Finding her Secret Desire

WELCOME TO LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND, J.L.REGEN!

SECRET DESIRES is now on sale at Audible.com and on iTunes. Now, you can listen to Margo’s story and cheer her on as you commute to work or sit back and adjust your headsets at home. It is also available on B&N.com and Amazon.com –eBook and paper.                  ISBN: 978-0-9984099-1-7

Nothing in Margo Simmons’s life comes easy. She can’t claim the inheritance on a condo apartment her uncle has left to her until she is gainfully employed in a job for a year. She meets the man of her dreams but anguishes over a loving relationship because he is still emotionally tied to his deceased wife. With great difficulty, she becomes the guardian to a recently orphaned child she had been tutoring.   Margo evolves from an insecure, newbie elementary teacher into a woman determined to fulfill the secret desires locked in her heart.

My story speaks to anyone who has suffered a loss and had to start over.J.L. Regen’s book was inspired by a real life story of lovers who join hearts against many odds. She lives in the New York metropolitan area, is a published photojournalist, has short suspense stories online, and has taught English as a Second Language to students around the globe. This is her first contemporary romance. She has also published three nonfiction books and is crafting a historical suspense set in World War II.

Contact: J. L. Regen  Writerjr1044@gmail.com

Website: http://www.Joansbookshelf.com Facebook: facebook.com/joan.ramirez.98031

JOIN MY MAILING LIST: FOR UPDATES ON FUTURE SUSPENSE TITLES, LEAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION ON MY WEBSITE.

MY BOOK was NOMINATED AS ROMANCE NOVEL OF 2019 BY READERS CHOICE. Congrats!!

EXCERPT:

MARGO SIMMONS GRIPPED THE EDGES of the leather chair, waiting for details from the family lawyer about her Uncle Harry’s death. She hoped it would be shorter and less painful than the reading of her father’s will. An older gentleman extended his hand. “I’m sorry your mother couldn’t be here.”

Margo looked up from her reflections to acknowledge him. “Thanks, Mr. Steinberg.”

“You’ve grown into a lovely young woman.”

Margo blinked back tears at memories of good times shared with Uncle Harry. “Not so young. I’m twenty-three.”

The portly man squeezed himself into a swivel chair and peered at her over wire-rimmed bifocals. “I’m ancient compared to that number.”

Margo gripped her knees to steady her nerves. “My mother wanted to come with me, but they’re downsizing at her dress shop. She was afraid to leave early. My stepfather is furious because Uncle Harry didn’t leave him any money.”

Mr. Steinberg saddened at the sorrowful expression on the young woman’s face. “It pains me to hear Jerry hasn’t changed his ways. However, since you’re the only one present to hear your uncle’s will, I’ll get to the point. Harry has left you his Riverside Drive condominium apartment and the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

Margo jumped up from the chair and hugged the man. “This is a miracle. I can’t wait to tell my Mom. She’s wanted me to get out on my own. Now I can. Though I wish it hadn’t come with the loss of my uncle. I adored him.”

The attorney pushed bifocals up his fleshy nose. “I know you did, my dear. He spoke of you often, with fondness. As to your inheritance, in today’s market two hundred and fifty thousand dollars won’t last long unless invested wisely.”

The only thing Margo knew about investments was she didn’t have enough money to make any. “Mr. Steinberg, can you refer me to someone who can advise me so I make wise investments?”

He raised his hand. “Not so fast my dear. Your uncle stipulated that you be gainfully employed for a year before you can claim your inheritance. The last time your mother and I spoke, you were studying to be a French teacher.”

Margo stared at the vibrant red dragon design on an Oriental rug and thought of the threadbare one under her rickety dining room table. Her eyes darted from the lawyer’s monogrammed attaché case to her worn shoulder strap bag. She swallowed a lump of pride. “I’ve been looking for a teaching job for two years, but I’m on the substitute list and have a part-time job at a dry cleaner so I’m employed. I know it’s not a professional job, but it’s respectable work.”

