#Wicked Goes Straight to #Sexy by Sandra Dailey #romance

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Please welcome Sandra Dailey today. Have fun with wicked! And don't miss out on her $.99 special.

Hi Brenda! Thanks for having me on your terrific blog. It’s so comfy. And, I’ve been looking forward to being here on Wicked Wednesday.

Wicked (wik’id) adj. 1. Evil or morally bad; sinful. 2. Playfully mischievous. 3. Harmful; dangerous: wicked roads. 4. Unpleasant; foul: a wicked odor. 5. Slang. Wonderful; great; masterful.

I love the word wicked. It can be used in so many ways. It can be used to describe so many things. Where does my romance writer mind go when I think of the word wicked? It goes straight to sexy. That first spark of sexual awareness which unexpectedly hits you in the gut, or somewhere, and builds to a raging inferno. I guess that would make it a combination of 2, 5 and maybe a tiny bit of 1. At last, that’s the direction my mind takes.

After publishing my first book, The Chief’s Proposal, one scene was continually brought up by my readers. I was surprised. This wasn’t the sexiest scene in the book, but it seemed to make an impact. After seven years, people still bring it up to me.

I’ll set up the scene and you can judge for yourself.

Young school teacher, Ginny has entered into a marriage of convenience with Brett, a small-town sheriff. The only thing they know about each other is that they have nothing in common. Before they even talk about consummating the marriage, Brett is shot in the shoulder in the line of duty. This is the first time Ginny catches a look at Brett when he’s, so-to-speak, out of uniform.

Ginny woke on Monday morning, Labor Day, to the sounds of Bear barking, doors thumping, and Brett cursing. She stumbled into the hall and tried to decide which way to go first; across to the bathroom, to the left where Bear waited to be let out, or to the right where Brett seemed to be having a temper tantrum, or as it was better known in the south, a tizzy fit.

“Both of you just shut up!” she yelled. It was time they realized she wasn’t a morning person. To Ginny’s satisfaction, the house suddenly fell silent. She felt all powerful.

First, Ginny did a quick step to the back door to let Bear out. If she ended up having to clean up a mess, she’d rather it be her own. Once her own most urgent needs were met, she tapped on Brett’s bedroom door. She felt much better and spoke in a sweeter and quieter tone.

“May I come in?”

“I don’t know,” Brett snapped, “do you plan to turn the knob or just kick the door down?”

“You’re safe with me.” Or maybe not. When she opened the door, she caught her breath in a gasp. Brett stood in the center of the room. The only things he was wearing were his arm sling and a pair of black boxer briefs. The tight, stretchy garment dipped low in the front due to the nice way he filled them out. She honestly tried to look him in the eye, but on her way up, her attention was caught by the expanse of dark smooth skin over washboard abs and a wide strong chest. The man was Playgirl centerfold ready.

Brett cleared his throat. “A little help here, please? I can’t get my britches on one-handed.”

Ginny was confused until she saw the uniform pants in his right hand. He needed help dressing and she couldn’t think of who to call. Suddenly it hit her. She was his wife. He expected her to help. Would this fall into the category of for better, or for worse? And what was he doing with his uniform anyway? He’d left the hospital less than twelve hours ago.

“Why are you out of bed?”

“I got lonely,” Brett smirked. “Are you volunteering to keep me company in there? I’d be glad to crawl back in, in exchange for some serious body heat. Who knows,” he winked, “it could be mutually satisfying.”

By the way – The Chief’s Proposal is on sale through the month of August for only 99cents – just in case you’d like to read the rest of the story. It’s still my favorite.

Blurb:

Ginny Dearing has finally realized her goal of teaching, but finding a position is proving impossible. After exhausting all possibilities, an Internet ad is her only hope. In a small town hundreds of miles away there is a job with one huge string attached...a husband. 

Burned by love once, Brett Silverfeather finds his bachelor life more than satisfying. He's facing re-election for sheriff, but this time the voters are looking for a family man. Brett finds himself pursuing a marriage he doesn't want.

