Sunday, November 3, 2019

A Stranger in the Family

Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature Wild Rose Press author Nancy S. Reece who is celebrating the release of A Stranger in the Family, a contemporary romantic suspense out of the Crimson Rose line. Nancy has brought along female protagonist, Lyric McKinney-Takeda.
Where are you from? Originally from Shannon, Ireland, I’ve been living and attending school in the Atlanta, Georgia area for the past five years.
Tell us a bit about A Stranger in the Family. It tells of how I met my husband, Colonel Yuri Takeda of the United Russian Republics Special Forces, and our struggles to move past the nasty polarization that comes from working on opposite sides of the conflict our world finds itself embroiled within. As both of us are engineers at heart, Yuri and I desire to leave the military and its headaches behind to work together on a truly new fighter that can take this planet to the stars. But our families are determined to keep us apart for purely political reasons. In our case, the enemy of my enemy is my true love.
What did you think the first time you saw Yuri Takeda? My first thought on meeting Yuri after a conference at the Georgia Institute of Technology on gyroscopic engines, an important component of space going vehicles, was that he was tall. Given that I’m almost six feet tall myself, it was a relief to meet a man I had to look up to in order to appreciate.
What was your second thought? My second thought was he’s a world-class asshole. And he still is, at times. It took a while to figure out that the coldness and distance was only a way of protecting himself from the outside world. We’ve both grown up in families that put duty to country before family, which left us feeling very alone. That shared life experience, along with our passion for flying, also helped us overcome the initial awkwardness in our conversations. Though we both travel quite a bit for our jobs, text messaging and Facetime calls helped ease the loneliness as well as gave us time to really get to know each other, our dreams and our fears.
Was it love at first sight? I was intrigued at first sight, but given our relative positions in our respective organizations it seemed like madness to try and build anything more than a professional friendship. However, I underestimated Yuri’s interest in me, and by the time I realized this was more than ‘like’, we were headed full speed toward a permanent relationship.
What do you like most about him? Yuri is my touchstone. He keeps me grounded when things begin to fall apart. He’s always thinking five steps ahead, which served us well once our relationship was exposed to the press, and we had to make a run for our lives to escape military tribunals for fraternizing with the enemy. Our rough edges mesh well together.
How would you describe him? Intelligent, compassionate, calculating, and sexy as hell.
Works for us; how would Yuri describe you? On a good day or a bad one? A good day, I’m his every wish come true. On a bad day, I’m an Irish Banshee.
Good one! What made you choose the military for a career? My step-father wanted me to marry for political reasons. The only way to assert my independence and escape a loveless marriage was to join the Allied Forces. Given my background in engineering and flying, Research and Development of Future Vessels was a natural fit. Also, with really pissing off my step-father was a delightful bonus.
What is your biggest fear? Being trapped in a life not of my choosing where I’m a doll to be trotted out for special functions and ignored or berated for my intelligence.
How do you relax? I love to swim, I love to fly, almost any outdoor activity really eases my stress.
Who is your favorite fictional character? Frodo from The Lord of the Rings. A perfect example of how it isn’t the size of the hero, it’s the size of the heart inside that hero. The smallest mouse can bring down the mightiest elephant.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Live your own truth. Nothing else will feel natural, and the falseness will eat away like a cancer.
Thank you, Lyric for taking the time away from your career, married life and the new baby. [oops, spoiler alert!]. We'd now like to talk with Nancy.
What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? All the books I’ve read have had an impact on my writing. My mother was a librarian, so I grew up among the stacks and card catalogs. Every story fed my imagination, allowing me to grow my own fantasies. As for movies, the ones I enjoy the most are the ones closest to the actual books. There have been several series where the movies disappointed as they varied so wildly from the books.
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? My father was an Aeronautic Engineer, and a flight instructor in the Army Air Corp during WW2. After the war he worked for United Air Lines for more than 35 years. I took my first flight at the age of three months and have loved flying ever since. The careers of Yuri and Lyric are in honor of him, and our shared love of the open skies.
Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? My publisher is The Wild Rose Press, and I ADORE them! My first fantasy series was published with a small company and I wasn’t terribly happy with the results. I asked several of my friends who have been published by several houses and got their input based upon what this series is about and the books themselves, and the overwhelming response was TWRP. I love my editor, who is so so patient with me, and has really worked hard with me to help the texting messages in this book show up as this encompasses a large portion of the romance between the main characters.
What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Every year I re-read The Lord of the Rings so they stay on my pile. Lately I been reading a lot of fan fiction online, mainly to get out of my own head and clear out the cobwebs.
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? The next book in the Family Devlyn series, “The Family Business” is ready for my final editing and should be to my editor within the month. I also have a Paranormal I’m finishing titled “Urban Wolf” about a pack of Lycan’s who live in a high-rise downtown.
To learn more about our feature author, go to:
Email: nancyreece62@gmail.com

