Amber Daulton Returns with a Character Interview: TREVOR'S REDEMPTION

I'm welcoming back Amber Daulton with her newest release TREVOR'S REDEMPTION. This time Amber is interviewing her character Shea from the book. Welcome back, Amber!

What’s your name, and who are you in your world?

I’m Shea O’Bannon, and I work as a graphics designer at a TV news station. My life is pretty boring with a capital B, but all that changed when Trevor blew back in.

Give us a visual. What do you look like?

I’m average height with mousy blonde hair and blue eyes. I’m fairly pretty, but I don’t compare to my gorgeous friends. That’s not low self-confidence talking, but the truth. 

What time period and location does your story take place?

Denver, Colorado in the present day.

What conflicts are you facing?

Where do I start? Trevor is keeping secrets from me, his ex-lover is harassing me, and my co-worker assaulted me at the station. All my girlfriends are happily paired off with great guys, and though I’m happy for them, I’m jealous too. I’m always the one left out or forgotten, and I’m sick of it.

What did you think the first time you saw Trevor?

Oh, momma! Every thought flew out the window. He was onstage performing his heart out in a singer/songwriter contest. His curly dark hair flowed around his chin as he bobbed his head, strummed a guitar, and poured the most romantic lyrics into the microphone. I fell head over heels right then there. Luckily, my friend, Belle, who was also a contestant in the event, knew him from the local music circuit, so she introduced us.

What is your family like?

My mom and I are super close, but we don’t live close by. Her husband, my stepfather, is a wonderful man, and I’m grateful to have him in my life. I’m an only child, but I think of my best friend, Chanel, as the sister I never had. My birth father was never much around when I was little, and I regret that I’m not close with him.

Do you own your own home or rent?

Rent. Apartments are expensive in Denver, but the cost of houses is worse.

What's the most terrible thing that ever happened to you?

The time I walked in on Trevor kissing another woman. I was devastated, but then I finally learned the truth and realized what I’d walked in on wasn’t at all what it seemed. He never cheated on me, but other guys have in the past. That pain and self-doubt is hard to get over, even when you have a decent man in your life.

If you had a free day with no responsibilities and could have fun, what would you do?

Hmm…I’d spend it with Trevor, lounging in bed. We both have crazy work schedules, so if we could have a full twenty-four hours to ourselves, I wouldn’t let him leave my side.

Trevor’s Redemption

Series: Arresting Onyx (book 3.5)

Release Date: August 22nd, 2023

Publisher: Daulton Publishing

Cover Designer: Satin Rose Designs

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 50k

Heat Rating: 4 Flames

Blurb:

The danger and lies are more than she can handle.

Shea O’Bannon feels like a fifth wheel around her romantically paired-off friends, but there’s too much slime in the dating pool for her to bother with it. Then she sees her two-timing ex, Trevor Madero, serenading the mostly female crowd at a live-music bar. God knows trouble follows him around, but her desire for him rushes back in anyway. After he rescues her from a handsy drunk, temptation takes over.

Determined to prove he never stepped out on Shea, Trevor slides back into her life—and her heart—with forever in mind. Even with the wall he keeps up to protect her, his secret criminal life weighs heavy on his soul and drives a wedge between them.

When the truth comes out and his enemies target them both, they’ll have to fight for their love, or kiss it goodbye.

Excerpt:

Background info: Shea is helping her friend Calista deliver a cake to an anniversary party, and Calista’s patron just happens to be Trevor’s busybody aunt.

Calista rested her hand on Shea’s arm. “I’d like you to meet Shea O’Bannon. She helped with the delivery and can’t stay long either. We have busy mornings ahead of us.”

Whew! Shea could kiss Calista for that white lie.

The creases near Marcie Palmer’s hazel eyes pinched. “I understand, but please have fun while you’re here. And there’s no need for introductions.” She turned and shook Shea’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. O’Bannon. May I call you Shea?”

“Um—sure.”

“Wonderful. Call me Marcie.” She hiked her thumb at her nephew. “Trevor told me you guys dated a while back and might again.”

Calista’s eyes widened as Trevor rubbed his jaw.

“Yes, to both.” Damn, she had a lot of explaining to do once she and Calista were alone in the delivery van.

Marcie clapped. “Just wait until I tell Ivan and my sister. Elenore will be thrilled. She and my daughter are corralling all the little kids in one wing of the ballroom, so you’ll meet them later. And, of course, Trevor’s sisters and their husbands too. They’re around here somewhere.”

Shea breathed harder. How could she get out of this?

“Slow down, Aunt Marcie.” Trevor placed his hand on her arm. “Let’s not overwhelm Shea by dropping her into the middle of our crazy family.”

