Book Topics – Page 23 – Nomad Authors Blog

Lies of Gold takes SILVER: Best Historical Book, 2019!!

Coffee Pot Book Club awarded Lies of Gold and our Jan Selbourne SILVER place in the Best Historical Book Awards, 2019! If you’ve ever wondered if a book deserved an award, put your doubts aside for this novel. Here are just a sampling of Jan’s reviews:

“Just finished Lies of Gold and was completely blown away.” Author Judith G White

“Lies of Gold is not only an absorbing and heart-warming romance, but it is also a grand adventure, filled with deplorable villains and likeable rogues. I cannot praise this book enough. I enjoyed every minute of it.

If you are looking for your next Historical Romance read, then do yourself a favour and check out Lies of Gold. You won’t be disappointed.

I Highly Recommend.” Mary Anne Yarde, The Coffee Pot Book Club

“I loved this fast paced, edge of your seat murder mystery romance combination page burner of a read. The emotions the characters depicted were outstanding. The hero and heroine without a doubt compatible. The story line flowed brilliantly. It was as if you were watching in on a big screen. Lies of Gold is an absolute must read!” Tricia Davis. Historical Romance Addicts

“I was truly drawn into this story of romance, adventure and suspense. The characters were rich and deep and the storyline was captivating. Lies of Gold is a the best historical romance novel I’ve read in years! I look forward to reading more of Jan Selbourne’s books in the future. Well done!!!” Betty Ann Harris

“I didn’t want the book to end I wanted more time with the characters. That to me is. the definition of a fantastic book.” Carol Rising

“IF ALL HISTORICAL FICTION WERE THIS GOOD, I’D NEVER READ ANOTHER GENRE!… This is top-notch writing by a gifted writer who has an undying fan in me. Bravo Jan Selbourne.” Viga Boland, author No Tears for my Father”

And there are many more reviews equally as sterling. Trust me, no one gets reviews like this unless their writing is tight, their historical reference is accurate, and their storytelling is superb!

Christmas gift Lies of Gold

I asked Jan about winning the SILVER award.

NA: Jan, how did you feel when you discovered you’d been nominated for Best Historical Book?
JS: Stunned. No other word for it. Last March the Coffee Pot Book Club gave Lies of Gold a fabulous review and I was thrilled to bits Mary Anne Yarde liked my story enough to award it Book of the Month. I thought that was the end of it until her email last month telling me Lies of Gold was a finalist in her book of the year awards.. I had no idea it was considered for any award.

NA: What about the morning the awards were announced?
JS: I’ll be honest, I hesitated opening my Inbox. To read I’d been awarded the Historical Book of the Year’s Silver medal was incredible I stared at the email in awe.

NA: What do you think it was about Lies of Gold that fascinated readers and won the award?
JS: I wanted my characters to be real people with flaws, who’ve made mistakes and have to live with them. In Lies of Gold my main characters had a brief torrid affair in their twenties, they parted in anger and the consequences were harsh. When they met again ten years later they were, like all of us, very different people. When writing historical fiction, I believe authors should try to provide an accurate as possible background of their era of choice. We can’t drop our hero and heroine into the Tudor period, or the Regency period and hope for the best. We must portray those eras warts and all. For instance, the Regency period was a renaissance of architecture, culture and fashion – and rigid class distinction, poverty and brutal penal system. In Lies of Gold I highlighted the unjust marriage laws of that time. A woman was the property of her husband with very few rights.

Jan, I’m incredibly happy for you and proud of you! Congratulations on your award!

Best Historical Book Silver medal

Blurb:
Their love affair ended in anger and painful consequences. Lady Katherine Ashford has guarded a secret through years of abuse. Fighting wars and hard living has numbed Julian Ashford. Then fate steps in. A traitor is smuggling gold across the Channel to Napoleon Bonaparte and Julian is ordered back to Halton Hall and Katherine. It’s her secret and the increasing danger that rekindle the love they once shared, then a murder reveals the shocking truth of the gold smuggling. However, nothing could prepare them for the devastating betrayal when they finally face the mastermind behind this sordid operation.

Jan Selbourne books

Excerpt:
Julian walked out of the drawing room and felt a sliver of shock when he opened the door to his bedchamber. He couldn’t remember how he got here. Swearing softly, he walked to the window overlooking the front courtyard and rested his head against the glass. He’d fathered a child, a daughter. For nine years, his daughter had lived in this house as Charles’s daughter. His vision blurred. Ten years of hard living had buried those deep painful scars and all it took was one look at Katherine and that small girl’s face to peel it all away. Like peeling an onion, his eyes were stinging like hell.

He remembered the night he met Katherine as if it were yesterday. Charles was in France and he was in London attending a debutante’s ball. Bored out of his head with the simpering young females and strutting males he was looking for an excuse to depart when his cousin’s tall, elegant wife, Katherine was introduced to him. The orchestra began playing and he asked her to join him on the floor. It was a waltz; he took her in his arms, her eyes met his and he knew he’d met the only woman he’d ever love. They’d set off murmurs behind fans for dancing twice and they didn’t leave each other for a week. They’d made intense, passionate, love, they’d laid in each other’s arms and talked for hours, they were as one. She’d confided Charles was a hard, brutish man but she would not leave him because she’d lose all rights to her four years old son. He’d begged her, made promises he knew he couldn’t keep. She’d shaken her head in despair. As soon as Charles returned to London they would go home to Halton Hall.

He’d prayed Charles’s ship would sink to the bottom of the Channel. She’d cried in his arms; he’d cried in her arms. The day before Charles was due to arrive in London they became tense with each other and finally, distraught, he’d accused her of selling herself for the title and privilege. She’d thrown a heavy teapot at his head. When it struck, he’d seen stars for several seconds before shouting more insults. She’d furiously told him he couldn’t afford to keep her on his army pay. He’d walked out.

Julian barely remembered the following months of heavy drinking and angry self-pity until the army knocked his arrogance and selfishness out of him and saved his sanity. He knew damn well his army pay wouldn’t have kept her and he knew damn well she’d have lost all rights to her son. Knowing Charles, he would have demanded she be brought back to him and the law and the church would have supported him. Her life would have been worse than hell. Now this, Christ, never in a million years did he expect this. He wanted to walk away but he couldn’t because the whole damn top secret investigation would crumble or blow up in his face.

He sat down by the fire and put his head in his hands. He didn’t know it then, but that night fourteen months ago, changed his life. Benjamin Bloomfield, aide de camp to His Royal Highness, the Prince Regent, had ordered Brigadier Sir Ian MacDonald, Sir Henry Whitton and himself to meet at a nondescript location on the outskirts of London. On their arrival, they’d been momentarily lost for words to find a sober and serious Prince Regent waiting for them. Senior government officials had drawn the Regent’s attention to the alarming amounts of gold leaving England. Well-placed sources in France had reported English gold was being smuggled across the Channel to help finance Napoleon Bonaparte’s army. Intensive investigations along the east coast had failed to find any solid evidence but the Regent was not satisfied. He and Bloomfield were convinced someone in the upper echelons of power and influence was behind it or protecting the smugglers. That night the five men present decided that from now on the Prince Regent would shrug it off as rumors and lose interest.

That night MacDonald, Whitton and Julian agreed to begin their search for the source. The Prince Regent named the secret investigation Spider’s Web. The three men thought the name childish but they dutifully indulged His Royal Highness. Not one word of the meeting was recorded and at the conclusion the Prince Regent instructed the three men to meet on the first day of each month and report their progress to Bloomfield the day after. Their investigations were secret and painstaking and gradually they began to close in on this part of the coast. They had observed from a distance, they had moved a little closer and then, as with every other investigation, the scent disappeared. However, they were convinced and MacDonald decreed Julian was the only suitable person to come and go around the Ballingford estates and the coast without raising suspicions.

