Friday, August 29, 2014

@trs_studio End of the Summer Bash

Are you looking to find some great ebooks?
MolleMcGregor_ShadowsAwakening_800px-266x400Druidess200vexing voss 140x210


Here are just a few.


There are excerpts and prizes.



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I have lots of excerpts from my books.


Also, if you comment. I'll be giving away three of my ebooks from my Executive's Wives Club series.


Join the fun all weekend and find lots of great new books to read at http://trsparties.com/


Tina






Thursday, August 28, 2014

@GoddessFish Presents Hidden Shadows by Lauren Hope


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Hidden Shadows

by Lauren Hope

 

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

 

BLURB:

 

Jenna Gregor is a busy, single mom of two, successfully overseeing a Perinatal Wing in a downtown Nashville clinic. On the surface, Jenna’s achievements are many, her future bright and promising. But in her past are secrets, sins she doesn’t want exposed. Sins someone else doesn’t want to forget, or forgive.

 

Just as Jenna’s life finally seems to be falling back into place after her bitter divorce—Bennett Aston can handle her sarcasm and stubbornness quite nicely—it all begins to unravel. Someone is lurking, hiding in theshadows, slowly and meticulously ruining Jenna’s well-crafted world. As threats evolve, suspicions grow, and death becomes a vivid reality, Jenna must decide whom she can trust and find her allies, before her secrets become her undoing.

 

 

 

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

 

EXCERPTS:



 

She stared down at her white tank top, now stained with maroon blotches. She couldn’t stay here.

 

Where to go next, where to go next? Her mind raced with the question.

 

She raised her head to examine herself in the broken mirror, and a sly smirk looked back. She knew exactly where to go and who to see.

 

Only for one precious, fleeting moment in her life had she carried life in her womb. And it was terminated, taken from her by one lousy, inexperienced doctor.

 

She would go now, go to the one person who turned her life into what was around her, who turned her into the woman that lived in the dirty, dark hotel room, who made her become the ghostly figure that stared back at her in the shattered mirror.

 

Just where was the old doc who’d stolen her child, anyway? And more importantly, was the doctor happy? If so, as Tommy would say, this mad woman would change all that.

 

With one last wicked grin to the splintered reflection, she briskly turned and walked through the door to the waiting world outside. Time for plan B.

 

If misery loved company, she was about to have herself one heck of a party.

 

 

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

 

 photo MEDIAKITlauren_hope_zps6cd4dd18.jpg
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Lauren Hope is the author of the bestselling mystery Screaming To Be Solved, and her first published work, The Shadow Series (Hidden Shadows, Chasing Shadows). Lauren creates a modern twist on the classic 'whodunit,' combining suspense, romance, even comedy, for intriguing, heartfelt stories.

 

With a background in Communication and Journalism, Lauren has sat behind the anchor's desk and worked in the corporate world, finding her ultimate love in writing. Screaming To Be Solved was named a 'Hot New Release' by Amazon in 2013 and charted in the top 10 on Amazon's international bestseller list.

 

She lives with her husband, daughter, and floppy-eared rescue pup in Tennessee.

 

Visit her at laurenhope.net


 



 



 



 

Links:

 



 



 



 



 

 Lauren will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host.

 

 

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks for stopping by Lauren,


Tina

Thursday, August 21, 2014

@GoddessFish Presents Share the Moon by Sharon Struth


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Share the Moon

by Sharon Struth

 

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

 

BLURB:

 

Sometimes trust is the toughest lesson to learn.

 

Sophie Shaw is days away from signing a contract that will fulfill her dream of owning a vineyard. For her, it’s a chance to restart her life and put past tragedies to rest. But Duncan Jamieson’s counter offer blows hers out to sea.

 

Duncan still finds Sophie as appealing as he had during boyhood vacations to the lake. Older and wiser now, he has his own reasons for wanting the land. His offer, however, hinges on a zoning change approval.

 

Bribery rumors threaten the deal and make Sophie wary of Duncan, yet she cannot deny his appeal. When her journalistic research uncovers a Jamieson family secret, trust becomes the hardest lesson for them both.

