Friday, March 30, 2018

Jennifer Wilck Loves Secondary Characters!

I love secondary characters, and I've found a kindred spirit in fellow Wild Rose Press Author Jennifer Wilck. Turns out Jennifer loves secondary characters as much as I do! Here she is to tell us all about it. Take it away, Jennifer!



I love secondary characters. They help to flesh out the hero and heroine and they often take on a mind of their own. Additionally, because I write Jewish characters, and many of my readers may not be familiar with some terms or customs that I reference, I also use secondary characters to explain things. Most often, it’s with a child, because it’s perfectly believable for a child to ask a question. It’s not always believable for an adult who presumably has been doing something their whole lives to suddenly want to know what it is that they’re doing (CSI, anyone?).

In Five Minutes to Love, however, I used my hero’s mother. Almost everyone knows the stereotypes of Jewish mothers. They want their child to settle down with a “nice Jewish boy or girl” and are always trying to feed people. In Hollywood, they are often portrayed as complaining a lot and shopping. I tried to avoid the stereotype, especially the complaints and the shopping, and while fleshing her out, she took on a mind of her own.

Karen was a blast to write. She became the conscience of the book. If Jacob was studying too hard, she made sure he took time out for a break, especially if that break was to visit her. On the flipside, she reminded him to focus on his law school needs and his future career, which is a main source of conflict in the book. She has a voice and she’s not afraid to use it, calling Jacob out when he’s done something he shouldn’t have. She’s meddlesome, but useful. She also helped create minor conflicts that Aviva, the heroine, was easily able to overcome, thereby showing Jacob what a great woman she was. For example, Karen has been known to be hard on Jacob’s past girlfriends. She never thought they were good enough for him. When Karen invites Aviva and Jacob to Shabbat dinner, Jacob is terrified Aviva will fall into any one of Karen’s “traps.” But Aviva charms Karen from the beginning. When Karen makes brisket for their dinner, Aviva loves it and knowing it’s Jacob’s favorite, asks for the recipe. Jacob is horrified, because Karen never shares recipes with his girlfriends. But not only does Karen offer to share it, she offers to teach her how to make it. By the end of the evening, Karen and Aviva are getting along wonderfully, and Jacob is convinced that Aviva is much stronger than he’s given her credit for being. When Jacob and Aviva reach their “black moment,” it’s Karen who is able to provide some perspective to Jacob, helping him to understand how his own actions have led them to this point, and illuminating the different paths he can take in the future.

I don’t think I’ve ever had as much fun with a secondary character as I have had with Karen, and I hope you enjoy her as much as I did.

Blurb:
Aviva Shulman has had enough of the dating scene. Her father valued his high-powered career over his wife and family. She wants something more, someone who values her. But her roommates are determined to find her the perfect match.
Jacob Black doesn't have time for relationships. A third-year law student, he's focused on studying and getting a high-paying job with a top-notch law firm. But his overbearing mother wants him to find someone and settle down.
Their paths cross at a speed dating event and sparks fly. But is five minutes long enough to determine a future together?

Excerpt:

Aviva sat in the Prudential Center with Jacob’s mother and the families of the other law school graduates as the names were called. After quizzing Aviva on her recovery from the accident, her ability to take time off for Jacob’s graduation, and complimenting her on her dress, his mother kvelled next to her about Jacob. Aviva couldn’t blame her. There was something awe-inspiring about watching these students reach their goal. Knowing how much effort Jacob put into this made it more amazing.

Especially when you considered she’d almost messed everything up for him. She shook her head to rid herself of the thought, wiping a tear from her eye.

Karen leaned over. “My son the lawyer.” She beamed with pride. “You know what makes me even prouder of him?”

Aviva shook her head.

“Because for all the nagging I do about making time to see me and prioritizing things in life, he manages to balance everything and still do well.”

Aviva tried not to show her reaction to Karen’s words. Was this woman psychic? If she was, there could be definite problems down the road—a psychic mother-in-law? Holy cow.

“Don’t look surprised, sweetheart.” Karen patted her leg. “You think I don’t worry about his finding time for life in his life? I do. All the time. But look at how well he did after your accident.”

Aviva shook her head. “I could have messed everything up for him.” Other audience members turned to look at her. She lowered her voice. “I feel guilty,” she whispered.

“Nonsense. You didn’t mess anything up. If you think he hasn’t spent forever studying, you’re crazy. He spends so much time doing it, if he misses a day or two, he’d still be fine. He was. Because he’s there.”

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Minutes-Love-Serendipity-Book-ebook/dp/B079WMLNJB

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/five-minutes-to-love-jennifer-wilck/1128011304?ean=2940158814495

The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5742-five-minutes-to-love.html?search_query=jennifer+wilck&results=6


Author Bio:

Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.

In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. When she’s not writing, she loves to laugh with her family and friends, is a pro at finding whatever her kids lost in plain sight, and spends way too much time closing doors that should never have been left open in the first place. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.

She writes contemporary romance, some of which are mainstream and some of which involve Jewish characters. She’s published with The Wild Rose Press and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.



Jennifer's Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Wilck-201342863240160/

Facebook Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2055470311366345/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjenniferwilck/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jennifer-wilck

Thursday, March 29, 2018

#RomanceBooks #EggcerptExchange: Stealing the Billionaire’s Heart

Today is the last day of our Eggcerpt Exchange. My final guest is Robin Michaela, and she's here with her contribution to a boxed set called The Billionaire's Club: A Limited Edition Collection of Billionaire Romance. Here's Robin to tell us about her story!


I'm Robin Michaela and I’m thrilled to be one of the 12 authors in The Billionaire's Club multi-author boxed set! The Billionaire’s Club is all about high stakes, risk takers, and power-wielding billionaires. This set will take you on a ride of romance, seduction, and games of wealth and fortune. Find out what happens when these powerful men meet their match.

Part of my book, Stealing the Billionaire’s Heart, takes place in Venice. In one scene, Lyra and Nicolas take a dreamy gondola ride to a romantic restaurant overlooking a tiny canal. While they’re dining, their gondola gets caught up in a traffic jam of sorts, plugging the canal entrance and forcing them to walk back to Nick’s palazzo.

