Monday, September 29, 2014

MOLLY HARPER AND DUETS BY EMELLE GAMBLE



Emelle will award a signed paperback of MOLLY HARPER with bonus novella DUETS included (US ONLY) to THREE randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Please click the tour banner at the top to see other stops on this tour.

Both books are FREE on Amazon September 27 - October 1, 2014.


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.







DUETS offers alternating looks into the lives of two women who would seem to have little or nothing in common.

Screen star Molly Harper has it all…beauty, success in her profession, a loving family and an upcoming marriage to actor Ben Delmonico. But as Molly is on the verge of marrying the man who has swept her off her feet, she still wonders if he hasn’t swept all her feelings for her first love away, Cruz Morales.

A handsome and cerebral college professor, Molly and Cruz have an on-again, off-again history stretching back to Molly’s early teen years. He’s not a man who a girl can ever forget about, and his feelings for Molly are equally conflicted.

Anne Sullivan, happily married for twenty-five years, is fighting to hold onto the man she loves, and hold off a confrontation that could shatter her family’s image of what they are. It involves the beautiful screen star and her mother, upper crust matron Norma Wintz, who Anne has traveled to California to meet under the most dramatic of circumstances.

Duets confronts the most intimate type of family secret that ties these two women’s lives together, just as chance events turn Molly and Anne’s worlds upside down.


Enjoy an excerpt from DUETS:

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 hovering waitress. She folded her hands together and wondered if her face looked tight as cellophane stretched over a bowl of tuna salad. That’s how it felt.

I shouldn’t have come. She glanced around the unfamiliar restaurant. It was all glass and mirrors; chock full of shockingly glamorous Californians surely leading shockingly exciting lives. People who wouldn’t understand why a widow from Potomac, Maryland was breaking into sobs and intruding on their lunch experience.

Which is probably what I’m going to do once Norma arrives, she thought. She had tried to prepare herself for meeting the woman, face-to-face, who had adopted her baby thirty-five years ago, but Anne wasn’t sure she was going to be able to handle it as she hoped.

Calmly. Dispassionately. In control.

Anne’s chest suddenly ached, as if all the emotion she’d suppressed for decades gathered into a knot under her ribs.

I should call the number for Norma Wintz and tell her not to come. Which was a great idea, except she’d left her cell phone in the car. And if she went to her car to get it, she might not have the emotional courage to come back.

To say nothing of the fact that if she walked the two long blocks to where she was parked, there was a good chance she would miss Norma Wintz altogether, and the woman would probably think she was a crack pot.

Anne took another peek at her watch.

One twenty-two.

That’s impossible. It felt as if an hour had passed since she’d last looked at the time.

“Excuse me, are you Mrs. Sullivan?” A waiter, his eyes jade green against his tan skin, smiled at Anne. His name tag read ‘Taj’.

“Yes, I’m Anne Sullivan."

“There’s a call for you.” Taj held out a phone.

Anne pressed it against her head. “This is Anne Sullivan.”

Taj clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at her as if she was a small child on the first day of school.

“Hello, this is Norma Wintz calling,” a voice said in Anne’s ear. “I’m on my way but there was an accident and traffic is wretched. I got no answer on the number you gave me, but I wanted to let you know I wasn’t standing you up.”

“Oh, that’s no problem.” Anne nodded at Taj and repositioned the phone an inch higher on her ear. “I don’t have other plans for this afternoon.”

“Fine. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.” The phone went dead.

“Okay. Thank you!” Anne met the waiter’s eyes and wondered how Taj had known to bring it to her.

Norma Wintz must have described me to him. But what could she have said, since we’ve never met? Look for a woman who seems the sort to give up her first-born child for adoption?





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 contracted with Soul Mate Publishing for Secret Sister, published in the summer of 2013, and Dating Cary Grant, an April 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, 2014. Duets is now available as a standalone novella. 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… 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

DUETS…

"I'll admit I grabbed this book for review more because Emelle Gamble had a story in there - I've loved her significant touch brought to family relationships in a previous book of hers that I've read, and I wanted to confirm if this sort of embroiled-relationships type of tale is really her niche or not. Turns out, it is!" Zee Monodee's Author's Corner reviews
MOLLY HARPER…

"MOLLY HARPER ...is the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be my last! Ms. Gamble does a wonderful job of drawing these characters and making them just leap off the page." Long and Short Reviews

