Peggy Jaeger and a Secondary Character from HOPE'S DREAM

Peggy Jaeger visits today with a look at her upcoming release HOPE'S DREAM (November 5), a novella with the new Deerbourne Inn series from The Wild Rose Press. This series is set in an historic property in the fictional town of Willow Spring, Vermont. Looks like another great series from The Wild Rose Press! 

Secondary Character for Hope’s Dream

Hope’s mother, Casey Sewell Kildaire.

When I set out to write Hope’s Dream, I knew I had to give her a mother who was as equally strong spiritually and personally as her daughter was.  She needed to be someone Hope could continue to look up to and be willing to sacrifice and change her future for. Someone who valued love, commitment, and strength of character above all else, especially when those core foundations and beliefs become challenging.

Luckily, Casey Sewell Kildaire leapt off the page for me.

When she and her husband are involved in a horrific car accident when driving along a snowy, icy Vermont road one night, Casey’s world – and that of her daughter’s – changes forever. Trapped in the car for several hours with her dead husband before they are both found, Casey suffers a traumatic injury to her spine and her right arm suffers severe nerve damage from being pinned against the door. When they are finally discovered, Casey is life-flighted to a hospital where the prognosis for her survival is guarded. Before she goes into surgery, she makes a request to her Godfather, Hobson Drucker, concerning Hope and which he reluctantly carries out. This secret between the two of them is something neither thought would ever be revealed.

Casey comes through the surgery but the damage done to her spine is permanent, making her paralyzed below the waist and with limited mobility and function in her right arm and hand. She and her husband had never felt the need to purchase any sort of health insurance, so the funds for Casey’s rehabilitation and medical treatment needs run out quickly. This leaves Hope unable to continue to pay for college so she drops out and becomes her mother’s sole caregiver, while working two jobs to help support them.

Despite the hardship and heartache the accident caused, Casey remains an upbeat, pleasant and charming woman who loves her daughter beyond all measure. She feels terribly guilty that Hope has devoted her life to caring for her and wants nothing more than for Hope to find a man who will love her like her father loved Casey.

When Tyler Coleman first meets Casey he is immediately taken with her beauty and kindness. Despite her physical limitations, he is impressed with how quick-witted and witty she is and understands why Hope would devote her life to her mother’s care.

I could have written Casey Kildaire as a bitter, lonely, manipulative woman who browbeat her daughter and blamed the world for her problems. The reason I didn’t want to portray her this way was because Hope needed a touchstone in her life. She’d loved her father unconditionally and growing up it had always been just the three of them, devoted to one another, a strong, vital family unit. Just because Casey became incapacitated from the accident, her basic core personality didn’t need to change. In fact, it couldn’t. If it had, Hope wouldn’t have been able to grow into the woman she is – kind, caring, empathetic. Casey is her benchmark for how to be a good person. 

I loved writing Casey and I hope anyone who reads HOPE’S DREAM can imagine themselves remaining upbeat and positive in a situation where the opposite could – and many times does – hold true.

Blurb:

Hope Kildaire gave up her dream of becoming a nurse practitioner when a car accident killed her father and left her mother an invalid. Working two jobs and caring for her mother leaves the twenty-seven-year-old with no time for fun or relationships. When a law firm representing her paternal grandparents sends her several letters, Hope ignores them. She despises the family who disowned her father and wants nothing to do with them.

Lawyer Tyler Coleman's job is simply to obtain Hope's signature on a legal document. Getting it is harder than planned, though, when an unexpected attraction blossoms between them. If Ty is honest with Hope about why he's in Willow Springs, he'll fulfill his assignment but may risk hurting her.

The opportunity to have everything she's ever desired is at Hope's fingertips. Will her dream come true at the expense of Tyler's love?

Buy links for HOPE'S DREAM:

Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HSSYK4V/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Wrp:  https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/6303-hope-s-dream.html

Nook :  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hopes-dream-peggy-jaeger/1129675139?ean=2940161540640

Itunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hopes-dream/id1437725682?mt=11


Excerpt:

Hope stood behind the bar, filling two glasses with draft beer. She hadn’t spotted him approach, so he took the moment to observe her unawares.

A reserved smile graced her face as the guy waiting for his order chatted her up. Early twenties by Tyler’s guess, the kid stared at Hope with a serious case of attraction. He knew how the younger man felt. 

During their lesson her hair had been woven into a braid. In the lodge, when she’d removed her hat, he’d likened the colors to butterscotch and honey. Now with it unbraided and freely floating down past her shoulders, the colors burst into life. Gold and red highlights shimmered from the waves framing her face, as if each strand had been hand painted for emphasis. In the tavern’s subdued lighting, Hope was a bright, vibrant beacon, sparkling with health and life. 

Tyler was drawn to her light, her vitality, as if he’d spent his existence until that moment in perpetual darkness. 

Hope turned, reached for something behind her, and caught his eye. 

