K.J. Watters: The Sale of Woodhouse Glass (Giveaway)

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Click here for the Rafflecopter. Click the banner above to follow the tour and increase your chances of winning.

About The Sale of Woodhouse Glass

“Touching and intelligent, The Sale of Woodhouse Glass isn’t your ordinary romance. Kali Woodhouse is a widowed mother-of-two who spends her days running her deceased husband’s business, Woodhouse Glass, and flirting with the town police officer, who is exactly right for her in every way. He’s certainly a better choice than the bad-boy, screw-up she’s known since childhood, and who just so happens to need a job and has the necessary skills for Woodhouse Glass.

“No, this isn’t the generic storyline you’ve seen before with flat characters who play their roles according to the formula. Watters eschews cliche and instead tells a touching story about love, loss, family, and finding happiness again after tragedy.”

-Author of “Someone Else’s Fairytale” E.M. Tippetts

Amazon • Barnes & Noble

Excerpt

Within half an hour, the lawyers had arrived with their paperwork and it was done. Kali and Spencer walked out side by side into the warm summer day, a sense of finality clinging to them.

“How do you feel, fancy suit-wearing business owner?”

“Excited. And sad.” Spencer stopped walking to turn and look at her. He pulled on his collar. “And hot.”

Kali laughed. “A mixed bag. Such is the life of the self-employed. I guess I’m off to the life of the unemployed for now.”

“You sure you don’t want to keep your job?” Spencer looked hopeful.

“Nah. No offense, but I sold it to get away from you, so that would kind of defeat the purpose.”

Spencer nodded with a good-natured chuckle. “Fair enough. But if you change your mind…”

Kali smiled sadly. They both knew that wasn’t going to happen, and they stood looking at each other for a moment, neither exactly sure how to walk way.

“Hey, um, give the kids a hug for me. I’m gonna miss ‘em. Would it be weird if I signed up to coach Ryder’s soccer team this year?” He wasn’t serious about the soccer, but she knew he would miss the kids. They would miss him, too. They already complained about not getting to see him much. Now they wouldn’t see him at all.

“Single thirty-something man with no children signs up to coach six-year-old soccer. Yeah…I’m thinking it might be weird.”

He laughed as he reached for her and pulled her into a tight embrace. It was the first time they had touched in weeks. “I’m gonna miss you, Kal.”

Kali rested her cheek against his silky tie and freshly pressed shirt. This was goodbye.

“I kind of hate you, Spencer.”

“I kind of hate myself, Kal. But I love you.” He didn’t let her go.

“I love you, too.”

When he finally released her, his eyes looked a little bit glossy, the way hers felt. He kissed her on the forehead and turned to walk to his truck, leaving her standing in the sunshine, not quite sure if she was supposed to feel relieved or heartbroken to have reached the end.

About the Author

K.J. Watters is the author of The Sale of Woodhouse Glass, a solitary journalistic article, and a large number of unfinished manuscripts.

She has an underutilized degree in Communications, selected for its minimal math requirements. She married her math tutor who is now a CPA in southern Oregon.

Her hobbies currently include reading, writing, and watching beginner level gymnastics, ballet, and soccer practices. When she isn’t writing or being a mom, she also teaches high school conflict resolution classes part-time.

Website • Twitter • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads

 

The Bluestocking Belles: Mistletoe, Marriage, and Mayhem

Mistletoe, Marriage, and Mayhem

A Bluestocking Belles Collection

In this collection of novellas, the Bluestocking Belles bring you seven runaway Regency brides resisting and romancing their holiday heroes under the mistletoe. Whether scampering away or dashing toward their destinies, avoiding a rogue or chasing after a scoundrel, these ladies and their gentlemen leave miles of mayhem behind them on the slippery road to a happy-ever-after.

***All proceeds benefit the Malala Fund.***

All She Wants for Christmas, by Amy Rose Bennett

A frosty bluestocking and a hot-blooded rake. A stolen kiss and a Yuletide wedding. Sparks fly, but will hearts melt this Christmas?

The Ultimate Escape, by Susana Ellis

Abandoned on his wedding day, Oliver must choose between losing his bride forever or crossing over two hundred years to find her and win her back.

Under the Mistletoe, by Sherry Ewing

Margaret Templeton will settle for Captain Morledge’s hand in marriage, until she sees the man she once loved. Who will win her heart at the Christmas party of her would-be betrothed? 

’Tis Her Season, by Mariana Gabrielle

Charlotte Amberly returns a Christmas gift from her intended—the ring—then hares off to London to take husband-hunting into her own hands. Will she let herself be caught?

Gingerbread Bride, by Jude Knight

Traveling with her father’s fleet has not prepared Mary Pritchard for London. When she strikes out on her own, she finds adventure, trouble, and her girlhood hero, riding once more to her rescue.

