koolura evaporated into a burst of white light reappearing instantly at a doorway on the second floor home across the bay from San Francisco.

“I did it!” She grinned just as Leila poked her head out of the bathroom and jumped.

“Oh! You frightened me.”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to,” Koolura signed in American Sign Language (ASL). “The good news is that I’m hitting the bullseye more often now when teleporting.”

Leila giggled. “The last time we teleported together you missed the boat and we had to swim 100 yards.” She wrapped her arms around her friend and gave Koolura a warm hug.

Koolura hugged back and then stepped into Leila’s room. “Huge improvement,” she signed, wide-eyed. Lavender drapes covered the windows looking out at the Golden Gate Bridge in the distant background. Wallpaper on one wall showed large black and gold circles floating into each other.

Koolura plopped onto the loveseat, taking it all in. “Sure beats my marina bedroom by a nautical mile.”

Leila’s freckled cheeks swelled into a grin. “Thanks. So fill me in. What’s the plan with this trip?”

“Simple. My dad bought us tickets to Oaxaca, Mexico, where he’ll meet us at the airport.”

“Oh, so we’re flying?”

“Not exactly.” Koolura’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “I’ve cashed in our tickets to Oaxaca for pocket money. We’ll fly back to California with Dad and Terri, so we’ll keep those. I’ll teleport us straight to the hotel in Oaxaca. I’ll tell Dad we arrived early and grabbed a shuttle from the airport to save him time.”

Leila shook her head, but was grinning. “Don’t you mind lying to your dad?”

“I hate it,” Koolura signed. “But Dad doesn’t know I can teleport, fly, and heal the sick. All he knows is that I have the power of telekinesis.”

“Moving objects with your mind?” Leila signed.

“Yeah. That scares him enough. I don’t want to freak him out any more than I have to.”

Leila nodded knowingly. When Koolura first revealed her powers to Leila at Camp Saddleback, she had thought Koolura was an alien from a faraway star.

Bio:

The Legend of Koolura was Michael’s debut novel. This was shortly followed by Goodbye Tchaikovsky. Two years later, Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback was published. What began as an impromptu story for his daughter blossomed into the Koolura Series. Koolura and the Mayans is the third installment in the series.

Michael has a masters’ degrees in Education from Washington University, St. Louis and California State University, Northridge. Previously a middle school teacher, after suffering from a severe hearing loss leaving him near deaf, Michael redefined himself to become an award winning writer.

Koolura and the Mayans (Koolura series Book 3) is now available on Amazon

What would you do if you could vanish?

2016-03-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

Lola’s not pretty. Lola’s not popular. Lola wishes she could disappear … and then one day she does just that...

For seventeen-year-old Lola Savullo, life is a struggle. Born to funky parents who are more in than she could ever be, Lola’s dream of becoming a writer makes her an outsider even in her own home. Bullied and despised, Lola still has the support of her best pal Charlie and Grandma Rose.

Not only is she freakishly tall, Lola’s a big girl and when forced to wear a bathing suit at her summer job as a camp counselor, Lola’s only escape from deep embarrassment seems to be to literally vanish. Soon after, she discovers the roots of her new “ability”.

Slowly, with Charlie’s help, Lola learns to control the new super power. The possibilities are endless. Yet power can be abused, too…

When tragedy strikes, Lola must summon her inner strength, both at home and at school. She has to stand up for herself, despite the temptations and possibilities of her newfound super power.

A coming-of-age story that will warm the heart.

For a limited time, the ebook will be available for just 99 cents (FREE for KU)

Excerpt:

Chapter One

“Lola, get your suit on and help supervise the pool. The more eyes the better,” Justine, the athletic, sun-kissed, twenty-one-year-old camp director ordered once we wrangled our none-too-obedient charges off the bus. The gaggle of four to eight year olds ran around in a loud, unruly horde as soon as their sneakered feet hit the parking lot pavement. Counselors soon managed some semblance of organization. Calls for straight lines and, “Hey, get back here,” reached my ears.

Luckily, my group was well behaved, perhaps because I had the fewest kids—only six of them and most, thank God, were girls.

“Lola?” Justine was beside me, glaring. “Didn’t you hear me?”

Without looking at her, I shook my head no. But I had heard her, loud and clear, except I wanted desperately to push her words away, hoping she’d recant and it would be business as usual.

“Get. Your. Suit. On,” she said again and this time, my heart took off in a sprint.

“What? Why?” I tried to hide the wobble in my voice. It was my job to watch the kids who weren’t swimming—the ones who’d left their suits at home or didn’t feel well.

Curious, expectant gazes turned to my way as fellow counselors waited with evil half-grins, for my reaction. Although no one, except my best friend Charlie, knew how I felt about wearing a bathing suit, I realized my co-workers had to be aware of my private horror, because it was the horror of every fat girl.

Justine sighed as she flipped through the sheets on her clipboard, running a finger down the column of names. “No campers are sitting out today, Lola, so you have to help supervise the pool.”

The impossible had just happened. In my three summers as a counselor, there had always been at least one measly kid who didn’t swim on pool day.

For one long, awkward moment, I stood frozen in place. How could I get out of this? A sudden migraine? My period? I tried to speak, but nothing came out except a tiny, almost inaudible, moan.

Justine rolled her eyes and walked away, taking my chance for escape with her. I searched through my bag for my black one-piece, barely able to see a thing through my tear-blurred eyes. Somehow, I managed to stuff away the panic and gather the nerve to march past my co-workers, who I’d never thought of as friends, despite working with them summer after summer.

Finally, in the dank change room, I entered an empty stall and locked the door with shaky fingers. I was sweating from both the heat and anxiety. The stench of my panic filled my nostrils as I felt around in my bag for a stick of deodorant, though I knew full well, I wouldn’t find one. With a sigh, I stretched my suit over sweat-slicked skin, wriggling and struggling to pull it up past wide hips and a bulging belly.

A moan escaped me. Not only was I fat, I was freakishly tall. God only knew why, since Mom was petite and Dad was on the short side. My older sister, Eva, was the spitting image of Mom, fair and fine boned. Apparently, I took after Dad’s side—bulky, dark, and thick. I must have gotten some of Uncle Sammy’s genes, the giant of the family, who topped out at six foot five.

I peered down at the coarse dark hair creeping up my calves to just past my knees, where it gradually petered out. My insides dropped as if I’d placed a foot on a step that wasn’t there. I ran a hand across the tops of my thighs. The triple bulge of my belly prevented a good look at what my hand told me was a sorely neglected bikini area. There had never been a reason to shave. Even in the blazing August heat, I wore baggy cotton Capri pants, never exposing more than an ankle.

My throat pulsed with an ache to cry and my eyes misted again. I swallowed my distress and pinched away tears. It would be torturous enough to step out of the change room looking like this, but I wouldn’t give the other counselors the satisfaction of watching me have a meltdown. I lifted my chin in resolve and opened the door. As I peeked out, I spied a line of girls jumping with excitement and a few harried counselors corralling them to the exit.

A whistle blew, signaling the beginning of the session. Screams of delight filled the air, as the kids ran to the pool and jumped in, finding relief from the ninety-degree heat.

I fastened a towel around my waist as best I could. Towels never seemed large enough to wrap completely and comfortably around the bulge of my belly. To the pool I went, treading silently so as not to draw attention.

“Where’s Lola?” Sonia, a counselor, asked loudly to no one in particular.

She had to be joking. I was no more than a foot from her as I trudged to the edge of the pool, where I yanked off my towel and splashed clumsily into the cool water.

“Yeah. Where is that hippo?” Jerod replied, looking around, a wide smile on his face. He was a year younger than me, but looked older with his muscular build and chiseled jaw.

“I hope she doesn’t show,” he continued, “who wants to see that thing in a bathing suit anyway?”

Sonia made her way over to Jerod, laughing a little too hard. She put a hand on his shoulder and sat beside him; both dangled long slender legs in the water. “Maybe she ran away. Can’t really blame her. I’d never wear a bathing suit if I was that fat,” Sonia said.

Puzzlement and anger competed within me. I was standing in the pool right in front of them! Jerod lifted a leg and kicked at the water; splashes hit my face, making me turn away. I was used to rude comments and knew what everyone thought of me, but this was beyond mean. I couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down my cheeks. An urge to tell them off surged through me. Instead, I slipped under the water, hoping to wash away the evidence of my pain.

Kids bounced all around me, laughing and playing. Justine stood like a sentinel, a Baywatch babe in her red suit, one hand gripping an emergency flotation device. Her steel blue eyes were focused on the pool.

Jerod jumped in, nearly landing on me, but I managed to get out of the way just in time. Blood rushed to my temples and pounded there, giving me an instant headache. I hurled myself at him, elbows aimed at his chest. I hit nothing but air and flew into the rough concrete wall of the pool, scraping a hole in my one-piece and rubbing raw a patch of skin. Blood pin-pricked to the surface.

“Hey,” I screamed, bewildered. How the hell did he get out of the way so fast?

Jerod slipped under the water looking like a god, all six-packed lean muscle, and emerged at the other end of the pool in one long, slick glide.

I pulled myself out of the water, slipping one chubby leg over the lip then landing on my side like a beached whale. After struggling to my feet and gathering up what was left of my dignity, I marched over to Justine.

“Did you see what that asshole just did?” I hollered. She was my boss and could probably can my ass for the way I’d just spoken to her but I couldn’t help it. Frustration and anger had hijacked my brain.

Justine brought the whistle hanging from her neck to her lips and blew two sharp blasts, making my ears ring. “Stop horsing around,” she called to a group of boys, who immediately offered up sheepish grins and stopped their horseplay.

What the hell? I moved directly in front of her so she could no longer ignore me. “Justine?”

She stared past me, eyes still glued to the action in the pool. I reached to touch her shoulder but impossibly, my hand fell through her.

“Justine?” I called again, this time louder, my voice panic-laced. With both hands, I grabbed her, or tried to. Again, it was as if she wasn’t there. My mind was swept along in a current of anxiety. What was happening?

Then it hit me... it was me who wasn’t there.

Bio:

I've worked as a professional editor for one of the world's largest publisher for over twenty-five years and have written two novels and two novellas. Invisible is the closest to my heart.

When not writing, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Dave and our daughters, Nina and Sara as well as our fur babies, Spencer (a badly behaved Tabby) and Lila, a sweet Boston Terrier.

You can find me on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter

Purchase Link:

Amazon

Meet Ronovan Hester, author and exemplary human being

2016-02-19T14:12:00.001-08:00

I thank Jeanne for giving in to my begging her to be on her site. One year in the making and the book has made it to market. Here I share a few things, including an excerpt not shared anywhere else yet. It's not one of those exciting ones, but a nice moment in time where the main character isn't the main character of the scene. It involves one of my favorite characters I created, a man named Gimby, the helmsman for Captain Gabriel Wallace. Stay tuned following the synopsis.

