Category Archives: romance author

Book Covers & Cover Model, Caroline Kelly

13 Friday Jul 2018

Posted by in Book Cover, Book Covers, historical romance, Lilly Gayle, romance, romance author, romance novel, Time Travel

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When an author signs with a publisher, he or she has little or no control over the book’s cover. In self-publishing, the author has full control. The author can hire a designer or download images from sites such as http://123rf.com or http://fotolia.com to create a cover using Photoshop or some other photo editing software. There are also sites such as Jimmie Thomas’ http://romancenovelcovers.com where an author can buy individual images or a pre-made cover.

The only problem with these sites is that thousands of authors and the smaller publishing houses use the same images to create their covers.

But I wanted something unique for the cover of my time travel romance, Winds of Time. So, when my friend, Jennifer, suggested I use her daughter on the cover, I jumped at the chance.

Caroline has recently gotten into modeling and acting. She has blond hair and blue eyes and can pass for a young woman of sixteen to twenty-five, depending on her hair, makeup, and clothes. In Winds of Time, Selena Tillman is a twenty-five year old posing as her twenty-year-old ancestor, and like Caroline, she has blond hair. (See book details following Caroline’s interview.)

My brother is a graphic designer with an impressive portfolio (agwvisual.myportfolio.com) and he agreed to make my cover. He used one of the dozens of pictures Jennifer sent of Caroline dressed the way Selena was dressed in Chapter One, the tornado  and locket images I purchased from Fotolia, and a Photoshopped picture of my son-in-law, who’s one quarter Lumbee Indian.

 

 

Once my brother manipulated the images, he added the title in a cool, wind-blown font and my name. Then he sent me the proof, and I couldn’t be more pleased. It’s one of my favorite covers. And Caroline Kelly is definitely my favorite cover model. She’s also the only one I personally know, so I could be biased. She helped with marketing and promotion, and her mom, Jennifer, taught me how to use Instagram.

 

 

Both before and after the book’s release, Caroline promoted it on  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/clkblue21 and Facebook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cross promotion was an added bonus I wasn’t expecting. She even agreed to answer a few interview questions, posted below.

Caroline Kelly Interview

 How do you like the cover? Did it meet your expectations? 

I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I love how it turned out. I can honestly say I don’t know anyone that is on a book cover, and to see myself as a book cover model is surreal. 

Tell me about some of your recent modeling jobs.

It’s been an exciting year for me. I’ve been in a couple of fashion shows in Charlotte NC. I have also had an opportunity to be an extra in a couple movies and a cable show. 

What can you tell me about the modeling gig you have coming up in the next couple of weeks?

I’m going to be in the Charlotte Summer Seen Fashion Show representing a swimsuit designer.

Swimsuit in picture is NOT from the Charlotte show or the designer.

What types of acting roles have you had?

I haven’t had any speaking roles yet. I have been a church extra several times for It’s Supernatural a religious cable show. I was a softball extra in a movie this past Spring that was filmed in Charleston SC. My most recent movie set experience was a cheerleader extra in a Clint Eastwood movie filmed in Atlanta GA. I really hope that scene doesn’t get cut 

What did you think of your experience with the film industry, and would you do it again?

Definitely. I love being on the movie set, and the experience I’ve gained as an extra has been amazing. I hope one day, it will lead to something bigger.

Would you like to be on another book cover?

Absolutely. Being part of this book cover has been a fantastic experience and is something I would love to do again. I have a real interest in doing print work, especially formal wear and wedding dresses.

How can other authors contact you if they’d like to discuss using you on their covers?clkblue21@gmail.com or https://www.instagram.com/clkblue21

Thanks so much to you and your mom for working with me on the cover and making Winds of Time my favorite book cover.

Winds of Time

Release Date: June 21, 2018

Tagline:

The past is her future, the future, her past, but can she save an innocent man’s life before history repeats itself? 

Blurb:

As long as Selena Tillman dreams of her ancestor, Mary, who disappeared without a trace in 1871, she’ll never find peace. As long as she dreams of the half-Native American army scout accused of killing Mary, she’ll never find love. Hoping to end the dreams and learn the truth, Selena goes to Texas where Mary and the scout died and sees more than ghosts. She sees a tornado kill Mary in real time before it jumps to the twenty-first century to pull Selena into its vortex and send her back to the nineteenth century. Selena believes she’s fated to prove Dylan’s innocence and save his life, but Dylan isn’t just the man of her dreams; he’s her destiny.

Fed up with the army, bigotry, and women—especially white women, Captain Dylan Casey dedicates himself to solving the mystery of Mary’s disappearance, proving his innocence, and trying to stop a war between the whites and the Indians. Then Mary’s cousin shows up, claiming a tornado killed Mary. Dylan doesn’t trust Selena, but she’s his only ally in Canyon Creek. Yet despite their common goal, growing mutual attraction, and a Comanche shaman’s prophecy of a white woman who will change his destiny and foretell the fate of the Indian Nation, Dylan refuses to take a chance on another spoiled, white woman—until fate changes his mind.

Excerpt:

Captain Casey stepped closer and raked his eyes over her, taking in her disheveled appearance. With surprising gentleness, he swept her hair from her forehead. When his fingers touched her flesh, her breath froze in her lungs, and every muscle in her body coiled. Shocked by the electricity in that brief touch, her knees buckled, and she sank back down to the sofa. When he hunkered down in front of her and took her chin in his strong hand, her breath caught in her throat.

“You really are hurt. What happened?” The deep timbre of his softly spoken question was like the man himself—sexy.

She met his probing gaze before lowering her eyes to the floor. “My horse threw me and ran off. I don’t know what spooked him, and I don’t know where he is.”

He rose to his feet and curled his lip. “Where are your trunks?”

“They’re due to arrive from Pecos later this week,” she said, unable to meet his gaze.

“Why would you leave your trunks in Pecos and travel alone on horseback? Why not wait at the hotel for the next stage to Canyon Creek?”

She was nervous enough without him towering over her, so she rose to her feet and forced herself to hold his intimidating gaze. “I felt a lot safer taking my chances on the road dressed as a man than I did staying in some skeezy hotel in Pecos where everyone knew I was a woman traveling alone.”

It was a reasonable explanation. She was wearing jeans in a time when women didn’t even wear slacks, and she had just shown up without taking the stage. He might have actually believed her if it hadn’t been for her modern vernacular.

