Monday, March 31, 2014

HOW ABOUT A FORTUNE COOKIE AND A GIVEAWAY?




Fortune Cookie


Fortune Cookie
Sadie Hoffmiller has always liked things to be just so. A place for everything and everything in its place. Order over chaos. And of all things Sadie should be able to control, her own wedding is at the top of the list.

With the big day just three weeks away, Sadie is busily adding the final touches to her wedding plans but the arrival of a mysterious letter from San Francisco changes everything. The only person Sadie knows in San Francisco is her older sister, Wendy, whom she hasn’t seen since their mother’s funeral nearly fifteen years ago.

Sadie has faced off against murderers and criminals in recent years, yet the possibility of reconnecting with her sister is both overwhelming and frightening. Sadie soon discovers, however, that the letter is just the beginning when Wendy’s world turns out to be a place of unanswered questions, twisted truths, and more than one person with a motive for murder.

The more Sadie digs into her sister’s past, the more she places her own future at risk.
Culinary Mysteries
Fortune Cookie Tour

Josi
Author Josi S. Kilpack


Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.
book blast button


Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/30/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, March 28, 2014

HOME SWEET TEXAS HOME, BOOK ONE OF THE TEXAS HOME SERIES

 Cinderella stories still exist, and characters still find their fairy tale ending. HOME SWEET TEXAS HOME, Texas Home series book one, is a modern day Cinderella story with a happily-ever-after ending that (I hope) will leave you sighing and wishing for the next in the series. Two more books in the series will be released this summer, unless life plays dirty tricks on me—again. 

I’ve just recovered my rights to this book. When an author recovers rights to a book, the rights don't include the cover, which was produced by the previous publisher.  I love the new cover created by Ramona Lockwood. She's also doing the covers for the next two in the Texas Home series, FINDING MY TEXAS HOME and BACK TO MY TEXAS HOME.

HOME, SWEET TEXAS HOME is a sweet contemporary set in West Texas near where I grew up. My uncle and cousins were farmers who also sometimes raised cattle. Can’t keep all your eggs in one basket, right? My husband had several uncles who were ranchers and farmers, and some of his cousins still farm. Both Hero and I grew up in Lubbock, called “the Hub of the Plains” by their Chamber of Commerce.

A cotton field near Lubbock, Texas
On Highway 84

To raise money to build their new house, my father-in-law raised cotton on a field at the edge of town and my husband had to help. Hero remembers clearing hundreds of tumbleweeds from the land and burning them. Needless to say, he hates tumbleweeds. After several years, the family had saved enough cash to buy a lot and build on it, with my father-in-law as contractor and doing some of the work himself. Once they’d saved enough to build the house, that was the end of their cotton farming. My husband was grateful. I suspect his father was even more so.


Not threatening singly, but tumbleweeds tend
to collect on fencelines and in fields.

When Hero came in dirty and tired from working in the field, his mom would tell him that if he didn’t go to college, he’d be doing work like that forever. He didn’t know what his degree would be in, but he knew then that he was going to college so he’d never have to farm again. 

He went from college to work in Dallas. But later we moved to a rural acreage for over 20 years so he could raise peaches and vegetables in addition to his rocket scientist job. Life does play funny tricks on us, doesn’t it? We sold our acreage and home last summer and moved to our current snug home in a Fort Worth suburb.

Hero just can’t get farming out of his blood, though, and has a nice garden at the back of our current property. We have a lovely yard with lots of large trees. We’ve placed roses in the areas where there’s enough sun. But I digress.

About the time my future husband was burning tumbleweeds and “chopping cotton,” as hoeing weeds is called, my family moved to Lubbock so Dad could buy cotton. We had spent three years in small rural areas where my dad managed a cotton gin. 

Although we didn't know Hero or his family at the time, my dad chose our house at the same edge of town as where my husband lived. We were so pleased to have our own new home. Dad had built houses when we lived in California when I was small, but the house he was building for us always ended up sold because he and mother couldn’t turn down a tidy profit. 

Anyway, we were happy to finally own one similar—though not nearly as well built—to those Dad had built in California. Our first year in Lubbock, cotton plants came up in our flowerbeds because the housing development was carved from a cotton farm. 

You can see that a book about that area might be close to my heart. Here’s the HOME SWEET TEXAS HOME blurb:

Courtney Madison has battled poverty her entire twenty-five years but is determined to make a safe and happy home for her teenaged brother after the recent death of their mom. Her mom’s illness left Courtney with a mountain of hospital bills, her formerly sweet brother Jimmy is now cutting class and hanging with a rough crowd, and she’s just learned she’s being downsized in two weeks. Hanging on by the threads of a fraying rope, she learns she’s inherited two million dollars from a kind elderly man she befriended when he was in the hospital across the hall from her mom. She thinks her inheritance in West Texas is the answer to all her prayers--but Courtney learns that while money improves her life, it doesn’t guarantee happiness. This modern Cinderella encounters problems even a fairy godmother couldn’t imagine.