DATING CARY GRANT…

"Fantasy and reality blend together in this mesmerizing tale from Emelle Gamble…It's not your typical romance, making it a breath of fresh air in a market currently inundated with new adult contemporary romances (which I do love, but need a break once in a while!). I continue to be a fan of this author..." Andi's Book Reviews

Links:

Email: emellegamble@aol.com

Website: www.EmelleGamble.com

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/Emelle.Gamble

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmelleGamble

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7123746.Emelle_Gamble

Emelle Gamble BOOKS:

DATING CARY GRANT book of the month at Long & Short Reviews. eBook exclusively at Amazon.com
http://amzn.to/1iiE8Y0

SECRET SISTER… RONE Award Honorable Mention for BEST CONTEMPORARY NOVEL of 2013
available in audio, paperback and eBook at Amazon http://amzn.to/17J2Bn6

DUETS, a prequel novella to MOLLY HARPER, now available at Amazon http://amzn.to/1cagyNa

MOLLY HARPER, available in paperback and eBook at Amazon http://amzn.to/MOJUXa

MOLLY HARPER and DUETS now available in one Paperback volume! http://amzn.to/1hW6YSj


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, September 26, 2014

OUR STATE FAIR IS A GREAT STATE FAIR!

Here we are with Fall begun and in Texas, that means the State Fair. Personally, I love the fair and hate to miss it this year because of recent ankle reconstruction surgery.  Years ago, I always entered jams, jellies, and vegetables I’d canned from our orchard and garden. Darling Daughter 1 won a blue ribbon one year with her photo of a spider web still wet with dew. Now, we just like to soak up the atmosphere.
Blue ribbon and Best of Show for my peach jam
Strolling through the fairgrounds is a great place to watch to watch people. In addition, I love the exhibits and midway. No, I don’t play the games or ride one of the 73 rides available. However, the Texas Star ferris wheel is on my bucket list. I do not like heights, especially in a swaying seat. But I have vowed that I will ride the Texas Star. Darling Daughter 2 was at the top one year for the fireworks show and reported the sight was spectacular.
Big Tex before the fire

Two years ago, Big Tex caught on fire. He has since been reincarnated better than ever. Each year, he gets new jeans and shirt. This year, he’s wearing a navy shirt, as shown on television. He welcomes fairgoers with greetings at intervals.

One of the contests each year among food vendors is the newest fried concoction or unusual food offered. Among this year’s winners are funnel cake flavored beer and fried shrimp boil. Of course, attendees can still find the traditional Fletcher’s corny dogs in many places throughout the grounds.

Our family’s favorite was to buy tickets to the State Fair Musical for an afternoon matinee. This allows ticketholders to park inside the grounds. Parking is always a problem, although there are shuttles all day. We enjoyed looking around the fair for a few hours, then resting during the hottest portion of the day in the air-conditioned Music Hall to enjoy that year’s musical show. By the time the performance was over, the outside temperature would be cooling down.

Carol
In addition to the usual attractions, there are numerous museums at the fairgrounds. They include the Women’s Museum, African American Museum, Natural Science Museum, Arboretum—and more.  If you are in the Dallas area the last weekend of September through the first two weeks of October, why not visit our State Fair?

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE?

What is your favorite book of those you’ve read in the past year?

That is the question I ask when someone follows me on Twitter at @CarolinClemmons (no E in Caroline). Often people answer with a book I’ve never heard of, but there are a few repeats. Among them are GONE GIRL, THE BOOK THIEF, THE CONFESSION OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE.

Now I’ll share some of my favorites of books I’ve read in the past year.


THE CATTLEMAN by Anna Jeffrey is the second in her Sons of Texas Series, set near Fort Worth. I loved Pic Lockhart and the story surrounding him. You will too. Anna is a strong writer who weaves multiple threads together masterfully in this women’s-fiction-type contemporary romance.


OUT OF THE DARK by Geri Foster is in her Falcon Securities series of contemporary romantic suspense. How would you react if you had amnesia and didn’t know who you could trust? All Tony Archuletta knows is that some people claim to be friends yet others are trying to kill him. He senses he must get to St. Peterburg, Russia but doesn’t know why he knows this is urgent or what he’s supposed to do when he arrives. This opens with action that lasts through all the book.