 

 

"Heart-tugging small town romance with real emotion. Struth is an author to watch!"

—Laura Drake, author of RITA-award winning The Sweet Spot

 

"Superb… throw in a hunky dad, a small town and a savvy heroine who gets the job done and you've got me hooked!"

—Rachel Brimble, author of A Man like Him

 

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

 

EXCERPTS :



 

“Now, gently swirl the wine.” A slight twist of Sophie’s wrist rotated the glass.

 

Duncan copied her moves, realizing she made the gesture fluid, easier than his attempts.

 

“This gives the molecules a little nudge to entertain us. I mean, who doesn’t like to be entertained.” She waved a playful brow. “Once you get them moving, stick your nose up close and take a whiff.”

 

Sophie brought her straight nose close to the rim. Her lids dropped, as if prepared to receive a scent from heaven. She inhaled. Passion-filled concentration dominated her expression, leaving him mesmerized, unable to stop watching even as he lifted his own glass. He copied her movements, contemplating the aroma in a way he’d never done before.

 

When he opened his eyes, she’d been watching. “Anything stand out?”

 

He took a second, shorter whiff. “Pepper, I think.”

 

Her mouth turned into a half-surprised, half-pleased smile. “Very good.”

 

A sensation fluttered in his gut, her approval an unexpected joy.

 

“I smelled some kind of berry too. Now take a decent taste. Let the liquid coat your entire mouth. It’ll feel different on your tongue versus the roof of your mouth or the inside of your cheeks. There are all kinds of hidden flavors. Some bold, others more subtle.”

 

She brought the glass to her lips then stopped, leaned across the counter, and placed her soft palm over the hand where he held the glass. A sweet floral scent drifted from her hair. She dropped her voice, now low and sexy. “A ready guy like you should take your time with this one.” She cocked a loaded brow. “Really work hard and you’ll detect the wine’s secrets.”

 

Heat crept up his neck again.

 

The microwave buzzer sounded but she kept her gaze on him as she tipped back her goblet. Her full lips brushed the rim with the delicate touch of a first kiss.

 

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




 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

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Sharon Struth is an award-winning author who believes it’s never too late for a second chance in love or life. When she’s not writing, she and her husband happily sip their way through the scenic towns of the Connecticut Wine Trail. Sharon writes from the small town of Bethel, Connecticut, the friendliest place she’s ever lived. For more information, including where to find her other novels and published essays, please visit her at www.sharonstruth.com

 


 

Buy Links:

 


 


 


 


 


 

Other Links:

 


 

Musings from the Middle Ages & More: www.sharonstruth.wordpress.com


 


 

Twitter: @sharonstruth

 


Sharon will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 

 

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks for sharing your book with us,
Tina

Monday, August 18, 2014

@melissamcclone Super Book Blast of The Honeymoon Prize Presented by @GoddessFish



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Melissa will award a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

NOTE: This book is on sale for only $0.99 during the tour.  Why not grab yourself a copy today?

He needs a wife...

Single bodyguard Nick Calhoun has been given an ultimatum by his boss--find a wife or lose his cushy, high-paying job. Clients' wives are hitting on him and putting Nick, and his boss, in hot water. But monogamy? He's never been a white picket fence kind of guy, and he's not about to embrace the happily married lifestyle now. He needs a wife who doesn't care about his steamy, extra-curricular love life...and he knows just the woman to fit the bill.

She needs a home...

Adalaide Sinclair spent years caring for her ill grandmother. Upon Grammy's death, she's stunned to find herself evicted from the only home she's ever known and labeled a thief by her inheritance-hungry family. Addie needs to find a place to live and a job--fast. So when her childhood friend, Nick, proposes a no-sex marriage of convenience, she puts her dreams of true love and happily-ever-after on hold. Finding Prince Charming can wait a little longer, right?

But will their friendship survive the honeymoon?

