Authors, Authors, Authors!

Yesterday, I spent the day at the Kress Family Library in De Pere, WI for their Celebrate Writing: A Reader & Author Fair. This was the first year they attempted the fair and it was fabulous. Not only did I meet several new authors, but I met readers and aspiring authors as well. The fair had a speaker and panel that I was able to listen to while sitting at my own booth. During downtime, I visited several authors and snatched their information for this post.

Please meet (in order by a messy stack of cards next to me):

PJ Fiala

 

Book Spotlight:

 

Nothing terrifies Samantha Powell more than starting over, but after devoting three decades to a troubled man and an unhappy marriage, Sam finds the courage to seek her own happiness. She imagines a nice quiet life filled with friends, family, and a career that leaves no room for relationship drama. Unfortunately, no one told the alluring Grayson Kinkaide.

After escaping a bad marriage of his own, Grayson realizes his soul mate is still out there and his heart is set on Sam. Their instant attraction begins a steamy affair, but the women of Grayson’s past aren’t ready to let him go. Can Grayson convince Sam that she is the only one for him?

"Designing Samantha's Love" is a steamy romance that contains sexual content.

You can find out more about PJ Fiala at her website:

www.pjfiala.com
Romance on Wheels






Valerie J. Clarizio

Book Spotlight:

Detective Spinelli’s life is tossed sideways when he is reassigned from the Homicide division to assist in the Child Services division of the Social Services Department for the holiday season. From the beginning, Spinelli and Caseworker Shannon O’Hara generate their own kind of fireworks, causing more than the normal workplace stress. They both have their own philosophies for dealing with the clientele. However, the forces of nature have their own plan for Spinelli and Shannon.

Shannon moonlights as Santa Claus’ little helper at the mall, and when Santa and an elf turn up dead Shannon appears to be next on the killer’s list. Spinelli is placed back on homicide and goes undercover as Santa to help capture the killer. He catches a great deal of grief along the way but will he capture the heart of his little Santa’s helper as well?



You can find out more about Valerie J. Clarizio at her website:

https://valclarizio.wordpress.com/









Mary Grace Murphy

Book Spotlight:


Nell Bailey has always suspected food would be the death of her, but never did she consider her relationship with tempting treats would cause her to be a target for murder.

After writing an extremely negative review of "Sam's Slam" and posting it on her blog "Noshes Up North," a follower takes issue with her comments and won't let it go. The cyber bullying continues culminating in a gruesome murder.

A fellow foodie, coincidentally also named Nell, has been slain in a most heinous manner. Could it be a case of mistaken identity and she was the intended victim?

As Nell wonders how to deal with the situation, her lifetime battle with weight and self image give her no relief. She finds herself relying on her group of good friends for advice and support. Then she gets help from an unexpected source - Sam, the owner of the restaurant she had torn to shreds in her review.

As sparks start to ignite between them, a chilling question rears its ugly head in the back of Nell's mind. Could Sam possibly be the killer? And does he want her dead?                






You can find out more about Mary Grace Murphy at her website:

http://marygracemurphy.com/








Virginia McCullough

Book Spotlight:

Lorna Lindstrom and Jack Young just got married in the tropics—and their grownup kids don’t like it one bit...

Now the newlyweds feel like a couple of fools. Surely ending their impulsive “cruise ship” marriage is the best solution. Lorna’s two kids and Jack’s daughter sure think so. But their meddling backfires, prompting Jack and Lorna to rethink their plan. Don’t they deserve a happy ending, after all?

A professional organizer, Lorna is a little too proud of her spotless home. She fell in love with Jack’s generous heart, but must he rescue every abandoned dog in town? Jack owns a popular, laidback nostalgia café, with menu items named for ‘60s and ‘70s songs. He feels right at home in Lorna’s bedroom, but he might as well be a stranger everywhere else in her perfect house.

