Get Hooked with Executive Wive's Club series #MFRWauthor #MFRW_org

Once a week Marketing for Romance Authors promote each other on Book Hooks.


It's a great way for the author to help friends and get the word out about the group.

This week, I want to share excerpts from my Executive Wives' Club Series




CFO's Affair - 3rd book in the Executive Wives' Club series 
 (strong women fiction elements) 

Excerpt: 

“I'm fine. I merely had a strange encounter after I left work.” Sylvia strolled to the sofa across from Marianne and sank onto the plush cushion. The large windows lining the opposite wall behind the other couch offered an appealing view of a bright harvest moon. The empty cornfield, which sat behind Brie's house, displayed row after row of shredded corn stalks. The depressing sight foretold of the snow that would fall continuously in a couple of months.

“Why don't you tell us about it?” Jen, the willowy, young, brunette of the group, laid a hand on Sylvia's thigh, and perched on the edge of the sofa near her. “Did Vince do something to upset you?”

“I warned you he was a Casanova.” Brie dropped into her favorite recliner, her lion slippers bobbing on her feet.

“No, he has no interest in me. After the first day, I haven't seen much of him. He probably only walked me into the building because Knox didn't want me to bolt.” Sylvia recalled the man's handsome profile and the alluring scent of his cologne. He could walk down the hallway ahead of her and she'd find herself tempted to follow.

Shoving thoughts of him aside, she focused on a theory she’d devised during dinner and gripped Jen's hand. “I think I might be able to find out who Bob was having an affair with.”

She looked into Jen’s concern face. She’d been the first to learn of Bob's request for a divorce. He dropped the bomb hours before leaving on a company business trip to Seattle, the ill-fated trip where none of the executive team had come back alive.

“Please, Sylvia, let it go.” Marianne leaned forward and held out her hands in a pleading gesture. “Bob is dead and you're only hurting yourself by worrying about this.”

“I can't. I've tried.” Sylvia closed her eyes and released Jen's hand. “I have to know why he decided to leave me.”

“Do you have any ideas?” Jen shifted closer. Her warmth reminded Sylvia that she didn’t have to go through this heartache alone. The other three ladies in the room had lost their husbands too. Even though Jen and Brie had both remarried, they knew the pain of losing a spouse. They simply didn't comprehend how much it hurt to have one ask for a divorce right before that loss.

“No. I think Wyoming Tetterman might help me learn who he was seeing.” Sylvia couldn’t fathom any other reason for Wyoming's refusal to talk. Did she know something she didn't want to share?

“Why?” Brie rose, shuffled over to Sylvia, and squatted down in front of her. “Did she tell you Bob had a lover?”

“No, but for some reason she doesn't want to talk to me either.” Sylvia stared into Brie's sweet face, gained a little perspective on how this might affect her friends and glanced up at Marianne. “I could be wrong, but why else would she feel the need to avoid me?” 

Marianne shook her head and shifted forward. “Honey, you're setting yourself up to get hurt. What happens when you find out the name of the person Bob slept with? Are you planning to confront them? Because they won’t have any sympathy for you. In their eyes you got it all.”

“Ouch, that's brutal. However, she's right Sylvia. I still have people look at me as if I kill Eric so I could get the insurance money from the wreck.” Brie grabbed Sylvia's hand and held it between both of hers.

“I know; I get those looks too.”

“Then imagine how much worse it'll be if they find out he wanted to divorce.” Marianne rose and stepped behind Brie. “Please let it go. If working at Mama Turner's is causing the problem, tell Knox to take a flying leap off a high bridge.”

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IT's Exec's Baby - 2nd Book in Executives' Wives' Club series (strong women fiction elements)  

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

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

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

A giggle sounded from below the deck.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I got you.”

“No,” Allison screamed again.

Footsteps thundered across the deck above. “Brie, Allison, where are you?”

The concern in Jason’s voice threw Brie. He hadn’t stopped by since their date. What was he doing here now?

