Category Archives: Uncategorized
Mystery on the Jersey shore
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND KAREN CINO!!!
Hi All! I am so thrilled to be here today. My writing career has been such a journey. Even as the market changes, my heart and soul remain in one place. The Beach. Through the years I have intertwined my love of the Jersey Shore into my books. I love the beach so much that nine years ago, I moved down to the shore. My new series Jersey Route 35 Cozy Mystery Series takes place at the Jersey Shore, Seaside Heights, Exit 82 to be exact. And before you ask, I have never watched the MTV show Jersey Shore, nor have I frequented any of the places they were at.
I got into writing cozy mysteries because of my sense of adventure. In my earlier years, I was an investigative reporter and loved sneaking around in search of answers. I guess it was the curiosity that always got the best of me. That’s why, in the first book in the series, Seaside Reboot brings the main character back to the place that she always loved. She finds herself on the boardwalk, dipping her feet at the water’s edge. The main characters will bring you down the boardwalk to visit so many of the attractions throughout the series. The series is available on all platforms.
Thank you for stopping by. Feel free to reach out to me.
BUY LINK
BLURB
Vicki Bandini never expected to be returning home to the family beach house on the New Jersey Shore, let alone inherit her daughter’s businesses. Sitting in her driveway is a 1962 Transporter that’s literally a beach store on wheels. The winter business consists of cleaning out estates. Days after her arrival, she goes on a last minute job her daughter had gotten. Before she starts cleaning, she finds a dead body up in the bedroom.
To her surprise, the detective who arrives was her high school sweetheart. Along the way, she meets a retired police photographer named Angie who winds up being her partner in crime as they both try to solve the murder.
To add to the confusion is an old family feud with her next door neighbor. Completing the chaos is when old sparks ignite with the handsome detective. Will Vicki be able to keep the past on the back burner, and her nose out of the investigation?
EXCERPT
Vicki Bandini stood on the back deck with the sleeves of her sweater pulled over her fingertips. For early May the temperature was well below average. The ocean’s waves were calm as the sunrise rippled across the water. This was her favorite time of the day.
Moving back to the Jersey Shore to her family’s summerhouse would be a big adjustment, especially being a widow. When she and Sean first got married, they’d enjoyed living at the beach. She was devastated when he got transferred to Queens. But now she had moved back into the family beach house where her daughter, husband, and granddaughter had lived.
When her son-in-law’s company announced its move to South Carolina, Vicki was distraught. Their weekly Sunday dinners at Vicki’s house were now a thing of the past, and spending time with her granddaughter would be via FaceTime.
As a teenager, Vicki sorted out her problems on this deck. After she buried Sean, she came to spend a few days with her daughter and spent most of her time sitting out here on the swing. His death had been unexpected and happened so fast. It was hard to wrap around her head that her husband passed away from colon cancer right before his forty-fourth birthday. She never expected to be back in her hometown as a widow, having to start over again. She hadn’t had time to digest that he had colon cancer that had spread throughout his body, before he was gone. Who would’ve thought that at forty-eight she would be a widow?
With her daughter and her family having moved, Vicki was left to run her daughter’s two businesses: Mia’s Residential Home Cleanout and Jersey Shore Beach Shop on Wheels. Vicki could picture herself driving the 1962 Volkswagen transporter, selling all kinds of beach accessories, but the cleanout business, she knew, would be backbreaking. She would finish out the customers already on the schedule and then decide if she wanted to continue during the off-season. It wasn’t as if she needed the money, Sean had made sure he’d provided for her after he’d passed.
Vickie opened the sliding glass door and went into the house. It was still early, she hoped there would be an influx of warm weather later in the day. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, bringing her back to the day she came home from her honeymoon. This house brought back so many memories of when she was growing up. Her parents had bought it and they’d used it as their summerhouse until deciding to make it their primary resident just before she started high school. Right before she had gotten married, her parents had moved down to Florida, and Sean and she moved into the summerhouse. Within the first year of their marriage, they’d put on an extension taking the bungalow from two bedrooms and one bath to three bedrooms with a family room.
The landline rang, bringing her out of her flashback, and she followed the ring until she located the phone on the mantel. “Hello.”
“Is this Mia’s Residential Home Cleanout service?”
“Yes. How may I help you?”
“Hi. It’s Neil Adams. Just verifying you’ll be at 43 Hummingbird Road tomorrow morning at ten.”
Vicki opened the appointment book and saw the entry. “Yes, I’ll be there.”
“As we previously discussed, I need you to pack up the remaining clothes and donate them to some charity. The house is being sold fully furnished. Anything you come across that’s personal, let me know.”
“Okay.”
“The realtor will leave the key under the planter on the porch. When you’re done and the realtor gives the thumbs up, I’ll pay you through PayPal.”
Vicki agreed, since she had no clue as to what Mia had worked out with him. It would have been nice if she had gone over the upcoming jobs. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow when the job is completed.” Before she could say anything else, he had already hung up. “Thanks Mia,” Vicki said. She took the appointment book into the kitchen and plopped into the chair.
She flipped through the rest of May and was relieved to see there weren’t many jobs booked. She needed to speak with Mia about this cleaning business. She hated cleaning her own house, let alone cleaning someone else’s. But Mia told her the money she made during the winter months was enough to carry her through the year. Since there was only a handful of jobs scheduled for the rest of the month, she would finish them out, and then reevaluate if she wanted to continue. In her next conversation with Mia, she would discuss the future of the company.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Website http://karencino.com
Blog http://karencinobooks.com
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008LCG31Y
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4444484.Karen_Cino
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/karencino
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An adventurous life
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND ANNE FOWLER!!