He raked his eyes over her with a quirked mouth and skeptical lift of his brows. “You couldn’t fool a blind man in those clothes, and no man would wear an undershirt that color. You even smell like a woman,” he added, sniffing the air around her neck. When his nose grazed the tender flesh behind her ear, goose bumps raced down her arms.

Pages: 250

Print ISBN: 978-1-7323904-1-6

Digital ISBN: 978-1-7323904-0-9

ASIN: B07D989VQJ

Buy Links:

 Universal buy link: https://www.books2read.com/b/mvKKwX

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D989VQJ/ref

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/winds-of-time-lilly-gayle/1128772241;jsessionid

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1388810657

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/winds-of-time-7

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lilly_Gayle_Winds_of_Time?id=BAJeDwAAQBAJ

Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40207097-winds-of-time?from_search=true

Contact Information:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram| The Wild Rose Press | Amazon

Look for all my books online and in print at your favorite online retailer.

Historical Romances:e

Wholesale Husband

Slightly Tarnished

Slightly Noble

Helpless Hearts

Wilder Hearts

Winds of Time

Paranormal romances:

Out of the Darkness

Embrace the Darkness

Winds of Time

An Otherworldly Interview

10 Friday May 2013

Posted by in Book Covers, books, new release, romance, romance author, romance novel, Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Happy Friday. And happy Mother’s Day weekend to all the moms, including mine.  Today’s post is another Character Corner interview. These interviews are uniquely different from my author interviews because they involve make-believe people who exist only in the pages of a novel and in the mind of the author who created them.

My character today is Tempest from the novel Be Still My Lover’s Heart  by author Lisa Hannah Wells. Cover Art Clearer_Lg

Welcome to my blog, Tempest. You are my first guest at my new site. So, where were you born?

(Sits Regally) I was born on the Planet Tishnaiyah approximately 5,700 of your years past the death of your Planet Earth.

Cool! Another first. You’re also my first alien guest. Where do you live now and what do you do for a living?

(Looks intently into Lilly’s eyes with his dark gaze) I live on the Amazzi Moon Fourteen, a man-made mobile station in the Mesak Galaxy. I co-own and run the Exchange, a popular night club with my partner and best friend. 

Well, the night club part sounds very Earth-like. What’s going on in your life right now?

(Gives a ghost of a grin) I’m attempting to convince a certain young woman that she is destined to be with me.

Do you consider her that special person in your life?

Yes, thank the Divine One.

How did you meet?

(Laughs warmly) She was nearly thrown out of my club for starting a fight with her superior officer. I convinced my partner she is my bondmate, a rare and fortunate happenstance for our race, and had her brought to me.

So, what’s keeping you two apart?

(Growls menacingly, sits straighter) Her superior nearly had her killed and it is by the strength of my will and my healing blood that she barely hangs on to life. He is still trying to arrange her death.

Oh, no. That’s not good. How would you like to see this situation resolved?

(Jaw clenches, eyes harden) That I could take his life and erase the misery he has caused my Shea.

What obstacles stand in your way?

(A sadness comes into his eyes) Shea’s squeamishness for the exchanging of blood for the final bondmate ritual to be sealed, and the call to return to my people to lead them after the passing of my mentor. I am next in line to rule and Shea’s position with the Universal Military will not let her go.

  That does sound complicated. Do you think there’s a happily ever after in your future?

(Give a half grin) If we can find a way to surpass these problems and get rid of the man determined to destroy Shea, yes, I believe there certainly can be. I’ve only prayed to the Divine One for four hundred years to give me a bondmate and now that I’ve found her, I can’t just let her go.

 Any last comments before I turn this interview over to Lisa Hannah Wells?

(Stands to full 7′ height) Only to thank you for your time and interest in mine and Shea’s plight.

Thanks for being here today, Tempest. I certainly hope you and Shea can work things and become bondmates for life.

And now a bit about Tempest and Shea’s creator.

AUTHOR BIO:
2011 Photo of MeLisa Hannah Wells has been telling stories from the age of 5 and writing them since the first grade. It is second nature to her and her greatest love. She has won numerous awards for her poetry and high reviews for her previous “Hearts” trilogy, a Paranormal Romance series she wrote under the pseudonym of L. H. Young and published by Romance at Heart Publications. All rights have reverted back to her but she has plans of a future anthology including all three.

She is a multi-genre author writing in Paranormal, Time Travel, Shape-shifter and Contemporary romance and series, Young Adult, Science Fiction, and Epic Fantasy series. Creating worlds of imaginary elegance and splendor, new ways to use magic and fascinating new races of characters is a real joy for her.

Lisa is also a freelance writer/editor and proofreader. She currently lives with her husband, three male cats.

BOOK BLURB:

Ethereal beauty Shea, a Lieutenant in a Universal military, has spent the last four years protecting Colony supply freighters on a small space station. If not for her partner and the hopes of a better assignment, the loss of her husband and a devastating illness would leave her little desire to live. That is until she meets Tempest, an alien whose species is rumored to be the origin of the vampires, a man who makes her feel alive in ways she’s never felt before.

Tempest has prayed to the Divine One for countless years for his bondmate. Shea is his long-awaited answer and so much more. One night will not be enough for a man who has waited a lifetime, but he is determined to make Shea his forever. With a madman out to destroy them and certain death nipping at their heels, will Tempest and Shea outwit Remi and survive to share a future together, or die protecting all they hold dear?

EXCERPT:

“You must be Shea,” he purred, deep in his chest.

The deep, magnetic voice vibrated all the way to Shea’s center. Warm, peaceful currents flowed through her blood, calming her. She looked across the table into the face of the alien male, much more attractive in a royal way. His presence was powerful; he exuded self-confidence, and the air around him nearly sparked, taking her breath away. He looked as though he topped six-feet eight inches, and for the first time since her husband died, her heart clenched.

An air of intensity, way beyond her most wonderful fantasies, surrounded him and reached with invisible tendrils to surround her. A delicious chill ran up her spine. He was beautiful.

Large black eyes fringed with dark lashes assessed her with a mix of emotions and, she suspected, a small measure of danger. A dusting of dark stubble ran along the edges of a sculpted, masculine jaw. His blue-black hair was longer than hers by about three to four inches and looked as fine as silk, falling loosely down his back and over his shoulders, but it was his lips that drew her eye, full and dark red. Lips that made hers tingle.

Shea mentally shook herself and smiled.

“The door guard said you wanted to see me,” she said. Her voice came out more breath than vocal, and her heart paused as she glanced around the empty room.