A Dangerous Nativity, by Caroline Warfield

With Christmas coming, can the Earl of Chadbourn repair his widowed sister’s damaged estate, and far more damaged family? Dare he hope for love in the bargain? 

Joy to the World, by Nicole Zoltack

Eliza Berkeley discovers she is marrying the wrong man—on her wedding day. When the real duke turns up instead, will her chance at marital bliss be spoiled?

• Amazon
• Amazon UK
• Amazon Australia
• Amazon Germany
• Amazon France
• Amazon Japan
• Amazon Spain
• Amazon Italy
• Amazon Netherlands
• Amazon Canada
• Amazon Brussels
• Amazon Mexico
• Amazon India
• Barnes & Noble
• iBooks
• Kobo
• Goodreads Reviews
• Smashwords
• CreateSpace

About the Bluestocking Belles

The Bluestocking Belles’ books carry you into the past for your happy-ever-after. When you have turned the last page of our novels and novellas, keep up with us (and other historical romance authors) in the Teatime Tattler, a Regency scandal sheet, and join in with the characters you love for impromptu storytelling in the Bluestocking Bookshop on Facebook. Also, look for online games and contests and monthly book chats, and find us at BellesInBlue on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Come visit at www.BluestockingBelles.com and kick up your bluestockinged heels!

Constance Phillips: The Sunnydale Days Series & more

The Sunnydale Days Series

About All That’s Unspoken (Book 1)

After eight years, Hailey is back in Caseville, Michigan. Just months after her mother’s death, her siblings want to put their father in a nursing home and rent out the family farm. If that wasn’t enough, the prospective tenant is Nate, the high school crush she left behind the day after they acted on their mutual attraction.

After high school, Nate Jenkins planned to leave small town behind, but life dealt him a different hand of cards to play. He’s now back in Caseville, raising his daughter, and running his family’s diner. His daughter’s speech disorder has been improved by therapeutic horse riding and if he can lease the old Lambert farm, he can get her a horse of her own. The only standing in the way is Hailey, the same woman who left him eight years ago without even saying goodbye.

​Can they get over all that’s unspoken between them?

Turquoise Morning Press Store | Amazon

Also available in the Sweet But Sexy Boxed Set from Turquoise Morning Press AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO |IBOOKS | ALL ROMANCE eBOOKS SMASHWORDS |TURQUOISE MORNING PRESS

About All That’s Unclaimed (Book 2)

Ben Crawford is forced to face the ghosts of his past after his mother’s accident and Anna Jenkins’s announcement she’s starting her own stables. Only then does he find the strength to hold on to all he’s left unclaimed.

​Ben Crawford has always believed the professional respect and acceptance he desired couldn’t be found at Sunnydale Farms. There were just too many ghosts residing in his broken home. Only when Anna Jenkins, the one constant at his mother’s therapeutic riding facility, announces she is leaving to start her own stables is Ben forced to grasp hold of all he’s left unclaimed.

Amazon| Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Turquoise Morning Press Store

About All That’s Unrealized (Book 3)

It’s what the doctor ordered for Rhonda Gables, owner of three successful boutiques: four weeks of rest between winning this season’s Retail Project and claiming her prize. Rhonda must decide if being a TV reality show star is worth leaving behind her loved ones, including the increasingly appealing Trevor Collins.

In a month, fashion mogul and reality TV judge Conrad Ryse, of The Retail Project fame, has promised to take Rhonda Gables under his wing and invest in her fledgling career. That’s her grand prize after a winning season on his show. Too bad exhaustion has sent Rhonda out of her city apartment, away from her three successful boutiques, and into her cousin’s guest room for a month of recuperation in her hometown.

She’s on the cusp of everything she’s ever wanted, but what will it cost? Doctor’s orders be damned, she balks at first. But soon Rhonda is both delighted and disconcerted by the attentions of her friend-maybe-lover, Trevor Collins, and the contentment she is surrounded by back home. She must realize all she’s willing to compromise and all her heart truly desires.

Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Coming in Dec. 2015

All That’s Unforgiven (Book 4)

Coming in January 2016

All That’s Unforeseen (Book 5)

About One Lucky Night

Aria Kane, Ana Blaze, Grace Teague, Melinda Dozier, Constance Phillips

One night can change everything…

The crew at Boston’s Brazen Head Pub hasn’t been very lucky in love. Can a mysterious visitor inspire them to look past old hurts and misconceptions and give romance a chance?

One Lucky Night is a collection of five sexy interwoven novelettes by Aria Kane, Grace Teague, Ana Blaze, Constance Phillips, and Melinda Dozier.

ebook: Kindle | B&N
Print: Amazon

About The Ultimate Catch

Jolanda is willing to do whatever it takes, even face off against the Bering Sea, to raise the money for a balloon payment on her father’s house.

