Thursday, June 5, 2014

I'm Happy to Host Christine Warner

I'm glad you stopped over to read about the new novella by Christine Warner: SECRET LOVE (book one in the nostalgic Sweet Fifties romance series). Today is its release day. Please enjoy reading all about the novella and its author:

BLURB: 

Lizzie Tarleton has always done things her own way—including the time at the tender age of thirteen when she confessed to her brother’s best friend she loved him. But now she’s a new teacher at the local high school, and independent enough to know that you can’t force love. She’ll find love when the time is right—even though her parents are adamant the time is now. The only downfall to her idyllic life is the fact that her childhood crush—who broke her heart—is now her boss. If only she could stop daydreaming about him.
Wayne Whitmore grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and worked hard to get where he’s at in life. Even though he enjoys being principal at the small town high school, he dreams of coaching baseball. When his best friend asks him to watch over his little sister at her new job at Wayne’s school, he agrees. What he doesn’t count on is how she’s grown from the pig tailed kid who told him she loved him, to the woman who breaks his concentration with her beauty and smile. Unable to get over his fascination, and afraid he’ll ruin his friend’s trust, Wayne applies for his dream job—one that will take him far away.

One night while decorating the school gymnasium for an upcoming sock hop, Lizzie and Wayne find themselves alone. They share a kiss and Lizzie realizes her childhood crush for Wayne has never died. Wayne decides he doesn’t want to let Lizzie get away.

Can they come to terms with their secret love and then overcome the other secrets they are hiding in order to get what they each want? Or is their timing for love still off?

EXCERPT:

She blinked away the heat of tears forming at the back of her eyes. Their conversation had grown too serious. She needed to lighten things up a bit. “Remember when we used to play ‘What if?’”
He laughed. “What if Lizzie wore a dress?”
“Either she was going to church, or her mom was having a ladies’ social.” Lizzie giggled. “Ricky hated that game.”
“He’d get so mad when you’d start it.” He made the final cut on a small snowflake and added it to the pile before him.
“What if Wayne couldn’t throw his famous curve ball?”
“The school trophy case would be one trophy short. What if Lizzie wasn’t teaching here?”
She pouted. “She’d be sad. I have no idea what I’d be doing if I hadn’t found a job here. What does Lizzie have to do to show Wayne she thanks him?” She winked, enjoying their fun.
He cleared his throat. “What if Wayne said Lizzie owed him a kiss?”
Her belly trembled. What if?
“What if he stole one?” His voice lowered and he leaned in.
“Why don’t you find out?” she whispered.

ABOUT CHRISTINE WARNER:                          

Christine Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her husband, three children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends.
Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmitic. A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities. She loves to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines.
A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on facebook, twitter and her website at christine-warner.com

Monday, May 19, 2014

MEET DENISEA KAMPE

Denisea Kampe writes for Rebel Ink Press and I'm happy to be hosting her today. Here she is to tell you a little about her newest release: FOR HIS COUNTRY

Twenty-seven years, more than a dozen deployments, five kids…and one missing wife.
After twenty-seven years of marriage and service to his country, Gavin McIntyre returns from what he hopes will be his last deployment before either reaching the highest attainable enlisted rank in the Marine Corps or retiring. But what he returns to leaves him flat aback with a busted mast and broken rudder. His wife is a no show for the homecoming. Using the ages old adage of improvise, adapt, and overcome, he makes his way home only to discover, she hasn’t simply forgotten to pick him up from the bus, she’s gone. In her wake, Gavin finds his home set up boot camp style and twenty dollars in the cookie jar, but any evidence he’s ever had a wife or five children with her is deplete.
Pregnant at sixteen and married to a marine in a less than romantic ceremony courtesy of the local Justice, Raylyn McIntyre has spent almost three decades playing the dutiful patriotic wife, catering to the whims of the military. She’s lost track of how many places she’s lived, how many deployments she’s endured, and how many tears she’s shed. But most of all, she’s lost track of herself. With a husband who’s so wrapped up in saving the world he can’t see he’s losing his family, Ray resorts to the one tactic he might understand…a full frontal attack with extreme prejudice, which proves to get Gavin’s waning attention.

Nothing good ever comes easy, though, and just when her choice of battle plan seems to be working, tragedy befalls their family. As Ray and Gavin struggle to find center, they also struggle with the notion that forgiveness of self is often the only path to forgiveness of another, and that path is not only bumpy but filled with pitfalls.

