BEGUILING DELILAH RELEASED!

Lyn Horner and I have been friends for many years. I'm pleased to have her as a guest on this blog. In my opinion, her Romancing the Guardian Series is very good. I've enjoyed traveling across the world in her stories and meeting interesting and well-developed characters.

He’s a Navajo sworn to bring her to America;

She’s a sexy genius in a race with him across France

At last! Beguiling Delila (Romancing the Guardians, Book 6) is here. Most of the book is set in France. Delilah Moreau, the glamorous French Guardian, possesses a miraculous mathematical talent that provides her a privileged life, but it can’t give her what she truly wants: lasting love.

Leon Tseda, a Navajo whose homeland serves as a hidden gathering place for the Guardians, vows to bring Delilah to safety, thwarting thugs sent to capture her and the valuable scroll she guards. Opening in Paris, the story whisks the pair in a life-and-death chase across France to Nice and Monte Carlo on the breathtaking Côte d’Azur.

Their journey is fraught with danger, excitement and steamy, mature romance. Will it lead to a second chance at love – if they live long enough?

US Amazon     UK Amazon    CA: Amazon    AU: Amazon

Overview of the series so far: There are seven Guardians, each possessing a psychic gift and a precious scroll containing a secret prophecy handed down from ancient Irish seers. Not to be revealed until mankind is ready to listen, the prophesies are in danger of being seized by vicious “Hellhounds” who want to use them for their own evil ends.

Rescuing Lara (Book 1), winner in the 2015 Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewer’s Choice Awards, is set in Ireland and Texas. It stars Lara Spenser, the injured niece of the murdered high Guardian, and Connor O’Shea, a hunky ex-Special Forces soldier Lara hires as her bodyguard. Lethal villains, hot romance and a few surprises make this a wild ride.

US: Amazon    UK: Amazon     CA: Amazon     AU: Amazon  

Decoding Michaela (Book 2), 2^nd place winner in the 2016 Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewer’s Choice Awards, is set on Galveston Island, Texas. Michaela Peterson is stunned by news that her revered leader, the High Guardian, has been murdered. She is attracted to Dev Medina, the handsome messenger, but fears he may be out to steal the scroll she guards. Can Dev win her trust and unlock her heart – and save her from the Hellhound who captures her?

 US Amazon     UK Amazon     CA Amazon     AU: Amazon

Capturing Gabriel (Book 3) is set in Colombia. Gabriel Valdez refuses to believe the feisty Navajo beauty who tracks him down with a message to meet the other Guardians in the United States. Instead, he takes her prisoner. Josie Tseda doesn’t count on falling for him. Gabriel doesn’t intend to trust her with his secrets or his love, but the heart has a mind of its own.

US Amazon     UK Amazon     CA Amazon     AU: Amazon

Touching Charlotte (Book 4) Introduces Charlotte Dixon, an empathic Guardian, and Tristan Jameson, an ex-NYC cop burdened by grief. He needs healing and love, but how can a man romance a woman who can’t stand to be touched? Breaking through Charlotte’s barriers while protecting her from Hellhounds proves his ultimate challenge.

US Amazon     UK Amazon     CA Amazon     AU: Amazon

Profiling Nathan (Book 5) is a chilling murder mystery/sexy romance. Guardian and ex-con Nathan Maguire just wants to make a living inking tattoos in Tampa, Florida, but when FBI profiler Talia Werner walks into his shop, she turns his life upside down. To save her pretty neck, he must help catch a serial killer. His deadly psychic gift may come in handy.

US Amazon     UK Amazon     CA: Amazon     AU Amazon

BEGUILING DELILAH Excerpt

Leon thrust open the door to Delilah’s outer office and charged in. He tossed Esme a quick greeting as he strode to the inner door. She replied but didn’t try to stop him when he once again entered Delilah’s private office unannounced. He found her standing at a small open closet tucked in beside the wet bar in the corner.

“We must leave. Now,” he said the moment she turned to look at him. “The Hellhounds have come. They were at your condo asking for you.”

Her eyes widened. “How do you know it was them?”

“I know because at least one had a gun. Come, we must go. They might be on their way here right now.”