When Nick and Addie unexpectedly win a dream honeymoon, they decide to go their separate ways during the ten-day vacation. Too bad a camera crew is waiting for them at the tropical paradise. Acting like a head-over-heels bride and groom for reality TV wreaks havoc on their no-sex agreement...and blurs the line between fantasy and reality. Will Nick and Addie remain married in name only, or will a romantic honeymoon for show turn them into true newlyweds?


Enjoy an excerpt:

Time to focus on the present—a paradise full of beaches and sun and fruity drinks with paper umbrellas. She could swim and sail and participate in the forty-seven other activities the resort offered or read one of the novels she’d brought.

“What are you thinking?” Nick asked.

“That I deserve this lovely island.” She raised her chin, buoyed by a resolve she hadn’t felt in . . . years. “I’m going to make the most of the next ten days. Let my hair down and dance in the sand. Who knows when I’ll get to do something like this again?”

Nick’s eyes darkened, turning serious. Something rare for him. He started to speak then stopped himself.

“Your turn,” she said. “What are you thinking?”

“This is only our first vacation. You’re not going to have to wait another nine years for another one, okay?”

The raw emotion in his voice sounded nothing like the Nick she knew, but the determination behind each word warmed her heart. “Okay.”

The plane landed and motored across the water toward a long wooden dock that led to a pristine curved strip of white sand beach. Two paddleboards lay by the shore’s edge. Palm fronds blew in the wind.

Her breath caught in her throat. “It’s like a postcard.”

“Only better. This is real life. The island is ours for the next week and a half.” Nick motioned to the people on the dock. “Looks like we have a welcoming committee. Show off your pearly whites. I see cameras.”


With a degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, Melissa McClone worked for a major airline where she traveled the globe and met her husband. But analyzing jet engine performance couldn’t compete with her love of writing happily ever afters. Her first full-time writing endeavor was her first sale when she was pregnant with her first child! Since then, she has published over thirty romance novels with Harlequin and Tule Publishing Group. She’s also been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s RITA® award. When she isn’t writing, you can usually find her driving her minivan to/from her children’s swim practices and other activities. She also sends care packages to deployed service members and fosters cats through a local no-kill animal shelter. Melissa lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three school-aged children, two spoiled Norwegian Elkhounds and cats who think they rule the house. They do!

Website: http://www.melissamcclone.com

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

Twitter: @melissamcclone

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LE4Q370

a Rafflecopter giveaway


By the way, you can enter daily for more chances to win.


Thanks Melissa,


Tina

Sunday, August 17, 2014

@Katewoodsonline has "Faith in Avalanches"




 





 


 

SHORT BIO

 

Who is Kate Woods? You don’t know...? Well let me introduce you to her. She’s an Eclectic Writer from the Pittsburgh Area of Pennsylvania who likes to dabble in this and that - including writing in several different genres.  Kate Woods is a creative writer who is the author of a riveting new novel – Faith In Avalanches - But don’t take my word for it read it and decide for yourself!

 

 

AUTHOR LINKS

 

GOODREADS PROFILE LINK


 

TWITTER.COM

@katewoodsonline

 

FACEBOOK

Facebook.com/faithinavalanches






BLURB


 

When Julietta Christopher, Esq. has had enough of being poisoned by the depraved heart indifference of deceitful men and scheming sluts, she ignores propriety and the legal system she knows so well and takes matters into her own hands. You see she realized she had no choice – Because depraved hearts cannot be mended – they must be DESTROYED!   Narcissists, Sociopaths, Psychopaths, Cheaters, and Liars, were destroying the lives they touched like a tornado destroys everything in its path.  No one was safe from their emotional torture and their depravity – Not her Clients – Not her Friends – Not her Family. She had unshakable faith in avalanches and their inevitability and was certain an avalanche was building above them. It was time to take action. She knew that Karma would prevail in its own good time; but she was impatient. It was time to give Karma a little help...and she was ready!