When my husband and I visited Venice a few years ago, I was fascinated with a small corner of a canal off St. Mark’s Square. It was filled to overflowing with at least a dozen gondolas (and a lot of noise!) as the gondoliers jockeyed for prime positions to snag customers. That memory inspired Lyra and Nick’s romantic evening. I hope you enjoy it!

BLURB:
Lyra Bretton is stunned when she’s abandoned at the altar. Figuring the best way to get over one man is to get under another one, she combs the luxurious Las Vegas resort where she was to be married, intent on spending her almost-wedding night with the sexiest man she can find.
Billionaire womanizer, Nicolas Sebastian, is tempted by the beautiful bride’s shocking proposal. The workaholic COO of the family hotel chain can’t deny his attraction to the woman who should be weeping in her room instead of shredding her wedding gown in his lounge. Their chemistry is explosive, but Nicolas has been burned before. He’ll never commit his heart because he learned years ago that women are only interested in his wallet.
Their Vegas fling soon turns into something neither of them can control. But, when they travel to his lavish property in Italy, money goes missing and expensive jewelry turns up in Lyra’s possession, putting their fragile future in jeopardy. Unless they can find a way to trust again, they risk losing each other forever.

EXCERPT:

As Nicolas stood in the shadows, Lyra shifted and caught sight of him. When she did, she beamed and held out her hand. “Come here, Nick. You’re missing all the fun.”

“What’s up?”

“Well…I’m hoping you will be, lover…and very soon.” She wet her lips and squeezed his hand.  “But I was referring to the Gondola Wars going on down there.” Gesturing toward the canal, she raised her wine glass and saluted the gondoliers on the canal below.

He grinned and slid into his chair, then leaned over to look below. Two boats were cruising the tiny canal, side-by-side. They’d apparently gotten stuck together in the narrows, but that didn’t deter the gondoliers. Each was pushing and prodding the other’s boat in an attempt to get free. Their passengers clung to each other as the gondolas rocked in their wake. While Nicolas watched, their own gondola got caught in the altercation. Their gondolier had untied his boat and drifted away from the other vessels, but ended up being just wide enough to snugly jam all three boats together, blocking the entrance to the canal.

“Looks like we’re walking home,” Nicolas commented.

“I hope not. I have no idea where we are. This city is like a maze.”

“No worries, I know exactly where the palazzo is.” He winked at her. “Stick with me, kid, I’ll get you places.”

Lyra squinted at him. “Isn’t that an old joke? I don’t remember the setup, though.”

“What did the stamp say to the envelope?”

Lyra giggled. “Oh…stick with me…I get it.”

By the time they finished their meal, she was grateful for the chance to walk off some of their food. They were holding hands, strolling the dark cobblestone streets, and stopping about every fifty feet to kiss.

“It’s a good thing I don’t live here,” she told Nicolas. “I’d be on a permanent diet. I adore pasta.”

“The meal was superb,” he agreed, “but you wouldn’t need to diet if you lived in Venice.”

“Why not?”

He stopped as they reached the crest of the small bridge they were crossing, then cupped the back of her head and drew her into a leisurely kiss that had her pulse thrumming. “Because I can think of plenty of ways to work it off. Say, by chasing you around the bedroom every night.”

“What makes you think I’d run?” She backed him against the time-worn limestone railing and leaned into him, grinding her pelvis against his erection. “I want you, Nick.”

“Hell, Lyra, you’re driving me crazy,” he said as his mouth descended over hers.

When they came up for air, his gaze roamed hungrily over her face. “If I didn’t think I’d get arrested, I’d hike up that pretty skirt of yours and take you right here on the bridge.”

“I’m not wearing panties, so if I didn’t think you’d be arrested, I’d probably let you do it.”

BUY LINK: 

The Billionaire's Club releases on May 29, 2018. PREORDER NOW for just $0.99!

BIO:



Robin Michaela writes heartfelt, small town contemporary romances in all levels of heat, from sweet to steamy. Her stories combine family, pets, hope and friendship – all the elements that bring her readers emotional and enduring love stories.

Author Links:

Website: https://robinmichaela.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/robinsromances

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobinMichaelaRomances/

Sign up for Robin's Newsletter

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

TRUTH AND SOLACE releases today!


The third and final book in my Love at Solace Lake series, TRUTH AND SOLACE, releases today. I can't wait for readers to read the conclusion of the Lindquist sisters' story. Each novel is a complete love story with a happy ending, but there's a mystery running through the series that only is answered with book three. So I recommend reading the books in order. I hope readers find the answers revealed in TRUTH AND SOLACE to be satisfying. Can't wait to hear reader reaction!

One more time, here's the series blurb:

Love is worth the risk…

When their grandfather dies, the Lindquist sisters, Harper, Scarlet and Maggie, inherit the northern Minnesota fishing lodge that had been in their family for three generations. The inheritance is bittersweet. They were raised at the lodge by their grandparents. The natural beauty of the place hasn’t changed, but the building itself is crumbling and desperately in need of repair. The lodge also reminds them of what they lost. Twenty-two years previously, their parents died there in what was ruled a murder/suicide.

 As the sisters struggle to breathe new life into the failing lodge, old fears and questions rise to the surface even as new love presents itself. Why did their father murder their mother? What truths did their grandparents keep from them? The sisters must fight to keep the wounds of the past from putting their futures, and their fledgling relationships, in jeopardy.


Blurb for TRUTH AND SOLACE:

The truth could destroy them. Or set them free.

Maggie Lindquist left Solace Lake determined never to return. Circumstances have pulled her back and she’s helping to restore her family’s dilapidated fishing lodge. When she agreed to the plan she didn’t expect to have to work side by side with the man who abandoned her ten years earlier. She didn’t expect to like him, or want him ever again. But can she trust him as she once did?