Rancher/entrepeneur Derek Corrigan has incredible instincts for flourishing in the business world. With women, not so much. In fact, his friends bemoan he’s King Midas where money is concerned, but his judgment of women is pathetic--evidenced by his late wife and now the flamboyant woman he’s been escorting of late. As far as Derek is concerned, all he wants is to be a good dad to his children Warren, aged 8, and Meg, aged 5. Derek suspects the worst of his new neighbor and vows to fight his attraction for her. The only way he can protect his children and himself is to keep his private life very private. Besides, he knows what women do to him--they always leave and take chunks of his heart with them. He's been there, done that, had the vaccination and is cured. Isn't he?



HOME, SWEET TEXAS HOME excerpt:
Set up: Derek surprised both he and Courtney when he asked her to the Winter Madness Ball held at the local county club.

They joined the others circling the room and Derek pulled her into his arms. He looked down at her while they twirled to a waltz. His beautiful cobalt eyes held passion and tenderness. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.
His arm tightened, snuggling her to him. His lips brushed her hair and she thought he murmured her name. Contentment washed over her, sending her encounter with Janelle far away.
          A samba followed. He put both hands on her hips and she rested her hands on his shoulders. They moved as one to the rhythmic beats. Erotic fantasies invaded her mind. Tropical isles, sun drenched beaches, surf gliding gently over their entwined bodies.
          In the middle of the next number, a fox trot, Derek guided her to the edge of the ballroom floor and out into the lobby. Gently, he pulled her into a shadowy corner before he pressed his lips to hers. For Courtney, they were alone in the universe.
          He pulled her closer and she melted at his touch. She slipped her hands inside his jacket and wound both arms around him to knead his back, oblivious to anyone else in the world.
          As he slowly raised his head, she felt herself pulled into those deep blue eyes.
          Her senses reeled from his kiss and she struggled to maintain at least a shred of her sanity. “You’re a prominent person here, and this is a public area.”
          “You’re right, but I couldn’t wait a second longer to kiss you.” He pulled her head to his chest. “Let me hold you a few moments longer.”
          With his arms gently caressing her, she rested against his chest. When at last she raised her head to meet his gaze, he exhaled in resignation and brushed his lips across hers. “I know, I know. We should rejoin the others.”


HOME, SWEET TEXAS HOME is available in print and e-book from Amazon and in e-book from other online stores. I hope you’ll give it a read and let me know what you think.




Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

BREATHLESS BOXED SET AND GIVEAWAY

Breathtaking: Seven Bestselling Novels of Love and Suspense
Boxed set is only $.99 March 24th through March 29th.

Unbelievable by Sherry Gammon

Deliah Dreser's in town to take care of family business. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, but there's more to Lilah than meets the eye. Cole's in danger of losing his heart when this firestorm throws sparks his way. Is she simply playing him for the fool in order to exact revenge for her brother's murders?

Bestselling author Sherry Gammon's reviewers exclaim; "She has a gift for touching her readers with beautiful, gripping stories that you can’t put down."







Home Before Dark by Christy Barritt

Nothing good ever happens after dark. Those were the words country singer Daleigh McDermott’s father always repeated.

Now her father is dead, and Daleigh finds a hidden journal hinting that his death was no accident. Small town mechanic Ryan Shields is the only one who seems to believe Daleigh. As the two work to unravel the mystery, it becomes obvious that someone wants them dead. They must rely on each other—and on God—if they hope to make it home before the darkness swallows them whole.

Award-Winning Suspense Novelist and Bestselling Amazon Author, touted as "scary, funny, passionate, and quirky" by USA Today.

Baggage Claim by Amanda Tru

Rachel Saunders is looking forward to her all-expense paid weekend trip to New York. But, when her luggage is lost and she is accosted by an infuriating Homeland Security agent, events take a dangerous turn.

Amanda Tru, Bestselling Amazon Author of Romance and Suspense. Discover the author who, as an Amazon reviewer raves, “continues to impress me and dominate my time with a book I can’t put down even after it’s ended.”



Cassie's Cowboy Crave by Kimberly Krey

In a moment of weakness, Shane steals a kiss.

In return, Cassie steals his heart…

When Cassie is forced to join the witness protection program, she fears her life is over… but then she meets Shane Emerson — the hunky cowboy posing as her husband. Will this sham marriage turn into the real thing, or will a hidden danger put it all at risk?

Kimberly Krey writes romance that’s clean without losing the steam. What’s Beyond Forks calls this Best-selling Western Romance author “the master of romantic tension.”





A Perfect Fit by Heather Tullis

Cami DiCarlo is not happy when her father forces her into heading up guest services at his newest five-star hotel and unveils the existence of four half-sisters at the same time, insisting they live together while they launch the new resort.

