Sunday, March 30, 2014

Fool For Books#Giveaway Hop: 3 of @RoanePublishing's titles!


I'm taking this opportunity to support one of my publishers - Roane Publishing, a new indie of fantasy, romance, & quality erotica. 

Psssst ... they're currently accepting submissions on all three genres!

But on to the goods ...

ONE winner - THREE ebooks!


Winter's Sweet Kiss
Genre: Romance Anthology (Sweet)
Release Date: December 16, 2013
Keywords: Romance, Anthology, Sweet, Winter, Short Stories

What better time than winter to find someone to cuddle up with? These sweet tales of winter romance are sure to warm your heart.

An Unexpected Wreath - Annabelle Blume

Santa Bebe - Lily Carlyle

Melt - Shaya Roy

One in a Million Snowflakes - Michelle Ziegler

Beginning of Forever - Terri Rochenski




Harper's Wish
A Montana Series Christmas Novella
By Krista Ames
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Western)

Keywords: Romance, Contemporary, Western, Novella, Series
Release Date: December 20, 2013

Description: Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time of year, but for Harper Donaldson it’s just another day. Orphaned at an early age, she doesn't have a single good memory of Christmas.

But, when a Santa’s Mailbox mysteriously appears in the lobby of the post office where she works as postmistress, Harper wonders what it could hurt to send her own letter to Santa.

Could he bring her the family she’d always wanted?





Old Flame
The Hearts Aflame Files
By Annabelle Blume
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Keywords: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Series, Novella
Release Date: January 15, 2014

Description: Hannah Sullivan has spent the past three months stalking her ex-boyfriend, lurking in the bushes and hiding behind fake social media personas, convinced she can eventually rekindle the love they once shared. But when she meets Marc, who is everything James never wanted to be and more, she begins to wonder if she’s got it all wrong. 


Hannah must come to terms with her own demons before she can decipher between her delusional mission and the man of her dreams.


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ONE winner will be chosen on April 8th.
Best of luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Most embarrassing moment with your boyfriend? #Romance #TopTwoList #Giveaway

Tour Schedule

I'm thrilled to have the 5 authors of For the Love of Murphy, a sweet romance antho, stop by today as part of their tour. I wanted to know their top two embarrassing moments with their boyfriend or spouse. 

Here's what they had to say ...

Michelle Ziegler:

              Oh my poor husband.  I don't think he was prepared for being the husband of an author.  Hehe.  Well, here it goes.

               Our first kiss was pretty embarrassing.  It was the classic, he went in for the kiss and I went in for the hug.  I suddenly realized what happened and let out a better-left-unnamed expletive. I swore it was only in my head and later learned it was not.  Anyway, throwing caution to the wind I fixed the situation and turned the biggest blunder into the best first kiss ever. 

            Second embarrassment I blame on pregnancy.  I was on the phone with our cable provider when they couldn’t, even if their lives had depended on it, find us in their system.  I went to spell our last name and literally forgot.  My husband finished it for me, but his look said it all.  It had only been four years of marriage and two years of dating.  But who’s perfect.

#

London Saint James:

Topping the charts at number two is: Preparing my first big holiday meal for him and his family.  I’d been up all night, baking, peeling vegetables, doing all the things you do, etc. He came into the kitchen to help, pulled the ham out of the oven and said, “Baby, I think you forgot something.” I stopped whipping the potatoes and turned around to see the ham that I’d taken out of the plastic shrink-wrap that morning, put into a tinfoil pan and covered with honey and brown sugar still encased in a thin, clear, plastic cover that I somehow overlooked. Oops!

And the number one spot goes to: His old pair of police issue handcuffs latched on my wrists. Him with this “Oh Shit” look on his face. The moment I realize he wasn’t joking, he couldn’t locate the key. Our door bell sounding out the arrival of company…

#

Lisa A. Adams:

My husband and I have been married for almost eleven years and we actually knew each other several years before that in college. I would have to say that one of my most embarrassing moments was when we had originally started dating. Let's just say I had a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of a Wal-Mart. Luckily, there were several clothes that I could buy there and fix the problem easily. However, it wasn't before half of Morehead City Wal-Mart had seen "the girls" prominently displayed.

The second top embarrassing moment came a few years later when we were actually getting ready to walk down the aisle. My father decided to have one more talk with his new son-in-law. 