Author links, webpages, fan pages:

Amazon Buy Link

The Wild Rose Press Buy Link

Barnes & Noble Buy Link

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.h.wells.71?ref=tn_tnmn

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6541291.Lisa_Hannah_Wells

Blog: http://memorymakerscreator.blogspot.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Hannah-Wells/e/B009POR3KC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Doveleahr

Lilly, I want to thank you for hosting Tempest on your blog today. He’s a very noble creature as all Vatamps are. I enjoyed sitting in with both of you today.

Thanks for being here, Tempest. And thanks for letting me be on your blog.

Lisa and I did a blog swap today, and she’s interviewing me at http://memorymakerscreator.blogspot.com/2013/05/embrace-darkness-with-lilly-gayle.html

I Got Dibs on David Brenner!

26 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by in AJ Nuest, Alpha males, contemporary romance, Rich heroes, romance author, The Wild Rose Press

≈ 15 Comments

So excited to be doing another Character Interview with another fictional character. I love doing these, and today’s character is Dibs–David Brenner–from the novel She’s Got Dibs by author AJ Nuest.

So, David, where were you born?

In Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, right off the cape. My parents were just finishing out the season at their summer estate when I came a couple of weeks early.  I’m happy to say, I’ve been causing them grief ever since.

Mmm. Handsome and rich. lol!  Where do you live now and what do you do for a living?

I have a lakefront home in Chicago and am currently the CEO of The Brenner Foundation. We’re a charitable organization that works with big money making firms to ensure they declare enough in write offs each year to off-set their taxable income — sorta my way of giving back for the privileged life I was born into. This past year most of those funds went toward a new school the foundation is building in Botswana, South Africa. I’m pretty proud of what we’ve accomplished over there, so far. Even though the travel did take me away from another, more personal, goal of mine.

Okay, I’m about to swoon here. Rich, handsome, and generous? You sound too good to be true. But maybe not. So, tell me, what’s going on in your life right now?

Pretty much the usual. Arguing with my dad over the direction my life has taken, fighting my mother’s interference in my personal life. Status quo for those two, although I can’t really blame them. It’s what they were born into, so controlling the lives of their children is normal for them. I can’t stand it, though. Never could. It’s the reason we don’t get along. I’m not really one for letting people tell me what to do.

I understand that. Family can drive you crazy if you let them. lol! But seriously, is there a special person in your life?

Why yes, there is. Tessa Adams. She’s…well, she’s unlike any woman I’ve ever met. Which is probably why she drives me so crazy–both in and out of the bedroom. She’s my best friend, knows more about me than anyone else. But I guess the most important thing is the way she accepts me for who I am, regardless of the money. That’s unusual for me. Most folks I know…it’s hard to determine if their attempts at friendship are genuine. Tessa’s the exact opposite. She’s completely transparent and I love that about her. She couldn’t care less if I’m impressed with her, and that right there impresses me more than any false attempts at trying to earn my attention.

How did you meet her?

*Dibs chuckles and glances around Lilly’s living room* That’s a funny story, actually. Our plane from New York to Chicago was grounded because of an ice storm that hit the Midwest. With a little devious interaction on my part, I made sure we were booked at the same hotel. What happened after that? Well, that’s a little personal. I’m not sure Tessa would appreciate me sharing the details. Perhaps you should ask her. She’s got carte blanche to explain what happened between us however she wants.

Hmm. I think I need to have a chat with Tessa. Sounds like y’all got to know each other pretty well that night. So, what’s keeping you two apart?

As far as I’m concerned, nothing. I was fairly certain the moment I saw Tessa, she was the one for me. After our first night together, I wasn’t left any doubts. The chemistry between us is…*Dibs lifts a devilish eyebrow*…highly explosive? She’s harboring a big hurt, though. One that can’t be fixed until she’s ready to let go of the past. Until then, I’m happy to wait. She’s too special to let go.

OMG! That is just too sweet. I’m really rooting for you two. But I got to know…How would you like to see this situation resolved?

Ideally, I’d like to see Tessa believe in love again, but I also know that might be asking a lot. In her line of work as an event coordinator, she’s seen a lot of relationships fail. This, coupled with what that jackass did to her, I’m not surprised she’s a little gun shy. Who wouldn’t be?

Sounds like some jackass needs an ass-whooping. lol! But you seem ready to take the next step. So, what’s standing in your way?

I admit, there are a few obstacles, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. Admittedly, if my family wasn’t so intrusive that would certainly be a big help. Foremost is probably Tessa’s insistence to control everything. But, again, I can’t say I blame her. She doesn’t trust easy. Then again, neither do I. It’s just one of many things we have in common.

Sounds like a match made in heaven to me. The question is, do you believe there’s a happily ever after in the future?

I sure hope so, but that’s sorta up to her. Once she gives me the green light, I’m all in. 

I hope you guys can make this relationship work. It sounds as if you were made for one another.

I’d love to talk some more, but AJ has some information she’d like to share. So, before we wrap this up, is there anything you’d like to add?

Only that it was a pleasure visiting with you today. Thanks for having me and I know AJ sends her thanks along as well. 

Any time, David.

Thanks AJ for sharing David with us. And now, I’d like to share some information and buy links from sister rose, AJ Nuest, author of She’s Got Dibbs and creator of the very sexy, David Brenner.

Author bio:

Award-winning author and editor, AJ Nuest, lives in a small farming community in NW Indiana with her loving husband, two beautiful children, and a bevy of spoiled pets. She and the cat are currently vying for dictatorship.
Book blurb:
True love does not exist…or so event planner Tessa Adams learns the day she gets jilted–twenty-four hours prior to walking down the aisle. One-night stands are much easier, and with sexy philanthropists like David Brenner, how can she resist? Now if she could just get rid of him. Had she known the biggest event of her career would be working for David’s father, she would have cut and run. Instead, she’s unwittingly become a part of his parents’ plan to destroy his life-long dreams. Will sacrificing her love protect him or be the ultimate betrayal? Wealthy and gorgeous, David Brenner seemingly holds the world in the palm of his hand–his generous heart and infectious smile are just two in an endless stream of attractive qualities. But the one thing he wants, he can’t have–a repeat of the passionate night he spent in the arms of a skittish Tessa Adams. His family’s far-reaching power threatens to crush their dreams. To prove his love, he would risk everything…but will the return of her ex-fiancé be their final undoing?
Excerpt:
“Dibs.” He extended his hand.
Frowning, she accepted his greeting. “Dibs on what?
“No.” He chuckled. “That’s my name. Or well, actually, my nickname. Either way, it’s what everyone calls me.”
“O-o-okay…” The guy definitely had the smolder covered…and those incredible ice-blue eyes. Yikes!
“And you are?”
“Oh, Tessa Adams.” She laughed.
“And everyone calls you…?”
Her frown returned. “Tessa.”
“Oh.” He scanned her face. “No nickname, huh?”
“Not that I recall at the moment.”
He pressed his full lips together as if restraining a smile, eyes twinkling with merriment, and handed her the notepad. “Here’s your confirmation number. The room’s at the Waldorf Towers over on Park.”
Two suites at the Waldorf? In this mess? What was he, a wizard? “Wow, great. Thanks so much for the help.”
“Glad to be of service.” He retrieved his briefcase and started down the corridor, abruptly stopped, and peered at her over the perfect slant of his shoulder. “And don’t worry, Tessa, I’ll think of a good nickname for you.”
She offered him a blank stare. “Hey, knock yourself out.”
Mischief danced along his lips before a grin broke free and he continued down the hallway.
“What a whack job,” she muttered.
Author links, webpages, fan pages, and book trailers.
She’s Got Dibs, won 1st Place in the Contemporary Category, Heartland Romance Authors, Show Me the Spark! Contest, 2010.
Website:  http://ajnuest.com
Twitter:  @AJNuest
She’s Got Dibs Pinterest Page:  http://pinterest.com/ajnuest/shes-got-dibs/

A Down Under Character Interview

19 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by in New Zealand author, paranormal romace, psychics, romance, romance author, The Wild Rose Press

≈ 26 Comments

As part of an on-going feature of my blog, I’ll sometimes interview characters in a Character Corner post. These interviews are uniquely different from my author interviews because they involve make-believe people who exist only in the pages of a novel and in the mind of the author who created them.  So, I’ll have to interview the author rather than the actual character–since he or she doesn’t really exist.  I only ask that the author dig deep to find that character and answer from his/her perspective.

My character today is Nick Hawke from the novel Affinity by New Zealand author LaVerne Clark. And trust me, this is a great book. I read it and fell in love with the characters and the concept of this paranormal love story. But be patient with LaVerne. It’s almost midnight in her country when it’s nearing 8:00 a.m. in NC.

And if anyone is interested, I’m also on LaVerne’s blog today. Stop by if you get a chance. http://laverneclark.blogspot.com/

And now for the interview…

1. Love the new haircut, Nick. But I liked your curls too. *wink* So, where were you born?

I’m a Kiwi born and bred.

Definitely on my bucket list of places I want to visit some day.

2. Where do you live now and what do you do for a living?

I live in Auckland. I’ve heard it described as “The big little city” and I reckon that’s spot-on. As a cop, I get my fair share of dealing with scum and low-lives, but the city is small enough that most of the citizens care about and look out for each other. I just need to remind myself of that fact some days. *Shakes head and scowls*

3. What’s going on in your life right now?

*Straightens in chair, sighs heavily* I’ve been dealing with a domestic abuse situation at work, but it’s not the first time I’ve dealt with this particular family. It drives me nuts. I just want to wipe the smirk off that asshole’s face so bad, my palms sweat. *Quickly glances up and cringes* Ack, I’m sorry, Lilly. My mother taught me never to swear in front of a lady. She’d paddle my behind something good if she’d heard that.

No problem. Nick. Sometimes, a man just needs to swear. A woman too. lol!

4. Is there a special person in your life?

*Eyes soften* Special…good word. Yeah, I suppose you could call Jenna that.

5. How did you meet her?

Now that was an amazing story. *Leans forward, elbows to knees* It was the weirdest thing, impossible really. *Wry grin* Actually, I’m learning when it comes to Jenna, nothing is impossible. I was running off some frustrated energy when I came across an accident. A car had gone off the bridge over the estuary and a woman had dived in to save a boy trapped in it. She hadn’t resurfaced. I thought I’d be bringing up bodies. I mean, who could survive being underwater for over ten minutes? Turns out, Jenna can. She captivated me from the first moment. She was all slicked back hair and whisky-colored eyes. She was all I could see, all I wanted to see.

She sounds amazing!

6. So, what’s keeping you two apart?

She’s hiding something from me. I can see the fear in her eyes and her reluctance to trust anyone and how she shuns the limelight. Little does she know that only makes me more determined to find out all her secrets.

7. How would you like to see this situation resolved?

I’ve no idea. I’m a man. But one thing for sure, I don’t give up easily and a little bit of seduction never hurt anyone.

8. What obstacles stand in your way?

I’m pleased to say her dog loves me, so that’s one obstacle out of the way. I just need to get her to trust me, but if she won’t, I’ll find a way to get her to open up. I’m looking forward to it.

9. Is there a happily ever after in your future?

God. I really hope so, but I don’t know how yet. *grins* Watch this space – I’m working on it.

10. Any last comments before I turn this interview over to LaVerne.

Actually, yeah, I do. I’d love to know your readers’ top tips in winning a woman’s heart. I could do with all the help I can get! *Grin*

A man who helps with the laundry and dishes, and can make me laugh will win my heart every time. lol!

Author bio: I’m a Kiwi (New Zealander – not the flight-less bird or strange, hairy fruit!) writing stories of romance, fantasy and suspense. I’m a keen reader and love to relax with a good book when I’m not plotting murder and mayhem; or running around after my two children, rescued greyhound and husband. I love to hear from readers or writers alike, so feel free to drop me a line anytime.

Book blurb:
In the wrong hands, Jenna Thomas’s legacy could be a curse–in her mind it already is.

As a child, a routine x-ray awakened an abnormality in Jenna’s DNA giving her the ability to “call” creatures and take on their attributes. Labeled a freak since then, Jenna’s learned to keep everyone at a distance. But all that changes the day she saves a young boy from drowning, and the story goes viral.

Nick Hawke, an off-duty policeman, witnesses part of the drama. Captivated by Jenna’s exotic beauty, he decides to investigate, not sure what to believe. Jenna puts his cynicism to the test–even as the attraction between them grows.

As word of her extraordinary rescue spreads, a dangerous man who will stop at nothing to control Jenna’s abilities draws near. With her feelings for Nick putting him in danger too, can Jenna risk everything to protect them both?