Jeanne's reply - Ronovan is much too humble. He did not beg. He didn't even ask to be on my blog. Over the years, Ronovan has given so much of himself, his talents and his time to other writers, it's only fair that he now take center stage. So, please, welcome Mr. Ronovan Hester and his wonderful debut novel, Amber Wake, to Beyond Words.

Synopsis

The autumn of 1705 brings Royal Navy Captain Gabriel Wallace to face off against an enemy within the ranks of the Admiralty itself that threatens his career, his reputation, his family, and something even more far-reaching in its plot.

Court-martialed and with Admiral Chambers, the mastermind fearfully known as the Chambers of Hell, out for his destruction, Wallace finds he has allies willing to face the might of the mightiest power on earth, with some allies in the most unlikely of places. The crew of his former command, the Majesty’s Venture, mutinies from the Royal Navy. With capture by his enemies close behind, Wallace agrees to become captain once again.

With a ship at his command, Captain Gabriel Wallace sets out to fulfill his mission, the completeness of which only he knows.

Now a pirate by situation, Wallace sets out for the Colonies and the Caribbean. Will his crew remain loyal as they leave the rule of the Royal Navy behind? Will his lifelong friend, Miles Jacobs, follow Wallace blindly without knowing the whole story? Finally, will the young Lieutenant Maddox Carbonale stay under the command of Wallace or have plans to lead instead?

With these questions in his thoughts, Gabriel Wallace wages war on Chambers and goes after the largest haul in the history of the Spanish Main. Whom does Wallace meet along the way? To whom are his loyalties to: vengeance or something more powerful?

If you love tales of adventure, of the sea, of the struggles of men, and nods to history, this is your book. Read Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling and you’ll have a new appreciation for all of The Razor’s Adventures Pirate Tales.

Excerpt

I paused beside Gimby and held on, taking a brief rest from my many circuits of the ship. “Beggin’ your pardon, Cap’n but if you don’t stop your pacin’, the crew’s goin’ to be jumpin’ out of their skin and into the sea!” he shouted to me over the crashing waves and hammering rain.

“It’s a storm, Mister Gimby. They’ll survive it as they’ve done many times before.”

“It’s Adam, sir. They know you’re concerned and so are they! They know you’re diggin’ your insides out for lettin’ him go ashore.”

“Gimby!”

“Cap’n, if anyone’s ta blame it’s me. I knew a storm was coming but it was moving faster than I expected.”

I stared for several moments at the sober expression of the soaking wet sailor, who had more experience than any two men aboard ship put together. He showed no signs of concern over Carbonale and Adam, yet blamed himself in what I imagined to be an effort to absolve me of my own guilt.

“I worry for your sanity at times, Mister Gimby,” I remarked as I clung to the lines for support and continued my walk.

“Aye, Captain. That’s why I was assigned to your ship!” He grinned.

I paused and looked back at him. There might have been amusement in his eyes but there was also truth. If his sanity was in question, the answer was that he’d seen to the safety of the Majesty’s Venture on more voyages into danger than most of the other ships of the Royal Navy. I knew he’d do the same for the Assurance; perhaps even more.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my son for giving me purpose to wake up each day and move forward with my dreams instead of giving up when life threw me for a loop.

Bio

Ronovan Hester is a writer living near Athens, Ga, home of his alma mater, The University of Georgia, where he received a B.S.Ed. in History Education. Ronovan puts his love of history and his over 20 years of writing experience to use in his debut Historical Adventure set in 1705 England, American Colonies, and Caribbean co-authored with P.S. Bartlett.

Ronovan’s devotion to history and writing sometimes competes with his love of tacos and fresh fruit. At times, all his favorite things work hand in hand in mouth during long binge writing sessions that have been known to last nonstop for over 24 hours. Rather than see a sleep disorder as a hindrance, he uses the time for creative purposes, or watching old TV shows on online.

Ronovan enjoys putting elements of history, if only as nods to the past, in all of his book projects. He currently instills that love of history and learning in his son daily as he helps him through his college prep courses, meaning hours of homework every night, even while not yet a teenager—his son, not Ronovan. Now if he could find a very good mute for that trumpet his son just began learning.

Thank you one more time to Jeanne and to anyone that's bought Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling so far, thank you. From Melissa in Ireland to Florence in Australia, we're covering the map.

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.ca

Amazon.au

Pick your poison of connection:

Amazon Author Page

Amazon Author Page UK

Personal Blog

Author Site

LitWorldInterviews.com

Goodreads

Twitter

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Valentine's Day Pets and Kisses, now available

2016-02-02T05:20:00.000-08:00

Valentine Pets & Kisses: Fourteen All-New, Sweet Valentine Romances

Make your Valentine's Day tail-wagging and purr-fect with 14 brand-new romances from award-winning and bestselling authors.

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Google Play ~ Goodreads

Title Links = Individual Amazon Link if available

Author Link = Amazon Author Profile

Valentine Hound Dog - Rachelle Ayala

A fashion designer and her basset hound puppy convince a burned ex-firefighter that beauty is never skin deep and neither is love.

The Crazy Girl's Handbook - DelSheree Gladden

Watching her nephews was supposed to be fun and a relaxing weekend for Greenly, not a never-ending disaster all witnessed by the best blind date she ever stood up.

The Vet's Valentine Gift - J.L. Campbell

A veterinarian is caught between his job, an ex, a menagerie and love. Can a little Cupid fix things by Valentine's Day?

Her Perfect Catch - K.L. Brady

Years of faithful dog-sitting pays sweet dividends when a struggling sports writer scores tickets to the Super Bowl and encounters her favorite football player.

Inflamed - Jade Kerrion

A firefighter running from his past convinces a hard-luck single mother to believe in happy endings.

Remember When - Hope Welsh

A couple headed for divorce discovers common ground for joint custody of their Akita.

Your Biggest Fan? - Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

Snowed in with the man of her dreams, a football fan and her dog find love.

The Feline Fix - Caroline Bell Foster

A scientist questions her cat's loyalty when it comes to love and a hunky policeman.

Trembling Hearts - Suzette Riddick

A daring young woman crashes into the life of a disfigured recluse and his pooch. Can love be far behind?

Valentino, Be Mine - Tina D.C. Hayes

Sparks fly when two people who can't stand each other wind up dog-sitting a rambunctious little Yorkie that needs a new home.

Lost and Found - Jeanne Bannon

Stuck with her ex's puppy, a young teacher meets a new man after a series of unfortunate events.

Surviving San Francisco - Susan Oloier

A small town girl survives San Francisco after she hits a cat and falls for a handsome veterinarian.

19 Ivy Lane - Aubrey Wynne

A mysterious woman and her cat befriend a postman and set tongues wagging on Ivy Lane. But when he delivers a long-awaited letter, will his heart be "returned to sender?"

Three Plus Three - Cindy Flores Martinez

A grieving widow and her beloved doggie meet a handsome widower the day before Valentine's Day.

Author Links = Author's Website

Rachelle Ayala From romantic suspense to sweet contemporaries, I write from my heart and love to include children and pets in my stories.

DelSheree Gladden is a USA Today bestselling young adult and romance author, whose writing includes everything from dystopian and Native American mythology to sweet and funny romances.

J.L. Campbell is an award-winning author who writes sweet romance, romantic suspense, women's fiction, new and young adult novels.

K.L. Brady is a multi-award-winning author of sweet and sexy romantic comedies, young adult romance, and a spy thriller series based on her career in U.S. intelligence.

Jade Kerrion writes frequently award-winning, occasionally best-selling science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance novels.

Hope Welsh writes romance fiction. Her first love is paranormal. She's been writing since she was in third grade and has never looked back.

Sydney Aaliyah MIchelle is a contemporary romance writer, a voracious reader and movie fanatic who hails from Texas.

Caroline Bell Foster writes contemporary women’s fiction with themes of substance that defy convention.

Suzette Riddick is a wife, mother and nurse practitioner who enjoys writing romance novels with a touch of reality.

Tina D.C. Hayes writes romantic suspense and cozy mysteries while her pampered pooches and parrots stand guard against writer's block.

Jeanne Bannon is an international best-selling author of paranormal and romance fiction with twenty-five years of experience in the publishing industry.

Susan Oloier is a mother and educator who writes memoir, as well as adult and young adult contemporary fiction.

Aubrey Wynne is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night.

Cindy Flores Martinez writes sweet romantic comedy and inspirational romance in both English and Spanish.

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Google Play ~ Goodreads

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BLOGGER PARTICIPATION LIST FOR THIS TOUR

Romance is in the Air

2016-02-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

Romance is in the Air $250 Giveaway February 1st to 14th

An Awesome Group of Authors & Bloggers have joined with me to bring you 1 fabulous prize!! We’re giving away $250 in Paypal Cash! Or alternately you can choose a $250 Amazon.com eGift Code! Sponsor List – Thanks to these awesome bloggers & authors for sponsoring this giveaway!! I Am A Reader My Reading Spot Stacy Claflin B. Kristin McMichael Room With Books { A Leisure Moment } Kimber Leigh Wheaton Aubrey Wynne: Romantasy Through the Ages Jeanne Bannon Glistering Bs Blog Simple Wyrdings J.L. Campbell Jade Kerrion--Life Shocks Romances Jennifer Bardsley Lise McClendon - Author Krysten Lindsay Hager author TMBA Corbett Jessie Costin Why Not? Because I Said So!(Sheila Staley) Megan Tayte (YA author) CBY Book Club Lori's Reading Corner Kindle and Me Theresa DaLayne Here We Go Again...Ready? Kelly Hashway // Ashelyn Drake Felicia Starr Poppy Lawless Min Reads and Reviews Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and More Amy Reece Author Dannielle Wicks Jaci Wheeler D.E. Haggerty Book.N.Addict Diana's Book Reviews Heather Gray, Author Angelica Kate Every Free Chance Books Giveaway Details $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card Ends 1/30/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or who can redeem an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Five Questions with Caroline Bell Foster (well maybe six)

2016-01-28T18:07:00.000-08:00

On February 2nd, Valentines Pets and Kisses, a boxed set of sweet romances, will be released. As part of our campaign, we, the authors, thought it would be a nice idea to give readers a chance to get to know a little bit about us. So here we go.

Purchase links for Valentines Pets and Kisses:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble Nook

Apple iBooks

Google Play

Kobo Books

Five questions with Caroline Bell Foster (make it six)

(1) Tell us a bit about your novel

The Feline Fix, is my cute novella featuring nerdy scientist Wendy Wilde and ultra lovable Police Constable Callum Forde. I wrote it in Nottingham, England which is where I live. I smiled to myself just the other day as I was actually walking on the road, I’d set the first chapter in!!

Here’s the blurb: After Wendy Wilde made the biggest mistake of her life, her boss sent her home from the lab in disgrace. She was ordered to balance her work life by Valentine’s Day or find herself another job. Forced to let loose and have fun, Wendy meets Officer Callum Forde and tells him about her To-Do list. But first she had to find out who else was feeding her cat and why was Officer Forde intent on helping her find out!

(2) How did you come up with the idea for this particular novella?