She made a choked sound, grabbed her coat from the closet and stuffed her arms into the sleeves. Snatching her handbag off her desk, she rushed over to him, breathing fast. Leon gripped her elbow and turned toward the door he’d left partway open. At that moment, a man’s voice sounded from the outer office. He spoke in French. Leon didn’t understand the words but caught his threatening tone.

Esme screamed and Delilah cried out, clutching Leon’s arm. Then her inner door was shoved open, banging against the wall. Three men barged in. Determined to protect Delilah, Leon circled his arm around her, slipping his other hand into his jacket pocket at the same time.

The shortest of the three, who had asked for Delilah at her condo, was apparently the leader. An ugly lantern-jawed tough, he reached under his coat and pulled out an automatic. Pointing it at Leon, he growled something in French.

“I do not understand your words,” Leon said mildly, “but I have no gun if that is what worries you.”

“Oh yes? Then show what you do have,” the man ordered in thickly accented English, indicating the hand Leon had stuffed in his pocket.

He nodded and obeyed. Extending his fisted hand, he uncurled his fingers to reveal a small pile of fine, dark powder lying on his palm. “This is only a calming medicine I sometimes use.”

Laughing, the Frenchman sneered, “You need calming now, eh, old man?” He waved his weapon at Delilah, causing her to gasp. “Release the woman. She is to come with us.”

Delilah trembled in fear. Would Leon meekly hand her over to the vile trio? Intending to resist, she tried to draw away from him, but his arm tightened like an iron band around her waist, holding her close. Seeing him bend his head, she thought he meant to inhale the calming powder but, instead, he blew it into the men’s faces.

The three inhaled sharply, choked, coughed and screwed their eyes shut. “What the hell?” The leader demanded in a strangled voice. Trying to blink the dust from his eyes, obviously unable to see, he waved his gun back and forth.

Delilah shrieked, certain he was about to shoot both Leon and her. But he didn’t get the chance. Clutching her arm, Leon hurried her past the blinded men and out the open door. She spotted Esme crouched on the floor behind her desk. Resisting Leon’s tug on her arm, she shouted, “Don’t cower there like a frightened rabbit, Esme. Come! We must escape!”

White with fear, the trembling girl rose and followed them. As the elevator doors opened, Delilah heard the three villains stumbling from her office, shouting furiously. Heart hammering, she dashed into the elevator with her companions and sagged in relief against the wall when the doors closed. Esme huddled in the corner, crying and shaking.

Leon laid his hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Calm down and look at me,” he said, drawing her tearful gaze. “When we reach ground floor, Delilah and I must run. But you should go to the security desk and ask the guard to call the police. Will you do that?”

“Oui, M-Monsieur,” the girl stammered, swiping tears from her cheeks. “But what if those terrible men follow you?” Esme glanced anxiously at Delilah. “Can you protect Madame Moreau?”

“We must leave the city for a while, but do not worry. I will keep her safe.”

***********

Review extract from Tome Tender Book Blog:

“BEGUILING DELILAH by Lyn Horner is more than a steamy romance of passion, it is a mature romance between two people who are old enough to have faced losses and experienced life. Imagine being in a race to the finish, the prize being your life, but having the level of life experiences to enjoy the moments of obscurity when they come. Feel the beautiful countryside go by, sense the vastness of the Eiffel Tower and chuckle at the ways of a man who is used to living within his own world and having the traditional roles in a relationship.

Lyn Horner brings another Guardian into the game and creates the maze she must survive with her own personal “guardian” by her side! Passion knows no age, and great writing knows no limits!”

Lyn Horner, Author

Lyn Horner is a multi-published, award-winning author of western historical romance and romantic suspense novels, all spiced with paranormal elements. She is a former fashion illustrator and art instructor who resides in Fort Worth, Texas – “Where the West Begins” - with her husband and a gaggle of very spoiled cats. As well as crafting passionate love stories, Lyn enjoys reading, gardening, visiting with family and friends, and cuddling her furry, four-legged children.

Find Lyn’s books on her Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/Y3aotC

Sign up for Lyn’s Romance Gazette: http://eepurl.com/bMYkeX

Follow Lyn on these sites:  Lyn Horner’s Corner   Facebook   Twitter   Goodreads   

Google Plus   Sweethearts of the West (team blog)   Pen & Pixels Writers Group

STOLEN TIME SHOWS TRUE LOVE IS TIMELESS!