Excerpt:

“Back off everyone, give us room,” boomed Nick with authority. Everyone took a step back. An attractive woman holding a microphone stepped into the created space. Her phony smile flashed teeth like a shark. Circling, she came in for the kill, her cameraman capturing the moment.
“Are you the lady who jumped in to save the boy? What made you do something so heroic? Witnesses say you were under for over ten minutes. How is this possible?”
The questions fired at her like a volley of bullets. Jenna flinched as each one hit its mark. She couldn’t answer honestly without sounding like a freak. So she said nothing, burying her head into Nick’s chest. His arms tightened around her. The subtle turning of his body shielded her from all those eyes.
He pitched his voice to address the crowd. “It’s been a traumatic event for everyone involved, and as you can imagine, it’s not over for us yet. We’ve no comment to make at this stage, so please, give us some time to come to terms with what’s happened. Thank you.”
“Could you at least give me a little snippet, Sergeant Hawke?” pouted the reporter, pushing her chest out and fluttering her lashes.
Jenna’s spine went rigid. A sick feeling of dread settled in the pit of her belly.
Police. Nick is a policeman. Dear God, I’m in trouble.
 Her head pounded and her hands shook. His arm tightened when she tried to pull away, holding her firmly in place. Any other person she could have fobbed off. Now she understood his aura of authority, his all-seeing gaze and concern at the thought of a child left alone in her car. He would be relentless uncovering the truth.

Author links, webpages, fan pages, and book trailers.

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Good Friday

29 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by in Easter, Good Friday, Lilly Gayle, Passover, romance author

≈ 2 Comments

On the day Jesus was crucified, darkness covered the land for hours—symbolic of the dark deed committed

against Christ. Christians believe the darkness was a miracle, fulfilling a prophecy. Non-believers and the scientific world believe an eclipse is responsible for the darkness. But why can’t it be both?

God doesn’t perform magic. He uses the science and laws of physics he created to perform miracles. Otherwise, it would be an almost unbelievable coincidence that an eclipse just happened to occur on the day Jesus was crucified, thus fulfilling a prophecy.

God created science and He can manipulate it. And scientist and astronomers can use science to help solve biblical mysteries.

If the crucifixion eclipse was either, a solar or a lunar eclipse, then based on details of the gospel, the Crucifixion of Jesus occurred on  a Friday. “There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.” KJV: John 19:42.

Two different groups estimate the year of the Crucifixion as AD 33,  although, Sir Isaac Newton—a scientist—estimated the date to be  AD 34 based on the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the moon. Using an astronomical approach based on a lunar eclipse model consistent with Apostle Peter: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come” KJV Acts 2:20, then, Friday, April 3, AD 33 is the date of the Crucifixion.

Give or take a year in either direction, Christ died around the age of 33 on a Friday—a day Christians call Good Friday to commemorate His sacrifice. Good Friday precedes Easter Sunday, the day Christians commemorate His resurrection and God’s promise of eternal life. Good Friday is observed during Holy Week and often coincides with the Jewish observance of Passover.

Passover commemorates the liberation of Jewish slaves in ancient Egypt and their birth as a nation under Moses’s leadership. The book of Exodus tells how God helped the Children of Israel escape from slavery by inflicting ten plagues on Egypt, which forced the Pharaoh to release them. The tenth plague was the death of the first-born.

So that the plague would pass over Jewish homes, the Israelites were instructed to mark their doorframes with the blood of a slaughtered lamb. No firstborn in any home with this mark died. Today, the event is celebrated on Passover.

Although it’s traditionally a Jewish holiday, Christians remember this day as well as Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter—all dates of significance during Holy Week.  And Easter is celebrated each year in the spring.

An explanation as to why we celebrate Easter on different days each year can be found on a previous blog post. http://lillygayleromance.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-is-easter-again.html

Valentine’s Day – The Morning After

15 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by in Cupid, romance author, romance novel, Roses, Sandra Dailey, The Wild Rose Press, Twice the Trouble., Valentine's Day

≈ 17 Comments

Belated Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope it was a day filled with love and romance. Or at the very least, a good romance novel.

My guest blogger today is Sandra Dailey. Welcome, Sandy!

Did everyone wake up this morning to the sweet, rich aroma of roses and chocolate?

You may have had a date night or just a romantic dinner at home. Be honest, is that little black dress still lying on the floor? However you celebrated Valentine’s Day, I hope it met your expectations.

Now it’s time to get up, stretch and return to your daily routine. That’s right, it’s the morning after. Bizarre things will happen to off-set the magic.

I offer you an excerpt of a morning after from my newly released story, TWICE THE TROUBLE:

Looking in the bathroom mirror, she saw that her eyes were still a little swollen. She pressed a cold, wet cloth to them. She’d just started brushing her teeth when sounds came from downstairs loud enough to be a herd of buffalo in her kitchen. They were accompanied by a chorus of howls and laughter. What were those kids doing?

With toothbrush in hand, she raced down the stairs and into the kitchen. Sliding to a stop in the doorway, Lacey found Jerrod lying on his back in the middle of the floor. Alex was over the top of him with Jenna on his back. It was an Alex sandwich. They were all laughing hysterically.

Lacey nearly choked on her toothpaste when she saw Jerrod’s face covered in peanut butter. All three offenders froze in place and turned looks of wide-eyed innocence her way. They slowly got to their feet and faced her.

“We really screwed up this time, kids,” Alex mumbled. “She’s so mad, she frothing at the mouth.”

Both kids turned red and covered their mouths. Their eyes watered from the effort it took not to laugh.

Lacey rinsed her mouth, and then picked up the overturned peanut butter jar. “Would someone please tell me, what’s going on?”

Alex cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. He gave her a serious expression. “I’m sorry. I had no choice. Your son called me a sissy. He had to be punished.”

Jerrod scraped a finger down his cheek and into his mouth, looking unrepentant. “I stand by what I said, Mom. The man wears hair gel.”

Perhaps the blurb will explain:
Lacey Carlyle has worked for years to create the perfect blend of home, business and family. Now she risks losing everything when the land she farms is bought by the man who abandoned her thirteen years ago.

Alex has never understood why Lacey walked away from him. Now, he holds the deed to her farm and intends to make her pay. The only problem – two kids weren’t part of the plan.

Jenna and Jerrod may not see eye-to-eye but they are both determined to find happiness for their mom and keep their home safe.

Can Lacey and Alex put their pasts behind them and embrace a future together?