Excerpt:

“Meatloaf? Dear God,” Ray mumbled, buckling up.
No wonder Gavin looked at her like she’d sprouted an additional head. Meatloaf. Good grief. If she’d have been herself this morning instead of some woman she hadn’t recognized since the first of the year, she’d have skipped the meatloaf, had the curtains hemmed by noon, and would have had one of Gavin’s favorite meals ready and waiting at five o’clock on the dot with a card, a box of cigars, and a bottle of wine. And all the cookies and cards and candies would have been mailed days ago.
But Ray wasn’t herself. Hell, she wasn’t even the woman she was almost a year ago when she went on a tirade and decided enough was enough and she had to find herself. Who she’d become since the rift between her and Gavin had widened was an empty shell of middle-aged flesh who couldn’t remember what she’d gone to the grocery for without two detailed lists in case she lost one in the process of getting to the store.
“Forget about the damn meatloaf,” Gavin said, merging into traffic and heading for the front gate. “Forget about the meatloaf, the pizza, the movie, the cookies and the damn cards. Forget about my cigars. Tonight we’re taking care of us. Period. We, I, should have been doing that more often all along. My fault…”
“So this has everything to do with making yourself feel better? Not me?” Ray accused, happy for the reprieve of wallowing in her own guilt and even happier to be able to poke at someone else’s. “To ease your own guilt because you’ve missed so many special occasions? You think one nice dinner out is supposed to fix years of forgetfulness?”
“If it makes you feel better to yell at me, go ahead,” Gavin said. “It beats the dead silence that’s hung over us ever since the first of the year. My fault? You bet your sweet ass, woman, but I’m not going to sit and stew in the guilt I could lay on myself. I’m going to fix it. And you’re going to stop feeling guilty, too. We deserve a life and damn it, we’re going to start living it.”
“You think it’s that easy?” Ray shot at him. “You think we can just decide one day okay, let’s just forget the last twenty-seven years and pow, everything is just hunky-dory?”
“No, I don’t think it’s going to be that easy, but it could be easier if you’d let it.”
“Now I’m the one being difficult?” Ray huffed and crossed her arms under her breasts. “Let me tell you, mister, you’re the one who’s been difficult.”
“Yes, I know that,” Gavin agreed.
“Oh, that’s great,” Ray snipped, steam building. “Now you think to take the wind out of my sails by being agreeable and stealing my reasons for being angry? Stop agreeing with me, it makes it difficult for me to stay pissed off!”

Purchase Links:


ARe:  http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=denisea+kampe&searchBy=author&qString=denisea+kampe

********
Born and raised in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, Denisea Kampe was spinning tales before she could even spell and once her sixth grade creative writing teacher encouraged her by leaving a most prophetic comment on one of her assignments, the wheels of destiny were set in motion. But those wheels would need greased again and again as her writing would take a back seat to life and her jobs of mom and wife many times over before she’d finally see her dream of becoming a published writer come to fruition in 2010. Denisea is a military wife who’s traveled the world over. She’s lived in four states and Okinawa Japan and held more drivers’ licenses than she can count. Her nest is empty save one furry and quite mischievous Siberian Husky and one spoiled rotten Rat Terrier mix. Denisea takes much of her inspiration for her heroes from the marines she’s lived around since marrying her very own fairy tale prince in dusty cammies. Coining the term realmantica, she strives to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. Her genre of choice is contemporary romance and when she’s not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, trips to the museum, taking field research trips, crafting, and sewing. Her works include One Tear, The Executive Officer’s Wife, Private Pirouette, and the Slower Lower series. Denisea loves to hear from her readers and can be found at deniseakampe.blogspot.com

WEBSITE   &   FACEBOOK

Rafflecopter Code:
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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Welcome to the Spring Fling Blog Hop!

Spring is a great time to fall in love. Everything is in play: the fresh new floral blossoms, the sweet scented air, the happy tweeting of birds....you name it. Spring is a renewal, a rebirth. For those already enjoying the sweet blush of love, Spring adds sparkle. For those of us who don't have a mate, the odds are good you'll find one in the deliciousness of Spring!

In the meantime, how about reading about love? While you wait for Mr. or Ms. Right.....enjoy an exciting novel or novella about the challenges and rewards of love. Hop through the many talented authors today and see what each has to offer by way of their writings and their offerings. I am offering to one lucky winner a free ARC copy of "The Shewolf and the Priest." So please leave a comment with your email address so I can get in touch with you if you're the winner.

And to sweeten the pot--check out the great contest gifts. All you have to do is enter on Rafflecopter for your chance to win!