Dad -Son, are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into? 'Cause once, you say "I do", there are no returns or exchanges. 
Ray - Yes, Sir.
Dad - Good, because you know I already had to take her back once...
Me - *crushing embarrassment*
Pastor - Okay, so is everyone clear on the service and what will happen?
Dad- I'm good. I mean how many times do you get to give your daughter away... you know except for the first time. *Laughing*
Me - *Almost in tears* Really, dad?
Ray - *Grabs my hand and kisses it* I love you. Are you ready?
Me- *Miraculously, all better*

#

Rebecca Hart:

I’d have to say for the most part, I am hard to embarrass, but I’ve had a few adventures with my bohunk, Pete, who is impossible to embarrass, so I guess, at least by comparison, I can come up with two moments over our ten years together.

The first one to come to mind when I read the question was a time at the very beginning of our relationship. We were working together at a golf event for a previous employer and had stopped for gas during some in the car bickering. Things exploded and we ended up having a shouting match/pseudo-brawl on the side of a crowded  Jersey highway. Things worked out, obviously. *grin*

The second embarrassing moment took some thought, but I’ve settled on getting my lower body piercing. Pete had come with me to the appointment, and all I can say is there is nothing more embarrassing than having the virtues and various piercing potentials of your lower half discussed by a complete stranger and the love of your life…as if you aren’t even there. Beyond embarrassing, but I definitely don’t regret doing it. *wink*

#

Annabelle Blume:

I think I’m hard to embarrass because it’s really hard for me to recall any seriously embarrassing moments. I mean, there was the one time my ex’s mom walked in on us, which was totally traumatizing and massively embarrassing, but I think that’s a pretty run of the mill experience. I wish I had more, really, because they make such great material for writing. 



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Click on image to add on Goodreads
For the Love of Murphy

Genre: Romance Anthology (Sweet)
Release Date: March 17, 2014
Keywords: Romance, Anthology, Sweet, Murphy's Law, Short Stories

They say love conquers all, but whoever "they" are, must not have heard of Murphy's Law -- whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

These five tales of sweet, accidental romance prove Cupid's arrows are a lot tougher than they seem, and sometimes it pays to be unlucky.


No Wrong Turns by Lisa A. Adams

Jessica Brannah is escaping from her last heartbreak with a loaded car and a new address. But, when Murphy's Law finds her stranded in a back country town, she realizes there's no outrunning love.

Falling For You by Michelle Ziegler

Darci’s ready to move on. Too bad the dating pool stinks.  Until, a ghost from her past resurfaces—the man she missed out on in college.
Andrew was the one man she’d always loved, but neither of them ever made a move.  But, old feelings aren’t the only thing resurfacing of late.  Darci’s ex comes crawling back at the most inappropriate time, and with all the testosterone flying, she might not end up with either man.

Coffee and Cufflinks by Annabelle Blume

Fresh out of a failed relationship and exhausted by a constant barrage of fiascos at work, Olivia Johnson doesn’t see the man of her dreams standing right in front of her. She tells herself the morning coffee meet-ups with Daren are nothing but coincidence, but even she can’t deny his unequivocal attractiveness. When a night entertaining clients takes a turn for the worst, and Daren shows up where she least expects him, failure starts to look more like fate.

A Slippery Slope by Rebecca Hart

Anne Montgomery is psyched for her girl’s only weekend, despite her friends’ choice of vacation locale—the snowy slopes of Harris Peak Ski Resort—where someone as notoriously accident prone as she has no business being. When Murphy’s Law finally catches up with her, Anne is forced to consider there may be times when it pays to be unlucky.

The Shamrock Incident by London Saint James

Florist, Marissa Carmichael isn’t usually a klutz, but she’s in a hurry and having a bad day. In her haste, she loses her balance and tumbles from the back room of her shop, arms flailing. Her less than graceful entrance halted by a headfirst crash into a display case chock full of silk flowers.

Trey Cleary didn’t think his day could get any worse, until he finds. himself picking the side view mirror of his BMW up from the ground. On a mission to do something about it, he locates the flower shop matching the name on the back of the van that mangled his ‘baby'. But, his car is forgotten when a beautiful woman bursts into the room like an out of control whirling dervish, and takes one mother of a wipeout into the shop’s counter. Coming to her aid brings out the hero in him like no one he’s ever encountered, and leaves him with a need to know more.

