Monday, July 30, 2018

ALL OF MY HEART



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ALL OF MY HEART
Contemporary Romance
Date Published:10-3-2017
Publisher: Sand Dune Books (indie published)'


When Suzie Hart inherited the lakeside Victorian cottage that would soon become Sweet Hart Inn, she imagined her life all planned out ahead of her. She would run the inn, write her recipes, and pick up an occasional catering job with her cousin Sydney. What she didn't plan on was Brad Matthews.

Suzie Hart has it all. A beautiful home, friends and family, and the sweetest job in the world. She's the best darned cook in Harbor Falls, North Carolina, and has the street cred to prove it. She runs her own bed and breakfast, writes a food blog, and is working on her first cookbook.

Life is perfect. Right?

Wrong. You see, Suzie has a secret. And when that secret rides up to her doorstep on a bad-ass Harley and tosses her not-so-perfect little world into some kind of big, bad tumble, happy-go-lucky Suzie panics.

Brad Matthews doesn't have a secret, he has a plan--and that plan includes luring Suzie back into his life. When she worked as his sous chef in Asheville, he had no intention of falling in love with the sassy chef, or any woman for that matter. No room in his life for romance. But when Suzie disappeared and took Brad's heart with her, his good intentions shattered. Now that he's found her again, he's not about to let her alter the new path he's set out for his life--and hers.





ALL OF MY HEART Excerpt:

Suzie sensed Brad’s presence before she heard his footsteps shuffling in the damp grass. She knew it was him. Who else would it be? She silenced her sniffles and sucked in a steadying breath in an attempt to calm herself, and willed herself not to look his way. If she didn’t give him the time of day, perhaps he would give up and go away.
Not likely. She was pretty much a captive audience here.
Just don’t look his way. Don’t give in. Stand your ground, Suzie.
“Suzie-Q?”
He stood beside her chair as he spoke his nickname for her. His low voice rippled over her like the waves lapping at the dock. The sound was a little unsettling since it came to her with a edge of concern and what she perceived to be caring. Suzie stared straight ahead at the lake.
Don’t. Look. At. Him.
But that was impossible. Brad moved around the chair and crouched directly in front of her, blocking her view of the lake. He gazed into her face. She glared passed his right shoulder.
“Suzette. You have to talk to me.”
She opened her mouth. No. Don’t. Talk. Then snapped it shut again.
He fidgeted but remained steadfast.
“I know you are mad.”
“Ha!” Shit.
“But let me explain,” he continued. “And it is okay if you are mad because, well, hey, let’s face it, a lot of things have happened in the last twenty-four hours and I’m sure you’re pretty confused and upset and….”
She glared. “You have a lot of nerve, Brad Matthews, coming back here and talking to me like this. You have a helluva lot of nerve. I do not want to talk to you about this. Now. Later. Ever. Go away.”
Suzie watched his face fall and his head lower. His dark hair shimmered against the moonlight. Was he staring at her bright red toenails? That felt way too sexy for her liking at the moment. She curled her toes up under her feet.
Might as well get this over with. She cleared her throat and punched his shoulder. Brad jerked his head up.
“Do you realize what you did tonight? You nailed the coffin on my business, Brad. My blood-sweat-and-tears, my hard fought and won existence, the rest of my life.” She straightened in the chair. “My only life. Do you understand that? This….” she slapped a hand on the wooden chair, “is my life. All I have. Did you not think about what your super-mega-freaking honker of a hotel is going to do to me? What in the hell were you thinking?” Her voice rose. “And to think, you said you came back here because you wanted me. Because you wanted us to get back together. What was I even thinking? I was even starting to consider the possibilities, but now… I hope you realize that you’ve killed any chance of that, Mister.”
He took in a deep breath while still looking at her toes—which caused heat to rise in her cheeks and was rather unnerving—then he reached for her ankles, clasped his long and strong fingers around them, and jerked. In a flash, he pulled her completely off the Adirondack chair and toppled backwards.
She fell on top of him.
They rolled.
He laughed.
She spewed a number of obscenities.
Finally, they landed in a heap against the hull of an old dry-docked boat. Suzie, unfortunately, was firmly pinned beneath Brad—a position she didn’t want to be in at the moment. “Ouch! Get off me.”
“Hold still,” he told her.
“Get off me, Brad.” She pushed.
“Give me a second your leg is wrapped around mine.”
“I’ve lost my flip-flop, dammit!” She twisted and batted at his chest.
“Stop pushing.”
“What the hell do you think you were doing? I think you broke my neck.”
“Hell. I did not break your neck. Would you quit squirming?” Brad groaned but didn’t move one iota.
“I want up now!”
Damn him. She could tell by the way the moonlight backlit the smirk on his face that he had no intention of moving.
Damn. Him.
She whacked at his bicep. “I’m not kidding, Brad. This isn’t one bit funny. Let me up!”
Brad grasped her wrists and pinned her hands back to the ground, at ear level. “Not until you listen to me.”
Shaking her head, she returned, “I don’t need to listen to you. I want up. I want to go into my house. I want you to leave.”
He shook his head. “Not a chance, sweetheart. You are going to hear me out.”
“Like hell I will.”
“Suzette.”
“Quit with the Suzette and Suzie-Q, Brad. I don’t like it.”
He chuckled. “Yes, you do, honey. You always did.” He swiped a strand of hair out of her eye. Suzie stifled the tremble that wanted to race up through her chest at his touch.
She sighed and softened her voice. “Quit changing the subject. I mean it. Let me up now.”
He didn’t. He looked at her. And the way he looked at her, all dreamy-eyed and everything—she wanted to melt. Gosh-darn full moon. Why in the hell was the man so god-awful delicious?
She turned her head to the side.
Brad grasped her chin in his fingers and gently moved her face back toward his. His warm touch was firm and downright magical. In the next instant, his mouth lowered to capture hers.
“Suzette…” he whispered.
Don’t kiss him.
Oh. Hell’s bells.
She’d forgotten how soft and firm his lips could be, all at the same time. How they tasted of spice and musk. Strong and smooth. Hot and moist.
Tantalizing and painful.
Oh….
He nibbled softly at first, his fingers stroking her chin. He relaxed more fully against her and dammit, she felt herself letting go.
Putty. Butter.
Goner. Yup.
He moaned and pressed his lips over the corners of her mouth. His fingers tangled in her hair. Her body arched upward and her hands moved to that thick crown of wild hair on his head.
Damn him. Damn him to hell and back.


