Tuesday, October 31, 2017

#NewRelease from Cat Dubie!

Debut author Cat Dubie is my guest today. Her first novel with The Wild Rose Press, THE QUEEN OF PARADISE VALLEY, releases tomorrow and she's very excited to share it with readers. Please welcome Cat Dubie!



Thanks, Jana for giving me this opportunity!

Tomorrow, November 1, is the release day for my first romance with The Wild Rose Press – an historical Western The Queen of Paradise Valley.

Blurb:

Diana Rennie, daughter of a wealthy rancher, attempts to persuade mystery man Del Russell to leave his grievances behind and forgive her father for past mistakes. Her careful plan goes awry and results in a shotgun wedding and a prison sentence for Del.

Four years later, Del is back in her life with a vengeance—back for his rightful share of Diana's ranch, back to prove he isn't the criminal she thought he was, back to finish what the two of them started years ago in a passionate daze. And he isn’t going anywhere, no matter what beautiful, treacherous Diana does or says to try to get rid of him.

Excerpt:

A lantern hung from the center post, shedding smoky light that didn’t reach the gloomy corners of the tent. Diana brushed snarls out of her hair and pulled down the wool sleeves of her  underwear. Outside a rising wind stirred the pines, sawing branches together, scattering needles onto the canvas roof.

She shivered and hugged her arms. Her bedding, blankets arranged on a thin mattress, looked cold and uninviting. Why hadn't she asked one of the cowhands to bring some heated rocks from the campfire? Where was her brain? Still listening to Del as he chided her for skimming the surface of the ocean he called life? 

A chilly draft swept her back. She whirled. As if she had conjured him up, Del stood in shadows at the entrance, one hand holding his hat, the other clasping the neck of a bottle.

"Del--" Tremors in her voice betrayed her excited dread. "You have no right to be here."

Her dread increased as he let his hat fall and stepped forward, his face emerging in the light. There was something predatory in his half-closed eyes. Something hungry. 

"Why?" The soft-spoken word seemed fraught with danger. His gaze moved over her in a slow sweep and he swayed, groping for the center post to steady himself. The lantern swung and grotesque shadows careened across the canvas walls. He raised the bottle to his lips.

She shook her head. Drunk. Disgusting.

"See, the men got a wager. Some say you wear black to bed. Reckon they’re wrong. Man's clothes, man's red underwear. An' I was hoping to see the flawless design."

No sense to his words. No reason for heat forming in her cheeks, spreading to her neck and down.
She said, "You can make your report and leave me to myself."

Available at:

Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Paradise-Valley-Cat-Dubie-ebook/dp/B075X58S8R

The Wild Rose Press  https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/se no arch?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=Cat+Dubie&submit_search=

Barnes & Noble  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-queen-of-paradise-valley-cat-dubie/1127176154?ean=2940158564567


Cat Dubie Bio:

My love of words began early--I'm told I was making rhymes soon after I began to talk. With a crayon in my hand I first drew stories, with a pencil I wrote them. As for reading, I was the girl who always had her nose in a book, the one who read with a flashlight under the covers or, when the moon was full, would sit by a window for hours laughing, crying, loving characters whose adventurous lives wouldn't let her sleep.

The girl grew up, married one of the good guys, raised three great children, worked, laughed, lived, and never lost her need for creating stories about romance, adventure, passion, mystery, love...
We now live in southwestern British Columbia where I'm able to indulge that need full time, plot, plan, and now share my stories with readers. 

My blog: https://catdubie.blogspot.ca
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authorcat.dubie.7
twitter:  @CatDubie        https://twitter.com/catdubie

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Halloween Facebook Hop & Giveaway!


HALLOWEEN FACEBOOK HOP & GIVEAWAY!
Over 70 Authors ~ 2 Awesome Giveaways

We’re treating romance readers to an autumn full of cool prizes. Enter the Falling in Love Romance Giveaway October 24–November 14 and you could take home one of four prize packages, including the top prize, a Kindle Fire HD 8 and winner’s choice of $35 in ebooks from Amazon. Second through fourth prizes offer more kindle/ebook prizes.