Website: www.NancySReece.com

To purchase A Stranger in the Family, go to:
Amazon.com

BN.com

www.thewildrosepress.com/


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Friday, November 1, 2019

Sinners' Opera

          Morgan D'Arcy is an English lord, a classical pianist, and a vampire. He has everything except what he desires most—Isabeau. As the Angel Gabriel he’s steered her life and career choice, preparing her to become Lady D'Arcy. Many forces oppose Morgan's daring plan—not the least of which is Vampyre law.
          Isabeau Gervase is a brilliant geneticist Though she no longer believes in angels, she sees a ticket to a Nobel Prize in Gabriel's secrets—secrets that have led her to a startling conclusion. Gabriel isn't human, and she fully intends to identify the species she named the Angel Genome.
          Morgan is ready to come back into Isabeau's life, but this time as a man not an angel. Will he outsmart his enemies, protect his beloved and escape death himself? For the first time in eternity, the clock is ticking.

Wild Women Authors is pleased to welcome Linda Nightingale, author of Sinners' Opera, a recent release out of the Wild Rose Press and protagonist, Isabeau Gervase.

Where are you from, Isabeau? Beaufort, South Carolina. I now live on lovely, historic Orange Street in Charleston and work as a geneticist at Life Gen, a genetics and stem cell laboratory. I love Charleston. From the Antebellum mansions along the Battery to the cobbled streets that mottle the city, Charleston is a treat. To describe the city would take my entire time. My love affair with an English lord played to the backdrop of Charleston’s famous Battery and to the sound of the waves crashing against the seawall. This time, too, will remain a part of Charleston to me.
Tell us a bit about Sinners’ Opera. You’ve heard the quote, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” This describes my part in our intense love story...ours was a Sinners’ Opera, but I wouldn’t spare the tears to miss the dance. Morgan D’Arcy is beautiful, arrogant, talented, but there is darkness in him. He’s a vampire, a real one, but not a reanimated corpse. He’s a viral mutation of human DNA. The result resembles but is not like homo sapiens. For five months, we lived our idyll on the Battery. Morgan turned my life into a fairytale, and I love him still, will never love another. When the whole thing crashed down, I was shattered. He was my everything. Our story is passionate, sometimes thrilling, witty as Morgan himself, and as much about obsession as it is about the kind of love that comes once in a lifetime. Such love comes only to a man once because mortals are not strong enough to bear it twice.
What did you think the first time you saw Morgan? That he was an angel. Morgan D’Arcy was a man, a beautiful man, playing a grand piano, but he looked exactly like the angel who used to appear to me when I was a child. My earliest recollection of Gabriel was at two when I cried for the light to stay on, but my mother switched it off anyway. My angel turned it back on for me. He asked me not to tell anyone, and he became my imaginary friend.
What was your second thought? That he was the handsomest man I’d ever seen, and in his tux the most elegant and sophisticated. You have to understand—Morgan is a presence, a feast for the senses, and the most talented pianist I’ve  heard.
Did you feel it was love at first sight? Yes. He was my Gabriel. Twenty-five years before that concert, I’d known he was kind, affectionate, and caring. I remembered the feel of that silky blond hair drifting through my little fingers, those eyes so blue they put the July sky to shame. He was my guardian angel, and I loved him already.
What do you like most about him? I’m not sure. He tells me often that I’m beautiful, intelligent, and fun to be with, but now I’m not certain I believe these compliments. My innovative thinking, I suppose, and the fact that I can rub elbows with people from academia to the man on the street. I know he likes the sex.
How would you describe him? He’s 6’2” of gorgeous. He’s blond with long hair, big beautiful blue eyes, and a perfect body. He is a passionate and tender lover, and the easiest man in the world to fall in love with. He will enchant you. When he walks into a room, every woman, from spinster to teenager, stares at him. He makes people smile. He will make you his princess, but he is not always what he seems.
How would he describe you? As the woman he wants to marry, but his reasons behind this trouble me. I know his DNA isn’t human. I haven’t quantified the difference quite yet, but I’m working on it. I call his DNA my ‘angel genome’. Physically, in his aristocratic accent, he’d describe me as 5’8” tall, highlighted light-brown hair, and a quick mind. I know my career has something to do with it, but his purpose escapes me. I don’t believe in coincidence.
What made you choose to be a geneticist? My Angel Gabriel. He predicted one
day I’d hold the basis of life in my hands, that I’d be a geneticist. I love my work,
wouldn’t change professions. I love examining what makes a person the person
they are, from a genetic point-of-view. My career is fascinating, and I don’t regret
my choice at all, but I do wonder why ‘geneticist’ when the field was nowhere near
as advanced as it is now.
What is your biggest fear? That I’ll return to Morgan and our idyll by the sea…or that I won’t. Most of me longs for him, but I must stay away. I lose myself in him, become someone else. I regret leaving, but I can’t go back, you see.
How do you relax? I listen to music, read, or hang out with my friend Kirsty. Music, of course, I like piano. Books I like romance, sci-fi and fantasy. Kirsty has been my best friend since grade school.
Who is your favorite fictional character? Dorian Gray. In a way, Morgan resembles him, but not the seediness or innate darkness of spirit.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? From Kirsty…Never return to Morgan. He devours you body and soul. I don’t know. She didn’t live as his lover or be the princess in his fairytale. He left me alone to work; never interfered. I just don’t know.
This has been most enlightening, Isabeau. Thank you for sharing your love and your pain with us. It couldn't have been easy. Now, it's time to speak with your creator, Linda Nightingale.
What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer?
“Interview with a Vampire”, in part I guess. I liked the surreal qualities and the drama. When I was young, I read the old gothic romances—Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Jean Plaidy, for some. I read one super romance about the Doan Boys, Quaker outlaws during the American Revolution, called “Firebrand”, and that book stays with me today. I love to read, be transported to another life and world, put under a spell so that you surface from the book when it is over. That’s what I strive for in every book I’ve written.
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? This book is purely fiction. If my life had anything to do with it, I’ve been left before, and I could write the pain. Oh, and I made my ex-husband the villain though he wasn’t the one who left me. I wrote briefly about the Andalusian horse, as I always do, because I love the breed. I bred trained and showed the Andalusian for many happy years. Sinners’ Opera is a long figment of my imagination.
Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? The Wild Rose Press is a fantastic publisher, and I’d recommend them to both writers and readers. They publish between 4 and 5 books per week and are very well known in publication circles. For several years, they’ve won the Best Publisher in the Preditors & Editors Poll. They are currently seeking submissions, and often run special calls. I heard about them from a friend and fellow author Beth Trissel. What she told me about them and what I found out when I did my research influenced me to submit. I don’t regret that decision.
What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? A classic old gothic, the Mary Stewart Merlin trilogy; the final in the Game of Thrones series, and the list goes on. Like the old saying, “My eyes were bigger than my belly,” my case is, “My stack is bigger than my eyes.” Between promoting, being fairly active on The Wild Rose Press loop (supportive group of authors), writing, and doing general living things, my reading time is woefully limited. Last week, I joined the Elks Lodge BPOE #1206, and I plan to devote some time to their charitable works. So, I’m now an Elk!
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? Yesterday, I received my rights to Sinners’ Obsession back from the original publisher. It is the sequel to Sinners’ Opera, but it has yet to even be submitted. I’m working on Mr. Piano Man, a companion story to Sinners’ Opera, starring Morgan, of course. It’s told in a frame, beginning in the roaring 80s in Charleston, flashing back to WWII during the Blitz in England for an entire story; The story then returns to 1989 for the conclusion. When either of them will see light is a ways away. The next probably is Life for Sale, the sequel to Love For Sale. It is at least with my editor! I’ve more ideas than time it seems.