Julian stretched his feet towards the fire, remembering his furious refusal to return to this place he despised intensely and how he nearly resigned his commission when summoned to a private audience with the Prince Regent. High Treason was involved and as an officer of the Crown he was expected to do his duty. He’d reluctantly bowed to HRH’s orders and it was agreed that to be convincing he’d have to be in dire straits to return. His debts, scandals and fistfights were carefully and authentically orchestrated culminating in him being bawled out by Ian MacDonald who’d conveniently forgotten the raw young corporal and scandal loving clerk in his office. Then their one reliable informer, who’d only agreed to meet him under strict conditions of anonymity, was found with his throat cut. He and Baker had arrived at Halton Hall with no idea of where to start or where to look for the needle in the haystack of boats and fishermen and identify whoever was behind this well organized group of traitors. When he did find evidence, his orders were to send a coded message to MacDonald and Whitton and the net would close in.

No matter what was thrown at him now, he could not walk away. They were so close and if the web was broken it could not be repaired. Nor could he let down Ian MacDonald, his uncle and mentor, to whom he owed so much.

Buy links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

About Jan:
Jan Selbourne was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia and her love of literature and history began as soon as she learned to read and hold a pen. After graduating from a Melbourne Business College her career began in the dusty world of ledgers and accounting, working in Victoria, Queensland and the United Kingdom. On the point of retiring, she changed course to work as secretary of a large NSW historical society. Now retired Jan is enjoying her love of travelling and literature. She has two children, a stray live in cat and lives near Maitland, New South Wales.

Website: Nomad Authors
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New Arrival! Not You Again: Patricia Elliott

Welcome, Patricia Elliott!

First, I just want to thank Nomadauthors for hosting me on their blog today to talk about my new book, Not You Again.

Blurb:

Emma Praught has everything a woman could wish for: a house, a husband, and a teen daughter who she wouldn’t trade for the world. But when she receives that fateful call, everything falls apart.

Her husband is dead. The life she knew is over. And before she has a chance to make sense of it all, death threats roll in and so does a man from her past. One she never expected to see again.

Devon Matthews, in the stupidity of his youth, broke the heart of the only woman he ever loved. Something he has never gotten over. Now he has a chance to make it up to her by protecting them. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll find it in her heart to forgive him. If he can keep her alive, that is.

Will they make it through this unscathed, or will Emma’s stubborn nature make it difficult for them both?

One way or another, he’s not giving her up this time.

Excerpt:

He sat there, outside Emma Praught’s house, with his hands on the steering wheel as he stared at her. The tan curtains in her living room were pulled back, and he had a clear view of her and her daughter.

He could take her out right here, right now, if he wanted to. But no, he was going to wait. Torture her a little before making his final move. She deserved it. They all deserved it. Everything was going fine in his world until they botched it.

Looking down on the seat beside him, he let his fingers roam over his sniper rifle. It wouldn’t take much to lift it up, aim it, and fire, but where was the fun in that? He much preferred to watch them slowly come to the realization that someone was coming for them.

That’s what he did to his cheating ex-girlfriend, too. The thrill that had raced through him when he haunted her, stalked her, and finally tortured her to death was like a drug and now his body was crying out for more, for another. He loved watching their eyes glaze over as their spirit left their body.

And his dad was none the wiser to his activities. Man, if he found out, his dad would throw a god-damn fit, and he’d really be up the creek without a paddle. While home, he played the duty-bound man, the ever loving son. But he found that boring. Why would anyone decide to live that way?

He was born to be a hunter. Not of animals, of course, but humans. It just took his girlfriend screwing around on him to find his calling in life. He was going to make them all pay for their indiscretions and have fun while doing it.

And this time his prey was that damn woman and her daughter. There was nothing that could stand in his way and no one to save them. They were alone and vulnerable. His favourite type to hunt.

When they moved away from the window, he got out of his car and stretched out the kink in his back. Running a hand through his freshly cut hair, he shoved a hat onto his head. As he walked across the street, he eyed the garden planted along the wall of the house.

Carefully making his way across the grass, keeping out of sight, he dragged his feet through her flower bed, crushing marigolds, sunflowers, and tulips in his wake. Grabbing a blue tulip, he quietly walked up the steps and left it on the front porch before disappearing back into his car.

Phase one of his plan was complete. Now he’d let her mull over that one for a while before making his next move. His phone vibrated on the passenger seat and he looked at the caller I.D. It was his mom. He wanted to stay and watch Emma’s reaction, but he was being called elsewhere.

And like a good son, he’d be there for her. He turned the engine on and pulled out onto the road. “I’m coming, Mom,” he said into the phone before tossing it on the passenger seat.

Glancing out the rain covered window, he flicked on the wiper blades. The rain filled the air with ominous music as the smell of wet musty dust floated through the slightly-open window.

When he could no longer see her house, his fingers tightened around the steering wheel. He hated leaving a job incomplete, and he ached to return and do what he knew was right. But it couldn’t be rushed. When you rushed, you screwed up. He had to plan it right to the smallest detail or things would go belly up.

And he had no plans on being the one in the coffin anytime soon. “Bye Emma. I hope you enjoy my calling card.” Flowers. They were right up a woman’s alley.

Buy link: Amazon

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book (which sounds really exciting, by the way!)? What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
PE: I’m not sure about you, but I love stories that revolve around second chances; whether that be high school sweethearts reconnecting or people who choose to give love another chance after being devastated by their last. I feel that these stories fill us with hope for the future. That no matter how dark the way is now, better things are coming. Nothing stays the same forever.

And I think just about everyone has a story of the one that got away. What would you do differently if you got another chance?

NA: A fun fact about writing your book
PE: Unlike many, I do not have a writing space at home. Sure we have three computers, but my house is usually to noisy to write. My two older boys who love video games tend to make it difficult to concentrate, if you know what I mean—“stupid internet is too slow” *lol*

So my entire story was written at work during any quiet time I had at my desk. The best thing about it, it’s like being paid to write full-time. 😉 Shhhh, don’t tell my boss I said that.

NA: Do you have a day job?
PE: Yes, I work full-time as a security guard (concierge) at an office building. They have been an amazing support system throughout my time there. It’s not unusual for my book to get passed around the office.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
PE: When I was younger, I was bullied relentlessly at school. It wasn’t unusual for me to be hiding in the library, reading some of my favorite books(Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley Twins). Writing and reading gave me an escape route into another world; one where I could be anything or anyone I wanted to be. I didn’t have to be shy or scared. I could swim into the deepest sea or fly high into the sky away from the bad guys.

My love for writing continued as I got older, and I finally finished my first novel when I was 26 (Her Lover’s Face), which BVS published last year. I want to create stories that allow other people to escape, even if just for a while. Life gets too hard sometimes. We need the freedom to fly.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
PE: They have all been extremely supportive and have been a blessing to me throughout the process; of course, my parents would prefer me to write more inspirational romance, but I tend to delve a little more on the naughtier side. I might have to think of a pen name in the near future if I release some of my more current work.

I do want to thank Heather Teston, though. She’s the one that encouraged me to send my first novel into BVS. Without her support, I don’t think I would have ever taken the chance.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
PE: I usually start off with an idea and run with it. The only thing I outline are my two main characters, but that’s not to say that some things about them don’t change along the way—like their past once it comes to light in the story.

I feel that being a pantser gives you more freedom and it’s almost like you are reading the story, too. The only problem with not having an outline is that you have to consistently write the new information down as it is revealed, or you might run into consistency problems, like a black leather couch in one scene and a brown leather couch in another.

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
PE: Having a reader message you and tell you how much they loved your story. That it kept them up all hours or made them laugh or cry out loud on a train ride home, making everyone look at them funny. One girl apparently got kicked out of class for laughing out loud while reading my book.

I love hearing from my readers and touching base with them. They are my motivation to get up and write every day. One of my favorite experiences was getting a story of mine featured on Wattpad and watching the reads roll in until the total surpassed 1m.

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
PE: When I’m not writing, you can either find me curled up on the couch reading a book or watching Netflix, while peeking at my phone during more boring TV moments. I think I’m addicted to the internet(*lol*), but aside from sitting on my fanny, I love getting out for a walk in the evening with my neighbour. We tend to play Pokemon Go while we walk through the park near our complex. It has been a real life saver over the last few months.