“We’re not crazy—just tight.” She frowned at him. “Though you have more secrets than most.” She swished her hand and gazed back at Shea. “I swear, the Palmers are open books. Take one look at us, and you know what we’re thinking. But the Madero side of the family has the greatest poker face, Trevor especially. It’s so frustrating.”

Secrets? Poker face? Shea bit her tongue. What was Trevor hiding?

His eyebrows knitted as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Do you like babies, Shea?” Marcie piped, her brows winging up.

“What?” She stepped back, ready to flee.

Calista pressed her hand to her mouth and muffled her laughter.

“That’s enough. Don’t embarrass her.” Trevor reddened and scowled at his aunt.

“It’s a legitimate question.” Marcie huffed as though truly perplexed. “Shea is a lovely young woman, and you’ve played the field for too long, Trevor. It’s time you give your mother some grandbabies.”

“Aunt Marcie!”

Add to Goodreads – https://bit.ly/TrevorsRedemptionGoodreads

Check it out on BookBub – https://bit.ly/TrevorsRedemptionBookBub

Download Links:

Universal - https://books.amberdaulton.com/trevorsredemption

Amazon - https://amzn.to/3WKxXqg 

Barnes and Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trevors-redemption-amber-daulton/1143581784?ean=2940160981512 

iTunes - https://books.apple.com/us/book/trevors-redemption/id6449718746 

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/trevor-s-redemption 

Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=AjbCEAAAQBAJ 

About the Author:

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats. 

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats. 

Find Amber on Social Media:

Universal link – https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

OPEN DOOR TO LOVE: Coming Soon from Amber Cross

 Amber Cross joins me today to talk about her newest book, OPEN DOOR TO LOVE, which will be released May 17. This is book three in her Love in the Kingdom series which is set in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom area in the fictional town of Somerset. Amber is giving us a glimpse into her book's world with an interview of her characters, David and Jonnie. Welcome Amber!

A Conversation with David and Jonnie from OPEN DOOR TO LOVE

Question: What did you want to be when you grew up? If that isn’t the path your career took, what do you do now?

Jonnie: A businesswoman. I became a cosmetologist, then a municipal marketing specialist.

David: A private investigator. I became a chef and restaurateur, now a resort owner.

Q: What do you want most out of life?

Jonnie: I want a big family. My mother sent me away when I was a teen and I didn’t grow up with my siblings.

David: I want a big family. My mother left me with my grandparents when I was young and I didn’t grow up with my siblings.

Q: What was the first thing you thought when you first met David? When you first met Jonnie?

Jonnie: Nothing, really. I was involved with his friend and didn’t pay much attention to him.

David: What was my friend thinking when he hooked up with her? There was no he could handle that much color and energy.

Q: The two of you didn’t see one another for three years after that first meeting. What was your impression the next time you met?

Jonnie: The man is hot! Seriously, how did I miss that the first time?

David: Everything about her called to me, but she pretended we hadn’t met before. What was she up to?

Q: What do you like most about David? About Jonnie?

Jonnie: He is calm. Frustratingly unflappable, really, but exactly what I need.

David: She is dynamic, wide open, emotionally, and exactly what I need.

Q: What is your greatest fear about getting involved with David? With Jonnie?

Jonnie: That he will discover my past and turn away from me.

David: That she won’t trust me with her heart.

Thank you for speaking with me. I can't wait to read your story!

Blurb:

Jonnie Moulton's chance for a fresh start as Somerset's marketing consultant might be over before it begins unless she can convince David Wang she knows what she's doing and isn't the desperate woman he met three years ago. This confident new Jonnie makes David's blood sizzle. He plans to keep her close and not just because she's living in one of his resort cabins. He "gets" her like no one else. She excites him more every day. But is this simply passion, or have they found an open door to love?

Excerpt:

They couldn’t run in the morning. Much as he wanted to spend time with her, the temperature had risen so much over the last two days the trail wasn’t safe. A thick layer of mud covered still-frozen ground. One misplaced foot could result in an injury.

“Makes sense,” she said when he explained this at the gazebo, the disappointment in her tone gratifying.

“You can always use the gym.” He wanted her to. Wanted to know she worked out one floor below his bedroom.

“Hmm. Thank you. And I will,” she hurried to add, as if he might not believe her. “It’s just that I need an aerobic workout in the morning, and being outside gives me a rush nothing else can match.”

David looked out over the hill, at the lake shrouded in fog and the white steepled church in the distance. He didn’t trust himself to look at her because he wanted to give her a rush, and he was afraid she’d see that on his face. She might find him attractive, but she hadn’t given him a green light, and he didn’t want to scare her off.