She challenges Keller and wins a bet to get on the recently inherited crab fishing boat, forcing the young captain to buck tradition and superstition.

Will his season be doomed or will he end up with the ultimate catch?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Paranormal Titles

About Fairyproof

After her parents’ death and an unwanted proposal, fairy Monique seeks refuge in the human world. Her brother has warned her of the dangers, but she believes hiding will be a breeze. She can control any human with a flirtatious smile and an attraction spell. Until she meets Daniel Elliot, the only human who’s immune to both.

Can Monique’s brother find her and bring her home before she falls victim to whoever is killing fairies on the human world?

Will the reason Daniel’s fairyproof be too much for them to overcome?

Amazon (paperback) | Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes and Noble

Smashwords | Kobo

About Council Courtship

Tristan Ipsly knows firsthand how Eero’s ideals have ripped houses apart. More than half of his family was prosecuted for supporting the revolution, the remaining fled to the otherworld, leaving him the lone member of his house, and one of two candidates for the recently vacated Council seat. As a healer who is seated on the repopulation project, he has real solutions to the problems that face them all, but fears he’s been branded a traitor, not worthy of the seat nor to court Quinn.

Quinn Vettore knows that Fairykind is dying. Eero and his revolution have left them a people divided, but she believes tradition and the Canon’s writing are equally to blame. She wants to see the Council fill the vacancy with someone who will be the voice of change. The prime candidate in her mind is the same choice of her heart: Tristan.

Too bad her Grandfather is the one man who stands in the way of both.

Smashwords | Amazon | B & N

About Resurrecting Harry

He was the greatest escape artist ever known, but can Harry Houdini escape the grim reaper’s hold to save the only woman he’s ever loved?

In order to save the only woman he’s every loved from self-destruction, Harry puts his afterlife on the line by entering a wager with purgatory’s keeper, Jaden. He gives Harry a younger face and body, and a new name: Erich Welch.

If he wants to keep his new life, he must convince Bess to give up the promise she made to Harry on his death bed and call off the séance she’s scheduled on the anniversary of his death.

Will Erich be able to help Bess over her loss and will any good come from resurrecting Harry?

Kindle | Amazon |  Barnes And Noble | Kobo | Smashwords

About the Author

Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, daughter, and four canine kids where she writes contemporary romance novels and paranormal romance novels.

​When not writing stories of finding and rediscovering love, Constance and her husband spend the hours planning a cross-country motorcycle trip for the not-so-distant future…if they can find a sidecar big enough for the pups.

Celebrate Summer with Sweet Summer Kisses!

Bluestockings and wallflowers seek happily-ever-afters. Only handsome, respectable and deeply romantic persons need apply. Dukes and marquesses will be given special consideration. Apply within.

This anthology contains nine fun, heart-tugging, and wholesomely romantic Regency novellas that are as sigh-worthy as they are sweet, brought to you by USA Today and national bestselling, award-winning authors.

Get it Here!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Summer-Kisses-Rege…/…/B00ZE8HXYY
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweet-summer-kisses-erin-knightley/1056101163?ean=2940151167536
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/sweet-summer-kisses
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/…/sweet-summer-kisses/id1004194278…
Google: https://play.google.com/…/Erin_Knightley_Sweet_Summer_Kisse…

Deceived by a Duke by Erin Knightley, USA Today and nationally bestselling, award-winning author

When strangers meet during a summer sojourn to the continent, love soon blossoms under the Spanish sun. But things aren’t all what they seem. When Libby discovers her English gentleman isn’t at all who she thought he was, can their new relationship survive the shock of being . . . Deceived by a Duke?

Captivated by the Wallflower by Aileen Fish, USA Today and nationally bestselling author

Finding the perfect husband for wallflower Lady Susan is a means to an end for Viscount Knightwick. Falling in love is not part of his plan. Can he keep his heart safe while making hers happy?

A Most Suitable Match by Lily George, national bestselling author

Can confirmed bluestocking and matchmaker Louisa Bradbury compose her own happily ever after with Thomas, the wallflower of the rich and powerful Wright family?

Stealing the Duchess by Marie Higgins, national bestselling author

When Julian Stratford seeks out to steal the duchess as an act of revenge, he mistakenly steals the wrong sister—a wallflower, no less. As they work together to try and solve the mystery, they soon discover that not only are their lives in danger, but so are their hearts.

First Impressions by Elizabeth Johns, national bestselling author

A widower earl, still in need of an heir, reluctantly sets off for London in search of a wife. He infinitely prefers the role of recluse to that of dashing beau.

The Season’s Incomparable prefers books to balls. She agrees to hide her bookish tendencies in exchange for her mother agreeing to limit her to one Season.

Their initial prejudices prevent their feeling they would suit, but an unlikely source may give them another chance…

Treasure Beyond Words by Heather King

Having trusted the wrong man, bluestocking Amelia Burcott is forced to seek employment as a governess in order to support herself. Little does she realize, when she joins the household of the Earl of Raftesbury, that he has a secret as great as her own and needs the right woman to help him conquer his past.

