Friday, December 8, 2017

Meet the Heroes of Westthorpe Ridge

Heroes of Westhorpe Ridge
Holiday Series Boxed Set
By Kryssie Fortune

Kryssie is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate and 3 ebooks of Submission, Secrets, and the Soldier to lucky winners during the tour. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember there is a chance to enter every day, so please follow us along on the tour. You may find the tour locations here.


About the Boxed Set:

Kryssie Fortune's holiday series, Heroes of Westhorpe Ridge, is now available in a convenient e-boxed set!

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:


Excerpt from Desire, Deceit and the Doctor:
Ben pointed at the man the medics were checking. “He ran down the beach, dived in, and hauled me back to shore. Then he picked me up and shouted at me. He wouldn’t put me down. I couldn’t get away no matter how hard I tried. Duffy kept barking and jumping up at him, but he yelled, ‘Sit,’ and Duffy did.”
Mandy glanced around, wondering where the dog had got to, but her concern for Ben overrode everything.
Her son hiccupped in a great lungful of air. “Once we got off the beach, he opened the back door of his black SUV. Duffy jumped in and sat there like he owned it. I thought that man meant to shove me in his car and drive off, especially since he wouldn’t put me down. I tried to squirm free and yelled for Mom. I—”
The rest of his words were lost as he buried his head against her chest and wept harder. Mandy stared at the black SUV, the same make and model every tourist rented. It would have faded into traffic and vanished if the guy she’d decked had managed to force Ben inside it. Only, according to Ben, the man at her feet was a hero not a kidnapper.
Now she’d heard the truth, she wanted to shake Ben too. Not that she ever would, but her temper still burned inside her. The guy she’d brained with the bottle had risked his life to rescue her son. She felt bad that she’d assaulted her son’s savior, but nothing gave him the right to manhandle Ben. Torn between tending the stranger or kicking him for upsetting her son, she swallowed hard. “Is he dead? Please tell me I didn’t kill him.”
As she spoke, Ben’s rescuer groaned and tried to sit up. “What the hell?”
Gods, she knew that voice. It might be deeper, smoother, and sexier, but she’d never forget the three years she’d spent dating its owner or the dreadful way things had ended between them.
One of the paramedics eased the injured man’s arm out of his shirt and gently held him in place. “Lay still. You’ve had a blow on the head, and you’ve reopened the wound in your shoulder.”
Sean’s jaw dropped. “Adam? You weren’t due home until Easter. What happened? And what’s with that wound in your shoulder?”
Mandy’s pulse raced, and she shivered with shock. Adam’s voice sounded as mellow as Scotch whisky and just as tempting, making her ache for what might have been. Her hands trembled, and her heart pounded so hard it felt like a hammer trying to break out of her chest.
            Even now, she couldn’t understand how she’d loved and lost, or why Adam had left her after the one time they’d had sex. Despite the way he’d hurt her, she forced a small smile. One night of sex in thirty years wasn’t a great average, especially when the sex had been so bad she’d cried afterward.
At least Adam had moved on and made a life as an army medic, or so she’d thought when she mortgaged her life to buy the hotel. After she’d signed on the dotted line, she discovered Adam would be home soon. “Easter,” his little sister, Abigail, had said. Mandy had hoped to get Devlin’s Hotel’s Valentine’s Ball out of the way before she considered what to say to Adam, especially since he didn’t know about Ben. Now Adam had turned up almost seven weeks early.
           She’d always known seeing him again would hurt, but she hadn’t expected his presence to make her short of breath or for her body to tremble for his touch. She’d imagined so many ways to greet him once he came home, but none had included laying him out with a beer bottle.
She took a deep breath and satisfied herself that Ben hadn’t suffered more than a bad fright. Standing here staring at Adam, she felt scared, excited, and exhilarated, like a human cannonball who’d missed the net. Her gaze felt glued to the only man she’d ever loved. The man who’d hurt her so deeply she’d never dated again.
The intervening twelve years had made his shoulders broader, and when he rose to his feet, he stood taller than when she last saw him. Even damp with seawater, his close-cropped hair shone like a raven’s wing. His broad lips still looked they’d been made to be kissed, but he had more muscle than she remembered. At eighteen, he’d been good looking. At thirty, even soaking wet and furious, he was drop-dead gorgeous. Everything about him seemed…more.