“Maybe I’ll just take a walk around the common.”

Under control once more, he met her gaze. She would never be content with a gentle stroll or simply stretching her legs for a few minutes.

“How many times around?”

She grinned, and he couldn’t help smiling with her.

“A few.”

Author Bio:

Amber Cross was raised on a family farm in New England, one of a dozen siblings, each one inspiring her writing in some way. She still lives in that same small town with her husband and the youngest of their five children. She loves spending time in the woods, in the water, and watching people because every one of them has a unique and fascinating story to tell. 

Social Media Links:

Find Amber online at: https://www.amber-cross.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/ann.ruby.96

https://www.amazon.com/Amber-Cross/e/B07MB6BNXP/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Character Interview with Lesllie Bowes

Leslie Bowes is here with an interview with her characters from HEART HEALER. Take it away, Leslie, Catherine and Christopher!

Hello Everyone, my name Catherine Andrews and I’m Christopher King and we are from Leslie Bowes’ Heart Healer. We are so happy to be with you today.

Question: Are you an only child? How many siblings do you have? Are you close or are you estranged?

Catherine: I have a young brother James. I have been taking care of him from the day he was born because my mother died giving birth to him and my father did not want him.

Christopher: I’m an only child. My mom died when I was very young and my dad never re-married.

Question: Are you married? Are you divorced? How many times have you been married?

Christopher: I’m married to Catherine. She and I met after my first wife left me and my son Ryan.

Catherine: I was married to the most evil man Blake Von-Cycler. After he attacked me on our wedding night, I tried to kill myself by throwing myself into the river, but my mother sent me through time. That’s where I met Christopher and we were married soon after.

Question: If you could go back in time for one day, where would you go?

Catherine: That is a funny question because I have time-traveled. I’m from England in the 1860s. I time-traveled to 2014.

Christopher: And I went back in time to save Catherine.

Question: What is your greatest fear?

Christopher: That I will lose Catherine for good this time.

Catherine:  That somehow my late husband Blake will come back to life and find me.

Question: Catherine, since coming to the future, what kind of movies and books do you like?

Catherine: I like really Nicholas Sparks’ books and one of my favorite movies is The Notebook, but I have really got into the Twilight saga.

Question: Speaking of Twilight, Catherine, are you team Edward or Team Jacob?

Catherine: Team Edward.

Question: Catherine, what kind of clothes do you like to wear?

Catherine: My friend Emma has been trying to get me to wear jeans but I’m not there yet. I like to wear skirts and dresses.

Question: Is there anything you are hoping that Leslie does not put in The Choices for Love?

Catherine: My greatest fear coming true.

Christopher: Turns out we can’t trust the people we thought we could.

Thank you so much Catherine and Christopher for coming today and we can’t wait to see you in The Choices for Love.

Blurb, Heart Healer:

Catherine Andrews is an English woman living in the 1800's. Her father sells her to Blake Von-Clyer to be his wife to pay off his debts. Catherine soon finds out Blake is a cruel and horrible man.

On their wedding night, to escape his cruelty, she throws herself into the river. Death is better than marriage to a beast.

Christopher King is living in 2014 doing his best to raise his young son Ryan after his wife left him. One night, Christopher finds a woman in the river unconscious and barely breathing. She is also wearing old fashioned clothes. Christopher does everything in his power to help the young women. When Catherine regains consciousness, she finds herself in a strange and unbelievable situation. Terrified, she does her best to keep her guard up against Christopher. But as she gets to know him, she can't help but fall for the man who saved her life. When Catherine's dangerous past comes back to haunt her, it has Catherine and Christopher fighting for each other and their love.

Excerpt:

"That’s true, but I don’t need a servant. I need a wife.” 

Catherine dropped the spoon as her whole body shook. What was her father planning to do? Hard work? A wife? What was going on? She was not her father’s slave to trade as he wished. She was his daughter. Too nervous to turn around, Catherine prayed that she heard wrong. 

“What did you say?” her father asked, shocked. 

“You heard me.” Mr. Von-Clyer laughed. “You had no problem selling her to me as a servant Mr. Andrews, but now that I want her for my wife your conscience haunts you. What’s the difference? Either way your debt to me is paid.” 

“Catherine, get over here now!” her father yelled drunkenly. The longer she stared at the vein in her father’s neck; she realized that she was making him angrier than Catherine had ever seen before. She slowly walked over to the table and stood in front of her father. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she watched him drink his last bit of wine. “You will be Mr. Von-Clyer’s wife to pay off my debt.” 