Luke Carlsson rushes home to tend to his ailing mother. Her lengthy illness means he needs to stay, at least temporarily. And to stay, he needs to work. Solace Lake Lodge offers him a job and an opportunity to work with the woman he’s never stopped loving. But the restoration is unleashing secrets hidden for decades and no one is left unscathed. Especially not Maggie and Luke, whose love needs to be resilient enough to forgive, and strong enough to build a future together.

Excerpt:
A memory flashed through her mind. Luke driving an ancient, mostly rusty Ford pickup to the lodge that summer. He’d worked odd jobs summers and after school for three years to buy it and keep it running. The old Ford had been his pride and joy. 
Every chance they got, they’d sneak off in the Ford and park somewhere secluded. They’d been in that truck the first time Luke had kissed her. He’d pulled her toward him and covered her mouth with his, and she’d sworn she’d heard angels singing. And then, her body had gone up in flames in a very unangel-like way. As the summer went on, they’d grown bolder in their explorations. Harper had given her ‘the lecture’ on sex, but she hadn’t prepared her for the way her body would react to Luke’s kisses, or his touch. Like the way her nipples would harden as he caressed her breasts, and the way her panties would dampen. And when he’d reached inside her panties and inserted a finger inside her—
“Are you ready?” 
Maggie stared at Luke in incomprehension. And then the present returned with forceful fury. Heat infused her cold cheeks. They were on their way to see his sick mother. Her thoughts shamed her. 
She reminded herself that Luke had left her once and would do so again. The heat and her vivid memory dissipated.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

ONEY, MY ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY #EggcerptExcha


My Eggcerpt Exchange guests today are Diana Rubino and Piper Huguley with a true story of bravery. Welcome! 

ONEY, MY ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY
by Diana Rubino and Piper Huguley

Oney’s Story…

Teenaged Oney Judge was Martha Washington’s ‘favorite servant.’ Oney and Martha both longed for freedom, but in very different ways. Martha hated being confined to the president’s house, forced to entertain politicians and foreign diplomats. Oney hated being someone else’s property, forced to do labor and wait on her owners day and night.

After President Washington served one term as president, he wrote his farewell speech. He and Martha started packing for their retirement at Mount Vernon, but it was not meant to be. He was elected again—unanimously. He did not want to serve another term, but gave in under pressure.

Martha had no say in it whatsoever. But as she hosted her tea parties and levees, she became close friends with several forward-thinking women, such as Abigail Adams and Judith Murray, feminists of the time. Their radical ideas rubbed off on Martha—education and job training for women to be self-supporting instead of depending on husbands. By the end of George’s term, she experienced a steep character arc. She even changed her attitude toward slavery. When Oney escaped at age 20, at the end of George’s final term, Martha was very resentful: “She was more like a child to me than a servant.” The Washingtons knew that she’d escaped to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and made several attempts to recapture her. But in a sudden act of lenience, Martha gave up on Oney and let her remain free. During her husband’s presidency, Martha complained, “I am more like a state prisoner”, so perhaps she put herself in Oney’s place and realized she deserved liberty, too.

As our first First Lady, Martha Washington evolved from a  grandmotherly wife and homebody to an outspoken champion of women’s rights. She provided freedom for her slaves at her death.

While living in Portsmouth, Oney married a sailor, Jack Staines, and had three children. She outlived her husband and children, and lived her remaining free life in Greenland, New Hampshire. Somewhat of a local celebrity, she lived in poverty, but the locals supported her and she took in sewing to supplement her meager income. She declared in an 1847 interview, “I am free now and choose to remain so.”


An Excerpt from ONEY, MY ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY

The hour finally came—while they ate dinner.

Nothing heavied my heart—not remorse, not guilt, not sadness upon fleeing my master and mistress. Raw thirst for freedom overcame all that. I walked straight past the Washingtons and out that door. When I shut it, I left them—and my forced bondage— behind me.

I tore through the muddy streets in pouring rain. Gasping for breath, soaked to the skin, my heart slamming in terror, I glanced behind me, again and again. No one pursued me—yet. I dreaded and expected pounding footsteps, a clap on my shoulder. But, I asked myself, who would chase me through the driving rain? No, it is not possible, I affirmed—they didn’t even know I’d left the kitchen.

At the Jones house I slowed and caught my breath. When Absalom opened the door, I staggered inside, laughing, sobbing, gulping for dear life.

I spent the night pacing the attic room, hands clasped. “I beg of you, dear God, walk beside me on this journey. See me through this safe. Don’t let them capture me. I only want to be your servant, no one else’s.”

As daybreak nudged away the darkness, I fell to my knees, weary with fatigue. “Thank you, dear God, for ending my final night of bondage.”


Serendipity at Work

In May 2014, popular romance author Brenda Novak had her annual auction for diabetes—authors donate books, critiques, etc., and people bid on them, similar to Ebay. I donated one of my other books, and I also donated a free manuscript critique. An author named Piper Huguley won the critique auction, but the auction ended and I never heard from her. I thought oh, well, she doesn't want it after all. About 3 months later, she wrote me and sent me her story, A CHAMPION’S HEART, to critique. It's a romance about an African American girl, set in rural Georgia in the 1910s. Very moving and powerful story. I loved it. It was published in 2016 by Liliaceae Publishers.
getBook.at/AChampionsHeart

I'd been wanting to find an African American author to go over my Oney novel, but never looked for anyone. I thought of asking one of my grade school classmates, but just didn't get to it...well, one day I decided to ask Piper.

Right after I asked her, she wrote back and said she'd be happy to help. Then I went on Facebook and saw that Piper just posted that her mother passed away that morning. So I sent her a message of condolence. Then she wrote this back to me:

And I appreciate your kind comments about my mother. You see, I see your request as "heaven sent" for I think I told you about how my mother told me about Oney. I know that she would want me to work on anything, do anything to forward that story. So, even in the midst of a difficult time, I look forward to helping you--something I really didn't expect after you had helped me so much. Thank you for that. 

I don't remember her telling me that her mother told her about Oney. I've heard so many stories about people who pass away, and send 'signs' etc. to their loved ones, this was just too strange to be coincidence. Piper helped me a great deal with Oney’s story and became my co-author. We dedicated the book to her mother.


