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Prizes! Fun books! KU Bookish Event with N.N. Light!

Kindle Unlimited Bookish EventI’m so happy to be part of this new N.N. Light promotional event! Today I’m here as Anne Krist and featuring my book Burning Bridges.

Enter to win! One person will win an e-book bundle of all 40 books featured in the Kindle Unlimited Bookish Event: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db775085

The event is open Internationally and runs November 10 – 15, 2020. The winner will be drawn on November 18, 2020. Good luck!

About Burning Bridges:
Burning Bridges by Anne KristNot your typical “secret baby” book! This Southern romance packs in the emotion.

Letters delivered decades late send shock waves through Sara Richards’s world. Nothing is the same, especially her memories of Paul, a man to whom she’d given her heart years before. Now, sharing her secrets and mending her mistakes of the past means putting her life back together while crossing burning bridges. It will be the hardest thing Sara’s ever done.

Eating out at home—yum! #MFRWauthor

Chinese foodWhile I know that eating healthy is best for all of us, and it’s darn hard to eat healthy and not cook the food yourself, I still like food that someone else cooks, serves up, and lets me eat at home without all the hubbub of preparation and clean-up. Plus, timing is always right. There’s no having the potatoes done at one time and the meat done at another. If necessary, I can stick the carry out container in to be zapped and have everything hot and ready at once.

Jack and I live in a pretty small town, with eateries at a premium. There are plenty of fast food establishments, but few actual restaurants to place a to-go order with. And while I love my Quarter Pounders with Cheese and fries from McD’s, sometimes a girl has to have “real” food. So for that I have two favorites to order and bring home for dinner.

I know it’s a chain, but I like Panda Express. Our town must have thirty Chinese restaurants (none of them deliver, by the way—go figure) but of the several we have tried, we just like Panda Express. Nothing spectacular yet nothing disappointing. However, Jack isn’t that crazy about having Chinese too often. Let’s face it, it’s bad for calories, for blood sugar, for carbs, for a lot of things. So, PE is a treat, not a regular carry-out.

Another place we have in town is a pretty good Italian Italian foodrestaurant, and their chicken parmesan is fantastic! For that dish alone, I’d have to say that’s our favorite and most used takeaway restaurant. When things were locked down pretty tightly, we could call in our order and they would bring it out to the car. Yummy!

As Jack says, we’re stuck in a rut and we like it. Once we find something we like, we’ll keep with it forever. That goes for carry-out food too, it seems.

What is your favorite restaurant food to eat at home?

Dr. Brogan Corkie is back! Don’t Mess with Christmas by Linda O’Connor

Don't Mess with Christmas by Linda O'Connor

I’m excited to share the release of Don’t Mess with Christmas, the fourth book in the Dr. Brogan Corkie Matchmaking Doctor series. All the books in the series are stand-alone stories, but Brogan Corkie’s own romance arcs throughout the series, so it is preferable to read them in order. I think it’s rare these days to come from a large family. I thought it would be fun to write a story about a woman who grew up smack dab in the middle of four brothers – and imagine how that would affect her perception of men. Parker Roy owns a hydroponic business, runs a Christmas Shoppe, plows snow in the winter, and volunteers as a set designer for the local theatre. She’s self-sufficient and independent – and falling in love is not on her bucket list. So what is she going to do when the very sexy, very determined, very interested Julian Murphy wants to change her mind?

This book has a Christmas theme. I find the Christmas season hectic, and I love to read to unwind and relax. I hope that this story finds itself in reader’s hands – and that they can take a moment for themselves to sit, relax, laugh, and escape from the hustle and bustle of the season.

Don’t Mess with Christmas
Dr. Brogan Corkie is happily semi-retired from medicine and now has time for other hobbies. Her passion for food is second only to her skill at matchmaking!

Parker Roy grew up in the middle of four brothers and has lived with enough testosterone to last her a lifetime. She’s finally moved out and made a life of her own. Between putting the finishing touches on the set for Mapleton’s Christmas play, plowing snow, and transforming her hydroponic greenhouse into a Christmas wonderland, it’s ramping up to be a hectic season.

Dr. Julian Murphy, the only allergist in town, has his eye on the woman behind the set design of the holiday play. He’s volunteering backstage in the hope of getting to know her. There’s a bit of a snag when she’s referred to his clinic for a rash – doctors aren’t allowed to date their patients – but Dr. Brogan Corkie doesn’t see it as an insurmountable problem and steps in to give their romance a nudge. She’d better be right because, if not, it could seriously mess with Christmas.