NA: A pet peeve
PE: I think my biggest pet peeve has to be people who overuse their car horn. After four car accidents, horns make me jump big time and I end up thinking that an accident is going to happen. The most annoying thing is when they honk at you because you came to an actual stop at a red-light. It’s like hello…red means stop. Some seem to think that red means slow down and then keep going if it looks safe.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
PE: I set two alarms every morning, so my first thought is, ahh, five more minutes. That usually turns into another ten or fifteen until I can’t stay in bed any longer or I’ll be late. Second thought is surfing social media, wondering if anything interesting is going on today.

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?
PE: That would be a toss up between doing dishes or cleaning the bathrooms. Both are like a never ending job. You could do all the dishes, but somehow more magically appear after five minutes. What I wouldn’t give for a real clone…the four mini clones I did have must be defective because I still end up doing them the majority of the time. Dishes are a mother’s curse.

NA: What are you working on now?
PE: I currently have numerous projects in the works. Some steamy, some sweeter than others, but almost all of them are of the romantic suspense genre. However, my most recent story in the works, far from being ready to get published, delves into the post apocalyptic genre. In a way I guess you could say it is related to my story, “Love Knows No Apocalypse,” which has been recently featured in the Mystic Desire Supernatural Anthology.

But for those who don’t quite like zombie stories, have no fear. I have many other stories coming your way, too.

NA: What is any question didn’t we ask that you would like to answer?
PE: You’re going to make me think now are you? I think I’d ask, “If you could write for any television show, which one would it be?” I’d love to hear what your answers would be in the comment section below.

For me, I’d love to be a screen writer for The Walking Dead. Can you tell I’m a bit zombie crazy? I’d love to be able to watch something I created come to life. Wow, I didn’t expect to add a pun in there (Haha).

Have a great day, everyone!

Patricia, we hope you’ll come back anytime to visit, and especially with your next book!

Meet Laurie Keck and Winter Tales!

Winter Tales (Forget-Me-Not, Oregon Book 3)

Winter Tales, Forget-Me-Not, Oregon, Book 3
When chaos descends, the battle between nature and witch begins…

The universe always demands payment for magic. When a group of naïve teenage boys experiment with elemental magic, the citizens of Forget-Me-Not face a winter storm unlike any other. Chosen for their skills, three witches go head-to-head with nature, teaming with the men from myths and legends who are fated to fight with them.

Winter of Her Discontent
The sea had brought him. The sea could take him away…

Winter Tales-- As water witch Roane Donnelly faces the biggest challenge of her life, she is unprepared for a man who brings the promise of heartache. Conal Ferguson follows the seven tears to find the sad, lonely woman that will be his. As the ocean water freezes, Conal’s secret brings them together, but will it ultimately tear them apart?

Whiteout
Magic has to be believed to be seen.

As a rancher and author, earth witch Hailey Vose believes she has all she’s Winter Tales--Laurie Keck ever wanted. Jesse Thorn has left all he knows behind, disappearing from his world to spare his people all-out war. Yet, when he finds Hailey and they collaborate during a crisis, their true natures are revealed. But is there more here than meets the eye?

Snowfire
She’s a fire witch. He’s a dragon. Can their love ignite a miracle?

Winter Tales--Maggie McBay Flannery Bishop’s fire ability can certainly warm things up for the Forget-Me-Not community, but she could use a little help. Drayce Olden is a dragon shifter that has undergone the mate quest, a strenuous test of courage and endurance to assure only the strongest survive. Together, fire witch and dragon forge an unbreakable bond of love until a secret from Flannery’s childhood threatens to tear her newfound happiness apart.

Excerpt:

Hailey asked, “You don’t want me to go with you?”

He gave a flirty smile. “And have to explain a beautiful maiden suspended in air?” He tilted his head. “Though from what I’m noticing on this peninsula, that may not be a stretch.” He leaned in. “Is everyone here a witch? Magical?”

“Many, but not all. It’s one reason why I and two others were tasked to lead this. Fortunately, there are elemental committees, and they are working to assist.”

“Then you’re clearly one of the most powerful. Doesn’t surprise me. You’ve been able to do what many women have tried to do and failed.”

“What’s that?”

He kissed her on the forehead. “Another time.”

He flashed her a smile, and her heart nearly melted. No, not going to fall for him.

They turned toward the ocean when a loud, melodic sound could be heard emanating behind them. They moved closer and watched as a pod of whales, with calves in their midst, happily traveled through a narrow break in the ice. They exchanged glances when what looked to be a seal seemed to be orchestrating their passage.

Jessie smiled enigmatically. “That’s not an ordinary seal.”

“No?”

He shook his head.

Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out and read what had been a delayed, yet urgent, text to both her and Flannery from Roane. She wanted any water or fire witches they encountered to come to Daisy Summers’ cove. They were conjuring a containment system for marine mammals. Hailey made a quick reply and turned to Jesse.

“I think I know where they’re going.”

She showed him the text, and after he read it, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Okay, my turn to help again. Meet you back here?”

Buy on Amazon

Winter Tales--Devin Govaere, Laurie Keck, Maggie McBay

Let’s meet Laurie!

Laurie, welcome to Nomad Authors! I’m so happy to be visiting Forget-Me-Not again!

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
LK: We knew we wanted to do a winter storm and bring in mythical beings as the heroes in the tales. The heroine whose story I wanted to tell, Hailey Vose, had already been established in a prior story as living on a ranch. When thinking what mythical being would go with a ranch, I knew just what I wanted my hero to be, what to me was the obvious choice. I also wanted him to have an edge to him that one may not associate with his kind, and hope that is conveyed.

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
LK: I looked into some ways one might protect crops and land, as well as the behavior of horses, and refreshing myself on some mystical creatures.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
LK: We’ve all had events in our lives that have had influence, which have either enhanced us or we are working to overcome, a backstory if you will. Things are not always as they seem, and people are more complex than a first impression.

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
LK: The last job I held was as a Congressional employee at the U.S. Capitol. I worked in the tour industry for over twenty years, guiding visitors through the building and speaking of its rich history and, in later years, was in a management capacity for the same.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
LK: My sister Devin. She had been writing for many many years, is an accomplished author, and also a professional editor. She was about to start a new anthology with two other women and asked if I would like to try my hand at it. I was nervous, but decided to give it a try. It was a great opportunity she presented me.

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer
LK: How much I love it. Prior to my first story, like many others I’m sure, I had only ever written poetry to express myself, since the time of my youth. To then be able to come up with characters, ones that I like, that I may wish to be like and would like to have in my own life, and also create an environment, it is purely magical.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
LK: Definitely a by-the-seat-of-my-pants writer. I have very few concrete ideas of where I am going with something aside from the concept. Once I have my two main characters, usually inspired by a photograph, and have them in my head, they just evolve from there and then they are so much fun to get to know.

NA: Do you have quirky writing habits?
LK: I don’t know that it is, but I think it is. I tend to write scenes on a separate open page, mainly if they aren’t in sequence. So, I do a lot of the main manuscript with lots of little sections on another. I have open notes of research and highlighted sections. The other thing I do is when I get to a point where I don’t know where I want to go with the story, come to a lull, I go out on my back porch for a break. I no sooner do than suddenly dialogue or a scene comes to mind, and I go back in and write it.

NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write? Action, dialogue, sex?
LK: Writing sex is the hardest. I enjoy writing affection and dialogue where the characters express feelings to one another, flirty banter, but the act itself, I would prefer not to write.

NA: A pet peeve.
LK: I really don’t like things out of place for any length of time. Papers strewn about, receipts lying around, are probably the worse for me.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
LK: My dogs. I have two small dogs presently. Usually one is at the side greeting me when I wake, and it is such a wonderful waking.

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
LK: Singer/ songwriter Roch Voisine. What can I say? I write romance, and to me, he is romance personified. So, to spend any time with him, let alone a dinner, would be a dream come true.

