COWBOY'S BREAK Released in the Hell Yeah! Kindle World!

Cowboy's Break

by Lexi Post

Available on Amazon as part of the Hell Yeah! Kindle World.

Cowboy and former detective Vance Gallagher never thought he’d have a second chance to convince Rachel Henderson they were meant to be together, nor did he think he’d want to. Now, after seven years, thanks to his old police academy friend, Vance is knee deep in numbers and computers, determined to save Rachel’s ranch and his own heart.

Rachel hadn’t expected to see Vance again…ever. In fact, she planned on it. Saying goodbye to him had been the hardest thing she’d ever done, but she couldn’t handle her sister, the ranch, and his job as an undercover detective all at the same time. Now she’s with him every day and buried feelings just won’t go away.

The closer Vance gets to solving the mystery of the missing money, the more convinced he becomes that Rachel is the one for him. But when prize animals start disappearing, he has to choose between revealing the culprit and keeping the woman he’s always loved from harm. He just can’t catch a break.

Buy Link:

http://amzn.to/2bhJoSy

Excerpt:

Vance’s heart lurched as he gazed into Rachel’s blue eyes for a second, her face unchanged over the years except for a darker tan. Then she walked away from him…again. Her hips swayed and her pale blonde braid swished right and left with her gait.

His gut twisted. Was she married now? Did she have a husband and children who helped her with Yellowwood? Was the man of her heart easier to “handle” than him? Anger rushed over him and he gritted his teeth.

Finally, he turned to look at Hunter, who stood studying him. Damn, he hoped the investigation wasn’t about Rachel’s husband cheating on her. His hands fisted of their own accord.

“So are you going to give an old friend a welcome or just stand there like a statute all day?” Hunter’s lip quirked up at the corner.

Vance relaxed his hands and gave his friend a one-armed hug. When they parted, he shook his head. “Wow, you are just full of surprises.”

“I hadn’t planned on that. So you know Rachel?” Hunter motioned to the empty seat across from him and sat. 

“Yes.” Vance slid into the booth.

Hunter raised his brow. “That’s it?”

“Tell you what, you tell me why you’re dressed like Johnny Cash and I’ll tell you about Rachel.”

Ten other books available in the Hell Yeah! Kindle World. Check them out!

http://amzn.to/2aMK3di

 

Rain in Phoenix

         It’s a beautiful, sunny day here in Phoenix. White puffy clouds are building in the horizon over the mountains, looking like so many balls of cotton floating in an azure sky. Didn’t quite look like this earlier in the week (twice!).

         Now, I like rain. I do. I prefer a gentle, steady shower that makes you want to stay in bed and listen to it patter on the roof and windows, watch old movies or read a book safe in the cocoon of your bedding or curled up in a favorite chair, a cup of tea or coffee at beside you. That’s not what we normally get here at this time of year. We get monsoons, micro-bursts and macro-bursts. Nothing gentle about that. We’re not talking small drops that ping against your window or the ground.  We’re talking big, fat drops that make a definite loud, hard plop. We get…thunder, lightening, wind gusts that make you feel like you’re flying off to Oz (I’ve never been in a tornado or hurricane and I really don’t want to…I would imagine our monsoons are smaller, though no less destructive, versions of those horrendous forces of nature) and downpours that can dump two inches of water in thirty minutes or less.

         It’s amazing to watch from the comfort of your home. Downright scary if you’re out in it (I’ve seen the rain come down sideways, pushed by the wind!) This happened both Tuesday and Friday in the Valley of the Sun (fortunately, on both occasions I was not in my car because you just can’t see!). The sky darkens to an almost purple as those storm clouds roll in and then, they kinda just stall there, right above you and drop tons of water. What’s most amazing about this is that it can rain in one part of the valley but not another and the distance might only be a mile. I’ve seen it rain on only one side of the street, too. Everything is drenched within moments and then….the streets begin to flood (because, you know, it never rains in Phoenix and our drainage system is quickly overwhelmed), the gullies and drainage ditches fill up and well, it’s a mess!

         Then, as quickly as it starts, it’s over. The clouds break up or move away to another part of the valley and the sun shines and for a while, the earth is fresh and clean. Renewed. And you end up with a day like today. Beautiful.

         Now, if you were going to put a monsoon storm in a story, how would you write it? And do you think my description above does it any justice?

As always, happy reading (and staying dry!)

Marie

Interview with Jennifer Taylor and a Giveaway!