The Earl’s Beloved Match by Bess McBride, national bestselling author

Bluestocking Cora Prentice has no intention of marrying…ever. Tobias, the Early of Momford, has no intention of marrying…ever. But Aunt Mimi has other plans for them as she sets out to make a match between her goddaughter and her adopted nephew!

Save the Last Dance for Me by Cora Lee, award winning author

When Lady Honoria Maitland reunites with her old friend Benedict Grey, she proposes an arrangement: a faux courtship that will smooth wallflower Benedict’s re-entry into society and appease her dying father. But Honoria’s clever plan failed to account for Benedict’s heart…or her own.

The Third MacPherson Sister by Susana Ellis

Rebecca’s older sisters took the ton by storm while she herself has failed to attract a suitor in four Seasons. Miles is pondering his urgent need for a wife when Rebecca lands in his lap in the nave of Bath Abbey. A match between them seems ordained by the heavens… except for the little matter of his past history with her sisters.

Romance in Bath

Rebecca MacPherson and Miles Framingham, Duke of Aylesbury, meet in Bath Abbey while their respective mothers are taking the waters at the Roman Baths.

Miles is sitting in front of a stained glass window and pondering his need for a wife when Rebecca is pushed by a passing crowd into his lap. Is a marriage between them ordained by the heavens?

The next day, they meet again while shopping on the Pulteney Bridge, although this time it appears to be due to the scheming of their matchmaking mothers.

But Rebecca isn’t interested in an arranged marriage—even with a duke—and Miles, besides being reluctant to tie himself down, has a rather scandalous history with one of her “Golden Twin” sisters.

A match between them seems impossible… unless true love truly does conquer all.

About Susana 

Susana has always had stories in her head waiting to come out, especially when she learned to read and her imagination began to soar. Voracious reading led to a passion for writing, and her fascination with romance and people of the past landed her firmly in the field of historical romance.

A teacher in her former life, Susana lives in Toledo, Ohio in the summer and central Florida in the winter. She is a member of the Central Florida Romance Writers and the Beau Monde chapters of RWA and Maumee Valley Romance Inc.

Website • Facebook • Twitter

Susana’s Parlour • Susana’s Morning Room

Beaux, Ballrooms, and Battles: A Celebration of Waterloo

June 18, 1815 was the day Napoleon Bonaparte’s Grande Armée was definitively routed by the ragtag band of soldiers from the Duke of Wellington’s Allied Army in a little Belgian town called Waterloo. The cost in men’s lives was high—22,000 dead or wounded for the Allied Army and 24,000 for the French. But the war with Napoleon that had dragged on for a dozen years was over for good, and the British people once more felt secure on their island shores.

The bicentenary of the famous battle seemed like an excellent opportunity to use that setting for a story, and before I knew it, I had eight other authors eager to join me, and to make a long story short, on April 1, 2015 our Waterloo-themed anthology was released to the world.

You are all invited to

• our Book Release Facebook Party on April 1st
• our Website and Facebook Page
• our Rafflecopter (ends April 18^th)

Our Stories

Jillian Chantal: Jeremiah’s Charge

Emmaline Rothesay has her eye on Jeremiah Denby as a potential suitor. When Captain Denby experiences a life-altering incident during the course of events surrounding the Battle of Waterloo, it throws a damper on Emmaline’s plans.

Téa Cooper: The Caper Merchant

The moon in Gemini is a fertile field of dreams, ideas and adventure and Pandora Wellingham is more than ready to spread her wings. When Monsieur Cagneaux, caper merchant to the rich and famous, introduces her to the handsome dragoon she believes her stars have aligned.

Susana Ellis: Lost and Found Lady

Catalina and Rupert fell in love in Spain in the aftermath of a battle, only to be separated by circumstances. Years later, they find each other again, just as another battle is brewing, but is it too late?

Aileen Fish: Captain Lumley’s Angel

Charged with the duty of keeping his friend’s widow safe, Captain Sam Lumley watches over Ellen Staverton as she recovers from her loss, growing fonder of her as each month passes. When Ellen takes a position as a companion, Sam must confront his feelings before she’s completely gone from his life.

Victoria Hinshaw: Folie Bleue

On the night of the 30th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, Aimée, Lady Prescott, reminisces about meeting her husband in Bruxelles on the eve of the fighting. She had avoided the dashing scarlet-clad British officers, but she could not resist the tempting smile and spellbinding charm of Captain Robert Prescott of the 16th Light Dragoons who— dangerously to Aimée— wore blue.