 

Chapter 1

APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING…

The eyes are said to be the windows to the soul. But you can’t really look into someone’s eyes and see their soul. You can, however, look into someone’s eyes and feel uneasy if they are deep, dark and depraved. Depraved eyes shield a psychotic mind and a depraved heart. I recognize those evil eyes now when I see them, and I also know now, without a shadow of a doubt, that depraved hearts cannot be mended – they must be DESTROYED…

 

That bastard Zak Jaxon has those depraved eyes. He also has all the accompanying bad behavior that goes along with them. His eyes, like Gabriel’s eyes, deliver the same message over and over to one unsuspecting female after another. With their direct searing stare they seem to speak—Love me NOW. There’s no time for doubt– NOW. I will hurt you and mislead you if you let me, but I don’t want you to fear me – YET! There’s plenty of time for fear and heartbreak - LATER. It’s time for some bad ass crazy making – NOW; and I will make you crazy – CRAZY JUST LIKE ME! … And I WILL break your heart! You CANNOT ignore me. YOU WILL LOVE ME NOW!

 

Oh yes, I recognize those eyes instantly when I see them now. My dear dead husband Gabriel had those eyes! He’s dead, yet sometimes when I wake up, for an instant, I think Gabriel is leaning over me, staring at me. I open my eyes and his eyes are locked into an unblinking stare with mine. His face is so close to mine that I even think I hear him whispering to me in hushed sensual tones like he used to do. My heart beat pounds in my ears as I go into a full blown panic attack. I quickly close my eyes and I make a conscious effort to breathe. ... How can one man have such a dramatic effect on someone after so many years?

 

I Julietta Diamond Christopher, Esquire, who can take on powerful male attorneys in a courtroom, can still be made to cower under the covers in my bed when I think of the face of the man I had married. I’m angry at myself for my own inability to control my reactions and the fact that this man still haunts me. Why can’t I forget his face? Why can’t I forget his eyes? Why can’t I forget him? Why can’t I forget how he looked? His appearance completely masked his cold-hearted indifference for anyone’s feelings – for my feelings… Why can’t I banish him from my dreams? Why am I still so haunted by his memory? Why? Why? Why?

 

I know now that people aren’t always who they appear to be. Appearances can be deceiving. What you see isn’t always what you get! I learned that the hard way. Gabriel looked like an angel, but I found out all too quickly, that he definitely was not one...

 

BUY LINKS

 

 

AMAZON.COM



 

BARNESANDNOBLE.COM


 

 

GOODREADS LINKS


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, August 15, 2014

@ShieldsAlly Creates a Fire Storm #ASMSG


 Fire Storm
*Series : Guardian Witch #5
by
Ally Shields





*Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
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*Book length:  novel

Blurb:

 

Sometimes you just need to stay alive to fight another day.

 

Six months ago Ari moved in with the vampire prince Andreas. They defied the vampire elders in Europe, killed their enforcer, and have waited for retaliation that never came.

 

Until now.

 

On a trip to Italy, Andreas is captured by the vampire rulers, the notorious O-Seven, and taken in chains to their stronghold in Germany. Ari goes after him, even though it’s against the orders of her Magic Council. She is fired for her actions, losing her special Guardian powers at a time she needs them most.

 

But the vampire rulers are not through with her or with those who attempt to help her. They launch attacks in Europe and at home in Riverdale. Ari is forced to fight them on several fronts, and victory grows increasingly uncertain.

 

Her last chance to rescue Andreas is a daring plan that places her in the hands of the O-Seven and relies on untested witch magic, the final hope for their survival.

 

Buy Links: 

 


  Bitly version of Amazon link: http://amzn.to/1f3keBF

 


  Bitly version of B&N link: http://bit.ly/1lCYdNP

 

Youtube book trailer: http://youtu.be/cer_uURx62s



Romantic excerpt:

 

Ari dragged her feet as she climbed the front steps of the Victorian home she shared with Andreas. They’d talked twice during the day. He’d called right after he first awoke, concerned when their magical link telegraphed her unsettled mood. She’d brushed him off, saying it was nothing important, but he hadn’t believed her. There were definite drawbacks to having a strong psychic connection to someone. It made it impossible to lie with impunity.

He’d called again, later in the evening when she was beginning patrol, but she’d delayed the discussion again until she got home. Well, she was home now and not looking forward to the coming rehash of her meeting with the wizard.