I’m a huge cat lover, so a loud YES flew across the Atlantic when I was asked to join Valentine Pet’s and Kisses.

Early 2015 I’d written The Cat Café, so writing The Feline Fix was a natural progression. It was so easy and fun to write, mixing two of my favourite things, romance and cats. I’ve been in writing heaven.

(3) How long does it take you to write a book?

Three years ago I would say at least seven to eight months. In 2014 I did the National Novel Writing Month challenge (50k words in 30 days) and was so scared of failing, that I just put my head down and wrote, finishing the 50K in 19 days with a very good manuscript to boot.

During that process I veered from my normal writing techniques, I hadn’t plotted or planned, just trusted my instincts and wrote. Now I will plan loosely, but write a lot faster. However, it did take me five novels and many years to get to this point.

(4) Tell us something about yourself and how you became a writer.

Someone once said that whatever you were doing before the age of ten, is what you were destined to be before the noise of the world intrudes.

I have two distinct memories. The first was seeing my name in print. It was under a photograph of myself in the local paper celebrating Victorian Week when I was around 8 or 9 years old. I remember looking at my name, seeing the black fuzzy script and liking the feeling.

The second memory, was when I was around 11 years old. I had this crush on a boy and wrote him a love letter. In that cruel way of kids, he’d posted it on the blackboard for everyone to see! But to me, I was really proud my words were actually being read!

Unofficially that love letter was my first ‘public’ works.

I consider myself to be one of those interesting people who never really knew what I wanted to do in life, aside from seeing as much of the world as I possibly can. I have travelled extensively, and captured every memory, every lyrical word and emotion and the brightness of other cultures in diaries. At one point I had several diaries going at one time.

But I knew I really had something, when, within the space of a few months I lost two cousins and an uncle. In my grief I wrote. I worked as a travel consultant during the day, but at night I scribbled away. Four months later I had a massive 140,00 word manuscript and a healed heart.

It was several months after that, that I re-read what I wrote and sent it off to a publisher. I’m surprised it actually got read as I’d printed it off in single lines and spent a fortune on bounding.

They called me in, told me I had a gift, sent me off to take a creative writing course and the rest is history.

(5) If you got the chance to spend a day with any character from your books, who would it be and why?

It would have to be Felicity ‘Fliss’ Pecora in Call Me Lucky. She’s a feisty girl, angry with life, raised by a bi-polar mother in a rough and tumble neighbourhood.

A day with Felicity would probably start with her being incredibly tired as she works the night shift in a call centre. She’s not a girly girl, so we wouldn’t go shopping, but maybe go to a cosy café’ away from the crowds. We’d probably go to a pub quiz in the evening and win because Fliss is one of those annoying people who knows a lot of random facts. She’s fiercely loyal and I know she’d be my friend for life.

She’s one character I’ve yet to let go, as I’ve given her a cameo in The Cat Café and thinking of putting her in my third and final ‘cat’ book. Oh, and her storyline won me 2015 Medical Author of the Year award!

(6) Give us five random facts about you.

• I once sold my pink sunglasses for a bus ticket into The Rift Valley.

• I love Law & Order SVU and go into mourning when the season ends.

• I am an AFSer (American Field Service) and travelled to Kenya as an Exchange Student for a year.

• I have a weakness for wine gums.

• I’m a Taurean. A very, very typical Taurean.

Where can readers find you?

Website: http://www.carolinebellfoster.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolinebellfoster

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbellfoster

Newsletter: http://www.carolinebellfoster.com/#!sign-up/snde4

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3370362.Caroline_Bell_Foster

Pinetrest: https://uk.pinterest.com/carolinebellfos/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00GFRKRB4/

Five Questions with Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

2016-01-27T17:14:00.001-08:00

Purchase links for Valentines Pets and Kisses:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble Nook

Apple iBooks

Google Play

Kobo Books

Five questions with Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

(1) How did you come up with the idea for this particular novella?

I spent two weeks in New York and fell in love with Brooklyn. The people, the places, the vibe, everything about it inspired me. It was the perfect setting for Your Biggest Fan and I have a few other stories ideas set in Brooklyn that I hope to get started on later this years.

(2) If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I would love to be mentored by Stephen King. Not because I secretly want to be a horror writer. I love writing romance. He has an amazing work ethic when it comes to his craft. He reads and writes every day. My writing would benefit from that kind of discipline. Also, I think he is an amazing storyteller. When I read his books, I am fully immersed in his world (scary). I would love to learn how to write a 1,000 page story and have people be sad that the book came to an end.

(3) Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

The ideas for my books come from a lot of places. I am inspired by songs, movies, people, but lately from places I've traveled or used to live. Your Biggest Fan was inspired by my recent visit to Brooklyn, New York. I have a series coming out later this year that was inspired by my life when I lived in DC during law school. I also have a set of short story ideas that take place in the countries I visited while living in Asia.

(4) What are you working on right now? Tell us a little about it.

Right now, I'm working on a novel set in New Orleans (another city I lived in and love). It's the story of a Leah Jones. She is a recluse dealing with trauma from her past and falls in love with Austin Ware, first round draft pick for the New Orleans Saints. Austin is a sweetheart, whose larger than life personality and newfound fame may be too much for Leah's safe and secluded world.

The New Orleans Project (tentative title) is a sweet and sexy adult contemporary romance about two people who have survived on their own, but must put their trust in to each other to thrive and find love with each other.

(5) Tell us what your writing schedule is like.

I read a blog post recently about writing schedules and I am adopting the habits in that post for the new year.

Step One: Wake up and reach for your computer or journal, write 250 words. Anything you don't have to think about too much. Blog post, journal, list, just get the brain and the fingers moving.

Step Two: Eat something nutritious and that taste good. Wake up your body.

Step Three: Writer for 45 mins in your WIP, then close the computer for 15 mins. Stand up, stretch, do a load of laundry, if you have stairs, walk up and down them.

Step Four: Repeat step three until you reach your word count goal for the day. My goal word count varies depending on whether I'm on deadline or not. Some days, I only need to do this once, other days, I could repeat about three or four times.

Step Five: Do everything else. Edit, social media, errands, workout, etc.

It's only been a couple of weeks, but the schedule is going well, so far.

Where can readers find you?

Blog: http://sydneyaaliyah.com

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1um7D5g

Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/1C235oR

Goodreads Pages: http://bit.ly/Rjx9WO

Amazon Page: http://amzn.to/11OTDoR

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sydneyamichelle

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sydliyah/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sydneyamichelle/

Five questions with Jade Kerrion

2016-01-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

Purchase links for Valentines Pets and Kisses:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble Nook

Apple iBooks

Google Play

Kobo Books

Five questions with Jade Kerrion

(1) In a nutshell, what is INFLAMED about?

INFLAMED, the 9th book in the Life Shocks Romances series, tells the story of Debra, a single mother struggling to make ends meet when she meets Sean, a good-hearted man with a penchant for helping others. His kindness helps her turn her life around, but when she falls in love with him, she comes to the awful realization that she may be nothing more than his good deed for the month. Will Sean ever figure out the difference between his instinctive compassion for others and true love?

(2) What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned on your journey to publication?

I’ve been published for three years, and in that time, I’ve learned that it’s not about the number of awards won or bestsellers achieved. In the end, what gets me up early in the morning to write are the people who tell me they’ve enjoyed reading my books. I write for my readers and for my fans. I love telling stories, and they love my stories. It’s a wonderful partnership. One wouldn’t exist without the other.

(3) What do you like to do when you're not writing?

When I’m not writing, I’m busy living the rest of my life! In addition to parenting three home-schooled boys (ranging from two years to nine years old), I have a full-time corporate America job. I’m also active in local writers’ groups and am the Executive Vice President of the Florida Writers Association (FWA) where I run its bi-monthly webinar program.

(4) Give us five random facts about you.

· I love dancing! I grew up dancing ballet, switched to modern dance in college, and then started salsa while in business school. In fact, it’s how I met my husband. We were both at business school, and he held a salsa class.

· In addition to contemporary romance, I write science fiction and fantasy, and have won many awards for my novels. You can check out my work on my website: http://www.jadekerrion.com

· I absolutely positively HATE the cold. I’m busting out the sweaters in the low 70s—which is why I live in warm, sunny Fort Lauderdale

· I have particular weaknesses for notebooks (goes well with being an author) and handbags (no excuse, other than being female)

· I hate exercise. *sigh*

(5) What’s next for you?

I have four Life Shocks Romances novellas coming out this year, and I’m looking forward to them. One of them, KINDLED, may be my new favourite. I’m also working on a science fiction trilogy—an expansion on my award-winning DOUBLE HELIX series. This trilogy focuses on Galahad—the genetically engineered perfect human—or is he?

Thanks so much for having me featured on your blog. I really appreciate it and am grateful for the opportunity to chat with your fans and readers.

If you’re interested in knowing more about my futuristic thriller books or my contemporary romance novellas, you can find me at http://www.jadekerrion.com

Five Questions with K.L. Brady

2016-01-19T17:04:00.003-08:00

On February 2nd, Valentines Pets and Kisses, a boxed set of sweet romances will be released. As part of our campaign, we, the authors, thought it would be a nice idea to give readers a chance to get to know a little bit about us. So here we go.

Purchase links for Valentines Pets and Kisses:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble Nook

Apple iBooks

Google Play

Kobo Books

Five questions with K.L. Brady

(1) Tell us a bit about your novel

Her Perfect Catch is a romantic comedy novella about a nerdy, struggling sports writer looking for love and professional success and finding neither with her sports blog, The Vin Report, at least not to the degree she needs to in order to pay the bills. Tired of being disrespected by men in the sports journalism field, she has taken on a male penname and uses her best friend (Dylan Starke) as a front man so that they men in the industry will take her views seriously. Although she’s had some initial success, her advertisers are backing out and she’s coming to a decision point—do I keep trying or do I give up and go back to the 9 to 5 job. Just when she feels all hope is gone, her cousin gifts her with two Super Bowl tickets and an all expense paid trip for two, a sport writer’s dream. She decides to take her sexy best friend Dylan (an unrequited love interest) and she’s sworn to resist her feelings for him forever. But things in her personal and professional lives take a major turn when she has a chance encounter with a star NFL wide receiver and her favourite player. Their meeting may lead to the story of the year and the love of a lifetime.

Even though the story is told with humor, it definitely addresses some struggles we’ve probably all experienced in our professional and romantic lives at one time or another—having the courage to gamble on ourselves and taking a chance on love even though things have worked out according plan. We all learn that even though things don’t always work out the way you hope, they work out the way they were meant to.

(2) Tell us something about yourself and how you became a writer.

I would have to say my mother first encouraged me to be a writer. She always said I was a strong reader from a very young age. When I was 7 or 8 she started buying me diaries, the ones with the locks on them, and that’s where my writing career began. My adult diaries would eventually serve as the inspiration for my first novel, The Bum Magnet, which I didn’t get the courage to write until just before my 40^th birthday. When I announced to my family that I’d written the book, they all asked, “Is it an autobiography?”

