Who Wants to Escape to Africa? by Alicia Dean

Today, I'm turning my spot over to my fellow anthology authors and sharing Escape to Africa, which is currently available for pre-order and releases July 14th. It was sooo awesome taking part in this fun project of stories set in Africa. I love how we all wrote about different regions and premises and even genres. 

Escape to Africa Anthology ~ 6 stories by 6 Authors for ONLY 99 cents!!

Take a trip to fascinating, breathtaking, beautiful Africa, without ever leaving your home! These stories will send you on a journey filled with danger, love, and excitement. Travel from Casablanca to Morocco, across the plains of the Serengeti, to the ruins of Carthage, from the desert of Algeria, to the shores of Tripoli. Six international romance authors share spellbinding love stories told across time.

Dangerous Liaison - Historical Romance by Denyse Bridger

In late 1942, Casablanca, liaisons can be deadly, especially those that involve intelligence the Germans are willing to kill for...

A Pirate’s Lady – Time Travel Romance - Lynn Crain

Amanda Hoskip, a Time Travel Bureau agent, is intent on discovering who is tampering with time. But when she’s captured, she must pretend to be the wife of fellow agent and rescuer, Trevor Haines, which seems impossible because he thinks she’s failed her mission.

Dying to Love You - Contemporary Romance with Paranormal Elements by Alicia Dean  

To avoid purgatory, unloving and unlovable Autumn Baines is sent to the Serengeti where she must perform a selfless deed and find someone to fall in love with her. What she didn't count on was falling in love herself, or that her selfless deed could save a life, but sentence Autumn to eternal damnation.

Treasured Times - Romantic Suspense - Gemma Juliana

Nerissa Noir is a woman with many secrets. Leon Rizzo intends to figure them out, without revealing his own. From the shops of the exotic souk in Tunis to the ancient ruins of Carthage and beyond, deadly mysteries must be solved before time unravels… can they trust each other?

The Ravine of the Wild Woman - Historical Romance by Marie Laval

Algeria, North Africa, 1865.

Lenora Sharp is Azerwal's perfect woman. Brave, determined and unconventional, she is also related to the man who stole his name, his childhood and his identity - the very man and he has vowed to destroy, even if it takes him all the way to hell. Will love get in the way of revenge, or will Azerwal lose his soul before he loses his heart?

An Object of Desire - Romantic Suspense by Jenny Twist

Two students on holiday in Morocco discover that two sinister looking characters are following them. They meet an attractive man who offers to take them to their next destination.  All seems well until one of the girls disappears.

Pre-Order Here: Amazon

Leaving the Nest by Jannine Gallant

My last post was about my oldest coming home from college for the summer and the change in household dynamics. So, I thought my youngest should get the spotlight this time. (Can you tell I'm tired of talking about books? LOL) Kristen graduated from high school a few days ago. Come September, my husband and I will have to get used to being empty-nesters. With all this new uninterrupted togetherness, we'll either remember why we got married in the first place...or kill each other. Could be a toss up!

The last two weeks have been hectic with "senior" activities. First there was the prom. Lots of picture-taking involved.

Kristen and her best friends.

Kristen and her date.

Then we had awards night. Lots of clapping (my hands are chapped), as most of the senior class received scholarships and awards from our incredibly generous small community. Then there was the senior breakfast followed by graduation. (More photos and clapping!)

Kristen and her older sister, Tara.

The husband, the graduate, Tara, me, my mom.

Kristen and her best buds again.

I've been busy...but not with anything book related. I really need to get back into the writing groove. Sometimes a break to spend time with family is critical, however, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the festivities.

So now that I've entertained you (hopefully) with a few pictures, feel free to check out my books. WILDE ONE is still on sale for .99 cents. I'm not sure how long the sale will last. You can find links to all my books on my WEBSITE.

I almost forgot this was posting on Sunday. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! 

A Five-Day Writers Workshop by Betsy Ashton

I attended Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop at Hollins University.. I go to improve something I have in process; others go to begin writing. I'm beyond the beginning point but by no means beyond learning new techniques.

I took two short stories, which I hope will become part of a novel-in-stories. One story was nearly at its final version. The other was good in the first half but ran off the rails in the second half. I knew that but had no clue how to fix it.

I was one of eleven in the class, which ranged from very accomplished to "I haven't written anything at all." Not the best mix to get the most of a workshop if you are at a more advanced level. We ended spending a a lot of time helping them understand basics like, "what's a cozy?" or "what do you mean by voice?" Hard to keep your perspective.

We had a collection of nine extremely accomplished writers, all of whom took their work pages away and looked the typing under layers of ink. We all marked everything up and gave the manuscripts back to the writer. We had almost 200 pages to read, reread, and critique. Death march by any other name.