Heather King: Copenhagen’s Last Charge

When Meg Lacy finds herself riding through the streets of Brussels only hours after the Battle of Waterloo, romance is the last thing on her mind, especially with surly Lieutenant James Cooper. However, their bickering uncovers a strange empathy – until, that is, the lieutenant makes a grave error of judgment that jeopardizes their budding friendship…

Christa Paige: One Last Kiss

The moment Colin held Beatrice in his arms he wanted one last kiss to take with him into battle and an uncertain future. Despite the threat of a soldier’s death, he must survive, for he promises to return to her because one kiss from Beatrice would never be enough.

Sophia Strathmore: A Soldier Lay Dying

Amelia and Anne Evans find themselves orphaned when their father, General Evans, dies. With no other options available, Amelia accepts the deathbed proposal of Oliver Brighton, Earl of Montford, a long time family friend. When Lord Montford recovers from his battle wounds, can the two find lasting love?

David W. Wilkin: Not a Close Run Thing at All

Years, a decade. And now, Robert had come back into her life. Shortly before battle was to bring together more than three hundred thousand soldiers. They had but moments after all those years, and now, would they have any more after?

About Lost and Found Lady

On April 24, 1794, a girl child was born to an unknown Frenchwoman in a convent in Salamanca, Spain. Alas, her mother died in childbirth, and the little girl—Catalina—was given to a childless couple to raise.

Eighteen years later…the Peninsular War between the British and the French wages on, now perilously near Catalina’s home. After an afternoon yearning for adventure in her life, Catalina comes across a wounded British soldier in need of rescue. Voilà! An adventure! The sparks between them ignite, and before he returns to his post, Rupert promises to return for her.

But will he? Catalina’s grandmother warns her that some men make promises easily, but fail to carry them out. Catalina doesn’t believe Rupert is that sort, but what does she know? All she can do is wait…and pray.

But Fate has a few surprises in store for both Catalina and Rupert. When they meet again, it will be in another place where another battle is brewing, and their circumstances have been considerably altered. Will their love stand the test of time? And how will their lives be affected by the outcome of the conflict between the Iron Duke and the Emperor of the French?

Amazon: $.99 for a limited time

 

The Tradition of Boxing Day

Happy Boxing Day!

Reblogged from Téa Cooper’s Blog

December 9, 2013

The origin of the term “Boxing Day” is uncertain, but the European tradition may have come from as far back as Roman times, when owners would present slaves and people of lesser status with gifts on Saturnalia. Or the term may have come later when it was the custom to place metal boxes outside churches to collect alms for the poor and needy on the Feast of St. Stephen, which falls on the same day.

In the English tradition, Boxing Day was a time to reward servants, tenants and tradesmen with gifts of money and/or food. Because servants were required to work on Christmas Day, it was tradition to give them the next day off to spend with their families.

Kissing Bough

Fox hunting was a popular sport on Boxing Day as well. The weather was usually not too much of a problem; contrary to popular thought, the winter weather in much of England tends to be quite mild. The winter of 1813, when A Twelfth Night Tale takes place, was a particularly cold one. But that didn’t stop Lucy and Andrew from braving the cold to collect greenery to embellish Livingston Hall with Christmas cheer on Christmas Day. Nor did it prevent them from taking the children and distributing boxes to the community on Boxing Day.

These activities had the effect of pulling Andrew out of his melancholy and opening his eyes to the desirability of the grown-up Lucy. Lucy dared to hope that Andrew’s attentiveness might be a sign that he was seeing her with new eyes. But he was still nursing a broken heart, and with an offer of marriage from a wealthy viscount expected at any moment, could she afford to gamble that Andrew would come up to scratch before it was too late?

A Twelfth Night Tale is on sale for the remainder of 2014!

http://www.susanaellis.com/A_Twelfth_Night_Tale.html

Ellora’s Cave • Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Kobo

Courtney Rice Gager: Tess in Boots

Courtney is giving away five Tess in Boots posters. 

Click here for the Rafflecopter.

About Tess in Boots

Tess Dougherty plans every aspect of her life right down to the last detail. But she doesn’t plan on running her boyfriend off by bringing up the topic of marriage before he’s ready. And she doesn’t plan to lose her job on the day she’s set to receive a huge promotion. So when her perfect world unravels, Tess makes a new plan: disappear.

Tess packs her bags and leaves her city apartment for a remote vineyard in North Carolina. At first, she’s put off by the slow pace of small-town life in the South. She’s especially irritated by Thatcher, the vineyard’s smart-mouth, dimple-faced farmhand. But she soon begins to appreciate the area’s charm, and Thatcher’s charm, too. She even swaps her trademark heels for a pair of cowboy boots. As Tess spends more time getting to know Thatcher, she finds herself loosening her grip on her old life little by little. Unfortunately, things on the vineyard aren’t as simple as they seem. There’s a secret here, and when the truth comes to light, Tess is forced to reconsider every plan she’s ever made.