She keyed in the front door code, raising a brow when Andreas pulled it open. “Hi, I figured you’d at the club.”

A slow smile parted his lips, and his dark eyes gleamed. “No, you did not. You knew very well I would be waiting.” His magic reached out to brush against her skin, a warm, soothing sensation.

She sighed. “OK, so I figured you’d be home, but not manning the front door.”

“I wanted to give you these.” He pulled a bouquet of daffodils, her favorite flower, from behind his back. “You sounded like you could use a little TLC. Consider this my first contribution to that end.”

She tipped her head and took a long look at him. The black wavy hair, the sexy dark eyes with those incredible long lashes. His black Armani jeans and the bluish-silver silk shirt unbuttoned at the throat couldn’t have fit him better. Long, lean, muscled. And he shared his life with her. Ari smiled and leaned forward, resting her head against his chest. Did he know what one look, one gesture from him could do? And how much she’d come to count on it?

She turned her head to bury her nose in the fresh, delicate scent of the bouquet. “I won’t even ask where you found them at this time of year. But thanks, I guess I needed this.” She raised her head and brushed her lips across his. “You’re too good to me.”

He wound an arm around her waist. “Always glad to help, but dinner awaits, and we can talk afterward.”

Andreas steered her toward the study, his favorite room. She was delighted but not surprised to see a candlelit table and bottles of wine. This wasn’t the first time he’d arranged intimate dinners brought in from Club Dintero, his fancy supper club. Nor was the dinner menu a surprise when he pulled the silver cover off her plate to reveal chicken marsala. It was her favorite fancy dish. Well, fancy when compared with the sandwiches, chips or fries that she often grabbed on the run.

As he pulled out her chair, his fingers brushed her neck. Her breath quickened, and he responded with a deep chuckle. She smiled up at him, and an understanding passed between them. They’d been together long enough that the unspoken promises were comfortably tucked away for later.

 

Heat level: PG-13


Author Contacts:
Website: http://allyshields.com







Other books in the series:
Title 1: Awakening the Fire (Guardian Witch #1), GR link to cover:


Title 2: Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2), GR link to cover: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16283418-fire-within

Title 3: Burning Both Ends (Guardian Witch #3), GR link to cover:


Title 4: Blood and Fire ((Guardian Witch #4), GR link to cover: https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/18583974-blood-fire

 

All books can be accessed through my author page at Amazon: http://amzn.to/13LH078 or this search link at B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=842187


Thanks Alley for sharing,


Tina

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Out with the Old, In with The New Cover for Marketing Exec's Widow

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I decided to update the look of my Executive Wives' Club books and just received the new cover for Marketing Exec's Widow.


Blurb:


Needing to revive her life and jump start her heart, Jennifer Larson is facing the biggest challenge of her life, moving into an unplanned future. While the rest of the Executives Wives' Club continue to mourn their husbands, Jen is tempted into the future by a sexy chiropractor, Hagan Chaney.

But does he love her or her money?




Excerpt:


Reaching the landing, she sailed across and stopped by the first bedroom door. A brief glimpse revealed the same disappointing result as the space downstairs. “No, but there are a number of small towns nearby that might have what you’re looking for.”


An enticing male scent floated through the air, a second before a hand gripped the doorframe by her shoulder.


Every female gene sprang to attention at his close proximity.


Desire poured through her, drenching her with emotions she hadn’t felt in months, hell, maybe even years. Her knees wobbled and she staggered into the doorframe, but remained standing.


Hagan peered over her shoulder and blocked her retreat. “Not bad, if I want to have another office suite up here. I can tear out this wall and make a larger lobby, or close off the doorway and create another entrance into the room.”


He wandered to the next bedroom.


She gulped in a quick breath and air screamed back into her lungs. The residual scent of his citrusy cologne flowed in too and prompted her out-of-control hormones to form images of him: lying in bed, on top of her, his chest nestled against hers, his lips a breath away from…


Oh, my, a year without sex and I’m losing it.


Craig, why didn’t you divorce me before you died?