Linda brought along an excerpt for us:

Isabeau halted inches from Morgan, and a wonderful sense of release flooded her. Against a backdrop of stone and fragrant flower, he stood alone. People moved but they were outside the sphere of power he radiated.
“Isabeau.” His voice still enchanted, but his expression twisted her heart.
A band tightened around her chest. Why was he frowning?
Morgan didn’t touch her with his hands. His gaze touched her like a physical caress. “You needn’t go home with him.”
She shook her head. “I can’t just leave him.”
His voice dropped an octave, eyes dark, stormy. “Will you sleep with him?”
The question was too personal for strangers. Yet she wasn’t offended. He took her hands, and he took her breath away. She longed to counter with, “Will you sleep with the brunette tonight?” but, gazing into his eyes, she couldn’t speak.
“You hesitate. Is it such a difficult question? Are you going to bed with him?” He trapped his lower lip between sharp-looking incisors.
She glanced at his hands—cool, strong, elegant—and his grip tightened. “No, not tonight. Nor ever again I think.”
How could total strangers speak vows, ignore polite banter to dive to the heart? But they weren’t strangers, were they? She didn’t know when, but her belief that Morgan was Gabriel had solidified. Too many similarities teased her; coincidence not a word in her vocabulary.
The anger faded from his eyes, again luminescent blue. “Good.”
People scattered to a staccato of rain. A hand at her waist, he guided her into the shadow of an eave, shielding her from the storm. Sheet lightning flashed across the sky. Thunder crashed as the storm gathered momentum. Even in darkness, she could see his eyes. He seemed to have stopped breathing, seemed on the verge of a confession. She waited, trembling inside.
To purchase Sinners’ Opera in print and eBook go to:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/sinners-opera/id1478753329

https://www.amazon.ca/Sinners-Opera-Obsession-Linda-Nightingale-ebook/dp/B07X3RSRXQ