Ginny and Brett are opposite in every way, but opposites do attract. Can Brett protect his heart as well as he does his town? Can Ginny hide a secret past that could possibly destroy her future?

Buy links:

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Chiefs-Proposal-Sandra-Dailey-ebook/dp/B008RYT3RM

Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-chiefs-proposal-sandra-dailey/1112379889

Kobo: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-chief-s-proposal-1

Have you ever written a scene that people still talk about? Was it wicked?

About me:

Storytelling has always been my favorite way to pass time. I've often been told I should write a book. Finally, I did. It was so much fun: I felt I must write more, so I have.

Look me up:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sandradailey.author

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sdaileyauthor

Female Trucker to Sexy Romance by Dee S. Knight

FEARLESS FRIDAY 

Dee is fearless for sure. When she says "this might not seem very fearless", I answer "oh yes it is!"

Growing up, I never considered myself fearless. Far from it, in fact. Maybe because I had polio as an infant and my left leg was affected to the point that I wore braces until I was in my mid-teens. Despite that, I learned to roller skate, ride a bike, learned to dance, and took part in most everything else kids do. So maybe my mom instilled some fearlessness in me while I wasn't looking. I went from a mom who made me get out and do things to a husband who rarely took no for an answer when it came to adventure. I like to say that between them—my mom and my husband—they thought I could do anything. Even things I didn't particularly want to do! And that leads me to my most fearless action.

I am a creature who likes stability. I'm fairly risk-averse. So when hubby came home from work one day and said, "Remember all those years while we were dating I said I thought we should drive a truck? Well, I wasn't kidding," I didn't quite know what to think. But I'd watched the big rigs go up and down the highways and I'd suffered from wanderlust for years so I said, "Why not." In a matter of weeks, stay-at-home me packed up the items we wanted to keep and stored them in my in-law's attic. We sold everything else, let the apartment go and set off for Home Transportation in Marietta, GA. This might not seem very fearless unless you consider that I had never been inside a big rig, much less had driving experience. Remember what I said above? I was raised to believe I could do anything, and I had no doubts that I could handle driving a tractor trailer.

Well, we had a few setbacks. Hubby went out by himself for six months or so, but then called me back down. I went through "truck school" (this was before the national license and testing that we have now), had the physical—which I almost didn't pass because of the residual effects of the polio on my left (clutch) foot and leg—and I went, fat, dumb, and happy, as my mom would say. Hubby taught me how to drive by making me practice when and how to shift the truck's fifteen gears in the company parking lot. Then off we went, like we knew what we were doing. That was the start of eight fabulous, fun years driving throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada. In probably a quarter of a million miles of driving I never had an accident or a ticket. Had lots of laughs, though, and many days of hard work. Being fearless was definitely worth it! 

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex. Writing was so much fun Dee decided to keep at it. That's how she spends her days. Her nights? Well, she's lucky that her dream man, childhood sweetheart, and long-time hubby are all the same guy, and nights are their secret. Find Dee on https://nomadauthors.com and read about her books like her latest, Naval Maneuvers. Contact Dee at dsknight@deesknight.com.

Find all of Dee's books HERE

#FearlessFridays and Facing Your Fear of #FreshStarts by Addison Brae

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Since I'm a Bathophobic (fear of being underground or underwater), I'm enjoying today's Fearless Friday. I haven't conquered mine yet, but you'll be delighted to read about Addison Brae and some other phobias.

Do you ever get dizzy, breathless, or nauseous at the thought of flying, sharks, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, or even learning something new? The National Institute of Mental Health reports an estimated 9.1 percent of U.S. adults had a specific phobia over the year of the study, and the prevalence was 12.2 percent for females.

Here are some achievements I certainly didn’t tackle fearlessly, but rather faced my fears head-on. These adventures may not be phobias, but at times my heart raced. I felt like I would throw up any second. The good far outweighed the bad, and in hindsight, I don’t regret any of these journeys.