When she meets Vince, the sweet, sexy landscaper her father would never have approved of, Cami can’t say no. If only she could be sure she is on the right track—and that they will be able to stop the person who is trying to destroy everything.

You Belong with Me by Shannon Guymon

Layla Kendall is a burned out social worker one step away from a major depression. When she and her sisters inherit their grandmother's bakery, she doesn't know if she can trust her good fortune or not. But the chance to be with her sisters and get away from the heartache and pain she's faced day in and day out is a chance she's going to take. With Layla's new life, come new friendships, including Michael Bender, a single dad. She doesn't trust men but Michael's little girl grabs her by the heart and won't let go.

Shannon Guymon is an Amazon Bestselling Author of lighthearted and clean romance who according to her many fans, has the ability to paint pictures of her characters so real that readers would know them if they saw them walking down the street.

Blog This by Cami Checketts

Devastated by the loss of her brother, Natasha Senecot exposes the dangers of Matthew Chrysler's violent video games, bankrupting and humiliating him. Chrysler sends a hit man after her. In a race against time, can Natasha expose Chrysler before his assassin murders her family and shatters her world?

Bestselling author Cami Checketts has been touted as, "A genius! She writes about topics that aren't widely discussed, and she does such a brilliant job of crafting these things into wonderful stories that touch your heart and remain with you for days afterwards."
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Monday, March 24, 2014

INTERVIEW WITH EMELLE GAMBLE, AUTHOR OF MOLLY HARPER


Readers, please welcome Emelle Gamble to the blog for an interview. Don't miss her giveaways nearer the bottom! She’s been writing fiction her whole life—her first story when she was only five. Heavens, I was reading comic books and only imagining stories when I was five, not writing them down. 

Here’s the interview.

Caroline: Emelle, tell us something about growing up.

Emelle: I’m a Southern California girl, the oldest of three, a slightly nerdy kind of girl who always had her nose in a book and her head in the clouds. I wanted to be an actress until I was twenty (who didn’t, it was LA!) but then accepted reality and decided to find a full-time job that didn’t involve my looks or luck and that very hard on your ego work it took to be a working actor. So I finished college and took a full time job with ‘the phone company’ and was blessed to become a wife and mother. 

Caroline: The phone company is a great job, especially in past decades. Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?

Emelle: I love mystery and books about love and families. I love books that mix all three. I love the authors I’ve loved my whole life, Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt, Rosamunde Pilcher and PD James, Sue Grafton and Walter Mosley, along with a slew of romance writers, among them my critique partners Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Lavinia Kent, and newcomer Evie Owens, whose first novella, The Psychic Detective, combines all three of my favorite elements in a magical way that will make you yearn for the next installment the way I yearn for the next installment of Downtown Abbey.

Caroline: I’ll check out Evie Owens. What’s your favorite way to relax and recharge?

Emelle: I need to get out of my house (where my writing office is) to relax or I feel a pull like a giant, scary magnet to come back and stare at my computer screen. So a weekend away, a beach, time with hubby where part of my brain isn’t actively plotting and or planning dinner, is my favorite. And my only real hobby is reading, and watching HGTV. Love those Property Brothers!

Caroline: Now you’ve mentioned two of my favorite TV shows: "Downton Abbey" and "Property Brothers." Do you have a favorite quote that sums up how you feel about life?

Emelle: "A goal without a plan is just a wish." Antoine de Saint-Exupery
  
It says it all…one step at a time will get you anywhere.

Caroline: How long have you been writing?

Emelle: Forever. Not kidding. I’ve been published since 1990, took off 10 years and got back into print in 2012.

Caroline: Congratulations and welcome back. Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude?
Emelle: Dead quite, no one in the house, is the best. I am then allowed to walk around muttering dialogue, doing chores, sit at the computer on an off for hours. Always a desktop. I’m really old school!

Caroline: I also prefer my desktop, but use a laptop on rare occasions. Are you a plotter or a panzer?

Emelle: Can’t imagine just sitting and writing without a roadmap. I always start with a title, a character and the end of the story. I try and follow Michael Hague’s wonderful ‘Hero’s Journey’ outline, and I use note cards.

Caroline: I’m also a plotter. Do you use real events or persons in your stories or as an inspiration for stories?

Emelle: HA! Who doesn’t? We write and give readers our view of everything around us. While imagination is of course the key ingredient, I don’t know any authors who don’t base even imagined werewolves and vampires on real people, either in their life or the news.

Caroline: Do you set daily writing goals? Do you get a chance to write every day?

Emelle: I don’t ‘get a chance’ to write every day. I write every day. It is my job. I set no other goals than that…as a small press and indie author now, I also have to contend with running the small business that author’s must run now to provide marketing for their books. It’s a 7 day a week commitment.