About the Author:
     Kryssie Fortune writes the sort of hot sexy books she loves to read. If she can sneak a dragon into her paranormal books she will. Her paranormal heroes are muscular werewolves, arrogant Fae, or BDSM loving dragons.
     Kryssie likes her contemporary heroes ex-military and dominant. Her heroines are kick ass females who can hold their own against whatever life - or Kryssie - throws at them.
     Kryssie's pet hates are unhappy endings, and a series that end on a cliff hanger.
     Her books are all stand alone even when part of series. Plot always comes before sex, but when her heroines and heroes get together, the sex is explosive and explicit. One review called it downright sensual.

Kryssie's Social Links:






Monday, December 4, 2017

Welcome to The Starlight Grille

Moonlighting: A Serenity Harbor Maine Novella,
A Starlight Grille series, Book Three

A blast from the past, a ten-year old matchmaker with a valentine wish, an omission, and a villainous man…a recipe for disaster? Or love against all odds?
Tucker Benson’s decision to move to a new town, build a new business, and protect his daughter does not include finding a replacement for his cheating wife. But his ten-year old daughter has other plans. And she’s found the one!
Mary Beth Walters’ life is up-to-the-brim full. When her high school crush, now single father, moves to town, she is tempted. Only problem is, he doesn’t recognize her. That could be a good thing. Or end in trouble.
When Tucker discovers the secret Mary Beth holds close to her heart, will love be enough to overcome broken trusts?
COMING ~ DECEMBER 7, 2017
Available for Pre-Order

Excerpt:
The doorbell chimed. Mary Beth grabbed an aqua and pink mottled scarf to offset the drab blue jeans and stark white of her sweater and beelined down the stairs. Like a puppy, all gangly legs and lurching moves, she raced toward the door to swing it wide. “Hey.” That came out a little breathless. She tried to tamp down the panting from her jog down the stairs. Never mind the stitch in her side after the gobbled toast.
Hey, yourself.” Possibly breathless worked for Tucker. His grin widened to the width of the open doorway. His hair was tousled from the chilled breeze off the ocean. His cheeks red, like he’d waited in the winter sunshine for his watch to hit the half-hour mark.
She stepped past him onto her front porch and pulled the door shut. “So, no Bunnie?”
No Bunnie. Better this way.” He cupped her cheek and planted a kiss. She was so needy and full of lust that her brain frizzled and fried on the spot. The kiss was gentle and slowly sweet until morphing into, oh yeah, a little bit naughty. She opened to him. His teeth nipped and his tongue tangled with hers, as she pressed against his solid body, wanting so much more. The more she’d fantasized about since high school. The more that could happen if she only had the courage to step back, grab his hand, and pull him inside and up the stairs.
The slam of her neighbor’s door across the street filtered through her brain in slow motion. But Tucker’s groan snapped her common sense back into place. Sunday. On her front porch. For all to see. She shoved against the chest she wanted to stay glued to, bit down on her lip as the cold air replaced Tucker’s warmth, and sucked in a deep breath to regain her equilibrium.
Mary Beth stepped back again. Not for her own sake, but for his. She desperately wanted to stay in his arms, despite what the neighbors might think, and fling her arms around his neck and murmur to hell with lunch.

Buy Links:
Moonlighting (A Starlight Grille Book 3):

Books2Read – links to various vendors including iBooks, Nook, Kobo: https://www.books2read.com/u/mZ5eop


Come Dance With Me (A Starlight Grille Book 2): 99 cents for limited time

Books2Read – links to various vendors including iBooks, Nook, Kobo: https://www.books2read.com/u/bMrQva


The Legacy of Parkers Point (A Starlight Grille Book 1):

Books2Read – links to various vendors including iBooks, Nook, Kobo: https://www.books2read.com/u/b6rQzx


Reviews of The Legacy of Parker’s Point
Starlight Grille Book 1
a feel good story, full of love and romance and hope….no game playing, no lies, manipulation or underhanded deceit to win affection….just two strong people finding love, learning to trust, and trying to make it work.
The author depicts life in a small town with memorable characters and descriptive scenery. Lauralee and Grayson are two beautiful people inside and out. Their chemistry heats up the pages…. The secondary characters are well written and the next book in the series is about the piano player, Luke, at the Starlight Grille.
Dianamcc - Romance Junkies – Five Hearts
Set on the picturesque sea coast of Maine….a heartfelt tale of helping and healing…. a delightful, emotional read.
N, Amazon Reader – Five Stars
a wonderful story of learning to trust in love enough to put the past behind you….characters are smart, sexy and hopeful and make you feel great for having read their story.
HarborGirl, Amazon Reader – Five Stars
The romance is done very well, with chemistry galore and a rich, beautiful world in Serenity Harbor. Definitely a keeper!
M, Amazon Reader – Five Stars
This is a sweet story. The romance is a well-written small town story where two people learn to trust both each other and themselves. I highly recommend the story.
Mainer, Amazon Reader – Four Stars
I appreciated how well-developed and fleshed out Delsora's characters are, despite this being a shorter story….Lauralee & Grayson grab hold of you from page one. I alternated between smiling over their cute interactions, to swooning over the steamier scenes (closed bedroom door).
Colleen, Amazon Reader – Five Stars
a lovely, heartwarming story which takes the reader back to a time when family name and honor took priority for power brokers masquerading as parents—and the effects those antiquated beliefs continue to have on the generations that follow….It's a winner.
Kat, Amazon Reader – Five Stars
I loved this novella. The small, coastal Maine town was beautifully described. I really liked Gray and Lauralee right away. They connected quickly, and I loved their banter and flirtation.
Laurie, Goodreads Reader – Five Stars

