Spotlight Saturday: Where the Wind Blows by Caroline Fyffe

Welcome to another Spotlight Saturday. This week, I’m reading Where the Wind Blows, by Caroline Fyffe.
WhereWind
 

 
Title:      Where the Wind Blows
Author:   Caroline Fyffe
Genre:    Western historical romance

 

 

 
 

Description:
In the untamed wilderness of the Wyoming Territory, Chase Logan lives by no man’s leave, a solitary drifter who closed off his heart long ago—until the day he impulsively does a kindness for a beautiful young widow and everything changes.

For two years, Jessie Strong has dreamt of the day she can bring little Sarah home from the orphanage and call the child her own. But when her husband dies, Jessie fears the family she’s longed for is slipping away—until Chase Logan unexpectedly comes to her rescue. By pretending to be her husband, Chase can make all of her dreams come true.

Three days are all she asks of him.

Three days to ignite a love neither of them ever imagined possible…

Buy links:     Amazon        Barnes&Noble      
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Mary Marvella – Protective Instincts

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Please help me welcome author and loop buddy Mary Marvella to my blog today to talk about her latest book, Protective Instincts, and choosing just the right bad guy for your novel.

Thanks for taking the time to visit today, Mary. Villains are so much fun to create, and I’m always interested in how other authors come up with their evil people.

Choosing a Villain for a Story.
Mary Marvella
A romantic suspense requires a bad guy, the person who threatens the hero and/or heroine. A great romantic suspense requires a strong and intriguing bad guy and a strong hero and heroine.

In Protective Instincts someone wanted to kill Brit, my heroine, but who? She told me she was a widow, so I searched for the person who killed her husband years ago. Maybe he was back in the picture. That person needed to be a professional killer, but I didn’t want the same kind of killer I had seen before. What if he killed each person in a different way? Hmmm. With that question details began to bombard me and Douglas Drake came to life in my mind and on the pages. He had to be the best at what he did and thoroughly dangerous and a tad crazy. His personality and backstory revealed themselves as I put him through his paces. I couldn’t reveal all he told me, but I got a good feel for him. He wanted to attack Brit in her classroom and try to rape and kill her. That could work. Though I couldn’t allow that, he had to try and I needed a way to stop him!

Sam, the father of one her students, had let me know he found her attractive, but the scenes with my hero and heroine doing the flirting thing was much too same old stuff. I had read scenes like them more times than I could count. I liked the story and my characters, but something was missing.

After I finished the original version I had an epiphany, or rather Douglas goaded me by saying the book was boring. Both of my parents had died and my husband and I had separated and I was marking time with my revisions and edits. I challenged Douglas to try to write the story better if he thought he could, and he did! He did things I had never seen a villain do in a romantic suspense and Brit and Sam rose to the occasion and became stronger from necessity!

The more I wrote the more Douglas told me about his childhood and what he valued and what needed. I had written the story and thrown Brit and her hero into dangerous situations, but Douglas challenged them in more ways than one. Some of my critique partners consider Protective Instincts his book. Sam and Brit disagree. I am stopping now to avoid a spoiler.

Protective_Instincts_Final_LARGEBlurb
They met because he had premonitions and she was in peril. But you will never believe why they fell in love. Paranormal romance at its best.

After mourning the loss of her husband, Brit Roberts manages to pick up her life as a teacher for a rural Georgia High school. Things are fine until anonymous phone calls turn creepy and her life is endangered. It’s not until Sam Samuels, shows up to check on her that she finds a little peace, if not a slight attraction to the handsome yet meddling security specialist.

Sam Samuels isn’t just the father of one of Ms. Robert’s students, he’s a man with premonitions so strong, they make him ill. So when he meets his son’s teacher and pain kicks in, he knows something’s awry but can’t put his finger on it until he interrupts an attempt to kill the teacher. Sam makes it his personal goal to protect her, only he didn’t count on falling for her.

Someone wants Brit, and now Sam, dead too. Could the death of her ex husband be part of the reason? Can Brit and Sam navigate a relationship despite both of their headstrong natures?

You can find Protective Instincts on Amazon.

Bio
Mary lives north of Atlanta, Georgia where she tutors, edits freelance and for a small publisher, and writes the stories her characters make her write. She doesn’t have a muse, she has pushy characters. Mary writes southern fiction. Love, Lust, Southern Comfort and Sweet Tea!

Contact links
Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/1cEyZFn
Website: www.MaryMarvella.com

Pink Fuzzy Slippers: www.PinkFuzzySlipperWriters.blogspot.com
Twitter: Mary Marvella@mmarvellab
Facebook Author Page: http://on.fb.me/1anqdxk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mmbarfield

Thanks for joining me, Mary. Best of luck with Protective Instincts.

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Spotlight Saturday: Cattitude by Edie Ramer

Welcome to another Spotlight Saturday. This week, I’m reading Cattitude by Edie Ramer. Very cute premise!