Allison groaned and wrapped her hands around Brie’s waist. “Ethan must have led him through the house.”

“Mom, where are you?” Ethan’s short legs appeared at the top of the stairs leading down to the patio. He leaned over the banister, a wide smile on his face. “Coach just stopped by.”

Allison whirled around and pointed a finger at her brother. “And you cheated. You’re not supposed to go through the house.”

“But...” Ethan walked down a few steps. A pair of jean-covered legs appeared and Jason stepped into view.

“That was my fault. I thought it would be the quickest way out here.” Jason added, taking the blame off her son.

Brie raked her gaze over his lean form encased in a blue t-shirt and faded jeans. The wind had tossed his dark hair in disarray. He appeared as if he had all the time in the world.

“But you’re not even playing the game with us.” Allison shuffled backwards, grumbling to her mother, “I shouldn't have to be it because they’re not playing fair.”

Brie laid her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and offered her a conspirator’s wink. With the excitement of seeing him again singing through her blood, she forced herself to remain calm. “You’re right. I say we make Jason it.”

“Hey, I didn't even know we were playing hide-and-seek,” Jason argued and lightly tapped Ethan’s arm with his fist. “You didn’t tell me, sport.”

“Tough, that’s the cost of showing up late.” Brie sidestepped her daughter, but before she could take more than a few steps her daughter caught her hand.

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Marketing Exec's Widow 1st Book in Executives' Wives' Club series (strong women fiction elements)  

Friday night, sitting at a booth in a nice, romantic restaurant, Jen silently wished she could enjoy the subdued atmosphere, and order a rib eye steak. Instead, her hands shook and her stomach churned with doubt. The survival skills she’d learned after becoming a real estate agent demanded a calm, composed front, but she couldn’t pull it off.

Hell, who was she fooling?

After ten years without a date, what made her believe she could do this again? She stared at the menu. Could she even swallow a bite of beef? And if not, what should she order?

She lifted her gaze to the drop-dead gorgeous man on the other side of the table. Hagan Cheney, a Greek god incarnated, had strawberry blond hair glowing like gold around his head. Wide shoulders and strong arms were encased in a hunter-green cashmere sweater. Apollo himself wouldn’t look any better.

Why in heaven’s name did he ask her on a date?

And why did she care?

She had no plans other than a casual dinner for two.

He glanced up and a pretty-boy grin crossed his lips. The twinkle in his hazel eyes softened the square line of his jaw. “So have you decided what you want?”

Heat simmered low in her belly. Oh, yeah, answering that question the wrong way could get her into a world of trouble.

Tempted by wicked ideas, Jen blinked and stared at the menu. She’d do better if he didn’t know the wild directions of her brainwaves. “I’m not sure I can eat. I haven’t been this nervous since my first date with Craig.”

Ah, shit, I wasn’t supposed to mention him. Fire burned her cheeks and her gaze popped onto Hagan’s befuddled expression.

“Craig?” Hagan lowered his menu.

“My...uh...husband. He died several months ago.” Jen’s grip tightened on the plastic folder and her heart raced into overdrive. Great, just what she needed to say to start the evening off on the right note. Mention your dead husband and kill the mood.

“Want to call the evening a bust?” she blurted out, angry at herself for failing so miserably at the dating game.

Hagan leaned forward and folded his hands above his menu. “No. I already knew.”

“What? How?” She clenched her hands together under the table. He said he moved here from Texas, having arrived a few months ago to set up his practice and to be near his dad. How could he have found out? Did someone tell him? But who?

“My dad told me. He read about your husband’s accident in the paper.”

“God, you must think I’m awful.”

“Not even in the ballpark as to what I think about you. Because I know you would never have said yes to a night out with me if you’d been happy in your marriage.”

His words hit her like a fist to the face and her head snapped backward, striking the wooden partition between the booths. Wow, how could he have guessed the truth when so many people who knew her hadn’t?