Book Trailer

Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Smashwords

Excerpt

I heard the sound of tires on the wet road, and looked up in time to see another truck slowing down to avoid crashing into the cow. The truck pulled around the cow and stopped alongside where I stood on the side of the road. The driver rolled the window down, and when I saw his face, I wanted to cry.

Thatcher.

It was not my day.

“You all right?”

I crossed my arms. “I’m fine!”

“Guess your GPS didn’t tell you to go around the cow, did it, Heels?”

I turned away from him and pulled my phone out of my pocket.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m calling for roadside assistance.”

“Good luck. Cell phones don’t work on this stretch of road.”

I turned around and glared at him. “What?”

“I said cell phones don’t work on this stretch of road.”

“I heard you. That’s insane.”

“Go ahead and try. Maybe you have some fancy magical cell phone.”

I rolled my eyes and turned away again, attempting to place a call. He was right. Nothing.

“Get in the truck, Heels.”

I didn’t budge.

“Come on, now. Get in.”

I turned around to see him hop out of the truck, walk around to the passenger side, and open the door.

There was no way I was getting in his truck.

“You gonna make me stay out in the rain all night?” he asked.

I put my hands on my hips.

“You know,” he said, “it ain’t right for a cow to stand in the road like that. You ever heard of Mad Cow Disease?”

I looked at the cow, then back at Thatcher, then back at the cow.

Was he kidding? I couldn’t tell. What choice did I have anyway? I was soaking wet, freezing, and miles from the vineyard.

I balled my hands into fists and took several strides toward the truck. “Fine. But I’m only coming with you because you look like an idiot standing out here in the pouring rain.” I got in the truck, and he shut the door behind me.

“Well, so do you, Heels.”

About the Author

Courtney Rice Gager graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in communication and a minor in creative writing. Courtney is also the author of The Buggy List. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and daughter.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

Amazon Author Page • Pinterest • Google+

Annie’s Stories (Ellis Island): Cindy Thomson

Interview With Cindy Thomson

Susana: What inspired you to start writing?

Cindy: Genealogy. My first novel (yet to be published) is about my ancestors coming to America. I couldn’t find out everything I wanted to know about them, so I looked into the social history of those immigrants in the time they came over, right before the Revolutionary War. Then I made stuff up! From there I went on to write for genealogy magazines (stuff I did not make up) and learned about writing fiction.

Susana: How long have you been writing?

Cindy: Seriously for publication about 15 years. I have always dreamed up stories though.

Susana: What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Cindy: Because of the ability to publish quickly now by doing it ourselves, my advice is not to rush to publication. It takes time to learn the craft. I’m still learning. Never underestimate the value of a professional editor. And by professional I don’t mean English teachers or someone who also writes novels. Those people might be smart and even helpful, but someone who makes a living editing books will be the most useful to you when it comes to creating a story that will appeal to a publisher or agent. And you want your best work out there.

Susana: Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.

Cindy: The stories that my character Annie Gallagher treasures are not in the novel. They are referred to and somewhat described, but the stories are not there. I do, however, have them and will be making them available to my newsletter subscribers. You can sign up here: www.cindyswriting.com

Susana: Are you working on something at present that you would like to tell us about?

Cindy: I’m working on book three of the Ellis Island series, but it’s not yet contracted. I’m also working on a book that has both a contemporary storyline and a historical one. It’s fresh in my mind right now so all I’ll tell you is the historical part is 1946 at Wrigley Field and it has something to do with that big scoreboard and a female baseball franchise employee.

Susana: What are you reading now?

Cindy: Swimming in the Moon by Pamela Schoenewaldt. I love immigrant stories and hers are filled with wonderful detail.

Susana: What did you want to be when you grew up?

Cindy: A teacher. And I was. I left the classroom several years ago but I still teach by mentoring writers through the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild.

Susana: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?

Cindy: Some of my readers might be surprised to learn that I’m an avid baseball fan (Go Reds!), have written baseball biographies, and am a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR.) I am often the only woman at meetings. My SABR friends know about my novels (they buy copies for their wives.) Of course my cover will be blown if I am fortunate enough to publish the Wrigley-themed novel I mentioned above.

Susana: If your publisher offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming project, where would you most likely want to go? Why?

Cindy: This is something my readers WOULD know. I would go to Ireland. I would also go to Wales since I recently discovered a family line that goes back to Nantucket and the Massachusetts Bay Colony and then back to Wales in the 17th century. There is plenty there to write about!

Susana: Do you have a favorite quote or saying?

Cindy: The Irish are famous for their witty sayings. One I particularly like (I have a saying or a scripture before every chapter in my novel Brigid of Ireland) is this one:

If God sends you down a stony path, may he give you strong shoes.

Susana: Do you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, would you consider straying outside your genre?