For a moment her body froze, her hand still outstretched, her eyes widening in surprise when they lit on him. She dipped her chin and regarded him from under her eyelashes as she finger-swiped the hair falling across her face behind her ear. A quick head bob his way indicated she’d be right with him. 
With an expert’s finesse she uncorked a bottle of Jameson’s, poured a thimbleful each into two shot glasses, then added them to beer-guy’s order. He slid a bill into her hand and then waved off the change she tried to give him back. He scooped the drinks, then carried them back to his table. Hope slid the change into one of the jelly jars behind the bar marked with several names, hers among them, and made her way over to him.

“Hey, New York.” Sweet laughter warmed with surprise rang in her voice. “How are the legs?” 

Tyler groaned and stretched them out in front of him. “Better after a long, hot soak, but I’m betting they’re gonna feel worse in the morning.” 

She tossed him a quick, sympathetic look. “Make sure you take some kind of analgesic before going to sleep tonight. It’ll help. Trust me.” 

“Will do.”

“What can I get you?”

He spurted off the name of one of the draft beers. 

She pulled it and then brought it back to him. “Anything to eat? I know the inn doesn’t serve dinner.”

He glanced up at the selection board again and asked, “What do you recommend?”

“The soup’s hot and fabulous. Comes with a salad or fresh bread. The burgers here are always great, but I’m biased.” Her open smile charmed him. 

“Sold.” 

“So,” he said after she came back from placing his order, “you’re a woman of many talents. Ski instructor. Bartender.” 

The brighter colors in her hair glistened when she shook her head. “We in the business prefer the term mixologist.” 


Author Bio:

AUTHOR Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, Peggy brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she has created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

Tying into her love of families, her children's book, THE KINDNESS TALES, was illustrated by her artist mother-in-law.

Peggy holds a master's degree in Nursing Administration and first found publication with several articles she authored on Alzheimer's Disease during her time running an Alzheimer's in-patient care unit during the 1990s. 

In 2013, she placed first in two categories in the Dixie Kane Memorial Contest: Single Title Contemporary Romance and Short/Long Contemporary Romance. 

In 2017 she came in 3rd in the New England Reader's Choice contest for A KISS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS and was a finalist in the 2017 STILETTO contest for the same title.

In 2018, Peggy was a finalist in the HOLT MEDALLION Award and once again in the 2018 Stiletto Contest.

A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, she is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.


Social Media Links:

Website/Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peggy-Jaeger-Author/825914814095072?ref=bookmarks 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13478796.Peggy_Jaeger

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mmj122687/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-jaeger

An Interview with author Leslie Scott

I'm welcoming back Leslie Scott and her novella from The Wild Rose Press, TWO HEARTS ONE STONE. She answered a few of my interview questions. If you haven't read my review, check it out here. 

Why did you choose this genre?

Because, in truth, it’s really hard to say no to a sexy cowboy. This one, wanted his story told. Who was I to deny him?

What was the most difficult thing about writing this book?

Writing so short. I’d never written a novella before. My other completed novels are eighty thousand words, plus. Keeping the story concise and on point was a challenge, but a really fun challenge.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?

I don’t know if you’d call them unusual. I work late into the night, mostly because no one is awake, I get more accomplished when the house is quiet. I also tend to work on multiple projects at a time. Right now I’m writing a paranormal suspense novel for an editor that liked a proposal I sent in. At the same time I’m outlining, longhand, a second novel in a romantic suspense series I have in the docket. 

What do you want readers to come away with after they read TWO HEARTS ONE STONE?

I want readers to feel good, to have several hours of escape into Stone and Emmy’s world—live vicariously through my characters and their story so that whatever thing is bothering them—the reader—, doesn’t matter for a while. 

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a both-er. One of the novels I’m working on I’m completely pantsing. But because I’m pantsing it, I’m outlining the next one I’m working on. I have ideas and thoughts about both. For one, they go automatically in the novel (me writing, so pantsing)and for the other, the cliff notes go in my story outline notebook. 

How many books do you have under the proverbial bed? Will they ever see the light of day?

I have a whiteboard in my office where I keep a running track of all my projects. I have six currently in some level of development (one about to have a release date, one about to be submitted, one revising with editor notes… etc.). Six with partial outlines started. And four that are fully outline just waiting on me to have time to write them. This is not counting the running list of book/story ideas I keep updating constantly. Currently that leaves sixteen under the proverbial bed plus however many else I come up with from that long list of ideas. Certainly enough to keep me busy for a few years.

Tell us a bit about you. Where do you live, and how long have you been writing?

Well, I live in northern Alabama. And before you think “wow, hicks”… keep in mind that Huntsville, Alabama (where I was born and raised) is the heart and soul of space exploration. We are The Rocket City. It’s an engineering stronghold, so I’ve grown up surrounded by people from all walks of life in a very intelligent part of the world.  Everywhere you go you meet an engineer and our universities are top notch. Not to mention the military installations here. All in all it’s a wonderful place to live and grow. Except… it’s super hot in the summer. Air you can wear, hot. 

As for writing I have been writing my entire life, winning contests as far back as like third grade. But only actively pursuing a career as an author for a few years now. 