The allergist or the rash– which itch does Parker want to scratch?

Buy Link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L1DHDMS

Don't Mess with Christmas by Linda O'ConnorExcerpt Don’t Mess with Christmas:
“Pleased to meet you, Julian Murphy.” His hand was warm around hers, and when he moved his thumb in a subtle caress, a shiver went down her spine. “Julian Murphy,” she murmured. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you a doctor?”

Julian nodded. “I am.”

“An allergist at Gateway General?”

“Guilty.”

Parker pulled her hand back and put her hands on her hips. “I tried to get a referral to see you. You refused.”

His lips twitched. “Yes, that’s true.”

“Why? Dr. Corkie said she’d never seen it in all the years she’s practiced medicine.”

Julian put his hands in his pockets. “Well, there’s a rule against doctors dating patients. It’s ill-advised and frowned upon by the College of Physicians of Ontario.”

Parker scoffed. “Well, good for you. What does that have to do with me?”

“Parker, would you like to have dinner with me?”

Bio:
Linda O'ConnorAward-winning author Linda O’Connor started writing romantic comedies when she needed a creative outlet other than subtly rearranging the displays at a local home décor store. Her books have enjoyed bestseller status. When not writing, she’s a physician at an Urgent Care Clinic. She shares her medical knowledge in fast-paced, well-written, sexy romances – with an unexpected twist. Her favourite prescription to write? Laugh every day. Love every minute.

Website https://www.lindaoconnor.net
Twitter https://twitter.com/LindaOConnor98
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LindaOConnorAuthor
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Linda-OConnor/e/B00S7CNLEA

Secrets that change a lifetime #MFRWHooks

This is a blog hop. Be sure to check the link at the bottom to see posts from other authors!

 Desire Me Again anthologyBlurb:
Second Chance in Desire Me Again
Sandy Henderson had been a sweet, wholesome girl in her first year of college, sure of herself and totally in love with her high school sweetheart, Tom Pritchard. Then something happened that shattered her dreams, her confidence, her will to live. When she meets Tom again many years later, she resists taking a chance on love because of her secret, but Tom won’t give up on her. On them. Or will he, once she tells him about her past?

Buy link:
Amazon US

MFRW Book HooksExcerpt:
“Sandy Henderson, as I live and breathe. Can that be you?”

Sandy looked up and up, into the richest, deepest brown eyes she’d ever known. They affected her just as they had since she was fifteen, sending tingles and warmth all through her. Fifteen had been fifteen years ago, but two lifetimes. When she first fell in love with Thomas Pritchard she’d enjoyed an age of innocence she barely remembered, but one he brought home now with just one look, one smile.

“Tom. Gosh, it’s so good to see you.” Sandy didn’t really mean that, but it was the polite thing to say. In reality, she’d hoped she could slip into town, take care of her dad’s estate and pack up her mother’s things for the move back to Idaho without meeting anyone from her former life.

Still, of everyone she hadn’t wanted to run into, Tom Pritchard. Her stupid heart skipped a beat. It was hard seeing him, remembering him. Remembering herself.

“You, too. I could hardly believe it was you. What’s it been? Since graduation?”

“Yes, I think so. Hard to believe, huh?” So hard to believe she’d ever been that happy, naïve girl who’d graduated top in their 300-student class and skipped off to college in Florida, thinking life would always be so free and simple.

“It is hard to believe.” Tom’s eyes studied her face. He hadn’t looked at her as so many men had for years, that up and down leer, like a hungry lion scoping out where he planned to start eating the gazelle. No, his gaze sought out her depths, her secrets.

“Are you back in town for a while?”

“No,” she said, subtly moving the grocery cart between them. It served as a shield from his examination and also as a layer of protection. The years had taught her that men—all men, even those who seemed friendly and safe—were not to be trusted.

“Dad died last year—”

“I remember. I’m really sorry.”

“Thanks. Mom isn’t really able to stay alone anymore, and she’s agreed to move closer to me. I came ho—back to move her.” She’d almost said that she’d come home. Whitley, North Carolina hadn’t been home for a very long time. Sometimes life here seemed like a dream.

“Ah. I’m going to miss your mom. Not that I saw her all that often.”