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About the Author

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Sophie Jacobs writes to silence the people in her head, and she needs two pen names to get the stories down! (If only cloning were so easy.) Whether writing contemporary romance or women’s fiction, she strives to get their stories told. 

Writing as Maddie James, she pens romance genre fiction from cowboys to suspense. RT Book Reviews says, James “deftly combines romance and suspense,” and Affaire de Couer claims she “has a special talent for traditional romance.” Published in print, ebook, audiobook, and in at least seven languages, Maddie has been listed as a Top 100 Romance Author on Amazon and as an iBooks Rising Star in Western Romance.


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Friday, July 27, 2018

CLAN OF THE WOLF!



The Princess and the Wolf
The Clan of the Wolf Book 1
by
Karen Kay

Genre:
Historical Romance

TWO HEARTS BETRAYED


Refusing to believe the rumors that the European prince she was forced to
marry had died in a far-off land, the princess, Sierra, sets sail to
America, bent on revenge and determined to learn the truth. Because
she will require a scout to guide her through the wilderness, she
calls in a favor from the man who had betrayed her long ago, the man
she had once loved deeply and had hoped to wed, the noble Cheyenne
scout, High Wolf.

Many years before, a European prince had invited High Wolf to travel an
ocean and as a brother, to live as a member of the royal family.
There High Wolf had fallen in love with the princess, Sierra. But
instead of an engagement and the planned wedding, the princess had
treacherously married his friend, the prince. Betrayed and
broken-hearted, High Wolf sailed back to America, determined to
forget the princess. But a promise given to her years earlier brings
her back into his life, igniting a desire he must resist, for to
surrender to her again is unthinkable.

