Friday, April 28, 2017

MAYBE BABY FROM E. E. BURKE BEGINS THE TEXAS HARDTS SERIES

Welcome to E. E. Burke, a writer whose work I enjoy reading. We’ve worked together on a couple of projects and I have found her to be delightful.

 MAYBE BABY

Question: Tell me about your newest book and what was the inspiration behind your writing it?
E. E. Burke: MAYBE BABY, A Texas Hardts Novella.
When I was first asked to write a contemporary novella for Magnolias and Moonshine, I'd just finished my latest historical romance for The Bride Train series. I thought it would be fun to spin off a contemporary series based on descendants of the couple in Seducing Susannah.

In Maybe Baby, you’ll meet Logan Hardt, the fourth of five brothers who've descended from Ross and Susannah. I’m currently working on a series called Texas Hardts that will feature Logan’s four brothers, who grew up on the ancestral ranch called the Double H.

Can you guess why it's called the Double H? Both Hardt men explain in Seducing Susannah and Maybe Baby. Here's the Double H brand. That might give you a hint as to the meaning.



Question: Why and when did you decide to become a writer?
E. E. Burke: I’m a storyteller at heart. From the earliest age I can remember, I made up stories. I also read books, then took those stories, expanded on them and acted them out with friends.
As far as writing goes, during junior high and high school I wrote poetry and song lyrics. At the time, I was convinced my words were inspired. I still have the journal containing my work. I keep it so I can look back and remind myself why I should never write poetry and leave the songs up to truly inspired lyricists like Paul Simon.
I set off to college still telling stories, occasionally writing them down. My father advised pursuing a career that paid a steady salary. Translated: don’t even think about becoming a novelist. I became a journalist instead.
Somewhere along the way, I allowed fear to bind me. I continued to read stories and carted home bags filled with books, feeling personally responsible for keeping the local bookstore profitable. I talked about writing down my stories, but somehow never got around to it.
When my children came along, I made up bedtime stories. Still didn’t write, except for the writing I had to do as part of my advertising job. After I turned fifty, I mentioned to one of my grown daughters that I wanted to write a book, specifically a romance novel. This wasn’t the first time I’d talked about my dream of writing novels.
I’ll never forget her answer. “You’ve always encouraged us to pursue our dreams. What’s stopping you from pursuing yours?”
At that moment, I realized I had gotten in my own way long enough. I set out to write down one of the many stories in my head to prove I could do it, or decide, once and for all, that I couldn’t.
The first book I wrote wasn’t bad. Wasn’t good, either. My second book made the finals in a prestigious national writing contest for unpublished novels. The third book was good enough to publish.
This year, I published my ninth historical romance. I’ve never looked back.

Question: What book has been the greatest influence on you and your writing and why?
E. E. Burke: That’s a tough question because it hasn’t been one book. Numerous books and different authors have had an influence on my writing at different times and for different reasons.
I’ve been most influenced as a storyteller by Mark Twain. I love the way he spins a tale. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book I can read over and over.
For historical fiction: Michael Shaara, The Killer Angels. The author breathes life into historical figures and turns history into drama. His work inspired me to use actual history as a driving force in my stories.
As far as writing romance, the person who has had the biggest influence on my writing is one of my favorite authors, who later became a mentor, Jill Marie Landis. She is masterful at creating sumptuous settings and tapping into deep emotions. Her books Sunflower (A RITA Award winner) and Come Spring are my favorites. I turn to her books, and to books written by a gifted author who influenced Jill in her writing, LaVyrle Spencer, when I need a touchstone for writing emotion.

Question: Where do you find ideas for your books?
E. E. Burke: History. In books, movies, museums, articles, diaries, family chronicles. You name it. I’m a history geek. In particular, fascinated by the history of the American West. Sometimes a character will grab my attention and I’ll start thinking, “What if…” Then a story will pop into my head. I never lack for stories. What I lack is enough time to write them all.