For Marissa and Trey, this just might be the one time it pays to be unlucky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Snicker much? I know I did!

What's YOUR most embarrassing moment with your boyfriend or spouse?

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Domestic WHAT? #WWW Nancy Jardin #Historical #Romance



Domestic what?

Hi, Terri. It’s superb of you to have me pop over to visit you during my mini launch blog tour for Book 3 of my Celtic Fervour Series of Historical Romantic Adventures-After Whorl: Donning Double Cloaks-since it officially ebook launched yesterday!

There’s always a bit of preparation to do before any party and my Facebook party launch yesterday was only a little bit different. Even for virtual food there still needs to be a little of ‘here’s one I prepared earlier…’ *wink, wink*. The guests still need a nice welcome drink and nibbles a-plenty. The music is pretty easy to organise, but the dancing needs to be pretty imaginative. It got me thinking about what one of my characters in Book 3 might have been eating, though a party wasn’t really on the cards for Ineda

In After Whorl: Donning Double Cloaks Ineda, my female lead character, learns to be quite versatile. The date is AD 84 and the location is northern Britannia (currently the north of England). The area has technically been conquered by the Roman Army but the Celtic tribes subdued by the Romans are still very troublesome and inclined to attack Roman forts. At the end of Book 2, Ineda was captured by a Roman patrol and was taken prisoner by a Roman Tribune of the XX Legion. Her master, Tribune Valerius, expects her to be subservient at all times- in bed…and in the kitchen. However, this doesn’t mean she does any of the actual cooking!

The five tribunes assigned to a Roman Legion were often young men who took the posting for a short duration, doing more of an administrative job than playing an active soldier role, although they were always trained in combat and would engage in battle if the situation arose. As administrators, they tended to have an entourage of office assistants assigned to them and their own ‘household’ staff which sometimes included a cook. Even within the ranks of the Roman Army, the times were politically troublesome and competition could be fierce- it wasn’t unknown for unpopular Romans to incur the wrath of enemies. Having your own slaves around you was maybe not a bad idea to ensure you weren’t the next victim to die a horrifically painful ‘death by poisoning’ or even by a well aimed piece of cutlery/flatware.



As a Brigantian Celt Ineda finds her captive slave situation intolerable but she’s a young woman with an insatiable curiosity. She wants to learn new things, and wants to try things out. There are many ingredients used by the cook of Gaius Livanus Valerius that she’s never ever seen before-the Romans being very efficient at transportation of stored goods which originated in the Mediterranean lands. Wine isn’t something she’s tasted before her capture, since Roman amphorae were never brought to her small Celtic village. Now, she has to be sure that she’s carrying the correct kind of wine to her master. The everyday wine is very vinegary and served pretty watered down. However, her master is a man of dark moods and sometimes likes the stronger ‘best’ wine, especially if his commander visits his quarters, or some important Roman visitor to the fortress comes to speak with Tribune Valerius. Ineda thinks the good wine tastes much better but it’s strong and goes to her head very quickly. Great for a party, though! Her preference of all the wines is the lighter spiced wine.




Gaius Livanus Valerius is a bit partial to Libum- a sort of Roman Cheesecake (if interested see recipe on my 24th March tour stop via the link on my blog). Ineda had never seen the kind of cheese his cook uses for the cake before being imprisoned at the garrison fortress.  The cheese made by the women of her Celtic village was soft and not much past the skimmed whey stage and very ‘young’ – a bit like the ‘Feta’ we eat today. However, the cheese Tribune Valerius loves best is hard, what we would now call a ‘Pecorino’ type of cheese made from sheep milk - slightly salty and well aged.

Ineda quite likes the simple dish of pieces of bread dipped in milk that are fried in olive oil and then smothered with honey, though she’s not so keen when instead of honey the cook uses a paste of squashed dates when a delivery of dates in sealed jars comes to the fortress.




She loves fish of all kinds but is taking time to get used to the strongly flavoured garum sauce that the cook serves with it. She’s also getting used to the fish being served in shells, and that’s not how it was served in her Celtic village. She was used to the women of her tribe using herbs to flavour their boiled and roasted meats but Tribune Livanus’ cook uses oil, from the green and black olives that she finds a bit of an acquired taste, to fry the meats with many different herbs she’d never seen before. She has to fetch many of these ingredients for the cook from the small market stalls at the garrison fortress and knows now when the traders are trying to give her shoddy and poorly stored stocks.

