Today I’m hosting fellow Loveahappyending Lifestyle author, Mandy Baggot and her new romantic suspense novel, Security, brought to you by Sapphire Star Publishing!
Autumn Raine is a pop vocalist at the very top of her game. She’s a style icon, the paparazzi’s darling and everyone wants to be her friend. But when her safety is threatened, her whole life starts to unravel.
Enter Nathan Regan, an ex-elite soldier who is assigned to protect her. He’s a good man doing bad things but what drives him? Passion? Madness? Or grief? Demons from his past are threatening to consume him. Can he win the fight alone or will he have to admit he needs help?
As the threat deepens, Autumn starts to find out who she really needs in her life. Is there still room for personal assistant Janey or rapper boyfriend Rockweiler? When everyone around her is feeding her lies, how does she work out the truth? Does her record producer know more than he’s letting on? What is her mother, the British Foreign Secretary’s involvement in the situation? And can Autumn put her faith in a forty-something Jamaican woman who handles an automatic weapon as expertly as she cooks?
Eluding kidnap and trying to stay alive, can Autumn find the strength to be the person she longs to be? And can two people, poles apart, forge something strong enough to survive anything?
Today, Mandy and I are asking, what makes you feel safe/comfortable/secure? Here are my thoughts…
Interestingly, old movies make me feel safe and secure! Whenever I’m upset or nervous, I find that curling up under the covers and watching an old (preferably romantic) black and white movie circa 1930s to 1950s calms me down like a cinematic sedative. And in a more conventional form of security, if my husband is away, then being home and cozy with my cats—with my trusty burglar alarm set—makes me feel secure, too!
To be in with a chance to win an e-copy of Security, leave a comment and your email address and let me know what makes you feel secure? Could it be knowing you have that secret stash of chocolate hidden away or perhaps you have a favourite piece of music that wraps you up like a blanket! Get commenting to win! Closing date 30 April 2013.
http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/mandybaggot
Yay! Sophie’s back and this time on the run! I’m so happy to have Nicky Wells return to my blog to take us on a whirlwind tour of Stockholm with her adorable characters Sophie and Dan!
Come on Tour with Sophie and Dan… Nordic-Exotic Stockholm
Sophie’s Run Blogtour 2013
Sophie’s Run
Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…
Who says that the road towards true love is straight and even? Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.
So she has finally found the man of her dreams! Well… she knows who he is, even though she hasn’t actually quite met him yet. But she misses her opportunity, and then her life goes crazy. Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance—even if he is just trying to be helpful. A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Then, just as she is getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal.
Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret journey and eventually gets her life back on track.
Here are my thoughts on Sophie…
“There’s something about Sophie…Loved the first book in this rock star trilogy, Sophie’s Turn, and so was eager to read this one. Nicky Wells didn’t disappoint! I was thoroughly drawn in to the loveable Sophie’s continuing escapades. Will the alluring rock star win her back, or did she just meet the true love of her life? I was almost as eager as Sophie to find out! Endearing, warm, and funny, Sophie’s Run is an utter delight!”–Bonnie Trachtenberg
Hi! My name is Nicky Wells, and I am the author of Sophie’s Run, Part 2 in the Rock Star Romance Trilogy. Today, it is my great pleasure to bring my heroine, Sophie, and her leading man, singer and rock star extraordinaire Dan Hunter, to Bonnie Trachtenberg’s fabulous blog for a chat. You see, we’re taking Sophie’s Run on tour ~ and we’d like to take you with us! We’ve been showing readers around some of the fabulous places our romantic couple get to visit during the course of the Rock Star Romance Trilogy—whether jointly or singly—and one of the places that fascinates them both is Stockholm. No wonder, if you consider that Dan had rather a royal moment on tour there:
Royal Reception for The Boys in Stockholm
When the lighting shifted, there was a tangible thickening of the atmosphere as fans anticipated Tuscq to appear. The atmosphere backstage had been tense; this was the first foreign gig of the tour. There was no telling how the fans would react. But the stunning riffs and classic glam-rock tunes that Tuscq resurrected to the stage of the packed Stockholm Arena received an enthusiastic welcome of truly royal proportions here in Sweden, and the band quickly relaxed, launching into an a capella rendition of Eat My Heart with vigor and force.