Purchase ONEY: 
http://getBook.at/ONEY 

About Diana and Piper:

Diana writes about folks who shook things up. Her passion for history and travel has taken her to every locale of her stories, set in Medieval and Renaissance England, Egypt, the Mediterranean, colonial Virginia, New England, and New York. Her urban fantasy romance FAKIN’ IT won a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Richard III Society and the Aaron Burr Association. When not writing, she runs CostPro, Inc., an engineering business, with her husband Chris. In her spare time, Diana bicycles, golfs, plays her piano and devours books of any genre. She spends as much time as possible just livin' the dream on her beloved Cape Cod.

Piper Huguley is a two-time Golden Heart ®finalist and is the author of the “Home to Milford College” series. The series follows the building of a college from its founding in 1866. Book #1 in the series, The Preacher’s Promise was named a top ten Historical Romance in Publisher’s Weekly by the esteemed historical romance author, Beverly Jenkins and received Honorable Mention in the Writer’s Digest Contest of Self-Published e-books in 2015.

Her new series “Born to Win Men” starts with A Champion’s Heart as Book #1. A Champion’s Heart was named by Sarah MacLean of The Washington Post as a best romance novel selection for December 2016.

She blogs about the history behind her novels at http://piperhuguley.com. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son.


Connect with Diana and Piper:

www.dianarubino.com
https://www.facebook.com/DianaRubinoAuthor/
Twitter: @DianaLRubino

www.piperhuguley.com
https://www.facebook.com/piper.huguley
Twitter: @PiperHuguley

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Kayelle Allen's BRINGER OF CHAOS Free Mar. 23-27!

Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire 
by Kayelle Allen
**FREE March 23, 2018  - March 27, 2018 ONLY **


About the Book: 
When the immortal Pietas is marooned on a barren world with no food and few survival tools, he knows it could be worse. He could be alone. But that's the problem. He's not.

Half a million of his people sleep in cryostasis, trapped inside their pods and it's up to Pietas to free them. He can't release one at a time. It's all or nothing. He's facing over five hundred thousand hungry, thirsty, homeless immortals who will call on him for rescue and he has no way to answer.
It's not all bad. The beautiful telepathic warrior he's loved for lifetimes is at his side. He's bonded with a sentient panther. He hates humans but the one dumped on this planet with him has become a trusted friend.
Before Pietas can build shelter, figure out how to grow food, or set up a government, he must take back command from a ruthless enemy he's fought for centuries. His brutal, merciless father.


Immortals may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever...

"WARNING"
Contains humor, sweet romance, betrayal, angst, vengeance... and a ginormous, sentient black panther who wants to be Pietas's "kitty."

Genre: science fiction, sci fi, scifi romance, action adventure, space opera, military science fiction

ASIN B077BRSRP4
ISBN 1981328327
Released: Dec 27, 2017
Publisher: Romance Lives Forever Books
Pages: 236
Print pages: 297
Wordcount: 75,831

Buy Links: 

Check out a great Excerpt Here:  https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc2-chapter1-sample.pdf

Friday, March 23, 2018

Tina Gayle's IT EXEC'S BABY #EggcerptExcha


Tina Gayle is joining me today for #Eggcerpt Exchange. Here's the blurb for Tina's IT EXEC'S BABY: 

Brie Sullivan has a new baby girl and there are a million things to do, but Brie doesn’t have the energy to keep up. Why? She’s still grieving for her husband and suffering from baby blues, but she won’t let that stop her. She’s come up with the answer--find a new husband to be the father of her kids.

Jason Clark has been doing everything he can to help Brie. He loves her but can he accept her proposal of marriage knowing she’s not thinking clearly about the future?


Comments from Reviews for IT Exec’s Baby (2nd book of the Executive Wives Club series)

“IT Exec’s Baby is almost a love story in reverse. The marriage comes first, then the sex, and finally the love - at least from Brie's point of view. It is tender and poignant at times, and full of strong descriptive passages.”

“What I love about series books. Every book gives you more about the characters that you've fallen in love with during the first book.”

“IT Exec’s Baby is a riveting story of a woman with numerous problems.”

Excerpt:

With the warmth of the sun beating down on her head and the sound of her children’s laughter ringing in her ears, Brie spread her arms and spun in a circle.

She raised her voice and called to her kids as she walked to the railing of the upper deck. “You better find a good hiding place because ready or not here I come.”

With Isabella down for a nap, Brie drew in a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air and the freedom from being stuck inside the house. The kids had convinced her to play with them outside. She loved the easy game of hide-and-go-seek. Glancing over the rail, she scanned the backyard, searching for Ethan’s and Allison’s young forms.

A giggle sounded from below the deck.

Brie stepped down a few stairs to search the patio below. Still unable to catch a glimpse of her children, she continued down the staircase, listening for sounds that might give her a clue to their whereabouts.

Not seeing either one of them, she hugged the back wall and silently slipped to the corner of the house that had concrete steps, which led to the front yard.

Determined to catch one of her kids heading for home-base, Brie refrained from peeking around the corner. The squeak of a tennis shoe alerted her to someone’s arrival.

Ready to grab them the minute they rounded the corner, Brie stayed out of sight. A shadow fell across the patio, and Allison’s young form raced past.

Jumping out to grab her, Brie touched her daughter’s shoulder.

Allison’s wail of surprise vibrated off the bottom of the deck and pierced through Brie’s brain. Undeterred by the noise, she caught her daughter’s arm and spun her around.

“I got you.”

“No,” Allison screamed again.

Read the 1st chapter at http://www.tinagayle.net/BirthChpt.html
Purchase at Amazon

Pick up Tina’s Free Read at  http://www.tinagayle.net/

Author Bio:

Tina Gayle grew up a dreamer and loved to escape into the world of books.

After years of working in the business world doing a variety of jobs, she decided to try her hand at writing and hope to incorporate the joy of being a woman into her books.