After writing The Bum Magnet, I entered it into a now defunct writing contest, the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. I made it past the first round, but what I really took from Amazon was the writing community. It was the first one I ever interacted with. There, I learned that to get your book published, you needed to sign up with a literary agent. Of course, I thought this would be a BREEZE. After all, I’d written 336 pages of brilliance (*eye roll*). So, I sent out the first book I’d ever written in search of an agent and my Oprah moment. I can describe the experience in one word: Rejected! I want to say I got rejected about 100 times, but it was probably more. After many vodka and tear-soaked nights (I jest…but, not really), I turned my focus to the helpful criticism and used the advice to edit my manuscript. Eventually, I decided to self publish it. After some great reviews and buzz, it caught the eye of a senior editor at a publishing house and eventually got picked up by Simon & Schuster in a two-book deal.

I’ve been writing ever since. I’m now working on my 10^th novel.

(3) What are you working on right now? Tell us a little about it.

When I started writing Her Perfect Catch and realized the ending would exactly tie up all the loose ends I realized that, to offer the reason the fully satisfying ending, I was going to need to write a series, even if a short one. That way all the characters could find their version of their own happily ever afters, whatever that may be. So, I decided to write The Playmaker Series. Her Perfect Catch is the first released as a part of this set. The Player’s Option and The Eligible Receiver will wrap up the series, both scheduled for release next spring.

(4) Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run go it?

I’ve written romantic comedy and spy novels. In my romantic comedies I was decidedly a pantser—just ran with it. Absolutely did not stray from that all. My process was very organic in that I just wrote the story however it came to me. I learned early to let my characters have their way because they tell way better stories than I do. And most of the twists in my stories come from them, not me. I mean, I’ve never written a book in which I wasn’t surprised or even shocked by what the characters did. That’s such an energizing process. It really does make you anxious to get to the page every day to see what’s going to happen next.

But when I started writing this spy thriller series I literally HAD to start outlining. The main reason was that my plots were way more intricate. I was telling the stories from multiple points of view (as opposed to first person) and there were multiple subplots to keep track of. Now I’ve started outlining everything. I find that I still have the flexibility I need because if my characters take me in another direction, I just allow them to. But on days that the muse isn’t running at full throttle, I can be productive and just write to the outline, which keeps things moving forward. Everything can be fixed later, even if you force it, even if you hate it. It’s usually better to have something down than nothing.

(5) Where do you like to do your writing?

I mostly write in my office…when it’s clean. When I’m in a writing groove, and I have multiple projects going on at once, I tend to let the papers build up, and it can get cluttered very fast. I can’t write well with a lot of stuff around. So I actually cleaned out a bedroom we were using as storage space and added a laptop desk, nice lighting, minimal décor, and a big comfortable futon that is the perfect height. Sometimes, I go upstairs and hide away when the office gets to be too much or when I need a super quiet space. But I try to do an office cleaning on the break between projects, so I don’t stay away from my main space for too long.

Five questions with DelSheree Gladden

2016-01-16T15:45:00.001-08:00

Today, I'm happy to welcome DelSheree Gladden.

Five questions with DelSheree Gladden:

(1) If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Even though I have many favorite authors, this is an easy choice for me. Jim Butcher. Aside from the fact that I adore his books, I really respect his skill and creativity. He puts a new spin on just about everything you think you know about a creature, myth, or genre. I just about died when I got to meet him, and I don’t know if I’d survive actually sitting down to talk about writing because I might explode with excitement, but it would totally be worth the risk!

(2) What was your favourite scene in the novel, if you have one?

I had so much fun writing this it’s tough to choose, but I’m going to go with Greenly getting dragged through Roman’s front yard by a rather large puppy where she knocks her head into some decorative stone edging and has to be rescued by Roman, which leads to him washing her hair… to get the blood, gum, peanut butter, and antiseptic ointment of her hair. A lot has happened already up this point. Clearly.

(3) Give us five random facts about you.

I love random facts, so here we go. Turtlenecks make me claustrophobic. I can’t stand wearing socks to bed. I love kettle corn. I lose things all the time. I am allergic to grass, and pretty much the whole state of New Mexico, but I love it here anyway.

(4) When you were writing your novel, did you encounter any major stumbling blocks along the way?

Yes. Coming up with an idea. All I had was gum. I knew I needed to start with gum, but had no clue how to use it. My friend Serene Heiner was the one to suggest I use my random gum idea by having my main character’s four-year-old nephew accidentally spit his gum in her hair. And I ran with it from gum in her hair to one disaster after another! I totally owe Serene!

(5) What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I love to be outdoors with my family. We love to camp and hike, go see ruins, snowshoe, bike, and go running. We bought a canoe over the summer and are learning to paddle around the lake as well. Next winter we want to take up cross country skiing.

Readers can find DelSheree online at:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDelShereeGladden

http://www.delshereegladden.com/

https://twitter.com/DelSheree

http://www.pinterest.com/delsheree/

https://plus.google.com/+DelShereeGladden/posts?cfem=1

https://www.linkedin.com/in/delshereegladden

http://writepublishrepeat.libsyn.com/ (podcast)

https://www.instagram.com/delshereegladden/

Purchase links for Valentines Pets and Kisses:

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble Nook
Apple iBooks
Google Play
Kobo Books

Five Questions with Raychelle Ayala

2016-01-14T19:14:00.002-08:00

On February 2nd, Valentines Pets and Kisses, a boxed set of sweet romances will be released. As part of our campaign, we, the authors, thought it would be a nice idea to give readers a chance to get to know a little bit about us. So here we go.

Today, I'm happy to welcome Rachelle Ayala—From romantic suspense to sweet contemporaries, I write from my heart and love to include children and pets in my stories.

Five questions (let’s make it six this time)

1. Tell us about Valentine Hound Dog.

Valentine Hound Dog is a sweet story about a fireman who is burned and scarred and a fashion designer who’s job is all about making people look good. Through the matchmaking of a sweet little basset hound puppy, the fireman learns that love isn’t skin deep and that what’s important is inside his big heart.

2. Where do you get your ideas from?

They fly through the air and stick to me. It’s usually a character who gets the ball rolling. I start thinking about the character and some situations they got themselves into. Or I think of something funny that I want to include in a story and build the story and character from there.

3. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run go it?

I don’t plan my writing, so it goes wherever whim and creativity takes me. I always surprise myself in retrospect and wonder how I ended up writing the story or characters I happen to write.

4. Is there a message you'd like to convey to your readers, besides entertaining them?

Mostly that love is universal and that everyone deserves to be loved and appreciated. I like taking characters who are down on their luck, or have some other flaw holding them back, and through falling in love, they discover something noble about themselves while breaking free of whatever obstacle that was holding them back.

5. How useful is humor to telling your stories or developing your characters?

I’m always giggling or laughing when thinking up humorous scenes, so I believe it is very important. It’s a lot of fun to make up minor characters just to have something funny happen. For one, it makes the characters more likeable. People like seeing a character with a sense of humor. The other benefit is that I get lots of laughs as I’m revising or proofreading. Humor keeps me from being bored.

6. Tell us about Rachelle Ayala. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I enjoy visiting with friends and going places. Of course these days, every experience could turn into research for writing, or end up in a scene, so I’m never “not writing.” I even dream about my characters while sleeping.

Everything I read about or observe in my daily life is grist for “what-if” questions. As I mentioned before, I daydream about people and situations. Not everything makes it to a story, but you’ll be surprised what does. I’m always learning new things and therefore everything I do is “research” for my writing.

Purchase links for Valentines Pets and Kisses:

The Feline Fix

2016-01-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

The Feline Fix by Caroline Bell Foster

Meeting Police Constable Callum Forde on the worse day of her life, makes cat lover and scientist Wendy Wilde question all that she values, her cat's loyalty and the role science plays in love.

Excerpt

Next time? He didn’t want her going out by herself which was a bizarre thought, with not even ten full minutes in her company. “Make sure that you do.” He ordered, in a voice he usually reserved for delinquent yobs. “I’m sorry.” She said and to her horror felt the sting of tears. It had been a horrible day and had ended even worse. This was New Years, she should be happy, looking forward to the year ahead, but instead she was sat in a police car, unmarked, but still a police car, with the cutest policeman she had ever seen in her life, but he was telling her off and treating her like a criminal. This day was officially the worse day of her life. Oh what a way to end the year and start a new one, she sniffed. “I’m sorry,” Callum rushed, seeing the sheen of tears. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” “It’s okay. You’re right,” she admitted, blinking rapidly to get rid of the tears. “I don’t usually go out at night and I didn't think. It makes sense,” she went on bravely, reaching for the door handle. “Thank you for the lift and Happy New Year.” She said brightly, as she scrambled out of the car. Callum got out looking over the roof of the car waiting for her to open her front door. Ever the protector, he watched as she fished her keys out of her bag and fumbled with the latch. She dropped the keys. “Need any help?” “No it’s okay. I’m just a clutz as you already know. Petri dish? Keys?” Wendy shrugged, putting her hands out, palms up as though they were scales. “Same thing.” Callum heard the wobble in her voice. She was trying so hard to be brave in front of him and he wanted to wrap her up in his arms and tell her everything would be okay. He walked towards her. “Here,” he offered softly, taking the keys from her and smiling at the red plastic key ring shaped like an atom. “Let me.” He unlocked the white pvc door, similar to his and let it swing open. “Thanks.” She mumbled, stepping into the hallway and turning to him. Callum spied the small rectangular box on the wall, the green light steady, when it should have been blinking on their entry. “Why didn’t you program the alarm?” “The cat.” “The cat?” He repeated faintly. “Mr. Snuggles,” she explained. “He comes and goes through the cat flap and sets off the alarm when he jumps onto the kitchen counter. I’ve tried to make him stop, cats on counters is so unhygienic.” She flicked her hands around. “But he won’t stop. He never listens to me. He’s such a cat.” Then she smiled softly. “But I love him.” Callum could not believe what he was hearing. She lived alone at the end of a street where her garden ran parallel to a road busy with foot traffic. There was a field at the back and she didn’t use the alarm? He was incensed. “Let me get this straight,” he said, folding his arms over his chest, unable to hide his irritation. “You have an alarm but you don't use it because of the cat?” “Uh uh.” She bit the corner of her lip. He was not happy.

About the Author

Caroline Bell Foster was born in Derby, England and with her family went on a six week holiday to Jamaica. She stayed for 18 years! Ever the adventurer Caroline bought her first pair of high heels in Toronto and traded her pink sunglasses for a bus ride in the Rift Valley at 18. She wrote her first short story on that bus and had it published the following year in a local newspaper.
Caroline has always written in one form or another from a very young age. She started her first diary at age 7 and short stories and articles kept her occupied throughout her teens. Feeling the restrictions of short stories for newspapers, Caroline switched to full length novels letting her creativity flow.
Caroline is also known as 'The Caribbean's Leading Lady of Love' as her novels Ladies' Jamaican, Caribbean Whisper's, Saffron's Choice tend to reflect her love for the Islands. Caroline's fourth novel Call Me Royal has just been released.
The author now lives in Nottingham, England with her husband and two children.