Review of Come Dance with Me

Starlight Grille Book 2
[Sam] is multi-layered, gorgeous and plays jazz like the super-star he is. Yet, something is eating at him. Then he meets Ashley Sullivan, the uptight high school teacher, riddled with fear and reluctance to join in. Sam doesn't give up on her and the push-pull of these two is charming.
Give yourself a treat and read Come Dance With Me.
It's a winner.
Kat, Amazon Reader – Five Stars

Author Bio:
From Cabins to Cottages…Keep the Home Fires Burning
A transplanted big city gal, world-wide traveler, and foreign-service brat, who now lives in a coastal Maine town, Delsora Lowe loves to write about small town heroes from the cowboys and ranchers of Colorado to the game wardens and lobstermen of Maine. Her work in the hospitality industry, rape crisis, admissions, alumni relations, and women’s advocacy has allowed her to interact on a daily basis with real life heroines and heroes. Lowe’s family visits to Colorado are the inspiration for an upcoming contemporary western series in 2018. And her daughter’s wedding and her son’s home on the coast of Maine provided plentiful ideas for the Starlight Grille series.





Sunday, December 3, 2017

Focus on: Forsaking Hope

 Forsaking Hope
Fair Cyprians of London
By Beverley Oakley

Beverley is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here.

About Forsaking Hope:
Two years ago, she missed their secret assignation and disappeared without a trace. Now the divine "Miss Hope" is in Felix Durham’s bed - a 'surprise cheering-up gift' sourced by his friends from London's most exclusive brothel. Felix is in heaven - and he wants to stay there.
So does Hope, but she can’t.
Hope Merriweather lives by a code of honour – even if she’s a prostitute. Having sold her soul, she’s prepared to sacrifice everything else to protect what she believes in.
Even if honour – in her eyes – comes at the cost of thieving and breaking hearts. Including her own.

Available for preorder here:

~*~*~*~*~*~
Excerpt:
Wilfred Hunt.
If there was a name to tip Hope into the abyss of despair she was hearing it spill from Madame Chambon’s lips now as the older woman directed Hope to take a seat in the reception room, presumably so Madame could loom oppressively over her.
With her hands on her ample, expensively padded hips, Hope’s benefactress—procuress, employer and gaoler were other monikers—sent Hope a beetling look that needed no interpreting: Regardless of Hope’s true feelings, Hope must project the required show of warmth and delight at being the chosen one.
Madame patted the side of her faux curls. Years of hot irons had reduced her hair to the texture of wool but her crowning glory these days was supplemented by the lustrous locks of those girls who dared cross her – before they were thrown back into the street from where most had come.
Nevertheless, Hope had to make her resistance clear. Surely Madame who knew her history would understand her loathing for this man, above all others.
I shan’t do it,” she whispered. There was little evidence of the willful child and wild adolescent who’d been the despair of her family. “I won’t—”
Outside, the noise of the traffic rumbling over the cobbles and the shrill calls of competing vendors settled upon the tense silence. Madame Chambon’s other girls, ranged around the sumptuously appointed room on red velvet upholstered banquettes, watched the exchange with prurient fascination. Hope knew it had been a calculated ploy of Madame’s to conduct her interview in public so that Hope would serve as an example to them.
No one crossed Madame Chambon.
The shrill cry of a fishmonger caused Madame to look pointedly out of the window. With something between a smile and a sneer, she smoothed a Marcel wave. “Is that where you plan to return, Hope? The gutter?” Her nose twitched and in the sunlight that filtered into the room, the grooves chiseled between mouth and chin were thrown into harsh relief, highlighted rather than hidden by the thick powder she used to conceal her age.
Madame Chambon’s comfort, now and into retirement, depended on obedient girls. Hope knew that as well as anyone. She’d had to bury her rebellious streak just to ensure food in her belly.