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sinners-Opera-Obsession-Linda-Nightingale-ebook/dp/B07X3RSRXQ

https://www.amazon.com/Sinners-Opera-Obsession-Linda-Nightingale-ebook/dp/B07X3RSRXQ

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinners-opera-linda-nightingale/1115919206?ean=2940160871097

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Sinners+Opera

About Linda:
     After 14 years in Texas, Linda just returned home to her roots. She has seven published novels, four of which are available from Audible.com in audio. For many years, she bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses. So, she’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer. Linda has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers’ Magnolia Award and the SARA Merritt.
     She retired from a career as a legal assistant at MD Anderson Cancer Center to write full time. She has 2 wonderful sons—one in Texas; one in England—and 4 equally marvelous grandchildren. She loves horses, sports cars, music, and piano, and enjoys dressing up and hosting formal dinner parties.

To learn more about Linda Nightingale and the stories she creates, go to:







BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/linda-nightingale





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Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Rancher Needs a Wife

WANTED: Workaholic cowboy needs hardy woman to manage household and motley family. “Girly” widows, with small children, who sell naughty lingerie need not apply.

          Overprotective big brother and ranch owner, Carter Peters, draws the short straw at a contrived family meeting, to buy his stepmom’s sixtieth birthday present. He never imagines while on the present-buying quest he’ll get zapped with cupid’s arrow by a feisty southern belle, single mom, and lingerie shop owner who is so wrong for him and has off-limits written all over her. He has no time for romance—he has a ranch to run and a father who, despite being “retired,” can’t help micro-manage. Dad insists Carter’s new-fangled ways won’t work.
          Lynette Mercer wants nothing to do with the tall, sexy, and slightly bashful cowboy who walks through her door. Okay, maybe just a little. They could be friends. After all, she’s vowed not to date until her four-year old reaches the ripe age of thirty-six. She’s recovering from the death of her husband in a marriage turned bad, and starting a new business.
          With new friends and Carter’s family determined to marry him off, neither stand a chance against cupid or a town full of caring folks.

Good morning, Lynette, Tell us a bit about yourself, starting with Where are you from? A small town near Atlanta, Georgia.

Tell us about The Rancher Needs a Wife, Book two in the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series. Well, I declare. I just moved to Mineral Springs with my four-year-old daughter. I’ve opened a lingerie shop, much needed in this small Colorado ranching town. The local women are flocking through the door—or will be soon. Men, not so much, until a tall, broad-shouldered, Stetson carrying, and a bit bashful cowboy walks through the door. That’s how I meet Carter. And as much as I do not need a man, he is intriguing. Well, glory, the story goes on from there, where we keep running into each other. His sister, four brothers, friends, and step-mom are set on finding Carter a wife. Y’all will have to stop in and see how this all turns out.

What did you think the first time you saw Carter Peters? Mighty handsome, but like a rainbow trout tossed out of the churning creek that runs into the Roaring Fork River, when he walked into the too pink and frilly forbidden territory. A lot nervous. A lot handsome. Man of few words and itching to get away from my shop. But I lured him deeper into the land of nightgowns and what-nots. I have to admit, I was intrigued and set it up so he’d most likely invite me to lunch. Thank goodness my Mama still lives in Georgia, or she’d have been appalled by my brazen behavior. I couldn’t help the flutter in my tummy and my need to get to know a real honest-to-goodness and heavenly handsome rancher.

Un huh. So, what was your second thought? Lordy, my second thought was to hold on to my flaming cheeks and hope he skedaddled right on out of my store. I had no time, nor inclination to get close to any man at this juncture in my life. No siree, none at all. I have a daughter to raise and a business to run and…

What do you like most about Carter? His kindness. He’s a gentleman through and through. And a bit mysterious. Quiet. Not giving much away about himself. And very serious about his family and business.

How would you describe him? I think I’ve done that already. Handsome. Charming in a shy way. A man’s man who treats a woman like a precious stone. But he can get carried away in that protective sort of way. Thinking he has to always do for a woman. Like she can’t do it herself. Annoying, but endearing.

How would Carter describe you? Oh, lordy, I have no idea. I do know he looked me up and down when we first met. I think he liked what he saw, since he blushed and stammered and fiddled with the brim of his Stetson. But truthfully, I think I scared him a wee bit. Especially when he found out I had a four-year old.

What made you choose to sell what some would call naughty lingerie? Oh mercy me, I don’t sell naughty lingerie. I sell beautiful, feminine, make-you-feel-good lingerie. Every woman, whether she’s wraslin’ a cow or dressing for her man needs to feel good, even when no one sees what’s underneath. But, oh my, when that someone special’s eyes cloud over when he sees you in that lime green chiffon…well, never mind the details. You’ll have to wait and see. But back to the question…I grew up working in the family grocery so I know retail. Groceries aren’t all that exciting, but I always loved fabric and color and design. I decided being a clothing designer wasn’t for me, despite the fact I loved it. So, opening a lingerie store, whether selling functional or extravagant wear, seemed the perfect match for me.