The Feline Fix is EXCLUSIVE to Valentine Pets & Kisses, so pre-order Valentine Pets & Kisses for 99c today and be the first of your friends to read The Feline Fix by Caroline Bell Foster

Amazon US ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Amazon UK ~ Google

ONLY 99c for 14 All-New Sweet Romances! You're Invited to the Valentine Pets & Kisses Countdown Launch Party! [Jan 1 - Feb 2] Chat with the authors and win great prizes! Come join the Fun.

Surviving San Francisco

2016-01-12T11:53:00.002-08:00

Surviving San Francisco by Susan Oloier

When 23-year-old Leah Newland accepts a job in San Francisco and runs away from her small-town Illinois life, she expects things to change for the better. What she doesn't expect is to lose her job, adopt a cat she hit with her car, and fall for a sexy and seemingly unavailable veterinarian. Suddenly, going back to the Midwest seems better than surviving San Francisco.

Excerpt

Mary smiles over at Leah, who works hard to muster even a grain of enthusiasm. “She can go home now,” Mary says, trying to elicit a happier response. Leah pets the cat and finally looks at her for the first time. “You hear that?” she says to the cat. “We’re going home.” Mary puts Fur Elise back in the kennel. “Ev—Dr. Grady said I should make a follow-up appointment?” “You can do that at the front desk with Stacy.” “Okay.” “See you up front.” Leah rummages through her handbag for keys, but her attention is almost magnetically drawn back to the flowers. She pads over and sneaks a peek at the card. It reads, Forgive me. Love, Tess. There’s a sinking in Leah’s chest. She takes the kennel handle and lifts Fur Elise out of the room and back to the lobby. Mary hands paperwork to Stacy. “If you have any questions,” Mary says to Leah, “be sure to give us a call.” Us. Leah nods. It’s all she can manage. Stacy reads from the sheet. “Says we should see you back here in one month.” She clicks in the computer. “We’re looking at February 14th. How sweet! Valentine’s Day.” “You know,” Leah says, “I don’t have my calendar with me. I’ll just call and schedule it later.” “Sure.” Leah picks up the cat carrier, ready to leave and find herself another veterinarian. But then the door flies inward, and Everitt walks through. His jacket collar is pushed up and his hair is a mop from the wind. The gusty weather keeps the door wide open, and Everitt fights to close it. He prepares to move straight to the back exam rooms, but stops when his eyes meet Leah’s. “Hi,” he says, brushing back his bangs. “Hi.”

About the Author

Susan Oloier lives in the Southwest with her husband and two sons. She loves to bike ride and rock climb. She's been published in national and regional magazines, such as The Daily Beast, as well as online. She had a two-year-long stint as a magazine columnist for an outdoor publication. When she's not working on a new manuscript, she can be found hanging out with her kids or reading a book.

Surviving San Francisco is EXCLUSIVE to Valentine Pets & Kisses, so pre-order Valentine Pets & Kisses for 99c today and be the first of your friends to read Surviving San Francisco by Susan Oloier

Amazon US ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Amazon UK ~ Google

ONLY 99c for 14 All-New Sweet Romances! You're Invited to the Valentine Pets & Kisses Countdown Launch Party! [Jan 1 - Feb 2] Chat with the authors and win great prizes! Come join the Fun.

Valentine's Day novella set - Valentine's Pets and Kisses

2015-12-30T08:20:00.002-08:00

Valentine's Day is all about the joy of love and romance, and who doesn't like hearts and flowers? Get a jump on that special day by pre-ordering your copy of the Valentine Pets & Kisses Boxed Set brought to you by a fourteen talented romance writers.

At the special price of $0.99, you have more reason than one to celebrate because this is a limited time offer. Order your copy of Valentine Pets & Kisses today! Release date is Tuesday, February 2, 2016, which is just around the corner!

BLURB

Candy and canines. Flowers and felines. Celebrate this Valentine's Day with your sweethearts of the human and fuzzy varieties!

Nothing is more heart-warming than kisses from the pet who adores you and the man who loves you, so snuggle up with VALENTINE PETS & KISSES -- an anthology of fourteen sweet romances from USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors -- and strike the perfect mood for moonlit walks and candlelight dinners with your pet and sweetheart.

Valentine Hound Dog - Rachelle Ayala

Fashion icon Jenna Hart, along with her basset hound puppy, tries to convince a burned former fireman that beauty is never skin deep and love's arrow strikes not only the beautiful, but the bold.

The Crazy Girl’s Handbook - DelSheree Gladden

Spending the weekend babysitting her two nephews and a puppy was supposed to be fun. Sweating to death at a baseball game while getting gum in her hair, soda down her shirt, and an ice cream pedicure wasn't part of the deal. Neither was finding out the best guy she'd ever missed a blind date with had witnessed it all. Longest. Weekend. Ever.

The Vet's Valentine Gift - J.L. Campbell

Matthias Laing has snagged the woman of his dreams, but his job as a vet keeps getting him into trouble. The situation is past complicated because of the growing assortment of animals in Toni's house and to top it all, the conflict between Matthias and her ex-husband. Can Matthias and Toni's budding romance survive their challenges and if it doesn't, will Jade, her precocious five-year-old find a way to play Cupid and fix things by Valentine's Day?

Her Perfect Catch - K.L. Brady

Nerdy, struggling sports writer Melanie Vincent needs a miracle when her dream of running a nationally recognized blog hits a snag due to low readership. After Mel is gifted a pair of Super Bowl tickets for years of faithful dog sitting, she has a chance encounter with her favorite football player that leads to the inside scoop on the biggest story of her career...and maybe the love of a lifetime.

Inflamed - Jade Kerrion

Debra Martinez doesn’t believe in happy endings, until Sean Orr, Havre de Grace’s newest firefighter, shows her and her son, Aidan, a new and beautiful kind of “normal.” But the happiness can’t last—not for Sean who is on the run from his own past.

Remember When - Hope Welsh

Laura and Brent really tried to make their marriage work, but in the end, it just wasn't meant to be. Or was it? When they meet to discuss joint custody of their Akita, they discover they have much more to talk about other than the dog.

Your Biggest Fan? - Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

Noah Patrick, NFL bad boy, has sworn off women, who only seem to want him for his fame and his money. Callie James is such a big Noah Patrick fan, she named her energetic Chihuahua after the man of her dreams. When they find themselves hiding out in the same Brooklyn Brownstone, a crazy blizzard, a never-ending supply of spaghetti, and a dog with identity issues bring them together even though they both have secrets that would tear them apart.

The Feline Fix - Caroline Bell Foster

Meeting Police Constable Callum Forde on the worse day of her life, makes cat lover and scientist Wendy Wilde question all that she values, her cat’s loyalty and the role science plays in love.

Trembling Hearts - Suzette Riddick

Recluse Jason Carr is living in rural Virginia after an accident leaves him physically scarred. While taking a stroll and minding his business, the spunky Lezlie Sharpe literally crashes into his life, stealing the heart of his beloved pooch, Trooper. Now, forced to share living quarters, will Lezlie capture Jason’s heart too?

Valentino, Be Mine - Tina D.C. Hayes

Kaylee Rose is thrilled when a neighbor moving out of the country asks if she'll consider taking in her teacup Yorkie, Valentino, but there are a few strings attached. When she finds out a man she can't stand is the other caretaker, she's forced to deal with the arrogant jerk until they decide who gets the pampered pooch permanently . . . or risk losing the dog to a heartbreaking fate.

Lost and Found - Jeanne Bannon

Lexie is so distraught after long-time boyfriend, Josh, dumps her, she takes a leave of absence from her teaching job. Josh leaves behind the puppy he bought for her just before things fell apart even though she’s not a dog person. Lexie contemplates giving it away but decides keep the little mischief-maker and get her some training.

While at puppy obedience school, Lexie meets Tommy, the happy-go-lucky type she could give her heart to if only she was ready. But Lexie gives Tommy the brush off and they lose touch. However, a series of events, some unfortunate, bring them together again.

Surviving San Francisco - Susan Oloier

When 23-year-old Leah Newland accepts a job in San Francisco and runs away from her small-town Illinois life, she expects things to change for the better. What she doesn’t expect is to lose her job, adopt a cat she hit with her car, and fall for a sexy and seemingly unavailable veterinarian. Suddenly, going back to the Midwest seems better than surviving San Francisco.

19 Ivy Lane - Aubrey Wynne

Eloise Kolby steps off the bus and greets Hollywood with high expectations and a smile. Two months later, she’s broke, hungry and rethinking her dream. An offer to house sit provides her with too much time alone, an adopted family of kittens and a sexy postman waiting at her gate.

Victor Burnham can’t stop thinking of the beautiful, mysterious woman who just moved into his hometown. She meets him each day at the mailbox, waiting for a letter.

When the envelope finally arrives, they both must face decisions that could make their dreams come true or jeopardize their relationship forever.

Three Plus Three - Cindy Flores Martinez

A year after losing her husband, a grieving widow, Violet, and their beloved bichon frise visit their favorite place the day before Valentine's Day. While they are there, Violet meets a handsome widower who makes her feel alive again.

Don't delay. Download your copy today!

Purchase Links

Amazon US: http://bit.ly/VPKK

Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/VPKUK

Barnes & Noble Nook: http://bit.ly/VPKNok

Kobo: http://bit.ly/VPKKobo

Google Play: http://bit.ly/VPKGp

Apple iBooks: http://bit.ly/VPKiBk

Just in time for Valentine's Day - Valentine Pets & Kisses

2015-12-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

Available for Pre-order now!

Release date February 2nd.

FOURTEEN ALL-NEW, SWEET VALENTINE ROMANCES

Candy and canines. Flowers and felines. Celebrate this Valentine's Day with your sweethearts of the human and fuzzy varieties!

Nothing is more heart-warming than kisses from the pet who adores you and the man who loves you, so snuggle up with VALENTINE PETS & KISSES — an anthology of fourteen sweet romances from USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors — and strike the perfect mood for moonlit walks and candlelight dinners with your pet and sweetheart.

Valentine Hound Dog — Rachelle Ayala
A fashion designer and her basset hound puppy convince a burned ex-firefighter that beauty is never skin deep and neither is love.

The Crazy Girl’s Handbook — DelSheree Gladden
Watching her nephews was supposed to be a fun and relaxing weekend for Greenly, not a never ending disaster all witnessed by the best blind date she ever stood up.

The Vet’s Valentine Gift — J.L. Campbell
A veterinarian is caught between his job, an ex, a menagerie and love. Can a little Cupid fix things by Valentine’s Day?

Her Perfect Catch — K.L. Brady
Years of faithful dog-sitting pays sweet dividends when a struggling sports writer scores tickets to the Super Bowl and encounters her favorite football player.

Inflamed — Jade Kerrion
A firefighter running from his past convinces a hard-luck single mother to believe in happy endings.