Author Bio:

I was born and raised in southern Maryland. When I was thirteen I moved to Summerville, South Carolina where I fell in love with the Lowcountry culture and history. South Carolina was my inspiration for my book Heart Healer. Recently I moved to central Virginia, and now I am enjoying the beauty and history of this area. The rolling hills and pastoral views will surely inspire ideas for future stories.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Healer-Book-ebook/dp/B07CXZRLCM    

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/heart-healer-leslie-bowes/1123523208?ean=2940162047773

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/heart-healer-3

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Heart-Healer-702127559856732/

Character Interview: Dylan from LYRICAL EMBRACE by Amber Daulton

Amber Daulton makes a return visit to Journeys with Jana with an interview of her hero Dylan Haynes from LYRICAL EMBRACE. This novella is part of the Deerbourne Inn series from The Wild Rose Press. Enjoy!

Character Interview with Dylan Haynes from Lyrical Embrace

Where are you from?

There’s only one place I call home, and that’s Willow Springs, Vermont. I’ve lived there all my life, except for the five years I spent in New York City drumming for an indie rock band, Fortune’s Glory. Only about three thousand people live and work in Willow Springs, but tourists come from all over the world in the winter to ski and snowboard in the Green Mountain National Forest. During the summer, the Fourth of July festival draws in a big crowd. Even though I love New York, it doesn’t compare to my hometown.

Tell us about your story, Lyrical Embrace.

It’s about making mistakes, learning from them, and moving on with your life.

You see, I lost myself to the partying lifestyle after I joined Fortune’s Glory a few years ago. I eventually wised up, quit the band, and moved back home.

I grew up around music, so it’s a big part of my life, but I didn’t realize what I truly needed until I met Erica. Her car had broken down in the middle of a rainstorm, and I stopped to help her out. I could tell right away she would be nothing but trouble for me, but hell, I couldn’t just leave her out there in the cold. Turns out, she was a big fan of my band. We connected over music and hard times, but trouble was brewing, and I didn’t realize it until everything almost crashed down around me.

What did you think the first time you saw Erica.

She was soaking wet and bending over the engine of her car, so I didn’t see how pretty she was at first. I only saw a woman in need of help, so that’s all I cared about.

What was your second thought?

I really wanted to get out of the damn rain. Erica was just standing there, asking me questions, and half-accusing me of being a psycho killer ready to stuff her in the trunk of my car. The rain was pouring in thick, white sheets, and I was doing my best to keep calm and not freak her out even more than she already was.

What impression do you usually make when you first meet someone?

I like to think of myself as a normal guy, and I hope I portray that to the people I meet. Fortune’s Glory never made it big back in the day, so I’m usually not recognizable to anyone outside the New York music scene. I’m grateful for that.

What is your profession?

I’m an ex-professional drummer, and now I’m an instructor at Haynes Music Academy, my parents’ music school. I play a multitude of instruments, but I usually just teach kids how to rock the drums.
I’m also a volunteer fireman. After so many years of partying and acting wild, I wanted to do something good and give back to the community where I’d come from. Being a fireman and a certified EMT helped me accomplish that goal.

What is your greatest fear?

I’d say it’s the same fear everyone has. Losing the person you love. Erica has been through a tough time, and I love her like crazy. Even though she covered her tracks damn well after she escaped her violent ex-boyfriend, the man still found her and threatened to kill her. Hell, he nearly killed me. God, I don’t even like thinking about any of that. If I lost Erica, I don’t know what I’d do.

What do you like most about Erica?

*Dylan snorts* What do I not like? Erica is perfect for me. She’s strong, beautiful, and stubborn, but vulnerable too. She’s an excellent violinist and loves music just as much as I do. She went through hell with her last boyfriend, but she’s still kind and willing to put her heart on the line. Her strength and her desire to never give up is definitely a turn-on, and I’m damn glad she picked me. I couldn’t be prouder of her.

How would Erica describe you?

That’s a whammy of a question. Back when I was still drumming for Fortune’s Glory, Erica attended the concerts at the clubs and crushed hard on me, but I didn’t even know she existed. I just never saw her in the crowd of screaming, dancing fans and skimpily dressed groupies. I was nothing but an arrogant, sexist prick back then, and Erica knew it. After I stopped drinking and left the band, I headed back home to straighten out my life. Then Erica and I finally met. It was like kismet. I’m not proud of the way I acted before, but I’ve since proved to Erica I’m a sober, one-woman man.
Today, I think she would describe me as levelheaded and giving. That’s the man I want to be. Hopefully, I’ve succeeded.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

My older brother, Birley, once told me I can’t change the past and that I have to move on from my mistakes. He’s right. The past is just that—the past. The man I am today is the one I choose to be. The life I want is the one I strive for everyday. And I gotta say, I’m pretty happy with the way things turned out.