*~*~*~*~*~
About Today’s Focus Author:
       Beverley Oakley was seventeen when she bundled up her first her 500+ page romance and sent it to a publisher. Unfortunately drowning her heroine on the last page was apparently not in line with the expectations of romance readers so Beverley became a journalist.
       Twenty-six years later Beverley was delighted to receive her first publishing contract from Robert Hale (UK) for a romance in which she ensured her heroine was saved from drowning in the icy North Sea.
       Since 2009 Beverley has written more than thirteen historical romances, mostly set in England during the early nineteenth century. Mystery, intrigue and adventure spill from their pages and if she can pull off a thrilling race to save someone’s honour – or a worthy damsel from the noose – it’s time to celebrate with a good single malt Scotch.
       Beverley lives with her husband, two daughters and a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy the size of a pony opposite a picturesque nineteenth century lunatic asylum. She also writes Africa-set adventure-filled romances tarring handsome bush pilot heroes, and historical romances with less steam and more sexual tension, as Beverley Eikli.

You can get in contact with Beverley at:






Monday, November 27, 2017

Redeeming Lord Ryder

     After two months of treatment at Puddling-on-the-Wold, Mary Nicola Mayfield has shown no improvement, and her condition seems impervious to rehab. But Nicola is not the typical guest of Gloucestershire’s destination village for the wealthy and wayward. The trauma of surviving a horrific train wreck has rendered her mute; her injuries have healed, but try as she might, she cannot utter a sound. With her family and fiancé at their wits’ end, Nicola knows Puddling is the resort—the last resort—that holds any hope for her recovery.
     Lord Jack Ryder—baron, businessman and, some say, mad genius—has gone from the heights of success to hit rock bottom, after a faulty girder from his iron foundry caused a dreadful bridge collapse. Nothing has assuaged his guilt over the passenger train that crashed or the lives that were destroyed. The stringent regimen at Puddling is not doing much for his deep depression—until he meets his mysteriously silent neighbor. Their fiery affair breaks all the rules, but will the unspoken truth be too hot to handle?

Here’s an excerpt from Redeeming Lord Ryder: 
     She’d been awake a good portion of the night thinking about their kiss. It had, to put it plainly, knocked her sideways. She had little to compare it to—Richard had not been a demonstrative fiancé. Why should he be, when their relationship had been practical and more or less businesslike? There had been no stars behind her eyelids, no tremors shooting off like fireworks, no tingling lips, no want.
     Nicola had practiced kissing her bare arm as she lay in the dark, feeling ridiculous but determined. Her skin was a poor substitute for Jack’s mouth. His neatly-trimmed beard and mustache had had been as soft as mink fur, quite unlike Richard’s coppery bristle.     Richard was attractive, but Jack was…um, beautiful. See, she could be inarticulate, too.
     She didn’t feel the cold at all, just a wild sense of anticipation. Jack was very close, his quick breaths visible in the air between them. The last time they’d kissed, it was she who initiated the lip to lip contact. Nicola knew she’d taken him by surprise; now she waited to see what he would do. She imagined he was a man of experience—no one of his looks and charm and age could be expected to be celibate.
     He leaned in, cupping her cheek with a gloved hand. “You don’t regret your offer?”
     She shook her head. If she’d had access to the notebook, she would have written get on with it.
     “I’ve never kissed a woman in a churchyard before with, uh, graves about. Are we risking thunderbolts?” His eyes danced with merriment.
     What a way to go, she thought. They weren’t being disrespectful—babies began with kisses, and death eventually, inevitably followed. It was all very circle-of-life, wasn’t it?
     His mouth loomed, and she closed her eyes. He exerted the barest contact, just a whisper of a kiss. She held herself still, letting him set the pace.
     But soon she was squirming a little, swept away by Jack’s skillful tongue. Nicola had the strongest urge to lie down on the bench, which would indeed risk thunderbolts, and frostbite to boot. If her parents divined what was happening to her here, they would remove her post haste.

To purchase Redeeming Lord Ryder, go to:





A bit about our focus author: 
     Maggie Robinson is a former teacher, library clerk and mother of four who woke up in the middle of the night, absolutely compelled to create the perfect man and use as many adjectives and adverbs as possible doing so. 
     A transplanted New Yorker, she lives with her not-quite perfect husband in Maine, where the cold winters are ideal for staying inside and writing hot historical romances. A two-time Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice nominee, her books have been translated into French, German, Portuguese, Turkish, Russian, Japanese, Thai, Dutch and Italian.