Still confused? That’s okay, I know it’s early. Perhaps you should read TWICE THE TROUBLE. It’s currently available on Amazon. http://amzn.to/Wrxm6B

If you’d like to leave a comment I’ll be hanging around today. I’d love to hear about your morning after or answer your questions about TWICE THE TROUBLE.

About me:
I’m an avid reader and lifelong story teller.  I caught the writing bug after winning a short story contest.  The Chief’s Proposal was my first published work and now I’ve added Twice the Trouble, but I have many more stories to tell.

I currently live with my husband and house plants in north Florida.
http://www.sandradailey.com
http://www.sandradailey.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/sandradailey.author
http://www.twitter.com/sdaileyauthor

Love: Roman Style

18 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by in Christine Elaine Black, Gladiator, historical romance, Italy, romance author, Romance novel set in Rome, Rome, The Wild Rose Press

≈ 9 Comments

I’m not just an author, I’m a reader. As long as there’s a good story, a good romance, or preferably both, I’ll probably read the book. And the idea of a historical romance set in Rome intrigues me.

I loved the movie Gladiator, but the ending made me cry. Wouldn’t it have been a better movie if it had ended with a happily ever after?

Christine Elaine Black is my guest today and her new novel, Maximus, is set in ancient Rome.

Christine?

Hi Lilly!
As a writer of historically-themed romance, the most thrilling part for me is to create a situation for the characters and see how they deal with it. Sometimes I don’t exactly know the road my hero/heroine will take but I know the final result that I’m looking for.

Boy, do I love conflict and secondary characters to add spice and tension to the tale. In Maximus, book I of the Imperial Desire series, there is plenty going on.

Maximus is an imperial bad-boy who has defied the emperor of Rome and as an exile, he’s staying at an abandoned estate. The neighboring family intrigues him and even though his presence is not welcome, he begins a tentative friendship with a woman, her father and her young son.

Carissa recognizes the soldier from years ago and tries to avoid him but her young son is enthralled by the man and pursues a friendship. Carissa’s father, Milo, plays a significant role in the story. He’s convinced he holds information vital to the emperor but no one has taken him seriously in years and it’s not until Maximus realizes Milo’s true identity that events take a surprising twist, throwing Carissa into danger.

Ah, true love. The road is never easy but it’s so worthwhile once we reach the destination.

It was too difficult to say goodbye to my Roman family so I wrote the next installment, Taurus, to tell the story of Kallie, another member of the family. Taurus, book II of the Imperial Desire series is due out in 2013.

Thanks for hosting me as a guest on your blog, Lilly.

Here’s a blurb from Maximus:

Carissa Valeria distrusts the handsome soldier who rescues her reckless son from plunging to an early death. Recalling the man’s heartless treatment of her from years ago, she itches to even the score, but her son hails the rescuer as a hero. When he becomes her neighbor, her son’s friendship with the soldier threatens to uncover old secrets and place her family and her heart in danger.

Exiled to the countryside by the Roman emperor, Maximus Octavius is confounded by the brittle countenance of the woman he’s willing to befriend. She’s afraid, and he’s determined to find out why. But helping Carissa and her son means confronting the guilt of his long-forgotten past and stirring the silenced passion in his heart.

Can Maximus win Carissa before fear and revenge tear them apart forever?

Wow! Sounds great, Christine. And I bet it does have that happily ever after I crave in novels.
Readers can find Maximus on Amazon, The Wild Rose Press’ website, and Barnes and Noble.

Find Christine on Facebook, her blog, or on her website.

I Have Vonnie and She’s Talking About Paris!

16 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by in contemporary romance, Ernest Hemigway, Jame Joyse, Midnight in Paris, Mona Lisa's Room, Paris, romance, romance author, Shakespeare and Company, The Wild Rose Press, Vonnie Davis

≈ 14 Comments

That’s right, y’all. I have none other than Vonnie Davis on my blog today. Vonnie is a sister rose and a wonderful story teller. I fell in love with her novel, Storm’s Interlude. And now, she has a new release that is definitely going on my TBR list. So, I’m just going to turn my blog over to her today…Vonnie?

 There’s a delightful bookstore in Paris called Shakespeare and Company. It sits on the Left Bank, within steps of the Seine and in view of the Notre Dame Cathedral. When we were in Paris, Calvin insisted I had to see it. He claimed it was the most unusual bookstore in the City of Light. I wasn’t prepared for the maze of narrow hallways leading to more alcoves of dust-covered books.

This Paris institution has an interesting background. Shakespeare and Co. was first opened at another location by Sylvia Beach, an American expatriate, in 1918. During the 1920’s, it was the gathering place for writers of the “Lost Generation” — Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Man Ray and Ezra Pound. During this period, the store was the epicenter of Anglo-American literary culture and modernism in Paris. It is featured in Woody Allen’s movie “Midnight in Paris.”

When the Nazis occupied the city, the store was closed down and never re-opened until another American, George Whitman, opened a bookstore in 1951 in a building that was once a monastery.  Later he renamed his English-language bookstore Shakespeare and Company in tribute to Sylvia Beach. This store became a focal point for literary culture in bohemian Paris.

Now here’s where it gets really interesting to me. Whitman, in his youth, had hiked his way through Central and South America and was touched by the generosity of citizens who opened their humble homes to him and shared all they had. This universal-family-ideology stuck with him and, as a result, he opened his bookstore to starving artists and writers. The bookstore includes sleeping facilities, with 13 beds, and Whitman claimed as many as 40,000 people have slept in the shop over the years. His only requirements were that his guests, whom he called “tumbleweeds”, read, work at their art/writing and help out in the bookstore for two hours a day.

A delightful book, Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare and Co. by Jeremy Mercer, tells of a writer’s month living in the famed bookstore. Imagine! Free room and board in Paris. Granted one had little privacy. Bathroom privileges were on a scheduled basis. You had to be up and moving about when the store opened. But this is Paris, y’all!

Here’s the book’s description that reinforces what I’m sharing about the place. “Wandering through Paris’s Left Bank one day, poor and unemployed, Canadian reporter Jeremy Mercer ducked into a little bookstore called Shakespeare & Co. Mercer bought a book, and the staff invited him up for tea. Within weeks, he was living above the store, working for the proprietor, George Whitman, patron saint of the city’s down-and-out writers, and immersing himself in the love affairs and low-down watering holes of the shop’s makeshift staff. Time Was Soft There is the story of a journey down a literary rabbit hole in the shadow of Notre Dame, to a place where a hidden bohemia still thrives.”