Fans at first thought the appearance of a be-crowned and bejeweled young lady and her escort were part of the band’s show, a joking but endearing acknowledgement of the rumor that the Princess is an ardent Tuscq fan. But the bewildered faces of the band quickly gave it away: this royal visit was for real. When the Princess turned to face the arena, the audience gave a tremendous roar of recognition and the stage was instantly bathed in an explosion of flashlights as press photographers snapped this unique and quite unprecedented opportunity. The Princess took autographs from each member of the band before leaving the stage in a flurry of applause.
Dan: *laughs* Oh my God, that was so amazing.
Sophie: Your face was priceless, I’ll never forget.
Dan: *nudges her affectionately* You were quite star-struck too, when you got to meet her afterwards.
Sophie: I was. It was an awesome moment.
Dan: Shame we didn’t have a lot of time to look around the city.
Sophie: Maybe next time. Still, the driver of the limo gave us a mini tour.
Dan: Everywhere looked so clean, and pristine.
Sophie: And cute! *Scrabbles in her purse* Here, let’s share some photos…
The Old Town (Gamla Stan)
By Oke (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Stortorget in the Old Town
Sophie: These houses remind me of Grimm’s fairy tales. Very cute! Wonder what it would be like to live right there…
Dan: I’m half expecting Karlsson-on-the-Roof to zoom by any minute now!
Sophie: You read Astrid Lindgren as a child?
Dan: Sure did!
Sophie: Well, I learn something new about you every day!
By Mastad (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Changing of the Guards, Swedish-Style
By Andreas Trepte (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
City Hall!
Sophie: There’s so much water in Stockholm. It’s like the Venice of the North. No wonder I loved it there!
By Andreas Trepte (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
Dan: *rouses himself from his contemplations* We must go back there one day, promise!
Sophie: Okay! Do let’s.
Dan: How about when this launch tour for Sophie’s Run is finished? I’ll have a couple of weeks then before Tuscq goes on tour.
Sophie: Deal!
Nicky: Oooh, now, don’t forget me… I want to know all about this!
And there you have it. It’s all go-go-go when there’s a rock star involved, they certainly don’t hang about. Thank you for joining us today and I really hope that you enjoy hearing more about Sophie and Dan’s continued story in Sophie’s Run. Happy reading!
Wait, wait, wait, there’s more: Introducing the Sophie’s Run Give Away!
1) Standard Giveaway
Nicky Wells is giving away one delicious chocolate gift to a lucky winner in the UK or North America!
The small print: This Gift prize is a product of Unique Chocolate. The Gift prize is subject to availability in your country. If the Gift prize is not available in your country, Nicky Wells reserves the right to offer a substitute gift prize of a similar nature at her discretion. Nicky Wells will require the winner’s postal address for shipping purposes.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
2. Bonus Giveaway
Nicky Wells offers a giveaway of one Amazon gift voucher worth $20/£15 for one lucky winner. To enter, simply share your thoughts on Sophie’s Run with Nicky. Email your comment to nickywells@sapphirestarpublishing.com and your name will be entered into the draw. Competition closes 1 May 2013.
About Nicky Wells: Romance that Rocks Your World!
Rock On! Nicky Wells writes fun and glamorous contemporary romance featuring a rock star and the girl next door. A signed author with U.S. publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky is in the throes of publishing her Rock Star Romance Trilogy. Nicky loves rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she’s not writing, Nicky is a wife, mother, and occasional teaching assistant.
Originally born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993, and currently lives in Lincoln with her husband and their two boys. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C.