STOLEN TIME

by
Chloé Duval

Genre: Fiction, Sweet Romance

Pub
Date: 6/13/17

In a rural French village, a letter is
delivered decades late, inspiring a young woman to try to reunite two
star-crossed lovers . . .

Middle school teacher by day, romance
writer by night, and group knitter on Tuesday evenings, Flavie
Richalet leads a fairly uneventful life—until she receives a long
delayed letter meant for a total stranger. Postmarked 1971, the
yellowed envelope, addressed to an Amélie Lacombe, holds a fervent
message of love and a marriage proposal, signed only with the initial
E. Given her own fractured family history, Flavie is dreamily
determined to learn what became of the couple . . .

Flavie’s inquiries lead her to a
French seaside inn—and to E. himself, a true romantic who never
forgot the girl who got away so many years ago. But his protective
nephew, B&B owner Romaric, isn’t sure that trying to find
Amélie after all these years is good for his uncle. At odds with the
tall, dark, and impossibly passionate Romaric, Flavie must show him,
and perhaps herself, that true love is timeless—and always worth
waiting for . . .

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Author Blog Post by Chloé Duval:

The “Butterflies”, Or Why I Love Feel-Good Romances.

It all began in Scotland, really. Or at least, that’s where I discovered their true power.

All through my teens, I had been an avid reader of crime fiction, making my way through all of Mary Higgins Clark’s and Agatha Christie’s bibliography, feeding off those few action-packed pages when all the pieces of the puzzle suddenly fall into place and the heroes rush to stop the murderer and save everyone. And when I wasn’t buried into fictional murders, rereading books over and over again looking for the clues I had missed, I was devouring classic novels with troubled souls and intense relationships and love as passionate as it was destructive: JAME EYRE (which, as of today, remains one of my favorite books ever), WUTHERING HEIGHTS, ANNA KARENINA, ROMEO AND JULIET, to name but a few.

And then, one summer, as a sophomore, I went to Scotland to work as an au pair. And one fine day, as the children I was taking care of were otherwise occupied with their parents, I watched a film. A romantic comedy. It was "While You Were Sleeping". That’s when I felt… them. The butterflies. They started quivering their wings in my stomach as soon as Jack appeared on the screen, and never stopped until the last image faded away with a radiant Sandra Bullock marrying the man of her dreams and riding away to her happy ending. By the time the credits were done, I had a goofy smile on my face, and I was feeling cozy, warm and really really happy. As if I was the one getting a beautiful HEA.

That day, my life changed, totally. I started reading romances, feel-good romances, watching every romcom that I could get my hands on, all for the sole purpose of feeling those butterflies again. And then, many years later, it hit me. I needed to write feel-good romances, and I needed to write them now. Reading wasn’t enough anymore. I too wanted to make people feel good. I too wanted to make people all gooey on the inside, and put a goofy smile on their lips. I too wanted to bring a little more light, a little more joy, and a little more happiness to the world. So I started writing. My first attempts were not that good, but nevertheless, I persisted, with the encouragement of my best friend.

One day, as I was stuck on a novel that didn’t want to be written, two things happened. I saw "Letters to Juliet", and heard about a postcard that made its way to its addressee quite a few decades after being mailed. Those two otherwise unrelated events made me start thinking… what if it was a love letter that got lost in the mail? What if in that love letter, a man asked a woman to elope with him, but she never received it? What if life kept them apart after that? What if… what if… Cheeks burning hot with excitement, my heart beating hard against my ribcage, I sat down with a pen and a notebook and started jotting down ideas, plots, character profiles, and that love letter that would be at the center of my story.

A few months later, STOLEN TIME was born. And it was everything that I had ever wanted to write. It was a story that put its arms around me, right from the beginning, filling me with warmth and kindness and telling me, on days when everything seemed dark, “It’s gonna be alright. You are not alone. Everything’s going to work out in the end.”

And that’s why I love feel-good romances, to read and to write. Because it’s a little spot of light in the dark, and it’s a bottomless pit of emotions in the tiny organ that is our heart.

STOLEN TIME Excerpt:

Prologue
Karouac, Brittany
September 4, 1975
It was the most important day of her life.
She’d been waiting and preparing for this day for weeks, and she should have been deliriously happy. She should have been lighthearted and smiling.