Jen gathered her strength and followed Hagan through the house. The easy flow of his long limbs showed incredible grace for a big man. So tempting, yet, she couldn’t pursue him. Not now, not with everyone watching her, they expected her to act like a grieving widow. If she didn’t, they’d forever brand her as an unloving wife. 

Read First Chapter of "Marketing Exec's Widow" and Reviews




Purchase ebook at




This book is also on sale now until the end of the month for 99 cents.


Grab your copy today,


Tina

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

@GoddessFish Presents Luck of the Draw by @CheriAllan



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Cheri will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner and a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to another randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post.

If only life had a refresh button...

Kate Mitchell never planned to be a 31 year-old widowed single mom, but when her soon-to-be-EX husband up and dies, her dreams of finishing college and starting over are thrown in the air like a game of 52 pick-up. When she’s given a leave of absence from work and told to “quit or recommit,” Kate retreats to idyllic Sugar Falls, New Hampshire, to figure out whether she can discover her passion and pay the bills. Cue the fresh air, summer sunshine and one sexy local contractor.

Tall, dark, and handy…

Volunteer fireman and all-around hunky guy in a toolbelt, Jim Pearson has sworn off complicated women with messy baggage. They cling to his nice-guy stability and skills with a power saw just long enough to straighten out their lives and move on… but then he meets the cute single mom staying at Grams’ lake house for the summer.

While a sizzling attraction draws them together, Jim's distrust of complicated women and Kate's incredibly complicated life threaten to pull them apart. But forces beyond their control--match-making grandmothers, the lazy backdrop of summer, and their own reckoning with the past--conspire to make them risk it all... and bet on love.


Now enjoy and excerpt:

She could hear their breathing in the quiet room, the air a bit close from the heat of the day. She smiled.

He grimaced.

“Kate, I—”

She put her finger to his lips. “Please, don’t. I know this must seem crazy. We hardly know each other, but… I don’t want to analyze it. Not now.”

She didn’t want to talk. Didn’t want to admit her behavior was so far removed from her usual comfort zone it was like observing someone else. But Jim made her feel safe in a way she couldn’t put her finger on. Safe… and alive. No, that wasn’t right. He made her feel… hopeful. There was something about his eyes. So gentle, so kind. When she looked into his eyes, all the sad, lonely years melted away, and her heart felt light again, like a butterfly in her breast. She hadn’t felt that feeling in so very, very long. She couldn’t bear to turn it away. Not now. Not yet.

He nodded, his gaze boring into hers as he grasped her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. His thumb brushed over her fingers as he looked at her hand. “You took off your ring,” he whispered.

She nodded, and he brought her hand to his lips again, looked her in the eyes. “Tell me what you want,” he said.

“For you to,” she managed a shaky breath, “do that again?”

He grinned against her wrist…


Cheri Allan lives in a charming fixer-upper in rural New Hampshire with her husband, two children, one dog, four cats and an excessive amount of optimism. She’s a firm believer in do-it-yourself, new beginnings and happily-ever-afters, so after years of wearing suits, she’s grateful to finally put her English degree to good use writing romance. When not writing, you might find her whizzing down the slopes of a nearby mountain or inadvertently killing perennials in her garden.

Cheri loves to hear from readers! E-mail her at cheri@cheriallan.com, friend her at facebook.com/cheriallanauthor, or visit her website and blog at www.cheriallan.com. Luck of the Draw, Book 1 in the ‘Betting on Romance’ series is available now from Amazon and Smashwords. Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448863

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheri-Allan-Books/143131549193624

https://twitter.com/CheriAllan

http://www.cheriallan.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks for being on my blog,


Tina

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Summer Time Questions for @KimHeadlee




Five easy question Kim. 



 

Ice Tea or Lemonade? Depends on how hot I am, and whether I feel in the mood for spicy or sweet. :D

 

Lake or ocean? Ocean, then lake. Any open body of water will do, really. Just call me “Ariel in reverse.”

 

Sandals or Flipflops? Sandals with a toe thong, but not the real blingy kind.