“She told me that you would come by every now and again to see if she needed anything. That was nice. She appreciated it, and so do I.”

Tom shrugged. “It wasn’t anything.” He looked into her cart. “You don’t have anything that needs to be refrigerated”—he held up his handbasket—“and neither do I. Want to grab a cup of coffee and catch up? The Whitley Diner is just a couple of doors down and has the best coffee in town. My treat.” He smiled. Sandy had to grab a breath at the sight.

“I really can’t,” she said. “I told Mom I’d be home for lunch. But thanks. Let’s get together before I leave.”

Holding her hand up in the way country people have of saying hello or goodbye, she spun around and headed for the checkout. She hadn’t finished shopping, but she’d come back later. Or maybe she’d head to the Piggly Wiggly over in Petersburg, a few towns over, in order to avoid running into Tom again. Or anyone she knew from her previous life.

Whitley had grown to a town of over forty thousand. How could she have met up with someone she knew in the first week she’d been back? And Tom, of all people.

Getting her mother packed and on the road to Idaho couldn’t happen soon enough

Second Chance by Dee S. Knight

Author Dee S. Knight:
A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex.

After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website. And all three offer some of the best romance you can find! Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity.

Website: https://nomadauthors.com

Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight

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

Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749

Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K

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Review of Desire Me Again, BVS’s newest anthology!

Desire Me Again anthology

I adored this book! I’m giving Desire Me Again a 5-star rating. It’s sometimes hard to put together a great anthology collection, but overall, the stories in Desire Me Again are superb! I am, of course, not reviewing my own story, but I hope readers like it!

Renewing Forever
Virginia Wallace
David, all human, is married to Jillian, all wolf-shifter, but lately he’s been unsettled. He moved from his home in upstate New York thinking Virginia would be sunnier in the winter, he gave up his beloved Camara for a station wagon when they started a family, and now Jillian seems to be moody all the time. He’s pretty convinced she’s going to leave him. He hopes she and her family don’t eat him in the process. I really liked this story. It’s about a human/shifter marriage but it’s really a treatise on marriage itself—especially a blended or mix-marriage. Insecurity, doubts, fears, they all play a part in this story. As they do in real life. Kudos, Virginia, for this second chance between a married couple who find what it means to love forever!

Temperance
Gibby Campbell
Dominant Pete took a chance with his tarot-reading submissive, Lexie, years before and lost her. Now, long after she’d given up on seeing Pete again, the King of Swords keeps popping out of her tarot deck. The card symbolizes change. Sure enough, like the card, Pete pops back into her life. He’s successful—as is she—and seems to have matured. But can Lexie trust that a second chance will mean Pete will take better care of her heart? I loved the slight paranormal aspect of this story and the twist that using tarot cards adds. Gibby knows her stuff—both in reading the cards and writing a wonderful story that explores the D/s world.

Desire Me Again anthology

Lost and Found: A Soldier’s Return
R.M. Olivia
Kasey is a wife who’s unsure if she wants her husband to come home from Afghanistan. Oh, she wants him alive and well, but maybe not at home with her and their two daughters. He’s been gone two years on his deployment, and part of that time he was MIA. Before he left the last time, he’d displayed horrifying behavior of PTSD—locking himself in their bedroom with his pistol. But he refused to get help. She doesn’t know now who might be coming home. Add to it, their daughters are young and demanding (as children are), and her mother-in-law has been living with them to help out with the girls. It’s no wonder Kasey needs a time-out. This tender story struck home with me as a Navy brat who saw first-hand the trials military families often face with long separations and then the coming home, which always changes things. Add the horrors of war, and a second chance at a loving relationship is harder. Well done, R.M.!

A Convict’s Prayer
Jan Selbourne
This story will blow you away, especially since it’s based on one of Jan’s ancestors!
In 1841, Eleanor Craddock is transported from Ireland to Van Dieman’s Land (now Tasmania) for the crime of stealing 10 sovereigns. Her children were starving and what’s a desperate mother who can’t find work to do? For that, she was stripped from her family and home. For some, transportation was a death sentence. For others, it’s a second chance. Which will it be for Eleanor? Jan brings this tale to life with her great writing and attention to historical accuracy. It’s a touching story that shows how hope can change one’s life. I loved it!