To learn more about Maggie Robinson and the stories she creates, go to: http://www.maggierobinson.net/media/

Monday, November 20, 2017

More Christmas Lovin'

     Brighten this holiday season with seven stories from New York Times, USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors. Grab a cup of your favorite cocoa, coffee or tea, a holiday treat and settle in with the authors from More Christmas Lovin’ for a festive holiday read.

Only $0.99 or #free with #KindleUnlimited



Here's the lineup:

Santa for Christmas by Lisa Kumar
     A sexy elf who hates everything about Christmas is forced to be Santa and must go into the seething heart of humanity—the abode of a beautiful single mother and her child in order to save them.

An EverAfter Christmas by K.S. Thomas
     Sailor Belle is no stranger to adventure, so being stranded in a blizzard three days before her wedding, is not about to stop her from marrying the man of her dreams. But then, as the obstacles keep coming, she clings to her last hope - it’s the season for miracles, and she may need one to get her EverAfter Christmas.

Holiday Homecoming by Melissa Keir
     Two broken hearts mend as love blossoms, but when danger comes calling, can the two loners learn to rely on each other or will they lose all they have found?

Mistletoe & Ashes by RaeAnne Hadley
     Tiffany knew the threats of being a firefighter on the Hot Shots team. She embraced the heat and the danger but she could have never predicted that her heart and her mind would be in peril. Could a Christmas miracle save her or would she end up as ashes?

Seduction at the Christmas Court by Jenna Jaxon
     Lord and Lady Longford have journeyed to the Christmas Court of King Edward III to wait upon the king and take part in some Yuletide merriment. When Geoffrey is suddenly called to war, and rumors of his death arise, Alyse fends off an old suitor who wants to renew their friendship. But how long will he take “No” for an answer?

All I Want For Christmas by Deb Julienne
     Who knew one little boy’s Christmas wish could change so many lives?

The Christmas Fantasy by D’Ann Lindun
     Widower Christian Vega believes he’ll never find true love again, until an actress catches his eye. But she’s way out of this cowboy’s league. Hope Snowden swears to never date another out-of-work actor again. Then she falls for a cowboy-turned-stuntman. Is it love, or just a Christmas fantasy?

We decided to ask Melissa Keir her thoughts on writing for a series, particularly one with a holiday setting. This is what she said:

     The holidays are a wonderful time. I grew up in Amherst, Ohio which is where I set my series-The Wilder Sisters. Holiday Homecoming in this set is the final of the five stories about each of the five daughters of a local man. Each girl left Amherst after high school only to return when their father develops Alzheimer's.        In this final installment of the Wilder Sisters series, Sheryl returns home to hide out but she doesn't want to get her family involved in the danger surrounding her. I love sharing my hometown with readers.
         Recently, a new restaurant and brewpub opened in the downtown area, which has been revitalized in the last few years. Taking the best spot, I created Tanner's new restaurant which becomes an important setting for the story.
       Amherst is the perfect small town for the holidays. The main street's light poles are decorated and the downtown area is filled with holiday lights. I've included a photo for you to see. During the holidays, I return to Amherst to spend time with my family who still live in town. After my mother's death, my father decided to have Thanksgiving at a local restaurant rather than cook for all of the family...and he wouldn't allow any of us to take on the chore. For the last few years, we've been going to The Oberlin Inn but last year, my dad was very disappointed with the seating, which was in the lobby of the hotel. Needless to say, it was loud. And for a person who is hard of hearing, it was impossible to chat. Thankfully we were at a real table. There was one year they had us sitting at the pool table with a wooden board to cover it. Each of us had to sit on two chairs stacked just to reach the tabletop. Needless to say, we heard about that problem for years. 
      I could go on and on about Amherst, but I'll leave you to read the book and see a little of it for yourself. I hope you enjoy the stories in the boxset and will check out the rest of the Wilder Sisters series. Happy Holidays!