She closed her eyes and searched for an answer. For so long, she’d kept her emotions bottled inside, not allowing anyone to see the loneliness or heartache her unhappy marriage had caused. What now? Lie, or admit the truth?

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

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Hope you enjoy,


Tina

Can You Help Me Choose The Cover for My Next Book? #RomanticSuspense #55+Community #Murder

I need your help picking out the cover for my next book - 

Tainted Rose

TagLine - Love, murder, and mayhem in 55+ community.



Blurb -

Maybelline Beasley enjoys her life in the Silver Leaf 55+ community until her neighbor is killed. With all eyes point at her as the prime suspect, she struggles with her fear of cops and her attraction to Detective Billy Bob Cooter. Can he save her from a murderer who’s looking for an escape goat? Or will her second change at love end be blown to smithereens by the murder’s gun?

You can take the survey here 


https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WDWGLRR


I have to say I really appreciate your help with this book everyone,

Thanks,

Tina

What Can You do on #MFRWorg as a #MFRWauthor? #GoodAdvice

Authors CAN DO Book Promotion -

I shared this post years ago but I believe it still applies.

Okay so now you’ve sold the book – what do you do? The days of the publisher promoting your book is long gone. From the brand new to the seasoned author, self published to large press you have to do most, if not all the leg work.

Trying to figure out where to start is the hard part. We all want the cover of Romantic Times, but my budget laughed so hard tears came to its’ eyes. I need to find a cheaper way. Much cheaper. Like free.

So I started small. How do you get your name out there anyway? Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, hit all the social medias you know about and create a presence. Now I’ll admit I haven’t tried all of them. I don’t have the time. Some days I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get it all done, but I keep my ear to the ground and listen when someone else is working with an new one. If is sounds like something I should get into I do.

Create a blog. I fought this one because I didn’t feel I had time to write, but I realized I have a lot of knowledge about writing so put one together, I try to post once a week. You can check it out at www.barbaradonlonbradley.blogspot.com

Do guest spots on someone else’s blog. I find this fun to do, although sometimes I have to rack my brain to come up with a subject I haven’t done before. Most ask for a writing related post, but some have interview questions, or just let you send a blurb, excerpt and cover image.

Chat’s are good. I’ve done a few of them. Of course when I do them you can hear the crickets chirping in the back row but I always do them armed and ready. I create my own questions so there is constantly something coming across. I don’t just promo my books – and with 13 titles I can fill several hours of nothing but promo. I try to give a little insight to me and my writing process.

Join groups. I stick to Yahoo, but I have become part of some really great ones. MFRW is one. There is so much knowledge out there and many of the authors are more than happy to share.

Do you have access to print copies of your book? Then do book signings. Go to your local book sellers and set up a signing. Try to have more than one author to sign with you if you can. The more authors the more it will help bring the readers in.

I hope this will help you get started.


Barb:)

Writing for Barbara Donlon Bradley started innocently enough, like most she kept diaries, journals, and wrote an occasional letter but she also had a vivid imagination and wrote scenes and short stories adding characters to her favorite shows and comic books. As time went on she found the passion for writing to be a strong drive for her. Humor is also very strong in her life. No matter how hard she tries to write something deep and dark, it will never happen. That humor bleeds into her writing. Since she can’t beat it she has le

This is a post from http://mfrw.blogspot.com I am a member and enjoy the great advise these wonderful authors have to share. Stop by their site and find out more about the art of writing and promoting. Tina

Stuck in The Rewrite Mode #writingtip #amwriting #authors

Thought I'd share the check list of things I look at when rewriting a book.

The story -       

·         Have I written enough?

·         Is there emotion on every page?

·         Are the Five Senses felt on each page?