SLEIGHT OF HEART by Jacquie Rogers is a fun, action-packed western historical romance. Hero Burke O’Shaunessy is one of my favorite heroes ever. The model for heroine Lexie was Jacquie’s aunt, who was an amazing math whiz.





DESPERATE: LIPSTICK AND LEAD by Sylvia McDaniel is a short novella written to introduce the three sisters for her latest series. This western historical is fun and includes surprises. It’s available now as a single. But this novella is included in the upcoming box set, WILD WESTERN WOMEN, which also includes novellas by Callie Hutton, Kirsten Osbourne, Merry Farmer, and me!



MAIL-ORDER TANGLE by Jacquie Rogers and Caroline Clemmons. Yes, I realize listing my book is vain, but I do love this box duet. Jacquie and I worked together by phone and email to link our books seamlessly (in my opinion) as two cousins find mail-order wives who are sisters.



KATIE AND THE IRISH TEXAN by Carra Copelin is a short western historical novella that introduces one of the families in her Code series. The characters came to Texas from Ireland. I love Irish characters, and Carra does a good job with the dialogue.



BRIDE OF THE HIGH COUNTRY by Kaki Warner in her runaway brides series is a book I won and set aside to read later. I’m so sorry I waited because this is a great book. The heroine’s character development through three stages of her life is remarkable—from terrified Irish immigrant Cathleen Donovan to socially prominent ward Margaret Hamilton to self-sufficient Lucinda Hawthorne who claims her life in Heartbreak Creek, Colorado. 

What's your favorite of the books you've read in the past year? 

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, September 22, 2014

HOW NANCY DREW CAUSED TROUBLE


Until I was in the fourth grade, I’d never had access to a library. That year, I attended school Morton, Texas. To my delight, the city or county bookmobile came to the school and our class was able to check out books on alternate weeks. That was when I was introduced to Nancy Drew.



For several years, I read every Nancy Drew novel I could find. After my family moved to Lubbock, Texas, my best friend Karen and I spent hours pretending we were girl detectives and were certain we would go on to open our own detective agency once we graduated from school.

I’m certain that we drove our parents crazy by seeing crimes where there were none. We were suspicious of everyone except our own families. You’ve heard the story of the boy who cried wolf, right?

One day when Karen’s parents were gone somewhere for the day, we were babysitting her bratty sister. We had strict instructions to stay inside her house. We were listening to the television or radio, I don’t remember which, when we heard the news flash that there had been a robbery only a few blocks from her house and the robber may have been shot by the store owner.

Being overly dramatic teens (barely) we locked the doors and peered out windows. That soon grew boring until we heard a huge bang against the wall separating her living room and the garage. Now comes the scary part.

Karen and I crept out the front door to see what made the noise, but we could see nothing—except a few drops of blood on the garage floor. The cleaning lady for Karen’s next door neighbor asked us what we were doing making so much noise when her parents were gone. She told us to go back in the house where we were supposed to be.

We couldn’t decide, though. We wanted to climb the ladder attached to the side of the garage and look in the attic, but neither of us wanted to be the one to do so. After dithering for five or ten minutes, we pulled down the heavy garage door and went back inside. Of course, we didn’t consider the typical door from the garage to the outside.

We cowered inside, hoping Karen’s parents would return soon. The minute her parents walked in the door, we barraged them with our story. Needless to say, her parents paid us no attention. Finally, we convinced her dad to just check out the garage so we’d hush.

When he looked, the blood was dried but added to our claim. He climbed the ladder to the attic, he found a fresh half-eaten loaf of bread and an empty bottle of Coca-Cola.

That scared us and, probably, her parents. I know her mom came to talk to my mom. I’ve often wondered what would have happened had we chosen to look in the attic. Nothing good, I’m sure.

Our life as girl detectives was over. I abandoned Nancy Drew and moved on to Louisa Mae Alcott.

Friday, September 19, 2014

WHAT TO DO WITH BRIDEZILLA

WRONG BRIDE is Geri Foster’s latest in her Accidental Pleasures series of sexy novellas and releases on September 20th. (Fans of her Falcon series should not worry as Ms Foster is currently working on the next Falcon book, OUT OF THE DEPTHS.)

Misty Walker is a professional wedding consultant who has been dealing with a genuine Bridezilla. Misty hasn’t met the groom, but she believes if he’s anything like his kind mom, then Mitch Collins doesn’t deserve a fate like Priscilla McFadden, aka the bride from hell.