Forced into one another’s company, with the threat of life or death around
every corner, overcoming their prejudice might be their only means of
survival. But can either of them trust in a love, once betrayed? Or
will their past force them apart again, this time forever?...

This book has been previously published.

Warning: A sensuous romance that might fan the flames of desire.
Be warned. You might fall in love all over again.



Enjoy this excerpt from THE PRINCESS AND THE WOLF

“The housekeeper tells that ’ tis well known the prince would divorce her, were he here,” said the kitchen maid.
“Aye, that he would,” replied the housemaid. “And good riddance, says I. It was she that drove him away. That she did.”
Gossip between servants at
Prince Alathom’s Castle


“Do you wish anything else before we go ashore?”

“No, Maria,” answered Princess Sierra, watching from her perch high above the dock, as Governor Clark stepped from the carriage, accompanied by an Indian maiden. “I do not require anything else at the moment. You’ve done quite well, my friend, despite the demanding conditions of this vessel.” She gave Maria a brief smile. “Would you please find Mr. Dominic and inform him that I am ready to leave this ship?”

“Yes, Your Highness. At once. Do we go to greet Governor Clark, then?”

“I believe so,” said the princess. “And for this task, I will have need of you both to accompany me.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Maria said, curtsying before she turned to do as bid.

Sierra smoothed a white-gloved hand over the blue and white muslin of her very full skirt, pulling the lace that bordered her walking dress into place. Straightening her shoulders, she settled her blue and white-lace mantle over the double bouffant of her sleeves, buttoning the mantle’s closure at the neck. 

Briefly, she touched her wide belt, which was made of the same light blue color as her dress, pulling it a little more tightly around her waist so as to accentuate its most tiny aspect. A white straw bonnet, adorned with ribbons of blue and tied at the neck, completed the image of the fashionable royal that she was.

Opening her blue and white parasol, Sierra narrowed her eyes, placing a hand gently over her forehead as though it were an extra shield from the sun. She frowned.

From her view of it, there seemed to be no sign of the man she had instructed Governor Clark to hire. 
Had she needlessly tortured herself over this first meeting with High Wolf?

Perhaps he hadn’t yet arrived.

Or maybe, she thought on a grimmer note, he wasn’t coming. Had he mayhap learned that it was she behind the request?

For a moment, she worried over the possibility. As absurd as it might appear, such a thing was possible: He might know of her coming. He’d always seemed to have ways of gleaning information about things—ways that she had never understood. Perhaps he had discovered her scheme well ahead of the fact.

At that thought, Sierra tried to swallow her disappointment.

It wasn’t that she was looking forward to seeing him again. No. It was only that he, and he alone, could lead her to Prince Alathom, and it was Prince Alathom she needed to find and challenge, Prince Alathom whom she would repay in kind...if need be...

Squaring her shoulders and setting her features into as delightful a smile as she could, Princess Sierra pulled unconsciously at her mantle, noticing as she did so that her fingers shook with the effort.

It was then that she caught sight of something in her peripheral vision...something familiar. She turned her head carefully to the left, her eyes colliding with and staring hard at a pair of dark eyes looking directly back at her.

Her stomach flipped over twice before it at last performed a dive toward her toes. She inhaled swiftly to try to quell the reaction.

It was he, High Wolf. He had come, after all.

As impossible as it might seem, she stared back at a face that she had once thought never to see again. Yet, there he was; there, across a very short distance.

And unable to curtail it, she was suddenly awash in nearly palpable relief.

Relief? Nonsense. It was probably more to the point to say that she was glad that her scheme now contained the element of possibility, the possibility of success.

But if he were to be caught looking up at her, she would be staring back down at him as well, almost as though she were hungry for the sight of him…although she corrected herself, this last thought was ridiculous.