NA: What are you working on now?
LK: More stories to take place in the town of Forget-Me-Not. A wonderful town, so many great characters, so many stories to tell. I hope this series goes on a long time. I feel such an affection for this town, and the characters that have already been written by the three of us in this series, that I know there are many more to tell.

NA: Is there anything else you’d like to say?
LK: I would enjoy hearing feedback from readers as to how they feel about the town, the characters, the stories. I would particularly like to hear what they might want to read about in this created town of Forget-Me-Not. Is there a particular holiday or event they would like to see take place in the town? A particular character they might like to see emerge onto the scene? Write us, and we can make that happen.

Meet the authors

Devin Govaere is a freelance editor and fiction writer. She has published over a dozen novels and fourteen novellas, writing under her own name as well as several pseudonyms. She lives in North Carolina and can be contacted at dgovaere@gmail.com.
https://www.devingovaere.com/

Laurie Keck has a passion for writing stories about true love. She enjoys quiet time in natural surroundings with her two small dogs. Laurie lives in North Carolina, and as much as she enjoys the ocean, she is equally fond of the mountains. She can be contacted at laurieKeck@hotmail.com.
https://www.lauriekeck.com/

Maggie McBay enjoys writing paranormal stories filled with romance and suspense. She has published several novels and novellas, writing under her own name as well as several pseudonyms. Touched with a bit of wanderlust, she’s lived in several states over the years and looks forward to traveling in the near future. You can contact Maggie at maggiemcbay@gmail.com.
http://www.maggiemcbay.com/

Visit Forget-Me-Not

New Arrival! Callie Carmen’s Joseph is finally here!!

Callie, it’s always a pleasure having you on Nomad Authors! And especially now that you’re here to talk about Joseph! I’ve been anxiously waiting on him, I don’t mind saying.

Dee, I always enjoy reading your latest blog. I am thrilled that I am a guest with you today. Thank you so much.

NA: Tell us about your hero.
CC: Joseph is an auto executive for one of the big four auto industry giants. Sometimes he has to travel which can be difficult in a new relationship. Joseph is a sexy Italian and is gifted in and out of the bedroom. He drives a truck and a HOG and owns a lovely home. He has the hots for someone, but so far there are roadblocks in the way. So, he hasn’t been able to make that relationship happen.

NA: Tell us about your heroine.
CC: Violet is a major romance book reader and she makes sure her friends read some of her favorite novels. She works as a dental assistant and lives with her sister. She has lost many loved ones in her past and she longs for a love that will stay with her for the rest of her life. She is in love with Joseph, but he belongs to her friend Bella.

NA: How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?
CC: I have to laugh at that question. I had used a few relative’s names in my first novel The Enemy I Know as part of the Crave Loyalty Anthology, all of which were already deceased. But in my Risking Love series, I started out using a few family females’ names, two of which were my sister’s daughter’s names. She was having none of that. She said there is no way I want my daughters in a sex book. I explained it was a love story, and she could have cared less. I ended up changing their names. Since then, I only use names that are family members that have passed away, so they can’t complain. Lol.

My latest novel is named after my father. I would like to share the dedication that I placed at the front of the novel, Joseph.

Dedication

The real Joseph--Callie's dad — The real Joseph–Callie’s dad

My father was the hardest working man I’ve ever known. He would also give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Even though he worked three jobs, he was still the person relatives and friends called when they needed help with just about anything.

One of the moments in life that will always be a cherished memory for me was on my wedding day. Dad had had an emergency operation that morning and hadn’t told anyone except my mother. He told the doctor after the surgery that he had a wedding to get to. No matter what the doctor’s concerns were, Dad told him that I would think that he didn’t love me if he didn’t make it to my wedding. He demanded that they check him out of the hospital immediately. He made it to the church on time and very slowly walked me down the aisle.

During the father-daughter dance, the photographer took our picture. I turned to my father and saw his lips were in a straight line. I asked, “Dad, aren’t you happy for me? Won’t you please smile for the picture?” He tried but could only get the edges of his lips up a tiny bit. It wasn’t until after my honeymoon that I found out that my father had been rushed back to the hospital after I left the wedding reception. I still have that picture, and it is precious to me.

Dad passed away some time ago, but not a day goes by that I don’t think of him, and I tell him I love him. His name was Joseph, and this book is named after him.

NA: Your dad sounds like a wonderful man! I’m sure he’d be head over heels proud of you.

Joseph

Excerpt

Wedding party pictures were finally finished, and everyone was having a blast at the reception. Jaq and Patrick were on the dance floor with friends and family members. We had all formed a large circle and were having fun taking turns in the center showing off our dance moves.

When it was my turn, I moved my hips in such a sexy way that all the men started to make wolf calls. One spin around had me catching the smiling eyes of all my friends and their men. Then I looked into Joseph’s darkened eyes. I instantly became embarrassed and had to end my turn. I reached over and grabbed his hand and pulled him to the center for his crack at it.

As I started for the spot he had vacated he reached out and grabbed my hand from behind. With my hand in his, he moved me back to the center.

It had been a while, but I had been in the Swing Club in high school, so the answer was yes, but all I could manage was a nod.

“Good, then let’s have some fun.”

I placed my right hand on his broad shoulder, and he put his hand on my shoulder blade. It set my body on fire, and I thought I might pass out from the heat. He started with the simple rock step, triple step, triple step. Our rhythm was quickly in sync, so he began to use the kickball change step. He turned me and even did the change behind the back type moves. Everyone started to clap along to the beat, and Bella, Jaq, and a few others yelled out, “Go, Violet.” The fluid movement of his hips and the pressure on my back had me wishing we were alone. After that fun display, everyone joined in and began dancing together.

In my peripheral vision, I saw Bella head toward Joseph. She took his hand, said a few words to him, then they left the dance floor. I turned in their direction, so I could see what happened next. She led him toward the back exit, and they disappeared outside. She must have decided that it was late enough in the evening to give him her break up news.

Poor Bella and Joseph. Wait—poor Joseph and Bella; that meant he might get in his car and leave and I might never see him again. That felt like a stab to my gut. I knew now he had some interest in me. The scene that had played out during the ceremony and the look in his eyes while I danced were proof that he at least lusted after me. That was a start. I hoped I could build on that if I were given a chance.

It can be read as a standalone or as part of the series.
Paperback JOSEPH
Ebook JOSEPH (book three in the Risking Love series)
Book set: Patrick and Nicolas by Callie Carmen

NICOLAS (Book Two)
PATRICK (Book One)

🔥NEW RELEASE🔥

MYSTIC DESIRE A Supernatural Anthology from Black Velvet Seductions is now available in ebook and paperback.
Purchase your copy at http://amzn.to/322Ziq3

Here is a video of my story, Dream Catcher, in this supernatural romance anthology.

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Oooo! The Billionaire’s Mistake: Brenda Pearson

Welcome to Nomad Authors, Brenda!

Blurb:
Billionaire Joshua Pierce has a reputation for being powerful and arrogant—both in the business world and on a personal level. He knows exactly what he wants, and he will stop at nothing until he acquires it. But his control has been shaken since the moment Lizzie St. John, a gorgeous, sexy blond with a wicked smile and eyes that would make any man weak in the knees, entered his life. That one indulgent night changed both their lives, igniting a passion that that’s still burning nine months later. But now she’s refusing his advances and his calls, with good reason—after the events of that night, she knows she can’t trust him.

Lizzie St. John has had bad luck with men. First, her father disowned her for following her dream and not his. Then her ex-boyfriend stole from her. And now, the owner of her building has told her he’s selling and she only has seven days to come up with an outrageous amount of money if she wants to keep her business. That night with Joshua Pierce had given her a chance to break away, to forget. The moment Josh had touched her, there was no turning back. But then he’d shown her he was just like the others. Now he’s trying to prove he’s different. Could she give him a second chance, finally open her heart and trust again?