The Hand-cuff Proposal
Patricia Elliott
Long-time friends Jason and Cora share a house. Well, it’s actually Jason’s house. He’s a cop and can better afford to offer Cora a place to stay. Cora waitresses—normally. Just that day she lost her job. Then she came home to find that Jason had eaten her last ice cream drumstick (yum! I like them, too!). Bad things come in threes, so what else is about to happen? Jason and Cora have both developed feelings for the other way beyond BFFs, but neither is willing to take the chance of losing their friendship to bring up the matter. Until Cora lands on a plan. When looking for work, she finds an ad for a local strip joint. She can take a job there, wait for Jason to stop by on his rounds, be swept home in a wave of male protective traits and then swept into bed. It’s a great plan, right? What was that about bad things coming in threes…? This second chance will take a bit of work. Patricia really brings these characters to life. I couldn’t help but feel for them while they tried to feel their way to each other. And watching Cora work through her plan? I just wanted to nudge her around the strip joint and to some nice, family diner.

Desire Me AgainFlight to the Stars
Zia Westfield
Talon is a man under a curse. He has a connection to a falcon, but is unable to shift, something that tears at his soul. Plus, his family is under a curse. For the last five generations, the oldest son has died on his 30th birthday. Talon’s birthday is that weekend. An emergency among the paranormal entities has brought Talon back together with his former love, Vega. With her talents, Talon hopes to find the source of the trouble and end it. Trouble is, nine years ago, Talon turned his back on her and walked away. He didn’t want her to have to face the consequences of his curse. Now, however, with only a day left, he wants a second chance to spend every moment in her arms. I loved this story! With the combination of a crisis and mystery, and the clock ticking, plus some nice comedic moments, this is a fine tale and great writing.

Together at Last
Carol Schoenig
Seconds after she hears barking, Grace is pushed into the freezing lake by a huge dog. Fortunately, the dog’s owner jumps in to save her. Battling hypothermia, they both nearly drown before Joe drags Grace from the lake and breathes life back into her. Not knowing what else to do, he carries Grace to his truck and takes her to his grandfather’s house, where he warms her before the fire and then hands her over to the care of his grandfather. When Grace opens her eyes, she thinks she’s seeing a ghost. Ian stars back—the first time she’d seen him in years. She’d been in high school and he in college when they broke up in a violent encounter. Since then, they’d married others and raised children. Are there too many years between them to find a second chance? This is a sweet and warm story that proves that where’s there’s true love, there’s always a way.

Xposé
Annabel Allen
I liked this title because it represents two things in the story: Xposé as the swinger club’s dungeon and exposé as a reporter.
Arianna is a member of a swingers’ club but we find out at the beginning that she has a reason for it beyond the erotic adventure. When Arianna is invited to join Master K in the dungeon, she thinks she’s going to find the answer to why several women have disappeared from the club and make her bones as a reporter. Instead, she gets the shock of her life when Master K turns out to be her high school love, Koran. He sure didn’t have all those defined abs in high school, or really the ability to make her want to climb him like an animal longing to have wild monkey sex. She also didn’t expect to be one of the women being snatched from the club! If something good doesn’t happen soon, she and Koran will miss their second chance! I liked that Annabel had Ava Goode and Reichen make cameo appearances in this story. Well done, well-written story with mystery and a bit of BDSM!

The Holiday Mermaid
Alice Renaud
Adam is stunned when a gorgeous, bikini-clad wonder comes up to him on the beach and invites him to take her for a drink. That moment leads to a month of heaven, and then he wakes one morning to find her gone. Now, at Christmas, Rowena has returned. She hasn’t been able to forget him, despite knowing that love between a mermaid and a human can’t be. When Adam finds her, she’s injured. He cares for her and they rediscover their love. But let’s face it, love is hard enough to negotiate without throwing in the complication of a different species! She has to return to the Morvann Islands once more, to ask for advice and help, but then she hopes to come back to Adam for good. Can they find their way to a second chance? This delightful story is the end to Alice’s Sea of Love series. I’ve enjoyed each and every book, and this story of a mermaid finding love while on holiday is a fitting tribute and great ending!

As I said at the beginning, I enjoyed all of the stories in this 5-star collection, Desire Me Again. BVS puts together wonderful anthologies, from the fabulous covers (by Jessica Greeley) to the compilations themselves. I’m proud and honored to be among the authors selected for these books.