What is your biggest fear? Well, truthfully, I have two big fears. Losing those I love. And losing control of my life. By that I mean being controlled or over-protected by someone else. Oh lordy, I just realized both my fears have to do with loss.

How do you relax? Relax? Single mom, business owner, new in town. Oh glory me, I haven’t relaxed since I moved to town several months ago. But spending time with my adorable baby girl, Gaby, is my way of relaxing. And I do love a good party, although being a single mom leaves little time for that. I soon discover the folks in Mineral Springs seem to have a knack for throwing good parties, and they always include the kids.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Barbie. Sorry. Don’t laugh. But she was my childhood inspiration that led me to go to design school. Alas, life got in the way, but my love of fashion (and Barbie) led me to where I am today, the owner of a lingerie shop. But I do love design and, every once in a while, I tend to dabble. If you could see my daughter’s bedroom, and her line-up of my old Barbie’s all dressed in my hand-made designs. Now that I’ve met the Peters family, I may get to dabble in designing for real-life people.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? My Daddy and Mama, being good southern parents, are full of advice. Here are some of their pearls that I still take to heart. Daddy, always the practical one, used to say “Never leave a mess for the customer to see.” So I live by all the customer services rules of going above and beyond for a customer. When I used to have problems, Daddy would say, “Every team has turn-overs, Sugar. What counts is how fast you get the ball back.” He taught me to own my mistakes and solve problems.
My Mama’s pearl of wisdom about handling an ornery man was, “lemons were meant to make lemonade—sweeten the pot, darlin’.” Us southern women are bred to make a man happy. Although, unbeknownst to the men, we do always keep the upper hand, even while we sweeten the pot to make them forget their mad.

We thank you for speaking with us, Lynette. It's now time to put Delsora under the spotlight. What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Anything associated with romance, whether books or movies. And pretty much any romance genre. I know way too many authors now, either in person or having discovered them on loops, which means more and more books. I do like to read different genres than contemporary when I am writing my first draft. I guess it’s because it gets me out of my own head and I can get lost in a story unlike my own. I’m one who underlines great lines on my Kindle. I always say I’ll go back to read those lines, but I read so many books, I never do. But it makes me happy to underline and reread a great line while I am in the story. It also helps me see different ways of writing a scene or a character.

What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? As with my first book in this series, The Prince’s Son, it is based on an area where my daughter lived, up in the mountains of Colorado. I have a vision of where she lived when I write this series, and I use different locations or events in the area to add reality-based texture to the story. The background of my cover for the second book, The Rancher Needs a Wife, released on October 20, is a photo taken by my daughter. In fact, if you go to my website, you will see lots of photos taken by her. And I have a blog about book one up on my website (originally on Wild Women Authors in April 2019) where you will see more photos taken by my daughter. The organic cattle farm is based on one in the areas she lived in (near Carbondale, CO) and there is a scene in the book about a cattle drive down the main street that my daughter witnessed. I have a great photo that she took of that cattle drive on my website, in a blog about writing small town romance.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? My books are self-published, under the name Beach Plum Publishing, I have a great team with whom I work closely, including two editors, a formatter, and a cover artist. I will have a traditionally published book about a Vermont holiday, which will be out next year.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? This is an ever changing pile, as I read a lot of books. On my TBR pile is the latest book by Susan Vaughan, Hidden Obsession. Primal Obsession was the first book (and a stand-alone). An excellent romantic thriller. I was on the edge of my chair throughout, and I absolutely loved the romance. I’m almost finished with Jen Gilroy’s latest, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, and I can’t wait to see what happens, yet don’t want it to end. Loved her first series, based in Vermont. Then I’m starting It Started With Joy by Cindy Kirk. Right now, most of the books on my pile are holiday books, as I will be doing a blog in November about holiday reads – some authors I will read are Donna Alward, RaeAnne Thayne, Jill Shavlis, Marianne Rice, Roni Denholtz, and Amy Andrews (a new author to me), plus others not yet discovered. One will be a new anthology Romancing the Holidays by eleven authors I have never read, from Australia, New Zealand, England and elsewhere. It will be out in early November.
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? As mentioned above, I am working on the Vermont sweet romance. I hope to also get out the next two books in the Cowboys of Mineral Springs sometime in 2020. I have a Galway Cove novella series that I would like to start editing and get out in the next year or two. So, lots going on, but never enough time to do it all.