Visit Nicky on her blog where you can find articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an ongoing update on her work in progress. You can also follow Nicky on Twitter and find her on Facebook. Nicky is a featured author on the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com and has joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Nicky also has author pages at Sapphire Star Publishing, Amazon and, of course, Goodreads.
Buy Sophie’s Run:
I know what it’s like to write from personal experience. My first novel, Wedlocked, is based on my first brief and disastrous marriage. But my friend and fellow author James Wilcox’s experience writing about his own personal experience is much different. His new book, Miracle Child, is a memoir that tells the story of his premature infant son, Nathaniel. I’ll let James tell you what it was like to share his heart-wrenching journey with the world, but first a little about the book…
This is a story of miracles, both big and small, and the story of one little boy born sixteen weeks early, weighing only one-and-a half pounds.
Nathaniel Wilcox needed a miracle.
He wasn’t expected to make it through the night.
This is Nathanial’s story of his five month journey to survive, and how he touched the hearts of everyone who cared for him. This is the story of how one family managed to overcome tragedy and despair, to find a renewed faith in each other and in God.
A miracle child?
Indeed.
Now James tells us about the writing of Miracle Child…
Coming up with an idea for a story, developing believable characters, mapping out plot lines, creating smooth transitions, and pulling everything together for an exciting, satisfying conclusion, these are just some of the things an author has to worry about when writing a book. Each of these steps takes time, patience, and creativity. They are also extremely personal because they are important steps in the creative process for the author. Authors give a little piece of themselves to each step of the process, a little bit of their imagination and creativity. Writing is personal because authors are sharing a piece of themselves with the world and leaving themselves open for criticism and ridicule, but also for praise and enjoyment. Although I find writing extremely fulfilling and rewarding, I always find it hard to take that next step, the step that will publish the book and share it with the word.
Having published two novels and a collection of poetry, I thought I had figured out how to deal with the excitement, the stress, and the nervousness of publishing a book. That was before I decided to write a book about my son, before my writing really got personal. My newest book, titled Miracle Child, tells the story of my son’s five month battle for life in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s Mercy Hospital. My son Nathaniel was born sixteen weeks early and weighed only 1.8 pounds. He was very sick and wasn’t even expected to make it through the night. Although Miracle Child is a story of anguish, fear, stress, and frustration, it is also a story of love, hope, and faith.
In many ways, Miracle Child is the easiest book I have written because I didn’t have to create the characters or develop the story line. At the same time, Miracle Child is the most difficult book I have written because it is the most personal. I never imagined writing a book about my son and I never intended to write a book in which I am one of the main characters. I wish I could say that I am the hero of this story, but I can’t. My son is the hero of Miracle Child because he was able to touch the hearts of everyone who cared for him.
Miracle Child is the most personal book I can write. Now all I can do is wait and see if this story touches readers as much as it has touched me.
James P. Wilcox is the author of Miracle Child, two novels – Sex, Lies, and the Classroom and The M-16 Agenda – and Musings of a Particular Bear: A Poetry Collection. James, a former newspaper photographer and writer, is currently a high school teacher in the Kansas City area, where he lives with his wife and three children.
To find more about James and his work visit his website at www.jamespwilcox.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/James-P-Wilcox-Author/138615939640998?ref=hl
Twitter @m16agenda
Miracle Child available for Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Child-ebook/dp/B00BUHGWOU/ref=la_B005IGG5G4_1_3_title_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1364102084&sr=1-3
For Nook at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miracle-child-james-p-wilcox/1114844969?ean=2940016184098
Welcome back, Stacy! I’m so happy to have you visit again and tell us all about your new novel, Garda, and what inspired you to write it. It’s sounds so interesting and imaginative!
Bonnie – thank you so much for inviting me here to your blog today so I can visit with you and your readers!!! It is always an honor to visit and talk about my writing and my life.