·     * Attended high school in another country—inspired my first manuscript

·     *Got my scuba certification

·     *Learned to figure skate as an adult and competed—inspired my second manuscript

·     *Rode in a hot air balloon

·     *Quit my corporate job to start my own consulting business—August was 18 years

·     *Learned to shoot a pistol

·     *Bought a sports car

·     *Published a novel

The achievement that sticks with me most was leaving my second husband. It was an emotionally abusive relationship about to explode to violence. Before I left I was afraid for my life at times. The fear of stepping out into the single world again brought an entirely opposite fear. These experiences inspired Becker Circle, my third manuscript and first to publish.

Seventy-four percent of people in America know someone who’s a domestic abuse victim, which is why a portion of my proceeds go to Hope’s Door New Beginnings Center, to help raise awareness and stop the horrible trend. The good news is we always have a way out. Fresh starts are scary. They almost always come with doubts like Gillian, the main character in Becker Circle, experienced, but those doubts are rarely worse than what already happened. Fresh starts come with experimentation. We screw up. The sting reminds us we’re not numb.

Facing fear of leaving and a new beginning led to another adventure, vacationing in Puerto Rico--alone. A few years later, it led to something else that causes shortness of breath and racing heartbeats--falling in love. 

Today’s Fearless Friday. You don’t have to be fearless, but I challenge you to stare down a fear today.

You can find Becker Circle on Amazon.  Connect with Addison Brae on website, Tirgearr Publishing, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.

About Becker Circle

New degree. New job. It’s Gillian’s fresh start across the country. So much to experience. A giant past to forget. Gillian’s sense of humor and best friend help her maintain her self-respect when most every jerk in the neighborhood hits on her. Who know a fresh start could threaten her dignity—and even her life. Watch the trailer. 

Genre Hop Part 2 The Lure of #Scottish #Romance by Laura Strickland

MUSE MONDAY

Here's post number two by Laura Strickland. She writes in multiple genres, and I asked her to share more about them with each post.

I’ve always loved Scottish Historical Romance. In the early days, fabulous books like Barbara Michaels’ The Master of Blacktower drew me in. I thrilled to the misty, brooding atmosphere of moor, mountain and glen, and desired a brooding hero to match. When I met my best friend in High School (incidentally, she’s still my best friend today), one of the first things I said to her was, “I write books about Scotland”. So I guess it’s fitting the book that let me break into print with my now publisher, The Wild Rose Press, was just such a story, Devil Black.

I have to admit, I still prefer a dark hero when it comes to a Highland love story. I want him to be as elemental, and perhaps as changeable, as the land of his birth—as rough around the edges, and as compelling to a woman’s heart. I want him to be harsh and gentle in turns, like the wind from the Hebrides. I want him to be irresistible, like the land I love.

Of course, such a hero demands a heroine of strength, one who won’t back down—one who, perhaps, never imagines just how tough she is, till she runs into him. Throw in some details from Scotland’s turbulent past, and you have a book in which you can lose yourself. Ah, romance!

Readers often ask me how I moved from writing Scottish Historical Romance to other genres, like Steampunk. Here’s a little secret: they’re not all that different. They’re set in different historical eras, it’s true, but if you take a look you’ll find all my heroes are either devilishly dark, or fascinatingly damaged. Like Finnan MacAllister, from His Wicked Highland Ways, who’s had readers screaming at him through the pages since the book first came out.

So, what’s your idea of the perfect Scottish hero?

His Wicked Highland Ways blurb:

Widowed following a marriage of convenience, Jeannie MacWherter has fled lowland Dumfries, Scotland, for the highland cottage bequeathed to her late husband by his brother-in-arms, laird of the glen. Though she’s never met the laird, local rumor labels him both murderer and seducer—a wicked, dangerous man who Jeannie learns is determined to chase her from his land.

Finnan MacAllister has come home to Glen Mhor in order to right past wrongs. He doesn’t care that Rowan Cottage is the beautiful Widow MacWherter’s only refuge. He’s convinced she’s a wanton who deliberately broke the heart of his best friend, Geordie, and he’s vowed to get even with her: seduction is his weapon of choice. But will his own heart betray him?