If writing is your first passion, what is your second?

Writing is actually my second passion. The first being my family. Which is made up of Mr. Scott (tell me you said that like Captain Kirk, because I do all the time), my mother—she’s my best friend and Mr. Scott is lovely to her, one reason I adore him so, and my eleven year old son. I homeschool my son during the day, while writing. So, my life is basically books all the time in one way or another. 

Do you have any pets? Are you cat person or a dog person? Or are you into totally different pets, like goldfish? What do you like best about your pet?

We are a family of animal rescuers. My eleven year old actually helps me foster kittens for a local rescue organization. Of those kittens we’ve only had two foster fails (a silver tabby named Asher and a black kitty named Salem). Currently we have four cats, two dogs, and a cow-pig. Yes, you read that right. A cow-pig. Carry on to the next question for an explanation of such things. 

Share a photo of your writing space, your pet, a favorite book, or something else that’s important to you.

Here is a picture of the cow-pig. Her name is Lotus and there is a story to how she came to be with us that I will briefly share. I told my son he could not have a googly eyed dog unless he found one at rescue. He was very specific in his desire for googly-eyedness. Only a Boston Terrier, a French Bulldog, or a Pug would do. As a rescuer and volunteer—I don’t buy from breeders. There are too many animals at our local shelters for me to do that. I told him that if he wanted one, he’d have to watch the shelters. Sure enough, that next weekend our sweet Lotus was on the front page of the website of the organization I foster for (http://anewleash.org/, you can visit their website to see all the great work they do for animals in North Alabama). We go to their adoption event, he meets her, they are instantly bonded. He says to me “I found my googly-eyed Boston Terrier.” She sneezed. Snorted. Then grunted a grunt to end all grunts. I replied with, “Nope, you found a cow-pig.” Thus, we have a cow-pig. 

What did you want to be (occupation-wise) when you were a child?

Shocker………………………a writer. 

What do you like best about your hero in TWO HEARTS ONE STONE? 

That he’s a lady’s man, a bad boy, but at the end of the day… he’s a good man who will do his best to do the right thing. 

What do you like best about your heroine, Emmy?

She’s incredibly smart, capable, and independent. But not in such a way that she comes across as callous or cold. She’s still has insecurities, just like the rest of us.

How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?

Stone just came to me… though his last name is the last name of my first kiss. 
Emmy…I actually know a little girl with the same name. Which I fell in love with it.
The physical characteristics of both characters just sort of happen as I wrote this book. It wasn’t until the end I realized I’d written my first “red-head” heroine. 

How can readers reach you or find you online?

Website:  http://lesliescottromance.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliescottwrites/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/leslieSwrites
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lesliescottwrites/
Youtube Playlists: http://bit.ly/2O6IDea

Tell us a little about your current work in progress.

Oh my. Well, I have four that I am working on in full. One is a paranormal suspense that will be a series following the lives and loves of a coven of powerful witches. The other is a romantic suspense, friends to lovers story about a K9 Deputy and his best friend. Then I have my western Romeo/Juliet retelling (because a cowboy version of Romeo, how can I say no?).And last, the third book in my Arkadia Fast series. By far, my most challenging heroine to write, maybe because she’s as sassy and hard headed as I am?

What’s your tagline? Why did you choose it?

Currently, it’s Romance With a Shot of Nitrous because my first novel/series is centered around drag racing. Also because “Writes All The Romance” isn’t really catchy?

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

Currently I only have the two released (Two Hearts, One Stone and The Finish Line) … start with either, as I hope you’ll love both. 

Tell us about your current release.

Two Hearts, One Stone is the first time I get to put my first love on display. In that, growing up I was a cowgirl. I dreamed of my own horse, read all the books about horses, rode horses, and ended up working my way through college—at horse farms. Getting to rehash that knowledge, go back and relive the happy memories coated with the scent of a horse barn, was amazing. Also, if you read Stone, I hope you enjoy meeting Tink—he always was my favorite horse. 

Blurb, TWO HEARTS ONE STONE: 

Horse trainer Stone Dempsey’s life is all about the ride—with horses and women. He uses his equine talents to impress the country club set and earn money for Smoky Mountain Reining Horses. When his drug-addicted sister deposits her sick baby on his doorstep, he’s suddenly saddled with real responsibility. 

Dr. Emmersyn Cole’s goal of starting a practice in her favorite place on earth is finally coming to fruition and she is not going to be sidetracked. Everything is going great until Stone swaggers into her life, half-dressed with a smile that could melt her insides. She's determined to keep her distance…until he rushes into her grandfather’s home, clutching a feverish baby, terrified and vulnerable, and her heart’s hard shell begins to crack.

In only a few short weeks, Stone’s wayward heart suddenly relies on two women—one who needs him—and one that he might not be able to live without. 

Excerpt:

His upper lip curled into a snarl, but it did little to dampen her flourishing attraction. She took a step forward and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. Ready to do just about anything to wipe the forlorn look from his face.