“I’ve Worn Many Hats” is a no holds barred memoir of my unorthodox life lived in a manner regularly viewed as risky and on the edge, frequently laughable, occasionally full of hardship, but never boring! The candid account spanning decades of a long bumpy life evokes many emotions; laughter, empathy, shock, admiration. As you read the first half you may find yourself going back, re-reading and thinking, “she did what?!” In the book’s second half you will discover what inspired me to make such a drastic life change, leaving behind a long successful career in human resources to pursue philanthropic work for the people of Honduras.
Here is an excerpt from the book relating one of my adventures while an American Airlines stewardess! (*MAL is short for my full name of Margaret Anne Louise)
Mother wanted to come to Dallas for a visit but since I didn’t yet have enough time under my belt to allow a family pass, MAL would have to find another way to facilitate a free parental trip and this was it!
Blissfully unaware of any subterfuge, Mother remained in the dark until she was actually airborne. It was at this point that MAL fessed up and gave Audrey instructions on her responsibilities. “Do not be seen!”
Fortunately, Audrey was a tiny barely five -foot package which allowed her to fit into a variety of small spaces including the obvious hiding place of the lavatory……where she did hide at each stopover. An added bonus, there was only one additional flight attendant on the DC-6 plane. Unfortunately, we were flying on a multi stop, prop puddle jumper route from Buffalo to Dallas which necessitated frequent boarding by food service personnel.
Somehow, we pulled it off without incident but Mother almost suffered a heart attack in the process. Although she didn’t report the crime, it took the other stew years to forgive MAL her blatant breech of protocol. Getting Mom back on the homeward bound flight to Toronto required much apologizing and groveling on my part in addition to the embarrassment of begging money from my father to purchase her return ticket.
I believe you will think I showed good judgment by never again bidding on a Buffalo flight. Three Buffalo strikes and I might be out.”
BIO
I grew up in Toronto and like many of my generation, pursued a career in nursing. It was not for me and I bailed to join American Airlines as a stewardess, known these days as flight attendant. My love of travel did not end when I left that job and I continued to visit countries around the globe throughout my 83 years! However, the bulk of my business career was spent in human resources and for almost thirty years I owned the well known Toronto personnel agency, Hamilton Enterprises. In 2000, I closed my company and “retired” to pursue philanthropic projects in Honduras where I now spend six months of each year. See my web site: http://anne.honduranhope.net. I have two children, two grandchildren, two grand dogs and outlived two ex husbands. My very full life has taken me down roads I never expected to travel; some filled with interesting, but risky, adventures. I’ve been accorded unforeseen opportunities both in business and my personal life, blessed with a loving family, supportive friends and the belief that I am following the path that God intended; life is good!
It takes two steps forward to get that story out there
It was thrilling to officially complete the first draft of what was to become my debut novel, “Skye, Revised.” Other writers may know that joyful rush of typing “the end.” However, in this particular case, a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach told me my manuscript wasn’t quite ready yet. There was something that needed fixing and I wasn’t quite sure what it was.
As I started editing of “Skye, Revised,” I was gifted with a series of quiet mornings while my son slept in. (Those with young children will understand this is, in fact, a gift.) I used those hours to their full capacity, editing “Skye, Revised” in part using Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat story structure as well as utilizing some of her Writing Mastery courses. The Save the Cat beats emphasize that the character’s world must look quite different from the beginning of the story to the latter parts. It was a great fit for “Skye, Revised” as my main character wakes up from her disappointing life to find she is an adored and world famous pop star.
I powered on in the editing of this book, adding scenes and taking them away, to create a story that was cohesive, and hopefully, a fun ride for readers. After I was finished, I let it sit. I felt in my bones that the story was complete…yet was I truly ready to send it out? Wasn’t there something else I needed to do first? A few months later, I realized it was, in fact, time. What was I waiting for?
I queried a small number of agents and publishers, including my future publisher The Wild Rose Press. Things moved fairly quickly after that. I received a positive response from my now-publisher and was soon under contract. The experience was a good reminder that sometimes we need to give a story time to understand where it really wants to go and then we might need a good kick in the pants to get it submitted. It would have been all too easy to keep “Skye, Revised” in the proverbial drawer. Instead, I get to share it with you.
Skye, Revised” Excerpt
“She’s coming to-day.”
I looked up from my phone to Francesca’s frantic face. My boss was standing at the front of the room, just outside her glass-encased office. Dallas and Denver were at their desks on either side of me.
“Yes, we know.” Denver’s tone was bored as she ran a file against the top of her nail. “And we’re doing all we can…”
“Did you literally just say that to me—” Francesca said. “—when you’re filing your nails?”
Dallas scooted out from behind her desk, hurried toward Francesca, and put a red-tipped hand on each of her shoulders.
“Remember, you always get like this before we meet a new client.” Dallas spoke as if she were calming an irate child. “But we’ve got everything under control. We’ve been planning this for weeks.”
Though Dallas and Denver were not sisters, they looked as if they could have been. Both women were tall and willowy, with long blonde hair and skinny limbs that flitted around from texting to typing to delivering Francesca her morning latte. Incidentally, they were also both named after the cities they were conceived in.
“It’s just so unromantic,” Denver had complained of her name shortly after we met. “Why not just name me Philly or Tucson?”
I looked up as Dallas continued moving her hands over Francesca’s shoulders in a sweeping motion. It seemed to be working. Then, the shrill ring of the phone jolted Francesca back to a frantic state.
“I got it,” I said, raising my hand authoritatively.
“Hello,” said a male voice on the other end. “This is Roger, Personal Assistant of Sissy Stone.”