But instead, she felt strange and uncomfortable. As though she was forgetting something important. As though she was about to make a mistake.

It’s just apprehension, she told herself. The usual jitters all women feel before they commit for life.

But did all women think of their first love on their wedding day? Amélie closed her eyes, and Erwan’s beautiful face appeared in her mind. She pictured his irresistible smile, his gray-blue gaze, his unruly hair, always too wild to lie flat. She felt his rough hands on her skin, his lips on hers, as though it were only yesterday that they had lain together on the beach.

She shook her head, willing herself to dismiss the memory. It was foolish to think of him, especially right before her wedding. It had been so long ago . . . four years, almost to the day. He’d obviously forgotten her, moved on with his life. He’d never written to her, never phoned her, never gotten in touch with her. She’d waited weeks, months even, for him to reach out to her, before she’d accepted the truth. It had only been a summer fling. So she’d grieved, but then looked to the future. She’d thrown herself into her studies in fashion-design school to forget. Forget all about him.

And now she was finally happy. She’d finished school and gotten the job of her dreams with a small fashion company that appreciated her style and her slightly extravagant ideas. It was almost more than she’d ever expected. Moreover, she was about to marry a wonderful man, one who loved her more than anyone and whom she loved very much. She knew they’d have a great life together.

So why? Why was she thinking of the past, of a painful, bestforgotten period of her life, on the day she was going to marry Paul, for better or for worse?

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her heart, her nerves, her mind. She patted her veil, smoothed a few nonexistent creases in her satin and lace wedding dress. She’d designed it herself, and it was stunning, even if she said so herself. It was the dress of her dreams.Again, Erwan appeared in her mind’s eye.

“For God’s sake!” she swore, cutting herself off immediately.

Someone knocked on the door and her mother peered in. “Are you ready, sweetheart?” Viviane Lacombe asked, beaming. Amélie cast a last glance into the mirror, took a deep breath, and nodded. “I am.”

It was no longer time to wonder about the past.

So, she left her home, the home where she grew up, and, lifting the hem of her dress in one hand, her father at her side, her mother in front of her, beaming much more than her daughter was, Amélie slowly walked the short distance to the beautiful church of Karouac, where her parents had been married. Paul was waiting for her there.

Her family was waiting for her. The minister, and all their friends, were gathered here today to celebrate her wedding to the love of her life. She couldn’t wait to go in and marry Paul, the man who had always been there for her. Who loved her more than anything else. She couldn’t wait to start her life. The life she had chosen for herself.

Yet before she walked into the church, she couldn’t help stopping to gaze around, searching for a face, a smile. She shook her head and cursed the damn memories trying to spoil the happiest day of her life. She turned back and smiled at her father, took hold of his proffered arm, and waited for her cue.

Hidden in the shade of a porch, unseen, Erwan watched as the love of his life walked into the church on her father’s arm to marry another man. He’d been too late, and he’d lost her once again—forever.

He tamped down the urge to enter the church and beg Amélie, on his knees if need be, to come with him, repeating what he’d written in that unanswered letter four years ago, and walked away, his heart breaking, leaving Karouac behind him. Once again, and forever.

As a little girl, Chloé Duval dreamed
of knights slaying terrifying dragons and damsels in distress. Today,
she’s still seeking, in her stories, to find again the sweetness
and the enchantment of the fairy tales she absorbed as a child. A
Frenchwoman by birth, Canadian by adoption, and Québecoise in her
heart, Chloé lives in Montreal with her prince charming and dozens
of characters jostling around inside her head.

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THE THIEF OFFERS ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

THE THIEF

by
Michele Hauf

Pub
Date: 4/11/2017

Genre:
Romantic Suspense

The
Elite Crimes Unit works behind the scenes of Interpol—and employs
some of the world’s most talented criminal minds. Because as
everyone knows, it takes a thief to catch a thief—or to seduce one
. . .

The
old farmhouse in the French countryside is a refuge for former jewel
thief Josephine Deveraux. Admittedly, there aren’t many men in the
vicinity, but she has her cat to cuddle up with. It’s a far cry
from her former life, constantly running from the law, and she’s
enjoying her peace . . . until the intruder in the three-piece suit
tackles her. He wants her back in the game, helping with a heist—and
he’s not above making threats to get his way.