Question: Where do you find ideas for your characters?
E. E. Burke: Same place I find ideas for books. Often my characters are amalgams of real people who went through the event that inspires my story. A few times, I’ve taken historical characters (or well-known fictional characters) and put them in a romance. Characters in books and movies also provide inspiration. I’ve been “pinning” vintage photographs on Pinterest. Even if I don’t know who they are, I find inspiration in their expressions and the setting.



MAYBE BABY Blurb:
High-powered executive Jen Chandler can’t ignore the urgent ticking of her biological clock. The nesting instinct has kicked in big-time and she wants a baby. The only problem? When it comes to romantic entanglements, she runs the other way. Taking control of her future, she sets out in search of a sperm donor.

Logan Hardt, a laid-back cowboy who shows up at her Atlanta home one day, turns out to have the right genes, as well as a pressing need for cash. But he’s seduced by more than Jen’s generous offer, and the closer the time comes to say goodbye, the less willing he is to honor a contract that would require him to walk away and never look back.

Buy Links:
MAYBE BABY, A Texas Hardts Novella
Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo

E. E. (Elisabeth) Burke, Author

Weave together passionate romance and rich historical detail, add a dash of suspense, and you have books by bestselling author E.E. Burke. Her chosen settings are the American West, and her latest series, The Bride Train, features a cast of unusual characters thrown together through a misguided bride lottery.

Other series include Steam! Romance and Rails, which follows the lives of dangerous men and daring women caught up in a cutthroat railroad competition. Her novella, Victoria, Bride of Kansas, part of the unprecedented American Mail-Order Brides series, is a Kindle Top 100 Bestseller and a semifinalist in the 2016 Kindle Best Book Awards.

E.E., also known as Elisabeth, has earned accolades in regional and national contests, including the RWA's prestigious Golden Heart®. Over the years, she’s been a disc jockey, a journalist and an advertising executive, before finally getting around to living the dream--writing stories readers can get lost in.
Website: www.eeburke.com

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

FALLING HARD BY STACY FINZ!



FALLING HARD
by
Stacy Finz
Pub
date: 4/11/2017
Genre:
Contemporary Romance

In
the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain town of Nugget, California,
falling hard is all too easy . . .

This
is the summer of Annie Sparks—at least according to her. No more
supporting lazy jerks or coddling irresponsible family or taking care
of anyone who doesn’t deserve her help. Instead she’s headed to
an estate in a remote mountain town, to spend her summer with her
boots covered in mud and her hands working the earth. Love is the
last thing on her mind.

Nugget
is a long way from Logan Jenkins’ old life as a Navy SEAL. But
before he starts fresh in the private sector, he receives a bequest
from a man he never knew: his biological father. To learn more about
his background, Logan makes his way to his late father’s estate,
where he is immediately knocked on his heels by an incredible woman
with a heart of gold.

Annie’s
not looking for a fling, and Logan knows Nugget can’t be forever,
so falling in love should be impossible. But when they’re together,
time stops, and suddenly the impossible seems like the only thinkable
option . . .




Five Fun Facts about the Nugget Romance Series

1. The fictional town of Nugget is based on an amalgam of towns in Plumas County, which is located in California’s Sierra Nevada. My main inspiration was the town of Portola, less than an hour from Reno, Nevada.

2. There was a real-life burger restaurant called the Bun Boy in Baker, California (nowhere near Plumas County) but it’s now closed. I used to eat there on my way to Death Valley and the name stuck. So, when I decided to include a burger joint as one of the businesses in Nugget it was a no brainer to call it the Bun Boy.

3. The inspiration for Sierra Heights, Nugget’s sole gated community, came from Grizzly Ranch in Portola. It’s a gorgeous subdivision with a golf course that seems slightly out of place in an otherwise rustic town. My husband and I like to make fun of it, but secretly, we want a home there.

4. The area of the Sierra Nevada that I write about is not far from where the Donner Party tragedy happened. I’ve always been obsessed with this piece of California history because hello, cannibalism. The heroine in the first book in the series, Going Home, is also obsessed with it.

5. The Feather River, which is a landmark in all my Nugget books, is completely real and absolutely spectacular. And as I write this was at risk of overflowing due to all the rain we’ve gotten in California.