Regular activities that occur in the bookshop are Sunday tea, poetry readings and writers’ meetings. George Whitman died there at the age of 98, nearly a year ago. His daughter, Sylvia Beach Whitman, now runs the shop and continues to allow young writers to live and work in the store.

So, of course, I had to include a scene at Shakespeare and Company in my romantic suspense, MONA LISA’S ROOM. Because my heroine Alyson Moore has unwittingly foiled a terrorist’s bombing attempt, she’s been placed under the protective custody of French agent, Niko Reynard. They’ve argued outside Shakespeare and Company and are now inside the store. Niko’s looking for a little gift as a making-up gesture to his charge, who is pretty upset with him…

“Where are you from?” Niko detected an Aussie accent.

“Australia. Brisbane. I’m here to experience Paris, study art and do a bit of poetry writin’.” Eddie’s eyes were scanning the shelves. “Ah, here we go, mate.” He climbed a stepstool to reach what he was after. Turning, he leaned down to hand the two books to Niko.

“Thanks. Sketches of Parisian Rooftops and Sketches of Gardens of Paris.” He quickly scanned through the pages. Aly would love these.

Eddie hailed a greeting at two men, dressed in suits, when they entered and ambled through the narrow store, quietly talking as they climbed the few wooden steps to the next section.

Niko briefly glanced at them before flipping the books over to check the prices. “I’ll take all three.” He waited for the total and paid his bill. “Wrap them please so my lady friend can’t see them. They’re a surprise.”

“Oh, lucky her. I just love…”

Suddenly, screams followed by loud thumping and books falling filled the bookstore. Niko sprinted in the direction of the high-pitched shrieking, gun in hand. He bounded up the steps and rounded the corner. “Aly! Aly! What the hell.”

He skidded to a halt. One of the well-dressed men he saw entering the store earlier was on the floor, books covering most of his body. His companion was staggering, holding his hands over his eye and screaming like a banshee as blood ran down his face.

In the corner stood a pale and trembling Aly, her frightened blue eyes dominated her face. “They…they grabbed me! Said they’d kill me if I resisted. I…I karate kicked them.” She swallowed, obviously trying to gain control. “Kung…kung-fooed the hell out of them, too. And…and…”—she pointed to the screaming man still on his feet—“I think I poked his eye out with one of my stilettos.”

Niko ran a hand down his face, keeping it over his mouth to hide the smile. What a piece of work. He wanted to laugh. He wanted to hug her. And damned if he didn’t want to shake the daylights out of her for stepping out of his sight. Hadn’t he told her to stay with him?

“You okay?” Niko’s gaze swept over her, looking for injuries. He fought the urge to pull her to him and embrace her until her trembling stopped. Frankly, if he were honest, his nerves weren’t the greatest right this moment, either. When he heard her scream earlier, cold fear did a free-fall straight through his system.
Some professional he was. While buying books, Aly had to defend herself. His gaze took in the shambles. By the looks of things, hell if she hadn’t done a damn fine job. “Answer me! Did one of these bastards hurt you? Are you okay?”

“I…I gotta pee.” She was shaking violently. No doubt going into shock. Today’s events finally took their toll.

“I’ll show her to the dunny,” came the Aussie accent behind him. “Ain’t no wonder she’s gotta use the loo. The woman beat the bullocks out of the blokes, she did. Gobsmacked ’em, I’ll wager. Shall I call the police or will you?”

“I am the police. Counterterrorism unit.”

View the Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/MonaTrailer
BUY LINKS:
THE WILD ROSE PRESS (digital) — http://bit.ly/MonaLisaDigital
THE WILD ROSE PRESS (paperback) — http://bit.ly/MonaLisasRoom
AMAZON (paperback) — http://amzn.to/QQZGyD
AMAZON (eBook) — http://bit.ly/MonaLisasRoomeBook
FIND VONNIE ONLINE AT http://www.vonniedavis.com
BLOGGING AT http://www.vintagevonnie.blogspot.com

Get Your Pink On!

05 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by in breast cancer, breast cancer awareness month, breast cancer survivor, Lilly Gayle, romance author, survivor, The Wild Rose Press, think pink

≈ 5 Comments

It’s October. That time of year when I once again remind ladies to 

As a registered x-ray technologist certified in mammography and a breast cancer survivor, I can’t stress enough the importance of an annual screening mammogram. It’s one of the few x-ray examinations that can save your life.

I know some women find them painful. Believe me. I hear it all the time. But a mammogram isn’t nearly as painful as breast cancer. Trust me on this.

In June 2007, I had my screening mammogram. My friend and sister mammographer, Linda, “squeezed” me in after we’d finished our patients for the day. This was back when our hospital still had film screen, so the x-rays dropped from a processor. I pulled the curtain in the tech area and was standing in front of the view box in my pink floral cape when Linda began hanging the films. The Left CC (cranial-caudal–the film taken from the top of the breast) fell from the processor first. It looked fine. No different from the year before. Then the Right CC fell out. It looked–different from the mammogram I’d had 18 months earlier.

Yes, I was 6 months late getting my mammogram, but I had no pain, no lumps, no family history, and no reason to be concerned. Until I saw that Right CC. There, next to my chest wall on the inside of my right breast was a star-shaped lesion with a large calcification in the center. That same lesion was evident on the RMLO (right medial-lateral obligque image–the one taken from the side.) But it was the Friday before Father’s Day and the radiologist had already gone home. So, I had all weekend to worry about that lesion. And suddenly, I had a BIG reason for concern. I’m not a doctor or radiologist, but I’d seen enough mammograms and enough cancers in my time to know that lesion didn’t look good.

On Monday, the radiologist ordered additional images and an ultrasound. I had those procedures the following Friday. And the Friday after that, I had a biopsy. The results came back July 3, 2007. I had breast cancer. Stage 1, but on the cusp of being Stage 2 because the margins weren’t clean and the cancer had a high proliferation rate…which meant is was aggressive and growing fast. I had DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma Insitu- an early cancer that is still contained in the ducts) and an invasive ductal carcinoma–a cancer in the duct that has spread to the surrounding tissue. And it was triple negative.

Triple-negative breast cancer doesn’t express the genes for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) or Her2/neu. Prognosis for Triple Negative breast cancer is the same for other breast cancers at the same stage, but more aggressive treatment is require to achieve that prognosis.