The paranormal takes charge! Janelle Barker

Encounters with the Unknown by Janelle BarkerEncounters with The Unknown.
Heightening your senses to the paranormal world. Experience what others have experienced in their waking life. Rocking you to the core, embedding you with goosebumps from head to toe. Delve into the darkness of Ghost and Demonic behaviors. Some of the stories in this psychological book still affects the people that have gone through these experiences. Available now on all Amazon sites and my website http://www.jellspoetrybooks.com.

Excerpt:
From Annabelle

Last year I met my now ex-boyfriend through a ghost hunt we were both on which was great to share the mutual interest. He had a collection of dolls, which I was not too fond of to begin with however they did soon grow on me. When we started getting more serious, he wanted me to pick a doll which would them become mine. One of these dolls were supposedly haunted which he pointed out to me and although it scared me a little, I was compelled to choose her and gave her the name Willow.

I was told this doll was hexed by a Roman Gypsy family and he came into possession with it from a girl he went to school with as they felt he’d be more respectful towards her. I was told as long as she was on show and acknowledged everyday then she wouldn’t be any trouble.

One night we decided to do a mini investigation at home as I wanted to try and contact Willow on the Ouija board and sure enough, she came through. The energy was the strongest I had ever felt on the board, it was as if she knew how to work the board. She proceeded to tell us that my partner and I were together in a past life and she was our child, that we had hexed her into the doll, so she could wait for us to be all together again. Willow told us the year and our names along with other personal information that my partner could not possibly know. We were both so blown away as it was all so surreal. After this we decided to leave a cat ball on her at all times in case, she wanted to communicate with us throughout the day. At random times she would make the cat ball flash for about 15-20 minutes at a time and then there would be nothing for a long time.

Sadly, my partner and I broke up and I am still in possession of Willow. She now sits up in my bedroom, on my bedside table still with a cat ball on her, which she will set off once in a while, it tends to be when I need guidance. I continue to do Ouija board sessions and without fail she will always come through to me for a little chat and when I am about to close the board I ask ”Do you have any other messages?” she will respond with “I love you mum”. As crazy as this sounds, it warms my heart and I genuinely feel the love from her and towards her as if once upon a time I was her mother, like she told me.

Available on Kindle Unlimited
My website http://www.jellspoetrybooks.com

Meet Janelle:
NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
JB: I was watching a series on Netflix of people’s ghost experiences made into little clips and I thought I could start a book and give the people a voice to tell what they experienced without judgement.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
JB: To be open minded to what people have gone through in their waking life, they cannot explain why it happened to them. I believe unless you experience some sort of paranormal activity you will always be skeptical, but you should always be open minded that there maybe something other than us that does exist.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
JB: I believe that everyone loves to read about other people’s experiences in life, well I do. The fun for me was reading and writing this book alone excited me, that people were willing to tell their stories, for me it’s more fascination than fun – per say.

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?|My day job now is promoting and continual writing of more books. Before I started writing, I was a cleaner in Aged Care.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
I was at a crossroads in my life and did not know what direction to take. Something told me to look at my old diary with poems in it, as I looked at it I wrote more and more then I decided to submit it to a publisher to see if my work was acceptable and they took it on straight away and the rest is history as they say.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
JB: Oh gosh! At first they thought I was kidding, its sounds bad but nobody thought I could write books, not even myself at the time, but with perseverance and learning more and more as I write and developing myself and always will be I achieved the impossible in my eyes.

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer
JB: Learning to have patience. Hahaha. I did not have patience prior to writing, when I want something done, I want it done now. Well I soon learnt that in the publishing industry nothing goes fast it all takes time and I am still adjust to the lengthy process of it all, but I handle it better now. To hear feedback that people connect with what you write is the best surprise of all, also that I can write Poetry, fiction and non-fiction books ( a variety of Genres is a big surprise ) to me also.  

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
JB: My Poetry has been in international Poetry Digests x 2 worldwide, my work also came in the top 100 Poems digest worldwide, I have had a actor read one of my Poems, my work has been promoted on several platforms. To receive the book in finished product form is the most rewarding experience.

NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write? Action, dialogue, sex?
JB: I cannot write romance or comedy it is just not my expertise.

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
JB: When I am not writing I am out in nature, camping, fishing, boating, being a mum, wife and nana, and shopping on the internet. Haha.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning.
JB: Thank you, Jesus, for another day.

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?
JB: Peeling potatoes and vacuuming.

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
JB: Oprah Winfrey. She got me through a lot when I was a young single mum, watching her show was inspirational.