Caroline: It is a heavy commitment, but I love my job. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

Emelle: Stories and ideas and people that make you think about yourself and entertain you. Novels that ring true, that a reader reaches the end of and says, “Yes, I believe this!”.  Even if the story includes a touch of the paranormal or a ghost, the characters must be believably motivated to act as they do. I work hardest of all on this.

Caroline: What long-term plans do you have for your career?

Emelle: To not give-up in this insane time.

Caroline: Would you like to tell us what you’re working on now?

Emelle: I am writing a book with the working title of KISS ME TWICE. It’s a story of a woman resisting going to her 15 year college reunion, and coping with her mother’s ascent into Alzheimers. HA! I just reread that and thought, boy, what a downer! So let me add there is a robust plot full of quirky ex-classmates and a certain gorgeous old boyfriend named Max Bergman. It’s all about memory and love.

Caroline: We cloak our downer stories with humor. What advice would you give to unpublished authors?

Emelle: All the clichés are true. Write every day. Make it a habit. It is your job. Rewrite, read aloud, join a critique group with people you trust to tell you the truth without any malice. And be prepared to get rejected. And remember what my darling husband, Phil-the-fist, told me years ago, “You don’t fail unless you quit.”

Caroline: What’s a fun fact readers wouldn’t know about you?

Emelle: When I worked for Pacific Telephone, Clint Eastwood sent me flowers for moving a telephone booth so his stunt motorcycle driver wouldn’t kill himself. I’ve still got the enclosed florist card.

Caroline: I am impressed. Share something about you that would surprise or shock readers.

Emelle: I was married to George Clooney. (You didn’t say it had to be true, did you?)

Caroline: You have me there. Is your book a series?

Emelle: No, but I’ve written a prequel to MOLLY HARPER, called DUETS. It was first released in the anthology ONCE AND FOREVER with four other novellas by my wonderful critique partners. DUETS is now available in a separate edition, and is included in the paperback edition of MOLLY HARPER as a bonus to my readers.

Caroline: Can you give readers a blurb about your book?

Here’s a recent Amazon review from a reader that I think gets it right…

Molly Harper was an exceptionally good story. Right away I was drawn into the lives of the characters. On the first page we meet Anne Sullivan, who nervously is awaiting Norma Wintz. Norma and Anne have a connection that will be one of the catalysts for this fast moving, easy to read, engrossing book that affects the lives of Molly Harper, Norma and Anne.

Molly is a modern 'Movie Star', married to another popular movie star and the world believes that her life is a fairy tale. Molly's life is in turmoil, her Mother is ill, her husband is cheating on her and tells her over the phone that their marriage is over. That's just the beginning of this powerful story that centralizes around Molly but all the characters involved have their own stories and feelings. Life is not always as it seems. Hidden truths and secrets are the vehicle that drives this story. This book has all the elements that make a great story, love between parents and child, siblings , old friends and lovers. Hats off to Ms Gamble for a enjoyable, sometimes tearful, but hopeful story that I truly enjoyed reading.

Caroline: How about an excerpt?

Emelle: Here it is.

Anne Sullivan looked down at her watch.
One twenty-one p.m. Norma Wintz was twenty minutes late.
Anne leaned back against the banquette and avoided making eye contact with the waitress hovering at the periphery of her vision. She folded her hands together and imagined her face looked tight as cellophane stretched over a bowl of tuna salad.
She shouldn’t have come, she thought as she glanced around the unfamiliar restaurant. It was all glass and mirrors; chock full of shockingly beautiful Californians surely leading shockingly exciting lives. People who wouldn’t understand a widowed middle-aged woman from Potomac, Maryland breaking into sobs and intruding on their lunch experience.
Which was probably what she was going to do once Norma arrived, Anne thought.
After all, it was the first time Anne would lay eyes on the woman who adopted her baby thirty-five years ago.

Caroline: That excerpt is gripping and should sell a lot of books. Where can readers find your books?

Emelle:



Paperback of both stories: http://www.amazon.com/Molly-Harper-Emelle-
Gamble/dp/1495437701/ref=la_B00DXZ2SJA

Caroline: How can readers learn more about you?

Emelle: Check my links at the end of the post.

Caroline: Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about you?


Emelle: Come like my Facebook Author Page and sign-up for my newsletter before March 31, 2014 and you could win an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite!

Emelle will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during this tour. A digital copy of Molly Harper will be awarded to 3 randomly drawn commenters also during this tour.





Molly Harper
by Emelle Gamble


MOLLY HARPER Blurb:

Movie star Molly Harper has it all, beauty, success in her field, and a loving family and marriage to actor Ben Delmonico. Norma Wintz, Molly’s mother, has it all, a lovely life style and two children who adore her, and a respite from the battle against cancer she’s been fighting. Anne Sullivan, at age fifty, is optimistic that her move to sunny Santa Barbara, California, will allow her to be closer to her youngest son and his family, and help her start her life anew after the death of her beloved husband.

