Bits 'n Bobs Author Blog
2/11/2015 0 Comments Thursday's Threads This week we have a Valentine collection waiting to warm your heart! MY SEXY VALENTINE Soul Mate Collection I Contributing Authors: Cheryl Yeko, Sage Spelling, Lynn Cahoon, S.C. Mitchell, Tina Susedik, Char Chaffin Romantic Anthology Heat Level: Steamy Blurb: “Valentine’s Day Breakup” by Cheryl Yeko Finding her fiancé in a clutch with the coat check girl sends Shelly straight into the arms of her Soul Mate. “Inked Hearts” by Sage Spelling One night. No boundaries. Uninhibited passion. Boycotting Valentine’s Day had been Piper’s preferred way of protecting her heart until she collided with bad-boy sexy-tattoo artist Dex. Driven with lust, Piper has her first one-night stand, but dreads morning and saying goodbye to the man who stirs her innermost desires. “The Twelve Days of Valentines” by Lynn Cahoon As her home business grows, a specialty jam creator receives gifts from a secret admirer. When the news breaks, two men step up claiming to be the gifter. As the twelve days pass, can she figure out the clues and claim her Mr. Right? “Valentine’s Day Canceled” by S.C. Mitchell When Thor’s son Magni, the new King of Asgaard, cancels Valentine’s day, Astrid knows something is drastically wrong. Can she make things right again and save the fertility festival? “The Valentine’s Proposal” by Tina Susedik When a Valentine's Day proposal doesn't go the way she expected, librarian Janetta Simonson's life changes in ways she’s never dreamed. “I’ve Got A Heart-on For You” by Char Chaffin How hard can it be to stash three kids with an overnight babysitter, slip into something ridiculously decadent and skimpy, and do naughty things to each other by candlelight on Valentine’s Day? Sex-deprived spouses Sam and Dell might be finding out pretty soon, and not in the way they’d hoped. Buy Link: http://www.amzn.com/B00SSFM1OC/
0 Comments
2/10/2015 24 Comments GIVEAWAY!Look what arrived! I believe this calls for a giveaway! To enter for a chance to win a signed, paperback copy of The Highlander's Reluctant Bride, simply comment on the blog post below. I will randomly draw a name on Friday. Here's the drawback: I am limiting this to only USA addresses. HOWEVER, if you still want to enter, readers outside the USA can win an ebook copy (Kindle) of the book. So, get those fingers busy, follow the link, and post away! I want to hear from you! 2/10/2015 2 Comments Guest Author, MJ Compton MJ Compton Bio MJ Compton grew up near Cardiff, New York, a place best known for its giant, which turned out to be a fiction so incredible, PT Barnum himself borrowed it. That’s a tough act to follow, but MJ tried—by composing her own stories. Although her 30-year career in local television included such highlights as being bitten by a lion, preempting a US President for a college basketball game, giving a three-time world champion boxer a few black eyes, a mention in the Drudge Report, and meeting her husband, MJ’s urge to create her own stories never went away. MJ still lives in upstate New York with her husband. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and Central New York Romance Writers. Music and cooking are two of her passions, and she enjoys baseball and college basketball, but she’s primarily focused on wine . . . and writing. THE DELTA (AND RELUCTANT) HERO By MJ Compton Fleshing out Stoker Smith, hero of my new release, AND JERICHO BURNED, was a bit of a challenge. You see, he’s a werewolf. And werewolves, as opposed to the general population, are very alpha. Stoker is intimidating, dominating, and confident: all signs of alpha maleness. And yet, he’s not an alpha male. At least, not in his pack. He’s delta. A real middle of the pack kind of guy. He has no desire to lead anything, mostly because leading would involve thinking and making decisions, and he has many more important things to do than clutter his brain with details other people are more qualified to ponder. Mostly he likes to compose music. He co-writes most of the songs performed by Toke Lobo & The Pack, the country band his pack alpha started. When he meets Lucy Callahan, heroine of the book, even making music takes a backseat to wanting to take her home and start making babies with her. His ultimate bliss is within reach--except for one or two things. First of all, there’s Lucy. Lucy thinks. She plots and strategizes, and even failure doesn’t stop her from doing it again. Stoker knows he should be flattered