Sunday, November 12, 2017

Jennifer Bokal's Rocky Mountain Justice series

Wild Women Authors welcomes author Jennifer D. Bokal and Viktoria Mateev from Jennifer's latest release out of Harlequin Romantic Suspense line, Her Rocky Mountain Hero, book one in Jen's Rocky Mountain Justice series. First up is Viktoria.
Where are you from? NYC, but living in Colorado
Tell us a bit about Cody Samuels, hero in Her Rocky Mountain Hero. The first time I saw him, I was worried that he’d been sent to kill me.
Interesting. And your second thought? He was really hot.
Was it love at first sight? No way! He burst into my cabin right after my son was kidnapped. He said he there to help—but I didn’t know if I should believe him. Obviously, I’m glad I did…
What do you like most about him? I love that Cody’s brave and smart and has a nice butt.
Butts are important. How else would you describe him? I’d have to start with his eyes. The first thing I noticed about Cody were his eyes—they’re a crystalline blue. The next thing that comes to mind is that he always keeps his promises.
How would Cody describe you? Determined; then he’d roll those gorgeous eyes.
What made you choose to be a stay-at-home mom for a career? Once Gregory was born, I only wanted to stay home with him. Becoming a mom has been the best thing to happen to me.
What is your biggest fear? That something will happen to my son.
How do you relax? I love to cook.
Who is your favorite fictional character? Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. Cliché, I know.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? You won’t do your son any good if you give up—it came from Cody.
Thank you for sharing your time with us, Viktoria. Now we'd like to chat with Jennifer.
What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? The first author I read obsessively was Victoria Holt. I loved the Gothic feel of her books along with the mystery that left me guessing until the end. As an adult, I read Joyce Carol Oates if I need some inspiration. She’s amazing with the subtly of human emotions. I also read Lee Childs for a really good thriller.
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I grew up in Colorado so I was able to visit the places of my childhood with this book.
Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? The book is with Harlequin Romantic Suspense. I’d met my fabulous editor, Susan Littman, at the NJ RWA conference years before. I had an idea for a holiday themed romantic suspense and knew that HRS would be a great home. She liked the idea and we moved forward with a series. It’d been a dream of mine to write for Harlequin since the middle school days of reading Victoria Holt, so I was thrilled when I got the call from my agent that the contract had been negotiated.
What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Bury Your Dead by Louise Penney.
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? The second book in the Rocky Mountain Justice series, Her Rocky Mountain Defender, will be out in April 2018.
Jennifer can be reached at www.Facebook.com/Jennifer D. Bokal and
Twitter: @jenbokal

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

The Gift and Beverly Wells

     As a gruff warrior he evaded female relationships, yet her flaws charmed him all the more.

For the remainder of the week, we are happy to have a dear friend and prolific author, Beverly Wells visiting Wild Women Authors with The Gift. A sequel to The Chalice, from One Winter Knight, The Gift is Bev's contirbution to One Yuletide Knight, released Nov. 3, 2017 out of Prairie Rose Publications.

Here’s the blurb:

Sir Geoffrey Eton, captain of Royce’s regiment is a hardened, gruff warrior. All his life he served England, protected others, and trained men. Tavern wenches satisfied his occasional needs. There simply was no necessity for a wife.
Orphan, Heather Douglas grew up in an abbey in Scotland, loving life. When she joins her best friend at the Scotland castle granted to Royce, she brings her smiles and laughter. She also brings her flawed leg, her stubbornness and determination. Will her bright smile and charm be the weapons to finally take down the mighty warrior?