That’s how he does it.

Without even trying, he’d reined her in like his horses. She stood closer, at ease, and far too eager to please him. When she lifted her gaze to his, the slow burn of tension-laced desire beckoned her.

“Oh no you don’t.” Emmy took two dramatic steps backward.

His laugh in response wrought a heat in her cheeks. Annoyed with her behavior, she fisted her hands on her hips and spun away. She was an intelligent, highly educated, independent woman. Absolutely not the sort to get sucked into the Stone Dempsey tractor beam of sex and debauchery. 

She only managed half the length of the barn when, abruptly, he stopped laughing.

“Emmersyn.”

Had the sound of her name ever held such a heated promise?

Buy Links:

Kindle:  https://amzn.to/2McJvS5

Nook:  http://bit.ly/2MtQkPA

Leslie Scott on the internet:

Website:  http://lesliescottromance.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leslieSwrites

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lesliescottwrites/

Youtube Playlists: http://bit.ly/2O6IDea

Leslie Scott Biography:

Leslie spends most days attempting to wrangle the voices in her head and often wishes she could clone herself so that their stories get told faster. She loves words, romance, and characters that feel like family and spends almost all of her free time with her own family; including a boisterous eleven year old that she homeschools and an assorted cast of rescue pets. She lives her own happily ever after with her soul mate and best friend in the northern part of Alabama and hopes you enjoy reading her stories as much as she enjoys writing them. 

Review: TWO HEARTS ONE STONE #WRPbks

Here's my review Leslie Scott's latest release. I received a copy of TWO HEARTS ONE STONE from the author in exchange for an honest review. Make sure to drop by my blog tomorrow for an interview with Leslie.

Blurb: 

Horse trainer Stone Dempsey’s life is all about the ride—with horses and women. He uses his equine talents to impress the country club set and earn money for Smoky Mountain Reining Horses. When his drug-addicted sister deposits her sick baby on his doorstep, he’s suddenly saddled with real responsibility.

Dr. Emmersyn Cole’s goal of starting a practice in her favorite place on earth is finally coming to fruition and she is not going to be sidetracked. Everything is going great until Stone swaggers into her life, half-dressed with a smile that could melt her insides. She's determined to keep her distance…until he rushes into her grandfather’s home, clutching a feverish baby, terrified and vulnerable, and her heart’s hard shell begins to crack.

In only a few short weeks, Stone’s wayward heart suddenly relies on two women—one who needs him—and one that he might not be able to live without.

My Review:

You gotta love a story about a reformed bad boy, because when he falls, he falls hard. And forever.

Emmy Cole’s first meeting with Stone Dempsey left her with two impressions; the first that he was a man-whore. And the second that he was six feet of gorgeous male. Despite believing Stone isn’t someone she should be interested in, Emmy can’t help herself. She’s intrigued when her new employee tells her Stone is a better man than most people gave him credit for, but she’s not sure she believes it.

Stone’s first impression of Emmy is that she’s beautiful and sexy and someone he wants to know better. But when his sick baby niece is thrust into his life, he has a whole new appreciation for her as a compassionate doctor.

What I loved about this story is the strong, immediate attraction between the characters. I also loved learning who they really were. On first meeting Stone, I was as convinced as Emmy that he was nothing but a shallow womanizer. But both of us came to see him as a loving uncle, a caring brother and a faithful partner for Emmy. I love when an author can convince me her character is really a good guy after spending considerable effort to first convince me otherwise. Leslie Scott does a great job of doing that in this well-written, sexy novella.

Buy Links:

Kindle:  https://amzn.to/2McJvS5

Nook:  http://bit.ly/2MtQkPA

Christine Grabowski's YA Novel DICKENSEN ACADEMY: In the Spotlight!

Fellow Wild Rose Press author Christine Grabowski is my guest today. Unlike me, Christine writes young adult novels and she writes them very well. Her debut novel, DICKENSEN ACADEMY, was the #1 New Release on Amazon in Children's Coming of Age Fantasy the week it released. Way to go, Christine!

Blurb:

Dickensen Academy isn’t a typical boarding school. The faculty is hiding an unbelievable secret within their fine arts program. When Autumn Mattison receives an invitation to attend the high school, she yearns to escape her overbearing father yet remains reluctant to leave her mother and brother. Her doubts fade away when a vivid dream convinces her she belongs there.

Away from home, Autumn discovers a unique school environment that awakens her creative potential, and her new friends become like a second family. However, as she uncovers more about the dark side of the school and struggles with its curriculum, she questions whether Dickensen Academy is truly where she belongs. 

When tragedy strikes, Autumn must learn to believe in her own power and stand up to her greatest fear or risk having her memories destroyed to protect the school’s secrets. Caught between secrets and dreams, can she find her true self?

Excerpt:

“I feel like there’s something big we don’t know about. Something those students were protecting. I mean, really, why are we here?”

I thought it was just me who was confused. “Well…the recruiters said we’re creative and focused.”