Enter the Giveaway Here

And join us for our Facebook Hop October 28–31, when we will have 70+ gift cards available for over 70 lucky winners. That’s a gift card at every stop on the hop!

Facebook Hop Starts Here on October 28

(Sponsored by the 36 authors listed below)

Allyson Lindt • Anne Stone • Astrid Arditi • Beth Hale • Calinda B • Christine d'Abo • Claudia Burgoa • Holly Cortelyou • Ja'Nese Dixon • Jami Denise • Jana Richards • Josie Riviera • Karina Kantas • Kim Turner • Kimberly Keyes • M.R. Leahy • Mae Segeti • Maria K. Alexander • Megyn Ward • Melissa McClone • Nicki Elson • Norah Bennett • Passion House Publishing • Robyn Nelly • S Van Horne • Sahara Roberts • Sarah J. Brooks • Sarah Williams • Siera London • Soraya Naomi • Stacy Gold • Stella Marie Alden • Stephanie Julian • Tawny Weber • Taylor Marsh • Ysa Arcangel

Enter Our Rafflecopter!



Thursday, October 19, 2017

Christmas Sweaters - A Heartwarming Holiday

I'm very happy to host Cheryl Harper today. Cheryl is part of A Heartwarming Holiday, a boxed set of 10 sweet romances written by Harlequin Heartwarming authors. And all this for only .99 cents! My friend Liz Flaherty from the Word Wranglers blog is also part of this group, so I'm especially happy to spread the news about their new boxed set. Welcome, Cheryl!



Time to Don Your Christmas Sweater by Cheryl Harper

I admit that that extra cheer in the air around Christmas leads me to make some otherwise suspect fashion choices. That pair of bright green earrings roughly the size of saucers? Gotta wear ‘em, even if they clash with my Monday-Friday business casual. Cartoon reindeers with red noses make perfect sense on the front of my sweater. Holiday dogs work on socks and ornaments and office supplies. And there’s no other time of year that I wear that many jingle bells, you know?
Tell me about your favorite festive fashion. Got a beloved sweatshirt that enters regular rotation the day after Thanksgiving?


Something about the season changes hearts and fashion. My heroine, Dara, in Finding His Fiancée by Christmas is not immune to the call of the Christmas sweater, even if her preference is for a little edge and a lot of black attire. The town’s spirit is softening her heart…just in time for the man responsible for the hard outer shell to roll back into her life. Here. Meet Dara for yourself:

Excerpt:

 “Excuse me. What time do you open?” a harried elderly man shouted from his spot on the sidewalk. He was standing so close to the door that his breath created a fog on the glass. He fidgeted in place as he waited for her answer.

Spreadsheets were never that pushy.

“Nine o’clock.” Same as always. Dara turned to look pointedly up at the antique clock hanging over her shoulder. “Fifteen minutes.”

He didn’t nod. Or wave. Or in any way pretend that he cared that she should be setting up the register or enjoying the last few minutes of peace and quiet in the store before the frenzy hit.

This was what she deserved for falling prey to the Christmas spirit. She’d been the one to approve three different requests for time off. Lucky people who wanted to spend time with their families were doing that while she faced down pushy shoppers.

Today the frenzy was worse, thanks to the amount of snow in the forecast.

Her gusty sigh echoed through the first floor.

 “Not long now,” Ren Monroe said as she breezed past with a handful of designs for her corner of the store. “Want to help me get these set up before you open the door?” As Ren paused in front of the cash register, a woman marched up and banged on the glass, her face intent and set in “I can see you in there” mode.

“Or you and I could both go out the back door and let them have the store.” Ren held up a hand at the crowd that now included two women with strollers. “I’m too young to die.” Over their heads, Dara could see the store’s best salesperson and both of the college students she’d hired as seasonal help approaching.