NA: What are you working on now?
JB: I am marketing all my 7 books I have authored; soon I will do a volume 2 of the ENCOUNTERS WITH THE UNKNOWN – Ghost stories, and maybe more. I would also like to do another fiction thriller; I will never stop writing I do not think.

NA: What is any question we did not ask that you would like to answer?
JB: The names of my books that are published now are:

Emotives volumes 1 and 2 – volume 2 will be for sale on 22/10/2020

Sounds of the World volumes 1 and 2 both PUBLISHED

Encounters with The Unknown – ghost stories – PUBLISHED

A Biography of Jason King, Ghost Hunter – PUBLISHED

No One Is Safe at Night – Fiction Thriller – WILL BE PUBLISHED in couple weeks.

ALL BOOKS SOLD ON ALL AMAZON SITES

Amazon.com
Amazon Australia
EMOTIVES COLLECTION can also be purchased at Shawline Publishing Group

Janelle BarkerJanelle’s Website
www.jellspoetrybooks.com
https://www.shawlinepublishing.com.au/authors
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jellbarker/
Twitter https://twitter.com/Janelle52158526
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Meet Shiela Stewart and her paranormal romance!

The Darkness seriesThe Darkness series

Blurb:
Seducing the Darkness

Trinity was once a fragile girl. Being taken by Basil, a powerful vampires, changed her, and discovering him in the arms of another woman, changed Trinity’s destiny. Alone, she learned fast how to be tough, how to survive, and how to protect the people in her city from the evil lurking in the dark. She was managing just fine… Until Basil walked back into her life. Desiring the DarknessWith the cloak of darkness draping Jacob’s Cove, Dante Vega must work to protect the humans from the blood-thirsty vampires trying to take over the human race. When a half-naked young woman races into his arms, begging him to save her, he is compelled to help her despite the fact she is a vampire. Embracing the Darkness.

Once, vampire Jonah Moore had it all. When his wife and unborn child were taken from him, his life became darker than the night forever covering Jacob’s Cove. Raven Mooney is used to tending to the needs of others and soon finds herself fighting for her and Jonah’s safety—and freedom. Will they open their hearts to each other and learn there is life after death?

Buy link:
Amazon

Meet Shiela:
Shiela StewartQ: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?
A: I’ve always had a fascination with a murder mystery, and by always, I mean as far back as I can remember. My first introduction was a movie called Straight Jacket. Don’t ask me the plot though, I only caught a few moments of it while my parents watched it after my siblings and I went to bed. What I saw was disturbing. A woman picks up an axe and chops a mans head off. It didn’t take much for my parents to figure out I was watching. I think my sharp gasp gave me away. Now for most kids, that would have been traumatic, and I do remember being scared going back to bed, but that was it. I was five. As I grew up, my older brothers thought it was funny to scare my little sister and me. They’d slide under our beds and grab our feet. They once hid a glow in the dark skeleton head in our closet. I could go on and on, including having lived in a haunted house, but I digress.

The genre’s I prefer to write are paranormal and suspense romance. I like to sprinkle some comedy in my books to keep them a little lighter.

Q: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
A: There really wasn’t one thing that influenced me. I’ve always loved telling stories. I loved to read, but I never found a book that matched what I saw in my mind. I wanted a romance to go with the story, but I didn’t want to read one of those mushy harlequin romance. I wanted suspense with it. It wasn’t until I picked up my first Nora Roberts book that I felt at home reading. She had the mystery and the romance. Perfect. Finally, my stories matched.

Q: What gets your creative juices flowing?
A: Nightmares. I have some really scary dreams. I polish them up, put in a romance and viola! Also music. It may seem odd to some that I can concentrate on my story while a heavy dance beat fills the room, but it gives me fuel to write.

Awaken the Demon by Shiela Stewart

Q: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
A: Don’t judge. I love the Teen Titans go series. It’s a cartoon series I watch with my granddaughter. It’s about young superheroes who think they can get the bad guy but mostly fail. My favourite character on the show is Beats Boy. He’s weird and funny.

Q: Who would you love most to meet ‘in person’ and why?
A: Jared Padalecki or Jensen Ackles. They’re the main stars of a series I am obsessed with called Supernatural.  Why them? For one, they are gorgeous. But mostly, I want to know the real person behind their characters.

Q: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
A: Stretch out on the couch and watch a movie. Yes, a scary one.