Stacy Finz is an award-winning reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle.
After more than twenty years covering notorious serial killers,
naked-tractor-driving farmers, fanatical foodies, aging rock stars
and weird Western towns, she figured she finally had enough material
to launch a career writing fiction. In 2012 she won the Daphne du
Maurier Award for unpublished single-title mystery/suspense. She
lives in Berkeley, California with her husband.




Monday, April 24, 2017

SECOND CHANCE MARQUESS BY JESSICA JEFFERSON



Second Chance Marquess
by Jessica Jefferson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Historical Romance

Jessica will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.



SECOND CHANCE MARQUESS Blurb:

When Wilhemina Turner’s younger sister runs off with a young Lothario, she has no choice but to turn to the notorious rake who broke his promise and her heart, for assistance. George Bartlett, the Marquess of Chesterton, hasn’t forgotten the woman who hurt him so many years ago, but can’t deny her request, knowing that his brother’s reputation, and fortune, is at risk. A series of misfortunes leave the straight-laced widow and committed bachelor stranded, sharing both close quarters and old secrets. But when morning comes, will this unlikely pair find a second chance at love?




SECOND CHANCE MARQUESS Excerpt:
Chapter 1

Mrs. Wilhelmina Turner stood in the entryway of the Marquess of Chesterton’s London townhouse, soaking wet and mad as hell.
“I don’t really care if his lordship is sleeping. You gather him up and bring him down here to face me straight away or else I’ll go up there and retrieve him myself!”
The butler took a step back, holding his hands up to defend himself against potential assault. “Madame, if you could please keep your voice down—”
She took a step forward and stared up at the man, hands upon her hips. “I will do no such thing. Not until I find out what he’s done with my sister.”
The day before, her half-sister, Kitty, had gone out for her usual afternoon walk, but didn’t make it home for dinner. Her tardiness was habitual—the girl was a bit of henwit and often lost track of time. But when she hadn’t made it back by nightfall, Wilhelmina started to worry.
And when she hadn’t returned by morning, Wilhelmina had all but lost her mind.
Who could blame her? A naïve girl of ten and eight didn’t stand a chance against the sordid world that was London after dark. Any number of awful things could befall a young lady—robbery, molestation, abduction.
But after learning the ugly truth of what had actually happened to her dear sister only an hour ago, she couldn’t help but think Kitty would have been better off taking her chances on the streets of the East End then succumbing to the most unfortunate fate orchestrated by the man currently residing at this fashionable Mayfair address.
She heard a rough cough and turned toward the stairs where a man was descending, barefooted and wearing nothing but an open banyan and a pair of buckskins.


Jessica Jackson, Author

Jessica Jefferson makes her home in Almost-Chicago with her husband, two young daughters, French bulldog Lulu, and English bulldog Pete.  When she's not busy trying to find middle-ground between being a modern career woman and Suzy-Homemaker, she loves to watch "Real Housewives of [insert city here]" and performing unnecessary improvements to her home and property.

Jessica writes Regency-era historical romance with a modern twist where she invites her readers to fall in love with romance again.

Links and social media:




GIVEAWAY

Jessica will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday, April 21, 2017

PUPPY LOVE BY KELLY MORAN -- REDWOOD RIDGE SERIES


PUPPY LOVE
by Kelly Moran
Pub. Date: 2/28/2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance

After a passionless marriage under the scrutiny
of high society, Avery Stowe is taking back her life. All she wants
is a little privacy and a quiet place to raise her autistic daughter,
Hailey. Redwood Ridge, Oregon, seems to offer all the right
ingredients. Except for the problem of the local sexy veterinarian.
The last thing she needs in her life is to fall for his irresistible
allure, even if he is a nice guy who keeps doing her favors. But the
well-meaning patrons of her new hometown have other ideas, and it
appears playing Cupid is one of them.

Cade O’Grady has never met a woman he
couldn't handle, but when Avery Stowe walks into his office late one
night cradling an injured puppy, he’s struck stupid. Which might
explain her total lack of interest in him. But now that she’s
working for his family’s clinic, he doesn't have to lust from a
distance. He might just have a chance at convincing Avery—and her
too-guarded heart—that falling for the right man isn't a mistake .
. .