“We aren’t alone.” Dara marched over to the door. “We have backup.” And all of them were smiling as if the crowds were good news. That was why she’d stuck it out here in Christmas Town, those smiles. Slowly, they were changing her. She’d bought two more sweaters with bells on them last week, and the quiet music she made as she marched through the store made her happy.

Were both sweaters black? Yes. She hadn’t forgotten who she was.

Blurb:

Dara Allen has retreated to Christmas Town in order to hide from a broken heart. Life there has softened some of her edges without changing her style. When ex-NYC cop Carter Howe follows her, they’ll have to come to terms with what’s true, what matters, and messages from a friend.

About the Author:




Cheryl Harper discovered her love for books and words as a little girl, thanks to a mother who made countless library trips and an introduction to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House stories. Now she spends her days searching for the right words while she stares out the window and her dog snoozes beside her.

*
This holiday season, warm your heart with 10 connected sweet, clean & wholesome holiday romances set in Christmas Town from 10 Harlequin Heartwarming authors who are USA Today bestselling authors.

This collection of PG-rated holiday romances are all set in Christmas Town, Maine, a location introduced in the 2014 Harlequin Heartwarming release Christmas, Actually.

A Heartwarming Holiday will bring you laughter, tears, and happily-ever-afters (no cliffhangers), for more than 1000 pages.

Santa's Secret Heart by Anna Adams
Merry Christmas Carol by Melinda Curtis
Miracle on Joyful Street by Liz Flaherty
Finding His Fiancée by Christmas by Cheryl Harper
The Christmas Window by Tara Randel
Mistletoe and Holly by Leigh Riker
Gingerbread Girl by Carol Ross
The Christmas List by Anna J Stewart
A Case for Christmas Magic by Amy Vastine
Jingle Bell Love by Cari Lynn Webb

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2uFGbWw
B&N: http://bit.ly/2u6UHFb
Google: http://bit.ly/2tcPSY8
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/heartwarming-holiday-wishes/id1261084826?mt=11

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Spotlight on A WIDOW'S WALK

Today the book spotlight is on A WIDOW'S WALK: CATHERINE'S DILEMMA by M.S. Spencer. She's offering an excerpt from the book, a romantic suspense set in Maine and Florida. Take it away, Ms. Spencer!

Snow and Whiskey

Thank you so much for having me at your fabulous site, Jana. I’d like to talk about A Widow’s Walk, my latest romantic suspense from I Heart Publishing and regale you with an excerpt that I hope makes your readers dream of red velvet curtains, northern snow, and great bears of men.


Catherine Killean is a woman on a mission. When her new husband disappears, leaving a suicide note, she is determined to find out why. She follows his tracks first to the North Woods of Maine, then to Florida, and back again to Maine. Along the way, she meets the tall, dark, gruff Holden Taggart, a Maine guide. 

In her doubt and loneliness she is drawn to Holden, leaving her confused and adrift. What will happen when her questions about Jonathan are finally answered? Will old loyalty or new love triumph?

A Widow’s Walk: Catherine’s Dilemma
I Heart Book Publishing, June 6, 2016
Ebook: words; Print: 227 p.
Contemporary romantic suspense, M/F, 2 flames

Introduction

For days, despite all their best efforts, the sexual tension has built between Catherine and Holden. Tonight, the last night of her tour of the North Woods of Maine, Catherine sleeps fitfully on silken sheets in the madam’s boudoir of a former brothel. She will be awakened twice this night, once by a stranger, and once by a lover.


Excerpt (PG): Snow and Whiskey

A soft pawing at the door roused her. “Yes?” She caught her breath. Please let it not be Al again.

“It’s me.”

“Who?”

“Me, Holden! Open the door for God’s sake.”

She went to the door, but hesitated. “What do you want?”

The growl came low. “Open the damned door, Catherine.”

She opened it. He stood there massively, leaning on the door jamb. He smelled of snow and fire and whiskey. She took a step back. He took a step forward into the room and closed the door gently behind him.

“Holden, you’re drunk!”

“I am not,” he retorted with careful dignity. “I had a shot before coming here. For warmth.”