Married thirty years, she and her husband love to travel and play golf.  She can’t wait to do more of both.

Read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website.

Find Tina Gayle everywhere

Home - www.tinagayle.net
Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Goodread - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

SECRETS AND SOLACE Releases Today!

I'm super pumped today! Book 2 in my Love at Solace Lake series, SECRETS AND SOLACE, releases today and I couldn't be more excited. I know I should love all my books equally, but Cam and Scarlet's story is probably my favorite thing I've written so far. I love these two characters and I hope readers like their story as much as I do.


Here's the series blurb:

Love is worth the risk…
When their grandfather dies, the Lindquist sisters, Harper, Scarlet and Maggie, inherit the northern Minnesota fishing lodge that had been in their family for three generations. The inheritance is bittersweet. They were raised at the lodge by their grandparents. The natural beauty of the place hasn’t changed, but the building itself is crumbling and desperately in need of repair. The lodge also reminds them of what they lost. Twenty-two years previously, their parents died there in what was ruled a murder/suicide.

 As the sisters struggle to breathe new life into the failing lodge, old fears and questions rise to the surface even as new love presents itself. Why did their father murder their mother? What truths did their grandparents keep from them? The sisters must fight to keep the wounds of the past from putting their futures, and their fledgling relationships, in jeopardy.

Blurb for SECRETS AND SOLACE:

No matter how deeply buried, secrets rise to the surface.
Scarlet Lindquist has agreed to help her sisters rebuild the dilapidated fishing lodge in Minnesota they inherited from their grandparents. Although the lengthy restoration is bringing the three sisters closer together, Scarlet’s support is temporary. Her leave of absence from her job in Chicago is temporary and she has no intention of staying at Solace Lake Lodge, where the lake holds dark secrets. When frightening childhood memories resurface, they are tempered by her fascination with an irritating contractor. If only she could trust her feelings for him. If only he could trust her.

Cameron Hainstock meets Scarlet at his brother’s wedding to her sister and their attraction is instantaneous. But Cam avoids the beautiful marketing executive. All his efforts are aimed at battling for custody of his only child. When the unimaginable happens and Cam faces the biggest challenge of his life, he’s reluctant to accept help to halt his downward spiral. Can they learn to trust each other and fight for a future together or will they go their separate ways? 


Excerpt:

He drove down the narrow lane leading back to the main lodge. In the twilight, a small car approached and as it got closer, he realized it was Scarlet. After honking her horn, she stopped on the side of the road, then opened her door and ran toward him. Cam slammed on the brakes and threw his truck into park, his heart lodging somewhere in his throat. He flung open his door and reached her in two strides. He grasped her shoulders and hung on tight. 

“Are you okay? What's wrong? I thought you were staying in the city tonight.”

“I’m fine. I wanted to get home.” She grabbed his arms, her face lighting up in excitement. “I got a booking. I got a booking! The bride just called me. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Her smile robbed him of breath and for a moment he couldn’t speak, only feel. Her face lit with a glow of happiness that made her so beautiful his chest ached with longing. 

He cleared his throat. “That’s great.”

She laughed. “Great? Are you kidding me? It’s freaking awesome!”

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He held her tight, his body responding with lightning speed to the feel of her in his arms. 

She leaned back a little to look into his face, her blue eyes shining in the half-light. “We’re going to make it, Cameron. We’re really going to make it.”

The hope and joy and utter elation he saw dancing in her eyes made him do the only thing he was capable of in that moment. He kissed her. 

For a second, she went completely still. But then she sighed against him and kissed him back, as if she’d been waiting for this. As if this kiss was as special to her as it was to him. 

With a little sound of pleasure that went straight to his groin, she wound her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him. She opened her mouth to him and touched her tongue to his. 

Cam lost it. He lost control, lost all sense of time, lost his mind. His pulse pounded through his brain, every beat telling him he needed to get closer to her, needed her. Scarlet held back nothing, meeting the thrusts of his tongue with wild parries of her own. Her hands roamed his body and when they snaked beneath his t-shirt to caress his overheated skin, he began to move her toward the shelter of the trees, needing to strip off her incredibly sexy power suit and sink himself into her. He needed to touch her, smell her, feel her soft, smooth skin, hear her cry out with her orgasm. 

Buy Links:






Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Kryssie Fortune: WICKEDLY USED #EggcerptExchan


Kryssie Fortune is my #EggcerptExchan guest today. She writes hot erotic romance, and her newest release, WICKEDLY USED, is no exception. WICKEDLY USED  released February 17, 2018. Here's Kryssie Fortune to tell us a little about her book. Take it away, Kryssie!

Blurb, WICKEDLY USED:

While he is no stranger to pleasurable company from ladies of the night, Major Richard Rothbury of the royal dragoons is not the kind of man who will stand idly by as a woman is taken against her will, and when he witnesses a disreputable cad attempting to force himself on a girl in a back alley, he does not hesitate to intervene.

But after the grateful young woman offers herself to Rothbury, he is shocked to discover that not only was she no harlot, she was a maiden and he has deflowered her. Furious at the girl’s scandalous behavior and her carelessness with her own safety, Rothbury chastises her soundly.

Though she is due to inherit one of the largest fortunes in England, the fact that she cannot touch the money until she marries or turns thirty has kept Elizabeth completely at the mercy of her cruel uncle, and for years she has been treated as if she were a servant. Her encounter with Lord Rothbury is by far the most exciting thing that has ever happened to her, but while he shows great concern for her safety, he refuses to believe that she is anything more than a serving girl.

Despite having made it clear that he doesn’t consider a match between them to be possible, when Elizabeth disobeys him Rothbury proves more than ready to strip her bare, punish her harshly, and then enjoy her beautiful body in the most shameful of ways. But can she dare to hope that he will one day make her his wife, or is she destined to spend her life being wickedly used?

Publisher’s Note: Wickedly Used: A Dark Regency Romance includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.


Excerpt: 

Hidden behind their masks, the patrons behaved too freely. Druid’s Walk became a place for pleasure and indiscreet sex. Seeing that serving girl go there alone roused his protective instincts. He needed to ensure her safety, but it took him a while to make his way through the crowd.