On February 10, I released a new novel, Garda – Welcome to the Realm. This was the first time that I have written about Guardian Angels. In my book, I call them “Garda” or “Gardaí”. The reason I choose to use that term was because the word Garda is Irish and translates to Guardian. In Ireland they call their police force Garda Síochána, or translated, the Guards of Peace.
Your readers probably don’t know that I am a police officer full time. So I love the term Garda, and when I started writing this book about Guardian Angels, that just fit perfectly.
One of the things I am most often asked is, do I believe in guardian angels? My answer is a simple, yes. Without going into religious beliefs and such, let me explain why I think the way I do.
My job is very stressful and at times very dangerous. I work for a very small department, and many times I have been out patrolling the streets alone. On those nights, or days even, that I drive around and protect my township, there have been many times when I am responding to a scene or about to stop a car, and instincts tell me to be careful. Maybe the hair on the back of my neck stands up, or some thought flashes through my mind randomly. Whatever it is, I take it seriously.
Maybe I’ll call for an extra car before I respond into a call, or maybe that car I was about to stop for not stopping at the stop sign will get a free pass that night as I turn off and look for another car. Is it just instinct, or is there something or someone else that whispers into my mind to let that one go, or be extra careful? I’m not sure, but I will tell you that I believe it is a guardian angel that watches over me. It is the one that comforts me when I am sad, the one that guides me when I am lost and the one that protects me when I walk towards danger. On those days when I must confront the beast face first, I go in knowing that I am not alone.
Whether you truly believe in them or not, the concept is appealing to many and that is one of the reasons I wrote my newest novel. I hope your readers will take the time to check out some of the links about the new book.
Thank you again Bonnie for the opportunity to visit with you and your readers!
After writing this initial post and sending it to Bonnie, she replied back and asked if there was any particular incident that I could expand on. I told her of course! So this is one of my brushes with what I believe was an angel watching over me.
It was a night shift several years ago, and I was working the street alone. The township that I work in is south of the only city in our county, but while we are next to a city, we are considered to be a rather country setting. We have a couple of major streets in our area, but no stop lights. Neighborhoods range from trailer parks to multi-million dollar ranches. Anyway, it was sometime shortly after midnight and I was sitting in my car watching a stop sign. There wasn’t much traffic, and when a car came to the intersection and didn’t completely stop, I thought about stopping them. Then I noticed that one of the brake lights was out, a second reason to make contact with them.
The car pulled away and I flipped on my headlights and put the car into drive to catch up to them. About a mile down the road I got behind the car, but because of the area we were in I held off flipping on my red and blue lights to direct them to pull over. The road was dark where we were driving and I wanted it in a brighter spot.
I ran the license plate on my computer, nothing interesting came back on it and I continued to follow it for a short time. Just as I reached down to flip on my lights, a tingle traveled down my spine, and the hair rose on my neck and arms. A voice inside my head said simply, “Don’t”.
For just a second I thought about ignoring it, but after years on this job, I have learned to heed the gut feelings, the instincts or the whispered words in my head. I backed off the car as I saw the passenger in the car turn to look at me. At the next street, I turned off the roadway and let the car move on.
Later that night, a department south of me got into a pursuit with that car. At the time I didn’t know it was the exact car, but I heard the call go out by the officer that he was attempting to stop a vehicle and they were fleeing. The car ended up crashing and the driver and passenger were injured. Inside the vehicle were several firearms and a trunk full of stolen electronics.
Had I attempted to stop that vehicle, many things could have happened. I don’t dwell on what could have happened, I just remember that there is a reason words whisper through my mind, and I take comfort in knowing that I have an angel watching over me.
Thank you again Bonnie! So glad you asked to me to elaborate on that!
Me, too, Stacy. Wow, that’s some story! I’m glad you listened to that “little whisper”! Best of luck with the book and thanks so much for sharing!
Read an excerpt from Garda
“He is my destiny.”
There is a place that lies between heaven and Earth, it is called The Realm. Within this place, the Guards of Peace, known as Garda Síochána, learn to guide and protect the ones that live below until they are called home.