The tiny black cloves were completely new to her but she likes the way they flavour the cooking. Tribune Livanus isn’t so fond of them so…she makes sure to tell the cook he loves them a LOT!

She can’t escape, since she’s so well guarded, but this is one petty little battle she can win!

(Here’s a site with some ideas…   http://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Like-a-Roman  )

Thank you so much Terri, for letting me share a little about Ineda with you. 

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Nancy’s writing time is shared with regular grandchild minding duties, tending her large garden, ancestry research and leisure reading. She’s currently writing a family saga based mainly in Scotland, and Book 4 of her Celtic Fervour series. She’s delighted to be able to share that Topaz Eyes (Crooked Cat Publishing) an ancestral-based mystery, is a finalist for THE PEOPLE’S BOOK PRIZE Fiction 2014. After Whorl: Bran Reborn - Book 2 of her Celtic Fervour Series (Crooked Cat Publishing) has been accepted for THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2014- the most prestigious prize for historical fiction in the UK.


Stalk Nancy!

 Blog    Website   Facebook  Goodreads   About Me   LinkedIn   Twitter @nansjar  Google+ 

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Pursued by Rome.
AD73 Northern Britannia

After King Venutius’ defeat, Brennus of Garrigill – known as Bran – maintains a spy network monitoring Roman activity in Brigantia. Relative peace reigns till AD 78 when Roman Governor Agricola marches his legions to the far north. Brennus is always one step ahead of the Roman Army as he seeks the Caledon Celt who will lead all tribes in battle against Rome.

Ineda of Marske treks northwards with her master, Tribune Valerius, who is responsible for supplying Agricola’s northern campaigns. At Inchtuthil Roman Fort Ineda flees seeking fellow Brigantes congregating on the foothills of Beinn na Ciche.

Will the battle against the Romans bring Ineda and Brennus together again?

After Whorl: Donning Double Cloaks is available from Amazon .

Nancy Jardine’s novels can be found in paperback and ebook formats from:
Amazon UK author page    Amazon US author page  Crooked Cat Bookstore; Waterstones; Barnes & Noble; Smashwords; W. H. Smith; and other book retailers.

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Excerpt:

            Something had altered the tribune’s mood. Ineda had no idea what but was determined to find out.
            “Your new orders please you, Tribune Valerius?”
            He was deep in thought during the evening meal they shared in his quarters, fairly unusual since they normally ate in her tiny cell. It was a time when they conversed about mundane topics, but he had been silent. The smile that came her way startled her; it was such a rare occurrence for him to show any feelings, apart from displeasure or anger.
            “My new orders?”
            “Your grin must mean something pleases you.”
            It was unexpected when he reached forward and took her hand into his own. He never made any contact with her body, except during the night dark.
            “Something does please me very much, Ineda, but it has nothing to do with any new orders. Why would you think that?”
            She had no idea what to answer. He knew she was always interested in what was happening around the fortress, though he was always close-mouthed about relating any important developments. Anything new happening she gleaned from his secretary, Pomponius. In no way did she want him to be suspicious of her motives, or to curtail the small advantages she had obtained as his slave since he had started to make love to her. “Only that such smiles are rare.”
            He continued to grin as he pulled her to her feet and led her to his resting couch.
            “It is long past time for you to call me Gaius.”
            Ineda was not so certain of that. She had resisted thinking of him as anything other than her hated captor, although time and his proximity were making her understand more of the man who had taken her prisoner and used her as his personal bed slave.


Monday, March 24, 2014

New Purdy!!! Love's Sorrow #Historical #Romance

Finally get to share my new purdy!! For those of you who may have missed the news, I contracted my Means of Mercy series with Roane Publishing. This is the first, Love's Sorrow, which is set to release on April 21st - less than one month away!

I must say that the cover artist kicked major bum in capturing the essence of this novel.

Take a lookie ... 




Love's Sorrow
Means of Mercy #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Keywords: Romance, Historical, Series

Hired as a nanny for her cousin’s children, Anne Tearle finds security and a loving family. The children are a dream, but London society is a world of its own, one where a displaced farm girl has no business being. But, wealthy rake, Gavin MacKay, helps her to see associating with the upper class might not be as horrid as she first assumed. 