“Yeah, that’s what Principal Locke said too.”

“And we have the right personality.”

Ben looked up at the sky, sighed then turned toward the forest. “What did he say…something about how it will soon become clear why we’re here, and there’s some ultimate purpose for our creativity?”

“I know. That whole creativity part was a bit bizarre.”

He shrugged. “It seems everyone is going with the flow. But I have so many questions.” Then he touched my arm to stop me, so I turned toward him. “I’m thinking they’re isolating us for some special reason,” he admitted in an embarrassed tone.

I tried not to laugh—he was acting paranoid. But I didn’t know Ben well. Maybe he was joking, trying to freak me out. Or was he hitting on me? The flutter in my chest moved to my stomach. I was already anxious about being away from home and whether or not I could hack the academics. I didn’t need to obsess about anything else. But I still had to know about Ben’s dream.

“So…I also had a dream about Dickensen before I accepted the offer.”

Ben’s head snapped toward me. “You did?”

Website:

https://christinegrabowski.com

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/sgjRes7zPLQ

Buy/Book Links: 

Amazon: 

https://www.amazon.com/dickensen-academy-map-success/dp/B07G71747S

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dickensen-academy-christine-grabowski/1129315140?ean=9781509221233

Apple: 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dickensen-academy/id1419915501?mt=11

The Wild Rose Press: 

https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/6044-dickensen-academy.html

Google Play: 

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Christine_Grabowski_Dickensen_Academy?id=3LpsDwAAQBAJ

Kobo: 

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dickensen-academy

Goodreads: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41065431-dickensen-academy

Bookbub: 

https://www.bookbub.com/books/dickensen-academy-by-christine-grabowski

Author bio:

Dickensen Academy is Christine’s debut YA novel. After graduating from the University of Washington, she earned her MBA at the University at Albany. She honed her technical writing skills in marketing and consulting but attributes the creative part of the process to her passion for reading.

When she isn’t reading or writing, Christine can often be found running, skiing, or hiking. She lives in Newcastle, Washington, with her supportive husband, two avid teen readers, and their energetic wheaten terriers.

Christine's Social Media Links:

Facebook:  

http://facebook.com/christinegrabowskiauthor

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/christinegrabo/ 

Twitter:  

https://www.twitter.com/christinegrabo 

Goodreads Profile:  

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18276822.Christine_Grabowski

Bookbub Profile: 

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/christine-grabowski

Amazon Profile:

https://www.amazon.com/Christine-Grabowski/e/B07G7D9LJ2

Amber Daulton: Cover Reveal - ARRESTING MASON

I'm participating in fellow Wild Rose Press author Amber Daulton's cover reveal for ARRESTING MASON. Check it out!

Arresting Mason Series: Arresting Onyx (book 1) By Amber Daulton

About the Book:

Their chance encounter resulted in a steamy affair, but will his former gang and a parole officer tear them apart? 

Once you’re in a prison gang, you’re in it for life. That’s what Mason Harding thought until the boss accepted his resignation. After the State releases him on parole, a sexy divorcée behind the wheel of a car almost ends his life quicker than a shank. His chance encounter with Mia Eddison results in a night of passion, but her brother—his parole officer—catches them together and doesn’t approve.

Mia falls hard for the cocky ex-con, but not because of his chiseled body. She vows to break through his walls and discover his secrets, but never expects those secrets to threaten her life.

When members of an organized crime ring kidnap Mia to force Mason’s return to the gang, he goes up against an old friend to save the woman he loves. Will his sacrifice be enough or will everything fall apart in a blaze of gunfire?

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Release Date: April 30^th, 2018

Print ISBN: 978-1-5092-2007-6

Digital ISBN: 978-1-5092-2008-3

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 80k

Heat Rating: Spicy/Hot

Buy Links: 

Amazon – https://amzn.to/2GFLk6M

iTunes – https://apple.co/2FVAQMP

The Wild Rose Press store – http://bit.ly/2FSVvBa

Barnes and Noble – TBA

Kobo – TBA

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39005064-arresting-mason

Excerpt:

They reached her store and he stared at her car parked by the curb. “Harper doesn’t know where you live or anything about you. That means you’re safe for now, but he’ll probably search this area to find us. Stay cautious, okay? Drive your car from now on. Don’t walk anywhere.”

“Why are you avoiding my questions? You can tell me anything.”

“Not this. If you trust me, don’t ask those kinds of questions.” He tightened his fingers around her forearm as she tried to jerk free from his grip. “Listen to me, damn it. You mean a lot to me, but I can’t tell you this. At least not right now. That’s nothing against you. It’s all on me. I just need time to take care of this problem. Okay? I’m fucking stressed, in a shitload of pain, and I don’t need you to hound my ass.” He dropped his hand from her arm and scowled as though he just noticed the dirt and blood on his knuckles. “I’d like to go upstairs to clean up before you take me home. I don’t want Alan to know what happened.”

Mia dug through her purse with shaky hands, so angry she didn’t trust herself to speak.