His size always made him stand out, and tonight, he drew predatory looks from some of the ton’s ladies. He’d been immune to women’s charms since his first love ruined his life. He didn’t understand why that serving girl called to him on a primal level.

Finally, he reached Druid’s Walk. Looking far ahead, he saw a group of Cits accost her; he clenched his fists and started toward them. Those louts needed to learn better manners. Just as he approached, she broke free and vanished into the night. The silly chit ran further into the Walk’s notorious depths.
Five drunken idiots had harried the woman who fascinated him. He released the cold fury that lived inside him and strode toward them. Menace dripped from his gaze. Dangerous and deadly, he knew five to one weren’t bad odds… for him. He’d honed his fighting skills during his seven years fighting in the Peninsular War. Teaching drunks who thought they were invincible some manners came naturally to him.

He tapped the nearest one on the shoulder. “You need to treat ladies with more respect.”

The drunk said nothing, just flailed his arms wildly, trying to hit the dragoon’s head. Sidestepping, Rothbury planted his right fist in the drunk’s face and his left in his gut. The man doubled over and threw up.

The other four rushed him in a group. Rothbury’s first punch broke a man’s nose. His second dislocated another’s jaw. One kick and another drunk doubled over on the ground. Two more punches and the last two sprawled on the mud at his feet.

Breathing steady and even, Rothbury towered over them. If they’d have been in his unit, they’d have been on a charge. Tonight, he’d leave them sprawled on the pathway and follow the blonde who’d enchanted him.

The need to possess her clawed at his soul. Her beauty drove him wild and turned his balls blue. Not that he could afford a mistress or even a couple of hours with a whore. If she was the innocent she seemed, he’d see her safely home. But he wanted her to be wicked and willing.

By the time he found her again, she’d attracted Lord Dawlish’s attention. That man’s reputation was so dark his peers had blackballed him at White’s.


Buy links:



Social Media Links Kryssie Fortune:

Website      http://kryssiefortune.wixsite.com/kryssie
Blog            http://kryssiefortune.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter         https://twitter.com/KryssieFortune
Facebook    https://www.facebook.com/KryssiesFortune
Pinterest      http://bit.ly/1OGFnjc
Goodreads     http://bit.ly/2kxqabJ
Amazon Author Page  http://amzn.to/2hA0ZVO


1 Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

My heroine, Lady Elizabeth Blayneton is an heiress, but she can’t inherit until she marries or turns thirty. Her uncle and guardian is determined she will marry his slack-mouthed son, but she’d rather not marry at all than wed him. Only she doesn’t want to die a virgin.

2 Tell us about your hero.

Brigade Major Lord Rothbury carries the wounds his first love inflicted when she threw him over for his father. To silence the gossip, his father packed him off to fight in the Peninsula war and squandered the family fortune on his new bride. When the current Lord Rothbury inherited, there was nothing but mortgages and debts. He’s been trying to put things right and provide for his sisters ever since. Waterloo looms, and he’s recalled to Wellington’s staff. Then there’s this serving girl who keeps ending up in his bed, only wedding her would cause another scandal and ruin his sisters’ future.

3 What genre are your books?

I write romance. Any sort. Paranormal or contemporary. Wickedly Used is my first Regency Romance, although it’s darker than many.

4.      What draws you to this genre?

I write the books I like to read. There’s always a strong plot, with lots of adventure. Then there’s the sex. My pet hate is cliff hangers. Each book in either of my series can be read as stand-alone romance. Add in that I’m a sucker for a happy-ever-after, and you’ve got my writing style.

5.       What is your favorite motivational phrase.

It’s one of Mohamed Ali’s catchphrases. “If my head can conceive it and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it.”

6 How do you select the names of your characters?

I try to pick a name that fits the world they live in. My paranormal heroines are often named for herbs and flowers. For my contemporary characters, I look at popular names in the year they were born. Sometimes they shout at me that I’ve named them wrongly, but that doesn’t happen often. The heroine in my book Claimed by Vampire, Seduced by the Werewolf went through three name changes before I got her name right.


More about Kryssie Fortune:

Kryssie reads everything and anything, from literary fiction to sizzling romance. Her earliest memory is going to the library with her mother. She can’t have been more than two at the time. Reading, especially when a book’s hot and explicit, is more than a guilty pleasure. It’s an obsession.

Kryssie loves to visit historic sites, from Hadrian’s wall to Regency Bath. The first book she fell in love with was Georgette Heyer’s The Unkown Ajax. After that, she devoured every regency book she could. After a while, they went out of fashion, but part of Kryssie’s psyche lives in in in Regency London. She longs to dance quadrilles and flirt behind fans. Of course, Kryssie’s heroines do far more than flirt.

Kryssie lives in Bridlington on the Yorkshire coast –about thirty miles from Whitby, where Bram Stoker wrote Dracula. She enjoys gardening, travel, and socializing with her author friends. You’d be surprised how many erotic romance authors live in the North of England.

Friday, March 16, 2018

#EggcerptExcha Guest Valerie Ullmer with JADE


On today's #EggcerptExchange, Valerie Ullmer joins me with an excerpt from her paranormal erotic romance JADE, A DARK ASSASSINS NOVEL. Valerie not only wrote the book, she designed the cover as well. Check out her covers at Valerie Ullmer Designs. I think JADE has a great cover!

Blurb, JAKE, A Dark Assassins Novel, Book Four:

Jade never wanted a mate. She loved being an assassin and she had a family in her fellow assassins, their mates, and little Silas. She truly had everything she needed. But when Ghost assigned her to track the same immortals who tried to kill Xander’s family, she couldn’t refuse.

But the complication arises when Ghost requests she partner with Noah, a human and ex-special forces soldier. Jade has never worked with a human before, much less one that hated her from the moment he laid eyes on her. But she was a professional and if she could play a part in destroying the immortals who threatened her family, she could accept the human. If only she knew how to fight her attraction to him.