Mr. Steinberg made notes in her uncle’s folder. “I’m afraid that won’t do, my dear. Harry loved you but was very clear on the type of employment.”

A tear rolled down Margo’s cheek. “I don’t know how much longer I can live at home. Mama is working twice as hard since Jerry was laid off from his job at the newspaper. He couldn’t get the hang of technology. He’s been on disability from an old back injury. Could I speak to an investment counsellor to get an idea of what to do with my inheritance? It would give me something to strive for.”

Margo sat on her hands as she waited for the lawyer’s response. Since childhood, all she wanted was to be part of a happy family and not have money worries. Instead of granting her wishes, life had brought her a mean stepfather. Jerry fractured a childhood that had been filled with love when her birth father was alive.

Mr. Steinberg lifted a business card from a sterling silver box. “I highly recommend Edward Master. He’s with the investment banking firm of Chartwell, Morgan, and Master. He’ll give you solid advice. Shall I see if he’s available now?” 

 

The Turkish Affair: realistic adventure, love and danger from J. Arlene Culiner

WELCOME to Lyndi’s Adventurous Friend J. Arlene Culiner!!!

Romantic Suspense: don’t those two words conjure up stalkers, serial killers, car chases, shoot-outs, terrorists, a gun-packing heroine, and an impossibly handsome hero? Yes… usually. However, I prefer realistic romances. Frankly, whenever I’ve found myself in yet another dangerous situation (I seem to have a talent for doing that) I know no sexy hot secret agent will come to rescue me. No way. It’s always up to me to wriggle my way back to safety.

In my romantic suspense, The Turkish Affair, the setting is Karakuyu, an archaeological site in Eastern Turkey. My heroine, Anne Pierson, is a former American journalist who, after an affair with the wrong man, lost her Washington job and her reputation. For the last ten years, she’s been living in backwoods Turkey, working as a translator. She’s not interested in personal relationships because love is always painful. My hero, archaeologist Renaud Townsend, is passionate about his work, and about ancient history. He’s also determined to keep his independence: don’t all love stories become humdrum one day?

But even if Anne and Renaud deny the attraction they have for one another, circumstances throw them together: the setting is an isolated one with a difficult climate; important artifacts have been disappearing; the site director has vanished; and, there is a murder. To make things worse, the police are corrupt, and the political situation is unstable.

When most people visit Turkey, they do so as tourists. They go to beaches, markets, and clubs, eat in “international” restaurants, and visit a few historic sites. Most information they glean comes from guidebooks or tour officials, and they rarely discover what life is like for the local inhabitants.

Like my heroine Anne, I also worked as a translator and guide in Turkey. The community I lived in was repressive, the police were corrupt and dangerous, there was political unrest, and there was artifact theft. Of course, I had to write about all of this in The Turkish Affair. I also wanted to add other true stories: like my heroine Anne, I was once rescued from a dangerous situation by a rebellious young woman named Leyla; I also accompanied archaeologists when they were summoned by the police to identify stolen coins; and I met violent police officers exactly like Bulduk.

 And one day, while passing through an archaeological site, I caught sight of an elegant man heading toward a jumble of smashed pillars. Caught in a blaze of sunlight, his golden hair gleamed like a halo. Who was he? The inspiration for my hero, Renaud Townsend.

Love and Danger at the ancient Hittite site of Karakuyu

Priceless artifacts are disappearing from the ancient Hittite site of Karakuyu in Turkey, and the site director has vanished. Called in to solve the mystery, archaeologist Renaud Townsend is hindered by both his inability to speak the language and the knowledge that the local police are corrupt. His attraction to translator Anne Pierson is immediate, although he is troubled by her refusal to talk about the past and her fear of public scandal. But when murder enters the picture, both Anne and Renaud realize that the risk of falling in love is not the only danger.