Officer Corey Hamilton is dedicated to being the best that she can be, in uniform and out. Her loving nature, compassionate thoughts, and warrior strength make her the perfect candidate to join the Garda Síochána and spend her eternity protecting and guiding others.
Just before Corey dies in a line-of-duty accident, she meets Officer Mitchell O’Reilly. Her feelings for him may change her destiny, but not for the better, as she falls in love with this married man. Brock, Corey’s personal Garda, will bring her home to The Realm and attempt to train her for her future, even while she still fights for her past.
Will Brock be able to direct Corey down the right path, or will she cross the line and fall from grace?
Join Corey, Mitchell, and Brock for an emotional and heart-pounding adventure that is sure to make you wonder if angels are really guiding us in our everyday lives.
Get in touch with Stacy here…
Website: www.stacyeaton.com
Blog: http://stacyeatonauthor.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4826711.Stacy_Eaton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stacy-Eaton/191880767522183?ref=hl
Twitter: @StacySEaton
You Tube video Trailer: http://youtu.be/uNJcU7Ni8k8
KINDLE: http://tinyurl.com/b43msy6
NOOK: http://tinyurl.com/bbw6l7j
About the author:
Stacy Eaton is a police officer by profession. Currently, she is working as the department investigator and enjoys digging into cases and putting the pieces of the puzzles together.
Stacy resides in southeastern Pennsylvania and is the wife to a police officer and the mother of two. She is very proud of her son who is currently serving in the United States Navy and equally proud of her nine year old daughter who works hard in her Tae Kwon Do studies.
When Stacy is not working her demanding job, or spending time with her family, she works on her business and volunteers with the World Literary Café. When there is time, she writes.
Stacy is currently working on book 3 of the International Best Selling “My Blood Runs Blue” Series (release anticipated late 2013). She is also working on a second Domestic Violence Novel, You’re Not Alone. She also has plans to add a second book to her newest series, Garda, along with publishing a contemporary romance later this year.
As many of you know, I absolutely love romantic comedies–reading them and writing them! So I’m thrilled to have a fellow romantic comedy writer and good friend visit my blog from way across the pond in England. She’s here to tell us about her life as a RomCom author and to present her latest book. I love the title and look forward to reading A Little Bit of Madness. Welcome to the very talented and lovely Sheryl Browne!
Hi Bonnie!
Thanks so much for inviting me along today and helping me launch A Little Bit of Madness, my fourth Romantic Comedy published through Safkhet Publishing.
So, why four books in the genre you might ask? I’m not quite sure would be the honest answer, other than I can’t seem to write without injecting humour into my story. I like to write romantic comedy because I hope to allow people a little escapism and also to leave the reader with that all-important feel-good factor. I do, however, like to write about real people, dealing with real life events, someone the reader identifies with and wants to get to know. A ‘boy meets girl, boy gets girl, despite all obstacles’ story portraying characters readers can relate to and hopefully laugh with as they fall over life’s little ‘obstacles’ – because the reader is empathising with the character, because they’ve been there.
Bearing in mind real people then, along with changing population demographics, in A Little bit of Madness, I aimed for a multigenerational read. Alongside my hunky but flawed hero and my feisty yet vulnerable heroine, therefore, I’ve starred a cast of people of the Queen’s generation, or as Celia – our heroine – prefers to call them, her elderly independents: people who have life skills you couldn’t possibly learn from a book and who still have lives to live and something left to give.
I’ve written the book. My publisher loves it. Now comes the nervous nail-biting bit. Will the readers love it, too?? I hope so. Having seen a sneak peek of an upcoming review, I think so. He’s a teeny snippet: ‘This book had me laughing so hard at the antics of the elderly characters…’ I won’t say more for fear of spoilers. I have, however, popped the blurb and a brief excerpt below. Ooh, I do hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for reading!
A Little Bit of Madness
No rest for the wicked
Saving Charlton hall will burrow into your heart.