“Yes, hello?” Though I felt tense, I gave Francesca a confident smile.
“I need to go over what will happen today during Sissy’s powwow with Francesca. Who am I speaking to, please?”
“Oh, um, Skye Peters, Associate Public Relations Professional.”
“Is Francesca available?”
Noting my boss’s bloodshot eyes, I decided to protect her from further stress. “She’s…indisposed. I can assist you.”
Sighing with a mixture of irritation and ambivalence, Roger went on. “Okay, will there be a private room where Sissy can freshen up?”
“Um…” I glanced around the open-style design. It consisted of three metal desks positioned outside of Francesca’s office. My eyes darted to the conference room. “Sure, yes, of course.”
“Terrific,” Roger said blandly. “Sissy likes every room she enters to be filled with a large, let me repeat, large vase of crimson red—that’s crimson red, not pink, not yellow, and not pale red—roses. And she likes the room to smell like roses. So, a floral-scented candle may be necessary.”
I swallowed, scribbling down his comments. Roses. Deep Red. Scent everywhere. I underlined “everywhere” as Francesca, Dallas, and Denver stared at me in tense silence. “Okay, sure, terrific.”
“And Sissy asks that no one make eye contact unless she makes eye contact with them first and says the magic word.”
Roger paused, making me fear I was supposed to know what the word was. Luckily, he proceeded.
“Well, then.”
Though that was technically two words, I held my tongue.
“We’ll make sure everything is set up to Sissy’s specific needs. She has nothing to worry about. We’ll see her soon.”
“Uh-uh.” Click.
BIO and buy links:
Pamela Spradlin Mahajan is the author of Skye, Revised, a women’s fiction novel with a delicious dash of magical realism and romance. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and creative writing from Missouri State University and a Masters from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Her recent short stories have appeared in the online literary journal “They Call Us” and she has been honored in the WOW! Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest. A native of Springfield, Mo., Pamela lives with her family in Kansas City, where in addition to writing women’s fiction, she also works as a copywriter, journalist, and reseller.
Skye, Revised – Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Social Media Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamelajsm/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pjsmahajan
Paranormal pleasures
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND LISABET SARAI!!
I’ve always believed in magic. When I was a child, I had rituals to ensure that there’d be a snow day on the morrow, or that the teacher would forget to give us homework. Sometimes they worked – more often, it seemed, than would be true by chance. We lived in a semi-rural area and my father would spin tales of ghosts, demons and other creatures of power that lived in the woods around our house, chilling and delighting me and my siblings. Later, I’d catch glimpses of these supernatural denizens out of the corner of my eye and I’d know I wasn’t alone. Somehow, I was never truly afraid. I accepted that there were more things in heaven and earth than television, arithmetic and doing my chores.
When it comes to the paranormal, I’ve never really grown up. I haven’t personally encountered any spirits, but from time to time I’ve had vivid, prescient dreams and even waking premonitions that turned out to be true. I’m convinced that on rare occasions I have experienced telepathy. And sometimes, it seems that I have the ability to cast spells and shape reality, to materialize my fantasies.
That is, of course, what writers do – make our fantasies real. Writing paranormal fiction lets me indulge my belief in the powers beyond the mundane surface of our world.
I’ve crafted quite a few paranormal tales, ranging from dark and edgy (Fourth World) to deeply romantic (The Eyes of Bast) to borderline silly (Rajasthani Moon). Paranormal romance is, of course, a hugely popular sub-genre, but it tends toward clichés. I often find myself pushing the boundaries, trying to do something a bit different.
My latest release, Fangs, Fur and the Single Girl, is not your typical PNR novel. It’s a weird blend of romance, eroticism, horror and humor. I do hope, however, that the book provides what I consider to be the essence of a paranormal story: a feeling of wonder. And since it is, fundamentally, a romance, it also includes a possibly odd but hopefully satisfying happy ending.
A tragically attractive vampire, a hunky wolf-man and a skeptical but susceptible career gal. What could possibly go wrong?
Bianca Sorenson understands obsession. Her phenomenally successful Vamp magazine feeds the popular fascination with the undead. The city is full of fanatics who want to believe vampires are real. Bianca knows that’s a fantasy. Then a blond, blue-eyed blood drinker walks into her office looking for a model’s job and turns her universe upside down. Jim Bush hasn’t been a vampire for long, but his terrible history and seductive hunger undermine Bianca’s single-minded ambition and her cherished self-control.
Trying to escape from Jim’s disturbing influence, she collides with a shaggy giant of a man whose mere presence inspires irresistible lust. When Zack Kane reveals that he’s a wolf shifter and claims Bianca as his mate, she finds herself on the horns of a supernatural dilemma. How can she resolve her feelings for her two mutually hostile lovers while defusing a city-wide conflict between the vampire clique and the werewolf pack?
Fans of Twilight: get ready for a wilder ride than you ever imagined!
Buy Links
Kinky Literature – https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/1508-fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl/
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXF755SM
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CXF755SM
Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1540924
Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl-lisabet-sarai/1145179250?ean=2940167695276
Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl
Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6480071026
Add on Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210320373-fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl
Add on Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl-by-lisabet-sarai
About Lisabet
Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, GLBT, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.
You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh
EXCERPT: (alert: R-rated)
Gratitude and affection swelled in her chest. “Thank you, both of you, for coming together to find me. I know that must have been difficult for you.”
Neither man replied. They were holding on, holding back. The three-way tension wound tighter than ever.
How could she give them what they wanted? What they needed? Was it possible to satisfy them both?
When she met Zack’s gaze, her tooth-marked shoulder ached. Naked desire burned in his eyes. Answering heat bloomed in her sex, setting her aflame. If they touched, she’d be seared to a crisp.