Let's talk with Heather Douglas. Where are you from? Selkirk, Scotland in the border country, but now I be living at Dillyglen Castle north of Selkirk
What did you think the first time you saw Geoffrey Eton? Our introduction be a bit short as I had recently arrived to join my best friend, Ahna and it be more than obvious he did no’ much enjoy chit chatting with an unfamiliar woman, though he be more than polite. But I thought him a verra bonnie mon, big and muscular, and confident in being a knight as well as the captain of Royce’s army.
Was it love at first sight? Good heaven’s no. Not the first time I met him and surely not the second time. I be giving his warhorse apple slices—as I had been doing for more than a good fortnight—with my forehead resting against Darktonian’s forehead when Sir Geoffrey’s bellows actually shook the rafters. He roared like a bear with a spear in his arse and ranted like a hungry boar. He be more hardened than even I had ever imagined.
Spear up his arse. Good one, Heather. What do you like most about him? His reluctant smile. Oh, he more than tries to hide it, but it be there alright, lighting up his dark brown, almost black eyes till they twinkle. It makes me own heart take off to pattering it does.
A pattering heart. Another jewel. How would you describe him? He be a proud, ambitious mon as well as a fierce, brave warrior, a chivalrous knight, a true leader of mons, and protector of women.
How would he describe you? At first he ranted I be foolish, but I think he truly feared for me safety. Hard to believe he would ever fear anything. Now that we have shared more words, I think he might find me a wee bit more intelligent, and capable of teaching the youngsters painting, music and scholastics than he first thought. At least I certainly hope so.
What made you choose teaching as a career? ‘Tis no really a career as there be verra few women at this time who have an actual career or trade. Since I grew up in the abbey all me life, I found I loved to paint, then later I adored playing the lyre. I enjoyed mathematics more than history, lnguage or geography. So when I reached an age where I could help the sisters out in teaching the younger orphans I began teaching mostly art, music, singing and playing the lyre, as well as mathematics. The others at the convent taught other subjects.
What is your biggest fear, Heather? I do no’ fear much really, for I try to live each day appreciating all things good in life. But to answer your question, I be a wee bit fearful that I might forget I know better than to ever lose my heart to any mon since I have such a flaw with me leg plus all the other faults the good sisters reprimanded me for, but I feel the tug, a forceful tug, towards one verra crusty, but considerate mon.
How do you relax? When I paint, any scene, I am totally transported to another world. ‘Tis verra calming and it truly soothes my soul. Of course I almost get the same calm from playing the lyre.
Who is your favorite fictional character? I can read and enjoy teaching the children their numbers and letters, but I have never read any fiction as it was forbidden at the abbey.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Believe in yourself and you will always succeed.
Thank you, Heather. This has been a lot of fun. Now we'd like to chat with Beverly.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? I’ve said this before, but The Diary of Anne Frank, both the movie and the book, grabbed me, held me and made such an impression on me when I was a young girl. So much emotion, turmoil, determinations and strengths. But I would have to say all books by LaVyrle Spencer and Nora Roberts and so many more fantastic authors helped me throughout my career displaying how to form a character with strengths, weakness, and flaws as well as integrity.
So many movies have shown me purpose, plotting and meaningful relationships: Brave Heart, Forrest Gump, Harry and Sally, too many to list, but what can I say? Cinderella, the book and movie, reigns on top.
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I didn’t suffer any physical or health issues as Heather, but felt inferior for years as I believed others knew my darkest family flaws. I also grew up watching others be nasty and cruel to others, human or animals, and swore I would never bow that low, but always give all I can in helping others in need. Most likely that’s why I was a nurse for so many years. Several people along the way helped me see I could believe in myself and in the goodness of others, hold my head up and persevere. It’s made me a much happier and stronger person and I believe a more understanding person. I hope I’ve made Heather stick to being herself no matter what. I also tried to portray Sir Geoffrey as a brave and hardened man while being leery of others hurting him emotionally, yet he finally learns to trust another with his heart and soul and comes out stronger than ever before.
Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I enjoy reading all types of romance novels, but I especially enjoy reading and writing historical romance, either set in the American West or Medievals in England or Scotland. I’d read numerous lines published by Prairie Rose Publications, looked them up on the internet and found even more lines, liked what I saw and submitted. And I’m so very happy I did. I couldn’t be more pleased with the various lines, the encouragement, assistance, and fantastic camaraderie of all at PRP. If I ever toss out a question, western or medieval, or business wise, I get answers from oodles of authors on our yahoo group. It’s awesome how helpful and supportive everyone is.
What books currently rest on your TBR pile? Too many to list, but I have a few historical westerns, a regency—yes I do read them too—and the other stories included in One Yuletide Knight and know I’ll love each and every one of them. I do have a book I just bought in Montana about the Copper Kings’ war when Butte, Montana first started mining copper. I recently visited there to do some research and of course just to see the vast plains of the West and the majestic mountain ranges. Awesome! WOW, did I get a bunch to add to my research files.
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I have a full length novel almost finished, set in the 19th century in Wyoming—I’ve pushed it aside for the last time. I’m very eager to have my readers meet my fill-in deaconess/horse trainer and breeder who rescues the Montana cowboy from the hangman’s noose, and the loveable dog, Cubby, that believes he is their designated chaperone. It’s a story of vengeance verses justice as well as healing. I have about ten different names for this book, but I’ll make a decision soon.

I hope this short Excerpt for The Gift tickles your fancy as I tried to pepper a wee bit of humor throughout the entire story:

He fought to gain his senses, to protect the foolish woman. He took a deep breath and bellowed, “Darktonian hold!”
The horse instantly responded, arching his neck which pulled him back away from her. He held perfectly still to the command. “Step back away from him.”
Expecting her to follow the curt order as if she was one of his men he captained, he planned to approach her and give her a harsh reprimand for endangering herself so foolishly. Instead, she turned her head, graced him with a wide smile and followed it with a husky chuckle.
“He will no’ harm me. We be the best of friends as long as I bring him a wee bit of apple ever’ day. He loves it when I pet or cuddle him too, he does.” Disregarding his words, she reached up to pat his muzzle and cheek. Thank the good Lord, Darktonian remained a statue. Geoff thought he might swallow his tongue at her blatant disregard for her safety and his order.
Pet or cuddle? Lord grant me strength not to strangle the irresponsible, foolish woman.
“He is a warhorse, trained to bite, strike with his hooves and batter or ram to kill. You are foolish to think otherwise.” His bellow shook the rafters. “He could remove your head in one split second if he felt like it. Now step back so I may approach. Now!” She would suffer much more than her lopsided limp if the horse became skittish.
He felt like an oaf, an ignorant oaf, yet she needed to understand the danger of her coddling such a temperamental, huge beast. He sighed in relief as she took several uneven steps back. He also noted how her lips tightened and her glare threatened to cook him to a charred cinder if she had any witchy powers in her control.

You can read more about Bev or can contact her below:




Monday, November 6, 2017

Focus on: Opposite Sides by Judi Phillips

Can love prevail or will they remain on opposite sides?

. . . Janelle Whitney now owns her father's law office and fights for the little guy.
. . . Scott MacGregor is a lawyer in a large firm and represents big-shot clients..
. . . They physically collide on the courthouse steps. Then discover they're on opposite sides of a divorce case and sparks fly in the courtroom. They don't know they also have cabins on opposite sides of Campfire Circle, a cul de sac close to Sebago Lake in Windham Maine. Over Thanksgiving, sparks flare again around the Circle.
. . . Can love prevail or will they remain on opposite sides?

Opposite Sides, a novella, is part of the Tales From Around Campfire Circle series.

An Excerpt:

Monday morning, Janelle Whitney hustled up the granite steps of the Cumberland County Courthouse in Portland, Maine, purse slung over her shoulder and briefcase in her hand. She shot a hasty glance at her watch, groaned and quickened her pace. I can't be late.
Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice startled her. "Watch it."
Colliding with an unyielding body, she stumbled, did a quick two-step and caught her balance. Her briefcase flew one way and her purse the other, the contents cascading over the steps, clattering and finally rolling to a stop some distance away.
A strong, masculine hand reached out to steady her. A tingle traveled up her arm at the moment of contact. Startled, she looked up from her scattered items.
Scott MacGregor. Not the time to resurrect history.
As they stood, rooted in place, a stream of passing people swirled to either side of them.
Her gaze settled on his face, the planes and angles and high cheekbones she remembered, now shadowed with a light scruff. Clearly, her response to his touch was a mistake. She masked her unexpected reaction.
Now a leading trial attorney in Portland, Scott also frequently appeared on the local news, during the entertainment segment, attending this or that opening, usually with a beautiful woman hanging on his arm. Precisely the kind of attorney her father had disapproved of.
"Why don't you watch where you're going?" She attempted to keep her annoyance out of her voice, but wasn't entirely successful.
He grinned. "I wasn’t the one who ran full-tilt into an innocent pedestrian who paused to enjoy the fall air."
Having her error pointed out with wit and a dash of arrogance didn't help. Hating to lose, especially to this man, she shot back a quick response. "Why didn't you move out of the way? You could see I was in a hurry."
Exasperated, Janelle bent down to retrieve the scattered articles, her hair falling around her face.
Fan-friggin'-tastic. He can't miss seeing I'm upset.
She gathered up her lipstick, compact, wallet, checkbook, pen. Pushing long strands of hair behind an ear, she spotted a major embarrassment beside his foot and grabbed it. She didn't miss his smirk as she stuffed everything, helter-skelter, into her purse. Damn it, why hadn’t she thrown out that pair of pantyhose she'd shredded on a file cabinet days ago?


Buy on Amazon or read on KU: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076VC2G3H

A Bit About Our Focus Author:

Judi Phillips has had stories in her head as far back as she can remember. However, being lazy (her friends like to point out that she’s efficient), and being a legal assistant, she knew she could never complete a manuscript if she had to write it on a typewriter. Then, along came word processors, and those magic cut and paste and delete icons. There was no stopping her after that. Within a few weeks of her first job with a computer, she started her first story, a house-beautiful, vogue thing about lawyers. Originally named as A Case for Love, it is now entitled Opposite Sides
Judi has recently relocated to New Mexico and is living in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains at the southern end of the Rockies. No more Februarys in Maine for her. She lives with two dogs, a Yorkie, Mishka, and a MinPin, Gizmo,--who lives up to his name. Both have acclimated easily, although Gizmo does miss eating snow in the winter. Despite their small size, they rule the house.

Where to find Judi:



Twitter: @judiphil

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