Teaser: http://j-arleneculiner.com/page-2-book4-turkish4-video.html

Excerpt

She was free to wonder about him again, just the way she’d been doing since first meeting him. Wondering what sort of person he was, about the places he’d been to, the life he’d lived. Was he married? Was he attached to a university? She warned herself not to delve too deeply because she couldn’t give out truthful information in return. Still, she wanted to know.

“I’ve an idea,” he said, breaking into her thoughts. “The heat’s gone. We can actually walk around without being cooked alive. How about giving me a guided tour of this town?”

“A tour of Gülkale?”

“Why not?”

She could think of a million reasons why not. Instinctively, she knew if she were alone with him, out there in the dusky evening, the situation would become more intimate, more personal. And intimacy could lead anywhere. She raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. “It’s not a very interesting place. What’s wrong with just sitting here?”

Renaud’s eyes darted toward the counter where Necmettin was standing, observing them. “To be honest, I can’t say I’m feeling comfortable. That man has been watching me since I arrived. I feel like a fat coypu sharing space with a drooling piranha.”

Anne had to laugh. He was right, of course. Here, gossip spread more quickly than melted butter on a hotplate, and since Gülkale was, at best, slow-moving, eventless, people were constantly snuffling after the next tidbit. Still, she hesitated, tempted to take him up on his offer, knowing that something as innocuous as a walk was chancy. His voice was too caressing. The heat of his body, his male scent, and something else—something indefinable—was drawing her to him. No temptations. She hadn’t run this far just to get entangled with yet another fatal Romeo.

Author Bio

Writer, photographer, social critical artist, musician, and occasional actress, J. Arlene Culiner, was born in New York and raised in Toronto. She has crossed much of Europe alone on foot, has lived in a Hungarian mud house, a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave-dwelling, on a Dutch canal, and in a haunted house on the English moors. She now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village of no interest and, much to local dismay, protects all creatures, especially spiders and snakes. She particularly enjoys incorporating into short stories, mysteries, narrative non-fiction, and romances, her experiences in out-of-the-way communities, and her conversations with strange characters.

Links

Author Website http://www.j-arleneculiner.com

Blog: http://j-arleneculiner.over-blog.com

Storytelling Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/j-arlene-culiner

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1728686415/

Other purchase sites: https://www.thewildrosepress.com/authors/j-arlene-culiner

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JArleneCuliner/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jarlene.culiner/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7158064.J_Arlene_Culiner

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jarleneculiner/

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

Are we ready to r-r-rumble? Or READ?

One of my favorite small publishers, Hydra Publications has announced its SUMMER BASH! This means, thirty–yes, 30!–of their ebooks will be FREE on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 16 and 17. The Facebook Event is listed here.

Here’s a list of the books to be offered, including mine:

• Amy the Astronaut and the Flight for Freedom by Steven Donahue
• Andraste by Marissa Mills
• Anon by Peter Giglio
• Blood of the Highland Moon by Morinda Montgomery
• Bounty Hunter by Amy McCorkle
• Bridgeworld by Travis McBee
• Chronicles of Destiny by Etta Jean
• Dearly Departed by Rachael Rawlings
• Deception Peak by Dianne Gardner
• Empyreal Fate by Rachel Hunter
• Eternal Patrol by Michael Wallace
• Gnosis by Tom Wallace
• Into the Spiral by Erin Danzer
• Love Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me by Lyndi Alexander
• Lure of the Vampire by Bertena Varney
• Morning Star by Desiree Finkbeiner
• Primal by Raven Bower
• Raising Riley by Brick Marlin
• Reality Check by Eric Garrison
• Tale Spinner by David Donaghe
• The Exile’s Violin by Bobby Hunter
• The Fall of Onagros by Marian Allen
• The Hand of God by Tony Acree
• The Heart Denied by Linda Anne Wulf
• The Know-it-all Girl by Joanna Forman
• The Universal Mirror by Gwen Perkins
• The Wall Outside by James Peercy
• Ukishima by Nigel Sellars
• Virginia Creeper by Blaine Pardoe

So many books, so little time. What are you waiting for? Mark your calendars for next week and get ready to read! Here’s the site where the book links can be found: http://www.hydrapublications.com/hydra-summer-bash/

SFFS snippets for February 16—- Come have a little reptile romance for V-Day!