Excerpt:

The man arose from the pool stark naked and dripping wet, like a god newly formed. Jeannie took another half step backward and blinked, not entirely believing the sight that met her eyes: some six foot of male, all rippling muscles, scars, and tattoos, with a curtain of sopping red-brown hair that slapped his shoulder blades, and a handsome, dangerous face. His eyes were tawny brown, almost the same color as his hair, and spiked by wet, black lashes. But after one glance, Jeannie could not make herself look there.

Instead her gaze dropped—and dropped. Sweet, merciful heaven! Was that how men came equipped? She might be a widow in name, but she had never seen her husband, Geordie, naked. Theirs had not been that kind of relationship, or that kind of marriage.

But she had an eyeful now, right enough, and for the life of her could not keep from staring. What a ridiculous, daunting, and marvelous appendage! How did men ever manage to walk around like that?

But this man did not attempt to walk. He merely stood in the shallow pool with the water lapping around his…Jeannie’s strained mind supplied the word “weapon”…and gazed at her as if he found her as hard to fathom as she found him.

Ah, and she never should have walked so far down the glen. But dearly as she loved Aggie, Jeannie sometimes needed to escape her chatter, and the beautiful day had lured her on.

Into danger, clearly. Who was he? Obviously someone of ill repute, a traveler, a dangerous outlaw, a madman. What if he decided to use that terrible weapon on her, and she on her own?

Instead he spoke the way a man might to a frightened horse. “There, now, no need to be afraid. I’ll not harm you.”

Jeannie took another judicious step backward. If she ran, would he be able to catch her? No doubt, given those long, muscular legs.

She shook her head, and her hair tumbled about her shoulders. Never well-disciplined, the yellow curls invariably escaped their pins, and she’d lost most of those on her walk down the glen.

He spoke again, in a voice smooth as warmed honey, lilting, and very Highland. “Where are you from, lass? You’ll be a maid at Avrie House, no doubt.” Deliberately he snagged his plaid, which lay on the bank, and wrapped it around his waist.

“Why were you lying in the water?” Jeannie forced her voice past suddenly stiff lips. “I thought you dead, drowned.”

  

Buy links:

Buy Link Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Highland-Ways-Laura-Strickland-ebook/dp/B00V7CT52O/ 

Buy Link Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/Wicked-Highland-Ways-Laura-Strickland-ebook/dp/B00V7CT52O/ 

Buy Link Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wicked-Highland-Ways-Laura-Strickland-ebook/dp/B00V7CT52O/ 

Buy Link The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_176_138&products_id=6183

Buy Link Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-wicked-highland-ways-laura-strickland/1121602060?ean=2940151491181

KOBO: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/his-wicked-highland-ways

Goodreads address: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25417018-his-wicked-highland-ways?ac=1

Author Web site: www.laurastricklandbooks.com

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000002632317

Author Amazon page:  http://www.amazon.com/Laura-Strickland/e/B001KHSACW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Author bio:

Born and raised in Western New York, Laura Strickland has pursued lifelong interests in lore, legend, magic and music, all reflected in her writing. Though her imagination frequently takes her to far off places, she is usually happiest at home not far from Lake Ontario with her husband and her "fur" child, a rescue dog. Author of Scottish romance Devil Black as well as The Guardians of Sherwood Trilogy, she is pleased to say that His Wicked Highland Ways is her eighth title for The Wild Rose Press.

Reasons to Write a Book About the #Navy by Dee S. Knight #military

MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome Dee S. Knight as my guest blogger. It's a great post. Fun read so enjoy!

I was raised as a Navy brat. That's the long and short of it right there. My dad loved the Navy!! When he left home as a teenager, the Navy became his home and he wasn't shy about letting people know how proud he was to serve. He didn't have an easy job—he was a boiler tender, one of the men who worked in the bowels of the ship and worked with the giant boilers used to power the ship. Lots of noise, heat, and (we found out later) asbestos everywhere, used as fire retardant. He was gone at least eight months out of every year, except for his two tours of shore duty, a total of 6 years out of the 24 he served. It wasn't an easy life, but still he loved it. The reasons why are part of why I wrote Naval Maneuvers. I really wanted to highlight these three factors about military life, and especially about the Navy.