Blurb: 

Out-of-work violinist Erica Timberly decides enough is enough. She leaves her abusive boyfriend and flees the big city, but then her car breaks down in the middle of the night. Though wary of men, she accepts help from Dylan Haynes, a stranger driving by on the road, and soon recognizes him as the sexy former drummer of her favorite indie rock band. Maybe, just maybe, her run of bad luck is finally turning around.

Music teacher Dylan Haynes knows Erica is in trouble, and her black eye is only the first clue. The stubborn yet vulnerable woman needs a friend, but he’s determined to give her everything she deserves.

Will Erica listen to the music in her heart and trust Dylan, or will her past always threaten her future?

Excerpt:

Erica checked her watch. “It’s almost nine o’clock. What do you want to do now?”

“I have something in mind, but I’d like to surprise you.”

“Ooooh, interesting.” She braced her elbows on the table, weaving her fingers together, and braced her chin on her linked hands. “The movie theater in Montpelier?”

“Nah, it’s too late to go there tonight. The back-to-back movie marathons will have already started by now.”

“You’ve piqued my interest. C’mon, let’s go.” Erica handled the check, to Dylan’s irritation—she asked him to dinner, after all—but he took care of the tip.

After they left the tavern, Dylan pulled her close and circled his strong arms around her waist. Heat radiated from his body as he kissed her in the parking lot.

The shock of his lips on hers stilled Erica’s heart, but then the organ jump-started like an engine. Erica kissed back, desperate to taste him, and she savored the hint of spice on his tongue. She moaned and gripped the soft fabric of his shirt, almost ready to tear his clothes off.

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43225610-lyrical-embrace

Buy Links:

Amazon – https://amzn.to/2ChIhNT

Barnes and Noble – https://bit.ly/2ChIhgR

iTunes – https://apple.co/2M3T9mW

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lyrical-embrace

Google Play – https://bit.ly/2DqXlsV

The Wild Rose Press store – https://bit.ly/2AIkSFk

Books2Read – http://books2read.com/u/m0MYaV

About the Author:

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through The Wild Rose Press and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

Amber lives in North Carolina with her husband and four demanding cats. Feel free to visit her at http://www.amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com.

Social Media Links:

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

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amberdaultonauthor/

Book Bub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/amber-daulton

Book Gorilla – https://www.bookgorilla.com/author/B00ALQITWY/amber-daulton/kcc

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

Luanna Stewart and LOVE AND REDEMPTION

Luanna Stewart joins me today for a look at LOVE AND REDEMPTION, her historical romance from The Wild Rose Press. I think this story is extra special because it's set in Canada! Luanna put a twist on the Quick Five by posing the questions to her character Finton Morash, the hero of LOVE AND REDEMPTION. Thanks for being here today, Luanna!

Blurb:

Mary Taylor abandoned her silk gowns and sparkling jewels when she quit her position as one of London’s highly prized courtesans. She’s determined to earn her living with a paintbrush rather than between the sheets. Starting fresh in a new country, she masquerades as a widow running a tearoom in Halifax while perfecting her art. But when she’s hired to finish the portrait of a handsome judge, she risks everything by surrendering to her lustful craving.

Finton Morash, youngest judge on the Queen’s bench, believes people are either good or bad. The dowdy widow painting his portrait is surely one of the former. After discovering the sensual beauty hiding beneath shapeless gowns, he wonders at her other secrets.

When whispers circulate about Mary’s nefarious past, she must find the courage to face the consequences. And Finton must decide whether love is worth the risk.

Excerpt:

He closed the window and turned, catching her around the waist. “I can’t stop wanting you.”

“So you rode here—”

“I walked.”

Her brows rose. “Heavens, all this way?”

“I wanted time to change my mind. Except that didn’t happen. I’m not sure a journey of a hundred miles would be far enough to change my mind.”

“If you stay…”

“If I stay?” He dipped his head and began kissing her neck, pushing her robe aside so he could taste her shoulder.

“I’m not sure what you want or what I can give.”

Luanna asks Finton five questions about some of his favorite things. We learn much about the man through the things he enjoys!

Luanna: Favourite colour?
Finton: Shortly after joining the law firm where I began my career, Maddie, one of my sisters, made for me an embroidered waistcoat in a striking shade of royal blue. The care and labour and love that went into its creation make royal blue my favourite colour. Unfortunately the passage of time has added a few inches to my waist and I can no longer wear the waistcoat, but it hangs in my closet and gives me joy whenever I see it.