when the pack alphas listen to her, because that’s an honor, but he and Lucy are delta. Deltas don’t think. His mate needs to learn that. Then there’s her sister, Michelle, who is now part of his family. He promised Lucy he’d get Michelle away from that heavily-armed religious cult she joined. The pack alphas don’t want to hear that, so he has to deal with it himself. And while he’s capable, he’d much rather be led. Except when someone hurts Lucy. Revenge is his and his alone. And that’s what makes it a romance. BUY LINK OTHER LINKS Website & Blog www.comptonplations.com Twitter https://twitter.com/Comptonplations Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMJCompton Tsu http://www.tsu.co/mj_compton Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8075221.M_J_Compton Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/MJ-Compton/e/B00J9DFFIG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 * * * Today on Medieval Monday, I have Victoria Zak and her hot Scottish romance, Highland Burn Excerpt: The Loch Late summer of 1314 Medieval Scotland The unsettled nature of Scotland had left Abigale hardened. She’d seen firsthand the aftermath of battles fought; mended wounds, prayed over dead bodies, and even buried the dead. The nunnery where she grew up would set up tents to aid those wounded in battle. Abigale would assist in surgery and her passion grew for healing the sick and mending wounds. Life was to be valued, not destroyed. In a way she blamed Lady Scotland for her misfortunes. Her father’s growing need to fight for Scotland had caused her to stay hidden, conceal her true identity, and grow up without a family. Her whole family had been affected by the battles fought for Scotland and the greed of claiming the crown. Though it was true she had long forgiven the Lady; she could not forget. The Highlander seemed far away in thought, because he took a while to answer. “Some would say I’m a Highlander.” He approached Abigale. “May I?” The beautiful stranger reached for a piece of hair that was stuck to her face and tucked it behind her ear. He brushed a callused finger down her cheek to her slender neck leaving a fiery path trailing behind. He held her stare and captivated her to the point that she could not form a coherent thought. Her body was no longer hers to control, her heart dropped, and desire pooled in her core setting her body on fire. This Highlander was so close to her she could feel his breath on her skin, she could smell his masculine scent and soon she wanted to taste his lips. * * * Highland Burn Book Blurb: Will Love’s Flame Quench the Dragon’s Fire? … The past never stays in the past, it rears its ugly head eventually. James the Black Douglas knows this all too well. With a past that has left him vengeful and his dragon blood thirsty, his reputation as a ruthless warrior haunts his enemies in their sleep. As his allegiance stands with Robert Bruce, the King of Scotland, he must now repay a debt to the king and agrees to marry his daughter, Abigale Bruce. The problem is he doesn’t want a wife. When flames start to burn out of control between him and the auburn-haired lass, he must decide to either kindle the flames of passion or shelter her from the truth and set her free. It’s What Shines in the Dark That Brings Forth Your True Light… Determined to keep his daughter safe and out of the hands of the English, Robert hides Abigale behind the safe walls of a nunnery. After eight long years of living her life in seclusion, Abigale is finally set free. But her new found freedom comes to an abrupt halt when she learns of her betrothal to the infamous Bogeyman – James the Black Douglas. She soon finds herself falling in love with the uncontainable and haunted man. Is her love enough to soften his hardened heart? Buy Links: Amazon: http://amzn.to/1qUrh7n * * * First let me say, Wow! What a cover! OK, now that that's out of the way, let me introduce my guest author. Marilyn Baxter is a long-time friend and fellow author. Her latest book, Direct Deposit, a contemporary romance, just released in January. So, Marilyn, it’s great to have you here today. Could you please tell us a bit about yourself? MB: I’m a Southern girl who has lived all over the South in addition to living in Germany for four years. I’m a mom and a grandmother, and as much as I love my sons, being a Grammy is THE best gig in the world! After years of shopping in the boys department, now I get to shop in the pink section! It’s