Buy links:

Website: http://www.bpearsonbooks.com/

Amazon usa: www.amazon.com/brendapearson

Amazon can: www.amazon.ca/brendapearson

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/billionaires-mistake/id1441059925?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/billionaire-s-mistake

Nook/B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/billionaires-mistake-brenda-pearson/1129763757?ean=2940161773680

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/author?id=Brenda+Pearson

Let’s Meet Brenda!

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your Book?

BP: Well, this one is easy! Josh and Lizzie were introduced in Billionaire’s Love and Forgiveness. Lizzie is a strong Character and best friend of Megan Harrison so sparks flew from the moment she met Josh, and I knew I had to write about them in Billionaire’s Mistake.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?

BP: Family. I love writing about how family stick together and protect each other. Yet, I want them to relate to my characters.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.

BP: That I could be more like Lizzie, she’s strong and courageous and doesn’t put up with any bullshit. She reminds me so much of my best friend in a way I think that is why I wrote her.

NA: Do you have a day job?

BP: What was your job before you started writing full time? Yes, I have a day job. I would like to write full time but I’m still not known yet as Author but it’s my dream to one day retire so I can concentrate on writing full time.

NA: What started you on the path of writing?

BP: I’ve always loved reading. One day I told my friend that wouldn’t it be crazy if I wrote one. My co-worker and friend convince me so I started plotting in my head about characters and the next thing I knew I had 3 chapters written. That was in 2013 yet Billionaire’s Love didn’t come out till 2016.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?

BP: I think my family and friends are my biggest supporter and proud of me, even though my brothers did say they wouldn’t read my kind of books they still supported me and encourage me to keep going. I’m so thankful for having such amazing friends and family and good support team.

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?

BP: When I first started this journey I had no clue what to do. Honestly, but being part of the RWA and RWAC I’ve been blessed with so many amazing people Authors themselves that don’t mind giving you advice. I think that is the most rewarding to me being part of these amazing people that surround me.

NA: What kind of scenes is the hardest for you to write?

BP: Sex scenes are the hardest; they have to feel real and need to be so much in touch with your emotions. Yes, I write romance go figure, huh!

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

BP: I love to play golf, but I’ve started my own little side business, hopefully, it will take off soon so I can retire much faster.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the morning?

BP: 5 more minutes and I hit the snooze button. Wishing I could be working from home.

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?

BP:OH, that would be grocery shopping, it’s amazing how food costs so much these days compared to when we were kids.

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?

BP: H.M.Ward, she is the most amazing person I’ve ever meet. What that woman has gone through and overcome, and still all her fans adore her, if I would have 1/4 of her knowledge in marketing and writing a book I would be able to stay home and do what I love.

NA: What are you working on now?

BP: My 4th book is Billionaire’s Rescue, Brandon Pierce. I love when my characters come back in Series. ( Pierce Brother Series)

NA: What advice would you like to pass on?

BP: Don’t ever give up, if you believe in yourself that you can do something then do it. A finished manuscript is better than one never finished. It’s a tough market out there but all it takes is one book to make it someone notice you, that is why I’m not giving up. I still have a lot to learn and hope one day I will get that chance but until then I’m just going to keep trying till I do get notice and hope on good things to come. Don’t forget to check out Billionaire’s Love and Billionaire’s Forgiveness (Max and Megan’S story), books one and two.

Find Brenda:

Brenda Pearson’s first book was published in 2016. Brenda was born Eastern Township of Quebec, Canada but has since been happily living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. There she enjoys the salty air, the wildlife, and the warmth and kindness of Nova Scotians. She hopes to retire one day and write full time in her peaceful surrounding. Brenda enjoys writing, reading and golfing and spend quality time with her dog Molly and her partner Derek.

Website: http://www.bpearsonbooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bpearsonbooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bpearsonbooks

Brenda Whiteside and The Power of Love and Murder

Blurb:
This Christmas, Penny Spark’s desire to reconnect with family causes her to expose her true identity—a secret she’s hidden for thirteen years from the political powers who murdered her family.

Jake Winters is out of rehab and coming to grips with his demons. When he meets Penny, he believes this holiday season could be the start of life after rock star status…until her secrets blow up his world.

With a government agent turned hit man closing in on her, Penny and Jake race to expose the presidential contender behind the murders of her family. Even if they win the race with death, the murder that stands between them could end their hope for a new life.

Buy Links:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-power-of-love-and-murder/id1175786605?mt=11
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Love-Murder-Book-ebook/dp/B01M3YVO4H/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-power-of-love-and-murder-brenda-whiteside/1125058047?ean=2940156875115
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-power-of-love-and-murder-1
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Brenda_Whiteside_The_Power_of_Love_and_Murder?id=__-yDQAAQBAJ
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/the-power-of-love-and-murder
Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Power-of-Love-and-Murder-eBook/763278682

Excerpt:

Jake nodded, but all he could concentrate on were Penny’s last words before the officer appeared. When they were alone again, he threw up his hands. “What do you mean, go back to Phoenix? Why the hell would I do that? My sister’s been murdered, and I want to find out why.”

She turned her back on him, went to the open door of the bathroom, and lifted her clothes from the hook. Beneath the thin, hospital gown her spine was straight, her movements tight, as if coiled and ready to spring.

“Penny, I know how much she meant to you.” How much she meant to both of them. He wanted to hold her, share their loss. “I’m not leaving you.”

Untying the gown, she let it drop around her feet, and sidestepped out of the heap. She pulled the dark gray sweater over her head then stepped into black velvet jeans. She wouldn’t make eye contact, wouldn’t speak as she sat on the green plastic chair.

This was killing him. He needed to hold her, help her with her pain—his pain. Haltingly, he made his way to her, touched her head, and waited while she zipped her boots. “Penny.” She resisted, but he tipped her chin, forcing her to look up. “Come on, baby. You don’t have to worry about me leaving you.”

“You will.”

“No—”

“When I tell you the truth, you will.”

Let’s meet Brenda!

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?

BW: This is the fourth book in the series. One of my critique partners loved a minor character in book one who was nicknamed The Black Fairy because of her penchant for Goth dress and her small stature. She insisted she needed her own book. I liked the idea and The Power of Love and Murder was off and running.

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?

BW: This research was fun. I knew nothing about the FBI, but I needed to. One of the villains is an FBI agent turned bad. I also needed to research downtown Phoenix, which I should know about having been born there and lived there for many years, but I didn’t. I also had to research mob murders and corporate structure. The story takes place during the Christmas holidays, which I love and required no research.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.

BW: The hero spends a really awful night in a cheap hotel. This is based on fact. My brother had the experience. When he told us the story many years ago, I laughed so hard. I knew I would some day use that scene in a book.

NA: Do you have a day job?

BW: I am retired from the day job. What was your job before you started writing full time? For many years, I worked in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. I assisted Child Care Providers with nutrition and training.

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer?

BW: It isn’t all about writing. So much of the time is spent on promoting my books and myself. If I don’t, then no one knows I exist. Ah, if we could just write and write and write!

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?

BW: I started as a pantser. But as my book plots became increasingly more complicated, I found it necessary to do quite a bit of planning ahead of writing. I don’t outline exactly. I might not know everything that is going to happen, but I have a good rough notes page and detailed character sketches.

NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write?

BW: Action, dialogue, sex?

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

BW: I spend time with family. My mom is going to turn 89 in December. We live three hours apart so I make a point of spending three days every three weeks with her. I have one granddaughter who is six. FDW and I try to get her for a few days a couple of times a month. I also love to take long walks and go to the movies.

NA: What are your top three favorite books of all time?

BW: The first several books in the Outlander series, Shogun, A Circle of Friends. By the way, this was a difficult question. Another day might find me answering differently.

NA: A pet peeve.

BW: People who don’t listen, like they ask me a question and interrupt me or gaze off into the distance as if I’m the most boring person in the world.

NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?

BW: I live in Arizona and by noon, I have to take off the sweatshirt and put on a sleeveless tee shirt. So, here I sit in shorts and a tee.

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?

BW: I don’t mind cleaning up and washing dishes after a meal, but for some reason I’m totally annoyed by putting dishes back in the cupboard.

NA: What are you working on now?