Catherine was too busy worrying about the precarious nature of his verticality to absorb his words. To steady him, she repeated, “What do you want?”

He stared at her, his eyes hungry. Her heart flip-flopped. Holden took another step toward her. She tried to move backward and stumbled. He caught her and crushed her in his arms, his mouth coming down on hers with savage desire. She put both hands behind his head and pulled him closer. His tongue began to explore, palpating her teeth, her lips, the sensitive little inside corner of her mouth. They rocked back and forth, tasting, touching.

Suddenly Holden pulled away and staggered to the window. “I am so sorry, Catherine. It’s true, I am a little drunk. I’ve been thinking about this all day, of you—” He turned. “I’ve never felt this way about any woman. Women are—”

He was not allowed to finish. Catherine took his hand and led him to the bed. She pulled his sweater off and unbuttoned his flannel shirt. She could not resist kissing the chest as it appeared, dropping kisses down as each button came undone. Holden stood stock-still. Catherine continued to his belt. She was determined not to think about the consequences of her actions. She just wanted it. Is that so awful?

She unzipped the jeans and followed the zipper down with more kisses. She could feel him trembling. Just before she made landfall he took her arms and lifted her up.
“Not yet. I want to see you first.”

He dragged the flimsy negligee over her head. She was too aroused to care that he would see her belly and her wrinkles. She waited, empty of conscious thought. A rushing sound and then, without apparent effort, she found herself on the bed clinging to Holden, hands roaming, squeezing, lips stuck to lips, eyes glued on each other.

She felt him enter her. She tried to stop caressing him so she could focus on this new and delicious sensation, but her need was too great. It had been so long since she made love like this. That first time—after the bear—it had been satisfying, but not earthshaking. He had been no more than a body, the instrument of gratification. This time, with Holden’s fingers, lips, skin on hers, thrusting inside her with a great, deep, elemental force that almost shattered her spine, the passion swept through her like a fierce wind through Key Largo. Then it was over.

No, it wasn’t. An instant only, before he resumed his delving into her body, driving in again and again until she couldn’t stand it anymore and her body escaped her, bucking uncontrollably against him.
They slowed imperceptibly, both loath to end it. Finally Holden came to rest on top of her, his lips still cemented to hers. When he let go and rolled to one side, Catherine reached for him, panicking. He’s going to get up and leave. She knew it. Like all men. Like Jonathan.

Jonathan. Oh my God. Where did all that passion come from? What had she let herself in for? It’s not the time or the place. Holden’s eyes were closed. She thought she would close her eyes too—just for a bit—and then they would think this out together.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FZSCYZK

ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/widows-walk-catherines-dilemma/id1116861603?mt=11

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/638502

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-widow-s-walk-catherine-s-dilemma

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-widows-walk-ms-spencer/1123844822?ean=2940153036274

About the Author:



Although M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled in five continents, the last thirty years were spent mostly in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, Congressional staff assistant, speechwriter, editor, birdwatcher, kayaker, policy wonk, non-profit director and parent. She has two fabulous grown children and a perfect granddaughter. Ms. Spencer has published ten romantic suspense/murder mystery novels, and currently divides her time between the Gulf coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.

Social Media Links:  

Blog: http://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com

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

Twitter: www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor

Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MSSpencerauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/

Linked in: www.linkedin.com/in/msspencerauthor

Author Pages:

I Heart Book Publishing:
http://www.iheartbookpublishing.com/m-s-spencer.html

Romance Books 4 Us:
http://www.romancebooks4us.com/M.S._Spencer.html

Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/M.S.-Spencer/e/B002ZOEUC8/

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Defining Moments


This week on Word Wranglers we're talking about defining moments in our lives. I talk about a couple of key moments in my own life, and also defining moments for a couple of my characters. Please drop by Word Wranglers and let us know what moments have defined you. https://wordwranglers.blogspot.ca/

Friday, October 13, 2017

ESCAPE FROM BEHRUZ - #99centsale

After taking some time off in September for some well-deserved holidays with my husband, I'm happy to be back hosting guests. Today's guest is Judy Meadows and she's here to tell us about ESCAPE FROM BEHRUZ, which is on sale at .99 cents for two weeks beginning today. Best of luck with your sale, Judy!