Like all things worthwhile, love comes at a price, and the cost soon bestows more anguish than joy. Lost, but not undone, Anne must find the courage to begin life anew, or succumb to sorrow's unrelenting waves of grief.




The 50th person to add Love's Sorrow to their To-Read list on Goodreads gets an ARC!


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Purdy purdy purdy doncha think?

If you're interested in participating in the release day blitz or / and hosting me during my blog tour, please click on the tour button below. I'd love to visit! 



Click on image to sign up!




Thursday, March 20, 2014

Pulling out the old manuscript #WritersLife

I've been wanting to write this post for awhile, but with how stinkin' busy I've been, I just haven't gotten to it. What's had me so busy? Exactly what the title says.

I pulled out an old manuscript.

The very first I ever wrote (not counting Gundi's Great Adventure from the 8th grade). This manuscript was so old, I didn't even have it on my hard drive, and I couldn't even remember if I had saved it on a CD. I knew I had a floppy disc.

o_O  Floppy? Do they even make those any more? 

I decided at the beginning of the year to dive into the first two novel-length stories I wrote over ten years ago. The first, originally titled Anne sat at roughly 130k. A long, boring 130k. After skimming through it and cringing or laughing at my absurdity countless times, I realized its potential. 

On a late-night I-can't-sleep whim, I decided to pitch the two books to Roane Publishing. Their acquisitions editor was intrigued, and I scurried to get the first 100 pages in to them.

In comes the editing AXE.



Why have two novels when I could have three, thought I. Anne got chopped in half and became books #1 and #2 of the newly titled Means of Mercy series. 

Continuing to wield the axe, I started at chapter one and cut out as much of the fluff and passive, telling sentences I could find. Turned out to be quite a few, let me tell you! It's amazing what a person can learn in just a few years of critiquing forums and beta buds.

Once I had those first 100 pages polished to my satisfaction, I sent them along to Roane.

Their response?

"I WANT. Please and thank you."

Ever have a submission acceptance like that?!? Talk about Wahooing & Squeeeeing galore! But then came the sobering truth - book #1 was slotted for an April release. Gulp. I had under two months to edit the first book.

Sweat much?

Needless to say, every spare second my three little yummies offered found me staring at my computer screen. The little man started on this 5:00 am daily wake-up call, and being the morning person that I am, I gulped down my vanilla chai tea & got to work the second he allowed.

So the end result?

Love's Sorrow, Means of Mercy #1) will reveal its cover on Monday (be sure to stop by!!) and will release on April 21st.

Thrilled much? Oh yes.

Want to know more? Sign up to host me on the month-long blog tour, and I'll guest post or answer interview questions.

The moral of my blog post? It's never a waste of time to dust off those old dinosaurs lurking on your floppies, CDs, or hard drives.

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Ever pull out an oldie to make it a newie? Did it work for you? Were you amazed by the total crappola you found, or did your earlier works shine like diamonds in the sun?


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

If you wrote a letter to your muse, what would you say? #Fiction #Giveaway Inspired Blog Tour



INSPIRED Blog Tour Guest Post for Terri Rochenski: A letter from me to my muse
By Danielle E. Shipley

Dear muse o’ mine,

Who are you, exactly? Nothing like Annabelle’s Luc, that much I know; or at least, not as sociable as he is. You’ve never come around for a face-to-invisible-face chat with me. You must prefer to do all your work behind the scenes.

Do my characters know you? That wouldn’t be surprising. The author’s always the last to know. Perhaps that’s why I find my characters so inspirational: It’s you guiding them to say and do the right things to spark my ideas.

That’s really what you are, aren’t you? A guide. Something like a conscience, or the Holy Spirit. A little voice murmuring in my subconscious, nudging me toward the making of my art.

I’d like to know your name, if you’d ever like to tell me. I’d like to know you, the way I’m sure you must intimately know me. I’d like to know the reason you chose me as your artist – your writer, your musician, your amateur with a sketchpad. Is it because you thought me special? Did you simply like the look of me, and think we’d make a decent match? Did you even get a say in the matter, or was I your assignment from some mysterious higher up? What is the muse business like, anyway? Are you part of an organization, or do you freelance?

Questions, questions. One could easily turn all this speculation into another novel. …Did you inspire that thought on purpose, my muse? I will ever wonder.

Gladly yours,

~ Danielle

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Inspired
Release Date: March 17, 2014
Target Reader: Adult
Keywords: Fiction

For a muse like Lucianíel, one story’s end is another’s beginning.