BW: I’m so excited about a series set in the fiction town of Joshua, Arizona. If you are familiar with Arizona, you’ll recognize the ghost town of Jerome. It is a tourist town, hanging on the side of a mountain where gold and copper were mined back in the day. The hippies moved in to the nearly dead town in the 60s and now it is a destination. My characters are quirky, the suspense is thrilling, and the setting inspires me.

I’m also starting the process to have The Power of Love and Murder made into an audiobook.

NA: Do you have free audio codes for your audiobooks?

BW: Yes! Comment here that you are interested or send me an email.

Say hello to Brenda!

Brenda Whiteside is the author of suspenseful, action-adventure romance. Mostly. She signed her first book contract in 2009. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have decided they are gypsies at heart. After three years on a small farm in Paulden, Arizona, they retired to their RV in Tonto Basin to think about their next move. Three years later, they’re still there. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW is fishing, Brenda writes stories of discovery and love entangled with suspense.

Visit Brenda at https://www.brendawhiteside.com

Or on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendawhitesid2

She blogs and has guests: https://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003V15WF8

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3972045.Brenda_Whiteside

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/brenda-whiteside

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendawhitesideauthor/

Free for a short time! Bedeviled by Madison Michael

Welcome back to Nomad Authors, Maddy!

Bedeviled

The Beguiling Bachelors, Book 3

By Madison Michael

♥♥♥ ~ Free November 7th – November 10th Only ~ ♥♥♥

About Bedeviled:

If You Build Your Love on Lies, You Better Run Faster than the Truth

Newly appointed Finance Director, Charlotte Roche escaped dangers lurking in Boston by moving to Chicago. A new name, a new beginning – all built on lies. Believing she is safe, Charlotte drops her guard and sets her sights on her ruggedly handsome and wildly sexy running partner, Alexander Gaines. Can she advance their relationship from the track to the bedroom and still maintain her charade? or will Alex’s probing questions pierce her carefully rehearsed story?

Alex, with unrevealed secrets of his own, struggles to hold the irresistible Charlotte at arm’s length. But when Charlotte sustains a suspicious injury, Alex seizes the opportunity to cuddle up to the sassy beauty. Does he dare risk his reputation, his fortune, his friends, and his heart by letting her get close?

How can they build a bond with deceit on both sides? With exposure imminent, their freshly forged relationship is in jeopardy and so are their lives. Can their love survive or are they bedeviled?

Join Alex and Charlotte, in this steamy romance, the third in the five-star rated Beguiling Bachelor series. The suspense builds as the characters you’ve met and loved in “Bedazzled” and “Beholden” help tackle the maze of half-truths and cover-ups threatening the lovers.

ASIN: B06WLQL2FT
Genre: Steamy Romantic Suspense

Amazon Buy Link: https://amzn.to/321d24H

Excerpt from Bedeviled:

Keeping his mind on the topic always took all of Alex’s effort anyway. When Charlotte sat hip-to-hip with him as she had today, he felt the heat of her skin, saw the long length of thigh exposed in front of him, heard her heavy post-run breathing until he was in sensory overload. She smelled so good, not stinky and sweaty like he must. She smelled classy and expensive with all those clean, floral scents. She smelled like a woman he could trust.

More like a woman I want to trust.

Thinking back, Alex recognized that she had been hiding something all along. When he wasn’t lost in a sensual fog, he was able to zero in on where the conversations lagged, when she got testy with his probing or tried to change the subject. It had something to do with her life in Boston before she moved to Chicago and it was something that had been going on for a while. She was practiced at her excuses by the time she used them on him. She was making too many trips back East for ‘Harvard stuff.’ She had met Regan Howe through this same ‘Harvard stuff’ yet Regan went back to her alma mater only once or twice a year, if that.

Oh yeah, Charlotte is definitely up to something and I intend to find out what. I have been patient long enough.

Sitting waiting now for Charlotte to arrive at Starbucks, Alex promised himself that he would get to the bottom of this or walk away.

Since she had declined his offer of a ride, Alex currently sat at a shady outside table enjoying the last of summer, waiting for her to walk over and speculating on her possible secrets. He was planning his subtle interrogation during the few minutes Charlotte would need to make her way across the park,

Stubborn. She should have just accepted the ride.

You driving over or walking?” she had asked him, once they caught their breath.

“I have the car if you want a ride?” When she hesitated, he tried tempting her. “I have the new car.”

Alex was the proud owner of a brand new Mercedes AMG. The sleek, luxury sports car suited him despite most people’s image of him as logical, conservative and staid. The need for speed was actually deep in his blood. “You will love it, tight on the curves, fast and quiet. She purrs,” he had bragged.

Charlotte hesitated on his last remark and Alex had been sure she would accept. “The new car, huh?” she sounded intrigued. “I am excited to see it at last, Alex. You have certainly been talking about it long enough.”

“I need to walk off this tight hamstring, so I’ll have to pass this time,” she had replied reluctantly. “Meet you there in five.” Of course, Charlotte had been Charlotte, and that included being unpredictable.

Charlotte, leaving Alex standing there, had taken off across the park without a backward glance. Alex stood dumbfounded a moment, watching her slow jog-walk toward the trail across the grassy lawns of Lincoln Park. She was heading directly toward their usual post-run Starbucks and if he didn’t get moving, she would be there first.

Still he stood, willing her to look back and flash him that smile that changed her whole face. She didn’t, of course, and Alex was left standing there, admiring her lithe figure and the smooth bunch and release of her muscles in those tiny running shorts as she moved into the distance. Reminding himself to close his gaping mouth, Alex jogged to the parking lot, trading an extra moment of admiring a beautiful woman for a few short moments admiring his beautiful new car.

Arriving at the coffee shop several minutes before Charlotte, Alex was forced to cool his heels. He spent the time piecing together anything he could think of to uncover Charlotte’s deep, dark, secret. Admittedly, he needed the ten-minute head start away from her to give his overheated blood a little cooling time too. He kept envisioning the two of them in that sweet ride, sitting close with their sweat-slicked bodies. The image had intensified the jolts of.electricity already coursing through his veins from running beside her scantily clothed body.

Too bad she turned me down. One of these days we will be in tight quarters, all alone, and I will make my move. I have resisted too long already.

Since the mention of her tight hamstring, all Alex could think about was massaging her leg, and moving up from there. Did the woman not understand what she was doing to him? After all, he was a healthy red-blooded man. How long was he supposed to watch her round little ass wiggle in front of him, or the glide of muscles in those incredible legs – or OMG – her breasts bob up and down in those little running tops. The woman was killing him. He wanted her so badly he could taste it.

He chided himself to stop thinking of her that way, as he always did when he lusted after her. He would catch himself wanting her and repress the overwhelming sexual response that had plagued him since the beginning. She was so much more than just beautiful and sexy. She was a brilliant woman, funny, witty, complex and delightful. She considered him a running partner, and a friend…

…but that body, oh, that body. Stop it!

Alex determined to stay focused on what she might be trying to cover up and got his desire under control. He reviewed the signs – when she changed topics or failed to make eye contact. He carefully dissected her words while he waited for her to arrive. He knew she was being intentionally elusive. Alex resolved again that today would be the day he found out what she was concealing, beginning as soon as she arrived.

Speaking of arriving, Charlotte should have shown up long before now. She would have, unless something had happened. How long had he been sitting, pondering? How much time had passed?

Heart racing like a freight train, Alex ran into the park. Unsure why, he was terrified of what he might find.

About Madison Michael:

Madison Michael is an indie publisher, blogger and the author of the Beguiling Bachelor Series as well as the novella Desire & Dessert, from her sizzling B&B Billionaire Bachelor series.

A Chicago native and hopeless romantic, Maddy was raised on Chicago culture, fairy tales, great literature and swashbuckling movies. Maddy employs that history, writing steamy contemporary romance novels set against the sumptuous backdrop of Chicago’s elite society.

After receiving a BA in Journalism from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Loyola University of Chicago, Madison abandoned her writing to find her way in the corporate business world. Daughter of a librarian, it was inevitable that she would return to the world of books.