Hello, everyone! Great to be here.

Kensington/Lyrical launched the first story in my new small town rom-com series Redwood Ridge in February. Puppy Love is about a veterinarian, Cade, who's the youngest O'Grady brother and known as a bit of a playboy. What I loved most about this book (and the two releases following) is that the animals are like secondary characters. There's a clinic cockatoo, a great dane, and a cat, plus the characters' pets. So fun.

I'd been wanting to write a small town series for quite awhile and also had veterinarians in mind for potential heroes. I've always been an animal lover and my best friend is a vet tech. The stories she tells me? Hilarious! My main inspiration, though, was my beloved black lab, Willow. She was a rescue dog and was about 9 months old when we adopted her. The husband and I didn't have kids yet, but we recognized from day one she'd be great with anyone.

Gentle and intuitive, she knew I was pregnant before I did. She followed me around everywhere and kept nudging my belly. From the time we brought our twin boys home from the hospital--and 4 years later, our youngest son, too--Willow was the perfect dog. She would commando-crawl on the floor to lay beside them, careful not to smother. When they started toddling, she watched them from a distance, giving a wide berth to not topple them. And as they got older, she handled their rough-housing without batting an eyelash.

I used to study her and them, thinking to myself, this needs to be in a book. The way they interacted and played was something truly special, and so the idea for Puppy Love (later to become a series) was born. Animals have instincts we don't. They see the world in a way we, as humans, never will. They are a gift and a blessing we so often take for granted, and enrich our lives with unconditional love.

Sadly, after 15 wonderful years with our Willow, she passed away just a few weeks before Puppy Love's release. We're heartbroken and miss her terribly. Losing her is a void we won't fill. There was no other dog quite like her, but she's in a place where she can play forever. I can't help but think of the irony as well. That having her as part of our family spurned the idea to write this book, and after years of idly thinking, I finally did it, then she crossed the rainbow bridge right before its release. Almost as if to say, the boys are growing up and you're all good now. My quest is complete.

I suspect, when a decade passes and our boys are settling into their own futures, I'll look back and remember how we didn't raise them alone. How a furbaby we happened to check out at a shelter taught my husband and I more about patience and understanding than any instruction manual or piece of advice. We rescued her, but we were the lucky ones.


Bestselling author Kelly Moran says
she gets her ideas from everyone and everything around her and
there’s always a book playing out in her head. No one who knows her
bats an eyelash when she talks to herself, and no one is safe from
becoming her next fictional character. She is a Catherine
Award-Winner, Readers Choice Finalist, Holt Medallion Finalist, and
earned one of the 10 Best Reads by USA
Today's
 HEA.
She is also a Romance Writers of America member. Her interests
include: sappy movies, MLB, NFL, driving others insane, and sleeping
when she can. She is a closet caffeine junkie and chocoholic, but
don’t tell anyone. She resides in Wisconsin with her husband, three
sons, and two dogs. Most of her family lives in the Carolinas, so she
spends a lot of time there as well. She loves hearing from her
readers.




Wednesday, April 19, 2017

L. A. REMINICKY WRITES LOVE STORIES WITH A TWIST OF SUSPENSE!


Where
There's Faith
Fairfield
Corners Book 3
by
L.A. Remenicky
Genre:
Romantic suspense

A
past she can't remember. A love he can't forget.
After
hitting rock bottom, Robert Newlin embraced sobriety and tried to
live his life quietly and alone at his family’s lake cottage.
Blaming himself for the accident that claimed his wife and unborn
baby, he spent most of his time alone and grieving until Faith moved
into the cottage next door.
Faith
McMillan had no memory of her life before that day three years ago.
The physical scars had faded but the emotional ones were still fresh
and raw. Living rent-free seemed like a great way to finish her
second book and would give her the time to figure out her next move.
But then she met the reclusive guy next door.
Robbie
and Faith – can two broken people who vowed to live their lives
alone find happiness together?

Don't
miss the first two books in the Fairfield Corners Series!
They
can each be read as standalones!