In a matter of days, Lorna puts her organizing skills to work to help Jack’s elderly father, while Jack takes on a new rescue mission, this one involving Lorna’s daughter. But even as their lives become more enmeshed, this “opposites attract” duo can’t quite get in sync. Is it time to admit defeat and go their separate ways? Or can they find a way to make peace with their dueling quirks and have some fun with their second-chance romance?







You can find out more information about Virginia McCullough at her website:

http://www.virginiamccullough.com/






L.L. Mecazani

Book Spotlight:

For Bethany Jasdam, it's difficult not to see the evil that lurks inside her mother, Delilah, even though others seem to love her. Suddenly, as on relative after another dies while under her mother's care, the evil inside Delilah becomes apparent to Bethany. She realizes it's not just her that her mother despises. Delilah -- selfish, jealous, and greedy -- does anything in her power to advance her own goals. One by one, victims are lured under her mother's charm, only to be deceived, then wind up dead a few weeks later. And Bethany seems to be the only one who knows what is really happening. So now Bethany has to ask herself: who will be Delilah's next victim?

You can find out more information about L.L. Mecazani at her website:

http://www.llmecazani.com/







Lisa Lickel

Book Spotlight:


Hope, love, and loss meld two polar opposite personalities. How long can they keep passion for their ministry and each other after the wedding?

Medical missionary and avowed bachelor Merit Campbell is wounded during a skirmish at his Mideast clinic and sent home to recover. Restlessness propels him to explore the happier moments of his childhood in Illinois where he meets Amalia Kennedy, owner of The Last Detail, who enjoys helping people prepare for their final years. Merit ushers in new life; Amalia ushers it out. Love? Obviously. Marriage? Check. Dealing with the family closet? Step back…

Amalia enjoys her predictable life in a quiet little Illinois town—until long-time intended, Hudson, finally proposes in a way that shows her boring and old are coming way too fast. When a mutual friend introduces Merit and Amalia, the spark of attraction makes Merit reconsider his bachelorhood. When he can’t return to the mission, he accepts a call as pastor to Amalia’s church. As the two grow closer they weather constant interruptions from ministry, business, and family, even at their wedding and beyond. When tragedy strikes, they must learn to rely on each other in ways they couldn’t have prepared for.





You can find out more information about Lisa Lickel at her website:

http://lisalickel.com/






I hope you will check out these talented authors! As always, you can always find me at http://www.nicolettepierce.com/ 

I'll be back next month with more great authors!

A Heroine's Age

Have you noticed there are more and more stories being written where the heroine is a little bit older? I’m liking this trend for several reasons. 

Although there is nothing quite so perfect about a nineteen or twenty year old finding love for the first time, for me, as an older woman (Wow! Did I just write that? I’ve never considered myself an older woman but I suppose being in my fifties qualifies me), I like knowing that hope for a happily ever after is still there after the kids are grown and left the nest, after a woman has experienced some of what life has to offer. 

The heroine in her thirties who has concentrated on building her career? I love the fact that from out of nowhere, just when she’s given up on finding that elusive treasure (or hasn’t even been looking for it), here he comes, her knight in shining armor. In Victoria Alexander’s “The Perfect Wife”, Sabrina Winfield is a widow with a grown daughter and she finds love for the second time in her life, which really stirred something in my soul. If she can, why can’t everyone else?

            

Happily Ever After Thoughts had the good fortune to interview Lisa Lickel about her book Meander Scar, which is about a forty-something woman putting her life back together after the disappearance of her husband. She finds love with a younger man. I love this!

            

In my opinion, an older heroine has so much to give to a relationship, so much love and hope in her heart. What do you think? Do you like older heroines? What age do you like your heroines?

As always, happy reading!

Marie

Guest Author: Lisa Lickel

Thank you for having me as your guest today. Meander Scar is a story about a forty-something woman who is the process of getting her life together after the disappearance of her husband. She meets a younger man from her past who offers to help her settle her husband's estate while trying to convince that he truly loves her. When she learns what happened to her husband, she must decide how to handle it. 