But all three of these women, despite their considerable blessings, are plunged into turmoil when the most intimate of secrets that ties their lives together is revealed. At this same time, Molly Harper is confronted with the news that her marriage to actor Ben Delmonico is over. As she navigates this heartbreak and tries to keep the personal details of the drama off the front pages of the newspapers, Molly must also find a way to once and forever negotiate a way forward with her ex- lover and best friend, the volatile and compelling Cruz Morales.

How each of these characters handles the resulting upheaval in their own life, and in their relationships with one another, forms the compelling story of family, secrets and trust in the romantic women’s fiction novel, MOLLY HARPER.


Excerpt from MOLLY HARPER:
  
When the doorbell rang, Cruz Morales froze. Carefully he set his beer down and glanced out the kitchen window.

He didn’t like what he saw.

He walked to the front entrance of Norma’s house, leaving the pan of chicken and tarragon burbling on a low burner. The soft sounds of Santana playing on the stereo in Molly’s room floated toward him on the evening breeze.

Cruz opened the front door to two uniformed Santa Barbara policeman.

“Officers.” Cruz wiped his hands on the dishtowel he’d stuck in the waistband of his jeans.

The policemen’s faces changed from officious to wary at being confronted by a six-foot-three Hispanic male with a ponytail, tattoos and two gold rings hanging from his right ear.

His bulging biceps beneath the soft old t-shirt didn’t help their comfort level.

Cruz put his hands on his hips and waited. He knew he looked threatening, ugly even, with the scars and disfigurement to the left side of his face.

But he didn’t mind how he looked. Ugly scared people, and kept them away.

Even police.

“Can I help you?” He reminded himself not to move quickly. He’d ended up spread-eagled on the ground more than once in his life for spooking a rookie gringo.

“Is this the Wintz home?” The older of the two men spoke, his right hand on his nightstick.

“Yes. It is.” Cruz offered nothing more. He learned over the years that the best way to protect Molly’s privacy was not to give out gratuitous information.

The cop cleared his throat. “May I ask your name?”

“Cruz Morales.”

“And you are…?”

“I’m a friend of the family.”

“Is that your vehicle out there?” The younger police waved toward the truck in the driveway.

Cruz nodded.

The police looked at each other. “We’ve been trying to contact Miss Molly Harper by phone, but she didn’t answer her cell,” the first cop said. “Is she here?”

“What’s the problem?” Cruz asked.

“I’m afraid I need to save my information for Miss Harper.” 

“Cruz, who is it? Is it Mr. Garcia?” Molly hollered from her bedroom.

“Come in.” Cruz stepped back. He turned and called out, “Molly, there are two policemen here who want to see you. Get dressed and come out here.”

The young cop smirked as he walked by Cruz. He had red hair and freckles, and his shirt was about an inch too big around his skinny neck.

Cruz lifted his chin. It was obvious the rookie knew who Molly was, and was busy imagining her getting dressed.

“Take a seat in the library.” Cruz pointed. “It’s right through the archway there.”

The older man, who wore a name-tag reading ‘Sgt Purcell’ nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Mr. Cruz. Please bring Miss Harper to us, whenever she’s ready.”

Cruz watched them walk across the foyer, their black boots squeaking on the tile.

He didn’t mind that the cop got his name wrong. It was typical arrogance. But Cruz began to feel dread build inside. It always happened when he wasn’t sure what would happen next.

He opened the front door and checked the driveway and yard. There was nothing outside that indicated any of the media assholes were sniffing around yet. His truck was blocked in by the patrol car, but no other vehicles were in sight.

Molly hurried down the hallway. “What’s wrong? Why are the police here? Did Mother call?”

Her face was shiny and red from crying. She looked like she was seventeen, he thought. The age she was when he first fell in love with her. He didn’t remember a lot of things from his past, but he always remembered that.

Cruz closed the door. “No one called the house. But the police said they tried your cell.” He took her left arm gently. “Let’s go see what they want.”

“God, do you think something’s happened to Mother?” Her eyes were wide with panic.

“Don’t borrow trouble. They didn’t say that.”

She didn’t move for a moment, and then she put her arm around his back and leaned against him.

Molly was trembling. Cruz knew there was no way to protect her from whatever was coming. But at least he was here.

Because she called me.

Because she needs help.

She needs me.

Everything in his life had changed over the last three years. Everything except that. Cruz squeezed Molly closer and guided her into the library.

“This is Molly Harper,” Cruz announced. “What’s going on?”


Emelle Gamble, Author

Emelle Gamble was a writer at an early age, bursting with the requisite childhood stories of introspection. These evolved into bad teen poetry and worse short stories. She took her first stab at full length fiction in an adult education writing class when her kids were in bed.  As M.L. Gamble, she published several romantic suspense novels with Harlequin. She has contracted with Soul Mate Publishing for SECRET SISTER, published in the summer of 2013, and DATING CARY GRANT, a March 2014 release.