Cindy: I have, yes. I’ve written non-fiction as well. Historical fiction is my favorite and I’d love to stick with that but I will have to see what comes my way.

Susana: What is something you’d like to accomplish in your writing career next year?

Cindy: Very simply I’d love to have a new publishing contract. There are no guarantees in this business. The reason I’d like to continue turning out novels is because I would like more readers. They are the reason I write and it’s my desire to keep bringing my stories to them.

Susana: Every writer dreams of getting “the call.” What were you doing when yours came? Who got to hear the good news first?

Cindy: Regarding my Ellis Island series contract: I was watching TV and about to go to bed. My agent lives on the west coast and I’m in the Eastern Time Zone. He called and then hung up before I could answer. He’d forgotten how late it was. But then he decided to call back anyway—he probably figured I wouldn’t mind considering what he had to say. After we talked about the offer, he told me I could go back to watching TV now. Yeah, right! I woke my husband up and told him. I’d like to say this to encourage new writers: I waited seven years between fiction contracts. I had almost given up hope, but my agent thought there was a chance for an immigrant series so I pressed on. I did have to switch time settings from what I originally had in mind, but listen to those who are veterans in the business, keep learning, and write the stories of your heart.

About Annie’s Stories: Ellis Island

The year is 1901, the literary sensation The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is taking New York City by storm, and everyone wonders where the next great book will come from. But to Annie Gallagher, stories are more than entertainment—they’re a sweet reminder of her storyteller father. After his death, Annie fled Ireland for the land of dreams, finding work at Hawkins House.

But when a fellow boarder with something to hide is accused of misconduct and authorities threaten to shut down the boardinghouse, Annie fears she may lose her new friends, her housekeeping job . . . and her means of funding her dream: a memorial library to honor her father. Furthermore, the friendly postman shows a little too much interest in Annie—and in her father’s unpublished stories. In fact, he suspects these tales may hold a grand secret.

Though the postman’s intentions seem pure, Annie wants to share her father’s stories on her own terms. Determined to prove herself, Annie must forge her own path to aid her friend and create the future she’s always envisioned . . . where dreams really do come true.

Amazon • Barnes & Noble • ChristianBook.com • IndieBound

Excerpt

The first chapter: http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/FirstChapters/978-1-4143-6845-0.pdf

About the Author

Cindy Thomson is a writer and an avid genealogy enthusiast. Her love of history and her Scots-Irish heritage have inspired much of her writing, including her new Ellis Island series. Cindy is also the author of Brigid of Ireland and Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland. She combined her love of history and baseball to co-author the biography Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story, which was a finalist for the Society for American Baseball Research’s Larry Ritter Book Award. In addition to books, Cindy has written on a regular basis for numerous online and print publications and is a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Historical Novel Society. Cindy and her husband have three grown sons and live in central Ohio. Visit her online at www.cindyswriting.com.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest • Goodreads

 

Taming Miss Tisdale: Jessica Jefferson

Jessica is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card. Click here for the Rafflecopter. Click on the banner above to follow the tour and increase your chances of winning.

Susana: What inspired you to start writing?

Jessica: I always wanted to write professionally. I started college thinking that’s what I was going to be doing, but then life happened. After that, it really was a question of when I was willing to finally take the plunge. A couple years ago I was reading a book and thought – why not now?

Susana: How long have you been writing?

Jessica: Since I was little. But it wasn’t till I was an adult that I decided – why not romance?  I love reading it, why would I write anything else?

Susana: What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Jessica: Find an honest critique partner. You have your mother to tell you what you want to hear, you need someone to tell you what you need to hear.

Susana: Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

Jessica: I do. It’s unfortunate and usually has the most inconvenient timing. I listen to music, watch movies. Sometimes that helps me find inspiration.

Susana: What comes first: the plot or the characters?

Jessica: Chicken or egg? Each book has been different for me. The first book was plot, the second book was characters. I prefer going the route of plot first, though.

Susana: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Jessica: I plot with post-its, the entire book – chapter by chapter.  And then I start writing and it all goes awry!

Susana: Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.

Jessica: The hero has a seizure disorder. I wanted to create a hero that wasn’t the perfect alpha male so took a chance.

Susana: Are you working on something at present that you would like to tell us about?

Jessica: I’m working on book three in the Tisdale series. It’s the story of Lilly, the ugly duckling who falls in love with an unattainable man.

Susana: What are you reading now?

Jessica: I just finished Lisa Kleypas’ Smooth Talking Stranger. What a good book!  I’m really thinking of starting Outlander, but I’m afraid of the commitment. There’s a lot of books in that series and once I start, I can’t stop.

Susana: What author or authors have most influenced your writing?

Jessica: Kathleen Woodiwiss – she’s the queen of historical romance and it’s impossible to not be inspired by her sagas.

Susana: What is your work schedule like when writing?