1. Military service isn't only hard on the men and women who leave their families, it's hard on the families. When a spouse is gone for months at a time, the person at home is responsible for the children, the home, the vehicles, their own jobs (because pay in the military is often not enough to support children, homes, and vehicles by itself), and everything that stuff involves. On the one hand, it's an honor to represent the service member, but on the other hand, it's like having a fist fight with one arm tied behind your back. Then, after handling everything for months by yourself, your service member comes home and expects to take back have the responsibility. That is very hard! It's difficult to hold a relationship together and those who do deserve a lot of credit and respect.

I highlighted the family situation especially in Weighing Anchor, when Mel Crandall refused to fall in love with a serviceman because of her childhood memories. Her father seemed to miss all of the important events in her life because he was away. Yup, that really happens. My dad missed holidays, birthdays, and my mom's serious illness.

2. The military isn't just a job, it's a lifestyle. On our block in Virginia Beach, only one neighbor was not in the Navy. So a certain camaraderie developed. We all knew when ships had to be met or farewells had to be made. A wife at home had support from others who went through the same trials. It wasn't the same as having the spouse at home, but every wife (or now, husband) knew there was a lifeline of sorts in others experiencing the same thing.

I highlighted this in Weighing Anchor, also. Mel's mom reminds her of the "family" they had in the service families they had around them.

3. Someone has to do the dirty job of keeping the nation safe. This has been a truth since countries first had boundaries and armies and navies to defend them. I wanted to highlight that service members are not social misfits who can't do anything else so they entered the service. Unfortunately, that is a view held by a lot of people—that if you can't get into college or learn anything else, you can always go into the service. In each Naval Maneuvers story—Weighing Anchor, Dropping Anchor, and Anchor Home—I wanted to show that whatever you do in whichever service you join, the job is an important one. A necessary one for the existence of a sovereign nation. If not our service members—and in Naval Maneuvers, obviously, our Navy—where would we be?

Now, I know that every serviceman or woman isn’t a saint. The military is, after all, a microcosm of the general population. But I also know the sacrifices members make to go to foreign lands to guard and protect our interests, and I know through experience the difficulties their families go through while they’re away. While I tried to make the book fun to read, and yes, sexy (because after all, that's fun!), I also wanted to show the three points made above.

I am unashamedly patriotic and pro-military, despite its problems and shortcomings. I was raised in the service and married a man who also was raised in the service. And, yes, I'm proud of that fact. So my life served as my muse for writing Naval Maneuvers. I hope readers enjoy it!

Blurb for Naval Maneuvers:

Men and women of the armed forces experience desire and love pretty much like everyone else. Except, well, there is that uniform. And the hard-to-resist attraction of "duty, honor, service" as a man might apply them to a woman's pleasure. All things considered, romance among the military is a pretty sexy, compelling force for which you'd better be armed, whether weighing anchor and moving forward into desire, dropping anchor and staying put for passion, or setting a course for renewed love with anchor home.

Buy links:

Amazon

BookNook

Kobo

Smashwords

Bio:

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex. Writing was so much fun Dee decided to keep at it. That's how she spends her days. Her nights? Well, she's lucky that her dream man, childhood sweetheart, and long-time hubby are all the same guy, and nights are their secret. For romance ranging from sweet to historical, contemporary to paranormal and more join Dee on Nomad Authors.

Author links:

Website: https://nomadauthors.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight

Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN

I Have Met the #Villain...and She is Me by Michal Scott

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Anna, aka, Michal, has such a unique take on creating villains. Read and enjoy my guest!