Saving
Cassie

Fairfield
Corners Book 1
Everyone
has secrets. Sometimes secrets can get you killed.
After
ten years in the big city, Cassie Holt is moving back to her hometown
to take over the bookstore left to her by her beloved Gram, vowing to
live her life alone. To her best friend, Sheriff James Marsten,
Cassie seems to be the same girl that left Fairfield Corners to go to
college but Cassie has secrets and one of those secrets could get her
killed. When one of her secrets becomes a threat to her life, James
turns to his new deputy to help him keep Cassie safe.
Deputy
Logan Miller has been burned by love and is not looking to get
involved with anyone anytime soon. When he is thrown into close
quarters with Cassie, the sparks begin to fly and he begins to see
through the walls Cassie has built around her heart. As the threat
gets closer, can Logan protect Cassie and protect his heart? (MA, 18+
for sexual situations)

Ragan's
Song
Fairfield
Corners Book 2
It
only took one look into his eyes for her to know she was in trouble.
Adam
Bricklin has heard the melody in his head for years, the melody that
told him if a decision was right or wrong. When he met Ragan Newlin
the song told him she was the one. He was devastated when
circumstances tore them apart. It has taken three years for Adam to
finally move past the heartbreak he suffered when Ragan left town in
the middle of the night. No note, no email, no text. She was just
gone. Now he has a new girlfriend, a new album in the works, and his
daughter is doing well in school. Until the day Ragan returned to
Fairfield Corners.
Ragan
came home to celebrate her parents’ anniversary, hoping they would
forgive her for not telling them about her marriage or her son. When
she discovered that Adam was still living in Fairfield Corners she
hoped her secrets were safe; secrets that drove her away three years
ago, secrets that could change their lives forever.


L.A.
Remenicky ~ Love Stories With A Twist
L.A.
Remenicky is a wife and mother of two fur kids. A payroll
professional by day, she writes out the stories in her head by night.
An
avid reader all her life, she finally put pen to paper (or fingers to
keyboard) during NaNoWriMo in 2012 and has never looked back. When
she’s not typing away on her latest story with music playing in the
background, she can usually be found spending time with her family
and friends.
The author is hosting a giveaway with tons of neat prizes! There's Amazon
GCs, print books, ebooks and swag!
Enter here:








Monday, April 17, 2017

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE -- WILD CARD UNDERCOVER!




Wild Card Undercover
by Kari Lemor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Romantic Suspense

Kari will be awarding a digital copy of the book on tour to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

WILD CARD UNDERCOVER Blurb:

All that glitters in Miami is not gold . . .

Lured in by a bad ex-boyfriend and the moonlight of Miami, Meg O’Hara is trapped in a nightmare situation, waiting tables for a crime boss and fearing for her life. When undercover FBI agent Christopher Shaunessy offers her a way out, she seizes it. Getting the goods on Salazar Moreno might not be easy, but she’ll do anything to be freed from her servitude and Moreno’s sexual advances, even if it means moving in with the charismatic agent.

Chris Shaunessy pretends to be Meg’s lover in order to keep her safe, but he steels his heart against further involvement. Passion has no place in the sordid world of organized crime. And yet, the closer they get to cracking the case, the stronger his feelings for the spirited waitress shine. It’s a dangerous game he’s playing, and taking Meg in his arms for real could prove a fatal misstep . . .





WILD CARD UNDERCOVER Excerpt:

“Does that man never have a day off?” Margaret Kathleen O’Hara grumbled, grabbing her tote bag and sarong to move surreptitiously along the chairs by the pool. If the hotel manager saw her here again she’d be toast. He’d more than toss her out. Threats to call the police had been thrown at her for months now. Although in her case, that might be a better deal.

With her eyes trained on his location and the Miami sun beating down on her exposed skin, Meg backed along the water’s edge attempting to leave the area before he spotted her. She needed to shower the chlorine out of her tangled hair and change for work soon. He looked in her direction and she rushed behind the closest object. It was six-foot-plus of blond-haired gorgeousness. The man’s eyes were glued to something on the upper deck.