He flashed her an uncertain smile, his full lips curling back to reveal his pointed teeth. One big hand clutched the other, as if he were wrestling with the urge to grab her. A whiff of his scent reached her, the earthy animal odor that drove her wild. He was so powerful, yet so vulnerable.
Her pussy wept while her heart melted. Until he was inside her, she’d be incomplete.
Her eyes swung toward Jim and a thousand volts shot through her, straight to her core. All at once she was acutely aware of the blood that surged within her, ebbing and flowing like the sea. Blood swelled her nipples and clit, engorged her labia, beat a frantic tattoo in her throat. The vampire stood perfectly still, with his golden hair shining in the muted light and his black eyes sharp as obsidian. Silent and motionless, he called to her. Come, Bianca. Come and lose yourself in me.
Dark craving swamped her. How could she ignore his summons?
The werewolf and the vampire stood before her, offering both love and desire. Only a madwoman would accept.
Well aware that she courted mortal danger, she shrugged her gown off her shoulders and let it slide along her curves to pool at her feet. Zack sucked in his breath. Jim’s eyes flashed red.
Wisdom and rationality fled. Naked, she stepped away from the crumpled satin, toward her lovers. Understanding that the precarious balance of the triangle might crumble at any moment, she reached out her hands to grasp theirs.
Characters leave, authors live on
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND HELEN HENDERSON!!
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about what happens when an author types, “The End.” It could be the result of having yet another birthday, the great-niece’s comment, “Aunt H, you’re old,” or the previews of the NCIS memorial episode to Doctor Donald “Ducky” Mallard. My first introduction to David McCallum was not the mature medical examiner, but as the brooding, blond-haired Russian spy, Illya Kuryakin. Yes I know that dates my age.
There are several points in a manuscript’s life marked by an end. One is when the manuscript is finished. Others are when the author sends the novel off to an editor, and the big highpoint, when their work is released to the general public. Repeat with book 2, and 3, and then there is the final goodbye to the series and the characters you have lived with for months or years. So far I have lived through the grief of ending the Windmaster Novels and the Dragshi Chronicles. With Fire and Redemption scheduled for an April 2024 publication, I should be feeling the euphoria of a release. However, there is a sense of emptiness and maybe a hint of melancholy. I know that while Fire and Redemption finished the tale of Brial and Karst, it is not the end of a series. I have already started work on scribing one more of Deneas and Trelleir’s adventures. But I do know that when that story is captured, I will be saying farewell to the dragon and the slayer that captured his heart. If intrigued, the beginning the story that began the Tear Stone Collectors is talked about here. https://lyndialexander.wordpress.com/2022/05/09/having-a-slayer-as-a-friend-is-dangerous-when-youre-a-dragon/
Characters Leave, Authors Live On. The best thing we can do for our readers is to keep on writing, to create new worlds of imagination for the reader to explore and new characters to meet and have adventures.
Bio: Although the author of several local histories, and numerous articles on the topics of American and military history, antiques and collectibles, Henderson’s first love is fiction. Her work in the museum and history fields enables a special insight into creating fantasy worlds. The descendant of a coal-miner’s daughter and an aviation flight engineer, her writing reflects the contrasts of her heritage as well as that of her Gemini sign. Her stories cross genres from historical westerns to science fiction and fantasy. In the world of fantasy and fantasy romance, she is the author of the Dragshi Chronicles, The Windmaster Novels and the Tear Stone Collectors. Her stand-alone works include the dark fantasy, Imprisoned in Stone and the military tribute, Hearth and Sand.
In her books, she invites readers to join her on travels through the stars or among fantasy worlds of the imagination.
Where to find the author:
Blog/Website: https://helenhenderson-author.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenHenderson.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/history2write
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/777491.Helen_Henderson
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Helen-Henderson/author/B001HPM2XK
Title of book: Fire and Redemption
Genre of book: Dragon Magic Fantasy
Expelled from the dragon isle, Medraut is forced to shed his wings and take on human form to live amongst the people of the mainland. To have the future she desires, Brial must survive the fever, raiders, and most of all, Medraut’s dragon ability to control minds. Karst, son of the head slayer, disowned and sent on an impossible quest to kill a dragon, made himself a home in the trading wagons of Clan Vreis. His newfound happiness and hope for a future with Brial is threatened when the caravan stops to help an injured man lying in the middle of the trail.
Three men and a dragon desire the same woman. One wants her for power, one for her beauty, and one for love. The dragon just wants her.
Excerpt:
Terse commands sent the helwr to bring back Brial’s grandfather. Hopefully, Feldt can convince Brial what is best for her.
Hoofbeats announced the caravan leader’s arrival. “Tywyll said you wanted me?” Before Karst could answer the older man scanned the drivers of the following wagons. A worried expression on his face, he raised his eyebrows in question. “Brial?”
Karst forced out the words through his tight throat. “She has the fever.”
“Are you sure?”
Different responses raced through Karst’s mind. He didn’t want to raise a false alarm but needed Feldt’s help. “I have not kissed her forehead like the gray-haired ones do to test the heat, but Brial has stumbled several times. She is shuffling and leans on the hauler beasts to stay upright.” He paused to control his growing terror. “Tywyll and I are afraid she will fall under the hauler’s hooves or be run over by the wagons.”
Feldt stayed silent so long Karst thought he had overplayed his hand. “The evening air has a chill to it. My granddaughter does seem more flushed than called for. You were right to call me, Karst. She will not leave her post unless I order her to. Wait here. I will talk to her.” A kick sent his mount galloping past one slow-moving wagon after another to wheel beside Brial. The horse walked slowly, keeping pace with the wagon. The words Feldt spoke were unintelligible, but the shake of Brial’s head told of her rejection of whatever her grandfather had said.