Jessica: I try to write when I can. I have some days set aside where that’s my only responsibility. It’s hard to fit it all in though – kids, family time, social media, edits, reading, and then writing.

Susana: What did you want to be when you grew up?

Jessica: I wanted to be a writer. Or a secretary. I would set up my desk and pretend to type, send out memos, and file papers.

Susana: What is your favorite food? Least favorite? Why?

Jessica: I love all food, so it’s hard to narrow that down. My least favorite is sushi – I’ve just never developed the taste. I think it may be a textural thing.

Susana: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?

Jessica: I have Mr. Darcy tattooed on my foot. I thought – what man has always been a presence in my life, and will never leave me? He was the only logical answer.

Susana: Is there a writer you idolize? If so, who?

Jessica: Judith McNaught. She did contemporary and historical, and did them so well.

About Taming Miss Tisdale

Miss Tamsin Tisdale believes herself to be completely unsuitable for London life. After a myriad of social mishaps, and the potential ruination of her family name, she’s shipped away to her cousin’s northern estate. Only after she comes to her senses will she be welcomed home.

Marcus Winston, the Duke of Grayson, has a lackluster reputation. The last in a dying line, he’s endured a protected life—rank with privilege, encumbered by isolation. After a brief encounter with rebellion, he learns the devastating consequences of his carelessness and willingly accepts living life from inside his gilded cage.

However, a chance meeting with the brazen Miss Tisdale gives Marc the opportunity to reinvent himself into the man he’s always dreamed of being. When his deception comes to light, and ghosts from both their pasts threaten to unravel the intimacy they’ve come to cherish, will either of them set their fears aside long enough to embrace love? Or will Miss Tisdale’s stubbornness divide them?

Amazon

Excerpt

Marc watched the faint outline come across the dense morning fog, becoming more discernible as it approached. The tall, thin figure was riding along at a perilous speed, given the morning’s lack of visibility. He thought perhaps it was some gangly young man misguided in the fog. It wouldn’t be the first time someone accidentally stumbled upon the vast property that made up his family’s immodest estate.

Then the fog parted in an almost biblical manner, revealing his gross inaccuracy.

Were those … breasts?

Marc closed his eyes and thought for a moment. Typically, women didn’t ride alone at such an hour and they certainly didn’t wander unexpectedly across his property. It’d been quite a while, his last birthday to be exact, since his last intimate encounter with a woman—a gift, compliments of St. Regis—so there was always the possibility that perhaps his half-drunk, sex-starved mind had conjured up the sensual image.

He shook his head, opened his eyes, and looked back again toward the horizon.

Yes, those were most certainly breasts.

And she was most definitely not a young man. The woman’s riding habit pulled taut against her body as she raced toward him. Her hair was blowing behind her—various hues of auburn and gold, like wild flames curling about in the wind. Then a decidedly feminine voice burst through the morning’s silence, interrupting his self-doubt.

“Oh, thank goodness I found you!”

This was no mirage. She was indeed very real.

And very loud.

About the Author

Jessica Jefferson makes her home in northern Indiana, or as she likes to think of it—almost Chicago.  She is heavily inspired by classic sweeping, historical romance novels, but aims to take those key emotional elements and inject a fresh blend of quick dialogue and comedy.  She invites you to visit her at jessicajefferson.com and www.embracingromance.com and read more of her random romance musings.

Facebook • Twitter

It’s Party Time on Susana’s Morning Room!

Susana’s Morning Room was born a year ago, just before my first story, Treasuring Theresa, was released on January 3, 2013. I wanted my first blog, Susana’s Parlour, to remain primarily historical/Regency-related, but I also wanted to feature some of my writer friends’ non-historical releases. And also because I read other sub-genres of romance too that I wanted to discuss from time to time.

So, voilà! I created Susana’s Morning Room to feature all sub-genres and heat levels of romance. You’ll find an eclectic mix here; the only requirement is an HEA. After I began hosting for Goddess Fish Promotions, I discovered many great new authors myself! Now I just wish I had more time to read all the books on my Kindle!

The Best Romance Books of 2013

I really can’t limit myself to one, so here are the ones that come to mind:

Diana Gabaldon: An Echo in the Bone

Susanna Ives: Wicked Little Secrets

Téa Cooper: Matilda’s Freedom

Téa Cooper: Passionfruit & Poetry

Ashlyn Macnamara: A Most Devilish Rogue

Collette Cameron: The Viscount’s Vow

Ella Quinn: The Secret Life of Miss Anna Marsh

Joanna Wylde: Reaper’s Property

Selene Grace Silver: Brianna’s Bewitching

Susana’s Morning Room Anniversary Giveaway

All you have to do is comment on this post with the title of one or more of the best romance books you’ve read this year. Any sub-genre. Any heat level. A random commenter will win a print copy of Cotillion Christmas Celebrations. (Be sure to include your email address in your comment.)