Blurb:

A trek through the mountains with her sick puppy, her baby, her secrets, and the man she is forbidden to love.

To escape the violence in Behruz, Rashid will escort Olivia and the baby through the mountains to Iran , but he won't let Olivia near his heart. Not again. Not after the way she trampled it two years ago.

Olivia accepts his help, but she has no interest in his heart. She's never forgiven him for abandoning her when she needed him most. Still, she has to be careful. He mustn't learn that the baby the world thinks is heir to the Behruzi throne is actually her son. And Rashid's.

Can they make it through the trek, sharing a tent each night, without giving in to the attraction that has always drawn them together? Can Olivia hold in the secret that could destroy her?

Set in the Middle East, but not a desert sheik story at all. A true-to-life contemporary romance featuring a young American woman living in the Middle East.


Excerpt:

Walking toward the tent of her “husband,” Olivia felt like a bride. The mantle framed her face and fell down her back like a bride’s veil, and the long skirt swayed with every step. Rashid stood in front of the tent talking to Saddiq. He was wearing a long shirt and a wool vest like those worn by the other men. He was holding up a rifle, sighting along the barrel. He said something to Saddiq and handed him the rifle; then he turned and saw the procession of women approaching. Time stopped for several heartbeats when his eyes fell on Olivia. He seemed to straighten up, to become taller, and everything about him became very still.

She met his gaze boldly. The petticoats swished around her legs when she walked. She felt the swing of her arms, the sway of her hips, even the slight bounce of her breasts. All the women stood behind her, waiting for Rashid’s reaction.

“Spin around again like you did for us in the tent,” Fatima whispered to Olivia.

Rashid’s nomad clothes made him look primitive and very male. His eyes were intent on her, like the eyes of an animal watching its prey. He was motionless except for a slight quivering of his nostrils.

Olivia lifted her arms slowly, and the women stepped back away from her. Then she began the
pirouette. She moved as if in a trance. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. But still the skirt rose, its colors blurring as she spun, and she felt dizzy and flushed when she stopped. She gave Rashid a smile that came from some new knowledge.

“You are a temptress,” he said in English. His eyes were dark pools that beckoned her to tempt and be tempted.

“The ladies are waiting to see what you think of their handiwork.”

He stepped toward her and reached his hand up to touch her face at her temple. Then he slid it down until it cupped the nape of her neck. A shiver of response rippled through her, but she didn’t move.

“She is very beautiful,” he said in Farsi. “The costume is perfect. She is perfect.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. The speculations and remarks of the nomads hushed. A crow cawed in the distance, and then it was silent too. She was mesmerized. She felt possessed.

Author Bio:

I grew up in a small town in Minnesota and now live in a small town in Oregon. Between then and now I've lived all over the world, including two years in the Middle East and over a year in Mexico.

I've had a few careers--computer systems engineer (New Jersey), fruit farmer (California), domesticate violence advocate, doula (460 births), and childbirth educator (Oregon).

I'm a wife, mom, grandma, cat lover, gardener, embroiderer, traveler, and now (yay!) writer.

Social Media Links:

Website -  www.judymeadows.com
Twitter -  @judymeadows44
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16631373.Judy_Meadows
Facebook -  (Judy Meadows Romance Writer) - https://www.facebook.com/Judy-Meadows-Romance-Writer-1556763401023522/

Buy Links - ESCAPE FROM BEHRUZ

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XB8HV1D/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/escape-from-behruz-judy-meadows/1125837035?type=eBook
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/escape-from-behruz
http://www.bookstrand.com/escape-from-behruz
https://books.google.com/books/about/Escape_from_Behruz.html?id=PkujDgAAQBAJ
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/escape-from-behruz/id1209878652?mt=11