Again, she reminded herself that he, as well as the prince, had betrayed her. In different ways, perhaps. But betrayal was certain treachery after all, regardless of the circumstances. And faith, once lost, could never be restored.

Still, despite the intervening years, an all too familiar pain shot through her, and without her conscious will, she found herself scrutinizing the man she had once thought herself to be in love with...a man who had left her for no more than three hundred gold dukaten.

He looked much the same as he had ten years ago, yet different. Whereas High Wolf had been little more than a boy then, he was now very much a man, and he looked bigger somehow, though he was still extraordinarily slim. Perhaps it was because his chest was wider, larger...or perhaps he was more muscular.

He looked...better, more handsome, more virile.

Sierra grimaced at her thoughts and decided to scrutinize something else less potent...his manner of dress, for instance...

Gone were the fashionable trousers and high leather boots that she remembered him wearing in the past; in their place were buckskin leggings, breechcloth and moccasins. Gone also were the carefully stitched linen shirt and cravat so precisely tied, supplanted now with a long buckskin shirt, fringed, with the bottom of it hanging down almost past his breechcloth. An ornament of what looked to be a concatenation of beads and bone, in the shape of a breastplate, hung down over his chest. It was a sight she had never beheld until this moment.

Instead of a hat, however, he now wore feathers on his head—or at least there was one feather sticking straight up behind him. And his hair...

Relegated to the past was the fashionable haircut she recalled so well, displaced now by long, black hair that hung well past his shoulders.

He looked...Indian, alien from all she had ever known and loved. Yet his countenance was, contrarily, as familiar to her as a well-rehearsed play.

And she wondered: Despite their past, would he help her?

Not if he knew her purpose.

Only too well, she recalled that High Wolf considered the prince to be more than a friend. To him, and perhaps rightly so, Prince Alathom was a brother, a brother in fact as well as in deed. Besides, High Wolf would hardly condone her murderous plan...a scheme she fully intended to execute if the prince refused to return to the Continent, whereupon he would take up his responsibilities.
Indeed, she would be satisfied.

Those at home thought she knew nothing of their wagging tongues; they believed their whispered insults were discreet. But Sierra did know. She did care. And he would pay.

Oh, yes, he would pay.

Which meant, she realized, that the real reason for her journey must remain a well-guarded secret; from Governor Clark, from her guides and especially from High Wolf.

She only wondered if she could successfully hide her motives from High Wolf. After all, as she had already surmised, High Wolf was an extremely perceptive man. Might he guess?

Well, it was up to her to keep her secret well hidden. She only hoped she was up to the task.
***





Brave Wolf and the Lady
The Clan of the Wolf Book 2

He saved her life, then stole her heart….

To escape an arranged marriage, Mia Carlson, daughter of a U.S. senator,
instead elopes with the man she loves. As they are escaping from her
Virginia home, heading west, their wagon train is brutally attacked,
leaving Mia alone and in grave danger. Rescue comes from a most
unlikely source, a passing Lakota scouting party, led by the darkly
handsome Indian, Brave Wolf.

Although Brave Wolf has consented to guide Mia to the nearest trading post, he
holds himself apart from her, for his commitments lie elsewhere. But
long days on the trail lead to a deep connection with the red-haired
beauty. Yet, he can’t stop wondering why death and danger stalk
this beautiful woman, forcing him to rescue her time and again. Who
is doing this, and why?

One thing is clear, however: Amid the flurry of dodging assassin bullets,
Brave Wolf and Mia come into possession of a powerful love. But is it
all for naught? Will Brave Wolf’s obligations and Mia’s secret
enemy from the past finally succeed in the sinister plot to destroy
their love forever?



Karen Kay, Author

Writing under the pen names of Karen Kay and Gen Bailey, Karen is a
multi-published author of Native American historical romances. She
has been praised by reviewers and fans alike for bringing the
historic American Indian culture to life, and she has been nominated
for several different awards. Karen's great-grandmother was Choctaw
Indian, and because of this, she is honored to be able to write
stories that depict the Native American point of view.