Some types of triple negative breast cancer are known to be more aggressive with poor prognosis, while other types have a prognosis similar to or better than hormone receptor positive breast cancers. Studies of  triple negative breast cancers suggest that with optimal treatment, 20 year survival rates are close to those of hormone positive cancer.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-negative_breast_cancer

Although my cancer was Stage 1, I had a lumpectomy where more tissue was removed from the breast to ensure “clean” margins and I had to have a lymph node biopsy to prove the cancer hadn’t spread beyond the breast. Four nodes were removed and all four were negative. But because of my triple negative status, I had to have chemo and radiation. I had the chemo first.–two chemo drugs, Adriamycin and Cytoxan once every other week for eight weeks. Then after an MRI to prove there were no more lesions or DCIS, I was given the choice of a mastectomy and radiation, or radiation treatments five days a week for 6 weeks.

I chose to keep my breast, which meant mammograms every six months for 3 years and yearly MRI’s for three. To this day, there are times when I second guess my decision to keep my breast. But, had I chosen a mastectomy, I’m sure I would have second-guessed that decision as well.

Triple negative breast cancer has a different recurrence rate and pattern than hormone-positive breast cancers. The risk of recurrence is much higher for the first 3-5 years but drops sharply and substantially below that of hormone-positive breast cancers after that.

On December 12 of this year, it will be five years since my last radiation treatment. I will officially reach the five year mark and my personal risk of a recurrence will drop to that of someone with hormone positive breast cancer. Which isn’t to say that I’m no longer at risk, but by God, I still think I have a reason to celebrate!

So the next time you hear a woman complaining about how much a mammogram hurts, remind her that a few seconds of discomfort could save her life.

If she claims she doesn’t need a mammogram because she isn’t having any problems, remind her that most breast cancers are silent and painless. By the time a woman feels a lump, she already has an active disease.

Remind her that if she has extremely dense breast, a mammogram can miss a lobular carcinoma hiding within the glandular tissue. So, if she feels a lump and the mammogram is normal, she needs an ultrasound and possibly a biopsy.

If she claims she doesn’t have a family history of breast cancer, remind her that 70% of all NEW breast cancers are in women with no family history.

Hey, someone in the family has to be the first to screw up the gene pool. In my family, I was that person.

Although breast cancer is rare in women under 40 and the risk increases with age, no woman who has breasts is immune. That includes trans-gendered women.

Are you at risk? Check out the breast cancer assessment tool.
http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/Default.aspx

And for more information on breast cancer, please visit http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/BreastCancer/index?ssSourceSiteId=null

Back to school, my darlings!

28 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by in British Authors, love stories. writing, Rachel Brimble, romance, romance author, The Wild Rose Press

≈ 9 Comments

Today I have sister Wild Rose Press author, the very British Rachel Brimble on my blog. Welcome to the south, Rachel.

Hi Lilly,

Until this last school holiday I always thought I was pretty good at time management…but how very wrong I was! Oh, lordy, lordy! Six long weeks of barely typing a word and when I did, it wasn’t very good – not a great recipe for producing something polished enough to submit to my agent come the Autumn.

I’m mum to two young daughters of thirteen and eleven – the age where I stupidly assumed they would be out with their friends playing in the sunshine. Remember when we did that? Yes? Well, as other writer mums out there reading this undoubtedly already know, such nonsense is laughable. I soon discovered kids don’t need to go out with friends when they have virtual ones all over the internet and TV, arrghh!!

Alas, the holidays are over and my little darlings are back to school so I am feverishly writing once more, hoping to finish a novella and another novel by the time they break up for Christmas…she says. The interruptions were mammoth this summer. The moaning and fighting worse than ever or maybe it was just my own frustration and naïve expectations that caused me to drink far too much wine and break out in hives.

Anyway, onwards and upwards! We are into September now and don’t have to think about the summer holidays again for another ten months….but of course, Christmas is just around the corner! 😉

Rachel’s latest release is “Love’s Debt”, available now from The Wild Rose Press.

Here’s the blurb & excerpt:

To keep herself from the depths of poverty, Milly Shepherd needs to be appointed manager of the Red Lion Tavern.  The elderly owner is in failing health and has promised her the job permanently if no one more suitable applies.  Milly will fight with her entire being to make the job her own.

Joseph Jacobs needs to supplement his income to pay off his father’s creditors and save him from debtor’s prison.  Though the job as manager of the local tavern looks promising, Milly is favored by both the owner and customers.  Instead, Joseph swallows his pride and agrees to tend bar.

As they work together, their attraction grows, their goals cross, and both Millie and Joseph find they must face their fears …the question is whether they face them alone or together?

Excerpt:

Joseph Jacobs closed the tavern door behind him and paused a moment to take in his surroundings. As a man used to looking over his shoulder and sensing trouble, experience taught him to be aware of others before they became aware of you. He narrowed his gaze. The meager number of patrons at the tables surprised him at an hour when he expected the bar to be fairly busy. He glanced at the clock; maybe it wasn’t time for the workers yet. He shifted his gaze to the woman standing beneath the clock and his heart kicked. Her green-gold eyes held him where he stood. She stared and Joseph swallowed, willing some words to come forth from his frozen tongue or at least a smile to curve his paralyzed lips.
She lifted her eyebrows and slowly pulled a cloth from her shoulders. Her hair was a mass of fire-tipped curls around her oval face, her skin creamy-white and her parted lips, a soft delicate pink. Joseph cleared his throat and belatedly removed his hat. “Good evening, miss.”
Her smile slipped easily into place. “Good evening to you, sir.” Her voice was smooth, clear and full of confidence. “Are you looking to quench your thirst or just planning on soaking up the atmosphere?”
Joseph inhaled a long breath through flared nostrils as if trying to smell her. Something told him she’d smell of lavender…or maybe musk. Something to throw a man off guard, to lower his defenses.   He stepped forward. “Neither. I am looking for the landlord. Would you happen to know if he’s available?” Her gaze lingered on his a moment longer before she looked to the four glasses at the table beside her. She grasped them expertly between her fingers and carried them behind the bar without answering his question.   Joseph couldn’t take his gaze from the natural sway of her hips beneath the deep burgundy dress she wore, the bustle a little too prominent for the current fashion showing her lack of money to afford better. Why else would a woman with the features of an artist’s model be working in a tavern unless necessity demanded it?
Buy Link:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_138&products_id=4967

Rachel’s Links:

http://www.rachelbrimble.com/
http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Brimble/181873201887441
https://twitter.com/RachelBrimble