All Noah Hale wanted was to kill the immortals who lured his best friend and fellow ex-Navy SEAL to his death. He had no desire to be teamed with a beautiful tracker who mesmerized him the moment turned her emerald eyes his way. But in order to stop other soldiers from pursuing the same fate, he needed to swallow his pride and work with a group of immortals he didn’t trust.

As Jade and Noah track the group of shifters through the mountains of Colorado, the danger lurking around every corner threatens everything they both hold close. Will they be able to find a way through, together?


Excerpt:

Jade caught a scent of a human as she entered the fourteen-story building in downtown Snowfall.  It wasn’t any human scent, but something that made all of her instincts flare.  She knew that she’d never caught this particular scent before, but something told her that this human might be important to her.  She tried to brush it off as quickly as the thought came, but she couldn’t find it coincidental she smelled it in the same steel building owned by Ghost and house the headquarters of Dark Company.

As she dismissed the fleeting thought of searching for the scent, her heart thumped once, hard, in her chest at the thought of not finding its owner.  She forced herself to walk toward the elevator bank, ignoring the unwanted perusals she received from the men in the lobby.  Even in an unassuming hoodie and black yoga pants, she drew unwanted attention.  A side-effect of being an immortal.

The elevator opened as soon as she pressed the up-button and she kept her gaze down as she walked into the elevator.  She entered the code to get to Ghost’s private floor, her movements too quick to be caught by the human eye, before she squeezed into the corner.  Jade used her other senses as three men in suits and two women entered the enclosed space with her.  There was no need to glance at the glass interior that covered the back wall to see what she looked like.

She sensed eyes on her.  Instead of searching out the gaze, she whipped her long, straight dyed black hair into a bun on the back of her head with quick movements before sneaking her hands into the front pockets of her hoodie.

Jade waited patiently as the car traveled toward the penthouse, her ultimate destination, but she couldn’t help but try and find the intriguing scent from earlier.

After my meeting.

All she knew was he hadn’t used the particular elevator she was in and higher the lift took her in the building, the more his scent dissipated.

In her entire existence, or what she remembered of it, she’d never been attracted to…anyone.  She’d never felt the pull to find someone either.  But lately, she’d felt increasingly restless whenever she had any downtime and her skin tingled in a way that had nothing to do with signaling immediate danger.  It was as though her body tried to convey something she didn’t understand.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a man who had gotten into the elevator with her on the first floor stepped into her personal space.

“Hey, beautiful?”

Jade rolled her eyes and raised her head to glare at the man.  Of course, he wouldn’t take the hint that she wanted to be left alone.  To emphasize the point, she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, moving away from his intrusion.

The man decided to take this as an invitation and moved to wrap his arm around her waist.  The move gave her a clear shot to his ribs and she took it, gently moving her elbow back and making contact.  She flinched when she heard a distinctive crack, realizing she hadn’t been careful enough.  Before she could apologize, the elevator door opened and he ran off without looking back, holding onto his side.

She sighed.

Buy Links:

Amazon  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon AU


Author Bio: 

Valerie writes paranormal and contemporary M/F and M/M erotic romances. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her wonderfully supportive husband and their funny and wise black lab. She's addicted to coffee, crime shows, and reading and writing character-driven romances.



Wednesday, March 14, 2018

#NewRelease! LIES AND SOLACE


I'm thrilled that the first book in my new series, LIES AND SOLACE, releases today! Yay! Writing the Love at Solace Lake series was a labor of love. This is my first venture into self-publishing. It was a steep learning curve, but I've learned a few things:

1. You can't skimp on editing. A good editor is worth her weight in gold. I thought the books were pretty good before I sent them to my editor, but they're way better now. I also thought I knew something about comma placement, but it turns out I don't.

2. Having friends who've been through the self-editing process and are willing to give you help and advice is really wonderful. I hope I can pay it forward at some point.

3. People do judge a book by its cover. I'm really happy with the way mine turned out.

Without further ado, here's the cover for LIES AND SOLACE:


Series Blurb:

Love is worth the risk…
When their grandfather dies, the Lindquist sisters, Harper, Scarlet and Maggie, inherit the northern Minnesota fishing lodge that had been in their family for three generations. The inheritance is bittersweet. They were raised at the lodge by their grandparents. The natural beauty of the place hasn’t changed, but the building itself is crumbling and desperately in need of repair. The lodge also reminds them of what they lost. Twenty-two years previously, their parents died there in what was ruled a murder/suicide.

 As the sisters struggle to breathe new life into the failing lodge, old fears and questions rise to the surface even as new love presents itself. Why did their father murder their mother? What truths did their grandparents keep from them? The sisters must fight to keep the wounds of the past from putting their futures, and their fledgling relationships, in jeopardy.  

Blurb, LIES AND SOLACE:

She can’t live with one more lie. He can’t tell the truth.
Harper Lindquist is convinced she’s found the answer to her financial prayers. Unless she pours cash into crumbling Solace Lake Lodge, she’ll lose her family’s legacy. Her would-be savior arrives in the middle of a Minnesota blizzard and she’s determined to prove to her reluctant, and trapped, financier the lodge is a sound investment. But Harper isn’t completely honest with him. And she has no idea the lake is hiding secrets of its own. 

Ethan James is a liar, but his money is very real. He isn’t convinced a broken-down inn is a smart investment opportunity. But the more he understands Harper’s dreams and desires, the more he wants to be the man to make them come true. The trauma in both their pasts means neither can fully trust the other. They must find the courage to love, to trust, and to accept, or yesterday’s sorrows will keep them apart.

Excerpt:

She’d just placed the last dish on the drain board when Ethan entered the kitchen, his hair still damp from his shower. He’d shaved with the razor she’d found for him and was wearing his own clothes again. Once more the elegant, well-dressed businessman. The chasm grew between them even as he stood in her kitchen. She was stupid to believe there could ever be anything aside from business between them.

She lifted her chin, determined not to let her façade slip. “I’ve gathered all my estimates and drawings and put them in a bag so you can take them with you.”

“I appreciate that.”