When Misty overhears Priscilla and her lover plotting to kill Mitch on the honeymoon, she decides to warn him—wearing a disguise so he won’t recognize her at the rehearsal and wedding.

Is there a flaw in this plan? Oh, yes, several. Fortunately for readers, they all make for fast-paced, fun reading.


Here’s a blurb:

Misty Walker has agreed to be the wedding coordinator for the bride from hell, literally. When she overhears the future bride discussing how she and the lover plan to off the groom on the honeymoon, Misty decides she must warn the unsuspecting Mitch Collins.

Mitch arrives in the Dallas area drenched in doubts about marrying the wrong woman and wondering if he made a mistake. While waiting for the wedding date, a mysterious woman shows up at his place and after spending the night together, he realizes the wedding must be stopped.

The bride-to-be isn’t happy with the turn of events and takes matters into her own hands. Can Misty and Mitch both learn how important it is to find the right life partner?

Will love win in this crazy and comical situation?


You can find this book on Amazon at http://amzn.com/B00NOZMNSU as well as at other online retailers.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

SHARING A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY


I’m sharing nostalgia today. I mostly grew up in Lubbock, Texas, known to residents as the Hub of the Plains. The city is located on the Caprock Escarpment called Llano Estacado, or Staked Plain, by the Spanish. Eleven thousand years ago, this was the home of Native Americans who killed the Bronze Columbian mammoth and short faced bear. As those animals died out, the land became home to bison and other mammals including mountain lions, coyotes, wolves, bobcats, less ferocious smaller mammals, snakes, and red ants. There are a lot of varmints, especially in Yellow House Canyon at the edge of Lubbock.

Growing up, I was not allowed to run wild in the canyon (or anywhere else), but many boys played in the canyon, my husband-to-be included. They searched for and found spear points and arrowheads. I was so jealous. My husband had a perfect Clovis knife. He and I still love visiting prehistoric sites of Native Americans in the Southwest. And we enjoy going back to visit the Lubbock Lake Landmark Site near where my husband used to hunt spear points and arrowheads. Although we weren’t aware of the formal site until about twenty years ago, this year the Landmark Site will celebrate 75 years of discovery that began with the accidental unearthing of a Folsom point in 1936, and continues to the present day.

For thousands of years, across hundreds of generations, people have come to Lubbock Lake. Hunter-gatherers, the Apache and Comanche nations, and the founding of a modern city are each a part of the history of this National Historic Landmark that is one of the premier archaeological and natural history sites in North America. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a designated National Historic and State Archeological Landmark. It is managed by the museum of Texas Tech University with excavations conducted under a Texas Antiquities Committee permit. (And I love the Ranching Heritage Museum behind the formal Texas Tech Museum.)

I love visiting the area where I can imagine Comanche roaming in pursuit of buffalo. Not that I would have wanted to encounter Comanches in real life, mind you, but the adventurous side of my nature thrills at the thought of riding along the plains with them. Not killing or butchering the animals. Ugh! No, when romance writers visualize the past, we tend to cull the unpleasant and dwell on the more exciting and interesting parts of history. Hey, we’re the story creators, so we get to call the content, right?

Life in modern Lubbock has become pretty much like any other Texas city. Lubbock is home to two universities, Texas Tech and Lubbock Christian. There are more churches per capita in Lubbock than any other place I know. Celebrities who found their start in Lubbock include Buddy Holly and his band The Crickets (alleged to be the model for the Beatles), Mac Davis, Tommy Hancock, Waylon Jennings, and Ralna English (formerly on Lawrence Welk’s show). Wind turbine farms are popping up in the area, especially in nearby Garza County.

Lubbock still has sandstorms and dust storms, but not as frequently as when I grew up, due partly to soil conservation and planting trees.For those who don’t know, there is quite a difference between a sandstorm and a dust storm. A sandstorm picks up bits of gravel and abrasive sand that can actually damage paint--and bare skin. The sky appears almost rosy on the horizon before a sandstorm. Dust storms are comprised of powdery dust that chokes humans and animals. It can sift in through the most air-tight window and door. The sky may appear any color from gray, to brown, to almost black as the dust approaches.