Here’s the Grand Prize list:
1 Kindle Fire (Donated by Blushing Books)
1 $75 Amazon (or B&N) Gift Card
1 $25 Starbucks Gift Card (Donated by Sue)
1 $25 Blushing Books Gift Card (Donated by Patty)
1 $25 Loose Id Gift Card (Donated by Cara)

And please do check out the other authors!

While you are on my blog, also check out my novels. I write historical romances, but my latest "The She Wolf and the Priest" is also paranormal. It's about the love between a shape shifter white wolf gypsy woman and a Catholic priest. The woman is not an ordinary woman--she can not only shape shift, but she can raise the dead and is the last of her unique, special tribe. You'll want to see how their lives interplay....

Thanks for hopping by.....
Joanne
Hop back to others in the blog hop:

To enter the contest:




Thursday, February 6, 2014

Come meet Jane Wakely and her newest romance release


Friend and fellow Rebel Ink Press author Jane Wakely has a great new book out. I'm delighted to let her tell you all about it. And remember to leave a comment at the end for (surprise)!


Book Spotlight: Ella’s Cougar


Title: Ella’s Cougar (Chestnut Rock Shifters, Book 7)

Author: Jane Wakely

Genre: Paranormal/Shifter Romance

Publisher: Rebel Ink Press


Blurb:

Ella Cardwell never forgot the cougar she met in the forest after wandering away from her parents when she was six years old. Her unbelievable story, combined with her fascination of the animals, caused her to leave home when she turned eighteen and find the cougar that monopolizes her thoughts. She makes the journey to the Chestnut Rock Resort, certain she will find her destiny—the boy, now a man, from all those years ago. She recognizes him on sight, but he’s not waiting for her like she thought he would be.


Cole Rookman met his mate when he was too young to understand the strong, intense feelings conjured by the mating instinct. With no way to track her down, he’s lived for nearly fifteen years with the knowledge he would never be able to claim her, and he would always be alone. Unusual circumstances lead to allowing thoughts of his mate to break down his carefully constructed barriers, and he risks losing everything.


Ella makes new friends, but they soon learn her secret: she came looking for a man who is unavailable. Instead of censure, they offer comfort and friendship until the truth starts to unravel and her crush is ultimately revealed. Cole wants to believe his mate searched him out, but after battling severe depression, he’s not willing to raise his hopes. Wishing for something impossible is reckless, but when all signs point to the girl as his mate, he has to find her and see for himself.


Excerpt:

His cousin’s mate had always been cheerful and friendly, but now that she and Ethan were mated, the woman bubbled, even when she wasn’t saying anything. Though he kept his distance most of the time—being around a newly mated couple depressed most unmated shifters—Max never failed to make him smile. Her energy and joy was contagious, and he adored her company. She was the perfect mate for Ethan.


This time though, her presence couldn’t push away whatever he was feeling. He felt as though his heart was breaking, but how could it? Why today? Over the years he’d learned to accept his status. He would forever be alone, never part of a mated pair.


Unlucky enough to meet his mate when he was twelve years old, he’d been dealing with his situation for almost fifteen years. An anomaly in the shifter world, he’d only survived by the sheer will to live and beat the odds. Work, his cousin and their family, and now their new friends, helped him fight the depression and loneliness that threatened nearly every day.


Though he and Ethan were raised in the same home, shared by both families, most shifters lived alone until they found their mates. Many times, if a mate wasn’t found, a shifter could sink deep into a black hole of depression and never emerge. It wasn’t unheard of for an unmated shifter to die of loneliness.


A mated shifter that didn’t claim their mate faced the same risks as an unmated one. His feelings had been easier to control because he met her when they were only children, but once found, both shifters and their mates experience extreme and often confusing desires toward each other.


He’d often wondered what it had been like for her, meeting him so young and watching him change from an animal to a boy and back.


Book Links:


All Romance Ebooks: http://bit.ly/1kgYa6Y


Author Bio:

Jane has been creating stories of love and romance for as long as she can remember. She’s a sucker for a happy ending and thinks the best thing about any movie or book is when the characters find someone to love.


Jane writes romance in the contemporary, fantasy and paranormal genres, but paranormal romance is her true passion. She loves creating worlds around sexy shifters and vamps—even if the shifter is a smelly skunk!


Jane writes sensual romance that will warm your heart, and a happy ever after is guaranteed!


Author Links:







Giveaway!