Celia Summers, intrepid mother of two, is too cuddly for sweatpants, she suspects. But then, her class at The Harbour Rest Home are similarly clad. Celia loves her work as an art therapist. She’s proud that she gives her elderly independents something to look forward to, even if her partner, Martin, disapproves of her efforts. He also has other things on his mind – telling complicated lies to Celia so he can sell Charlton Hall, his mum’s house, to pay off his debts.
Meanwhile, Celia fights to secure gallery space for her geriatric charges’ artwork, and to keep The Harbour from being closed. She’s even ready to abseil from a church steeple to bring attention to the plight of her old people, no matter that she might fall and end up splattered all over the flagstones. When she does fall, however, it’s much more painful – in love with PC Alex Burrows. Will he be her white-knight-in-blue and ride to her rescue?
EXCERPT
‘I think I might be able to assist. Excuse me, dears.’ May squeezed between them, potty in hand. ‘There,’ she said, opening the window and chucking the contents out. ‘That should cool their ardour.’
‘Oh my God.’ Celia gawked. ‘May, I can’t believe you just did that!’
Eleanor laughed. ‘Relax, Celia. He hasn’t been assaulted quite as rudely as you think. It’s tea, not pee.’
‘I’ve been practising.’ May nodded importantly. ‘It’s not as easy as it looks, you know, making huge potfuls and getting it right, especially when it’s orgasmic.’
‘Organic, May.’
‘Oh, don’t be such a baby,’ Celia shouted through the window, as Martin gave an outraged screech and clutched his shirt from his chest. ‘It was tea, not pee.’
‘It was bloody hot!’ Martin looked up, po-faced. Appropriately, Celia thought. ‘She could have seriously injured me, the silly cow. Come on, Celia, see sense and come out before something awful happens.’
‘It already did, Martin. You happened.’
‘Fine. Have it your own way,’ Martin snapped, ‘let’s see if the police can persuade you, shall we?’ With great fanfare, he flicked open his new mobile, and whoosh, in an instant it was gone—swept away on a cloud of fire extinguisher foam.
‘Yessss!’ Celia did a little twirl on the landing. ‘Well done, Eleanor!’
‘That is it!’ Martin shouted through a face-full of suds. ‘I’m going to find a public telephone. The police will be here in minutes, Celia. You’d better get out under your own steam, while you still can!’
‘Do what you like, Martin,’ she called, as the two men in suits climbed from their vehicle, now parked behind Martin’s Jaguar. They’d had the good sense to stay out of the line of fire until now. ‘We’re not budging. We’re not even prepared to talk until we get assurances no contracts have been exchanged!’
Let him chew on that for a while, Celia thought as she turned away. Damn! The bailiffs! She realised they could split up at any moment and bolted downstairs, missing the last step from the bottom to land in a heap.
‘Ooh bloody, bloody Martin.’ Celia crawled up the banister and limped on, sure at least one of the bailiffs would be trying to gain entry at the back by now. ‘Batten down the hatches,’ she shouted, stumbling into the kitchen.
‘All battened m’dear. Blighters won’t get in here,’ the colonel assured her, walking stick ready to thrash any hand that might nudge through the cat-flap.
‘Mum,’ Luke yelled from the front hall, ‘it’s Alex.’
Oh no. Celia’s heart plummeted. Why, why, why, if he cared about any of them, couldn’t he have turned a blind eye, bunked off work, done anything but be involved in their eviction?
‘Where?’ She raced back toward the front hall, ready to dish out the same treatment to him as they had Martin, except, um, it seemed someone already had.
‘Here,’ said Alex, meeting her in the hall looking disarmingly Colin Firth-ish. Shirt plastered to his chest, his new shoes sloshing water as he walked, his expression one of total exasperation.
‘Who let you in?!’ Celia stared at him flabbergasted.
‘Luke,’ Alex supplied. ‘On the condition I told the bailiffs to back off and in the hope I wouldn’t drown, I imagine.’