been such fun to have granddaughters. I also work as an administrative assistant for a family law firm. I think it’s ironic my heroine is an attorney who specializes in family law, and I wrote this book years before I had any up close and personal experience with family law. The Universe has a real sense of humor! CMR: Tell us a bit about your newest book. MB: Direct Deposit is about banks and withdrawals and deposits – but not the financial kind. The heroine is a widow who put off having children and decides she wants to use a sperm donor to have a child. The hero was her late husband’s business partner who made a promise to look in on his friend’s wife after his death to make sure no one took advantage of her and she didn’t do anything crazy in her grief. When he learns she wants to make a withdrawal from a sperm bank, he’s stunned. But what he does next … well, you’ll have to read the book to find out. ;-) CMRL What was your inspiration for this story? MB: One day this headline popped up in my news feed: Seeking Sperm, Not Sex, Online. I was intrigued and read more. The story told about women who were looking at online sperm banks rather than going to a doctor’s office. CMR: That is certainly interesting. What kind of research did you do? MB: I read the information on online sperm bank websites (and yes, there are a lot of them!) and also asked lots of questions of a writer friend who is an attorney. My biggest challenge was finding a situation where a pregnancy could legally put a woman’s job in jeopardy. My attorney friend came up with the solution. I have learned that people love to share information about their professions with you, and the online writing community is especially helpful. And in addition to my sperm bank and legal research, there was a research trip to Atlanta. Going to Tiffany’s was SUCH a hardship. NOT! CMR: How did you decide on the setting? Have you ever been there? MB: I wanted the story set in a large city and I’m familiar enough with Atlanta that I set it there. I’ve been to Atlanta on numerous occasions, but about a month after I finished this book, my sister and I met in Atlanta and went to all the places I’d used in the book. Her son had attended college at Georgia Tech, so she was a font of information on the city. CMR: It sounds like you enjoyed researching your book. How long have you been writing? MB: I’ve been writing for about ten years. I began writing for the confessions magazines and had success with that. But I longed to write stories where the characters had a happy ending, and in 2008 I finished my first full-length book, which is the one just released. CMR: That is quite a varied career. What do you enjoy most about writing? MB: Truthfully? Typing The End is my favorite part. It means I have planned, worked the plan and achieved it. Then I start all over again and work toward another end. CMR: I know what you mean. The story itself is so much fun, but there is a great sense of accomplishment and resolution to write THE END. So, What draws you to contemporary genre? MB: I like the here and now and characters who face today’s problems and issues. I sure have to do enough research to make sure my facts are correct, so I have a great deal of respect for historical writers such as you who have to not only craft a plot and create characters but set them in a different time and make sure you don’t have them make coffee in a Keurig and wear Crocs. ;-) CMR: LOL! Exactly! Such a tricky minefield, sometimes to keep historical anachronisms at bay. What surprises did you uncover as these characters and story developed? MB: My hero was a real bad boy in his youth and while he had become a responsible adult, he still had a smart mouth and a never-gonna-settle-down attitude. To watch him change from a guy whose girlfriends changed as often as the marquee on a movie theater to someone who took on responsibility was such fun. CMR: Oh, that does sound like fun. And I simply love the interaction between Maddie and Jack! Before we get to the excerpt (which is completely awesome, btw) is there anything you’d like to add? MB: Direct Deposit is available in digital format from all the major online retailers and will come out in print on demand shortly. This is the book of my heart, and I hope folks enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. CMR: I am sure we will. It just got bumped up on my TBR list! Thanks so much for being here today! It has been such fun chatting