Little
does Josephine know that notorious—and notoriously charming—thief,
Xavier Lambert, is after the very same 180-carat prize she’s being
blackmailed to steal. To his chagrin, he’s doing it not as a free
agent, but as a member of the Elite Crimes Unit—the team he was
forced to join when his brilliant career came to a sudden end. And
little does Xavier know that his comeback is about to include a
stranger’s kiss, a stinging slap, and a hunt for missing
treasure—along with the infuriatingly sexy woman who’s outfoxing
him . . .

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THE THIEF Excerpt

She picked up the book, and the creased spine flopped open to the last page she’d read.

An hour later, she had to squint to read because the sun had set. Splaying the book across her chest, she closed her eyes and breathed in the fragrance of rain on fieldstones. Chloe nestled near her foot, keeping her ankle warm. The screen door, still open, squeaked lightly with the breeze.

Everything was….

Peaceful? Was that a word she was supposed to embrace? To somehow understand?

“I am embracing it. Life is good.”

Or rather, more different than she could have ever imagined it would be. She set the book down, but the sound she heard was not of a paperback book hitting the wood floor. Josephine closed her eyes to listen intently. The floor creaked carefully above her, where the bathroom was located.

It did not indicate the aches and pains of an aging house. This house had settled long ago.

Curling her hand beneath the sofa, she gripped the cool bone handle of the bowie knife she’d tucked up into the torn fabric amongst the springs and pulled it out. Pointing the blade down, she took a deep breath and stood up. Moving sinuously, she crept around the end of the sofa. Her free hand skimmed over Chloe’s body, comforting and promising she’d return. The cat purred but thankfully didn’t follow.

Upstairs, it was silent. Josephine wasn’t easily spooked by natural noises, but that had not been a natural noise. And she wasn’t unnerved now. Just…. annoyed.

This was her sanctuary. No one knew where she had disappeared two years ago. Very few had known her location before that. But since then, she’d completely erased herself from the grid. Therefore, whoever was stupid enough to break in was looking to rob a random person. And they had to know she was home, which meant the intruder did not fear an altercation.

Tough luck for that idiot.

Author Guest Post:

If I hadn't become a writer I would have had two career choices: Brain surgeon or jewel thief. I feel quite certain both professions aren't too upset I instead decided to go with the words on the page option.

When I'm not writing fiction, I read a lot of non-fiction, and am always attracted to anything and everything on the brain or how to get away with a heist. I mean seriously, how cool is it to learn about neurological disorders and how the brain can be damaged yet survive and even change a person's life for the better (but not always)? Or if the intricacies of the meninges and the Circle of Willis don't catch my interest I pick up a guide on cracking safes, or picking locks. Can I admit I have my own lockpicking set? I use it only as a hobby. (Because honestly, I haven't been able to crack the front door lock yet, so how do you think I'd actually be out in the real world?) ;-)

There is something so sexy about a thief in an expensive suit, walking into a crowded ballroom and assessing each and every person for the ease and value his attention to them would return. A strand of diamonds around a woman's neck? Who is she talking to? Does she have a lover on her arm? Is her hair long enough to hide his actions? Might she take to his flirtations for the few moments required to pocket the jewels?

I've written about jewel thieves before but this story, THE THIEF, is the first time I pit two professional thieves against one another. And, oh, such fun I had. There's action, adventure, some sexy hijinks, and don't forget Chloe, the strange cat who might be the force who keeps them together, despite the odds.

Michele Hauf
has been writing romance, action-adventure and fantasy stories for
over twenty years. Her first published novel was
Dark Rapture
(Zebra). France, musketeers, vampires and faeries populate her
stories. And if she followed the adage “write what you know,” all
her stories would have snow in them. Fortunately, she steps beyond
her comfort zone and writes about countries she has never visited and
of creatures she has never seen.

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PURE OF HEART RELEASED BY AURIA JOURDAIN

Pure of Heart

By Auria Jourdain

GENRE: Historical Romance

Auria will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to one person who comments on the tour chosen randomly via Rafflecopter.

PURE OF HEART Blurb:

A ghost child left to die in a French forest, Contesse Blanchefort seeks her long-buried past after her adoptive father dies at the Bastille. Embarking on a quest across England with a pagan woman and a rogue Gypsy, Contesse falls ill in London, and her companions are forced to seek help. With overwhelming compassion, physician’s apprentice Eric McEwan nurses Contesse back to health, but discovers that her exotic accent and pale features set his heart ablaze...her mere touch brands his soul. Passion blooms as the two discover their love for one another—with disastrous consequences.