Lexi: Please welcome historical paranormal author, Jennifer Taylor, who is celebrating the release of the second book in her Rhythm of the Moon Series, Heartbeat of the Moon, and she's brought a giveaway! She will give a copy of the first book in the series Mercy of the Moon to one lucky commenter!

What made you chose your title? 

Jennifer: Great question, Lexi! And thanks so much for having me today. My heroine, Maggie Wilson is a hard-working English midwife in the early 18^th Century. Her life is dictated by the cycles of a woman’s body. In book #1, Mercy of the Moon, Maggie sees a lot of suffering in her daily work and vows she will never be at the mercy of a man and the rhythms of the moon. But then she meets Ian Pierce, and he sings to her soul.

When I finished Mercy of the Moon, my characters were still cavorting around in my head, so I wrote my current release, Heartbeat of the Moon, book #2. I’ll be writing at least a couple more for the series.

Lexi: Oh, I'm sure your readers are happy to hear that! What has been the most memorable fan comment you ever had?

Jennifer: “Be warned: read Mercy of the Moon in the daytime, or risk staying up all night.”

Lexi: Oh, that's a great one! What are your favorite traits of the two main characters?

Jennifer: Maggie is a no-nonsense, strong woman who works hard for the people she loves and for the mothers in the town. She’s kind, caring, and stubborn. Like some women we all know, she takes care of everybody’s needs but her own, and it’s fun to see Ian attending to her needs (all of them!). He brings the passion out in her, and makes her laugh with his antics.

Ian is an apothecary by trade and a musician at heart. He gives life his all, and has a great sense of humor. He suffers from bipolar disorder and uses music to calm himself, and has been all over the world in search of a remedy for his affliction, what they then called Manicus Melancholicus. His head is always full of music. I compose songs for him to sing, which is a whole lot of fun. In a letter to Maggie, he said: “The urgency of singing you, possessing you with the words of my soul, grows with each step of the journey. Then my heart plummets, for you are ever-changing like the moon.”

Lexi: What is your favorite treat?

Jennifer: A hot fudge sundae, with roasted almonds and bananas.

Lexi: Nice choice. What was the funniest thing you did wrong when you first started writing?

Jennifer: I have a background in poetry, and got caught out for rhyming within a sentence.  Ooh-true story: while I was writing one of Maggie and Ian’s love scenes, I set my desk on fire. No lie. Paper + candle=not good! The desk survived, though. 

Lexi: Yikes! Glad you still had a desk to write your books at :-) What was the strangest thing that inspired a story for you? 

Jennifer: I read an article about the Victorian-era organization, the Society for the Prevention of Premature Burial, and it sparked the idea for the opening of Mercy of the Moon. Who’s not afraid of being buried alive? Supernatural forces play a big part in the plot of this series.

Lexi: Thank you, Jennifer, for coming today. It was great to learn more about you and your latest release!

Be sure to leave a comment for Jennifer for a chance to win the first book in this great series, Mercy of the Moon :-)

Heartbeat of the Moon Blurb:

Superstition sails into King’s Harbour with tales of winged monsters rising from the dead. Midwife Maggie and husband Ian fight for reason and logic when a friend’s nephew disappears from the grave, and the friend’s behavior becomes more animal than man.

As forces and bizarre events around the two lovers threaten their happiness, Maggie faces challenges from her expectant mothers and struggles to understand Ian’s troubling behavior. Ian endeavors to cure his mind’s affliction but fears the slide into insanity may be fatal.

As terror and suspicion grow, will Maggie and Ian have to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep their love-and each other-alive?

Buy Links for Heartbeat of the Moon:

Amazon:   http://amzn.to/2axSKap

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

The Wild Rose Press:  http://bit.ly/2a0Znom

About Jennifer:

Jennifer Taylor spent her childhood running wild on an Idaho mountainside. Although she’s lived across the United States, she’s still an Idahoan at heart and a notorious potato pusher.

Music has ruled her world since birth. She shimmied out the womb with a bad case of boogie fever, but soon fell in love with the lyrics, how the words fit together perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle.

   Jennifer has dreamt of writing historical romances since reading Wuthering Heights at the tender age of twelve. Now she lives that dream, using music on a daily basis to uplift and inspire her Rhythm of the Moon series. It’s no coincidence that Ian, the hero in Heartbeat of the Moon, uses music to win heroine Maggie’s heart.