In the wake of his author’s sudden death, Luc takes ownership of her surviving creations—four fantastical characters with tales yet to be told—saving them from unwritten lives crumbling around them and giving them a second chance at a literary future.

Luc finds that chance in the unsuspecting mind of Annabelle Iole Gray, a quirky teen with her head in the clouds, nose in a book, and imagination ripe for a brilliant muse’s inspiration.

Or so he hopes.

Neither Luc nor Annabelle, however, realize all they’ve undertaken. Even with a to-write list including accounts of a shape-shifting cat creature, gentle knight-in-training, vigilante skater girl, and a mystery boy smothering in unspoken fear, the most remarkable saga created between author and muse just may turn out to be one stranger than fiction.

Their own.


Purchase Links:


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About Ms. Shipley

Danielle E. Shipley’s first novelettes told the everyday misadventures of wacky kids like herself. ...Or so she thought. Unbeknownst to them all, half of her characters were actually closeted elves, dwarves, fairies, or some combination thereof. When it all came to light, Danielle did the sensible thing: Packed up and moved to Fantasy Land, where daily rent is the low, low price of her heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, firstborn child, sanity, and words; lots of them. She’s also been known to spend short bursts of time in the real-life Chicago area with the parents who homeschooled her and the two little sisters who keep her humble. When she’s not living the highs and lows of writing young adult novels, she’s probably blogging about it.




Stalk Ms. Shipley!


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Monday, March 17, 2014

Happy Book Birthday For the Love of Murphy! #Romance #Giveaway

For the Love of Murphy
Publisher: Roane Publishing
Release Date: March 17, 2014
Key Words: Adult, Romance, Sweet, Contemporary, Anthology

They say love conquers all, but whoever "they" are, must not have heard of Murphy's Law -- whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

These five tales of sweet, accidental romance prove Cupid's arrows are a lot tougher than they seem, and sometimes it pays to be unlucky.

No Wrong Turns by Lisa A. Adams
Jessica Brannah is escaping from her last heartbreak with a loaded car and a new address. But, when Murphy's Law finds her stranded in a back country town, she realizes there's no outrunning love.

Falling For You by Michelle Ziegler
Darci’s ready to move on. Too bad the dating pool stinks. Until, a ghost from her past resurfaces—the man she missed out on in college.

Andrew was the one man she’d always loved, but neither of them ever made a move. But, old feelings aren’t the only thing resurfacing of late. Darci’s ex comes crawling back at the most inappropriate time, and with all the testosterone flying, she might not end up with either man.

Coffee and Cufflinks by Annabelle Blume
Fresh out of a failed relationship and exhausted by a constant barrage of fiascos at work, Olivia Johnson doesn’t see the man of her dreams standing right in front of her. She tells herself the morning coffee meet-ups with Daren are nothing but coincidence, but even she can’t deny his unequivocal attractiveness. When a night entertaining clients takes a turn for the worst, and Daren shows up where she least expects him, failure starts to look more like fate.

A Slippery Slope by Rebecca Hart
Anne Montgomery is psyched for her girl’s only weekend, despite her friends’ choice of vacation locale—the snowy slopes of Harris Peak Ski Resort—where someone as notoriously accident prone as she has no business being. When Murphy’s Law finally catches up with her, Anne is forced to consider there may be times when it pays to be unlucky.