Upon his expulsion from Cambridge, Eric must battle his domineering grandfather’s wrath. When family tragedy strikes, he must return to his provincial home and confront his abusive past. Carrying on with her quest, Contesse struggles to free herself from her childhood as sinister details are revealed. Without Eric, she’s lost. But love is strong...can they conquer their demons to find one another again?

PURE OF HEART Excerpt:

Eric and Talon's voices wafted away as Contesse stepped out into a small clearing where the goldenrod, dead nettle, and pink heather bloomed all around her. The warm sun tickled her face, and she pulled her cloak tight to protect her skin. Sitting gingerly upon the grass, she perked up as the thunderous sounds of the river rumbled nearby. With a gasp, she turned to look, her mind whirling. Rubbing her eyes, a ghostly likeness of herself as a young child walked among the reeds, and she suddenly leapt back to a time she’d long forgotten...

Wrapped in a long, rainbow colored cloak to cover her delicate skin, the child stooped over to pick the goldenrod. Rubbing it between her fingers, the girl smiled and placed it carefully in an elongated, open basket hung on her arm. Intent on her work, she didn’t see the two young children running toward her, laughing and pointing. “Devil's Spawn! Devil's Spawn!" the girls mocked. “You don’t belong here!” The little girl sat in the grass and cried, bent over with a sprig of goldenrod in her hand.

Standing, Contesse went to the river bank to comfort the poor girl, but she had disappeared. A mockingbird called from high in the treetops, and Contesse frowned. Gazing down in surprise, she gripped a yellow flower tightly in her fist. Holding it to her nose, she inhaled the spicy fragrance that lingered upon her fingers.

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Heart-Escapades-Book-ebook/dp/B01HYAT144#nav-subnav

Auria Jordaine, Author

History buff, Francophile, and hopeless romantic that demands an HEA—it’s the perfect mixture for writing romance! With fond childhood memories of reading on quiet afternoons, I loved the "happily ever after" sweet teen romances, but I quickly plunged into the world of historical romance—my get-away-from-real-life transporter. Add in a degree in Political Studies with six years of French, and twenty years later, I’m living my dream. With three published novels, 7 finished, and several more in my head, I have years of work ahead of me!

Facebook: Auria Jourdain Books https://www.facebook.com/auriajourdainbooks/

                

Twitter: @AuriaJourdain –  https://twitter.com/AuriaJourdain

                 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/auriajourdain/?hl=en

                 

Website: www.auriajourdainromance.com

Auria will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to one person who leaves a comment on the tour. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter.

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SURVIVING THE FRENCH FLOODS WITH RACHEL BRIMBLE

Before I introduce you to a guest with an extremely interesting  story, let me remind you that we are in the midst of our Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop. For more info on the blogs participating and the prizes, check out the 273 blogs participating in the Lucky Leprechaun Hop giveaway at http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/giveaway-hop.html
Now, to our fascinating guest, Rachel Brimble:



Rachel Brimble and Max

 I live with my fantastic husband, our two young daughters and my beloved black Labrador, Max in a small market town near the famous Georgian City of Bath. Having always ‘played’ with writing, I didn’t seriously sit down and write toward publication until I became pregnant with my second daughter – then I told myself to get my butt in the chair and get on with it before she grows up and I’m forced to get a real job!
 


Rachel Brimble and family 
on a 2008 Zante vacation

 
Lots of short stories followed as did lots of rejections! I took a few distance learning courses, joined some online writers groups and basically, learned my craft. Finally deciding short stories weren’t working for me (they are an art form in themselves!), in 2006 I decided to embark on my first novel and voila SEARCHING FOR SOPHIE was born! Since then, my other books have followed each year. I love writing and although I work part time for at my husband’s financial adviser’s firm, I write at every opportunity…and I mean EVERY opportunity!!


And when I’m not writing? You’ll find me with my head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with my family. And in the evening? Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused.


SURVIVING THE FRENCH FLOODS!

In an interview recently, the interviewer ask me to tell her something interesting about me that few people know…so I told her I was rescued by helicopter from the center of the flash floods that hit and nearly destroyed the beautiful hamlet of Frejus, in Southern France last June.