Delsora brought along an excerpt: 
     She finished a dance with Rocky, a cowboy who had grown up on the ranch with Mitch Peters. He left her breathless as he twirled her around the floor in a lively two-step that she finally gotten the hang of. “My, oh my, you have some fancy foot-work.”
     The older man blushed. “Thank you, ma’am. I ‘preciate the dance.”
     “I’m tuckered out.” She fanned her face with her hand. “I’m going to duck out for a breath of air. Thank you again, Rocky.”
     She drifted through the wide doorway, regaining a bit of energy once the cool air hit her warm body. She headed toward the edge of the large yard leading to the ranch house. The music dimmed. Dusk settled around her.
     When she reached the green lawn, she turned and looked back toward the barn. Soft light spilled from the open doors, picking up the glint of pebbles scattered over the dirt drive. The thin line of gray-blue sky outlined the surrounding mountain tops and blended into midnight black above her head.
     She arched her back and swept her hair up in one hand to cool off her neck while she took in the breathtaking display of twinkling stars. The full moon shoved its way free of a drifting cloud to shine bright, casting shadows across the rugged landscape.
     The crisp air and slight breeze brushed over her to dry the perspiration after her exertion on the dance floor. A shiver zipped through her, the night chill in contrast to the heated barn full of moving bodies and pulsing music.
     “You cold?”
     Out of the shadows near the barn came the deep voice she’d longed to hear all night. She turned toward the wide expanse of barn silhouetted against the moonlight. 
     Carter sauntered from the shadows, removing his light-weight jacket. He stopped inches away, his presence sucking the air from her lungs, and draped his jacket around her shoulders. The scent of pine and leather and Carter wafted up to surround her.
     Oh, lordy. She wanted to swoon.

The Rancher Needs a Wife can be purchased at:
Amazon:

and Books2Read books2read.com/u/bxv56d

To learn more about Delsora Lowe, go to:

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Thursday, October 10, 2019

Susan Vaughan and Hidden Obsession

Wild Women Authors is pleased to welcome fellow Maine Romance Writers author, Susan Vaughan as she celebrates the release of Hidden Obsession. She's brought Justin Wylde with her. He's up first.
Tell us a bit about HIDDEN OBSESSION. To start with, I was on Echo Cliff Point—that’s in Dragon Harbor, Maine—to investigate a suspicious death. In the fog, naturally. I don’t ever seem to get called out on sunny days. When I went to interview the only witness at her grandmother’s house, I met Sheri, um, Sheridan Harte. She was there to ghostwrite the grandmother’s memoir. Couldn’t take my eyes off her. I can’t tell you more about the case until the Major Crimes Unit releases the details. Sorry.
Let’s get back to Sheri then. What did you think the first time you saw her? First thing I noticed was those long legs and her full mouth. Hair the color of honey. I—oh, wait, you asked what I thought? She was damned buttoned up—except later when she laughed. Then she loosened up. Smart and observant, saw that from the beginning.
Is that all? How else would you describe her? Conscientious and loyal, and too independent sometimes for her own good. But I’ve said enough about that.
Then how would she describe you? She tells her friends I’m protective, too protective in her book, but that’s her independent streak talking. Maybe also that I’m focused on ferreting out the truth, making things right and just. Down side of that is I find it hard to trust people. Hazard of being a Maine state detective, being suspicious.
Understood, suspicion must go with the turf. Then, how do you relax? I like a game of softball. Used to play baseball in high school, but injured my knee. Sheri and I like to jog along the shore. My brother and I go fishing. In truth, I don’t get much time to relax, another hazard of the profession.
Thanks for this, Justin. Now, we'd like to chat with Susan.
With regard to research, where did you start for this novel? I began knowing that Sheridan Harte would be ghostwriting the memoir of an elderly woman. I’ve read very few memoirs, so I researched first how a memoir differs from a biography. Then I wanted to know how ghostwriters worked. I know someone who has done this, so I began by asking her a ton of questions. My next step was online, where I found several sites with advice on how to work with a client and how to structure a memoir. And although the story begins with Sheri and her client beginning to work on the project, that’s only a vehicle to put Sheri on that peninsula. It’s where she grew up and the place she has avoided for years.
What in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I’ve lived on the coast of Maine for over forty years, so building the story world on a Maine peninsula, similar to many I know was a natural. I feel it enabled me to set a mood and an atmosphere that enriched both the setting and the characters.
What books currently rest on your TBR pile? Whoa, I have too many, but here are three. Anne Gracie’s Captive Lady, an historical romance, not her newest, but a series I just discovered; Michael Connelly’s The Late Show, the start of a new mystery series for him; and Kat Martin’s The Conspiracy, a romantic suspense by one of my favorite authors.
Readers can contact me at www.susanvaughan.com. My books are in both print and digital formats, but the digital are only on Amazon.
Hidden Obsession is at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XFGJ6YF

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Friday, October 4, 2019

Bay of Darkenss by S.K. Andrews

Wild Women Authors is pleased to focus on a recent mainstream paranormal release out of the Wild Rose Press, Bay of Darkness, by S.K. Andrews.