with you. Best of luck with your books! Blurb: Family law attorney Maddie Prescott is driven to succeed. A pawn in her parents’ messy divorce, she devoted her career to representing children in court, and when her husband’s early death makes it seem like she can’t have it all, she’s ready to beat the odds by going to a sperm bank. One advantage to single parenthood is that her child will never be a pawn. That, and she’ll never have to deal with sarcastic ladies’ men or liars. Jack Worth promised to look out for his dying best friend’s wife: a small repayment for someone who once helped an irredeemable bad boy find the path to happiness. So, while Maddie Prescott’s baby plans are questionable, duty and loyalty prompt Jack first to volunteer as the sperm donor…and then to propose a marriage of convenience. And the more he gets to know her, the more this onetime player will see that Maddie is the woman of his dreams, and that the child they will make deserves to be from a direct deposit. Excerpt It’s time to move on, Jack,” she told him. “And I think it’s time we stopped these monthly pity parties. We struggle to carry on polite conversation. I choke on every bite of food. You sit there feeling sorry for me. I’ve made some decisions in the last few weeks that will move my life in a new direction. I only hope you’re able to do the same.” “Is that what the sperm canister is all about?” Water spewed everywhere. “How...” Her cheeks burned from embarrassment. “The letter behind your phone. You aren’t seriously considering going to a sperm bank are you?” Maddie pushed away from the table and picked up her plate, heading toward the kitchen. “And if I am, what makes it your business?” Chagrin replaced the previous awkwardness. Jack followed, juggling his plate in one hand as he nudged open the door to the kitchen with his elbow. “What the hell are you thinking? You’re going to get yourself knocked up by some total stranger so you can play Mommy?” He took her plate and scraped it into the sink. “No one is knocking me up as you so charmingly put it.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. “The procedure is done in an office by a doctor and—” “I know how the hell it’s done.” “Oh? I wasn’t aware The Playboy Channel televised medical documentaries.” “I watch The Learning Channel, too. Surprised?” He loaded the dishwasher while she looked on in amazement. “What? I’m housebroken. I’m not Emeril, but I cook a mean meatloaf and mashed potatoes.” He squirted dish gel in the dispenser. “From scratch,” he added. “Quite honestly, nothing about you would surprise me, Jack. What did surprise me was my husband being in business with you. You were as different as… as…” “Champagne and beer?” he suggested as he rinsed the sink. “Caviar and hot dogs? You and me?” “You got that right.” Maddie lifted her chin defiantly. * * * Bio:: In 2001, Marilyn discovered romance novels quite by accident, which led to a renewed interest in writing. She’s had over forty stories published in the confessions and romance magazines and taught a class in how to effectively write for this genre. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and her local RWA chapter, Heart of Dixie Romance Writers. Her involvement on the local and national levels has combined to give her a great love of the romance genre and to develop friendships that span the globe. In addition to reading and writing, Marilyn loves to knit simple things, cook in the crockpot and garden in a few pots on her patio. Her motto is “Have passport, will travel,” and she recently added Ireland and Wales to the list of 32 states and 21 foreign countries she has visited. A native of North Carolina, she came to Huntsville, Alabama by way of Frankfurt, Germany. She has lived there longer than anywhere else and calls it home. After raising two great sons, she loves to dote on her two granddaughters. And somewhere amidst all the above, she fits in a day job as an administrative assistant for a boutique law firm. You can find Marilyn on Facebook (link: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.baxter.372) and on Twitter as @marilyn_baxter. Her website is www.marilynbaxter.com. * * * |
Archives
June 2021