The title is a geographical term relating to the curve of a river. I always liked the sound of the words and the idea that even after healing from our hurts, or curves in life, there’s an after-effect, like a scar. Both Ann and Mark had past issues to deal with – don’t we all? – and realized that even though there were a lot of reasons they shouldn’t be together, they were better as a couple than as two lost souls trying to figure out what to do on their own. 

I hope readers will enjoy the story, a lot of romance, some mystery and intrigue, a lot of soul-searching, and realize that love doesn't have to come in a pre-defined package; that not all fictional romances have to be tween twenty-somethings just starting out fresh and that telling the truth is a choice with consequences.

 About Lisa :-)

Lisa Lickel is a Wisconsin writer who lives with her husband in a hundred and sixty-year-old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain. Surrounded by books and dragons, she writes inspiring fiction. Her novels include mystery and romance, all with a twist of grace. She has penned dozens of feature newspaper stories, short stories, magazine articles and radio theater. She is the editor in chief of Creative Wisconsin Magazine and of OtherSheep, a Christian sci fi/fantasy magazine. She loves to encourage new authors. Find her at LisaLickel.com.

Title: Meander Scar, publisher: BlackLyon

c. 2010

Excerpt:

On the Friday Ann invited Mark for dinner, minutes inched. When she returned to her desk after delivering the stock inventory report of one of their holdings in Japan, her message light flashed. Absentmindedly, she pressed the button while clicking her computer screen back to life.

“Annie, it’s Mark. I just want you to know that I’ll be a little late tonight. I have to catch up on some research. It shouldn’t take that long, just a half-hour, forty-five minutes. I’ll see you later.”

Annie! Nobody called her that. She hated it. She had not even let her mother call her that and whenever Rachel tried, Ann had pulled her sister’s hair or punched her.

Annie.

She waited for the usual passion to stir up. Annie Oakley. Annie, Annie, pants on fire. Annie, Annie, all come free! Annie Banannie. Annie Bo-mannie.

Annie.

Mark’s voice sent a trill of pleasure up her neck, even if he called her…Annie.

Could she be an Annie? Could she become that kind of woman Annie represented? Annie was a baby name, a nickname for a person who was…what, carefree? Unconcerned. Young at heart? Annie—Any, anyone. Ann never wanted to be just anyone. She was Ann, mistress of her own life. Well, that’s what she had, the past seven years. Her own life. The woman who was Alone. A woman who took naps in the middle of the afternoon. The woman who waited, as if occupying one of those benches on the shores of the Wisconsin River at the retirement home.

She knew, then, that she didn’t need to be Ann anymore. Straight laced, alone, too secure, too demure, waiting for something to happen to her, waiting for someone to come and fix her problems for her. Gene’s absence was problem number one. After she dealt with putting his memory to rest, she could find someone to have fun with. She would show everyone that she was more than just plain old mopey Ann. She could be fun Annie, the woman who could have a good time. Maybe she would even get herself a boyfriend. Her palms turned clammy as she thought of touching a man again, feeling warm smooth skin under her palms. A man who had muscled forearms like Mark’s, whose strength she could lean against in a crowd and know he would keep her safe.

        Gretchen Tomlin, Howie Gorman’s assistant, stopped at Ann’s desk. “Howie’s looking for…Ann, are you all right? Not getting one of your headaches, are you?”

        “Oh, no, I’m fine. Here’s the report.” Ann handed her the folder and began to roll back to her desk. She stopped. “Gretchen, just a sec.” The other woman’s eyes widened in her surprise. “Do you think I look like…an Ann? Or could I be an Annie?”

        Gretchen folded her arms, the report clutched in one hand, while she tilted her head and pretended to study Ann through twinkling eyes and a mock frown. Gretchen, who had known Ann since she married Gene, could not hold back her wide smile for long. “Ann, woman, you can be whatever you want. You don’t need anyone’s permission.”

To win a copy of Meander Scar, leave a comment for Lisa :-) Winner will be announced Wednesday in the side column.