I remember a dust storm the first year my parents and I were back in Texas from California. The house we lived in a few miles north of Lubbock belonged to the cotton gin my dad managed and was not that well built. After a horrible dust storm that lasted all one day and night, my parents waked up and my mom laughed at my dad. He was covered with a fine layer of dust and, when he sat up, his outline was easily defined on the pillow. He looked at her and told her she’d better look in the mirror before she laughed. When she hurried in to check on me, she looked as if she were wearing gray makeup with powdered hair. Everything in the house was covered in a layer of fine, dark gray, powdery dust--except for my room. Since I was puny and asthmatic, Mother had hung wet sheets at my windows to catch the dust so precious little moi wouldn’t have to breathe so much of it. Good mom, right? 

That was the worst dust storm I’d encountered until 1997, when we were visiting my mother-in-law. The dust storm that hit was so dark the sky looked black. We had to leave several hours early because I couldn’t breathe, and I considered that a definite disadvantage. That’s not a part of West Texas I miss! I used an ordinary sandstorm in my book, HOME SWEET TEXAS HOME because that type of weather is a part of life for that area. So are lightning storms and tornadoes. Let’s face it, the weather in West Texas is terrible, but the sky is wonderful. It truly lives up to its reputation as the Land of the High Sky. And sunsets are unbelievable! 









































































































































































































































Friday, September 12, 2014

#NewRelease MAIL-ORDER TANGLE by @carolinclemmons & @JacquieRogers #romance




We PROMISE you
a RUCKUS
at the

MAIL-ORDER TANGLE Doin's!

We're fixin' to party at Facebook and Caroline Clemmons and I hope you'll join in the fun Saturday, September 13 from 1pm to 9pm Central Time, 11am to 7pm Pacific Time.



There'll be music, dancing, and goodies all served up by some hawt cowboys wearing jinglebobs (and we aren't saying what else).

Prizes Every Hour!

Hosted by the authors of Mail-Order Tangle (ahem... if they're not in the back room)
Caroline Clemmons and Jacquie Rogers.

Get your copy now!
Soon available in print and in digital at all major online stores.

Here's the cover copy:
Mail-Order Tangle contains two books by best selling western writers Caroline Clemmons and Jacquie Rogers.

Mail-Order Promise
by Caroline Clemmons

Ellie Dickerson and her sister are in desperate straits when she contracts to become a mail-order bride to a Texas rancher. After her arduous trip from Virginia, she learns her fiancé has died. His handsome brother has sworn to take care of her and she's instantly attracted to him, but he seems indifferent toward her. What will happen to her and her sister?

Kage Johanssen, co-owner of a ranch in Idaho with his cousin Matt, is forced to take over his family's Central Texas ranch on the death of his older brother. Kage is in no hurry to get married, and when his brother's bride shows up, she's everything he doesn't want in a wife—except she's stunningly beautiful. Despite his deathbed promise to his brother and his attraction to Ellie, he's convinced she doesn't have the grit to be a rancher's wife.

When a greedy, sadistic villain attempts to take over the ranch and kill Kage, can Ellie save her true love? What will it take to prove that she's the only woman for Kage?

Mail-Order Ruckus
by Jacquie Rogers


Matt Johanssen returned to the ranch he and his cousin Kage started in Owyhee County, Idaho Territory, not knowing he took Laura Dickerson's heart with him. Now that her sister no longer needs her, Laura wants a home of her own and a family to put in it. No other man would fill the bill as well as Matt, but he's not interested. Not wanting to live as a spinster aunt the rest of her life, Laura signs a contract with a marriage broker, choosing to go to Silver City, near Matt's ranch, in hopes that he might come around. But he's not on the roster of eligible grooms!

When Matt sees Laura among the brides on display on the balcony of the Idaho Hotel, he feels gutshot. He's in no position to take a wife, not with a ranch eating up every spare moment and dollar. But if he doesn't step forward, the one woman he wants will be wed at the end of the week—and not to him.

Will Matt walk away from the woman who stole his heart or let go of everything he's worked so hard to build go in exchange for love?

See you at the party!

Breaking His Rules



Breaking His Rules
by Alison  Packard

ALISON WILL BE AWARDING A $25 GIFT CARD TO ONE COMMENTER ON THIS TOUR.

BREAKING HIS RULES Blurb:

Losing fifty pounds is an incredible achievement. But for Melissa Atherton, progress doesn’t come with praise—a scathing comment from an evil cousin at a bridal shower threatens to crush her new self-esteem. Who will she bring to the upcoming wedding? Showing up without a date would be humiliating. It just isn’t an option.