When the group read my first story, they liked the textures I wove in; the voice, which was a ten-year-old boy; the sense of setting, and the plot. The instructor liked the fact that I used sentiment but never lapsed into sentimentality. You guessed it, one of the newbies wanted to know the difference. She'll learn.

As I said, I loved the experience. It was my sixth time, and I will return next year. I always prepare my absolute best work, only to find out it needs a lot of help. Look for me to be working though the suggested changes this weekend.

And now to rest. I'm brain dead. I really can't think about anything beyond dinner in a couple of hours, a glass of wine, and a long summer's nap. See ya on the other side.

End of My Dry Spell by Donna Michaels

Hi everyone,

I can't believe it's already been a whole month since my last post! I really have to stop blinking! On a good note, since my last post, I have had two releases! Yes! Two! I've no idea why that happens to me. lol I haven't had a release since March 6th...so that's a three month dry spell between releases, then Bam! Two releases in the span of four days! Crazy is my life, so why not spill into my writing life as well? ;-)

You already know about ELITE PROTECTOR from my last post, but now it's live! I'm so honored and excited to be one of the launch authors in Elle James' Brotherhood Protectors Kindle World!

ELITE PROTECTOR

Brotherhood Protectors KW

(Connected to the Dangerous Curves Series)

_{http://www.amazon.com/dp/B071WQYQL4}

He risks more than his life protecting the commander’s niece.

Lured to the mountains of Montana under the assumption her uncle and her godfather recommended her as a bodyguard for Brotherhood Protectors—an agency started by one of their former SEALs—Kat Crawford, former NIO, discovers too late, she’s really there as a client.

Former DEVGRU SEAL, Brogan “Sonic” O’Neal, dropped his packet to return to Montana to take over his grandfather’s woodshop and care for the dying man. A deathbed promise to “not” return to the teams sentences him to life without the adrenaline rush he craves, until an old SEAL buddy hires him as a part time bodyguard for Brotherhood Protectors.

A request to protect the niece of a former CO lands Brogan his first assignment, but it could be his last. Keeping objective is impossible. He’s watched the woman grow up through pictures in the commander’s office. Now she’s at Brogan’s cabin. Their chemistry is off the charts. And giving into their attraction is as inevitable as a Montana sunrise.

  

But when Kat suggests the Brotherhood uses her as bait to end the threats once and for all, Brogan realizes his feelings for the woman run deep. Can he resist the alpha need to protect her? If he does, will she survive? If he doesn’t, will their relationship?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

International Readers, click HERE for instructions on how to grab Kindle World books!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Four days after my KW release, I had my 3rd release with Entangled! THE RIGHT RANGER, released on 6/12/17!! The reviews have already been popping in, and they've been amazing! Here are a few:

Reviews

5 stars "This book is like a fresh baked brownie with ice cream on top! Hot and sweet and oh so good! ~Shawn, Goodreads

5 stars "This captivating read pulled me in from the from the first sentence and had me flying through the pages in search of what I hoped to be a very well deserved happily ever after, and I am happy to report that I found just what I was looking for... and more!" ~Red's Romance Reviews

THE RIGHT RANGER

Book 3/ The Men of At Ease Ranch Series

Amazon | iTunes | B & N | Kobo

Haley Wagner’s life just got a lot more complicated. As if turning her struggling ranch around isn’t tough enough, she’s forced to call him for help. With his hard eyes and even harder body, Cord is an irritatingly sexy contradiction of hot and cold. How can she possibly hide her embarrassing secret when just looking at Cord is a combustible event?

Former Army Ranger Cord Brannigan has a secret, too. He promised his fallen teammate he’d protect the tempting, fiercely independent Haley from a distance, but now they’re stuck together for three weeks. Alone. Keeping his hands off will take every ounce of control he can muster. And that control is slipping…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What's next for me? Well, I'm already back in my writing cave, penning Book 4 in The Men of At Ease Ranch series. This time, I get to play...I mean, write Vince's story!

And next month, July 13-15, I'll be in Nashville for the Weekend With The Authors conference! If you're in the area, I hope you'll drop in on Saturday for the book signing! I'm hoping to have print copies of The Right Ranger with me, along with the first two!! And I'll have some fun swag to hand out, including these Lula Belle themed pieces of swag!

Enjoy what's left of June!!

Thanks for reading,

~Donna
www.DonnaMichaelsAuthor.com

Favorite Summer Pie Recipe by Alison Henderson

As many of you know, OG is a big pie fan. Cake, not so much. Therefore, I bake him a pie for every special occasion, as well as many non-special ones. I thought I'd share one of his--and my--very favorite recipes.


When we moved from Minnesota to California, one of the things I really wanted was a lemon tree. We bought a small, patio Meyer Lemon tree that has been very happy on our sunny deck. It attracts lots of bees and hummingbirds, who also happily do their thing. The end result is a bumper crop of lemons, so I'm always looking for ways to use them. 