Authors are always cautioned to avoid Snidely Whiplash clichés when creating villains. “Remember,” we’re told, “Every villain is the hero of their own story.” But how do you do that? My answer: create characters that share a value I hold dear, but have it twisted. For instance I love justice. I hate when the bad guys get off with sentences lighter than they deserve, (if they’re caught and/or tried at all). My blood boils when CEO’s give themselves bonuses from taxpayer money used to bail out their too-big-to-fail companies. Don't we all? If we had the power to make them pay, how many of us would exact what we believe is just punishment rather than give them a chance to repent? Every time I binge watch Law & Order I root for  guilty verdicts and am crestfallen when not guilty is announced. 

In my novella Judge Aaron “Hangman” Denton’s lives only for justice and is dismayed when my heroine’s botched execution provides opportunity for her to be found innocent and receive a pardon thus voiding his sentence. For him, her innocence is a technicality. Sentence once pronounced should be carried out for justice to be done. Since the system refuses to do it, he takes it upon himself to make sure Mary hangs. 

Wicked, right? But who can’t identify with the sentiment? I gnash my teeth when, in a favorite Law & Order episode, proof of guilt is excluded on a technicality. Yikes! I just looked in the mirror and saw Aaron Denton looking back at me.  

This is why I love writing romance in general and loved writing One Breath Away in particular. When a value I hold dear gets trounced in real life, I can have a villain trounce it on the page but have it turned round right in the end. 

Blurb: 

Sentenced to hang for a crime she didn’t commit, former slave Mary Hamilton was exonerated at literally the last gasp. She returns to Safe Haven, broken and resigned to live alone. Never having been courted, cuddled or spooned, Mary now fears any kind of physical intimacy when arousal forces her to relive the asphyxiation of her hanging. But then the handsome stranger who saved her shows up, stealing her breath from across the room and promising so much more. 

Wealthy freeborn-Black Eban Thurman followed Mary to Safe Haven, believing a relationship with Mary was foretold by the stars. He must marry her to reclaim his family farm. But first he must help her heal, and to do that means revealing his own predilection for edgier sex. 

Then just as Eban begins to win Mary’s trust, an enemy from the past threatens to keep them one breath away from love…

Excerpt:

His smile turned up the heat in his gaze. Mary frowned, painfully aware the smell of her passion lingered in the air, despite the woolen barrier of her skirt.

He stepped forward so his hand-stitched boots stood toe-to-toe with Mary’s second-hand shoes. “Eban Thurman, at your service, Miss Hamilton. May I get you something to drink?”

At her service? The air congealed. Mary gasped, trying to suck in air too solid to inflate her lungs.

“No—no, thank you. I’m not thirsty.” Her stutter mimicked the tremor between her thighs. She clasped her hands and planted them hard against her lap.

“It’s a really hot night.” He turned his hand palm up in a silent plea. “Perhaps you’d find a waltz more cooling.” He eased his fingers into her clenched hands. “May I beg the honor of this dance?”

“Beg?”

“Yes, Miss Hamilton.” He tilted his head, slanting his smile to the right. “Beg.”

“You don’t strike me as the begging type, Mr. Thurman.” 

“To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” He tongue-swiped his full lips as if he’d just tasted something he wanted to taste again. “I know when it’s time to beg.”

She pursed her lips into a frown, fought back the urge to grovel and won. Barely.

Bio:

Anna Taylor Sweringen writes erotic romance as Michal Scott. History has been an old passion of hers. Romance a recent one. The opportunity to combine the two came in the publication of One Breath Away. Michal has been writing professionally since 2008 and belongs to the inspirational, gothic and erotic romance chapters of Romance Writers of America. An unexpected, but intriguing combination of genres for a retired minister.

Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/2Bim5o7

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2AjtzUe

Website: www.michalscott.webs.com    

Twitter: @mscottauthor1

Hot! Hot! Hot! #SummerReading #girlpower

Summer scenes

Hot! Hot! Hot! That certainly describes August in Arizona, but there’s plenty more besides the temperature that’s hot in August. It’s my birthday month. It’s the next step in one of my audio books. It's Chino Valley Days and an annual book signing event. It’s time for a couple of girlfriend outings—girl power! All hot events in my opinion.