CategoriesAll 4th Of July 99 Cents Abbotsford Adam Adam-a-highlander-romance Aidi Breed American-civil-war Anastasia Abboud Andrea-r-cooper Angela-scavone Anne-b-cole Anthology April-holthaus Ashley York Australia Author Interview Bambi Lynn Barbara Bettis Barnes & Noble Berengaria-brown Best-seller Betrayal Black Watch Museum Blair-castle Blog Hop Book Deal Book Dogs Book Giveaway Book Release Day Book Release Party Book Sale Book Series Books To Read After Outlander Booksweeps Border-collies Boxed-set Braemar-highland-games Brenda-stinnett Burke-and-hare Capercallie Carly-jordynn Carmen-stefanescu Carol-ann-moleti Carole-ann-moleti Caroline-warfield Castle-menzies Catherine-castle Cathy & DD MacRae Cathy Dd Macrae Cathy-macrae Cd-hersh Ceci-giltenan Celebrations Celeste Barclay Celtic Cerian-herbert Character-interview Char-chaffin Chocolate Christmas Christmas-box-set Claire-gem Clava-cairns Collette-cameron Colley Collie Compuiter-woes Contemporary-mystery Contemporary-paranormal Contemporary-romance Contest Cover-reveal Creme-de-la-cover-contest Ct-green Culloden-battlefield Cynthia-owens Daryl Devore Dawn-ireland Dawn-marie-hamilton Dd-macrae Debut Debut-author Dewars-distillery Direct-deposit Edinburgh Eilean-donan-castle Elisabeth-hobbes Elizabeth-preston Elizabeth-rose Eliza Knight Elle-hill Evil-villain Excerpts Fantasy-historical Farleyer-lodge First First-kiss Flowers Food Forth-bridges France Free-book Free-books Freki Georgian-romance German-shepherd Get-lost-in-a-story-blog-interview Ghost-tour Gilda Gildas-story Giveaway Glen-ord-whisky Graveyards Guest-author Guest-blogger Halloween Hardy-heroines Highland-chocolatier Highlander-romance Highland-escape Highland-romance Historical-irish Historical-post Historical Romance Hm-queen-elizabeth-ii Holiday Holiday-read Hot-historicals Hurricane-harvey Iain-burnett Indtale Jenna Jaxon Jenni-fletcher Jessica-jefferson Jill-hughey Judith Sterling Karen-lopp Kate-hill Katherine-bone Kathryn-le-veque Kelley Heckart Kindle-world Kobo Lane Mcfarland Larynn-ford Laura-strickland Laurel Odonnell Lauren-linwood Leault-farm Legends-of-scotland Life-with-freki Limited-time-offer Linda-bennett-pennell Lochleven-castle Loch-ness Luxury-cruises Macleod Madeline-martin Madelyn-hill Maggie-mundy Mairi-norris Marilyn-baxter Mary-gillgannon Mary Morgan Meda-white Medieval-blog-hop Medieval-hop Medieval-monday-2015 Medieval-monday-2016 Medieval-monday-2017 Medievalmonday2018 Medieval-monday-2018 Medieval Monday 2019 Medieval Monday 2020 Medieval Monday 2021 Medieval Monday Fall 2020 Medieval Mondays Medieval Monday Spring 2020 Medieval-mystery Medieval Romance Meet-the-characters Meggan-connor Meggan-connors Mhairis-yuletide-wish Military-romance Miriam-newman Neva-brown New Book Nicole-locke Night-owl-reviews Norman-conquest Nostalgia-romance Novella Paranormal Paranormal Romance Patricia-hudson Patrick Paty-jager Pirate-romance Pirates Post-civil-war Postcivil-war-western-romance Preorder Pre-order Prizes Puppy Rachel-sharpe R-b-austin Rb-austin Recipe Recipes Red-l-jameson Regency-romance Release-date Research Review Rl-syme Romance Romance-novels Romance-on-the-high-seas Romantic-mystery Romantic-suspense Rone-award Rue-allyn Ruth A Casie Ruth-a-casie Ruth-kaufman Sale Samantha-wyatt Samhain Sandra-harris Sandra-jones Sarah-hegger Sarah-hoss Sarah-woodbury Saranna-dewylde Scavenger-hunt Sci-fi-romance Scifi-romance Sc-mitchell Scotland Scotland-with-grace-2016 Scottish-crannog-centre Scottish-historical Scottish-regency Scottish Romance Sheep Sherrie-hansen Sherry Ewing Sherry-ewing Short-dog-press Sir-walter-scott Sophia Nye Soul-mate-publishing Southern-romance Special-price Spermbanks Spring Steamships Stella-marie-alden St-patricks-day Sweet-romance Tam Tea-party-and-books Teaser-tuesday Thankful The-ghosts-of-culloden-moor-series The-hardy-heroines-series The-hghlanders-accidental-bride The-highlanders-accidental-bride The-highlanders-bride-series The Highlander's Crusader Bride The-highlanders-french-bride The-highlanders-norse-bride The-highlanders-outlaw-bride The Highlander's Pirate Bride The-highlanders-reluctant-bride The-highlanders-tempestuous-bride The-highlanders-viking-bride The-highlanders-welsh-bride The Prince's Highland Bride The-reading-cafe The-saint The-seventh-son The-twalve-days-o-yuletide Thursdays-teaser Thursdays-threads Time-travel Time Travel Romance Tina-susedik Top-ten-list Travel Twelve-days-of-christmas Uisge-beatha Urban-fantasy Urquart-castle Valentine Valentines Day Victorian-romance Victoria-zak Vijaya-schartz Viking-romance Vikings Villains Viola-russell Wales Wareeze-woodson Water-kelpie Weeping-window-of-poppies Western-romance Whisky Winner Winners Womens-fiction World-of-de-wolfe Ya-fantasy |