He took the keys from her before the little pieces of metal slipped between her fingers, and he hugged her despite the grime on his skin and clothes.

Tears clogged her throat. Her mind screamed at her to push away from him, but the strength in his arms enveloped her and stole her will. His heartbeat soothed hers, and she no longer cared about his lies or if filth caked him.

At least not at the moment.

“I never meant for this to happen, Mia. I will fix this.”

“I know, but at what cost?” She pried her face from his chest to stare up at him. “You’re nothing if not determined, but I’m scared and confused. You have answers to my questions, but I won’t hound you for them as you so eloquently stated. I just thought we got past this. I thought you knew I would never insult or condemn you for whatever it is you did.”

“And I thought you knew not to push me too fucking hard.” His deep voice sent shivers of unease down her spine. “I have to keep certain parts of my past to myself.”

“Whatever.” Mia finally pushed against his chest for freedom and stomped to the stairwell door.

About the Author:

Writing is the fruit of happiness.

Amber Daulton lives her life by that one belief even though she normally isn’t so Zen.

As a fan of contemporary, paranormal, and historical romance novels alike, she can’t get enough of feisty heroines and alpha heroes. Her mind is a wonderland of adventure, laughter, and awesome ways of kicking a guy when he’s down. She probably wouldn’t be too sane without her computer and notebooks. After all, what’s a girl to do when people are jabbering away in her head and it’s hard to shut them up? Write! Nothing else works.

Social Media Links:

Blogsite – http://amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com/

Facebook Author Page – www.facebook.com/amber.daulton.author

Twitter – https://twitter.com/AmberDaulton1

Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/amberdaulton5/

Goodreads – www.goodreads.com/author/show/6624921.Amber_Daulton

Amazon Author Page – http://amzn.to/14JoZff 

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/amberdaulton

LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/pub/amber-daulton/87/538/368 

Google Plus - https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AmberDaulton

The Wild Rose Press - https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/2362_amber-daulton

#newrelease from Marilyn Baron: THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR

Marilyn Baron visits today with a look at her #newrelease THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR. She calls this fantasy love story "True Blood Meets The Addams Family Meets Romeo and Juliet". Sounds like fun! Please welcome Marilyn Baron!

The Vampire Next Door: Book 4 in The Psychic Crystal Mystery series 
By Marilyn Baron

Blurb:

Aurora Dawn Hale, the ravishing daughter and granddaughter of psychics, wants to take a bite out of the boy next door, reformed vampire Lancelot “Lance” Lakeland, who repents his past and desperately desires to be good.

Lance has given up immortality to be with the woman he craves. He must convince Aurora Dawn he is worthy of her trust. Will she love him for who he is and leave her fiancé at the altar? Or wake up from her spell in time to recognize the evil presence of the fiend who has terrorized her family for centuries?

Book 1, Sixth Sense
Book 2, Homecoming Homicides
Book 3, Killer Cruise

Excerpt:

Aurora Dawn threw open her bedroom window to welcome the sunlight and lowered her long blonde locks down the brick wall, Rapunzel-style, something she’d done every day since she was a teenager. What was she waiting for? Who was she waiting for? Yearning for? Prince Charming? Or just someone to rescue her from an arranged marriage that would ruin her life?

She listened for sounds emanating from the walled mansion next door. All she heard was the jarring sound of lawn machinery, buzzing through the thickets. There would be no last-minute reprieve.

For weeks, as the wedding got closer, Aurora Dawn’s nerves had become more frayed. She had been hesitant to face the truth. And the truth was she didn’t want to marry Bronx Bamberger. She was a coward. She couldn’t confront her fiancé, and she was afraid to tell her mother. Her mother had been working tirelessly for a year with Bronx’s mother, Betsey, to plan the perfect wedding. How could she disappoint her parents and bring all those expensive plans crashing down around her family? It would be a disgrace. It would be the topic for tabloids, and it wasn’t fair to her mother, who hated publicity. She had gone along because she did love Bronx in a way. They had been best friends for years. But it wasn’t the kind of love that stirred her heart, the passionate kind of love she read about in fairy tales, the kind of love she wrote about, that she knew was out there.

Then she saw a face staring out at her from the upstairs window across the yard. The new boy—no, a man really, judging from the sheer size of him. Her heart fluttered with a primal hunger. Her blood pulsed and her spirit soared. When he took aim at her with his smile, something unexpected slammed into her chest with the blunt force of a bullet, speeding her heart rate with the piercing accuracy of Cupid’s arrow. Now this…this was what she’d been waiting for. The boy waved, and she beamed back. He signaled he would meet her downstairs. They were of the same mind, then. She nodded eagerly. She’d been a good, obedient girl her whole life. And now she wanted to take a bite out of the boy next door.