Personal trainer Jake Sawyer was attracted to Melissa before she lost weight, but her progress has him floored. When she admits she plans to hire a male escort—and why—his heart all but breaks. Melissa’s come too far to be knocked down, especially by her own family. He’ll go as her date…and figure out a way to keep his hands to himself.

But when a steamy hotel room encounter takes them both by surprise, Jake balks. He’s sworn never to date one of his clients, not again. And Melissa can’t bear to be just friends with the man who treated her so tenderly, even if it was only for a weekend. Jake’s helped her see she’s strong enough to stand up for herself, but will she find the strength to pursue the only man who’s ever seen the real her?








Excerpt from BREAKING HIS RULES:

“I went to my cousin’s bridal shower earlier today.” Jake looked up, relieved to find that she hadn’t appeared to notice him staring at her breasts. Good. Now he just had to remind himself not to do it again. He shouldn’t be thinking anything other than professional thoughts about her. Friend or not, Melissa was his client and therefore strictly off-limits. “She’s getting married next month at Pebble Beach.”

He let out a low whistle. “Beautiful, but from what I know of that area, pricey.”

“My aunt and uncle are very well off.” Melissa pushed her cup to the side and folded her arms on the table. “You know how I told you she always made fun of my weight when we were kids?”

Jake nodded, remembering their conversation of a few months ago. “She sounds like a witch.”

“She is.” Melissa sighed. “I overheard her and her friend talking about me in the ladies’ room.” She gave him a wan smile. “And you know what they say about eavesdroppers never hearing good of themselves. Well, it’s true.”

“What did she say?”

“That I was too fat to be a bridesmaid and that even if I’m able to get a date to her wedding, it’ll probably be with some loser.”

Jake tamped down his anger. He’d struggled with his weight when he was younger and knew only too well how cruel some people could be. Leaning forward, he reached across the table and put his hand on Melissa’s arm. He tried not to notice the satiny smoothness of her skin but failed and quickly withdrew before the warmth of her skin could tempt him to linger. “Don’t let her get to you, Melissa. She’s not worth it.”

“That’s what I told Paige when she suggested we sabotage the wedding ceremony.”

Jake couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ve only met your sister twice, but that’s exactly what I’d expect her to suggest.”

Melissa smiled, then quickly sobered and gave him a determined look. “I’m going to that wedding even though it’s the last thing on earth I want to do.”

“Do you have a date?” he asked, more interested in Melissa’s private life than he should be. She’d never mentioned a boyfriend, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t seeing someone. Even at her heaviest—as she’d been when he’d met her—she was an attractive woman.

“No. But I have this off the wall—” She stopped mid-sentence, stared at him for several seconds, then she shook her head and laughed. She had a good laugh—melodic and sexy at the same time. “Never mind.”

“Never mind what?” he asked as he leaned back.

“It wasn’t important.” She tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks turned pink under his scrutiny. “Okay. Okay. I was thinking about hiring an escort for the wedding. Someone super-hot. That would shut my cousin up for good.”

“Hire an escort?” Jake asked, surprised she’d go to such lengths—especially when she didn’t need to. He grinned as the perfect solution to her problem materialized in his head. It was the least he could do for a friend. “I have a much better idea and it won’t cost you any money.”

One delicately arched brow rose. “What’s your idea?” she asked, with a hint of trepidation.

“Not what. Who.” He pointed to his chest. “Me. I’ll be your date for the wedding.”



Alison Packard, Author

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alison now lives in Southern Nevada where she’s still getting used to the blistering summers and the slot machines in every grocery store.

When not working at the day job that pays the bills, keeps a roof over her head, and supports her book and chocolate habits, Alison spends most of her free time writing. But when she takes a break, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family and friends.





a Rafflecopter giveaway



Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

J. M. GRIFFIN'S LATEST RELEASE - FOR LOVE OF LIVVY



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding winner's choice of an eBook from Lachesis Publishing to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please click the banner to see a list of other stops on the tour.



NOTE: THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE FREE EVERYWHERE IT'S SOLD! Why not pick up your copy today?

The author will be awarding winner's choice of an eBook from Lachesis Publishing to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.