All of her books concern the Native American culture, and says Karen,
"With the power and passion of romance, I hope to bring about an
awareness of the vital forces that helped shape the American Indian
culture. There are some things that should never be forgotten."



Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!





Wednesday, July 25, 2018

BLUEBONNET BALLERINA



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Carol Kilgore will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.


Gracie Hofner returns, and chaos reigns—including a couple of ghosts trying to save their granddaughter. But as Gracie dances from problem to problem, she’s unaware the music has been orchestrated into a murderous symphony.

When a different melody reaches Gracie’s ears from a guitar played by the new tenant living in her garage apartment, her tension vanishes. She listens unseen, cocooned in the shadows on her patio, and wonders who he’s longing for—and how it would feel for someone to crave her that much.

She can’t dwell on those thoughts, however. Problems of murder and missing prisoners abound. To say nothing of the ghosts. No one ever said being a law enforcement consultant would be easy.

Bluebonnet Ballerina follows Jalapeno Cupcake Wench and is the second book in The Amazing Gracie Trilogy.


BLUEBONNET BALLERINA Excerpt:

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Gracie Hofner twitched with each exclamation.

“For crying out loud, Gracie, you’d think I was trying to kill you.”

“You are. This is supposed to feel good.” Gracie tried to lift herself up.

Ariana held her down with one arm and tortured her with the other. “You’ve got a knot bigger than Thor’s fist in here. I’m working it loose.”

“It’ll work itself out.”

“No it won’t. It’ll give you a headache and neck spasms and a hitch in your side. Now lie still and shut up.” A hundred and ten skinny pounds of pure muscle and bone returned to attacking Gracie’s back.

Ariana Ayala was Gracie’s best friend, but when Ariana went into massage mode, arguing was futile. This was her first massage in her friend’s new studio, but nothing about her technique had changed. Gracie sighed and tried to relax. The more she loosened up, the harder Ariana dug. The woman had forty fingers and ten elbows, all of them poking Gracie’s sore back.

“Much better now.” Ariana continued to knead the same spot, except with much less pressure. That’s what it felt like, but Ariana always said the pressure was the same. The difference was the muscle had relaxed. “Next time, I’ll work on it again. It won’t be as bad. You must’ve had one hell of a week.”

“Something like that.”

“You can tell me later. Relax now. You’ll enjoy the rest of this.”


About the Author

Carol Kilgore, Author
Carol Kilgore is the award-winning author of The Amazing Gracie Trilogy. In addition, she is the author of IN NAME ONLY (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FC8OG2), SOLOMON'S COMPASS (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C0F8DZ2), and SECRETS OF HONOR (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NH0QTO6), three standalone romantic suspense novels set along the Texas Gulf Coast.

She and her husband live in San Antonio, the setting for the Amazing Gracie books, with two quirky herding dogs who still require help opening the food bin and the door.

You can learn more about Carol and be the first to know when the third book in the Amazing Gracie Trilogy will be released by visiting her website and subscribing to her newsletter at http://www.carolkilgore.net or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.



Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolkilgore.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/carol_kilgore

Carol is a member of Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.


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Monday, July 23, 2018

THE FORTRESS


Don't miss the Rafflecopter at the end of the post!

The Fortress
by Madeleine Romeyer Dherbey



GENRE: WWII Historical


THE FORTRESS Blurb:

The war has not made much of difference in Alix’s life. Her father has seen to it that she grows up unaware, unworried, but safe in her tiny village under the cliffs of the Vercors. All around her he has built a fortress whose walls are impregnable—until the 27th of April, 1944. That day he makes a stupid mistake up on the cliff, and the walls of the Fortress start crashing down. Reality breaks into Alix’s life with unrelenting violence, unforeseen possibilities. From now on, every decision she makes will mean life or death.

EXTRA INFORMATION:

Inspiration behind the book-- 

First of all, the Vercors Mountains. Breathtakingly beautiful, dangerous, natural playground for all extreme sport lovers. Rock climbing, canyoning, spelunking, skiing, it's all there. But for me, it's home. It's where my ancestors have lived and are buried under those same cliffs.