Luanna: Coffee or tea?
Finton: As a boy in Lunenburg, we couldn’t afford the luxury of coffee. I recall one instance when we were at Captain Zwicker’s house for a children’s party during the summer. It was one of those perfect days that stick in the memory. The adults were served coffee and my mother made such a face that I had no desire to taste it. Not until I’d lived a few years in Halifax did I try coffee for myself and grew to appreciate the taste. I much prefer tea, however, particularly on a cool damp day.

Luanna: Pie or cake?
Finton: Am I allowed both? My man Jackson is famous for his piecrust and makes the best blueberry pie I’ve ever tasted. But he also bakes a delicious spice cake that is the perfect antidote to a raw, winter wind.

Luanna: Chocolate or caramel?
Finton: If by chocolate you mean hot chocolate, the drink, and by caramel you mean toffee, then I’d choose toffee. Hot chocolate is either too bitter or too sweet for my taste, depending on who has prepared it. Toffees were a special treat when I was a child and they recall to mind lazy summer days, after the chores were done, of exploring rock pools and adding to my seashell collection.

Luanna: When I’m alone I…
Finton: Enjoy reading. From my earliest days I’ve filled hours with my nose in a book. We had very few books in our house and I read them all many times, to the point I had passages memorized. Our village school had a small library but it wasn’t until I entered Dalhousie College that I was able to read as much as I wanted. Now that I have the where-with-all, I’m a frequent visitor to The Book Room, my favourite bookshop in town.

Buy Links for LOVE AND REDEMPTION:

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Love-Redemption-Luanna-Stewart-ebook/dp/B07NYFQXGN

Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/Love-Redemption-Luanna-Stewart-ebook/dp/B07NYFQXGN

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Redemption-Luanna-Stewart-ebook/dp/B07NYFQXGN

Amazon AU https://www.amazon.com.au/Love-Redemption-Luanna-Stewart-ebook/dp/B07NYFQXGN

Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130823749?ean=2940161420393

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/love-and-redemption


Author Bio:

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. As soon as she discovered her grandmother's stash of romance novels, all plots had to lead to a happily-ever-after.

Luanna writes full time, concentrating on sexy romantic suspense, steamy paranormal romance, and spicy historical romance.

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Luanna has recently returned to the land of her birth with her dear husband and two spoiled cats. When she's not torturing her heroes and heroines, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious.

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.luannastewart.com/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/luanna-stewart

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Luanna_Stewart

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Character Interview with Mary Patterson Thornburg

Mary Patterson Thornburg makes a return visit to Journeys with Jana. She's here with an interview with one of her favorite characters from her novel The Kura. Please welcome Mary Patterson Thornburg!

Character interview – "Pei Kala" (a secondary character in The Kura), interviewed by the book's author

Thornburg: Good morning! I'm so glad you agreed to this interview – please, sit down. Will you have a cup of tea?

Pei Kala: I'd love some tea, thank you! This'll be fun. I've never been interviewed before.

T: Well, don't be nervous. You'll do fine. To begin with, I'm not sure how to address you. Would "Madam MP" be correct, or would you prefer "Lady Pei"?

PK: (Laughs) Oh, please, just "Kala." My husband's the Member of Parliament, not me. And if you make this formal I'll be tongue-tied!

T: All right – Kala it is, then. Now, our readers would like to know something about your childhood, where you grew up.

PK:  I was born with Stone Village – one of the traveling villages in the west of Bandor. My brother, Shan, and I are twins, and our mother died when we were babies, in an accident. Our father was a lot older than her, and he'd been head of the village council for a long time. But we grew up just like all the village children, except Shan didn't take special training in any of the crafts. He knew he was going to be a kura – a physician – from when he was only about seven, so he studied with our kura. We both went to regular school with her. And we both took out 'lanu flocks to graze, of course, starting about that age.

T: Were you trained in a craft?

PK: Not a craft, but in planting and harvesting. I've always loved plants and flowers. It was lucky, because now I'm doing a lot of gardening for my clients around the city. And for us, too – my husband and me – and for some of our friends.

T: How did you and your husband meet? Did you know each other as children?

PK: Oh, no. Actually, Bela Ru is from your world here – Underland we call it – although I tend to forget that most of the time, and I think he does too. We met seven years ago, two years before the Bandor revolution, when he was seventeen and I was almost sixteen. His sister, Alyssha, was already my friend, and she introduced us. We declared our bond – got married, I mean – a half-year later, at the Midwinter festival. We stayed with the village then until Bela Ru rejoined the Magh Ladar, and after the revolution we moved to the city. Bela Ru helped write the new constitution, and he was elected to Parliament the year after that.

T: So, let me see… that means he was elected when he was just twenty years old? That's quite unusual, isn't it?