Maddy writes from high above Chicago where she can stare at its gorgeous skyline or the shores of Lake Michigan surrounded by feline assistants. When she is not writing,, Maddy can be found lost in a book, fighting for the rights of the mentally iil or dining on Chicago’s famous cuisine. Hot dogs and pizza, anyone?

Social Links:
Website: http://madisonmichael.net/
Maddy’s Romance Madness: https://www.madisonmichael.net/maddys-romance-madness/
Maddy’s Blog: https://www.madisonmichael.net/maddys-blog/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/madisonmichaelromance
Twitter: http://twitter.com/madisonmichael_
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/Madison-Michael/e/B01EVUGG6G/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/madisonmichaelromance
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madisonmichaelromance/

New! Rescue Road by Gayle M. Irwin

Rescue Road a clean, contemporary romance set in southwestern Montana, an area where I lived for more than 10 years.

Blurb:

Freelance writer Rhiann Kelly shelved romance for years. Her dream of starting an animal sanctuary takes deep roots after finding the perfect location in southwestern Montana and purchasing the property for back taxes.

Emergency medical technician Levi Butler knows his elderly friend George left the ranch to him in his will. Levi anxiously awaits the probate to be complete so he can plan his retirement and begin his dream of raising and selling horses.

When Rhiann and Levi find each other at the ranch simultaneously, sparks fly – and not the romantic kind. Yet their attraction for one another can’t be denied and deepens after Levi finds Rhiann injured in an accident. Meantime, land developer Dallas Patterson sets his sights on charming Rhiann to obtain the land.

Can Rhiann and Levi work together to detour Patterson and find a solution in which neither needs to give up their dream, or will the fence line of their hearts – and the property – separate them forever? Can their broken paths weave their hearts together as they travel the rescue road?

Buy links:
Amazon
Books 2 Read
Barnes & Noble

Print book coming very soon!

Let’s meet Gayle!

NA: Gayle, welcome! We’re so happy you are here with us. How did you come up with the idea for your book?
GMI: Five years ago I took a creative writing class at the community college in my town. Several women were writing romance novels, and I decided to pursue the endeavor. After many setbacks and changes, and a lot of encouragement from others in my writing groups, I picked it up again last November for NaNoWriMo and completed the draft. The idea comes from my desire to entertain but also inspire pet adoption and educate readers about pet rescue. I love the state of Montana and lived there for more than a decade; therefore, since I know the setting well, I created a fictional town but also used the names of real communities in order to bring familiarity about the state (i.e., Yellowstone National Park, the Madison River) and help readers fall in love with the setting as well as the story.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
GMI: Two things: Middle age people can fall in love even after they’ve experienced a significant romantic setback, and rescued dogs can also rescue humans.

NA: What’s a fun fact about writing your book.
GMI: I based one of the dog characters on a dog my husband and I adopted a few years ago. My Jeremiah, a Shih Tzu, is the motivation for “Jax” in the story. Jeremiah is a puppy mill survivor, whom I adopted from Hearts United for Animals in 2017; “Jax” is also a Shih Tzu and puppy mill survivor whom my heroine, Rhiann, helped rescue and who welcomes the other dogs she rescues.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
GMI: I began writing stories as a child, and in college I studied journalism and creative writing. I worked on the student newspaper and student annual magazine. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I began working for small-town newspapers in Montana, including as editor for the West Yellowstone News near America’s first national park. When I moved to Wyoming 20 years ago, I served as a reporter for another small-town newspaper and began freelancing for magazines. My short stories are featured in seven Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and I regularly write for WREN (Wyoming Rural Electric News) magazine. I’ve also had stories published in The Prairie Times, a monthly Colorado publication, and in Creation Illustrated, a nature magazine for children. I’ve authored dog books for children and devotional books for dog lovers, as I believe we can learn wonderful life and faith lessons from dogs.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
GMI: I’m an only child and the first person in my family to obtain a bachelor’s degree, and my parents were quite proud; they continue to be my biggest cheerleaders. In fact, my father steered me in the direction of my first job with a Montana newspaper as he was impressed with (what was then) a family start-up and the positive stories the couple sought to tell; I became their first full-time reporter. That was more than 30 years ago. My parents are still living and still cheering me on. My husband of more than 19 years was with me at my first Barnes and Noble book signing with my first children’s book in 2008, as was our dog, Sage, a blind springer spaniel who was the main character of that story (Sage’s Big Adventure: Living with Blindness). I have a wonderful support system in friends, work colleagues (I work part-time for a non-profit), and other writers. These people encourage me, critique my work, and help me persevere, and I’m grateful for each one of them … and also for the pets that inspire me to tell stories!

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer.
GMI: How much excitement I feel doing the work! As a reporter, especially in the early days, sometimes the work was stressful due to so many stories and deadlines. However, I’ve matured over the years, and since I don’t have daily deadlines, I find composing stories, whether for a magazine, a Chicken Soup call-out, or for a book, delightful – and that time often passes quickly while I’m writing! The days I’m off work and devote a morning to writing, I blink my eyes and Noon has arrived. I wish time would slow down a bit!

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
GMI: I’m a pantser. I know the premise of the story, but I let the words flow and take whatever direction “the characters tell me to go.” I often know how I want the story to end, and I explore pathways to get there. I may cut scenes during the editing process, and I did so with Rescue Road. However, I save those deleted scenes because they could be re-worked and used in another book. For example, I plan a Book 2 (in the works) and Book 3 for this Pet Rescue Romance series, and I may be able to massage some of the deleted scenes from Book 1 and weave into either Book 2 or Book 3. Watching the story unfold as I type on the keyboard is a significant part of the fun of writing for me!

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
GMI: When parents, teachers, or children come up to me after a program or book purchase and say how much the story touched them (or a child they love). After taking my blind dog with me on a classroom visit many years ago, I received a note from the teacher who said she had a visually impaired student and he said to his aide afterward, “I didn’t know a dog could be like me. If Sage can be brave, I can be too.” One of the students told me in a note, “I think Sage needs to star in her own movie!” Writing about challenges in life and how dogs can teach us to have courage, to persevere, to forgive, to love, brings me great joy, and helping people understand the importance of rescue and adoption is part of my mission as a writer.

NA: Do you have quirky writing habits?
GMI: I don’t know if this is very “quirky,” but I drink coffee or tea and play instrumental music on Pandora while writing. And, of course, Jeremiah hangs out with me in my home office … as does one of my cats usually. It’s a peaceful setting.

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
GMI: I enjoy traveling and taking nature photos. My goal is to visit all the western national parks before I can no longer travel. My husband and I own some mountain property and cabin, and we enjoy spending time there with our dogs. I also enjoy helping animal shelters and rescues. I’ve transported dogs into rescue and into the arms of new families for various regional organizations during the past 10 years, and I look forward to continuing that volunteer work.

NA: Name a pet peeve.
GMI: Tardiness. Likely comes from my time as a newspaper reporter/editor.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
GMI: How delighted I am to have my pets snuggling with me in bed.

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
GMI: Betty White – her humor and love for animals totally touch my heart!

NA: What are you working on now?
GMI: Book 2 of my Pet Rescue Romance series and a devotion book about nature.

NA: Tell us about a passion you have.
GMI: My enjoyment of nature and animals stem from my childhood. I was raised in Iowa, and my parents taught me to appreciate and respect the outdoors, both the environment and the wildlife. I was raised with animals – dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, etc. – and my household chores included caring for the animals. I loved doing that! And, I continue that love of caring for animals and nature. I hope to instill the same appreciation and respect for creation to readers through my writing, whether it’s a children’s book, a devotional, a short story, or a novel.

Excerpt:
Rhiann stood on the porch of the mid-century ranch house. Cup of coffee in hand, she watched the blazing orange sunrise. Streamers of light cascaded on the mountains west of the property, casting a rosy glow on the rocks and patches of snow upon the higher elevation. October’s morning danced with the browning grasses of the nearby pastures as touches of frost shimmered upon tan sprigs surrounding the house. Overhead, a flock of Canada geese in traditional V formation honked as they winged their way south.
Rhiann observed them and whispered, “We have something in common. We’re starting over.”