‘Good God!’ The colonel blinked his monocle-free eye. ‘Not raining is it, lad?’
Alex sighed. ‘Torrentially. You might want to point out to May that hosing down policemen isn’t the best way to proceed if she wants to avoid a visit to the station.’
ABOUT SHERYL
Sheryl Browne grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design. A partner in her own business, a mother and a foster parent to disabled dogs, Sheryl has also been writing for many years, the road along the way often bumpy. She was therefore thrilled beyond words when Safkhet Publishing loved her writing style and commissioned her to write her debut novel.
RECIPES FOR DISASTER – combining deliciously different and fun recipes with sexilicious romantic comedy, is garnering some fabulous reviews and was shortlisted for the Innovation in Romantic Fiction Festival of Romance Award. Sheryl has since been offered a further three-book contract under the Safkhet Publishing Soul imprint. SOMEBODY TO LOVE, a romantic comedy centring around a single father’s search for love and his autistic little boy, launched July 1. WARRANT FOR LOVE, Blackmail, lies, adultery, entrapment – three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly – released August 1 and A LITTLE BIT OF MADNESS –White Knight in Blue rescues the Harbour Rest Home – releases Valentine’s Day 2013.
LINKS:
Romantic Novelists’ Association
Sheryl is a loveahappyendingfeatured Author and Editor.
Twitter: @sherylbrowne
I’m so pleased to bring you my friend and colleague Rachelle Ayala’s latest release, a powerful book called Hidden Under Her Heart (A story of Abortion & Courage) From January 21-23, it will be on sale for only 99c at Amazon and Barnes & Noble so take advantage of this sale price now! Here’s a bit about this heart-wrenching book:
Maryanne Torres is a compassionate nurse who fails at relationships. After a string of losers, she swears off premarital sex, hoping to land a marrying type of man.
Lucas Knight, a law-school dropout, moves to California to train for the Ironman Triathlon. He’s smart, sweet, and everything Maryanne wants in a man, but their relationship suffers from his dedication to the sport. Seeking consolation in the arms of a handsome preacher’s son, Maryanne attends a church party where she is raped.
Maryanne is pregnant from the rape and plans to abort. But the identity of her rapist is hidden in her baby’s DNA. Lucas asks Maryanne to seek alternatives and pledges to support her through the pregnancy. When Lucas becomes the prime suspect, Maryanne must clear his name and make a life changing decision.
The rapist has other ideas. In order to destroy the evidence, he offers Maryanne an illegal offshore abortion. With Maryanne’s life in danger, Lucas races to save her and her baby. However, Maryanne hides a secret that threatens to tear them apart forever.
A 99,000-word women’s fiction, HIDDEN UNDER HER HEART deals with the consequences of rape and abortion.
From Rachelle…
Hidden Under Her Heart is an emotional and hard-hitting story about a young woman facing a heart-wrenching decision. We’ve heard the rhetoric, maybe even argued over the issue of abortion and rape. But behind the debates are real people—women and men with real problems and feelings. My story is not meant to be preachy, but compassionate, especially for post-abortive parents seeking closure. I think people on both sides of the fence will find meaning in the changes that both Maryanne and Lucas go through. Ultimately, it is an uplifting story, and my hope is that it will be a help to you.
I am the author of three novels: Michal’s Window, a historical romance between King David and his first wife, the princess Michal, Broken Build, a romantic suspense thriller set in a Silicon Valley startup, and Hidden Under Her Heart, a story about a nurse wrestling with her decision to abort. My stories tend to be dramatic and emotional, crossing genres and cultures. I like to dive deep and live through my characters’ eyes. Each of them are passionate but flawed women paired with conflicted men with good hearts. I hope you enjoy the emotional journey I take you on. I love to hear from readers. Please contact me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RachelleAyalaWriter or my blog: http://www.rachelleayala.com
Book Links
Michal’s Window http://www.rachelleayala.com/p/michals-window.html
Broken Build http://www.rachelleayala.com/p/broken-build.html
Hidden Under Her Heart http://www.rachelleayala.com/p/hidden-under-her-heart.html
I’d like to welcome Jack Durish to my blog. He’s a Vietnam vet and author of six books, and today he’s here to talk a little bit about himself and his work.