The argument carried on for several minutes before Feldt stepped down from the saddle. No sooner had his feet touched the ground than Brial stumbled, falling to her knees. Dragged along, the force of the movement tore her hands from the harness.
“No!” Throat muscles spasmed with the force of the scream. Even though Karst knew he could not reach her in time, he had to try to save her. His body refused demands to race to Brial. He couldn’t move. “Nooo.” This time the sound came out as a moan.
Buy Links:
Amazon – https://www.amzn.com/B0CY7ZDFBJ
Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1537238
More Sales Sites: https://books2read.com/fire-and-redemption
Belle Isle: a park in the heart of the city
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND, CHRISTINA LYNN LAMBERT!!
I was born and raised in Virginia and currently live about two hours from the ocean and three hours from the mountains. During the winter, though, I’m not likely to leave my warm house unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’m not a big fan of winter so I am counting the days until the temperatures rise and the flowers and trees start to look alive again. One of my favorite local spots to go once the weathers begins to warm up is Belle Isle, in the heart of the city of Richmond.
The traffic and bright, hectic energy of the city surrounds the island but once I park my car and walk across the street, it’s like entering another world. A suspended foot bridge provides a path over the depths of the James River. At the end of the bridge, defunct train tracks and rusty transmission towers nearly obscure the mouth of the forest. A dirt trail leads hikers to the shore of the river. The huge, flat rocks rising up from the water create the perfect place to sit and read a book or have picnic.
Belle Isle has been occupied by many things over last few centuries including a fishery, a nail factory, a small town, and an iron works facility. The island was also a prison during the civil war. In 1973, Belle Isle became a park. Wildlife and nature thrived where destruction of the land and suffering had once occurred. From the flat rocks above the water, I can see the old Tredegar Ironworks, historic Hollywood Cemetery, kayakers working their way through the rapids, and in the distance, there is the city. On the island though, there is a pause, a temporary peace.
Belle Isle has been a source of inspiration for my writing over the years. Being outside helps me feel connected to the most essential things, the things that really matter. The island is nature rising once again, but nature didn’t obliterate all signs of the past. The island entwined itself into the old structures. A reminder. The view of the city remains just as the truth and the past remain. In the heart of Richmond City, the island is a place of hope and harmony.
Blurb:
Kylie was the victim of a brutal experiment that gave her telekinetic abilities. Coyote shifter Trevor doesn’t trust the psy but when his feelings for Kylie grow out of control, will he risk everything to be with her? When a deranged doctor has disturbing plans for shifters and psy, can Trevor and Kylie stop him, or will they be silenced forever?
Excerpt:
Blackwell didn’t introduce Trevor to the mystery woman, though, and that sent his curiosity into caution mode. The purple-haired beauty gave him a wary look before glancing back down at the computer tablet in her hand. Right. Business. Trevor had obviously interrupted a meeting. He’d stopped by Matt Blackwell’s hotel room to drop off a folder full of intel and surveillance photos. He needed to find an excuse to stay and talk to the woman with lovely dark brown eyes.
“Thanks for taking care of the research,” Blackwell gave him a nod. “Set the info on my desk and I’ll take a look before the meeting tonight.”
Trevor walked past the mystery woman and set the folder full of information on the small desk beside the coffee table. He stole another, longer glance at the woman. Her nails were painted indigo blue. His favorite color. The tattoos winding around her arms seemed to be in motion, encircling her in their safety. Weird trick of the light. Had to be. He rubbed his eyes. Blinked. The tattoos went still. The woman smelled amazing, like wildflowers after the rain, but she didn’t smell like a shifter. Didn’t mean she wasn’t one.
Scent blockers made it easy for shifters to mask their unique scent, to a degree. The blockers also did a fairly good job at hiding other smells shifters could detect, like fear, desire, and rage. Even so, Trevor could almost always detect hints of the slightly rancid, faint garbage aroma of the blockers, no matter what brand or what home recipe a person used. Coyote shifters could pick up on smells most other shifters couldn’t.
What is the woman with the willowy tattoos? Was she a threat to Blackwell? Maybe a rabbit shifter? Rabbit shifters were the only animal shifters who carried no animal scent, but their eyes…. Not a specific color, just a look. Plus, they usually liked to flash their double rows of horrifying sharp teeth upon meeting other shifters. Just for a flex. The rabbits could be mean when bothered unnecessarily, but mostly, they were pretty decent. The woman caught him looking again and gave him a little half smile. Her pretty eyes with long, thick lashes were definitely not the strange eyes of a rabbit shifter.
“I’ll see you later, Trevor.” Blackwell gave him a pointed stare.
“You’re alright here?”
“I’m fine. I have Nathan,” Blackwell gestured to his giant assistant and body guard who was seated in a chair in the kitchenette, reading a book.
No code phrases were used, and Trevor didn’t detect any signs of distress from the mountain lion shifter or his bear shifter assistant. Trevor nodded. Apparently, Blackwell had no intention of introducing him to the woman sitting with him. Nathan, grinned at Trevor, like he knew something. Fine, Nathan could keep his secret. But Trevor would get information, one way or another.
Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZT58GXZ
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coyotes-vow-christina-lynn-lambert/1143274092?ean=2940185830819
Kobo Books: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/coyote-s-vow
Author Bio:
Before I had the wild idea to write a book, I worked in a few different fields. I was in sales for a while, and after I finished college, I worked as a case manager. When my children were little, I was a personal trainer and running coach. During the evenings, when I was supposed to be studying for another fitness training certification, I started writing a story. Finally, I gave in and acknowledged that writing is what I’m meant to do. I love creating imperfect but determined characters who find the courage to love and the strength to survive in a world where there are no guarantees. My stories include a fair amount of sarcasm, suspense, steam, and violence. When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time outside and finding ways to avoid cooking. I live in beautiful Virginia with my husband, two teenagers, a sweet, hairy monster of a dog, and two devious cats.
Author Social Media Links:
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Lynn-Lambert/e/B01MCYK0K7
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christina-lynn-lambert
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WordPress: https://christinalynnlambertwordpress.com
My ebooks on sale NOW!!!!
All my ebooks on Smashwords are 99 cents this month–YES, you can have a whole series for less than a cup at Starbucks. And they last a lot longer! Check them out here–https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lyndialexander
Be all caught up with the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot before book five comes out this fall!
Love is not just for the young…
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND SEELIE KAY!
Love comes in all shapes and sizes, and it doesn’t discriminate. But other people do.
In life, as in books, it is rare to witness a passionate romance between two middle-aged or senior adults. Why is that? Sure, we’re older. We may have a few wrinkles, maybe gray hair. When it rains, our bones ache, and we step carefully on ice so we don’t break a hip. But that doesn’t mean our loins aren’t stirred by a handsome stranger. Butterflies still take flight at instant attraction or when cupid’s arrow strikes.
And I want to read more stories about people my age falling in love. With wild, passionate love. Erotic hijinks and kinky sex. Just because I’m in midlife does not mean I have become a dried-up old prune with a cold heart. That’s why I wrote “Broken Down Cowboy.” I have always had a fondness for cowboys, so I created a story about two middle-aged people who, despite their differences, fall in love. It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s romantic, it’s somewhat steamy, but in the end, they find what they didn’t even know they needed. Love!
Blurb:
When is it time to take a leap of faith? When the man holding the net is a sexy, middle-aged cowboy!
Tea shop owner and pastry chef Bailey Willis is nonplussed when she finds a handsome Texan sprawled out on the floor of A Spot of Tea. Trevor Anderson, on the other hand, is instantly smitten. Some might call him a broken-down cowboy, but that doesn’t mean he lacks the ability to pursue a beautiful woman, even if she is a northerner and a Green Bay Packers fan! Unfortunately, Bailey has other things on her mind, like winning the Hales Corners, WI holiday bake-off. When Trevor provides a valuable assist, Bailey begins to regard him in a different light. Too bad he’s planning to head back to his ranch after the new year. Will Bailey agree to wear Trevor’s Texas-size ring? Will Trevor agree to settle in the frozen tundra, the site of one of the Dallas Cowboys’ most humiliating defeats? Hold on to your cowboy hats folks, this tale of romance is going to take you for a ride. Texas style!
Excerpt #1:
Before Mrs. Franklin could respond, they heard a loud crash, and then the sound of breaking glass. The floor seemed to shake.
Bailey paled and quickly curtsied. “Excuse me, please.” She hurried back into the kitchen where her chef, Spencer, held a substantial pastry brush and was swatting a man sprawled out on the floor. A black cowboy hat sat at the man’s feet. “Spencer, what the devil? We do not beat on our customers.” She extended an arm to the man and helped him to his feet. “Now, will someone please explain to me what’s going on?”
Spencer’s victim picked up his hat and slapped it on his leg, then reshaped the crown. He placed the hat on his head. His soft brown eyes, punctuated by crow’s feet that appeared carved into his tan face, gazed at Bailey, and his full lips curled up in a cocky grin. “Sorry, ma’am,” he drawled in a sexy baritone. “I didn’t mean to disturb you, but my daughter sent me to pick up her order for my granddaughter’s birthday party. I saw how crowded it was out front, so I thought it best to come ‘round to the back door.” He made a face. “Not sure how I wound up on the floor. Guess I slipped.” He shrugged and chuckled. “Guess that happens to those of us ready for the pasture.”
Bailey squelched a sigh. Pasture my eye. He couldn’t be more than fifty, around her age. This guy could be on the cover of a romance novel. He was tall and sturdy, with curly dark hair, bushy eyebrows, and just a hint of a five o’clock shadow. And that voice. She could just imagine the man whispering into her ear after a night of passionate sex. A tiny shiver raced up and down her spine. She was exiting her forties, but her body was not immune to a handsome cowboy. Damn, he was fine.
Spencer planted his hands on his skinny hips and scowled. “He didn’t knock. He just whipped open the door and barged on in. Scared the bejesus out of me. I dropped a water glass.” He shot the cowboy a dirty look. “His boots must be wet because he took a less-than-graceful tumble. You know, ass over teakettle? You may be all that in Texas, cowboy. But in Wisconsin, we wipe our feet before entering a building.” He clucked his tongue and tossed his head. “Everyone knows what happens when you track in snow.”
The cowboy held up his hands and tried to squelch a grin. “Hey, I apologize. In my defense, I knocked several times. When no one responded, I just thought it would be easier to come in…”
“Oh, for Pete’s Sake. Did you grow up in a barn?” Spencer huffed. “I need to go clean up. I’ve got enough flour on me to enter a powder puff derby.” He flounced away, muttering about uncouth cowboys with bull crap on their boots.
Bailey rolled her eyes and giggled. She smiled at the man. “I hope that pastry brush didn’t seriously injure you.”
The man chortled. “I’m a bit buttered up, but it beats my granddaughter’s fingerpaints all over my face. As long as he doesn’t force me into an oven, I think I’ll be fine.”
Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOPNBT7LHa4
Buy links—
Publisher: https://www.extasybooks.com/Broken-Down-Cowboy
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Down-Cowboy-Seelie-Kay/dp/148744012X
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/broken-down-cowboy-seelie-kay/1144463727?ean=9781487440121
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/broken-down-cowboy-by-seelie-kay
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201784722-broken-down-cowboy
About Seelie Kay
Writing under a nom de plume, the former lawyer and journalist draws her stories from more than 30 years in the legal world. Seelie’s creative pen has resulted in more than twenty tales of contemporary, erotic, and paranormal romance, and romantic suspense.
Seelie resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, WI, where she enjoys opera, the Green Bay Packers, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.
She is also an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis.
Seelie can be found on most social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. To subscribe to her newsletter, please visit https://rb.gy/w69pim.
Author links
Website: https://www.seeliekay.com
Blog: https://www.seeliekay.blogspot.com
Twitter: @SeelieKay https://twitter.com/SeelieKay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seelie.kay.77
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Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Seelie-Kay/e/B074RDRWNZ/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/seelie-kay
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorseeliekay
Newsletter sign-up: https://rb.gy/w69pim
Prior Books
Kinky Briefs: https://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs-1
Kinky Briefs, Too: https://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs,-too
Kinky Briefs, Thrice: https://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs,-thrice
Kinky Briefs, Quatro: https://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs,-quatro
Kinky Briefs, Cinque: https://www.extasybooks.com/kinky-briefs,-cinque
Snatching Dianna: https://www.extasybooks.com/snatching-dianna
Infamy: https://www.extasybooks.com/infamy
Cult: https://www.extasybooks.com/cult
Hope: https://www.extasybooks.com/hope
Martimus: https://www.extasybooks.com/martimus
The Garage Dweller: https://www.extasybooks.com/the-garage-dweller
The President’s Wife: https://www.extasybooks.com/the-presidents-wife
Seizing Hope: https://www.extasybooks.com/seizing-hope
The White House Wedding: https://www.extasybooks.com/the-white-house-wedding
The Last Christmas: https://www.extasybooks.com/the-last-christmas
The President’s Daughter: https://www.extasybooks.com/the-presidents-daughter
A Touchdown to Remember: https://www.extasybooks.com/a-touchdown-to-remember
First, We Kill All the Lawyers: https://www.extasybooks.com/first,-we-kill-all-the-lawyers
Ye Gods! The Law is an Ass!: https://www.extasybooks.com/ye-god-the-law-is-an-ass
Vive la Resistance: https://www.extasybooks.com/Vive-la-Resistance
In the Midst of Angels: https://www.extasybooks.com/In-the-Midst-of-Angels
Saint Con: https://www.extasybooks.com/Saint-Con
Setting by memory in the Florida Keys
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND MARIA IMBALZANO!!
Key West is one of my favorite places to visit. My husband and I go there twice a year and have been for the past 37 years. Since I know the island so well and have done many of the water and land activities they have to offer, Key West was the perfect setting for “Island Detour” (although I did change the name of the island to Sunrise Island).
Sophie Kearns, the heroine of this book, takes a temporary teaching position at Sunrise Island School. When she arrives, she learns that outdoor skills are as important as academics, and her lack of the former has her at a distinct disadvantage
It was so much fun looking back to some of my failed encounters with nature in the Keys as I was writing this book. Kayaking was my number one disaster. My husband and I, along with our two teenaged daughters at the time, signed up for a kayaking tour through the mangroves. There were about seven kayaks, all two-person, on the tour. My older daughter came with me, because my younger daughter always asked whether I ever did something in the past before deciding whether to come with me. Of course, I had never kayaked, so she opted for her dad. (She did the same thing when we went snowmobiling) What a traitor!
I should have paid more attention to the instructor, but I’m sure my older daughter and I were talking. She was always being reported as way too chatty in school. I took the rear, which is the steering spot. We all followed our tour guide out into the shallow waters as we headed toward the mangroves. Unfortunately, we were not in sync with our paddling and ended up spinning around in circles, causing us to laugh uncontrollably and get further away from our guide. At some point, he gave up on us. Now when we go kayaking, I make sure my husband sits in the back.
There are scenes in this book where I imagined myself doing what I have Sophie doing. She goes out fishing with Max, the hero, and has no idea how to bait a hook, cast a line, or take a fish off the hook. And cleaning them when they get back is way beyond her life skills. Camping is another disastrous adventure, which is partly based on my older daughter’s overnight trip when it rained so hard her tent caved in (that may have had something to do with the way she put it up).
So I invite you to read “Island Detour” and take Sophie’s journey to the Florida Keys. You will laugh, sigh, and maybe even cry. The early reviews say that this emotional enemies to lovers story will have you turning the pages well past your bedtime.
EXCERPT:
“Just because you have issues shouldn’t mean you can’t trust anyone but yourself.” The second the words were out of her mouth, she knew she’d gone too far. But he had started it. And frankly, she didn’t care if she had struck a nerve. His jaw clenched, an almost imperceptible movement. After a few seconds he bowed his head and sighed. Then he turned his back to her, picked up his rod, and cast the line into the ocean. No comeback. No smart remark. A minor victory. Had she really gotten in the last word this time?Unfortunately, she couldn’t let it go.“Is that how you deal with conflict? You turn around and ignore it?”She was definitely pushing the envelope now, but he deserved it. One didn’t just end an argument by turning away. He needed to stick with it. Fight it out. Until the bitter end.She watched him in profile, the brooding, detached fisherman whose lips rarely inched into a smile, whose eyes rarely sparkled, and whose cutting words were meant to slice—and hurt. Which they did.Sophie looked over at Ben, who had remained quiet during their little altercation. He held his finger to his lips as if to say enough.She itched to continue but followed his unspoken suggestion. He knew Max a lot better than she did. And sometimes, she just had to let things settle down.
Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states. Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband–not far from her two daughters. For more information about her books, please visit her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
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Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FG9RI5K
Buy Links
https://books2read.com/u/4D20y7
Awards
Maria is a member of New Jersey Romance Writers and has received many honors and awards for her work including the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award, the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers Award, The NEST (National Excellence In Story Telling) Award, the Carolyn Award, Book Buyers Best Award, The Stiletto Reader’s Choice Award, Long & Short Reviews Book of the Month Award (3rd Place for Book of the Year), and Still Moments Magazine Reader’s Choice Award.
A parenting adventure
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND SUSIE BLACK!!!
Coming from Southern California, naturally, our family loves water. When my son was thirteen, we took a holiday-season family vacation to Cancun, Mexico. One great thing about Cancun is there are many water-related activities. I signed my son and me up for a boating/snorkeling adventure to a coral reef.
The details of the two-hour trip were explained before departure. It took one half hour to get to the coral reef and another half hour to return to the dock. This left an hour to snorkel when we arrived at the coral reef. Each couple was assigned a twelve-foot powerboat that they operated from the dock through a strait to the coral reef where they anchored and could snorkel for an hour.
Every boat in the ten-vessel fleet departed one by one and caravanned in a follow-the-leader style behind the lead boat captained by the owner of the adventure company. The turquoise blue strait was narrow and surrounded by an uninhabited, dense jungle. The owner of the company cautioned every guest captain that they must keep up with the flotilla and stay the course both going and returning from the coral reef and not go so slow that they fall back and get lost in the jungle.
Ours was the last boat to leave the dock. The boat ahead of us was traveling at a pretty good clip and I goosed the gas to catch up with it, as we’d been instructed. I kept the boat at the speed the owner requested to remain in the flotilla.
Of course, the faster we went, the rougher the ride. We hit a swell from the wake of the boat ahead of us and water splashed in as our boat was momentarily jostled about. I glanced over at my son and noticed he was soaking wet, white as a sheet, and tightly holding onto the cleat horn as though his life depended on it.
A second swell hit us and my son yells, “SLOW DOWN! YOU’RE GOING TO KILL US!” I waved him off and maintained the faster speed, determined to keep up with the flotilla. A third swell hit us and I bit my lip not to laugh out loud when my son wailed j’accuse style, “WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU?” I answered, “A mother who doesn’t want to get lost in the jungle.”
Needless to say, we got to the coral reef in one piece, anchored, and had the time of our lives snorkeling. It was only after I threatened to leave him in the jungle, that he kept his lips zipped about the speed on the return trip to the dock.
STORY and EXCERPT FROM SUSIE’S BOOK RAG LADY!
Holly Schlivnik dreams of being a writer, but fate has other plans. A family crisis throws her into an improbable situation and her life will never be the same. Determined to make her own luck when things don’t happen the way she plans, the irrepressible young woman takes a sledgehammer to the glass ceiling and shatters it to smithereens. The wise-cracking, irreverent transplanted Californian goes on a raucous, rollicking rollercoaster ride of hysterical adventures as a ladies’ apparel sales rep traveling in the deep South and finds herself along the way.
“To tell you the truth, the problem is, I kinda like Dad’s offer.” I squirmed in my chair. “But I don’t wanna make a mistake. I will screw my life up if I make the wrong choice. I’m trying to imagine myself doing the job Dad does. The adventuresome part of me says it’s cool. No school, no exams, no tedious papers to compose. I’d be experiencing life instead of reading about it. And getting paid to do it. But the realistic part of me says, are you nuts? Schlepping those heavy garment bags all over the place? And what kind of a life would I have traveling all the time? I don’t trust myself to make the right decision, and I’m driving myself crazy. I want someone else to decide, and tell me which way to go.”
Nana looked over her glasses and clucked her tongue. “Well, too bad, kiddo. Life doesn’t work that way. Let me tell you something. And the sooner you learn it, the easier your life will be. Man plans, and God laughs.”
I looked at Nana like she’d spoken in Sanskrit. “Meaning?”
Nana answered in the same indulgent tone she used when I was a toddler. “It means plan all you want, but most of the time, your plans don’t mean a hill of beans. To use your vernacular, shit happens. You’re going along singing a song, confident life is a well-planned party. But the truth is, the road to life from birth to death isn’t paved in a straight line. It’s paved with hills and valleys, U-turns, and unexpected curves. And trust me. Nothing usually works out the way you think it will. To really live life and not merely exist taking up space, you must love a good mystery, love a good adventure, and love a good challenge. Kiddo, nothing in life is as constant as change. Keep your head on a swivel, and explore all your options. Look behind you for a sense of history, to the sides for a sense of proportion, and most important, remember God screwed our heads on facing forward for a reason. To look ahead to the future. To make good decisions, you can’t be afraid to make a mistake. You will learn more from your failures than from your successes. Regret is the worst human emotion because it is the one we can usually do nothing about. Always be yourself, don’t live your life for someone else, or in terms of someone else. Trust your gut, and believe in yourself.”
When she finished, I asked, “So, what should I do?”
Nana waved that gnarled index finger at me again and smiled. “Nice try, kiddo. It’s not important what I think. It’s only important what you think. So?”
In a moment of clarity, I looked Nana in the eye and made my decision.
ABOUT SUSIE:
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Lyndi Alexander's worlds of fancy 