****

As he drove closer to the ranch house, Levi noticed a small, red dual-cab pickup parked near the building. His eyes squinted. He remembered seeing a similar vehicle at the Twin Bridges Campground yesterday. He parked next to the truck.

“Who in the world could that be?” he murmured as he exited his pickup.
He looked at the license plate. He didn’t remember George knowing anyone from Washington state. He saw a heart-shaped sticker on the side. Levi scowled. He meandered to the driver’s side and saw the “Rescue Road” emblem.

“Can’t be,” he muttered.

He looked up when he heard the front door of the house slam. He stared.

“What are you doing here?” he and Rhiann asked simultaneously.

***

Rhiann couldn’t believe her eyes. Left hand on her hip and straw broom in her right, she glared at the man she had met yesterday.

“Well?” she questioned, looking Levi in the eye. “Answer my question. What are you doing on my ranch?”

“Your what? YOUR ranch? This is my land,” he snapped.

“Uh, unless your last name is Kelly or McCallister, I don’t think so.”

Levi stalked toward the front porch. Rhiann took a step back. She looked into his smoldering gray eyes as he said, “George Nelson left this place to me. Just who are you to come claim it as yours?”

Before she could respond, he rushed on, “Are you related to George? I didn’t think he had any kids or grandkids. Are you a niece or something?”

Rhiann shook her head. “I didn’t know Mr. Nelson. I’m the granddaughter of Mary Martha McAllister. She was born here, in that log cabin over there.”
She pointed to the two-room dwelling to her right.

“That’s my house,” Levi said.

She detected the curt tone, and she responded in kind.

“I don’t know why you keep saying you own this property. That cabin, this place, has been mine for nearly four months and was in my family for two generations. I’m just now getting here after settling the back taxes.”

Levi’s face blanched. “Back taxes? What are you talking about?”

At that moment, his cell phone rang. She watched him pull the device from a back pocket of his jeans. He turned away from her.

“Mr. Williamson. Yes, this is Levi Butler. You have news for me?” He paused in his conversation. “I see.”

Rhiann continued observing him. He gradually turned toward her. His eyes darkened, and his teeth clenched. Rhiann took a step back, holding the broom in both hands. I’ll swing this thing at his head if he takes one more step.

“Yes, yes, I’ve met her. In fact, I’m looking at her right now.”

His icy statement sent chills up Rhiann’s spine.

***

Levi gripped the cell phone tighter. His mind tried to process the words spoken by George’s attorney. A few moments later, he said, “I see. Not the news I expected to hear but thanks for letting me know.”

He clicked off and stared at Rhiann. He noticed she held the broom as if to fend off an attacker. He wanted to punch something but knew he couldn’t. He took a deep breath and clenched a fist. He exhaled a ragged breath. A moment of silence ticked by. Levi inhaled again, trying to steady himself. As he released the air and unclenched his fist, he spoke in a terse, but controlled tone.

“Someone who knows nothing about this place, it’s history, or the man who lived here … I guess it’s yours after all.”

Levi stalked to his pickup and jumped into the driver’s seat. He backed the Chevy toward the Y junction and stomped the accelerator. He heard a large spray of gravel as the truck tires dug in, and he drove from the house.

About Gayle:
Gayle M. Irwin is an award-winning author and freelance writer, being recognized by Wyoming Writers, Inc., and the Wyoming Press Association for several of her works. She is a contributor to seven Chicken Soup for the Soul books and the author of many inspirational pet books and stories for both children and adults. She subtly weaves important life lessons within the lines and pages of her stories, including courage, kindness, perseverance, friendship, appreciation of nature, and the importance of pet rescue and adoption. Her first novel, a clean, contemporary pet rescue romance titled Rescue Road, releases November 2019. A pet rescue and adoption advocate, she volunteers for various dog rescue and humane society organizations and donates a percentage of all book sales to such groups. Gayle resides in Wyoming with her husband and their adopted animals. Learn more about the author, her writing endeavors, and her pets, and receive free stories and resources by visiting her website: www.gaylemirwin.com.

Author Links:
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FREE!! Until Friday midnight, get Only a Good Man for FREE!!

A year ago almost to the day, Book 1 of the Good Man series was published: Only a Good Man Will Do. Today, the second book in the series is available: One Woman Only.

For this week, meet the first Goodman bother (Daniel) for FREE!!

Meet the second brother (Jonah) on Kindle Unlimited!

After this week, get both Only a Good Man Will Do and One Woman Only on KU!

I loved Only a Good Man Will Do, loved the characters, loved the attraction between the heroine and hero. It told the story of Daniel Goodman, PhD, teacher of young men, resident master in a dormitory of children. He has one goal in mind and that’s to become headmaster of the school where he works. Westover Academy is one of the most prestigious schools in the world and they only accept teachers, parents, and students of the highest pedigree. Daniel feels he has a good chance of achieving his goal…until in one week, the daughter of a board member comes on to him, one of his students is found drunk in a place forbidden to students and staff, and he meets the beautiful Eve Star who danced on stage (no, not the Broadway stage) as Evening Star. He handles each crisis until it’s down to Eve, his student, or his dream.

What’s a good man to do?

In the next book, One Woman Only, debuting today (YAY!!), we meet Daniel’s brother, Jonah. Jonah Goodman is something of an opposite to Daniel. Jonah works on a NASCAR team…or he doesn’t. He makes enough money for his needs, but he’s not about the prestige or the power. He lets life take him where it does. Then, he meets the woman he’s loved since high school and he wonders why life has dragged him back into her orbit. Contrary to what others think, it’s not easy being Jonah Goodman!

But with Kelly Shepherd, he’s a good man trying hard to be a better man.

For this week, introduce yourself to the Goodman brothers for FREE with Only a Good Man Will Do, and then visit with the second brother, Jonah, in One Woman Only, on KU!

One Woman Only: Dee S. Knight

Darn that Social Media #MFRWauthor

I’m not quite a Luddite, but close to it. I wasn’t always this way. Time was, I was considered a leader in computer and Internet usage. I posted on Yahoo groups with the best of them to promote my books, and could make Outlook, Word and Excel sing. Then I took a break.

When I came back into writing and using the computer had changed. I prefer email, but really, does anyone use email any more? It seems that everyone is DMing (it took me a heck of a long time to figure out what DM meant. Use your words, people!) on Twitter, Messaging on Facebook, and whatever they call it on LinkedIn. Ironically, I receive a message in my Outlook Inbox telling me I have a message on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Couldn’t people just email me to begin with??

How to receive messages was only the beginning. In order to promote our work, we now need to post daily—more often would be infinitely better, I’m told—on all of those. I don’t have Instagram or Pinterest accounts or I would be spending even more time at the keyboard. And that doesn’t include blogging or managing a newsletter. By the time I create blog posts, both for those appearing on the Nomad Authors blog and for when I appear on the blog sites of others, I’m pooped.

Hubby used to complain that I spent so much time posting on Yahoo that I decreased my writing time significantly. He could say the same now about social media promoting. Truthfully, I never noticed any changes in sales when I used Yahoo, and I wonder if there are sales changes with all of this other promoting. I have been told point blank that we can promote 24×7 on social media and there would be no difference in sales or exposure. But who is willing to take that chance? Not me.

So is social media a friend or foe? Like most things in life, we have to do whatever we think works as well as what we enjoy, plus a bit of what we don’t enjoy, just because…well, because. I really enjoy Twitter and I don’t mind LinkedIn. I’m not a fan of Facebook but recognize that it’s expected for us to use. And I have to admit, I really enjoy blogging and our newsletter, Aussie to Yank (subscribe here). So I will keep on and hope you will keep on reading, retweeting, commenting.

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Mystic Desire: A collection of supernatural tales sure to keep you up at night, peering into the shadows! Or just wide awake, reading.
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

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