1.      see

2.      hear

3.      taste

4.      smell

5.      touch

6.      Color and texture included

·         Plot line –

1.      strong hooks

2.      compelling inciting incident

3.      intense climax

4.      satisfying resolution

5.      Analysis the value of each scene

·         Character Development

1.      their journey

2.      character arch

3.      Dialogue – unique for each person

·         Backstory

1.      Too much or not enough

·         Pacing

1.      Using MSWord to check readability, which increases pacing.

This is only the first list of things I check when editing my stories.

Hope it helps,

Tina

Love Those Babies in Romance #WomenHelpingWomen #ASMSG #contemporaryromance

One of the most popular sub-genres of romance happens to be stories written about women with children or women who are pregnant.

Why?

The struggles of bring a child into the world is one of things that connect women. The nine months of carrying the baby, child birth, trying to deal with nightly feedings, diapers, change in hormones, etc. Every woman who has gone through it has a story and those that haven’t want to know what to expect.

Yes, but why put it in a romance?

The natural progression of a loving relationship is to create a new life. That is not to say that people who don’t want kids aren’t in a loving relationship.

In my first book, “Pregnancy Plan,” my heroine wants children. Yet, she isn’t married and not involved with anyone. She is will to go to any extremes to conceive a child.

I believe other women know this pain. When I was single, I wanted a child too. I gave myself a deadline of thirty. If I hadn’t met someone and gotten married, I planned to look into other options for bringing my child into the world.

In my case, I was married and had two children by the time I was thirty.  However, women who want a child have a choice. They can have a child on their own and raise it themselves.

A romance novel is as much about the relationship with a man as it is about the challenges that face women. In my book “Baby Decision,” my heroine has to choose between having a baby and college.

While in “Summer’s Growth,” my heroine is just trying to find where she belongs. In some ways, every romance also addresses women issues. It connects women readers to the story and creates a deep story in which to enjoy.

For this reason, I believe babies in romance novel draws the reader into the story and create a great read.


Visit my website and read the 1st chapter of any of my books


http://www.tinagayle.net//mybookpg.html


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Author Pages on:

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All Romance |

Coffee Time Romance

Have a great day,

Tina

Heroes of WestHoppe Ridge by Kryssie Fortune #Holiday #RomanceSeries #MilitaryRomance

Kryssie Fortune's holiday series, Heroes of Westhorpe Ridge, is now available in a convenient e-boxed set! Better still, you save over $3.00 by buying the box set.

About Kryssie and her books

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

A bit of both. I write the sort of books I like to read. Readers want sex, but the story always comes first. I start with a story idea. In To Mate a Werewolf, the hero Joel must compete in a tournament to retain the pack that should be his by right. He’s an alpha wolf, a shifter who leads the nation’s military. Tactics and strategy come easy to him, but he messed up badly when he found his mate. He needs to win her heart, her forgiveness, and win the tournament. Sometimes dreams are mutually exclusive.

I try to ensure my readers get the sizzling heat level they like, but they get a damn good story too.

What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?

I don’t base my characters on anyone. Many years ago, I qualified as an athletics judge so I made one of my characters a runner. Since my daughter ran the London Marathon in only three and half hours, she’s convinced the heroine is based on her. It isn’t, but I won’t disillusion her. (Until she reads this, of course). To Wed a Werewolf starts with a grand wedding. I based it on my son’s nuptials. The one thing it highlighted was the difference between American wedding customs and UK ones. That’s where having a great editor helps. Thanks, Kierstin Cherry.

Does your family support your career as a writer?

My husband and my daughter are my biggest cheerleaders. My son’s horrified that his mother even thinks people kiss let alone get up to the things they do in my books.

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I have great author friends. I get together with Jennifer Denys and Ashe Barker for lunch on a regular basis. We don’t bounce ideas around, but we discuss publishers, market trends, along with all the normal girlie gossip. We support each other on blogs and social media. Most authors do that, though. I’ve never met a mean writer yet. Everyone’s pleased to give each other a helping hand.