Remember When — Hope Welsh
Laura and Brent really tried to make their marriage work, but in the end, it just wasn't meant to be—or was it?

Your Biggest Fan? — Sydney Aaliyah Michelle
Snowed in with the man of her dreams, a football fan and her dog find love.

The Feline Fix — Caroline Bell Foster
A scientist questions her cat’s loyalty when it comes to love and a hunky policeman.

Trembling Hearts — Suzette Riddick
A daring young woman crashes into the life of a disfigured recluse and his pooch. Can love be far behind?

Valentino, Be Mine — Tina D.C. Hayes
Sparks fly when two people who can’t stand each other wind up dog-sitting a rambunctious little Yorkie that needs a new home.

Lost and Found — Jeanne Bannon
Stuck with her ex’s puppy, a high school English teacher meets a new man but will a series of unfortunate events keep them apart?

Surviving San Francisco — Susan Oloier
A small town girl survives San Francisco after she hits a cat and falls for a handsome veterinarian.

19 Ivy Lane — Aubrey Wynne
A mysterious woman and her cat befriend a postman and set tongues wagging on Ivy Lane. But when he delivers a long-awaited letter, will his heart be “returned to sender?”

Three Plus Three — Cindy Flores Martinez
A grieving widow and her beloved doggie meet a handsome widower the day before Valentine’s Day.

Purchase Links:

Reviews:

Goodreads

Lost and Found, a sweet romance

2015-12-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

I'm one of the fourteen authors with a novella featured in the upcoming boxed set, Valentine Pets & Kisses. https://www.goodreads.com/…/…/27887192-valentine-pets-kisses The set has not yet been released but I would love to share my story (free of charge) in return for a short review. It's called Lost and Found (PG rated). Please comment below if you're interested and I'll send a copy.

Here's the blurb:

Lexi is so distraught after long-time boyfriend, Josh, dumps her she has to take a leave of absence from her job as an English teacher. Josh leaves behind the French bulldog he bought for her just before things fell apart. Lexi is not a dog person and contemplates giving the pup away. However, it’s all she has left of Josh and so she gives the little mischief-maker a little more time.

While at puppy obedience school, Lexi meets Tommy, a handsome, happy-go-lucky type she could easily give her heart to if only she was ready. Still pining over Josh, Lexi gives Tommy the brush off and they lose touch. As much as she doesn’t want to admit it, Lexi comes to realize that in the short time she and Tommy spent together, he’d left more of an impression on her heart than she cared to admit.

A winding road of unfortunate events brings Lexi and Tommy together again, but are they meant to be, or does fate have another plan?

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

“No! Bardot, no!” Lexi said with an exasperated sigh as she scooped up the chubby little pup. It had been chewing on the wooden legs of one of her kitchen chairs and now turned its needlelike teeth to the flesh of her wrist. “Ouch!” Lexi yanked her arm away but the puppy quickly turned its head and chomped down on her other arm, all the while, its stubby tail motored from side to side.

Clearly, the dog was oblivious to the pain it was inflicting. Though just five months old, the French bulldog was heavy in Lexi’s slender arms as she speed walked over to the corner she’d set up for the pup—a kind of puppy jail. It was all she could think to do in order to keep the little fiend from ruining her house.

Lexi settled Bardot into her dog bed, then tossed in a handful of toys over the plastic railing of the “jail” in the hope the dog would turn her attention to them and eventually grow to realize the toys were okay to play with, and the furniture was not. Bardot’s preferred chew toys for the past four weeks had been anything at puppy eye level, chair legs being her favorite. However, the little scoundrel had also chewed a floor mat and three pairs of her mistress’s shoes.

Lexi had placed a crate inside the perimeter of the jail, beside the doggie bed. Did she dare lock the dog up? She thought on it for a moment as she watched Bardot climb easily from her bed and jump at the plastic baby gates Lexi had used in constructing the puppy compound. Bardot yipped and yelped as she continued to try to climb the gate. It didn’t take much until one of the walls fell to the hardwood with a clack and the puppy was free.

Bardot made a beeline for Lexi and her toes; sharp baby teeth easily penetrated her socks. This time, it was Lexi who yelped as she hopped around, trying with all her might to suppress a swat. That was the last thing she wanted to do. After all, Josh had given Bardot to her just before… She cut the thought off before heading down Desperation Avenue, which she knew from recent experience stopped at the dead end of Depression Street.

Part of her hated him, but another part still loved him despite how he’d crushed her. She wished he were there with her now, to help her and to teach her. She had no idea how to train a puppy. Bardot was her first pet ever.

Lexi once again plucked up the pup and this time put her into her crate. As soon as the door closed, the dog threw her head back in a howl. Bardot could howl with the best of ’em and it was likely to go on for hours, but it was either let her run around the house chewing on furniture and toes, or live with the bedlam of a howling pooch.

Lexi drained her glass of Merlot, her third of the night. She’d been drinking too much lately but it was all she could think to do to ease the pain of heartbreak. Before Josh left her, she hardly drank at all—just the occasional glass of wine with dinner. How had she gotten to this point? She’d been a well-adjusted, seemingly happy woman, working and enjoying life, until Josh stole it all away. Stripped to the bone, that’s how she felt.

With cell phone in hand, she checked the time—almost midnight. She headed for the bedroom, leaving a remarkably loud puppy crying and howling in the living room.

Her stomach did a flip-flop when she came to the entrance of the bedroom. It had once been her sanctuary and was now a chamber of horrors. Sleepless nights spent alone made her dread bedtime. Her bed, their bed, was now a source of anxiety.

Instead of entering the room, Lexi closed the door and made her way to the spare room. It had been set up as a study of sorts where she would grade papers at her old wobbly desk and Josh would sometimes spend time working on his music.

Now, his guitar sat silently in the corner. Another reminder of his absence and of the fact he would probably never again pick it up and play her a song. Sometimes she wanted to snatch it up, not to play it but to smash it to pieces. She eyed it now. It was so pretty, made of some expensive, polished wood. Josh’s name was hand-painted in script on the body. Why he’d left it behind she had no clue, but deep down Lexi hoped he’d come back for it one day and maybe he’d come back for her, too. No! She scolded herself. She couldn’t let him weasel his way back. He’d done that before and things had only worsened.

The spare room was the lesser of two evils. Lexi took down a comforter from the top shelf of the closet and smoothed it out on the floor, then placed a throw cushion at the head of it. She’d sleep in her clothes again. Why not? They were comfy sweats and a T-shirt anyway, not much different than pjs. Tomorrow, she promised herself, tomorrow she’d shower and change her clothes, though she didn’t put much stock in her own goals as of late, minuscule as they were. She had nowhere to go. Not back to work, not yet anyway.

“Come back when you’re ready,” were the reassuring words of her boss—Abby Braxton, the school principal. She’d told Lexi that she understood about things like depression and breakdowns. After all, it had been part of her management training. Lexi wondered if the tall, perfectly coifed blonde even possessed emotions. She was always so…so cold as if made of granite.

Lexi much preferred dealing with the soft-spoken and kinder vice principal, Darren K. Barton. He too was adept with soothing words but his felt real, and there were the sympathetic looks that came with his words, making Lexi believe he really meant them. Although she appreciated the support of both the principal and vice principal, there really was nothing anyone could do to erase her pain or turn back the clock. Being alone was her new normal.

Lexi awoke with a start to Bardot’s high-pitched howls, which had stopped after two hours or so, allowing Lexi to fall asleep for a short time. She checked her phone. It was four in the morning. She was grateful she didn’t have to get up early to go to work. Was this what it would be like to have a baby? she wondered, but heartache quickly pushed that thought from her mind. She couldn’t go there.

The love-hate relationship she had with Bardot was never more evident than in these moments. She’d grown to kinda-sorta love the dog because Josh had given it to her, but she’d never really wanted a pet and had been more than a little annoyed when he’d brought the dog home unexpectedly.

“I bought her for you,” he’d said with a huge grin as he handed the tiny beige and white pup out to her. Lexi just stood there, hands at her sides. She’d never held a puppy before, had she? What if it wriggled away from her and she dropped it?

Josh had laughed and pushed the dog to her chest, her hands coming up automatically to cuddle the warm little bundle. A cold wet nose tickled her neck and slobbery kisses followed.

“Whaaaa…?” was all she could manage with a shake of her head. He couldn’t be giving her a dog, could he? she remembered thinking.

It was a Friday night and their anniversary. The puppy had a big pink bow tied loosely around her neck, which she tried in earnest to pull off.

“Her name’s Bardot,” Josh said with a look of anticipation. He was waiting for her to connect the dots. When she said nothing, he began again, with a few hand gestures as if trying to pull the memory from her. “Because when I first met you, I said you reminded me of Brigitte Bardot but without the blonde hair. And, she is a French bulldog after all. It seemed appropriate. But go ahead and change the name if you like.” His lips thinned and his smile died. He’d been reading her expression, which she was certain was one of horror.

“Fine, fine. The name’s…great,” she’d said with forced enthusiasm, then set the dog down on her new area rug. Bardot promptly squatted and peed. Lexi managed to keep her reaction to a minimum as Josh ran into the kitchen to grab the paper towel.

How could she have told him she hated her gift? It was a puppy for crying out loud! Weren’t people supposed to love animals, especially puppies? What was wrong with her?

Then it hit her. She realized it was Josh who’d wanted the dog. He’d brought up the subject countless times since he’d moved in with her. Lexi had always said the same thing, “Maybe later, hon. Now’s not the right time.”

Bardot was five months old now and still not housebroken, but without Josh around, Lexi was as helpless as a, well, a newborn puppy. She got up slowly from the hard floor. Her back ached and her head pounded. She guessed Bardot had to go outside for a pee—another thing she hated about having a dog. Her small yard wasn’t fenced and so she had to walk the puppy around until it decided to do whatever it had to. Lexi prayed Bardot hadn’t already done her business in the crate. That was not an uncommon occurrence and it always meant she’d have to bathe the dog since she didn’t seem to have the sense not to step in her own waste. Lexi sighed at the thought of it. Bardot did not like baths.

She bent down to open the door to the crate. Bardot already had her little pushed-in snout against the grill of the door, stubby tail wagging furiously. When she opened it, Bardot bounded out and jumped up to kiss her. Even though still just a pup, she was strong and her boxy little skull connected with Lexi’s nose. Blood gushed. Lexi stifled it with a hand while trying to keep the puppy at bay with the other, but Bardot was persistent, jumping and jumping until she knocked her mistress backward onto her butt.

Lexi let her head fall into her hands and cried; a small pool of blood and tears spilled onto the front of her T-shirt. She looked up in time to see Bardot squatting on the rug.

Bio:

Jeanne Bannon, an international best selling author, has worked in the publishing industry for over twenty-five years. She is represented by the Serendipity Literary Agency.

Her debut novel, Invisible, a young adult paranormal romance, was published by Solstice Publishing in 2011 and was subsequently optioned for film. Invisible is an Amazon bestseller both domestically and internationally and is set for re-release in the coming months.