What is the one book you want us to read (title, genre, and availability).
Rebels on the Mountain: Historical Fiction available in all ebook formats on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.
Give us a one sentence synopsis.
A childhood crush evolves into romance when Nick Andrews, a U.S. Army spy, reconnects with Lucia Comas, an American-educated mulata, in Cuba while he is there to unravel the diplomatic mess created by Fidel Castro’s revolution.
Who are the main characters and who would you like to see portray them in a movie?
Fictional
Nick Andrews: A U.S. Army Ranger and Korean War Veteran who has made a career of reconnaissance patrols behind the Iron Curtain – possibly portrayed by Stephen Amell
Lucia Comas: An American-educated, island-born mulata, daughter of the second wife of don Carlos Comas, a Cuba sugar plantation owner, and love interest of Nick Andrews – possibly portrayed by Christina Milian
Emma Regan: An American socialite whose husband, a retired pediatrician operates a free clinic on the sugar plantation she inherited, and sister to the don Carlos Comas’ second wife Sigourney Weaver
Real
Fidel Castro: The charismatic leader of the revolution that overthrew the Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista – possibly portrayed by Jsu Garcia
Che Guevara: The Argentinian doctor who became one of Castro’s most notorious lieutenants and his executioner following Fidel’s rise to power – possibly portrayed by Guillermo Diaz
Ernest Hemingway: Nobel Prize winning author and Havana resident who mingled freely in the halls of power in Havana and purportedly supported Castro’s revolution – possibly portrayed by William Hurt
Tell us a little about the story.
Nick Andrews uses the cover of a pleasure trip with friends, the Regans – a retired doctor and his socialite wife who own an estate in Cuba – to infiltrate the island from its halls of power in Havana to the rebel camp in the mountains at the eastern end of the island. Unexpectedly, he rekindles a childhood crush with the island-born niece of the Regans, and makes friends with a loyal Fidelista rebel. Romance, rum, rumba, and revolution layer themselves into a thrilling tale of intrigue, action, and suspense.
What inspired you to write this book and how long did it take?
I was slated to pilot a vessel from Galveston Bay to the Chesapeake, with a stop in Havana, when I was a young sailor, but the trip was canceled due to several factors including the fall of the Batista government in Cuba. I suppose that I never let go of the disappointment of missing that adventure. Thus, I followed events in Cuba closely and studied the history of the island and its people during the intervening fifty years. I spent another two years cataloging and studying my research, and another year and a half to write and edit the manuscript.
What other books have you written?
Dream Pirates – Fiction for young readers with impaired reading skills and new English speakers
WordPerfect: Creative Applications – Technical manual
Infantry School: A Soldier’s Journal – Personal memoir
Vietnam: A Soldier’s Journal – Personal memoir
Trifles: Literary Dessert – A collection of short stories to be published soon
Which authors inspired you, your style?
Many including…
Ernest Hemingway: Voice
Mark Twain: Irony
Charles Dickens: Memorable characters
Where can we learn more about you and your books?
Http://www.jackdurish.com contains my personal blog as well as my biography, a synopsis of all my books and links to them, and recommended websites for anyone interested in reading
How can we follow you? Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.
Is there anything else you would like us to know?
I am currently working on my second novel featuring Nick Andrews as a young soldier in the Korean War. Also, I have been posting to my blog a series of articles built from my research into Cuba with special emphasis on the love-hate relationship between the island and the United States. Most expect a change in US-Cuban relations when Fidel Castro dies, and Americans will begin looking forward to visiting this Caribbean paradise which has been off limits for so many years.
Connect With Me |
|