Her boss was sitting there with one of his expensive bimbos. Did Blondie like that type? Maybe he wouldn’t notice her little game of Hide and Seek. She leaned around him, ducking back when she saw the Pool Nazi still present. Getting caught was not an option. She already owed more than she could ever repay.

“Are you okay?” Forest green eyes stared down at her, puzzled. Would he buy that she was simply looking for shade? He was big enough to provide it. With strong hands, he reached for her shoulders and Meg reflexively batted them away. She got enough of people groping her at work. Scorching curses froze before erupting from her mouth as the hotel manager moved, staring in their direction. Her mind kicked into overdrive, scrambling for a way to hide in plain sight.

“Sorry,” she squeaked. Grabbing the man’s head, she planted her mouth solidly on his. Short, thick strands of hair tickled her fingers. Firm lips yielded no resistance to the increased pressure of her mouth. Better make this look good.

An electric current skittered over her skin causing her heart to race. Maybe too good? Slowly he pulled her closer with his muscular arms. Her eyes flew open and she broke the connection. His hair-covered chest was too close for comfort. And much too tempting. Distance, she needed distance. Her eyes darted around, seeing no signs of the manager. A sigh escaped. Time to make her exit as well.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kari Lemor was one of those children who read with a flashlight under the covers. Once she discovered her mom’s stash of romance novels, there was no other genre to even consider. For years, she had stories stewing in her mind, stories of love and happily ever after. But writing wasn’t something she ever liked in school. Of course, no one ever asked her to write a story about a couple falling in love. Now that her children are grown, she can concentrate on penning tales of dashing heroes who ride to the rescue and feisty heroines who have already saved themselves. Please visit her at karilemor.com and on Twitter and Facebook.

Author Links:

Buy the book:



~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE


Kari will be awarding a digital copy of the book on tour to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.




a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday, April 14, 2017

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!

New Story
Research can be quicksand for me. I start tracking down what I need for my book and find something else fascinating along the way. Before I know where time went, hours have passed and I’m on an entirely different subject.

I’m unlike Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes character, who didn’t want to fill his brain with unnecessary information that might limit retaining the useful. Even if what I’m reading is not on target, often a new story is triggered. At other times, the information may not be anything I’ll ever use but sets me thinking about how lucky I am to live with a loving, supportive husband in a house with modern appliances and air-conditioning!

For instance, when I wrote O’NEILL’S TEXAS BRIDE, I had to learn about coal mining in Central Texas in the latter quarter of the nineteenth century. I thought I could quickly find what I needed online. Instead, I found twentieth century information and that in England going back to the ninth century. Eventually I found photos and the descriptions I needed—but couldn’t stop reading.

At that time, I found that children and women used to mine in the tight crevices and veins where a man couldn’t fit. In a tiny space they had to crawl along with a lantern and drop coal into a bucket, the heat must have been stifling. That’s probably why women wore only a strip of cloth around the waist that covered only their privates with nothing above the waist. I don’t imagine they lived long doing that work—or that they wanted to. Shudder. What a sad life for them and for the children.

For THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE, I needed information on train travel from Tennessee to Central Texas in 1878. I visited several railroad museums and wrote to others. I have a thick binder now of railroad information. Since then, that has been useful for numerous historical romances plus friends have asked me to share facts with them. When I began the research, I had no idea my data would be used so many times. That’s one time I didn’t fall into quicksand while researching.

For THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE I did a ton of research on Irish Travelers, nineteenth century Irish, traveler carts, blessings, and superstitions. My husband and I were fortunate enough to take a tour of Ireland. I admit Ireland fascinates me and I loved this research. I was able to use a bit of it in OUT OF THE BLUE so I redeemed myself from the quagmire I’d created. I’ve saved the information, of course, in case I think of a future plot what would benefit.

As you can probably discern, my intent is to be historically correct in each book without taking readers out of the story. Occasionally I may miss something that my editor and beta readers don’t catch either. Anachronisms or misinformation drives me crazy when I’m reading other authors’ books and I don’t want anyone to find them in the books I write. I may use only a line or two that has taken a lot of research, but I want those lines to be correct. Most authors share this opinion.

Do mistakes in books annoy you? Do you just skip over them and keep going?