ONCE AND FOREVER, an anthology which includes the novella Duets, came out on November 1st. MOLLY HARPER, a full length novel starring the characters from DUETS 3 years later was released by Posh Publishing in January.

Emelle lives in suburban Washington D.C. with her husband, ‘Phil-the-fist’, her hero of thirty years, and two orange cats, Lucy and Bella. These girls, like all good villains, have their reasons for misbehaving. Her daughter, Olivia, and son, Allen, are happily launched on their own and contributing great things to society, their mother’s fondest wish.

Review Quotes:

Praise for SECRET SISTER

Along with being a very unique and captivating plot, SECRET SISTER offers a shocking turn of the paranormal kind. So if you are the type of person that wants ordinary romance in a book, you won't find that here. This is a story of friendship, family, and most of all, true love and what those things can mean. I cannot recommend SECRET SISTER strongly enough… “ Fresh Fiction, Fresh Reviews

"If you're looking for a typical women's fiction/romance, don't look here... this story has a twist of the paranormal that will have you willingly stretching your belief in order to enjoy the plot. Emelle Gamble has created a story that will tear your heart out."  Long and Short Reviews

Links:




Twitter: @emellegamble 


SECRET SISTER by Emelle Gamble is now available on Amazon!  http://amzn.to/17J2Bn6

ONCE AND FOREVER  an anthology with Emelle Gamble’s novella, DUETS, is now available on Amazon!    http://amzn.to/1h9fZWv

***Remember to leave a comment to enter Emelle's drawing for a $50 gift card or a copy of MOLLY HARPER.

Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, March 21, 2014

M. GARZON INTERVIEW AND NEW RELEASE, BLAZE OF GLORY


Readers, M. Garzon has stopped by today to share with readers. Here’s her interview:

Caroline: Tell us something about growing up.

M: When people ask me where I’m from, I never really know what to say.  I was born in Holland, but moved to Canada when I was four years old and spent the rest of my childhood moving around Quebec.  I have two brothers; none of us were particularly close to our parents but we’re very close with each other.  This, despite the fact that if they weren’t so much bigger than me, I would’ve happily strangled them numerous times.  I was a wild child, the undeniable black sheep in my family, and that much hasn’t changed (a writer, really?  Can’t you get a normal job?)

Now I live in the relatively small town of St-Lazare, Quebec and I’m a single mom to two fantastic kidlets, aged seven and nine.  They live with me 100% of the time, which I love but which also made writing quite a challenge at first.  Three cheers for school! 

Caroline: Who are your favorite authors and genres?

M: I know some people will groan, but Stephenie Meyer’s writing was a revelation to me.  I actually prefer her lesser-known book, “The Host”, over the Twilight series.  She was the first author I read whose story felt so real and immediate to me that the characters truly felt like friends, so much so that I didn’t care about the holes in the story.  My books have gotten some comparisons with Twilight, which some consider an insult, and others find amusing because there’s nothing remotely supernatural in my stories.  I take it as a huge compliment though, because I hope it means that my characters have become real to someone in the same way hers came to life for me.

A current fave author is Laini Taylor.  I love her wild imagination and offbeat style.  As for genres, I don’t pay much attention to them – to me, the story’s what matters.  Lately I’ve been reading a lot of YA dystopian/fantasy type stuff, but before that it was heavy dramas (think Khaled Hosseini and Jodi Picoult), and when I was younger it was science fiction.  Oh, and lots of horse novels, of course.

Caroline: I’ll be sure to look up Laini Taylor. What’s your favorite way to relax and recharge?

M: Relax?  Do people still do that?  Okay, I jest.  Sort of.  Being a working single parent means that I have to combine hobbies with necessary tasks, so right now I’m making a scrapbook with my son, and I like to walk our dog through the woods near our house.  I still love to read, but it’s not always as relaxing as it used to be… sometimes it’s hard to turn off the “edit” function in my brain.  I used to like bubble baths and going dancing with friends, but that’s a distant memory…

Caroline: I admire anyone with a day job and children who still finds time to write. Do you have a favorite quote that sums up how you feel about life?

M: I’ve had a succession of favorite quotes throughout life, as I suppose everyone does as they grow and expand.  My current favorite is: “Follow your bliss.”  Joseph Campbell first said that; he meant for people to identifying what they were truly passionate about, and to pursue it wholeheartedly.  That’s what writing is for me.

Caroline: For me, too. I have the best job in the world. How long have you been writing?

M: Since the spring of 2009.  Before that, I didn’t write at all.

Caroline: Where do you prefer to write?