I’d just as soon ignore my birthday, but at least I get lots of attention from my family. Since Mom and sister live in one direction and son and family live in the opposite direction, I get two

Have your cake and eat it too!

celebrations. And then FDW is taking us to a Diamondbacks baseball game. All good reasons for me to not ignore my birthday.

I’m super excited the first book in my Love and Murder Series, The Art of

Buy Link

Love and Murder, is soon to be out in audio. My task right now is to listen to the narrator and check her for mistakes. I haven’t read the book in years, never listened to it, and I’m enjoying the experience. I’d forgotten there’s some hot suspense and hot romance in this story.

Books in Chino Valley

On Labor Day Weekend, I’ll be joining a few other authors to sell and sign books in Chino Valley, Arizona. This is an annual event that features a parade, food, and vending tents. We always have a good time. If you’re in the area, please

come out to Memory park from 8 am to 1 pm, on Saturday, September 1.

Fun with friends

Getting together with female friends is always a good time, in a cool restaurant, and out of the hot Arizona summer. Payson will have to put up with a group of us, but it’ll be a quiet one on one in Oro Valley.

And I won’t be sorry to see summer slip away. It’s no secret…I hate summer. Come on fall!

The Irony of Paradise by D.R. Ransdell #romance #Greece

MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome my guest, D.R. Ransdell. Love the islands and always wanted to go to Greece. But there are pitfalls...read on!

Irony is a friend to the storyteller because ironic twists hook your readers and leave them rooting for more—especially when the ironic ending is something they didn’t imagine until you laid it out for them. Hence, an idyllic island setting is actually the perfect backdrop for a troubled romance. 

After all, what could be more romantic than a Greek island with private beaches, sparkling waters, and colorful sunsets? On the other hand, in our own lives, how many times have we planned the perfect romantic vacation only to have it backfire? The charming hotel we picked out was staffed with snippy workers, the remote location was visited by everyone and her grandmother, the tourist attraction was so overpriced we couldn’t enjoy it? 

I fell in love with Greece one summer on a university tour. I loved the archaeological sites, the rugged beaches, and the nights of bouzouki music. I fell in love with the sounds of a language I couldn’t understand and a people who loved late nights as much as I did. 

When I returned to the U.S., I started studying Greek. I ripped through four semesters and took a job on the island of Rhodes. It was my dream job! I would spend a whole year teaching English in Greece, learning Greek, and living the life of paradise! 

But Rhodes wasn’t paradise. The people weren’t friendly to me unless I was spending money, my salary was so low the most I could afford at a bar was a coffee, and the beautiful summer was followed by incessant, chilly winter rains. Who knew? 

But as any writer knows, hardships are the stuff of fiction. And thus for Island Casualty I created by own paradise, complete with those same beaches and bouzouki tavernas, and then proceeded to torment my characters accordingly. Andy Veracruz heads for Amiros for a well-deserved vacation, but his main goal is to romance a woman he’s met back in California. Before he can get very far into his quest, however, he makes a casual acquaintance at a café. The man accidentally leaves behind a package—which turns out to contain an engagement ring. 

At that point Andy loses his concentration. Who can enjoy the beach when an engagement ring needs to be returned? What can be done when its owner suddenly disappears? Andy’s vacation turns into a manhunt, a tale of unrequited love, and a cautionary tale all wrapped up in an island that’s really no paradise. That’s both the irony and the hook. So if you’d like to make a quick armchair trip to Greece, you might like to check out Andy’s adventure. You’ll get a taste of paradise, but you get to leave before it’s too late!  

Book Blurb: 

Low-down: A lost engagement ring, whizzing bullets, and a midnight Vespa ride add up to a terrible vacation! 

When Andy flies to a Greek island for a holiday with Rachel, he expects to spend afternoons swimming and nights making love. But at an outdoor café, he meets a fellow traveler who accidentally leaves behind a package. Before Andy can return it, the man disappears. When Andy substitutes in a bouzouki band, he learns more about the island and its missing man than he intended to. By accident he winds up in the midst of a family saga worthy of the ancient Greeks themselves. He yearns to return to California, but how can he abandon his new friends before unlocking the island’s secrets?