PK: He was the youngest MP, yes. But several members were in their twenties, and now there are two younger than Bela Ru. We're a young country. We need new ideas, and the courage and passion and commitment – and, yes, the energy, of young people. We are all learning how to make our country work.

T: Kala, if you could have a wish come true – a personal wish – what would it be?

PK: (with a mischievous smile) You are the author, and you're granting me a wish? May I have two wishes, then?

T: Well… we'll see.

PK: Oké, here are my wishes. First, I wish for my dear friend Alyssha, and my dear brother Shan, to be happy. Together… or not. But both happy. And second, I wish for a baby. Bela Ru and I so want to have a baby.

Blurb, The Kura:

Six years ago, two men chased Alyssha Dodson into a dark room under a bridge in her Indiana city, and she found herself in another universe. After three months she came back. She promised her father she'd stay in his world. But what she'd left behind was a place she couldn't forget, dreams she couldn't escape. And a piece of her heart.

Now, when a man dies in a hit-and-run accident, leaving her a strange, double-faced coin and a message she doesn't understand, she'll have to break that promise.

Excerpt:

Alyssha wasn't tired, but it seemed like a good place to stop for a few minutes. She left the road and sat down in a patch of shade. Taking out an orange, she peeled it carefully and ate it, stuffing the peel back into her pack. Her fingers were sticky now and she was thirsty, but she wanted a drink from this stream, not from her bottle of Granville water. She walked into the grove, toward the sound of the stream.

The breeze shifted and she caught a whiff of something foul – a dead animal, and not a small one. A wave of nausea struck her. At the same time she felt the hair on the nape of her neck prickle, and the star stone, under her tunic, touched her with a sinister thrill. It was this, nothing else, that made her walk toward the stench.

Even before she saw it, she guessed what sort of dead animal it would be. She scanned the ground and soon spotted what she'd feared. The body was sprawled between two of the larger willows, partly hidden by a tangle of undergrowth. Insects buzzed over it; the grass around it trembled. Wishing she'd not stopped here at all, she moved closer, until she had no doubt that she was looking at a dead human being.

The body was clothed in stained fabric. Although she couldn't be sure, she thought it was a man. A large stone rested on his upper chest and another lay beside him. The face, she saw with relief, was turned away from her. His head lay toward the east, his face turned to the south. Suddenly Alyssha remembered something the old kura, Vinh Ke Saar, had said: South is the direction of deceit. Her amulet burned against her skin. Had the stone killed him, crushed him? It was large enough for that. How long ago? How long did it take to reduce a human body to this? More than a few days, she thought.

Suddenly the grove was full of shadows. She stepped backward, inch by inch, trying not to make a sound, as if she might disturb the dead. When the body was no longer visible, she turned and ran. She reached her backpack, slung it over her shoulders, and ran again, down the road, her breath tearing at her lungs.

Buy Links:

Amazon USA    Amazon Canada     Amazon UK

Author Bio:

Mary Patterson Thornburg was born in California and has lived in Washington State, Indiana, and Montana, where she currently resides with her husband, poet and fellow novelist Thomas Thornburg. She has published fiction, literary criticism, and poetry. Thornburg's short fiction has appeared in THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION, ZAHIR, and CICADA, among other magazines, and in several anthologies. Two of her stories received honorable mention in THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR, and her young adult story "Niam's Tale," set in the world of THE KURA, and published in CICADA, won the 2011 Magazine Merit Honor Certificate from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Social Media Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Mary-Patterson-Thornburg-Author-751054628247208/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MaryPThornburg

Website:  www.marypattersonthornburg.com

Character Interview with Peggy Jaeger

Happy Tuesday! Today fellow Wild Rose Press author Peggy Jaeger joins me with one of my favorite things - a character interview! I love getting to know a character. This prolific writer recently had two new releases, and we get a peek at PASSION'S PALETTE. And here's an interview with a character from that book, who sounds like she's embarking on her own romance! Please welcome Peggy Jaeger.

Serena MacQuire’s Agent, Delilah Bloom, is 34, rich, successful, and content with her life. All that changes, though, when she comes to visit Serena in Carvan and is introduced to the family veterinarian and friend, David Stapleton. I sat down with her yesterday to catch up with Delilah and get the scoop on the love lives of her and her friend.

Peggy: Delilah, what prompted this visit to the MacQuire family home? As Serena is fond of saying, you never venture north of 86th street in Manhattan if you can avoid it.

Delilah: ( shakes her head and her chin-length blonde hair swishes around her  cheeks.) I know, I know. I never leave the city. But since I was the one who got Serena the hospital mural commission, and knowing how exhausted she’s been lately, I just wanted to make sure the task wasn’t too much for her to undertake.