Blurb:
          After witnessing her fiancé's murder and almost dying herself, Vivien Kelly's mission is to destroy Dagda—a Celtic God turned demon. As a supernatural dark cloud looms over the Sahara, she finds herself drawn to the Northern California town of Half Moon Bay and a new life as a paranormal cleanser. There Vivien finds Dagda's creatures tormenting the locals. Her own paranormal cleansing team—The Kelly Society— is born, and the race is on when people around her begin to die.
          While banishing a banshee, Vivien meets Neal Harrington—a soul partner who can promise true happiness. But when Dagda's black vapor creates a New World of darkness, her time is up. Can Vivien abandon everyone she loves and succumb to her past life's barbaric force to defeat the demon? Her actions not only determine her future—but the future of the modern world.

Excerpt:
Announcing her presence, Vivien slapped open palms against the bedroom door. Shrieking stopped as the banshee tried to stab into her intuitive power, not even making a dent.
Julie, I’m here to help. Don’t be afraid. After sending her telepathic message, she felt a definite shift. The young girl now had hope.
Sensing another female entity in the bedroom, Vivien tuned in sharper. A spirit connected to the house stood in front of Julie, also protecting her.
“That horrible noise stopped.” Neal eyed the door urgently. “Is that good or bad? I mean, is Julie safe?”
“Yes, she’s safe. I put a protective light around her.”
Heaving a sigh of exhaustion, he rubbed his temple. “Oh, right—the light thing. This is all so weird.” Neal’s head popped up. “No offense.”
“None taken.” She grinned like a debutant about to dance with the coolest boy in school.
“What now?”

A Bit About Our Focus Author: Starra Andrews, writing as S.K. Andrews.
          Starra Andrews grew up in Laguna Beach, California, body surfing in the Pacific Ocean, writing fantasy stories, and acting on stage. Having been influenced by the powerful scripts of Rod Serling and Richard Matheson from The Twilight Zone, she gravitated toward paranormal stories laden with hope. Writing supernatural tales became her passionate hobby, in between life in the theatre.
          She loves to sip hazelnut coffee, while reading a riveting ghost story, or while typing up an exciting new chapter of her own. After attaining a B.A. degree in Theatre from University of California, Irvine, and attending LACC Acting Academy, an idea sparked for interviewing actors to help student actors.  Her non-fiction book The Pursuit of Acting; Working Actors Share Their Experience and Advice was published by Praeger Publishers/ABC CLIO.
          In fiction, her heroine, psychic & paranormal cleanser Vivien Kelly and her team are in a race to rid the modern world of deadly Celtic creatures in her book trilogy The Kelly Society.  Bay of Darkness, the first book of the series is currently released through the Wild Rose Press. Starra lives in upstate NY with her two cats, Audrey Hepburn and Vivien Leigh.
To purchase Bay of Darkness, go to:
To learn more about Starra Andrews and the stories she creates, go to:
Social Media:


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Thursday, October 3, 2019

Taking Stock





Wild Women end this week's focus on Danielle Bannister's books with Taking Stock

 Can love really happen later in life?
          Penny White was doing just fine as a cashier in the small town of Bucksville, New Hampshire. She had three cats and an apartment to herself. So what if she was in her mid-thirties and had yet to have a serious boyfriend? So what if she’d never left her tiny little town? She was happy in her sheltered life, or at least she was pretending to be.
          Everything was just the way she liked it, until a reporter from The Sunset Journal waltzed into her life, turning her predictable world upside down. What did this man want from her and was it something she was willing to give him? It’s time for Penny to stop and take stock of what it is she really wants.

To Purchase Taking Stock, go to:

A Bit About Our Focus Author: 
     Danielle Bannister lives with her two children in Midcoast Maine along with her precious coffee pot and peppermint mocha creamer. She holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Southern Maine  and her master's degree in Literary Education from the University of Orono. Her writing includes: a collection of short stories called Short Shorts, The Twin Flames Trilogy: Pulled, Pulled Back, and Pulled Back Again, The ABC's of Dee, Enigma, Doppelganger, and Must Love Coffee and a steamy novella The First 100 Kisses. She's also co-authored a fantasy novel with Amy Miles called Netherworld and Hollow Earth. Book three will be available soon. She has also written The Lurkers Within, which is located in the Havenwood Falls Series. When she's not on the stage, on the page or engrossed in a good book, you'll find her binge-watching all the Netflix. As one does. 

 To Find Out More About Danielle, go to:
Facebook Personal Page: http://bit.ly/2k35WYR
Amazon Author Follow Page: http://amzn.to/1VdB0jZ
Bookbub Author Follow Page: http://bit.ly/2jpcb7o


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Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Welcome Danielle Bannister and Must Love Coffee




Must Love Coffee.
     That was the first requirement coffee shop owner, Finn Allen, insisted upon in his ad for a new barista. 
     He wasn’t expecting his valedictorian, coffee-hating nemesis, Samantha Whitman, to answer the ad, or for her to look smoking after all these years. 
     It was too bad she was married because that’s a line Finn, a recovering playboy, wouldn’t cross.  Things get muddy, however, when Sam turns to him for comfort during a crisis. 
     Can Finn keep his emotions in check or will he screw things up yet again?

Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature Must Love Coffee, a later in life romance by Danielle Bannister. She’s brought coffee shop owner Finn Allen with her and he’s up first.
Where are you from? Bucksville, New Hampshire 
Tell us a bit about Must Love Coffee. Besides being the name of the coffee shop I inherited from my parents when they passed, I guess the story is about small towns and romance finding you where you least expect it. Like my coffee shop, for example.
What did you think the first time you saw Samantha Whitman? Honestly? That she had aged well, ha! We knew each other in high school. I had no idea she was back until she came in to interview for an opening for a barista that I had. We weren’t like, buddies back then, but we knew who each other was. She definitely grew into her deliciously curvy body, let’s just say that.
What was your second thought? How the hell can I accept Sam’s application to work in my shop? She was way too hot. I’d never be able to focus. Still, there was something in her eyes that told me she was desperate for the job. So, yeah, I hired her, and the roller coaster ride began.
Was it love at first sight? Maybe lust at first sight. What can I say, I’m a guy. She was hot. It’s not like I could overlook that.  
What do you like most about Sam? I’m sure you think I’m gonna say like her boobs or ass or something, but no...it’s her strength. The struggles she’s had to deal with lately...Man, I don’t know if I could do it. And her heart, too, ya know? When she loves, she loves you with her whole heart. That’s something I’ve never had before, and I’ve been around the block more than a few times. 
How would you describe her? Obviously she’s hot, olive skin, long dark hair, thick full lips you just wanna kiss, and her eyes. I’m telling you, they will do you in. She looks in the square in the soul with those eyes. It’s intense. 
How would Sam describe you? Oh man...she knew me as a playboy back in school, but the years after weren’t as kind do me in the curve department. Getting older sucks. I need glasses, need to get back to the gym...some Rogain. Ugh. I don’t know what she sees in me, honestly. 
What made you choose operating Must Love Coffee as a career? I wasn’t really given a choice. It was left to me in my parent’s will. I was in no position to take over their business. I was not a very reliable person...I guess taking this on, sort of forced me to grow up. Probably why they left it to me instead of my highly responsible sister, Jackie. 
What is your biggest fear? That Sam will realize she doesn’t really care about me after all. Pathetic, I know. 
How do you relax? I play guitar. I hadn’t played since high school really, but Sam has encouraged me to pick it up again.
Who is your favorite fictional character? I’m not really much of a reader. Do comics count? I really dug The Hulk as a kid. He turned anger into a superpower. I always thought that was cool. 
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Probably from my sister. She helped me see things clearly with Sam. 
Thanks for spending time with us, Finn. Now it’s Danielle’s turn.
What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Oh gosh, ALL the romantic genres, rom-coms, and swoon-worthy moments. The big gestures, like Say Anything, boom-box overhead, heart out in the open...that kind of stuff has always stayed with me. When the path to love isn’t easy but worth fighting for. I love to see that struggle for love to find a way. 
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? My love of The Hulk. ha. Oh, and my love of coffee. But also, the character of Jackie. I named her after an aunt who passed away while I was writing it. Her name was Jenny, but I wanted to remember my aunt, so I changed the character’s name and dedicated the book to her. All of my books are essentially about hopeless romantics because I, myself, am one. 
Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I’m primarily a self-published author and have been since I started writing back in 2009. I am a bit of a control freak so like to have say in the details like cover, pricing, etc. Though, I am looking at a few publishing houses now just to see what they may have to bring to the table.  The older I get, the more I’m willing to let go of some things. ha!
What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? So many books there. I need to finish the Outlander series, cause I just have to. I have a friend’s new release, Revealing Hope, bu Julie Cassar, The Royal Protector Academy by Randi Cooley Wilson, Accidentally Married, by R. R. Banks, The Wedding from Hell Pt 3 by J.R. Ward… I could go on and on. As does my list Ha. 
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? 
GREAT question.  Must Love Coffee is one of three in a stand-alone series that all happen in the same town, Bucksville, New Hampshire. I thought it would be fun, coming from a small town myself, to explore the lives of three people living in that same town. So while they are connected by locations, a few crossover characters and such, each book is independent of the other, but if you read all three, there are Easter eggs in there to discover. The first two that I wrote in that series, Doppelganger and Must Love Coffee are both on sale for .99 cents in anticipation of the Taking Stock, which was released on Sept. 27!  

MUST LOVE COFFEE
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/MLCSW 
Paperback: http://bit.ly/MLCPB 

DOPPELGANGER  
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2iLJx1B 

TAKING STOCK (Releasing 9-27-19)

AUTHOR PAGES

Insta: daniellebannisterbooks


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