M: Most is done on my laptop, since I can’t keep up with the muse writing by hand.  I usually write in the quiet of my bedroom office, but I’ve written in cafés and libraries, and done a considerable amount of scrawling on scraps of paper in the car.

Caroline: I require solitude, preferably with classical music low in the background. Are you a plotter or a panzer?

M: I actually had to look up what a “panzer” is to answer this question (and I’m assuming you’re not referring to the German tank).

This is something that’s still evolving for me.  When I wrote Blaze of Glory I happily spewed out entire scenes, totally out of sequence, without any thought of plot or cohesive character development (bet you want to read it now, don’t you?)  Each subsequent book has been planned out a bit more.  I’m planning to write a fantasy series next year, and that one will require extensive plotting beforehand.

Caroline: ☺No German tanks here. Do you use real events or persons in your stories or as an inspiration for stories?

M: The short answer is yes.  But I’d have to qualify that and say those people and things are inspiration only, and markedly different from what appears in the final product.  Several of my friends have let me borrow their names, which is nice.

Caroline: I imagine you don’t find time to write each day. Do you set writing goals?

M: You know what they say about the best-laid plans!  I usually only bother with specific goals and word counts if I feel I’m getting into a slump, although they’re useful for deadlines too.  My kids had chicken pox one after the other in January, followed by colds.  I lost five weeks of writing time, so now I’m using word counts to make sure I meet my spring deadline.

Caroline: Refer to what I said about having a day job and small kids. I do admire you. What do you hope to bring to your readers?

M: Enjoyment, pure and simple.  We all need to escape into someone else’s world once in a while.

Caroline: So true. I love reading, second only to writing. What long-term plans do you have for your career?

M: I’ll be writing for the rest of my life, one way or another.  It would be nice if the TV series got made soon, because it would give me the freedom to spend as many years as necessary on the fantasy series I’m planning.

Caroline: Congratulations on the TV series option! Would you like to tell us what you’re working on now?

M: I’m working on an as-yet-untitled kid’s book with my children.  The story is about a boy trying to form a relationship with a fractious Canadian horse.  It’s been very interesting for me to learn about this heritage breed.  It’s our national breed of horse, though most Canadians don’t know it, and a few decades ago it was almost extinct, even though at one time it was the most popular breed in North America.

Caroline: That is interesting. What advice would you give to unpublished authors?

M: If you write because you love it, then you’ll never be disappointed.  But if you’re trying to get published, there are a few things that may help.  First, learn about how the industry works.  Get an agent, because without one you have almost no chance of being published, except maybe by very small, niche publishers.

If a query letter is supposed to be one page and yours is three pages long, you’re already doomed.  There are plenty of great resources online to help you learn how to write a killer query letter.  If you’re not getting any bites from agents (requests to see a sample of your manuscript), then re-write your query letter.  You may have to go through the cycle several times.  It took me months to find an agent; it takes some people years.  When I was sending out queries, some people were nice, some not, and most never responded, which is worst of all.  If any agents give you feedback, by all means use it to make your query or manuscript better!

Once you have an agent you trust, try to take their advice.  Before my agent would send my manuscript anywhere, I had to cut it down by 25%.  It took me two months, and it was painful, but it was also worth it.

If you’ve tried for years and you can’t get an agent or a publisher, you might want to consider self-publishing.  Here again, you need to do a LOT of research (and don’t fall for those scams that ask you to pay thousands of dollars up front to get your book out there).  The books that tend to make it in self-publishing are those that have been professionally edited and polished over and over.  Most of all, enjoy the process J

Caroline: Good advice. What’s a fun fact readers wouldn’t know about you?

M: Until I had children, I had never in my life lived in one place for more than three years, and I frequently stayed a lot less than three.

Caroline: Our friend’s used to call my husband and me “The Gypsies” because we moved so often. ☺ Share something about you that would surprise or shock readers.

M: This is a question I’ve never been asked before. My mother has ADHD and learning disabilities.  I grew up feeling very protective of her, but sometimes also resentful that I didn’t get the chance to fully be a child, without responsibilities.

Caroline: She’s lucky to have you. I know your book is a series. Would you like to describe it?

M: Yes!  Blaze of Glory is the first of a trilogy.  I’d describe it as a family drama, although book one has a strong element of romance.  All three books are already published, and due to popular demand I’ll be writing at least one spin-off book in the near future.

Caroline: Please give us a blurb from BLAZE OF GLORY:

M: Here it is:
Last year, I had it all.  Two jumpers on the show circuit, a lot of wins, and a lot of attention - the good kind.  But now I have nothing.  My life is circling the drain.  The only spark of light that exists for me is my new, forbidden passion.  If my stepfather finds out, he will kill me.  My twin brother, my only blood relative in the world, has already begged me not to.  But I can’t help myself.  If it can’t be horses, it has to be this…



Caroline: How about an excerpt?