Peggy: And how did she seem to you when you arrived?

Delilah: Excited. Which I’ll admit, made me happy. And the little she’s done already on the mural is amazing. That girl was put on this earth to paint.

Peggy: I agree. I understand you met a friend of the family today.

Delilah: ( leans back in the chair and uncrosses her legs, then recrosses them. She looks a little…nervous.) Yes, well. That was certainly a surprise. I mean, Serena has told me many stories about Dr. Stapleton, but she neglected go mention a few things. A few important things.

Peggy: Oh? Like what?

Delilah: Well, for one he’s drop dead gorgeous and built like a tank. Who knew they made country animal doctors like that? I’m surprised the man hasn’t been featured in a calendar titled Hunks who Heal! I would have moved years ago if I had an inkling. And he’s so charming. Genuinely so, not like the men I’m used to being around.

Peggy: Yes, Serena says you hobnob with the grandsons of robber barons and the wolves of Wall Street.

Delilah: Most of them I’ve known since the cradle. And they haven’t improved with maturity. ( she laughs and rolls her eyes.) But David is different from every other man I’ve known, a fact that is wildly appealing all on its own.

Peggy: Have you met his partner, Seamus Cleary, yet?

Delilah: (Smiles like a cat who just had a snack of delicious mouse) yes, I did. And I can tell you he was quite smitten with Serena. So much so he couldn’t keep up with the conversation going on around him. He’s interested in her and I think the feeling is mutual. Although Serena won’t admit it.

Peggy: Why not?

Delilah: (with a sigh) Still brooding, I’d imagine. And being cautious. Once your heart is shattered, it’s difficult to open it up to being hurt again. Serena’s been wary of men and relationships since her first love. I won’t bore you with the details, but she’s kept that loving part of herself locked away. I think Seamus Cleary may just have the key, though, to unlocking that door. And I’m sticking close to her to see that it happens.

Peggy: I get the feeling that’s not the only reason you’re staying close.

Delilah: true. This…thing with David has me all discombobulated. I’ve never been in love, you know. Never found a man who makes me feel so cherished before like David does. I want to let it play out, see what develops between us. Keeping an eye on Serena and her budding romance is an added perk.

Peggy: Well, I can’t wait to see what happens with you all.

Delilah: (Laughing) Stay tuned. I’m sure it will be interesting.


PASSION’S PALETTE available from the Wild Rose Press, releases on 8.4.17.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2te3VQq
Wild Rose Press: http://amzn.to/2te3VQq

Blurb:

Talented and witty portrait artist Serena MacQuire is successful in everything but love. Her gift for capturing people on canvas is rivalled only by her fiery and legendary temper. A tragedy from the past keeps her heart securely locked away, preventing any man from getting close enough to claim it.

But Seamus Cleary isn’t just any man. After he left his professional football career to become a veterinarian, his bitter wife ended their marriage. Now, as he starts his life over in a new town, love is the last thing he's looking for. The more he tends to Serena’s horses, though, the more he realizes her own heart needs tender care and healing as well.

Will he be the man who finally unlocks and claims her heart?

Excerpt:

Their gazes met and Seamus registered the silent “O” of surprise on her mouth.

"I'm sorry I startled you," he said, drawn to her as an errant moth would be to a ghost of moonlight. "Addie told me you were out here."

Serena reached over to her sketchpad, open at her feet, and closed it with a flick of her toe. He was rewarded with a lengthy view of thigh as she stretched.

"Working?"

"Doodling, mostly. I wanted to do some preliminary sketches for a commission I have."

"Mind if I sit?" he asked, and without waiting for an answer, did.

When he reached for the pad and said, "May I?" she shot her bare foot on top of it.

"Sorry." Serena reached over and grabbed the book. When it was safely tucked behind her back, braced against the tree, she added, "I'm a little schizoid where my work is concerned. I don’t let people see it when it’s in the planning or beginning stages."

He looked across at her, lifted one brow slightly, then glanced around. "This is nice," he said. "Quiet. Peaceful."

"Private.”

A fist of pure desire punched him in the stomach, the muscles contracting in response to the challenge in her eyes.

"Was there something you needed to see me about?"

He considered her again, before replying. For someone so young she could act as regally as the most aged dowager.

And she was young; much younger than he was. It wouldn't do to start anything with her. Besides, she was a client. He had to keep it professional.

But dammit, those eyes speared right through him, impaling him with their beauty, and were hard to ignore. As was the gentle swell and shift of her breasts with each breath beneath her barely modest halter top. And her legs, well, just forget about those. Legs like that were destined to be his downfall.

Author Bio:

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 is a finalist in the 2017 STILETTO contest for the same title.

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/

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