Excerpt: 

            I locked the apartment and took a bus to LAX. A couple of hours later I boarded a flight to Athens. By the next night I was on a ferry bound for the Dodecanese islands. For twelve hours I watched the waves, imitated the natives by swinging my new plastic worry beads, and mourned a woman nicknamed Butterfly.

            I hadn’t picked out the name myself. One of her previous lovers had seen to that. He’d used the Italian version, Farfalla. Either way the nickname fit. Like all butterflies, she’d been beautiful, ethereal, unique. She’d flitted around from one man to the other as a real butterfly skips among flowers. I’d watched her in perfect wonder along with all the other men who came under her control.

            “Enough,” I told myself time and time again. But I never listened. Instead the words kept haunting me. Butterfly, Farfalla, Butterfly, Farfalla. I went back and forth and back again. Fooling around with the dictionary on my phone app, I found that the Greek version was even more sonorous. It was Louloudi. Loo-LOO-dee. I said the syllables over to myself as a mantra. Louloudi, Louloudi, Louloudi.

            By renaming her, I hoped to push her away.  

Buy Links:

Amazon link: http://mybook.to/islandcasualty2 

B & N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/island-casualty-d-r-ransdell/1120979158?ean=9781938436307

In the Book #Suspense, Passion, and Fun #review #series

After receiving a new review for A Legacy of Love and Murder, series book three, from Long and Short Reviews (LASR), I had to share a few tidbits about the book...like where did I get my inspiration and just why did I set it in Austria. Getting a review from LASR is not an easy feat, and getting a 4 STAR review is fantastic. They found my book fun, suspenseful, and just enough romance in this edge of your seat story. I used passion, too, for art, love, and keeping Austria free.

"I was on the edge of my seat wondering how far the villain would go! I really enjoyed reading A Legacy of Love and Murder. The pacing and suspense are very well done, and Tobias and August make a great couple. While this is book three in the series, it stands alone very well. Fans of romantic suspense would do well to pick up a copy today."

In book one of the series, Lacy Dahl learns she is next in line to inherit an Austrian castle and estate

Friend and inspiration, Harte

from a grandfather she doesn't know.  She didn't know her parents since they died when she was a baby so it seemed fun to make one of them a wealthy castle owner. Why Austria? I'm never totally sure why I choose settings, names, personalities, etc. I have a friend in Austria I'm very fond of and he's good looking so he might have been inspiration to create a hero who speaks German. I've been to Austria and fell in love with the landscape and the people. It wasn't a stretch for me to visualize the country and plop you down in the middle of it with the spectacular Alps as a backdrop.

Austria, with Harte years ago

I had a lot of fun with the two main characters. August (named for my birth month), who is Lacy's daughter, is feisty and a bit flighty. She's twenty-three, owns an art gallery, and is passionate about art. And then there is Inspector Tobias Wolf. Think Austrian James Bond. He's thirty-nine, sophisticated, and comes from a family of wealth living in their own castle. They make an interesting couple. She calls him Wolf.

In Austria to meet her great-grandfather and explore his castle estate filled with priceless art, August Myer arrives to find he’s died suspiciously. As one of the heirs, her life is in danger, turning this fairytale Alpine adventure into a nightmare of veiled threats, unexplained accidents, and murder.

Inspector Tobias Wolf splits his time between his profession and fighting the spread of neo-Nazism. But when the beautiful, intriguing American crosses his path during a murder investigation, ensuring her safety challenges his priorities…and his heart.

When August learns the handsome inspector is concealing a personal involvement and the death of her great-grandfather is somehow connected, she takes the investigation into her own hands. The outcome could be the death of both of them.

So, come with me and I'll show you Austria and take you on a bite-your-nails suspense outing with a bit of sexy love and humor.

Inheriting an Austrian Castle is an Alpine fairytale for August, until someone begins killing the heirs.

Buy Links:
AMAZON
iTUNES
GOOGLE PLAY
BARNES AND NOBLE