They walked together to the front door, and Harper lifted his beautiful overcoat from the coat tree. It still held the scent of his after-shave, and she had to resist the urge to raise it to her nose and breathe it in. Instead, she held it out to him with a forced smile. “Have a safe trip back to Minneapolis, Ethan.”

“Thanks.” He took the coat from her and slipped it on. “I want to thank you for your hospitality.”

“It was my pleasure.”

So formal. But it was the only way she could get through the next few minutes. 

He picked up the cloth bag with all her information on the renovation project. “Goodbye, Harper. I’ll be in touch soon.”

“Goodbye.” She shook his outstretched hand briefly.

He opened the front door and headed toward his truck. Harper grabbed a sweater from the coat tree and stood in the open doorway watching him leave, not quite able to shut the door on him despite the biting cold. 

Halfway to the truck, Ethan stopped. For a second, he stood completely still, his head bowed. Then he dropped the bag, turned on his heel, and walked back to her, his steps full of purpose. 

“Did you forget something?”

“Yeah.”

He pulled her into his arms, his mouth descending on hers with an urgency that set her blood on fire. She moaned as she molded herself against him, her arms winding around his neck, her fingers tangling in his damp hair. He swept her mouth with his tongue, demanding a response. She gave herself over to his kiss, loving the sweet taste of his mouth, the clean smell of his skin, the solid feel of his body. 

All too soon he broke the kiss. He grasped her shoulders and pushed away from her, breathing hard. She searched his face for answers. 

“I have to go,” he said. “I’ll call you soon.”

She nodded, unable to speak. He released her and walked back to his truck. No longer sheltered in his arms, the bitter cold swept through her. She pulled her sweater more securely around her shoulders.

Harper watched Ethan pull out of the driveway, her heart racing. When she could no longer see his truck, she closed the front door and leaned against it. The taste of him remained on her tongue and she could still smell his clean scent. Excitement and fear danced up and down her spine, fighting a duel inside her to decide which one ruled supreme. 

Fear won. In one way or another, everyone she’d ever cared about had left her. She couldn’t bear for Ethan to be one more person on that list.


I hope you enjoyed the excerpt!

Buy Links:








Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Pamela Thibodeaux and CIRCLES OF FATE #EggcerptExchan



Pamela Thibodeaux is my Eggcerpt Exchange guest today, and she'd like to introduce you to one of her main characters. Take it away, Pamela!

Shaunna Chatman Taylor / Circles of Fate
1. Nickname: When I began working as a waitress at the Feed Trough Café at age sixteen, the patrons dubbed me “Shaunna Sweetness” that name stuck although it’s been shortened to just ‘Sweetness.’


2. Job: As I said, I waitressed for many years until my husband and I moved to Louisiana after which a friend and I opened a catering business called “Shaunna’s Sweets.” That business closed when we moved from the city of Thibodaux into the country but I still baked for my son’s class parties and a few private events.

3. Level of schooling, or self-taught: Other than high school I have no formal education.

4. Birthplace: I was born and raised in Georgia. My father was in the Army stationed at Ft. Benning, and my mom was very ill. She died the night of my high school graduation.

5. Currently residing in... Chauvin, Louisiana a community about thirty miles outside of Thibodaux.


Blurb, Circles of Fate:

Set at the tail end of the Vietnam War era, Circles of Fate takes the reader from Fort Benning, Georgia to Thibodaux, Louisiana. A romantic saga, this gripping novel covers nearly twenty years in the lives of Shaunna Chatman and Todd Jameson. Constantly thrown together and torn apart by fate, the two are repeatedly forced to choose between love and duty, right and wrong, standing on faith or succumbing to the world’s viewpoint on life, love, marriage and fidelity. With intriguing twists and turns, fate brings together a cast of characters whose lives will forever be entwined. Through it all is the hand of God as He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Excerpt: 

“Promise me you’re sure or I won’t let you go.”

She would have to convince him or he’d never let her leave. She also knew he’d see through anything less than complete honesty.

“Oh, Todd,” she whispered, her voice urgent. “I wish it were that easy. I’m sure I have to try. But I want you to know something…” She hesitated, unsure how to say what she needed to say. “If things were different, if he weren’t so determined, if nothing was left between us, if I didn’t think there was a chance, I would stay.” Her eyes searched his for some sign he understood.

A ghost of a smile played around his sensuous lips, he nodded. “I know,” he whispered. “And I understand,” he said and gathered her close once more.

She should leave. Shaunna knew Joe waited for her, but was unable, unwilling, to end it, to end them, just yet. She held him firm in her embrace, committed the feel of his body to heart.

“I have to go,” she whispered, then clung, not yet able to turn him loose.

“I know,” he answered and tightened his arms around her. With a sigh of surrender, he stepped away, loosened his hold but rubbed her back and shoulders in a tender gesture. 

“Don’t look back,” he whispered then dropped his hands to his side, clenched his fists.

She saw the struggle in his eyes, felt it in her heart, as each fought not to grab hold and cling. They gazed at each other, read the naked truth in each other’s eyes.

Neither wanted to be the first to walk away.

Shaunna touched his face, traced his features…his eyes, his jaw, his mouth. A shiver shook her when he held her hand and pressed his lips to her fingertips.

“I almost wish we had made love the other night.”

Almost?

The word echoed between them like a silent scream. The despair in his eyes slashed her heart another degree. He shook his head, swallowed hard.

“Know this. If we had, you would not leave here today.”

She stroked his cheek, her smile tender, bittersweet. “Take care of yourself. Please,” she whispered then placed her mouth on his.

Lips met on a sigh, breaths mingled on a sob. Each of them committed the kiss to heart, and fought not to cling to the other. With a final touch, a last trembling smile, Shaunna did one of the hardest things she’d ever done in her life.

She left.


Purchase Links: 
B&N Print: http://bit.ly/1wA6DsH 
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/136qK7n 

Author bio: 

Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”  Sign up to receive Pam’s newsletter and get a FREE short story! http://bit.ly/psthibnewsletter


Links:
Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com   
Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib