After a wonderful holiday break, I'm back to helping promote other authors on this 'features' blog. Here's some new information about Amie Louellen's- Blame it on Texas. 

Enjoy a quick, continuous excerpt as well...  

 

Announcing

Blame it on Texas

a new contemporary romance by Amie Louellen

Every first love deserves a second chance.

© 2014 Amie Louellen

Shelby Patterson has come back to Texas for one reason and one reason only—to get her husband to sign divorce papers. She’s worked hard to build her California bakery, where clients clamor for her one-of-a-kind creations. Seven years after her disastrous marriage, she’ll finally have everything in perfect order—just as soon as Ritter McCoy signs the dotted line. Ritt is still pissed that Shelby walked out all those years ago without giving their marriage a chance. Sure, they were young and had just lost the baby that had rushed them to the altar, but they’d loved each other beyond reason. Ritt gave up his college baseball scholarship, only to have Shelby and her mom take his parents’ bribe money and run. If Shelby wants those papers signed, she’ll just have to wait until he’s good and ready. Or maybe, before she flies the coop again, he can convince her the love they had between them is still there—and still hot enough to melt their hearts back into one. Warning: This book contains a sexy Texas boy determined to recapture his first love. May also produce feelings of nostalgia and longing for slow kisses and sweet tea.
 

Enjoy the following excerpt for Blame it on Texas:

She should have known she’d find him like this. Shelby looked down at the oil-stained driveway to the denim-clad legs protruding from underneath the ancient Ford. The hem of the jeans was frayed, the worn cowboy boots dusty and with a few stains of their own. She propped her hands on her hips, doing her best not to tap her foot in irritation. It would do no good. If there was one thing she’d learned in her time as Ritt McCoy’s wife, he had his own timetable and to hell with anyone else’s. “I said, I need to talk to you.” “And I said, just a minute,” his muffled voice returned. Shelby bit back a growl and used the thick packet of papers to fan herself. That was one thing she didn’t miss about Texas—the heat. But with any luck and the good Lord’s grace, she’d only be here another few minutes, an hour at the most, and then she’d be on her way back to California. A trickle of sweat ran down between her shoulder blades and into the small of her back. Shelby fanned harder and checked her watch. She’d been waiting twenty minutes for Ritt to finish whatever it was he was doing to the truck and sign on the dotted line. That was nineteen more than she cared to wait. “Ritt.” “Shelby.” “I need you to sign these.” “In a minute.” “Now. I have a plane to catch.” She jumped back, nearly snapping the heel off one peep-toe pump. They had been a special purchase for this trip along with the form-fitting black dress that hugged her like a second skin. Scrambling to get out of the way, she managed to maintain her balance as Ritt pushed the creeper from under the truck. And there he was, the boy who stole her heart, took her virginity and married her all in one summer. Well, he’d had her heart for years before that. And he wasn’t a boy any longer; though the years, she grudgingly admitted, had been very kind to him. “What?” he asked. Even lying down, he looked taller, broader, more. She was glad to have the advantage, standing over him like she was. “I’m in a hurry.” “Not my problem.” He disappeared in a quick swoosh back under the truck. But he left his image behind. Dark blond hair curling from under a ratty Longhorns baseball hat. Dirt smeared T-shirt covering a chest she didn’t remember as having quite so many muscles. Long legs, firm lips, square jaw. “I’ve flown over a thousand miles to get you to sign these. The least you could do is get out from under there and do it.” Her voice rose in pitch, the whine she’d been tamping down rising to the surface. Couldn’t he see how they needed this? That it was time to move forward? There was a loud clunk, which sounded like head versus oil pan, then a muffled curse. He rolled out again, and before she knew what had happened he was towering over her. She took a couple of steps back for good measure, unable to meet his blue-gold gaze as he studied her face. “What is it, Shelby? What is so important that you flew all the way out here to grace me with your presence?” She was wrong. The years had been more than kind to him, they had outright adopted him. Had he always been this tall? This broad? This…masculine? He had, she decided. But after seven years away, she had forgotten what a man her Texas boy had been. She licked her lips, the sight of him bringing back more memories than she cared to delve through. Prom night, at the lake after the baseball games, Saturday afternoon in the canyon…

Check out Blame it on Texas on AMAZON and B&N.com

Best wishes to you, Amie!

Slainthe!

Truth or Consequences

Welcome Wednesday has a return visitor, today. Sharon Cooper is here with a new novel - Truth or Consequences.

About Sharon

Bestselling author, Sharon C. Cooper, spent 10 years as a sheet metal worker. And while enjoying that unique line of work, she attended college in the evening and obtained her B.A. from Concordia University in Business Management with an emphasis in Communication.

Sharon is a romance-a-holic – loving anything that involves romance with a happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies or real life. She writes contemporary romance, as well as romantic suspense and enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When Sharon is not writing or working, she’s hanging out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work or reading a good book (a romance of course).

Sharon’s Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page 

Truth or Consequences

Hospital Chief of Staff Natasha Lockham’s life has been all about work and no play. That is until a one-night stand with a man who lives his life on the edge, turns her sexual fantasies into reality. She never expects to see him again, but their paths cross when Natasha suspects an esteemed doctor of committing an unspeakable crime against his patients and danger lands at her doorstep. The closer she gets to the truth, the more she realizes she’s not prepared for the truth – or the consequences.

Former Navy SEAL, Malik Lewis, will always remember the night he spent with Natasha. It was the single most amazing night of his life. So when Natasha narrowly escapes a brutal attempt on her life, Malik stops at nothing to protect her, including hunting a man whose skills match his. Can Malik and Natasha outsmart a vicious assassin who has nothing to lose? And will they ever get to explore the sizzling passion between them that neither can deny?

• Buy Links: Amazon

 

Here's a little excerpt to get you intrigued:

 “So why haven’t you remarried?” Malik asked her out of nowhere. “You seem like the marrying type who would have two-point-five kids and a white picket fence by now.”

Natasha grunted. “Yeah right. Well, I tried the marriage thing once, and as you know that didn’t turn out too well for me.”

“Have you ever thought about trying it again?”

Natasha was surprised by the question, especially coming from a confirmed bachelor who, from what she’d heard, had never been in a relationship for more than two months.

“I’ve thought about it,” she answered honestly. “Even more so the last couple of months. I have been so focused on my career that I rarely do stuff like this.” She waved her hand around, indicating their surroundings. “Now that I feel a little more comfortable in my career, I’d like to try marriage again and maybe have one or two children.” She turned slightly in her seat toward him. “What about you? Is marriage and kids in your future?”

Damn. He had walked right into that, not thinking that she might turn the question on him. Discussing marriage and kids with a single woman was risky considering most of them were trying to snag a man. Yet, with Natasha it was different. She didn’t come across as a woman whose sole purpose of going out with a guy was to make him fall in love or lust with her, and then expect a marriage proposal within a few weeks.

“Had you asked me six months ago I would have said no, and probably would’ve said a few more things that your delicate ears wouldn’t have been able to handle.” They both laughed.

“But now?” she prompted.

He stretched his other arm along the back of the empty seat next to him, finding it impossible to get comfortable. A few seconds passed as he debated on how to respond to her question, but decided to be honest with her.

“Now … maybe.” He glanced at her. “And if you ever tell Wiz or Quinn I said that, I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out to the woods never to be seen again.”

She laughed hard at that. “Well, dang, you act like someone is asking you to give up a kidney or something. Marriage is not that bad.”

“No?” He looked at her pointedly. “Then why aren’t you still married?”

She fiddled with her necklace, something he saw her do often. Seeing her deep in thought made him wonder if he shouldn’t have saved the question for another day. The last thing Malik wanted to do was ruin the good time they were having. The game wouldn’t start for another twenty minutes and he was enjoying their small talk.

“He cheated on me.”

Malik sat up straight. He knew he didn’t like her ex before, but now he was tempted to hunt the bastard down and beat his ass.

“It wasn’t his fault, though.”

“How the hell wasn’t it his fault? Nobody accidently cheats,” Malik said before thinking.

“Okay, it wasn’t totally his fault. I wasn’t there. I wasn’t present in our marriage.” She shrugged. “He got tired of sleeping alone, eating alone, and point blank being alone. Unfortunately, I put my career first.”

“You were young, ambitious, and working to become a surgeon. He should’ve understood.”

“Would you have understood?” She looked at him expectantly.

Silence fell between them as he searched her face, finally zoning in on her tempting lips. “For you, yeah. I would have understood.” He pushed a lock of hair out of her face and the back of his finger glided down her cheek. “I would have understood, but I probably would have been at the hospital every damn day. Either bringing you a meal, pulling you into a broom closet for a quickie, or I might have done something real stupid like cut off a finger so that I could get you to sew it back on for me.”

“That is the sweetest…and the most disturbing thing anyone has ever said to me.”

Thanks for popping in today, Sharon. Best wishes for great sales of Truth or Consequences. 

Slainthe!

Murder in Mind by Amelia Pasch

Murder in Mind by Amelia Pasch

I really enjoyed reading this tale set in medieval Florence. It had plenty of tasty historical details which enlivened and enriched the setting. The cast of characters is vast and varied and some are, naturally, much more likeable than others. It is many years since I visited the city of Florence but as I read I tried to match up my memories with the vivid scenes as described by the author. There are also some surprising details of events which made me want to reach for the history books to read more about their earliest origins-but I won’t spoil the story by telling you what. It’s the era of Borgia and Medici rule and of Popes who were less than pious or truly saintly, so the tale is full of intrigue and deadly dealings are rife. Political back stabbing is a fact of life- literally and figuratively. Vittorio Venditore’s geniality is balanced by some of his family who are portrayed as a lot less so. Lady Isabella seems a lady out of her time and not just because of her mode of dress, but the character I liked best is Allesandro Gironi, though his job as a security chief with endless staff seems incredibly ‘modern’. The main plot has some nice twists and turns and although I worked out who the political spanner in the works was well before the end, there were still other aspects to the intrigue and sub-plots which kept me guessing till the end. Mostly a well written novel.

Rock Me Gently by M.J. Schiller

It's release day for M.J. Schiller! There's a chance to WIN an ecopy and a little extract to get to know what Rock Me Gently is all about. 

Rock Me Gently

Like so many others, their romance started in Las Vegas…

He’s a rock star. She’s an ad exec. After almost having a one night affair in Sin City, Josh can’t get Cassie out of his mind. Why had she run out on him?

Like so many others, their romance started with a shot of tequila...

When the Josh Dunningham of Money Back Guaranteed tries to seduce her, Cassie is taken aback. Sure, he’s hot. And he could definitely rock her world. But can she have a fling with a man she doesn’t even know?

Like so many others, their romance turned rocky…

When Cassie returns to Chicago and finds a ten-foot tall Josh Dunningham on a radio station’s banner across from her office, she is tortured by memories of their short time together. When they meet again, things explode—in a bad way—and Josh has to prove himself to Cassie to earn her trust. But will he succeed when outside forces also want to tear them apart? When Cassie receives threatening letters and is attacked in her home, Josh is determined to find out who is behind it. But will the stalker’s encore performance bring an end to their show once and for all?

ROCK ME, GENTLY ~ releasing MAY 1^ST!

To enter to win a free e-copy go to www.mjschillerauthor.blogspot.com! Drawing on Saturday, May 3^rd.

 Buy Rock Me Gently from Amazon:

From Rock Me Gently: 

Josh steered Cassie toward an exit, hoping fresh air would help to sober her up.  They ended up at the outdoor pool, a monstrosity complete with overhanging palm trees. Not a soul was in sight, unusual, even at this time of night.

Away from the casino hubbub, it was easier to talk. She eyed him. “Tell me about the band.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Well, as an advertising person, I’m interested in the gimmick, Money Back Guaranteed. Did you ever have to back up that promise?”

Josh took a couple of seconds to think about that. “Yeah. A few times. Once, when an elderly couple came with their granddaughter. They didn’t like the show at all.”  Remembering their reaction, he grimaced. “And once, when a girl caught her fiancé in the hall with another girl. Hardly our fault, but, she didn’t enjoy the concert, and that’s our promise, so…” He shrugged.  

“Interesting. Interesting.” She lifted a leg, grabbing his shoulder for balance, and tugged on the heel of her boot.

“Uhh…what are you doing?”

“My feet are killing me. You’re so lucky you are a guy and don’t have to wear heels.”

“Yes. I was just mentioning that to my friend, Ryan, the other day.”

She didn’t look up. Having successfully removed one boot, she switched legs to work on the other. “Really?”

He smiled. “No. Go on.”

Yanking the other boot off, she nearly toppled over, though still holding on to him. She squeezed his arm. “You’re built.”

He nearly laughed at her frank statement. “Thank you.”

Holding her boots in one hand, her brow furrowed as she concentrated on her next question. She began to balance on the edge of the pool, which was deserted, and scoop stepped, trailing one leg in the water, not seeming to mind at all that her jeans were getting wet.    

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” he warned, taking her arm to steady her. 

“I’m fine,” she assured him, breaking away for an instant to do a pirouette in the pool’s gutter to demonstrate.

“Okay, okay,” he muttered, grabbing her arm again. “No need to show off. So why are you in the advertising game?”

“I like the creative aspect of it. And, I can be very persuasive,” she said, smiling at him. As if he somehow silently challenged her, she stopped with a jerk and turned toward him, lifting up on her toes to kiss him. The taste of her was just as intoxicating as the booze had been, and left him equally dizzy. The flavor of sweet lime and midnight rolled across his tongue and sank into him unbidden. Someone in the hotel rooms surrounding the pool above them slammed a door, startling Cassie, the sharp sound almost like gunfire. She jumped away from him like she had been shot herself and started to lose her balance. He reached to save her, but too late, she fell into the pool, dragging him in after her.

 ***********

MJ is a lunch lady in the heart of Central Illinois. My gosh, can you get more folksy than that? She met her husband at the University of Missouri-Columbia and now she has an nineteen-year-old (how did that happen?) and seventeen year old triplets! She loves to read, karaoke (where she can pretend she is a rock star) and spends WAY too much time on Facebook. She grew up in St. Louis and still has family there.

Best wishes for a great launch day, M.J. 

Slainthe!

An Interview with Terri Rochenski

On Monday Moments I've a great interview with an author friend, Terri Rochenski, who popped in last week to give us some information about her latest novel - Love's Sorrow.

There was no time to get to know her last week but today's the day!

Hello and welcome again, Terri. How long have you been a published writer?

My first official publication came in the form of a flash fiction piece titled Infinite Snare in the April 2011 edition of Lark’s Fiction Magazine. Three others soon followed, and my first short story publication was Sacrificial Oath in J. Taylor Publishing’s Make Believe anthology which released in December of 2012.

Eye of the Soul (Pool of Souls #1), my first novel, released with JTP in October of 2013. Book #2, Secret of the Souls, releases in October of this year.

And finally, the first in my Means of Mercy series, Love’s Sorrow, released this month. There’s a tentative scheduled release of book two, Love’s Revenge, in November of this year.

Please tell me about your latest release.

Love’s Sorrow is the story of an orphaned, poor young woman who is hired by a cousin by marriage to look after her sons. While there, she is introduced into London’s society where she doesn’t truly care to be or believes she should be. Of course, there is a male character who changes her mind, but finding love proves to be a tougher experience than she expected.

What is the genre/ subgenre of your latest book?

Historical romance set in mid-19^th century England and America.

Who is the hero of the story?

Anne Tearle is Love’s Sorrow’s main character, and as I stated above she is a poor orphaned young woman. Raised by an abusive aunt, the offer of employment brings freedom in a way she never dreamed of.

What does your heroine think when she first meets the hero?

She is stricken with how handsome and refined he is. While visions of him haunt her dreams, she knows such a man isn’t for her.

Which time period is your favourite to research in?

I’m a lover of early 19^th to late 19^th century. 

Great answers, Terri! Thank you. I love all historical periods, too, and I've started a family saga beginning around 1845- though it doesn't have my writing time priority right now since that's going to my novels in the Celtic Romano era.

To finish with- Some fast and furious for you, Terri:

What's your favourite time of year?

Spring and fall are tie for favorites in my mind.

Favourite colour?

Green!!

Favourite cuisine?

I love all food—except raw tomatoes & onions. Cook them and I’m good to go!

Wow! I thought we were going to be clones there but it just so happens I love raw tomatoes and onions and eat everything and anything! Thanks for answering! 

Terri started writing stories in the 8^th grade, when a little gnome whispered in her brain. Gundi’s Great Adventure never hit the best seller list, but it started a long love affair with storytelling.

Today she enjoys an escape to Middle Earth during the rare ‘me’ moments her three young children allow. When not playing toys, picking them back up, or kissing boo-boos, she can be found sprawled on the couch with a book or pencil in hand, and toothpicks propping her eyelids open.

Terri’s Links:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Roane Publishing  Sweet, Historical Romance

Hired as a nanny for her cousin’s children, Anne Tearle finds security and a loving family. The children are a dream, but London society is a world of its own, one where a displaced farm girl has no business being. But, wealthy rake, Gavin MacKay, helps her to see associating with the upper class might not be as horrid as she first assumed.

Like all things worthwhile, love comes at a price, and the cost soon bestows more anguish than joy. Lost, but not undone, Anne must find the courage to begin life anew, or succumb to sorrow's unrelenting waves of grief.

Print
Createspace (Best Option)
Amazon
eBook
Amazon
Bookstrand
Smashword

Link for Love’s Sorrow on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21455386-love-s-sorrow

Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win some wonderful goodies from Terri's tour. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terri - Best wishes on your tour!
Slainthe! 

Pecha Kucha & English Language Teaching: Changing The Classroom by Thomas Jerome Baker

I found this book a mixture of manual and enthusiastic explanation for the use of Pecha Kutcha in classrooms of many sorts- the multiple video references extremely important to emphasise that all important visual element which aids learning, and teaching. As an ex-primary teacher of 11-12 year olds, I can easily see how useful it might be for using as part of the spoken language element of the English curriculum. Power Point Presentations by my pupils were used to demonstrate their IT skills in conjunction with the Spoken Language requirements, though to a more restricted time. Speaking for 6 + minutes is a daunting prospect for such a young age, indeed for some people of any age, but what I liked about the Pecha Kucha was the emphasis on the spoken element rather than the text on the slide which tends to accompany a ‘script’. The tight time frame to work to, whether it be the 20 x 20 Pecha Kutcha, or a revised timescale is very constructive for focusing on what is being imparted. I totally applaud the author’s emphasis on pupils’ practising and practising and doing some more of that. Whether for EFL uses, or with pupils using their first language, there’s a lot of sense in what Pecha Kutcha aims to achieve. I particularly liked the helpful strategies and achievement targets which could be used as stated or adapted to suit the classroom environment. This book is a very useful tool for using in spoken language classes.

I had no hesitation in giving it 5 stars.

Seumas Gallacher makes it sound so easy!

I recently read this great little book which makes plunging into the world of self publishing not seem such a daunting prospect. If, and when, I venture forth with any of my work I know I'll be able to get even more guidance from my new friend, Seumas Gallacher. This is what I felt after reading his latest book which is designed to help the 'newbie' make those first steps. 

Even though I haven’t yet gone down the self publishing route, I still need as many tips as possible for marketing my ‘small publisher’ published books. I found this a great little guide especially with regard to some of the social media sites, like Twitter, which I don't use properly. 

I don’t use TweetDeck either but will now have a go and see if I can make better inroads into doing my own 'non-spamming' marketing. (I fail to see how that can be achieved without spreading the word as I do already but look forward to enlightenment) With a little guidance from Seumas I might also manage to use Goodreads and LinkedIn better than I currently do. I'm 'on' all of these sites but interaction is limited to the amount of time I have which is generally zilch! I think Seumas' tips might help me focus a little better, though.

I don’t have a business background so the general business plan techniques look very useful. I want to succeed with my writing, and have been serious about it since shortly before my first novel was published, but I did not regard it as a 'business'. Seumas' guide makes it quite clear that success requires that attitude and appropriate strategies to be used- whether or not heaps of money transpires as a result. I want my books to be read by more of the reading public so my business profile needs to be sharpened.

This is a little book I’m sure I’ll be popping back to in the future, since it's set down succinctly and  is very well written and edited.

Thank you, Seumas- all for the price of a coffee in my local cafe! 

Slainthe!