The Shamrock Incident by London Saint James
Florist, Marissa Carmichael isn’t usually a klutz, but she’s in a hurry and having a bad day. In her haste, she loses her balance and tumbles from the back room of her shop, arms flailing. Her less than graceful entrance halted by a headfirst crash into a display case chock full of silk flowers.
Trey Cleary didn’t think his day could get any worse, until he finds. himself picking the side view mirror of his BMW up from the ground. On a mission to do something about it, he locates the flower shop matching the name on the back of the van that mangled his ‘baby'. But, his car is forgotten when a beautiful woman bursts into the room like an out of control whirling dervish, and takes one mother of a wipeout into the shop’s counter. Coming to her aid brings out the hero in him like no one he’s ever encountered, and leaves him with a need to know more.
For Marissa and Trey, this just might be the one time it pays to be unlucky.

~~~oOo~~~

Purchase Links:

Print


Createspace (direct - best option)

eBook
KOBO




Tour Schedule
Book Blitz and Tour-wide Giveaway
$10 Amazon Gift card & paperback copy of
For the Love of Murphy
Ends 4/11/2014

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code.  No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing's marketing department.

Lakota Honor #Historical #WesternRomance #Giveaway

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Lakota Honor - PROMO Blitz
By Kat Flannery
Historical/Paranormal/Western Romance
Date Published: 5/30/2013

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Fate has brought them together, but will a promise tear them apart?

In the small town of Willow Creek, Colorado, Nora Rushton spends most of her days locked up in her home with a father who resents her and fighting off unwanted marriage proposals from the wealthy Elwood Calhoun. Marked as a witch, Nora must hide her healing powers from those who wish to destroy all the witkowin—crazy women. What she doesn't know is that a bounty hunter is hot on her trail.

Lakota native Otakatay has an obligation to fulfill. He has been hired to kill the witkowin. In a time when race and difference are a threat and innocence holds no ground, courage, love and honor will bring Nora and Otakatay together as they fight for their freedom. Will the desire to fulfill his promise drive Otakatay to kill Nora? Or will the kindness he sees in her blue eyes push him to be the man he once was?

EXCERPT

Colorado Mountains, 1880


The blade slicing his throat made no sound, but the dead body hitting the ground did. With no time to stop, he hurried through the dark tunnel until he reached the ladder leading out of the shaft.


 He’d been two hundred feet below ground for ten days, with no food and little water. Weak and woozy, he stared up the ladder. He’d have to climb it and it wasn’t going to be easy. He wiped the bloody blade on his torn pants and placed it between his teeth. Scraped knuckles and unwashed hands gripped the wooden rung.


The earth swayed. He closed his eyes and forced the spinning in his head to cease. One thin bronzed leg lifted and came down wobbly. He waited until his leg stopped shaking before he climbed another rung. Each step caused pain, but was paired with determination. He made it to the top faster than he’d thought he would. The sky was black and the air was cool, but fresh. Thank goodness it was fresh.


 He took two long breaths before he emerged from the hole. The smell from below ground still lingered in his nostrils; unwashed bodies, feces and mangy rats. His stomach pitched. He tugged at the rope around his hands. There had been no time to chew the thick bands around his wrists when he’d planned his escape. It was better to run than crawl, and he chewed through the strips that bound his feet instead. There would be time to free his wrists later.


He pressed his body against the mountain and inched toward the shack. He frowned. A guard stood at the entrance to where they were. The blade from the knife pinched his lip, cutting the thin skin and he tasted blood. He needed to get in there. He needed to say goodbye. He needed to make a promise.


 The tower bell rang mercilessly. There was no time left. He pushed away from the rocky wall, dropped the knife from his mouth into his bound hands, aimed and threw it. The dagger dug into the man’s chest. He ran over, pulled the blade from the guard and quickly slid it across his throat. The guard bled out in seconds.


He tapped the barred window on the north side of the dilapidated shack. The time seemed to stretch. He glanced at the large house not fifty yards from where he stood. He would come back, and he would kill the bastard inside.

He tapped again, harder this time, and heard the weak steps of those like him shuffling from inside. The window slid open, and a small hand slipped out.


“Toksha ake—I shall see you again,” he whispered in Lakota.


The hand squeezed his once, twice and on the third time held tight before it let go and disappeared inside the room.


A tear slipped from his dark eyes, and his hand, still on the window sill, balled into a fist. He swallowed past the sob and felt the burn in his throat. His chest ached for what he was leaving behind. He would survive, and he would return.


Men shouted to his right, and he crouched down low. He took one last look around and fled into the cover of the forest.

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About the Author

Author Kat Flannery photo LoupaPhotography20284029_zps53a1bff5.jpeg

Kat Flannery's love of history shows in her novels. She is an avid reader of historical, suspense, paranormal, and romance. When not researching for her next book, Kat can be found running her three sons to hockey and lacrosse. She has her Certificate in Freelance and Business Writing. A member of many writing groups, Kat enjoys promoting other authors on her blog. She's been published in numerous periodicals. Her debut novel CHASING CLOVERS has been on Amazon's Bestsellers list many times and was #62 over all their titles. LAKOTA HONOR and HAZARDOUS UNIONS are Kat's other two books and both have made bestseller lists. Kat is currently hard at work on her next book.


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