Then, the history. The Vercors is a dream of freedom, a heroic battle, a military disaster, but also redemptive last stand. Many military and history books have been written on the subject, but no fiction accounts, and in fact, I was frustrated by the dryness of the accounts which I felt did not reflect the human dimension of that battle.

Finally, my own family history. Three of my uncles were condemned to death for collaborating with the Vichy government and betraying C2, a Resistance camp, to the Nazis. Their sentences were later commuted to forced labor, but the national disgrace verdict stood, and they had to leave the area to avoid being murdered. Despite the death threats, my father— who had fought with honor during the war—decided to stay. The legacy was hard to overcome in a community mauled by four years of occupation and violence, and seventy years later, my last name remains associated with the destruction of the Maquis of Malleval.           

There are also small things, like a Sten machine gun I found in the mud of a summer creek, with this inscription, Pour ma Suzon Cherie, June 12, 1944; or the story of a fifteen-year old boy, a resistant fighter whose name is forgotten, who was tortured and murdered by the Nazis in the summer of 1944.

And finally, Russel Crowe, naturally.

Interview with Madeleine  Romeyer Dherbey

--Favorite author/genre

Väinö Linna, Under the Northern Star, a trilogy. It’s a story of hard work, loyalty, forgiveness, and amazing courage during the ferocious civil war in Finland. Read it. Akseli Koskela will show you what a real man looks like.

I read classic literature, historical novels preferably, and History. I speak French, German, and Spanish in addition to English, and like to read novels in the original language. It’s gives me more insight into the author’s original intent. Currently I’m reading Das Parfum, by Patrick Süskind, and Jerusalem, by Montefiore.

--Favorite quote

What’s on my license plate, LIFAD, the acronym for Leben ist fur alle da. Life is for everyone here. Choose life.

--How long have you been writing?

Nine years? It takes me forever. I set no deadlines, no word-count goals, lest it become a chore. I either get a beer, put on some Finnish Death metal, Insomnium, for example, and settle somewhere where I am not alone in the house, or I go for a long walk on the Appalachian trail—which is barely two miles away—with my dog, Mikko, which helps me put things together. I used to have to be absolutely alone to draft, but not anymore. First, I like the kids’ chatter, the disruptions, and I like taking my time. Writing is part of life, not a substitute. I hand-write, then I type.

--Plotter or pantser

Both, really. The first time the Pantser thing happened, I was amazed. It felt like magic. The legendary muse, as my agent once said. I thought he was out of his mind. Sure, the muse visits once in a while, but it’s mostly hard work. Shock Top helps a lot, too, one and a half, no more, and Finnish metal music. My favorite bands are Ghost Brigade, Insomnium, Wolfheart, and Swallow The sun. It’s as vast and brilliant as a Beethoven Symphony, thunderous but melodic, the perfect emotional outlet. And then, frozen expanses, Nordic lakes, white forests, it’s land’s end, after all.

--What am I working on now

A novel centered around the federal entrapment of a young teacher. I have been teaching for 13 years, and have a deep emotional connection with my special education students. And it’s political! Expressing political opinion in school is forbidden—really forbidden. Besides, the likes of me are pretty much underground. We recognize each other like Christians in Rome, with a glance and a rolling of the eyes. So being able to write the ins and outs of oppression in the public schools world, coupled with a the building of a fake terror plot by a branch of the federal government no one in their right mind should trust, was a bit of a catharsis for me. You will love it or hate it, depending on your allegiances, and who cares? It’s not meant to be commercial.

--long-term plans for my career

I’m going to keep teaching and keep writing. They balance each other.

--Advice to unpublished authors

Discard any idea that worms itself into the narrative because it might help sell the book. No gratuitous sex, no gratuitous violence, no easy, voyeuristic scene that is devoid of purpose. If you sacrifice pleasure and dignity for commercial gain, you will get neither.