 

  Jennifer lives in rural Florida with her husband and goofy Great Dane. She lobbies feverishly for the return of breeches and would really love to see her husband of thirty-seven years in a pair.

You can find Jennifer here:

https://jennifertaylorwrites.com/

https://www.facebook.com/jenniferrtaylorwrites/

Twitter: @jennifer4taylor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jenntaylor888  

Lexi: Don't forget to comment for a chance to win!

Lion of Ireland by Morgan Llywelyn

Needing a little bit of history, I chose Lion of Ireland.  What a great choice for multiple reasons!  First, the story takes place in the late tenth century.  It’s also historically factual with a deep understanding of the characters and life at that time.

Brian Boru, considered the greatest king Ireland has ever known, fought in his mind and in reality between the urge to be a great warrior and great lover. 

Throughout the book, he proves himself a great warrior in what we would now consider primitive manners.  The clans of Ireland fought hand-to-hand with axes, swords, and slingshots.  Allies were claimed and destroyed along the way.

Brian’s encounter with Fiona, his first love, came from legend.  She was a druidess and helped him find his sensuality.  She randomly appears throughout his life with helpful follies.  He’s enamored with his first wife, Deidre.  He treated her with love and respect, yet many times left for his other passion, war and success.

Brian’s third wife, Gormlaith, wanted to be part of his ruling kingdom.  He loved her and hated her. 

I, as the reader, waited for an appearance by Fiona and wondered what kind of effect she could bring from him.  I’ll keep that as a secret held by the novel.

Llywelyn mastered her telling of Irish history with a story full of facts and poetic license.  To make history joyful, interesting, and intriguing to read makes her one of the best historians to write and keep the reader intrigued right to the end of the story.

Happy reading,

Dawn

Romance GO

Well, I didn't get much done this summer. Nothing new there. But I have been thinking a lot about the Pokémon GO craze. In the grand scheme of things, I approve. Why not have a game that gets people out of the house and exercising (side-effects of game excluded)? And then I thought, wouldn't it be great to have a game that I'd be interested in and would have me running out the door? So, if there are any game designers out there, I would like to propose Romance GO. I don't have all the details worked out, but . . .

Perhaps you could find him in the produce aisle.

Nature hike, anyone?

I don't think I'd walk down a dark alley for him, but perhaps there could be an "allure charm" to entice him to come out.

Art show? Did you even notice the painting behind him? Go ahead and look again. I'll wait.

 Night on the town, beautiful?

After an exhausting day, a nap might be nice.

So, that's just my version of Romance GO. What's yours?

Until next time, I'll be working on a game proposal and dreaming of the possibilities. Kid in a candy store? YES!!!

2016 RWA Conference

I had the good fortune of attending the 2016 RWA Conference in San Diego earlier this month (which is why this post is late…I totally got thrown off my routine and you know, if you’ve read my blog before, that I am a creature of habit and routine!)

There was so much to see and do, it was a bit overwhelming (all right, it was a lot overwhelming!) and I had a raging case of sensory overload. As you know, much of a writer’s life is spent in solitude with her (or his) characters and the computer. Even if one has a day job (which I do), most of the talking is in one’s head. Not so at a conference of this size! There were over 2000 attendees! Wow! I think we pretty much took over the hotel!

The highlights for me:

1.    Getting to spend time with Lexi Post, critique partner extraordinaire, her fabulous DH, several writer friends I hadn’t seen in a while and meeting new authors I hadn't met before.

2.    The weather! When I left Phoenix, it was 106 blast furnace degrees. I landed in San Diego to 74 degrees and an ocean breeze. I came in a day early and explored the city a little bit, which I loved and at night, when the sun dipped into the horizon, I needed a light sweater. Heaven! Pure bliss!

3.    Meeting my publishers for the first time (shout out to Tara, Julie and Jess at Crimson Romance…so nice to meet you in person. You are wonderful, but I already knew that!) as well as some of the other authors who write for Crimson….ladies, it was a pleasure!)

4.    Attending as many workshops as humanly possible. And there were a lot, all superbly given by some of my favorite authors. It’s amazing how much I didn’t know I didn’t know (did that make sense?). By the time Saturday rolled around, my brain was full, bursting with information…and ideas! So many ideas!

5.    And finally, books, books, books! Again, just heaven for a lover of the written word like me!

All in all, a fantastic trip (if a bit exhausting) and I will do it again. If you ever have the opportunity to attend this conference, I highly recommend you do so….you won’t regret it.

As always, happy reading!

Marie