After her favorite aunt is found dead and an alarming box is mysteriously left on the doorstep of her aunt’s house now legally hers, Lavinia Esposito wants explanations. But, having cleared the package of explosives, the local cops are dumbounded by the precious stones which came without an explanation, just an address─her Aunt Livvy’s. Frustrated by the cops’ refusal to share their theories, criminal justice instructor Lavinia Esposito, a.k.a. Vinnie, takes investigation matters into her own hands. Vinnie is soon dragged into situations beyond her control, finding herself in hot water with the law, the crooks, and her Italian father. Willing to put her life at risk to find out what really happened to her beloved Aunt Livvy, and why jewels would be addressed to her aunt, Vinnie plunges ahead with her usual tenacity, bravery, and keen wits to solve and survive this mystery.


Now enjoy an excerpt:

The front door knocker rapped twice after the door bell rang. I hustled from the rear deck of the gargantuan house to answer the summons. Someone seemed impatient, and I was curious as to who it was. My watch read just after eight o’ clock. I swung the heavy door open to find my prospective visitor absent.

It was so quiet, the town ghostly in its seemingly deserted state. Sundays were always lazy days in Scituate, once church was over. With a glance up and down the street of the small historic Rhode Island village, neat colonial homes stretched along the sides of the road in both directions. No one came into view. On the doorstep, a package addressed to my recently deceased Aunt Livvy sat wrapped in brown paper. Again, I gawked up and down the street, but only empty sidewalks and barren roadway appeared in the waning light. The idea of a jaunt along the main drag entered my mind. I figured it would be senseless since the street was visible for about two hundred yards in either direction. Whoever had left the package was gone, long gone.

An eternity passed, or so it seemed, while my gaze locked onto the square, little box. Reluctant to touch it, I decided to call the local fire company to come take a gander. Call me paranoid, but as a criminal justice instructor, a recent audit of a class on bomb components remained fresh in my mind.

I quickly stepped to the living room and grabbed the phone. I dialed the private number of the fire station up the street. A grunt came across the phone line that could only be Bill MacNert.

“Hey Nerd, its Vinnie,” I said. “A package was just left on my doorstep, could you come down and check it out for me?”

“Sure, you got a secret admirer or somethin’?” He cackled, as only senior men can.

“Not likely, but you never know. This package is addressed to Lavinia Ciano, not Lavinia Esposito and is wrapped in brown paper. Nobody’s here to accompany this little surprise either.”

“I’ll be right down, Vinnie, don’t touch it.” He warned.

“Okay.”

Anxious, I paced back and forth across gleaming hard wood floors in the spacious living room of my newly acquired colonial. My fingernails tapped the enamel on my teeth as I wandered to and fro. As irrational as it seemed, I finally leaned against the door jamb inside the entry to wait for MacNert to arrive.



Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Livvy-JM-Griffin/dp/1897562454/ref=la_B0074JH1HU_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408405431&sr=1-1

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-love-of-livvy-j-m-griffin/1102586938?ean=9781897562468

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/399272


J. M. Griffin, Author
J. M. Griffin is a student of the human condition, wielding the written craft to stimulate the imagination much like she wields her paint brush. The pages are a blank canvas on which J.M. draws vivid characters. J.M. is the author of the popular Vinnie Esposito mystery series featuring the sexy sleuth Vinnie Esposito and the engaging Deadly Bakery mystery series featuring the sassy baker/sleuth Melina Cameron. J.M. lives in rural Rhode Island, a state she considers colorful and interesting.

Author links:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/JM-Griffin/246751368685078

http://www.twitter.com/mycozymystery

http://mycozymysteries.blogspot.com/




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Monday, September 08, 2014

GOLD RUSH DELUGE BY SUZANNE LILLY BASED ON HISTORICAL EVENT





Too late she realizes Kersey has a dark and murderous past...





Publication Date: August 23, 2014
Genre: Historical Romance

When Lucinda Martin York and George Arnold leave Diggers Flat during a rainstorm, the Sacramento and American rivers crest, causing a deluge of epic proportions that engulfs the town of Sacramento. While Lucinda uses her medical skills to help save the citizens, George proposes a plan to stop the floodwaters and save the town.

Lucinda holds fast to her dream of becoming a doctor and apprentices to Dr. Mitchell Kersey. She falls under his spell, and too late she realizes Kersey has a dark and murderous past that has followed him to California. The danger she finds herself enmeshed in may end her dreams before they have even begun.