Buy Links for The Vampire Next Door

Amazon Kindle and Paperback

https://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Next-Psychic-Crystal-Mystery-ebook/dp/B071CSXPXM

Barnes & Noble NOOK Book

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-vampire-next-door-marilyn-baron/1126256723?ean=2940157538408 

The Wild Rose Press, Inc. EBook and Paperback

https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=the+vampire+next+door&submit_search= 

Author Social Media

Web site: www.marilynbaron.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarilynBaron                                                              
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marilyn-Baron-286807714666748/

Author Bio:

Marilyn Baron writes in a variety of genres, from humorous coming-of-middle age women’s fiction to historical romantic thrillers and romantic suspense to paranormal/fantasy. THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR, Book Four in the Psychic Crystal Mystery series, released June 9, 2017, is her 12th novel published with The Wild Rose Press. She signed her 13th contract for a romantic suspense called, The Alibi. She’s published five short stories with TWB Press and self-published three books, including a musical about Alzheimer’s called Memory Lane. AmazonEncore republished her book Sixth Sense on September 15, 2015. She’s received writing awards in Romance, Single Title, Suspense Romance, Novel With Strong Romantic Elements and Paranormal//Fantasy Romance. She’s a PRO member of Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers and winner of the Georgia Romance Writers 2009 Chapter Service Award. A public relations consultant in Atlanta, she graduated with a BS in Journalism and a minor in Creative Writing from the University of Florida. She worked in Public Relations for AT&T in Atlanta for 13 years before starting her own PR firm. She serves on the 2017-2018 Roswell Reads Steering Committee. She was selected as a featured author in the 2016 Atlanta Author Series. And she’s the Finalist for the 2017 Georgia Author of the Year Awards in the Romance category for her book, Stumble Stones: A Novel. She loves to read and is a member of two book clubs. She also loves to travel and sets many of her books in places she’s visited or lived, including Florida, Bermuda, Italy, Germany, and Australia. She is busy writing her next novel, The Siege, a contemporary/historical romance about Crete during World War II. Read more about Marilyn’s books at www.marilynbaron.com.

Calling all Outlander Fans 

I just got back from Scotland and I picked up this beautiful Outlander Lambswool Scarf at the Culloden Battlefield and Visitor's Center. Once I get 50 reviews of The Vampire Next Door on Amazon one of the reviewers will be chosen at random to receive the scarf. Just leave a comment on my Facebook page once you've posted your review or I will check the reviews and find your name there. Or email me at mbaroncom@aol.com. Thank you.

J.J. Montgomery and GUN FOR HIRE

I'm very happy to welcome J.J. Montgomery to the blog today. Her new romantic suspense from The Wild Rose Press, GUN FOR HIRE, came out on June 14, 2017 and I'm part of the blog tour celebrating the release. I asked J.J. a few questions about her writing and her life. Find out more about this interesting debut author. Make sure to enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to an ebook copy of GUN FOR HIRE. 

Gun For Hire

The Maui Heat Series

by J.J. Montgomery

J.J. will be awarding 5 ebook of Gun For Hire to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here. 

BLURB: The job should have been easy—patrol a swank beach that serves as a backyard for Maui’s rich, kick out the riffraff, and get a tan in the process. But rent-a-cop Samantha Winters didn’t anticipate a deliciously grumpy cop, Sergeant Grady Roark, who comes down to the beach to bust her chops and instead leaves her breathless…and wondering why the one man who could help her seems determined to thwart her at every turn. Grady is keeping secrets from Sam that have him walking the line between attraction and duty. But when Sam becomes the target of a shadowy organization, Grady will have to choose between the law and the temptation of a woman who has him breaking every rule he’s ever known. The job should have been easy, but when the bullets start flying, Sam learns nothing is as easy as it seems when you’re a Gun for Hire. Buy Links: Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

Where did you get the idea for your new novel?

As with any story I tell, the whole thing started because I witnessed the real Sam Winters in action. My sister and I were on Secret Beach in Maui, and this woman comes storming out onto the sand. She was trying to enforce the Maui County code, and everyone was yelling at her, including the cops. And she was out there standing her ground, just giving everyone hell. And I thought, what on earth would make a woman wake up every morning and work this completely thankless job? I figured her motivation had to be something really, really compelling. And that was where Sam Winters – and Gun for Hire – started to take shape.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read your book?

I hope readers enjoy the romance between Sam Winters and Grady Roark but I also hope they see that Sam’s world is so much bigger than just falling in love. One of my favorite things about this book is the relationship Sam has with her nieces and her sister – that this isn’t a book about an individual, but rather a book about a family; a community.

Do you work on more than one book at a time?

I do! And I actually think it’s a terrible habit. I’m constantly cobbling together thoughts on different stories, really because I just can’t help it. I love dreaming up new characters, relationships and circumstances. But sometimes that’s an unnecessary distraction! And it always leaves me with the sense that there is something unfinished lingering in the background.

When were you first published and how did that happen? Was it a long or short journey?

I know a lot of authors who became published authors right away – after one attempt. Sadly, this is not at all my story! I started writing seriously about five years ago, wrote one manuscript, sent it around and…crickets. I was lucky to have a group of online writer friends who were willing to tell me the truth – that this first manuscript really, really sucked. So, I tucked it away under the bed and started my second manuscript. Three years later and I finally have a published novel! Had you told me at the start that I would have to keep writing for five years before anything would happen, I might have given up. So, in a way, it was my naiveté that saved me!