A SMALL DEGREE OF HOPE is in final edits and waiting for a cover at last. After twelve editing rounds, this sci-fi romance/police procedural/shapeshifter thriller is nearly ready to hit the shelves. I’ve never worked so hard with an editor before, or been so proud of the final results. 🙂

A SMALL DEGREE OF HOPE is an evolution from the paranormal romance genre, with the shapeshifting hero not a vampire or werewolf, but an alien reptile who’s come to stop his fellow aliens from kidnapping human women and changing them into mindless reptile baby machines.  Heroine Kylie Sanderson is an agent with an elite force investigating the abductions, who ends up much too close to the action.

Now I’ll admit the idea of getting cozy with a sharp-fanged, cold-blooded reptile took some getting used to. But in all honesty, this hero’s not much different than so many others who grace the pages now. Flesh-tearing weres? Blood-sucking vamps? Sure, but it’s not always the danger that appeals to our heroines. Sometimes it’s the very humanity of the alien that touches their hearts.

Back Cover Blurb…

Kylie Sanderson is a lead investigator studying a string of deaths on the planet Andan, where young women have been found, discarded, partially mutated into green, scaly reptiles.

In the course of the case she meets Griff, a man who knows much more than he should about the murders. He turns out to be not a man at all, but a shapeshifting alien reptile from a planet where reptiles evolved into intelligent beings instead of mammals.

She gets much too close to the investigation, and in the process uncovers long-hidden family secrets that doom her sister Nissa to be a victim of the reptiles as well.

Kylie finds herself in league with Griff in a hot-fueled race on the wrong side of the law to thwart the aliens’ plan to convert women into breeding lizard females.

Rejected by her family, her friends, and even the rest of her police team, she comes to depend on Griff as her sole support. But is he her savior or is he leading her back into the clutches of the reptile labs?

The book is due out later this spring from Lyrical Press.

Here’s today’s snippet:

It was bad, then; but they always were.

Steeling herself, Kylie climbed up on the plastic fruit crate in front of the dumpster and looked inside. The odor rising from the mélange of trash, rotted meat and spoiled dairy products sickened her, too, but not as much as the two women’s bodies on top did. Or at least what used to be women.

Holding one hand over her mouth and nose, Kylie shone her flashlight on the pile. The bodies were similar to the six others who’d turned up in the last few months in different areas of Muraco. Each dead woman was naked, and horribly mutated. Their flesh and organs had transformed by varying degree into green, scaly reptiles. Others had lost arms or legs to the change, their bones elongated, their hands narrow with nails turned into hard claws. This was the first one whose face was gone.

Hope it gives you shivers in the good way.

For more exciting snippets from this week’s Science Fiction and Fantasy authors, check out the site here.

I need a new page! But I haven’t time just now so….

Yes! It’s nearly time for the advent of the newest expansion of my writing repertoire–my supernatural suspense book coming out next month from Hydra Publications.

The story is told by Sara Woods, a newly-divorced newspaper reporter who finds herself investigating a string of mysterious deaths in Ralston, Ohio, all women, all about her own age who’ve had the life sucked out of them, and all without a connection to each other.

Not until she goes for therapy to heal an old auto accident’s effects does she begin to guess what might be killing these women–and by then, she’s already stepped on the slippery slope.

When her friend Dedra begins to deteriorate just like the others, Sara enlists help from Dr. Rick Paulsen, a local practitioner who has some clout at the hospital and other area clinics. At the same time, she keeps running into police officer Brendon Zale, who seems to be following her around town in a very creepy way.

Where does her investigation lead, and who is really try to help her? Will she be able to stop the guilty party before they stop her? And why is Sara so afraid of lightning?

COMING SOON FROM HYDRA PUBLICATIONS!