Wednesday 31 January 2018

Baker's Dozen




Amey Zeigler wrote her first mystery with her best friend in fourth grade. She wrote, the friend illustrated. It also had a cute boy in it with spiky hair (because that was the style back then). Not much has changed. She loves mysteries. She loves romance. She loves suspense. She loves action, adventure and comedy. But she wants it to have a happy ending.

Because she grew up moving all around the United States, Amey loves writing about different places. In her books, she explores the whole world.

Growing up, Amey was always trying new things. She played violin, drums, flute, piano, all before she was sixteen. She also discovered she didn't have much talent for music.

When people asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she was afraid to tell them she wanted to be a writer because she didn't know how to write.

She is so grateful for her Sophomore year Honor's English teacher who gave her a star and five points (out of five!) for Voice on her personal essay. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had enough courage to pursue writing.

In her spare time, she adopts stray furniture left on the side of the road, fixes it up and gives it a new look and home. Amey lives with her husband and three children near Austin, TX.

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Twenty-three year-old investigative journalist, Andy Miller is armed with her many disguises and creativity to take down the riff-raff of Saint Louis. When her stepbrother is murdered by the mob, Andy soon discovers she’s out of her depth.


Enter Hugh Donaldson who has reasons of his own for discovering the murderer. He’ll use everything in his power to achieve that, including lying to Andy about his past. Dangerous as he is attractive, his martial arts skills and his quirky ways raise Andy’s suspicions.

Although Andy balks at his lies, Hugh’s charms, twenty-inch biceps, and electrifying blue eyes are difficult to resist. Striking out on their own, Hugh and Andy try to outwit each other as they traverse North America tracking down people connected to the case.

As clues disappear and the body count climbs, Andy and Hugh must trust each other and use their combined skills to bring the murderer to justice.






Snippet:


Andy’s eyes blazed with fiery light. Her voice transformed into a growl. “I work alone. I don’t need back up. I don’t need you. Brad”—the name choked in her throat as she said it—“asked me to help him. I am doing it for him. He didn’t ask you and certainly not the FBI. If it is indeed the FBI you work for.”

“Andy.” Maybe he’d said too much.
“Lies, lies, lies. All men lie.”
He didn’t want to hurt her. Then again, maybe he did. Maybe he wanted to take her down a notch. “And so do women.” A shiver shot through her. But he couldn’t stop. “You should let us handle it. Leave, go someplace safe. Just give me the entry code so we retrieve the jump drive. If not, you might get hurt.”

Her eyes flattened to little slits. “Are you threatening me?”

“What? No.”

Tyler stepped forward. Andy slipped her hand into her bag, whipping out a Sig Sauer. Tyler scoffed.

Andy aimed the gun straight at him, picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Goodbye Hugh or Tyler. Nice knowing you.”

He couldn’t let her leave. Not now. And quite frankly using the gun pissed him off.

He stepped closer. “What if I don’t let you go. You’re going to shoot me? And then what?”

Andy held her steely gaze. Beautiful rage.

“Can’t you understand?” he asked, growing impatient. “It’s naïve to think you can waltz in there with a few disguises and a bag full of tricks and be invincible.” As soon as he said it, he instantly regretted it. He might have gone too far. Whatever cool Andy had been harboring just blew away. Anger, shock, a full flush covered her face. She headed again toward the door. His arm flew out to stop her. Her gun raised again. They were close now. Close enough he could breathe her scent.

“You want to spar again?” she asked, anger flashing in her eyes, her face inches from his. He had to admit, it turned him on. A feisty, fiery girl—just how he liked them. “This time, it won’t end the same as the last.”

He didn’t want to have to do this, but it might be the only way she’d listen to him. He seized her gun hand, twisted it around, wresting away the gun, dropping it to the mat. He kicked it away and pinned her in a joint lock against the door with his body.

She kicked, she elbow-jabbed, but he was relentless. Sheer muscle and weight gave him the advantage, all combined against her. “I’m not saying you can’t do it, but I’m saying leave it to the professionals or join with us. Don’t try to do this alone. Brad would want you to be safe.” He had to invoke his name. He had to evoke whatever emotional sway Brad had over her. Her gaze scorched him with burning intensity, her chest heaving into his with such passion. Conner was a fool to have let such a creature go.

“Let go of me.” She scrambled around powerless against his strength.

“Are you still resisting?” He bent his head to whisper in her ear, his face lost its kindness. “If you work alone, then I will use you as bait. You will go bumbling around in the dark and I will capitalize on your bumbling and stumbling. I will get what I want. With or without you.”

Andy finally relaxed her body. Tyler hated taking the spirit out of her. But it was the only way to keep her from getting killed.

“Okay, I concede,” she said. He smiled inwardly, the rush of victory, conquering a well-matched foe.

“I knew I could persuade you.”

Her smile warmed him, he released his body from hers. In a flash, her leg flew up and hit him square in the nads, she then opened the door behind her, and slipped out by saying, “Brad asked me to do this. So I will do this.”