Cattitude
 

 
Title:      Cattitude
Author:   Edie Ramer
Genre:    Fantasy/paranormal/romantic comedy

 

 

 
 

Description:

It’s all in the Cattitude . . .

After Belle the cat switches bodies with a psychic on the run from a murderer, she wants her perfect cat body back instead of this furless human one. But she doesn’t count on falling in love with her former owner. Or that a CEO and a beauty queen want to use up her nine lives. Now is her chance to prove anything a human can do, a cat can do better.

Buy links:     Amazon        Barnes&Noble       iTunes      Kobo
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Lana Williams is Unraveling Secrets

Lana WilliamsPlease help me welcome historical romance author Lana Williams to my blog today. Lana is one of the members of Love Historicals, a fabulous new group of fourteen historical romance authors I’m proud to be part of.

Thanks for joining me, Lana. I’m always interested in motivation. The blog is yours. Take it away.

What Motivates You?

Thank you so much for having me, Margery! I’m excited to be part of Love Historicals with you! Today, I’d like to share my latest release, Unraveling Secrets. This historical romance is set in Victorian London (1880’s).

After writing three books set in medieval England, readers have asked what drew me to Victorian times. First of all, I love reading historical romances set in any time period, but for some reason, the Victorian period is especially appealing to me. I suppose it’s because of the changes people were experiencing in their daily life. There were so many new inventions, from transportation to the sewing machine, the typewriter, and the flushable toilet. What interesting times that must’ve been. But with these changes came some growing pains, especially in London and other large cities. All that provides so many ideas for stories!

To be a good writer, I think you have to become part psychologist.  To create believable characters, it helps to have a basic understanding of people, from their motivations, to their flaws, to their strengths. The better you understand people, the better your story. In studying characters, you get the chance to learn a little more about yourself!

One of the most helpful things I learned as I’ve studied people was the different things that motivate us. Discovering this can give you a lift no matter what you’re trying to accomplish, whether it’s getting healthier or writing a book. Some people are motivated by competition, some by being told they can’t do it, others by breaking things down into small tasks, or by promising themselves a reward when they reach their goal.

A great book on this topic that I highly recommend is Life the Life You Love by Barbara Sher. It has a great way to help you figure out what motivates you and how to use that to accomplish your goals.

For me, my motivator is definitely breaking things down into small tasks. Writing a 400 page novel sounds incredibly intimidating, but I know that I can write one page. By focusing on just that small step, I am in the process of writing my fifth book! So what about you? What motivates you?

I’ll check that book out since I’m not really sure what motivates me. It seems to change from day to day.

Now, can you tell my readers a little about yourself?

Books have always held a magical appeal for me. They transport you to places you’ve never been to, introduce you to fascinating characters, and I’m a sucker for happy endings. Reading books, especially romance, has always been a family event for me, something I share with my mom and my sisters.

The process of writing has a magic all its own. After several years of studying the hero’s journey story arc, I’ve realized that while the first kiss between the hero and heroine is important, it’s the moment before the kiss that can create the biggest emotional punch.

My first book is A Vow To Keep, followed by Trust In Me, then Believe In Me, all part of a trilogy set in medieval England.

My fourth book is Unraveling Secrets and is set in Victorian London.

I live in the Rocky Mountains with my husband, our two boys, and two labs.

LanaWilliams_UnravelingSecrets_200

Here’s a little more about my latest release, Unraveling Secrets:

When her father’s murderer returns from the dead to threaten her family, Abigail Bradford attempts to warn him off, but soon learns chasing a ghost is no easy task.

Stephen Nolton, Viscount Ashbury, stumbles upon Abigail in the dirty streets of London’s East End. Able to read auras of good and evil after an electromagnetic experiment went terribly wrong, Stephen hovers on society’s edge, keeping secret his unique skill and personal mission. Despite his fascination with the lady and her unique golden aura, he intends to keep his distance.

Desperate to protect her family, Abigail turns to the one man she believes can aid her. In Stephen’s arms, she finds so much more than she hoped. Stephen tries to resist his desire for the independent beauty, afraid she’ll unravel his secrets. But when he discovers the murderer is linked to his own past, he must decide how much he’s willing to risk for love.

Here’s an excerpt from the beginning of Unraveling Secrets:

London, May 1882

Abigail Bradford followed her quarry through the unfamiliar cobbled streets of the East End, her heart pounding with fear, wondering if she trailed a ghost.

“You’re certain that’s Simmons, miss?” asked Thomas, the brawny footman who also served as protector for her family.

“No. How could it be? Vincent Simmons was hung for murdering my father ten years ago.”

Yet his tattered bowler hat bobbed above the crowd just ahead in the evening twilight, the man blissfully unaware of his pursuers.