--Share something that would shock readers

While I have reinvented myself as a dedicated wife and mother, a passionate teacher of students with severe and multiple disabilities, who relaxes with gardening and hiking with the dogs, I was pretty much the opposite until mid-life. People are invariably surprised about my death metal taste, of course, and I can read the disbelief on their face when I tell them I travelled through the Kheiber Pass with Taliban fighters (I didn’t know who they were, I swear!), or went to a Voodoo ceremony in Haiti (the driver got possessed, it was awesome). 

For the rest, I dare not say. The novel I could write, had I not become Christian thanks to my husband, would be banned from public libraries.




THE FORTRESS Excerpt:

THE FORTRESS Excerpt
This is the part when marc pays a midnight visit to Alix to confront her about drowning a Nazi officer—without his authorization.
“Is that mint?” Marc asked. “At home, we mix it up with heather and those little blue flowers. I think they were called…”
“I only like mint.”
“Nothing wrong with mint.” He waited for her to say something else, something that would ease the tension he felt in the room, but she remained silent. She must be a little shaken, he thought. That’s understandable. “Were you able to get rid of the body?” he asked gently.
“Yes. Why are you here?”
He went up to the little window and lit a cigarette before answering. There was no mistaking the animosity in her tone. I have to fix her fuck-up, and she’s angry? At me? He sucked the smoke deeply into his lungs. “You know exactly why I’m here. What you did today will impact—and possibly kill—many people. It will help if we don’t argue about it.”
“You’re the one who’s mad. I can see it.”
“I’m not very happy, but that’s not the point.”
 “Don’t you ever sleep at night?”
 “Not much. It’s easier to hike in the dark. You can’t see the incline, you can always pretend that it’s flat. What about you? Having nightmares?”
 “Not at all,” she lied. “I would do it again.”
“Ah. The Ice Fairy. I remember.” He could feel a headache coming. “Next time I have a hit job, I’ll make sure to ask you first. At least you’re not wasting bullets.” He had gone to the hidden phone and was checking its functioning as he spoke. “What’s your next project? Anyone in mind?”
“Maybe,” she shrugged. “Do you want to know who it is?”

No, not really, he thought. He couldn’t ease the suspicion that he might be on her revenge list. She had once said that she didn’t hate him, but who could trust her? Maybe she had planned something terrible, like cooking him in the sawmill kiln. He almost made a joke of it, and thought better. She never understood his jokes, anyway. “You owe me an explanation,” he said instead. “I don’t remember asking you to murder a Nazi officer. You want to tell me why you didn’t discuss it with me?”


Madeleine Romeyer Dherbey, Author

Website
www.MadeleineRomeyerDherbey.com
FaceBook
https://www.facebook.com/Madeleine-Romeyer-Dherbey-2067077286871927/?modal=admin_todo_tour




GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Madeleine Romeyer Dherbey will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


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Thursday, July 19, 2018

UNDER A MULBERRY MOON #UAMM


I'll give away a copy of UNDER A MULBERRY MOON to someone who comments on this post.

Have you spent time planning and implementing a project that seems far in the future only to be surprised when presentation day arrives? That’s what happened to me with the anthology that has been released today.

For a while, our progress seemed like herding cats. Once authors were gathered for the venture, we had to choose the title, make certain our stories were not the same as the other eight authors involved, choose a cover, and get the tales written. Finally, the endeavor is ready for your reading pleasure.
UNDER A MULBERRY MOON anthology offers Adventure! Mystery! Romance! Nine award-winning and bestselling authors present sweet western historical stories to ignite your imagination and feed your passion for reading. Let us sweep you away from your daily cares and entertain you with our sigh-worthy novellas set between 1865 and 1900. What a line-up we have for you! 

Only 99 cents for a limited time! Amazon buy link: http://a.co/99Odsch 

This anthology includes a cover photo with each title.