What is the hardest part of being a writer for you?

My greatest struggle as a writer is finding the time to write. I work full time, I have a husband, two small kids and a dog and cat…it’s like trying to write in the middle of a circus! Like nearly every author I know, the thing I lack is time.

What comes first for you – plot or character? And why?

My characters come to me first, always. I tailor my plot to who they are as people, what they need to grow and change and become something better…or in the case of my villains, worse. Why? I think because the books I’ve loved reading best had strong, real, authentic main characters. The plot is never what I remember about a book – it’s always a compelling character that keeps me wanting more.

If writing is your first passion, what is your second? 

I’m a complete homebody and an introvert. I have passion for being a mother, for cooking, for gardening…anything I can do in my own little home. For me, home is my happy place.

Do you have any pets? Are you cat person or a dog person? Or are you into totally different pets, like goldfish? What do you like best about your pet?

I grew up in a house where my mom was always rescuing something. At one point, my mom rescued a possum who had been injured and it recuperated in our garage! I think that background led me to adore animals—my house would never be complete without a pet. Right now, we have a rescue mutt who we affectionately refer to as “No, No Bad Dog” and we just adopted a Siamese cat from the pound—she’s actually sitting on my feet right this second!

What genre is your favorite to read?

I have always read a wide variety of genres, but from the time I was pretty young and sneaking my mom’s Judith McNaught novels, I loved romance. I loved everything about them, but most especially the fact that everyone got to live happily ever after. It’s like Susan Elizabeth Phillips says—life is too short to read depressing books. 

If money were not an object, where would you most like to live? Why?

I would live on Maui, right on Secret Beach. There is a good reason I set Gun for Hire there—because it might be the most beautiful place on earth, and I got to lose myself in my memories of that place every time I turned on my computer.

What are two (or more) of your all-time favorite books in any genre? 

Match Me If You Can, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Bet Me by Jennifer Cruisie.

What do you like best about your heroine in GUN FOR HIRE?

So much of Sam Winters is based on my own sister that spending time in her company is like being home. My sister is the kind of person who can talk her way into—and out of—any situation on earth. All of Sam’s humor, courage and sass comes directly from my own sister. 

How do you choose the names and physical characteristics of your characters? Do you base them on real people?

Most of my characters are, in some way, based on someone I know. I pick and choose characteristics depending on what the book needs, but it’s easier for me to predict what my characters will do when they’re based on someone I know.  

How can readers reach you or find you online?

I would love to hear from readers! You can always send me an email via my website, www.jjmontgomery.com or through my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJJMontgomery/ . My favorite way to stay in touch is via Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/jmontgomerywrites 

Buy Link:

The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5066-gun-for-hire.html 

 Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hire-Maui-Heat-J-J-Montgomery-ebook/dp/B072DSJ3G5

Excerpt: 

“The sunlight was intense after a half hour in that gloomy space, but I squinted hard and kept moving toward a narrow set of steps down to the parking lot. Grady walked a few paces behind me, and if he heard the crinkle of paper as I moved, he elected not to say anything.

Grady hit the remote to his truck and grabbed for the passenger side door, his hand light on my elbow as he helped me up. Paper crackled as my butt hit the seat and Grady’s eyes narrowed. Without a word, he slammed my door and went around to the driver’s side, climbing up into the cab and stabbing the keys into the ignition.

“So, I—” I hesitated as I shifted in my seat and my movement was accompanied by the distinct sound of cardboard bending.

“No,” Grady muttered, and clicked on the radio. “No talking.”

“But—”

“Shh.” Grady put a finger to his lips, his eyes still on the road. “Any minute you’re going to tell me about the felony crime you just committed. And then I’m going to have to deal with the fact that I was an accessory to a felony crime." 

“Umm, yeah.” I reached around to the back of my pants and eased the file folder up from my waistband, working it out slowly so as to not lose anything as Grady headed up the hillside toward his house. As I brought it around to look at it, the red block letters damning me to years of incarceration should I get caught, a muscle ticked in Grady’s jaw.

“You stole classified documents.” He shook his head from side to side.

I looked up at Grady and then down at the mangled file with the red Top Secret heading. I took a corner of the front sheet and ripped across the width of the page, separating the words “Top Secret” from the rest of the paper.

“They’re declassified now.” I crumpled up the classification and shoved it in my pocket.

Grady sighed.

I shrugged and opened the file.

Author Bio:  J.J. MONTGOMERY writes romantic suspense novels with a sense of humor. Her heroines are as smart as they are smart mouthed and the men in their lives are just trying to keep up. Gun for Hire is the first book in J.J.’s Maui Heat Series. 

If you'd like to know more, including info on her newest book, where she gets her ideas, and how it’s possible she can’t use Facebook, please visit her:
Social Links:  Website | Facebook |  Twitter  | Instagram


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