M: I like this one:

I squished my way through the water-soaked grass to the pasture. The sudden downpour had cooled the air, and I shivered slightly in my wet clothes. The worst of the storm seemed to be over, and when I reached the pasture fence I paused, debating whether I needed to bring the horses in. The rain had abated to a fine drizzle, and there hadn’t been any lightning or thunder since I’d left the barn. It was such a relief to escape the tense atmosphere there that I lingered, leaning on the fence and watching the dark wet patches creeping down the horses’ coats.
I didn’t hear the footsteps until they were right behind me. I knew whose they were without turning; only Jaden’s presence would raise the hairs on my body like that.
“Tea,” he said my name like a caress.
I was about to duck away, but he knew me too well—his hands shot out and gripped the fence board on either side of me, though he didn’t touch me, of course. He was so close now that I could feel the heat from his body searing the back of mine, but this heat made me shiver all the more.
“How long are you planning on not talking to me?” His voice was subdued.
I shrugged. I felt, rather than heard, his sigh.
“You’re angry with me.”
He was wrong about that. It wasn’t anger that was making me avoid him, it was self‑preservation.
“I don’t blame you. I know I’ve made a mess of things. I came to give you a choice… I was planning to leave at the end of the season.” He paused, but my brain was already frozen. As though it couldn’t process the word ‘leave’. “But if you’d rather I left now, I’ll understand. I’ll find a spot for my horses closer to Toronto.”
My chest constricted painfully, and my breath started coming in sharp, raw gasps. Either way, he would be gone. My only option was whether to prolong my suffering. It was always the same impossible choice: the pain of his presence versus the torture of his absence. I didn’t say anything. I don’t think I could have spoken even if I’d wanted to.
“Let me know what you decide,” he continued quietly. He hesitated, then dropped his head close to mine; I felt the zing of current from my face down to my shoulder. He whispered his parting line in my ear.
“I miss you.”
I waited until his footsteps faded to surrender to the wracking sobs, and they shook me for a long time before I pulled myself together and went back to work.

Caroline: Where will readers find BLAZE OF GLORY?

M: On Amazon, the buy link is:
(also available on Kobo, NOOK, and iBooks)

Caroline: How can readers learn more about you?



Caroline: Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about you?

M: I can’t sing.  Like, at all.  So any requests for singing interviews are out.

Now that M. Garzon has shared her interview with you, here is the official media kit from Goddess Fish Tours:



Blaze of Glory
by M. Garzon



BLAZE OF GLORY Blurb:

"The first book in the popular trilogy, soon to be a major new television series!

Some fires can consume you.

Last year, I had it all. Two jumpers on the show circuit, a lot of wins, and a lot of attention - the good kind. But now I have nothing. My life is circling the drain. The only spark of light that exists for me is my new, forbidden passion. If my stepfather finds out, he will kill me. My twin brother, my only blood relative in the world, has already begged me not to. But I can't help myself. If it can't be horses, it has to be this..."


BLAZE OF GLORY Excerpt:

Jaden came in as I was closing the door to Zac’s stall. He grabbed my shoulders; I thought he was going to shake me but he just spun me around to face him.

“Tea, have you looked in a mirror lately?” He said it with painful restraint, but his eyes were scorching.

“Um…” I was confused by his question, and his unblinking glower was making it hard for me to think.

“You—are—a—small—girl,” he bit off each word distinctly. “For you to attack a full grown man like that is insane.”

“Did you see what he did to Zac?” I demanded. My power of speech returned in a rush as my temper began to flare ; small flames were erupting inside my chest, but they felt good. It had been too long since I’d felt anything.

“That’s irrelevant-”

“Not to me!”

“What if he had hit you back? Did you pause for one second to consider what would happen after your daring rescue?” His intensity was oddly intimidating, considering that he didn’t raise his voice.

I was saved from answering by Seth’s arrival.

“Nice move, Sparky,” he grinned, shaking his head. For once I couldn’t blame him for using my hated nickname.

I couldn’t think of a witty riposte, so I settled for, “Shut up.”

“Seriously though, what are you going to tell Dec when we lose a boarder because he was assaulted by an elf?”

I’d been trying not to think that far ahead, but now I was gripped by worry. It eased a bit when Jaden answered, “I don’t think that will be a problem. For one thing, I pointed out to him that he could be held responsible for any injuries to Zac. And honestly… can you see him admitting publicly that Tea was able to take him out?”

He and Seth both looked at me and howled with laughter.

Author M. Garzon with equine friend

 M. Garzon rode horses professionally for ten years, until an injury prompted a career change. She returned to school and completed a BSc; then for good measure, an MBA. After several years of toiling as a business consultant, she turned to writing in a desperate bid to regain her sanity. A mom of two fabulous children, she lives in St Lazare, QC and considers herself extremely lucky to be a writer.

Links:




(also available on Kobo, NOOK, and iBooks)