Titles are:
A FAMILY FOR MERRY, by Caroline Clemmons
A FAMILY FOR POLLY, by Jacquie Rogers
ADA AND THE TEXAS CAVALRYMAN, by Carra Copelin
COMES A SPECTER, by Keta Diablo
MATTHEW'S FREEDOM, by Cissie Patterson
MILLWRIGHT'S DAUGHTER, by Zina Abbott
THE LADY LASSOS AN OUTLAW, by Charlene Raddon
THE WIDOW BUYS A GROOM, by P. A. Estelle
WORTH THE WAIT, by Patricia Pacjac Carroll


Orphan train, children, and guardians

Jacquie Rogers and I wrote about two women who had been adopted at age eight from the orphan train by Joe and Ruby Bird, an awful couple in Nebraska. Jacquie’s heroine in A FAMILY FOR POLLY is Polly Friday Bird, so named because the Children’s Aid Society authorities found her on a Friday. Mine in A FAMILY FOR MERRY is Mercedes “Merry” Murphy Bird, who went to the orphanage after she was old enough to know her last name was Murphy. Now that Polly and Merry are grown, the sisters own a successful boardinghouse in Mockingbird Flats, Texas.

When the orphan train comes to Mockingbird Flats, Polly and Molly can't resist the five children least likely to be adopted. Molly selects two girls and a boy while Polly chooses a girl and a boy. Problem is, children are only supposed to be adopted by married couples. Merry and Polly hoped authorities wouldn’t notice that neither of them is married. About a month later, the Children’s Aid Society lawyer comes to check on the children. Oops. Merry and Polly must each find a groom within a week or lose her children.





Excerpt from my story, A FAMILY FOR MERRY:

Outside the mercantile, they met Mr. Blake Woolfe. “This looks like a fun outing.”
Abigail tugged at his hand. “Know what? We got new clothes and I got a dolly. It’s nicer than the one I had at the orph’nage. Tammie got a bear because they didn’t have a lamb. I got new shoes, two pair so I can save one for church. Do you go to church too?”
He smiled as if he’d understood her rambling. “Yes, I’ll be going to church. Where are you headed now?”
“We’re going to get a treat from someplace called the con… con…” she looked at Merry for help.
“Bea’s Confectionary a couple of doors down.”
Abigail tugged on his hand again. “Why don’t you come with us? Do you like treats?”
He looked poleaxed but recovered. “I think I will. I’m making the rounds to introduce myself to business owners and I haven’t met Bea yet.”
Merry couldn’t have been more surprised. “You need not feel obligated because Abigail invited you. We understand you’re a busy man.”
He sent her an inscrutable glance. “I always have time for a treat.”


Mulberries on the tree

I hope you’ll snap up UNDER A MULBERRY MOON while it’s available at the bargain price. Of course I’m biased, but I believe you’ll enjoy reading this anthology. If you do, please leave a review on Amazon.

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

THE IRRESISTABLE GROOM!

For this new release and 99 cent sale we want to reward those who share this book with others. 

If you can help us promote this book & 1 day 99 cent sale on Wednesday, July 18th you can enter to win gift cards.

There is a Rafflecopter set up with different ways you can share this book to enter the giveaway:

You can do something as simple as liking and commenting on an instagram post or tweeting... 
There is even an option for being creative and coming up with your own idea. 

Here is the book cover:
 


And the book summary:

A vivacious sports agent loses her memory and her safe, perfectly-planned life. The only hope is a tough security specialist who for some reason she’s never allowed herself to fall for.

Claire Tucker is a feisty and successful sports agent. When she wakes up with amnesia she has to rely on a handsome security specialist, which doesn't seem too bad ... until she learns she's known him for years and has repeatedly rejected his date offers. When Brig proves irresistible to her, she realizes she needs to guard her heart until she gets some answers or her past will catch up to her.

Brig Hunsaker has everything he needs, except the sassy lady he’s had a crush on for years. When Claire is injured, and the hospital staff believe he’s her fiancé, he finally gets the chance to protect her and prove he’s worth taking a chance on.
 

Here is the link to the book on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FD4SD3Q
And Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40775143-the-irresistible-groom