Leave a comment below (with Email) for a chance to win a Chestnut Rock Swag Pack! Jane will choose and announce the winner tomorrow in the comments! :)


 



Friday, November 15, 2013

Release of THE DIAMOND CROSS

I'm happy to announce the release of my latest novel, a romance/saga spanning two generations and taking place in Budapest, New York, and Saratoga Springs in the late 1800's. It's a sweeping novel of tragedy and lots of romance that'll leave you with a tear in your eye and a happy all over feeling.

It's available for purchase in paperback format from Amazon.com and in eBook format from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Allromanceebooks.com.

BLURB:

The Diamond Cross is a sweeping historical romance/saga that exemplifies love, hope, fortitude and personal triumph in a spectacular, hedonistic era. Siblings János and Eva Imre emigrate from Budapest to New York in 1873 in pursuit of elusive Bart Karolyi, a wolf in sheep’s clothing who has stolen Eva’s heart, her virginity and the entire Imre family’s savings. János and pregnant Eva face incredible odds after being processed through Castle Garden--the gateway to America. Will the family heirloom, a fabulously stunning diamond cross, help sustain them and guarantee a future for Eva’s bastard child? Or will it prove to be their undoing? Can Janós rise above adversity to gain revenge on the man who destroyed the simplicity and sanity of their lives? 
             Even in the midst of personal chaos, hope shines through as Janós and his son Brenton discover  the presence of a striking thirteen year old girl in the lobby of their hotel in Saratoga Springs. Who is this young beauty and why was she abandoned upon their doorstep? Does she have the power to rearrange their lives, to forever imprint herself upon them? Heather Hatfield captures the hearts of the Imre men folk, maturing into a breathtaking young woman with a keen business sense. Neither János nor Brenton can get enough of her. But whose heart does she hold dear? Can she love both father and son equally? Is her presence in their lives a good thing, or will it destroy them?

EXCERPT:


Heather sang while bathing later that morning. She was still singing when she appeared in the lobby dressed in lilac and smelling of it, too. János spent the night in his office and looked weary, but she didn’t notice as she danced around the lobby, greeting the guests with a cheerful, “Good morning. Nice day, isn’t it?”

She was on her way to see Artemus when she heard Brenton’s voice coming from a room next to János’ office. It was a smaller office and Brenton was using it as his own until a larger one could be outfitted for his needs. Heather knocked once. Without waiting, she opened the door. What she saw curdled her blood. Veronica Farmingdale and Brenton sat face to face across a wide table and there were what looked like wedding invitations strewn upon it. Veronica had just addressed a white parchment envelope when Heather barged in.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Veronica said.

Brenton looked like Veronica’s cat had gotten the best of him as he said, “Hello, Heather.”

“Hello?” Heather mouthed in astonishment. “What’s going on here, Brenton?”

“We’re writing wedding invites,” Veronica said snottily. “I don’t believe I saw your name on our list.”

Heather grimaced. “Brenton,  may I see you alone for a moment?”

Brenton’s brows furrowed, but he stood and followed her into the hallway. She led him inside the now empty dining room and stood looking at him for a long moment. When he said nothing, she tapped the toe of her shoe on the floor and said, “I believe an explanation’s in order.”

“Veronica picked our wedding date. It’ll be just before Christmas. We were just…”

“Addressing the invitations. I know. Brenton, after last night…”

“Last night was special, but it doesn’t change anything,” he said softly. “I’m still marrying Veronica.”

Heather’s heart went limp and she fought back tears of hurt and outrage. “How can you say that? How can you do that? You told me you loved me, Brenton.”

“I do,” he said sadly. “But Veronica’s good marriage material. I need to marry into money the way my father did. A match between Veronica and myself would cement our families and be a good investment for the Meredith Arms. With my education and her money, we could build this hotel into a palace and her father could help us secure even more properties.”

“That’s it?” she said incredulously. “A business investment? She’s marriage material and I’m not?” Heather felt herself fill with rage.

“We can still be friends,” he said. “We’ll see each other every day and…”

Heather slapped him, a swift palm slap to the side of his mouth which resounded in the otherwise quiet room and bounced off the walls.  “You’re a bastard,” she shouted. “Go to hell.” She turned on her heels and stormed out of the room.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Good news

My Life, My Heart, Love's Sweet Vengeance, and On Angels' Wings are out in paperback. It's thrilling to actually "feel" a book in my hands and they are so well made. I'm going to be doing a library signing and give a talk in September and another scheduled for next January. That one will be a huge affair with over two hundred women. I'm excited. If anyone would like to buy a paperback copy of my books, they are available on Amazon.com.