In 2014, Nowhere to Run, a romantic thriller, was published by Etopia Press. In 2015, Jeanne published the first of a three-part novella series, a paranormal romance titled Beautiful Monster, The Exchange (Book One). She is currently finishing work on the second in the Beautiful Monster series.

Links:

Goodreads page for Valentine Pets & Kisses

The Ornament by P.A. Estelle

2015-11-30T10:16:00.000-08:00

A warm Christmas read

The Ornament by P.A. Estelle

Twelve years ago Jim Rustle packed up and left his home in Idaho and hasn’t looked back. He gets quite an awakening when Lisa Parker, whom he hadn’t seen in all those years, breaks into a business meeting and uses some colorful adjectives to tell him just what she thinks of him.

Sparks fly between the two when he decides to follow Lisa home and sees what has happened in his absence. Is the anger stemming from the present, or from the past?

It’s Christmas time. Can an ornament from years past help heal betrayals that have festered for years?

http://www.amazon.com/Ornament-Penny-Estelle-ebook/dp/B017TGEV8E

Blurb:

A black cowboy hat sat low on her head, shadowing her face. Light brown straight hair with white blonde streaks throughout swayed almost to her waist.

The sign, Wagner, INC, was in large block letters above a double door that was opened. The receptionist at the desk, Dani according to the name plate, was on the phone, taking a message. Her hair was black and cut in a perfect short bob. Dani looked up to see the woman standing in front of her. She sat back in her chair, staring at the visitor, and finished the call with “I’ll have Jim call you as soon as he is done with his meeting, John.” The receptionist’s eyes never left the face of the woman standing in front of her.

Dani took her time hanging up the phone and finishing writing the message. “May I help you?”

“Jim Rustle,” was all the woman said.

The corner of Dani’s mouth rose. “I’m afraid he is in a meeting and will be busy most of the afternoon. I can take your name and ask him to call.”

The woman was looking behind Dani at the closed door that said James Rustle on it. “No need.” She walked past Dani and headed to the door.

“Wait! You can’t go in there!” The composed Dani was anything but.

The woman threw the door open. The office had a large desk made of rich cherry wood. Opposite it stood two small padded chairs of deep brown leather. On the other side of the room stood a small conference table with blue prints spread out all over it.

The woman, once again, saw none of it. Her eyes were trained on the man sitting behind the desk. For a split second, the words caught in her throat. She hadn’t seen Jim Rustle for twelve years. His dark brown hair was clipped short. His smoky gray eyes were as hypnotic as she remembered. He wore a pair of navy suit trousers, a navy vest, and a white long sleeved shirt, with the top two buttons undone. The suit jacket was draped over his chair. The man was more handsome than when he walked out of her life, if that was possible.

“Jim, I’m sorry but this…this woman just went right by me when I told her you were busy and couldn’t be disturbed.” Dani was clearly distraught.

Before he had a chance to answer, the woman walked to the desk and leaned her hands on it. “You selfish, arrogant, self-absorbed, SOB. Are you so important you can’t find time, yet again, to spend Christmas with the one person in this world that thinks the sun rises and sets in you, no matter how many times you have chosen to put everything and everybody else above her? Not to mention the woman who raised you and made it possible for you to go to college so you could sit in this office and be the overblown ass that you have become?”

Fire was shooting out of her hazel eyes and her chest was heaving with anger. The two men that were sitting in the meeting and Dani, standing at the door, were watching with their mouths hanging open. They had never seen someone talk to their boss like that and walk away without limping.

Something flickered in his eyes – anger, guilt, or maybe appreciation in what he was seeing. “Men,” he said, never taking his eyes off the woman, “we’ll finish this meeting later. Dani –“

“Don’t bother. I know how important your time is.” Sarcasm dripped with every word. She turned to leave.

“Lisa,” he said stopping her. “I see you still aren’t married.”

Lisa closed her eyes as if praying for restraint. Her words didn’t have the disdain in them when she said, tiredly, “Annie doesn’t have much time, Jim. Give her a break.”

A word from the author:

Thanks so much for taking a look at my new Christmas story, The Ornament.

I write for all ages, from the early reader to adults. My books range from pictures books for the little ones, to fantasy, time-travel adventures for ages 9 to 13. I also write adult stories, including a family drama and contemporary, paranormal and historical westerns romances, under P. A. Estelle.

I was a school secretary for 21 years. My husband and I moved to our retirement home in Kingman, AZ, on very rural 54 acres, living on solar and wind only.

Bio and Links:

More about P.A. Estelle's books can be found in the following links:

www.pennystales.com

www.pennyestelle.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/Penny-Estelle/e/B006S62XBY

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=146&Itemid=82

www.facebook.com/pennystales

www.pinterest.com/pennyestelle

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5820078.Penny_Estelle - Goodreads

http://www.twitter.com/pennystales

When We Were Human

2015-11-12T05:42:00.000-08:00

When We Were Human

2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards

Silver Medalist

for Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi Fiction

Get it for $0.99

November 12-18 only

Buy on Amazon

“They came four years ago. Invaded our planet, rounded us up, decimated the human race. We fought back, and some even say we won, but they’re wrong. The invaders took everything from us. Our family. Our hope. Our humanity. We won the war, but there are no humans left. Only monsters who will do anything to survive. Some look human and some don’t, but they are all the same.”

╣Synopsis╠

Eighteen-year-old Eva has spent the last year punishing herself for her sister’s death and hiding from everyone she comes into contact with, human or otherwise. With the population destroyed and the Earth left in ruins, she sees little hope left for the future.

But when she crosses paths with Walker and Tara something inside her awakens. Something she thought had died along with her entire family. In these new friends Eva sees a promise of what the future could be, as well as evidence that humanity might not be extinct after all.

When a ghost from Eva’s past makes an unexpected appearance, the group sets out on a cross-country trek that will teach Eva how to love and hope again, and will remind her what it truly means to be human.

╣Links╠

Buy NOW on Amazon

Find on Goodreads

Check out the Playlist

╣Excerpt╠

     
 When the
camp comes into view I have a difficult time not throwing up. Water and carrots
slosh back and forth in my stomach. The sweat on my palms has nothing to do
with the humidity, and my legs are so weak they feel like pipe cleaners trying
to support a rubber ball.

     
 The
fence surrounding the camp is down in most places, and the majority of the
hastily set-up tents have blown away. The few left are ripped. The canvas blows
in the warm breeze, flapping back and forth like the wings of an ominous bird.

     
 The
storage building is still standing, though. If it isn’t empty this trip might
be worth our time, but if it’s been cleaned out all this emotional turmoil and
pain I’m going through right now will be for nothing. And I don’t have a lot of
optimism that things will turn out in our favor.

     
 Atlanta
is just visible in the distance. Or what’s left of it, anyway. A ruined
building juts up here and there, but for the most part the city is flat. It
looks as if like the earth had just opened up and sucked the city down. It’s
what the creepers did in the first wave. Wiped out the all the major cities
until there was nothing left but a landscape of rubble and dust. Killing
millions in the blink of an eye.

     
 Walker
heads into the camp, and I follow silently, trying not to think about those
terrifying days. My throat tightens when we step across the toppled chain link
fence. The rusty metal clinks under our feet and my heart pounds harder with
each step.

     
 When I
finally enter the prison camp where my sister lived out her final days, it
feels like I’m walking into a cemetery. In many ways I am. Bones of the former
inhabitants are scattered across the ground as far as the eye can see. The
bodies have been picked clean by animals and bugs, and the clothes have long
since blown away, but the skeletons remain as a heart-breaking reminder of
everything we lost.

     
 Which
one is my sister?

     
 “This
way,” Walker says, tilting his head toward the storage
building.

     
 The
three of us pick our way across the camp, stepping over debris and remains.
Tara won’t stop looking at me, and every glance causes my insides to harden
even more. I wish I’d never told them I lost my sister here. I hate thinking
that they associate me with this place. Even worse, I hate that I associate
myself with this hell.

     
 I catch
sight of a charred, mangled tree and the urge to hurl hits me so hard that I
almost have to stop. The stump juts up from the ground, and to the left of it
sits a small crater. It’s like a missile took out the top of the tree, then hit
the ground next to it. The black circle from the fire extends for about ten
feet around the hole. The fire burnt the tree to a crisp, leaving almost
nothing behind.

     
 Our
tree. Mine and Lilly’s.

     
 I force
myself to turn away from the remains before I burst into tears. I shouldn’t
have come here.

     
 We get
closer to the storage building but something looks off. The brightness of the
sun makes it hard to see and forces me to squint. Then it hits me. The walls
are covered in writing and discarded cans of spray paint by the dozens lay on
the ground. At first I’m not sure what I’m looking at, but it only takes a few
seconds of scanning the words to figure out what it all means. They’re notes
left by survivors. People hoping to find loved ones they’ve
lost.

     
 Stupid
people clinging to hope that doesn’t exist.

     
 “What is
this?” I ask, coming to a stop about ten feet from the
wall.

     

“Survivor’s wall.” Walker glances toward Tara, then turns at the entrance of
the building. “People leave messages behind just in case a family member comes
through. We’ll check it out before we leave, but we should look for food
first.”

     
 Tara
nods and follows him, but her eyes are glued to the wall. They never stop
moving, never stop reading the names.

     
 I keep
my eyes on the back of Walker’s head as I follow him inside. Away from the wall
and the words of desperation painted on them. There’s nothing on that wall for
me.

╣About the Author╠

Kate L. Mary is a stay-at-home mother of four and an Air Force wife. She grew up in a small town just north of Dayton, Ohio where she and her husband met at the age of twelve. Since their marriage in 2002, they have lived in Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and California.

Kate enjoys any post-apocalyptic story - especially if zombies are involved - as long as there is a romantic twist to give the story hope. Kate prefers nerdy, non-traditional heroes who can make you laugh to hunky pieces of man-meat, and her love of wine and chocolate is legendary among her friends and family. She currently resides in Oklahoma with her husband and children.

Be sure to check out her best-selling BROKEN WORLD series, a top 100 book in dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction on Amazon.

╣Social Media╠

Website │ Facebook │ Twitter

╣Other Books╠

The Broken World series

Available now on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback and Audiobook!

Broken World

When a deadly virus sweeps the country, Vivian Thomas sets out for California in hopes of seeing the daughter she gave up for adoption. Then her car breaks down and she’s faced with a choice. Give up, or accept a ride from redneck brothers, Angus and Axl. Vivian knows the offer has more to do with her double D’s than kindness, but she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to reach her daughter.

The virus is spreading, and by the time the group makes it to California, most of the population has been wiped out. When the dead start coming back, Vivian and the others realize that no electricity or running water are the least of their concerns. Now Vivian has to figure out how to be a mother under the most frightening circumstances, cope with Angus’s aggressive mood swings, and sort out her growing attraction to his brooding younger brother, Axl.

While searching for a safe place to go, they pick up a pompous billionaire who may be the answer to all their problems. Trusting him means going into the middle of the Mojave Desert and possibly risking their lives, but with the streets overrun and nowhere else to turn, it seems he might be their only chance for survival.