I highly recommend this recipe. It's delicious, and as far as I can tell, idiot-proof. 

OG's Favorite Meyer Lemon Pie

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3 large eggs
3 3/4 oz. Meyer lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Blend sugar, eggs, and lemon juice in a blender or with a hand mixer about 3 minutes. Pour in melted butter and blend for 30 seconds longer. Pour lemon filling into the unbaked crust. Bake until just set, approximately 30 to 35 minutes. The top may brown lightly. Allow pie to rest until cool and completely set. Top with whipped topping and refrigerate.

Try it. You won't be sorry!
Alison
www.alisonhenderson.com 

Two Days... by Christine DePetrillo

In two days, school is over. Done. The End. 

I'm beside myself with excitement. My insides are literally buzzing. It's time for  a list - Ten Things I Plan To Do This Summer! Are you ready? Here they are in no particular order.

1. Write, write, write, write, write, and write. I've got a book I'm currently revising. I have to re-read another book before sending to my editor and preparing it to be published. I also plan to start my new series revolving around random acts of kindness. I can't wait to dive into this new project!

2. Read, read, read. Summer is my time to truly eat books. I basically devour them all year, but when the sun is high in the sky (or the moon) and I don't have the pressures of work weighing me down, I can consume books at an alarming rate. Like, don't get in my way. Just back up slowly and let me finish my book meal.

3. Go to a conference in Disney! The Romance Writers of America 2017 Conference is in Disney World this July and I've already registered, booked flights and hotel, and secured a Park Hopper. I'm all in for some writing fun, hanging with other romance authors, and spending some time with Mickey! This will be the first time I've ever gone away by myself. Only took 40-something years! 

4. Commune with maple trees. I'm looking forward to hugging lots of Vermont trees this summer. This is my favorite season up there in the Northeast Kingdom. Everything is green and alive. I have a theory that if I had Dorothy's ruby slippers and knocked the heels together as I recited, "There's no place like home," Vermont is where those slippers would send me.  

5. Beach it. Every year I tell myself I will spend more time at the beach, but then I get lazy and settle for writing in the Outdoor Writing Office in my backyard instead of packing up my stuff and driving to the coast. All of a sudden it's August and I've only visited the beach once if that. Not this year. I'm determined to get salt air in my lungs and sand in my... well, I don't actually want sand anywhere it's not supposed to be. 

6. Hear some tunes. I'm trying to win Iron Maiden tickets. I've seen them before and they hold the number one position on my Top Concerts List, but I'd love to see them again. Great, great show with amazing music and wonderful stage performances. I also want to catch the Philharmonic. Last year they played at the beach, but I missed it. This year, I'm there.

7. Bike. Last year, we bought new bikes that I love. I want to explore new trails and cycle all around this summer. There is something about viewing the world from a bike that settles my soul.

8. Have girls' nights. Because... yeah... I've got to. Essential for sanity.

9. Do some school planning. A necessary evil. A school year of 180 days can seem like an eternity if I haven't done some organizing/reflection over the summer. 

10. Be a good doggie and kitty mommy. Summer allows me the freedom to spoil my pets with attention. My dog is always thrilled to have me home (Shut up. He told me so.) He follows me around every day. Or maybe I follow him. Perhaps a bit of both? Anyway, we're finishing each other's barks by the end of the summer because we've spent so much time together and I wouldn't have it any other way.

What are your summer plans? Even if you don't have the summer off, you must have some fun things to do on your agenda. Share 'em.

Toodles,
Chris
www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com 
The Maple Leaf Series, available now
The Shielded Series, available now
The Warrior Werewolves Series, coming soon!

Somebody, please, shoot me now

I say that, somewhat tongue in cheek.

I have 2 chapters to go to finish my WIP. I've been working on it since February, and I set a self-imposed deadline to write The End by June 20.

SO close. And yes, I'll probably hit my deadline. Everything else has slid while I finish this. Conference plans, plane tickets, medical appointments: on hold. I. Must. Finish. This. Book.

This was a tough one to write (don't I say that with every book?) It's a Punt Book -- this will punt my characters into the next round of conflict for the remaining volume of this 3 volume series. I had to come up with character (for 6 major characters) arcs, political arcs, and town arcs. Oh, and for the country and (soon to come) the world.

You see, that's the problem with world-building. It's easy to tear it apart. Now I'm trying to put it back together.

This is a note I have on my computer: "It's not what you want the story to be. It's what the story is." I've had to pull my fingers away from writing the story I want to happen to focus on what the story really is. The story really is about angst and loss and worry and fear. Yes, they'll have good times. But that's in the future. This is now.

And it's been hard to write it. I've killed off characters I really loved, I've set tasks for my h/h that are soul-trying, and I've pushed everyone to their limits.

Nine more days and I *will* write "The End".

She said hopefully ...

J L
(jayellwilson.com)