When Caroline read this, she asked me to tell her the whole story on my visit today – and I am happy to oblige!


It all started with a phone call at 2 am from my friend who was holidaying with us in a caravan park in the hamlet. We’d had a gorgeous four days there already with the temperatures in the high eighties, the kids swimming in the three pools, drinks on the decking, outside eating…glorious.

But then on day five, it rained like we had never seen before – and bearing in mind with live in England, we are used to rain! It didn’t stop from the minute we woke until we went to bed at midnight. Two hours later, my friend rang telling me to grab as much as my husband and I could carry, wake the kids and get out of the caravan – my friend had already been evacuated because their caravan was situated closer to the river, which had burst its banks. We leapt out of bed, woke the kids, filled a backpack each with a change of clothes, some bits and pieces and then left.



The sight that greeted us outside was unbelievable. While we had been asleep for two hours, the entire caravan park had been covered in a half a foot of filthy dirty, muddy and rapidly running river water. We got in the car but within minutes the road to the center of the park was gridlocked and cars were abandoned. When my husband opened the car door, the interior immediately flooded and that was when we realized how quickly the water was rising.

Not what you hope to see on
your vacation!

We grabbed our two daughters and together we waded through the water into the park’s restaurant where we were reunited with our friends. We all embraced as though we hadn’t seen each other for weeks. That’s when I knew all of us were silently thinking the same – how are we going to get out of here?


From the time of my friend waking us to 5 am, the rain didn’t stop and when the sun rose we saw the extent of the devastation. By this time, all 500 of the park’s residents had been moved to the roof of the clubhouse, which is where we stayed until we were rescued at 2 pm.



Not the way to spend time at the club house

 

This is a picture of us on the roof taken by the circling news cameras – family, my friends and me are standing by the red and white umbrella!


The ordeal of waiting and watching as the police and army helicopters rescued five people at a time in a relay was as traumatic as it was surreal. The four children with us were amazing, so well behaved and calm – the after affects came out the next day when my eleven year old slept in our bed with my husband and I for the first time in eight years…

Happy sight

Being involved in a natural disaster like this changes you. I have a huge respect for life, for the power of water, for the men and women who put their own lives on the line to save others and most of all, the courage and unity of people thrown together in crisis – God bless the 25 people who lost their lives that day.

For the entire twelve hours we were on that roof (in one hundred degree heat), there was no arguing, fighting or scuffling. Thankfully, the park staff managed to rip off the roof of a storeroom and a line was formed to pass out water, Coke, lemonade and tinned fruit. It was humbling to see…




Five people at a time rescued



















And here I am to tell the tale! The next question is when I finally write about this in a novel, who will the heroine in the helicopter be??

Rachel’s latest novel is GETTING IT RIGHT THIS TIME – available from Lyrical Press.

Blurb:

She's back, but this time she’s a mother…intent on protecting her young.


Two years after her husband’s death, Kate Marshall returns home seeking security and stability for her three-year-old daughter. But when her path crosses with ‘the one who got away’…her husband’s best friend, she has to fight the desire to be with him for the sake of further heartbreak for her and her daughter.

A tough, straight talking theatrical agent, Mark Johnston is dangerously handsome, exceedingly rich, irresistibly charming – and branded by the tabloids as one of the UK’s most eligible bachelors. So even though Mark lost the girl of his dreams to his best friend, he finds no hardship in being single. Or so he thought.

Determined not to lose her a second time, Mark has to find a way to convince her they can work. But can Kate cope with the media interest and ruthless, money-hungry clients surrounding him, being anywhere near her daughter? Or accept that Mark Johnston is really the family man he claims to be?


Buy Link

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_25&products_id=296

In addition to her recent release (and isn't that a gorgeous cover?), Rachel has other books available at The Wild Rose Press at
http://tinyurl.com/6c7zo63 Those books include: RELUCTANT WITNESS, SEARCHING FOR SOPHIE, THE ARRIVAL OF LILY CURTIS, and TRANSATLANTIC LOVING.

Thanks, Rachel, for sharing a harrowing experience. Thanks also for sharing a bit about your new novel, GETTING IT RIGHT THIS TIME. Don't we all wish we could do that?

Keep reading!