Tell us about your Heroes of Westhorpe Ridge

It’s a series of stand-alone romances set in a fictional North Carolina town. Each of the heroes are former military, and each is returning to Westhorpe Ridge after years of service. There’s an arranged marriage, a one-night-stand that almost gets the lovers arrested, and a second chance of romance. Each book features light BDSM and spanking.

Blurbs

Marriage, Mobsters, and the Marine
Abigail Montgomery, a small town schoolteacher with zero self-confidence, dreams of the Dickensian Christmas her family never enjoyed. Each month she attends a masked BDSM club, but her next visit will be her last. If she doesn’t marry within the next year, her brother won’t inherit Montgomery Hall. Desperate, she advertises for a husband.

Jared Armstrong, a former Marine sharpshooter and occasional Dom needs $125,000 to get his family out of a hole. His solution--to marry Abigail Montgomery for her money. His only regret is his wife won’t accept his spanking lifestyle.

Gradually, Abigail comes to dream of making their marriage real, but she promised Jared a divorce two years after their wedding. Can they share some Christmas magic as their relationship faces extortion threats, a kidnapping, and an attempted murder? Or will Jared break her heart when he walks away?


Sex, Scandal, and the Sheriff
Jasmine Stewart (Jazz to her friends) falls for the blond stranger when he spanks and seduces her at a Washington soiree. Later, when she discovers her flatmate is trying to draw her into a spy ring, she goes to the authorities. The ensuing publicity costs her her job, her security, and her future. Starting over in Westhorpe Ridge is her only option.

Sean Mathews, former SEAL and Westhorpe Ridge’s sheriff, can’t forget the woman he spanked when he visited Washington, but he thinks she’s a spy. When she turns up in Westhorpe Ridge, he tries everything to make her leave town. Despite their misunderstandings, though, they can’t keep their hands off each other.

As Year’s Eve looms, the spy ring resurfaces. Jazz will need all of Sean’s SEAL prowess to survive. But because his wounded leg cost him his speed in the water, will it be enough?


Desire, Deceit, and the Doctor
Twelve years ago, Mandy Devlin moved away from her friends and family--under threat. If she returned in the next ten years or told anyone who fathered her baby, her boyfriend’s great-aunt would bankrupt her family. She’s a single mom who dreams of her lost love and a good spanking. When she’s finally free to return to Westhorpe Ridge, the last person she expects to see is Adam--the man she loved and lost so long ago.

Dr. Adam Montgomery doesn’t know he has a son. Thanks to his great-aunt’s will, he has nine months to find a bride or he loses Montgomery Hall and the fifteen million dollars she left him. Although he seduces Mandy on his first night home, he still believes she betrayed him twelve years ago. No way would he marry a woman like her.

As Valentine’s Day looms, someone tries to kill Mandy. Is Adam trying to get rid of her? Or can Mandy trust him to protect them?

Note: All of the books in this set were previously released as single titles.

Buy links

Amazon UK    http://amzn.to/2pCuPwU

Amazon USA  http://amzn.to/2pRRbJR

Loose id       http://bit.ly/2oLIfIz

Kobo            http://bit.ly/2onhEPn

Barnes and Noble  http://bit.ly/2oGfGsq

Extract from Marriage, Mobsters, and the Marine

The engine stopped, and she heard a car door slam. She needed out of the trunk, but no one came for her. What if they abandon the car and leave me? I don’t want to die trussed up in a car trunk. A fresh wave of fear washed through her, along with a spike of adrenaline. Her body trembled, but time slowed and her thoughts cleared. She needed to take things one step at a time.

Step one—get her arms free. She wriggled around, hoping the rough ride had dislodged something she could use to cut the rope. Bingo. Her fingers touched a metal box. Maybe it held tools or a knife. She almost wept when she couldn’t open it. The hinge stuck out from the box, so she twisted some more, running the rope against the hinge. Periodically, she stopped and tensed her wrists in an attempt to pull the nylon strands apart.