 

Sit in the shadow of a tree or on the front/back porch? Oh, here is where you bump me off and take my real estate. I have a second, fully appointed house on my hundred-acre property called The Retreat—with a second-story screened porch off the library. The nearest neighbors are the horses & chickens on an adjacent farm.

 

Ball cap or floppy hat? Ball cap. With or without a Seattle Mariners or University of Washington Huskies logo.


Kim Headlee

 

Now, let's learn more about Kim.

 

She lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, and assorted wildlife. People; creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins -- the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-20th century -- seem to be sticking around for a while yet.



Kim is a Seattle native (when she used to live in the Metro DC area, she loved telling people she was from "the other Washington") and a direct descendent of 20th-century Russian nobility. Her grandmother was a childhood friend of the doomed Grand Duchess Anastasia, and the romantic yet tragic story of how Lydia escaped Communist Russia with the aid of her American husband will most certainly one day fuel one of Kim's novels. Another novel in the queue will involve her husband's ancestor, the 7th-century proto-Viking king of the Swedish colony in Russia.



For the time being, however, Kim has plenty of work to do in creating her projected 8-book Arthurian series, The Dragon's Dove Chronicles, and other novels under her new imprint, Pendragon Cove Press. She also writes romantic historical fiction under the pseudonym "Kimberly Iverson."

 

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS:












Dawnflight (The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles, volume 1)
By Kim Headlee
Historical/Fantasy/Action-Adventure/Spiritual/Romance


4 ½ stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times (1st edition), November 1999
Winner (tie), 1999 Blue Boa Award for Excellence in Romantic Fiction, Historical category
Romantic Times Nominee—Best Innovative Historical Romance of 1999
Honorable Mention in SF Site’s Readers’ Choice Best SF & Fantasy Books of 1999
Finalist, 2000 Golden Quill, Historical category
Finalist, 2014-2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (2nd edition), Religious Fiction category


Synopsis:

Gyan is a Caledonian chieftainess by birth, a warrior and leader of warriors by training, and she is betrothed to Urien, a son of her clan’s deadliest enemy, by right of Arthur the Pendragon’s conquest of her people. For the sake of peace, Gyan is willing to sacrifice everything...perhaps even her very life, if her foreboding about Urien proves true.

Roman by his father, Brytoni by his mother, and denied hereditary rulership of his mother's clan because of his mixed blood, Arthur has followed his father's path to become Dux Britanniarum, the Pendragon: supreme commander of the northern Brytoni army. The Caledonians, Scots, Saxons, and Angles keep him too busy to dwell upon his loneliness...most of the time.

When Gyan and Arthur meet, each recognize within the other their soul’s mate. The treaty has preserved Gyan’s ancient right to marry any man, providing he is a Brytoni nobleman—but Arthur does not qualify. And the ambitious Urien, Arthur’s greatest political rival, shall not be so easily denied. If Gyan and Arthur cannot prevent Urien from plunging the Caledonians and Brytons back into war, their love will be doomed to remain unfulfilled forever.

But there is an even greater threat looming. The Laird of the Scots wants their land and will kill all who stand in his way. Gyan, Arthur, and Urien must unite to defeat this merciless enemy who threatens everyone they hold dear.

(Previously published by Sonnet Books, Simon & Schuster, 1999)

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Excerpt:

IT WAS A wild night, the eve of Samhainn. A biting gale roared down from the north, spitting snow. It tore through the trees like some mad thing, stripping away the last of the dead birch leaves and tangling in the pine boughs to make the trunks sway and groan. The snow and leaves whirled together in a frantic dance to the howls of the raging wind.
But the ghostly music was not loud enough to compete with the screams of the woman in labor.
Ogryvan mac Glynnis, Chieftain of Clan Argyll of Caledon, paced the circular stone room next to the family’s living quarters. The midwives had refused to let him be at his wife’s side during her ordeal. As her cries sundered the night, his anger and frustration grew. He quickened his pace in a futile attempt to dispel the mounting tension.
The room’s only door creaked open. In raced a small child. Ogryvan scooped his three-year-old stepson into his arms. The boy’s eyes were wide with fear, and tear tracks stained his pale cheeks. He buried his head against Ogryvan’s burly chest.
“Papa, where’s Mama? Wind noisy!”
Despite his concern for his wife, her son made him smile. Peredur hadn’t reached two summers when Ogryvan had defeated the boy’s father in the dubh-lann for the right to become Hymar’s consort. Too young to remember his real father, Peredur had readily accepted Ogryvan, and in response, the chieftain had been pleased to treat the boy as a son of his flesh.
He brushed away the tears on the lad’s cheeks. “The bairn is coming, Peredur.”
“Bairn! Can I go see?”
Ogryvan shook his head. “It’s women’s work, son. We men must wait until it’s done.”
“When, Papa?”
“Soon. I hope.”
Another scream ripped the night, longer and more shrill than the rest. Peredur squirmed. “Lemme go!” He pummeled Ogryvan’s chest with impotent little fists. “They hurting her!”
He squatted to set the child down but did not release his hold. “Your Mama will be all right.” He hoped.
“My lord?” came a tentative half whisper from before him.
Ogryvan glared at the door. A young servant stood just inside the room, eyes downcast, wringing her hands. He knew her: Cynda, who had lost her bairn and her husband three days earlier to the fever.
He rose to his full height, holding Peredur. “Well?”
“A girl, my lord. But there was too much blood. Chieftainess Hymar is—” The woman sucked in a breath. “My lord, she is dying.”
Ogryvan thrust the boy into Cynda’s arms and strode down the hall.
The birthing chamber was swarming with women, their frantic activity reminding him of slaughter day at the chicken pens. He riveted his gaze to the still figure on the bed. No one dared stop him as he waded through them to kneel at Hymar’s side.
She was lying on her back, knees drawn up and apart, naked from her swollen waist down. Her breath came in ragged gasps. Agony etched its grim story across her lovely face. More than anything, Ogryvan wished he could wipe that pain away, and he despised his wretched powerlessness.
Gently, he gathered her into his arms while one of the women replaced the crimson-stained bedclothes with fresh ones. He laid her down and pulled up the sleeping fur.
Hymar’s lids fluttered open. “Ogryvan…” Her smile was as pale as her voice. “My dearest love…a girl-child.” Grimacing, she drew another gasping breath. “To carry on. After me. Now.”
He picked up her hand and lightly ran his fingers along her forearm, over the pair of blue doves that was the mark of Clan Argyll. “Nonsense, Hymar,” he protested quietly. “You will get well.”
“I see her, Ogryvan. The Hag. There…by the fire.”
He saw only Cynda, cradling at her breast the wee pink creature that was his infant daughter. The baby fed greedily, obviously unaware of anything save her primal need. Peredur stood at Cynda’s feet, gazing up at his half sister in wide-eyed wonder.
Ogryvan beckoned to Cynda. Slowly, to avoid disturbing the bairn, she approached the bed. Little Peredur marched straight to his mother’s side. As Ogryvan drew the boy into the shelter of his arms, Peredur wriggled an arm free to reach for Hymar’s hand. Turning pain-hazed eyes upon him, Hymar summoned a sad smile for her firstborn.
“Here is your Hag, Hymar,” Ogryvan replied as Cynda bent down with the baby. “What shall we name her?”
Hymar’s face melted into joy as she beheld her daughter. “She is…my rarest song…Gyanhumara.”
She raised her hand to touch the child. Gyanhumara’s tiny fist closed around her finger. Hymar sighed, smiling, eyes transfixed upon the infant. Her chest did not rise again.
All movement in the birthing chamber ceased. Silence descended. With a grief too heavy for words, Ogryvan bowed his head, pressing the limp hand of his beloved to his cheek. Peredur’s soft whimpers drowned in the sleeping fur that covered his mother’s chest.
The storm battered the building’s stone walls, screeching its rage at being denied entry. Terrified by the noise, the new Chieftainess of Clan Argyll uttered a piercing wail.

Thanks for sharing, 

Anita