Shattered World Mad World Lost World New World Broken Stories

Collision

New Adult Romantic Mystery

Available now on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Some secrets are better left untold…

When eighteen-year-old Kara Jones gets into a car accident on the way home from college, she’s left with more than a few bruised ribs, a busted cell phone, and a totaled car. After a slip-up at the hospital, she’s shaken to discover that her family isn’t all it seems. And now her mother’s strange behavior and willingness to do anything to protect her secrets—including pulling Kara out of school—have Kara floundering in the dark.

Enter Derek Miller, a former classmate who’s dealing with family issues of his own. His nerdy charm is too much for Kara to resist, and she’s even more amazed when he agrees to help her dig into her mother’s past. Together they investigate her mother’s old friends and boyfriends, hoping to discover who Kara really is. Instead, they find disturbing connections to the dark history of Kent State University, and an ever expanding maze of mystery surrounding Kara’s birth.

As Kara and Derek chase secrets, she realizes he’s the only person she can trust. But as they get closer to the truth, the disturbing answers reveal a web of evil far darker and further reaching than they’d imagined, leaving Kara to wish she’d never asked the questions in the first place.

The List

(College of Charleston, #1)

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Available from Lyrical Press

Amazon│

Barnes & Noble│iBooks│Kobo│Google

The List. Twenty things every girl must do before she turns twenty. . .

Body piercing

Get drunk

First kiss

But thanks to her crazy, over-protective father, Annie Roth is way behind schedule. Good thing it’s her first semester of college, because Annie is more than ready to start checking off items. . .

Fake ID

Skinny dipping

Road trip!!!

Where it gets complicated? Ryan and Chris. Best friends. Both sweet, funny, totally hot, and totally into Annie.

But there are some things on The List that Annie only wants to do with Ryan. . .

Lose it

Get Heart Broken

Fall in love

No Regrets

(College of Charleston, #2)

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Available from Lyrical Press

Amazon│

B&N│Google│iBooks│Kobo

College is supposed to be fun…

Go to parties

Pick up guys

Maybe get in a little trouble

On the surface Cami is your average, wild teenager out to have a good time, but inside she’s struggling. Almost a year ago her best friend was in a car accident, an accident Cami feels responsible for. Since then, she’s made it her personal mission to experience everything life has to offer, both for herself and for Julie, who will never have fun again.

Then she meets Liam, her cousin’s sexy roommate. Hooking up with a hot British dude seems like the perfect way to start off the school year, but the more time she spends with him, the more she finds herself actually liking the guy. Which totally screws up her plans to live life with no regrets…

Prep For Doom

Don’t Look Back, Chapter 18

Band of Dystopian Anthology

Young Adult Apocalyptic

From the imaginations of twenty authors of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction comes PREP FOR DOOM – an integrated collection of short stories that tell the tale of a single catastrophe as experienced by many characters, few of whom will ever meet. What begins with a seemingly innocuous traffic accident soon spirals into a global pandemic. The release of Airborne Viral Hemorrhagic Fever upon New York City’s unsuspecting populace brings bloody suffering within hours, death within a day, and spreads worldwide within a month.

An online community called Prep For Doom has risen to the top of a recent doomsday preparation movement. Some have written them off as crazy while others couldn’t be more serious about the safety the preppers could provide in a global disaster. But when AVHF strikes, their preparation may not be enough to save them.

Why Canadian Writers Should Beware of Create Space

2015-10-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, the paperback rights to one of my novels, Nowhere to Run, reverted to me. Since the publisher still owns the ebook rights, I decided to go ahead and self publish the paperback since I really wanted to hold a copy of the novel I worked so hard on in my hands.

The first thing I did was have a cover designed. I'm very happy with it and more than willingly paid the $100 US to have a professional design it thinking perhaps, in time, I would recoup the money on paperback sales. I did the interior design myself and the end product, if I don't say so myself, is very professional. I'm proud of the novel.

After ordering a proof copy and determining all was well, I made it available for sale on Amazon. However, here's the rub - as a Canadian author, I must wait until I have $100US in royalties before I see one cent of the money I make from sales.

Since Nowhere to Run's release in paperback on October 3, 2015, I've made four sales with a total royalty amount of a little over $8.00. It's unlikely that I will sell forty-five more copies any time soon as those four copies were to friends and family. And, as we all know, ebooks out sell paperbacks because they are a more economical purchase.

When setting up my account, the only payment type I was allowed to select (as a Canadian) was payment by check, not direct deposit, which is subject to attaining the minimum threshold amount. Other counties such as the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, or the Netherlands, are eligible for monthly direct deposits and therefore, do not have to meet any threshold requirements in order to get paid.

To make it clear, Amazon is keeping all of my profits, every single penny, until I meet the threshold which is, at best, difficult if not impossible, in the over crowded self-publishing marketplace.

Canadian writers beware. Don't make the same mistake I did. Use Lulu for printing your paperbacks because they print Canadian books in Canada and thus, you'll save a ton of money in shipping. Also, use other online booksellers to sell your books and drive traffic to those sites. Amazon is, like its name implies, a monster! It's a huge corporation with a bad reputation. They blatantly steal whatever they can from the pockets of hard-working writers.

I don't know about you, but I write novels in order to build a career, to make a living, not to "give" the proceeds of my sales to Amazon. Like I wrote earlier, it's unlikely that I will ever make enough sales for Amazon to pay me. I spent money on a cover and a year of my life writing Nowhere to Run, all to what end? It's discouraging and frustrating and most of all, extremely unfair.

Also, my book is not available on Amazon.ca so my Canadian friends and family have to pay more because of the present weakness of the Canadian dollar as well as higher shipping fees (also in American dollars). To say the least, I am more than disappointed.

Feel free to contact me with any questions (or suggestions).

It's in You to Give - Vampire Books for Blood

2015-09-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

What is "Vampire Books for Blood?"

Author Scott Burtness created the Vampire Books for Blood event in 2014. It's held annually from October 1st through to the 31st.

The event brings vampire book authors together for a shared goal: to raise money for the American Red Cross and Canadian Blood Services.

Participating authors each pledge to donate at a portion of their sales of their book(s) during the month of October to the American Red Cross or Canadian Blood Services. Each author has an individual agreement with the Red Cross or Canadian Blood Services and makes an individual donation at the end of the event.

The "Vampire Books for Blood" event website allows readers to easily browse and find books from participating authors. By purchasing a participating author's book, a reader knows that a portion of the proceeds will be donated by the author to the American Red Cross or Canadian Blood Services.

Please support this wonderful cause by purchasing (during the month of October), a copy of Beautiful Monster - The Exchange (Book One) or any of the other books showcased on the Vampire Books for Blood blog.

Beautiful Monster - The Exchange (Book One) is the story of Lev Baronovsky, a soulless creature of the night and his predicament. The love of his life, a mortal, has just died and in three days will pass to the other side. Without a soul, Lev cannot cross over with her and the thought of spending eternity without his beloved is unbearable. Is seventy-two hours enough time to find a way?

With the help of his brother, they must find the only one who can help - the vilest creature of all, Boris. But Boris has selfish plans of his own.

Beautiful Monster can be found on Amazon here.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE: if it was not for Canadian Blood Services, I would have died in 1982. When I was a teenager, I had a bad reaction to a prescription for tonsillitis and began to bleed internally. My platelet count was so low, the doctors were certain I was going to bleed from my brain. They prepared my family for the worst. However, God had different plans for me. The biggest reason for my survival was because of the two blood transfusions I was given. I am honoured to give back to the organization that played a huge part in saving my life.

Even if you don't purchase Beautiful Monster please consider making a donation to Canadian Blood Services or The American Red Cross.

It's in you to give!

Beautiful Monster (The Exchange) Book One

2015-09-09T15:30:00.001-07:00

***FREE***

Free September 10-12

Beautiful Monster — The Exchange (book one) is the story of Lev Baronovsky, a soulless creature of the night and his predicament. The love of his life, a mortal, has just died and in three days will pass to the other side. Without a soul, Lev cannot cross over with her and the thought of spending eternity without his beloved is unbearable. Is seventy-two hours enough time to find a way?

With the help of his brother, they must find the only one who can help — the vilest creature of all, Boris. But Boris has selfish plans of his own.

http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Monster-Exchange-Jeanne-Bannon-ebook/dp/B00THI4RDW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1441836630&sr=8-3&keywords=jeanne+bannon

Today's the Day

2015-09-04T18:52:00.001-07:00

Today’s the Day

“Today’s the day,” a strange man says to officer John Galloway, sending a puzzling, yet ominous, message. Galloway can’t make sense of the words, or perhaps the warning, but when he’s called in on a missing child investigation, it quickly becomes clear to him that it’s not going to be a good day.

Just in time for Halloween, a story about a girl who goes missing on and the unfortunate police officer who finds her.

Available for pre-order. Release date: September 15th.

Excerpt:

In the distance was a school, and he headed toward it, sweeping the beam back and forth in front of him as he jogged, his chest tightening with the strain. His forty-eight-year-old body was no longer suited for strenuous activity, but he was loathe to give up active duty for a desk job. Being in the field kept him sharp mentally and gave him purpose.

The vacant schoolyard was lit up like a 7-Eleven, and Galloway refastened the flashlight to his belt. He brought a hand to his forehead to shield his eyes from the harsh fluorescents of the standing light posts as well as those mounted to the building. The girl was nowhere to be seen, but Galloway’s instincts told him she was there. He turned a full circle to scout out every possible hiding place, but before moving on to investigate, he called in his request for back-up again. The harsh crackle of what he now figured was a malfunctioning radio squealed back at him.

“Piece of shit.” He tapped the shoulder mic sharply with a finger and then snapped it back in place. Something hit the back of his head hard enough to jerk him forward. Pain radiated through his skull and the hand that had reflexively touched the spot came away red. He turned in time to see a rock skipped away… and something else. A tendril of dread traced a path down his spine when he spied a shadow retreating into the courtyard.

With shaky fingers, he pulled the tail of his shirt from his pants and wiped the blood from his hand. Jesus, hold it together, John, it’s just a kid playing games.

Bio:

Jeanne’s worked in the publishing industry for over twenty-five years, first as a freelance journalist, then as an in-house editor for LexisNexis. She currently works as a freelance editor and writer and is represented by the Serendipity Literary Agency.

Her debut novel, Invisible, a young adult paranormal romance, published by Solstice Publishing in 2011, was subsequently optioned for film. Invisible is an Amazon bestseller both domestically and internationally.

In 2014, Nowhere to Run, a romantic thriller was published by Etopia Press. This past winter, Jeanne’s paranormal romance novella, Beautiful Monster, The Exchange (Book One) was released. She is currently working on the second in the Beautiful Monster series.

In need of an editor or proofreader? Jeanne is currently accepting new clients. Visit her website for details.

Links:

Amazon

Today’s the Day

Beautiful Monster - The Exchange (Book One)

Website