Q: What are you working on now?
A: Secrets of the Dead. It’s a paranormal romance involving the hero and heroine locked in a haunted house and a ghost who won’t let them leave.

The curse (or joy) of Christmas catalogues #MFRWauthor

Shopping for ChristmasAnyone who’s ever ordered anything from a catalogue knows that once you have, you’ve condemned yourself to a lifetime of a mailbox filled that catalogue’s brethren, forevermore. It only takes one small, single purchase from even the most obscure catalogue and your name goes on every mailing list for all catalogues, big and small. It’s a racket, and you’re the sucker.

All that said, I love looking through Christmas catalogues. That’s when Packages from shopping in cataloguesretailers pull out all the stops. Tee shirts have cute sayings on them, each page is alight with candles, fairy lights, flashing outdoor lights, flashing indoor lights, and so on. I love all those lights! I love looking at the beautiful sweaters and coats. I love seeing models standing in snow (because A) it’s not real, and B) I don’t have to stand in it) while they show off the latest winter footwear. Gifts, gifts, gifts! They’re so much fun to look at!!

Now, do I buy? Um… No. Not usually. It’s window shopping from my couch, in my bunny slippers. And, I love it.

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

Dee

Burning Bridges by Anne Krist
One Woman Only
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

Catch the bad guy, lock him up #MFRWauthor

Television setThe first TV my mom ever bought cost her $10 a week for a year—money she could barely afford. It had something like a 15-inch screen, a picture tube that had to warm up and disappeared into a pin light when you turned off the set, and rabbit ears on top that routinely had to be adjusted to get the best picture. It was black and white, of course. We picked up CBS, ABC, and NBC, and we had to get up to turn it on, change the channel, or adjust the volume. And we thought it was a miracle! I was about four or five at the time. Thinking back, it now seems ridiculous. Hubby and I have a 48-inch screen that fits flat against the wall, in blazing color and an auto tuner. All we have to do is click a button to turn it on or to change channels. And we have what many consider a “basic” set!

So over the years I’ve watched quite a few TV shows: Sea Hunt was a favorite, as was Captain Kangaroo, way back when. Burke’s Law was always good for drama with a little humor thrown in. For comedy, we loved Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart. We watched silly shows, too, and variety shows like Ed Sullivan, Hee Haw, Barbara Mandrell, and the Smothers Brothers.

But for my all-time favorite, I guess I’d have to say Law & Order is it for me. Law and OrderThere was rarely any humor, true, but the writing was just so damn good that you got caught up in the show anyway. Plus, whether it was or not, it seemed so realistic. There weren’t romances going on between the men and women—it showed a professionalism that I appreciated. And the cops didn’t always get their men and the lawyers didn’t always win their cases. Each week was a story “torn from the headlines,” and the show made you feel part of the action. Since it went off the air, I’ve watched it over and over in reruns. I can almost repeat the dialogue for some of the episodes, but I don’t care. Good entertainment is good entertainment forever!

What is your favorite show?

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

Dee

Burning Bridges by Anne Krist
One Woman Only
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

TV shows of the century! Or at least, the one I like best #MFRWauthor

The variety of TV showsFavorite TV show of all time. Why?

That is a hard question when there have been, and are, so many wonderful TV shows.

I’m torn between three: –

  • Fawlty Towers, the hilarious British sitcom about the inept, rude, irreverent English hotel owner Basil Fawlty and his acerbic wife Sybil. Only two series of six shows each were made, each tightly scripted and very funny. My favorites are The Kipper and The Corpse, The Psychiatrist, and Basil the Rat.
  • The Bodyguard, the British political thriller about an army war veteran suffering PTSD now working for the Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch. The episodes were tense and absorbing, I was hooked.
  • Downton Abbey, about the trials and tribulations of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants. Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess of Grantham was superb, but my favorite characters were Mr Bates, the Earl of Grantham’s valet and Anna Bates, lady’s maid.

I think Downton Abbey wins by a very short nose.Downton Abbey

However, no such struggle for my daughter Leonie, her favorite TV show of all time is Friends. She has video copies of every series, she wears Friends pyjames, Friends T-shirts and just in case anyone has any doubts, there is a copy of the Friends framed print Aux Buttes Chaumont on her wall.

What do you think?

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

Jan

Perilous Love
The Proposition
The Woman Behind the Mirror
Lies of Gold—Silver Historical for 2019: Coffee Pot Book Club