Based on historical events of 1850 Sacramento, Gold Rush Deluge is riveting and romantic.








Suzanne Lilly, Author
Suzanne Lilly is a teacher and a writer who occasionally takes time off to zipline in Alaska, teach in China, and traipse around Rome. She writes sweet stories with a splash of suspense, a flash of the unexplained, a dash of romance, and always a happy ending.

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Friday, September 05, 2014

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BOOK?

On Facebook, several people have been naming ten favorite books that meant something in your life. Narrowing my preference down to only ten would be impossible. And what each meant depended on where I was at that stage of life. Although I’ve been an avid reader as long as I can remember, I’ll skip the school years and move on to after I became an adult. I’ll also skip the classics and go for popular fiction.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, by Harper Lee. Okay, so it’s a classic now. Who didn’t love that one? I kept waiting for another book from Harper Lee (as did a lot of others). I thought Scout’s story was wonderful. I saw the film starring Gregory Peck and in which Robert Duvall had his first role. This is one of the few times I enjoyed a movie as much as the book.

THE HELP BY Katherine Stockett. Didn’t we love the way the heroine obtained justice for her friends? I didn’t like the movie because so much had to be changed. This is why books are better than movies—you get the main characters’ internal thoughts and motivation in a book. Usually impossible for a movie.

THE GUENSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. How sad that Ms Schaffer died before she learned how successful her wonderful book had become. Thank goodness her niece Ms Barrows finished editing the manuscript. I have to admit my knowledge of the Isle of Guernsey was nil, but this story uplifted my spirit even though it dealt with Nazi occupation. 

MR. CHURCHILL’S SECRETARY by Susan Elia Macneal. This is another World War II setting, but Maggie Hope brings just that. I love this series and will save them to reread.  FALLON by Louis L’Amour. Any of his, really. What a great writer. He captured history and people and painted the West in words. I’ve read each of his books and will never tire of rereading them.


FOR THE ROSES by Julie Garwood. This was a wonderful saga about lost boys and the baby girl they rescued as they moved from New York to the West. Family and redemption are themes I love.

PRINCE CHARMING by Julie Garwood. Probably my all-time favorite book, I love the subtle humor the author introduces into the story and the developing love and adventure. I loved so many things about this book: the scene where we learn who stole Lucas’ knife, where we see Taylor shooting rabbits, where Taylor covers Lucas’ friend with a blanket, and so many more.
THE PROMISE OF JENNY JONES by Maggie Osborne. Jenny had only one thing and that’s her word. She keeps her promise through unbelievably difficult conditions and triumphs. My first time to read a book with a six-foot, redheaded, muleskinner heroine. In a speech once, I heard Ms Osborne say this was the traditional governess story turned on its ear.

SLIGHTLY SHADY by Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz). This is the first of the Lavinia Lake and Tobias March trilogy and I loved each one. This first was probably my favorite. However, this woman cannot write a bad book under any name. I think I have each of her books by each of her names. The historical romances are my favorites.


MONTANA SKY by Nora Roberts. This is one of my favorites by Ms Roberts (although THE WITNESS may tie). I liked the three half-sisters learning to work together on a ranch and learning to be family. Family is a wonderful theme.  

TO KISS A TEXAN by Jodi Thomas. Wes McClain is my favorite member of his family and his rescue of the captive woman Allie,who salves his wounded heart, is amazing. Theirs is a memorable romance that has stayed with me for years.

 
FALLON by Louis L'Amour, along with each of his other historical works. What a creative genius this man was. He once told a group of writers that he could write while sitting in a folding chair in the center of Hollywood and Vine with a typewriter balanced on his knees. I know he was the master of setting and characterization. I chose FALLON as my favorite of his books because  it's the story of a man who is much better than he believes, a story of redemption. But L'Amour wrote only great books. Hero and I save them and reread them from time to time. I practically know FALLON by heart, yet it still calls to me. 

I have deliberately not mentioned any of the books of personal friends. To do so would be insane. I’d be certain to overlook someone and then be in the dog house forever. And there simply is not enough space or time to list all my favorites. There are huge numbers of wonderful writers whose books I’ve enjoyed and saved. And I continue discovering new writers whose works I love. Someday maybe I’ll quit writing and just read.

Naw, this is too great a job. Why would I ever give up a job where I can work at home in my jammies?

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