Thomas had spotted a man loitering outside their Mayfair home last week and chased him off. The same man had returned two days later, allowing Abigail to catch a glimpse of him—and she’d nearly dropped to her knees. His was a face she’d never forget, one that still haunted her nights.

Thomas had followed him to a tavern then to his lodgings in Alsatia. Tonight, they’d caught sight of him making his way home from The Ox and Crown Tavern where he seemed to be a regular, according to what little Thomas had discovered.

Abigail stumbled on the uneven cobbles, her gait awkward in the oversized boots she wore.

“Miss, no offense, but you walk like a girl,” Thomas grumbled. “Can you lengthen your stride?”

Abigail tried to do as he suggested, but the brown trousers she wore were a bit snug. The coarse shirt and wool jacket felt bulky on her slim figure. “Is that better?” she asked.

Thomas merely sighed. He’d been appalled when she’d insisted on coming along on this venture, advising her that a lady could not roam these rough streets. When she’d refused to stay behind, he’d procured a mismatched set of boy’s clothes to disguise her.

I love connecting with readers! Visit me at:
Website: www.lanawilliams.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LanaWilliamsBooks
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LanaWilliams28

Unraveling Secrets, a Victorian Romance, is available at:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/18wWuV3
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1cyNx9I
Kobo: http://bit.ly/IVk4zl
Paperback: http://bit.ly/1ji9DpW

Thanks so much for visiting with me today, Lana. Wishing you much success with Unraveling Secrets and your other books.

Off we go …

There’s not much I dislike more than allowing myself to be locked inside a metal cylinder for hours, with no control. But that’s what I’m doing today. I’m getting on a plane!!

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JR and I are taking a spur-of-the-moment trip with our neighbors to the sunny South. I like to be spontaneous, but this time, I think I let my impulsive nature overcome my common sense and my survival instinct.

Yes, I know air travel is safer than being on the ground. Yes, I know it’s much quicker to fly than to drive. And I also know it’s much easier to sit back and let someone else do the driving.

Still, I’d rather do almost anything else than fly. I’m sure I’ll have a great time once I’m there, until the day before we’re due to come home, when the stress-meter will go berserk again.

How about you? Do you like to fly? White knuckler like me?

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Spotlight Saturday: Hollywood Scandals, by Gemma Halliday

Welcome to another Spotlight Saturday. This week, I’m reading Hollywood Scandals (the first book in the Hollywood Headlines series) by Gemma Halliday. Formerly published under the title SCANDAL SHEET. Fun book! Love Tina Bender, the main character.

Hollywood Scandals
 

 
Title:      Hollywood Scandals (book 1 of the Hollywood Headlines series)
Author:   Gemma Halliday
Genre:    Cozy mystery/romance

 

 

Description:

Tina Bender is the gossip columnist at the infamous L.A. Informer tabloid. She knows everything about everyone who’s anyone. And she’s not afraid to print it. That is, until she receives a threatening note, promising, “If you don’t stop writing about me, you’re dead.” Now her managing editor, Felix Dunn (from the High Heels Mysteries), has her teaming with a built bodyguard, a bubbly blonde, and an alcoholic obituary writer to uncover just which juicy piece of Hollywood gossip is worth killing over.

Buy links:     Amazon        Barnes&Noble       iTunes      Kobo
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EASY-PEASY POTATO SOUP

Winter arrived earlier – and has been more brutal – than usual this year. A good part of Canada and the northern US is in a deep freeze right now, so what better time for a big pot of soup. But I’m all for simple and quick. This is one of the easiest soups ever to make. Because it’s just a basic recipe, you can add other ingredients/spices to customize it. I’ve made it adding cooked chicken, mushrooms, carrots, etc.

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EASY-PEASY POTATO SOUP (serves 4)

4 medium potatoes
1 large onion, diced
1 celery stalk (including leaves), diced
1-1/2 – 2 cups milk, half-and-half or cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and dice the potatoes. Put them along with the onion and the celery into a saucepan. Add just enough water to cook the vegetables, but don’t cover them.

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Bring the saucepan to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the vegetables are tender. Here’s where you have to make a decision. You can mash the potatoes, but leave some chunks, or you can use a hand blender (or put the veggies in a blender) and completely blend everything. I’ve done it both ways, but since I couldn’t find my hand blender, I went with chunky this time.
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Add enough milk or cream to thin the mixture to the consistency you like. I usually use a mixture of milk and cream only because I’m trying to cut down a little on the fat. No cream in the house? No problem. Just add about 1 tbsp. of melted butter to a cup of milk (whole milk works best but I’ve done it with 2% and even 1%).

Add salt and pepper to taste. It does take a fair bit of salt and pepper, so be sure to taste test.

And there it is! The easiest potato soup you’ll ever make. With some crusty bread and a green salad, it makes a nice lunch or a light supper that’ll warm your insides.
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