She’d no idea how long she worked at her bonds. It seemed like hours until the rope finally gave way. Relieved tears filled her eyes. Rather than rub her wrists, she tugged off the hood and pulled the gag from her mouth. She’d never been so thirsty. She’d give anything for a cold beer right now.

Step two—find the release mechanism the law said every car should have in the trunk. She felt claustrophobic, so scared she could barely move, but she forced herself to concentrate. There, in the corner, a glow-in-the-dark lever beckoned. Wriggling like a maggot in a fisherman’s box, she kicked it for all she was worth, and the trunk lid popped open.

The air smelled wonderful, if slightly musty, but silence and utter darkness surrounded her. She listened a while, decided her captors had left, and slipped out the trunk. No lights shone through the darkness. Using her hands rather than her eyes, she found a lug wrench and flashlight alongside the spare tire beneath the space she’d just escaped. She grabbed both, quietly shut the trunk, and headed into the darkness.

Thanks Kryssie,

Tina

What to do? What to do? College or Motherhood? #contemporaryRomance #99c #sale

When I wrote this book, I wanted to show both the struggles of an unwed mother but also the pain of not being able to have a child.

Hope you enjoy the excerpt.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me, Kelly. He’s a smart guy. Why would he need me to help him with the class?” Susan watched the blade of the knife go through the onion. She was glad her job in Kelly and Jason’s household didn’t include cooking. Kelly had insisted she liked the chore. Susan, as the maid, only had to clean up.

“Jason is a smart guy, too. But he can’t spell worth a damn,” Kelly said around the matchstick in her mouth. Susan really didn’t believe the technique kept the tears away.

“Yes, but Jason loves you.” Susan wondered if anyone could not find Kelly loveable. Besides being a beautiful blonde with blue eyes and a killer figure, she was smart. Too bad she . . .

“Maybe, but when we were teamed up together in the master’s program, he was a royal pain.” Kelly threw the match in the trash. “I think the man went out of his way to find big words to use in our report so he could ask me how to spell them.” She scooped onion pieces off the cutting board and put them into a skillet. “And believe me, he was just like Colt. Jason wanted me to go out with him, and he thought if he pestered me enough, I’d give in.”

“So what should I do?” Susan shifted on her wooden barstool to get more comfortable. The baby rolled over and stretched. The soft pressure against the wall of her abdomen drew her hand to her stomach. “The man is hot. I’m not going to be able to resist him.”

“What’s wrong?” Concern rang in Kelly’s voice.

“Nothing, why?” Susan said, confused by the quick shift in topics.

“You had a funny look on your face.” Kelly picked up the green bell pepper and started chopping.

“Oh, the baby is moving.”

“Really?” Kelly’s eyes lit up.

Susan knew how much Kelly wanted to have a baby. It was part of the reason she was living with Kelly and Jason. “Do you want to feel the power of an all-star kicker?”

“Yes.” Kelly put down her knife and walked around the counter.

Her hand must have alerted the baby, because a kick hit Kelly’s palm.

“It must be amazing to feel a little person growing inside you,” Kelly said in awe.

“Usually.” Susan shrugged. “Sometimes, though, it’s more discomfort than amazement. Like at night when the baby wakes me, or during the day when he lays on my bladder. Sometimes I feel like an alien is invading my body, with demands I can’t meet.”

“You know you don’t have to face this alone. Jason and I will help you in any way we can, even if you don’t want to let us adopt your baby.” Kelly placed her hand on Susan’s shoulder. “You know we think of you as part of the family.”

“Yes, but . . .” Susan didn’t want to go over this again, but she still didn’t know what she should do. “If I keep the baby, how am I going to be able to go to school and get a degree? And if I let you and Jason adopt it, my parents will never forgive me.”

Now on sale for 99cents

Purchase ebook at.

www.smashwords.com
www.kobobooks.com
itunes.apple.com
At Amazon
www.barnesandnoble.com

Also, visit my website to read a longer excerpt. www.tinagayle.com

Hope you enjoy 

Tina