Through the purple haze of pain, he called out, “Where will you go Andy Baker?” The front door opened. “They’re hunting you,” he called.


The door slammed shut again. He smiled despite the throbbing. He liked her.






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Tuesday 30 January 2018

Courting the Countess






Donna Hatch is the author of the best-selling “Rogue Hearts Series,” and a winner of writing awards such as The Golden Quill and the International Digital Award.

 A hopeless romantic and adventurer at heart, she discovered her writing passion at the tender age of 8 and has been listening to those voices ever since. She has become a sought-after workshop presenter, and also juggles freelance editing, multiple volunteer positions, and most of all, her six children (seven, counting her husband). 

A native of Arizona who recently transplanted to the Pacific Northwest, she and her husband of over twenty years are living proof that there really is a happily ever after.



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When charming rake Tristan Barrett sweeps Lady Elizabeth off her feet, stealing both her heart and a kiss in a secluded garden, her brother challenges Tristan to a duel. The only way to save her brother and Tristan from harm—not to mention preserve her reputation—is to get married.

But her father, the Duke of Pemberton, refuses to allow his daughter to marry anyone but a titled lord. The duke demands that Elizabeth marry Tristan’s older brother, Richard, the Earl of Averston. Now Elizabeth must give up Tristan to marry a man who despises her, a man who loves another, a man she’ll never love. 

Richard fears Elizabeth is as untrustworthy as his mother, who ran off with another man. However, to protect his brother from a duel and their family name from further scandal, he agrees to the wedding, certain his new bride will betray him. Yet when Elizabeth turns his house upside down and worms her way into his reluctant heart, Richard suspects he can’t live without his new countess. Will she stay with him or is it too little, too late?




~ AMAZON ~ AMAZON UK ~

AMAZON CA ~ AMAZON AU ~









Snippet:

Richard tried to quiet the fluttering in his stomach. “Your Grace, my brother acted impulsively and he shall be strongly reprimanded. He is prepared to do anything you ask; a public apology, or whatever you and the marquis see fit to remedy the situation.”

The duke sat on a gold brocade settee facing him and crossed one leg over the other. “My daughter has been compromised and her reputation is sullied. An apology will not suffice.”

Richard’s stomach dropped. Barely holding on to his composure, he raised a brow. “He merely kissed her, sir. Her virtue is still intact.” Providing she hadn’t already given it away to someone else, that is.

Pemberton’s face darkened. “She was caught alone with an infamous libertine by some of the biggest gossips in London. And according to the marquis, your brother was touching her in a most intimate manner.”

Richard winced. Stupid, stupid Tristan!

Pemberton held out his hand. “Still, I do not wish for any harm to befall my son. And I respected your father, God rest his soul. For their sake, I am willing to negotiate an alternative.”

Relief trickled through Richard. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

“I will prevent the challenge from being issued. My price is marriage.”

Richard nodded, unsurprised. “Of course. My brother’s follies are merely the foolishness of youth. He’ll rise to the responsibility and shall be a good husband to your daughter. He has a substantial allowance, and a number of profitable investments. She will lack for nothing.”

Pemberton frowned. “You are mistaken. I refuse to allow any daughter of mine to wed a man with such unacceptably flawed character, and a mere second son at that. The only husband I will accept for her is you.”





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Monday 29 January 2018

The Billionaire's Sweet Valentine






Laura L. Walker grew up in a large family in the beautiful Gila Valley of southern Arizona. From the time Laura was young, she spent hours drawing characters on paper and fantasizing about their adventures. Life became more serious, however, when Laura met her own hero and they eventually became the parents of six children. In between spurts of grocery shopping, sewing costumes or quilts, transporting kids to practices, and making dinner, Laura still enjoys putting her imagination to good use. She is the author of four contemporary romances.

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"All Penny Merrill wants to do is run her own bakery shop, but her money-thirsty mother and conniving stepfather are making it nearly impossible to keep her dream alive. When Penny finds a clipping advertising a Valentine's Day contest for Arizona's cutest couple, with the winnings being enough for her to hold on to her floundering business, she comes up with an idea that might just work--if she can find the right man for the job.

Commercial contractor Preston Ames is starting to develop feelings for Penny, and even though he's been through enough heartache to know that he should avoid her at all costs, he can't keep himself from visiting her sweet shop everyday. When Penny asks him to participate in a crazy scheme so that she can overturn her stepfather's underhanded business ploy, Preston is tempted to run the other way. But one look into her soulful blue eyes and he's a goner. Little does he know that his calm, orderly world is about to unravel--and that just one picture will turn Penny into his sweet valentine! "




~ AmazonAmazon UK



Excerpt:
   
    “Hiya, Penny.” Preston answered his phone around a yawn on the second ring. “Everything all right? How are those new security cameras working out for you?”


    This was the morning they’d been waiting for, and all he could ask her about was the security cameras? “Great, although they haven’t caught any suspicious activity since we put them up. But we caught another white mouse. Who knows how many more are scurrying around the place? And Ms. Forrester is supposed to come back any day.”

    “I’ll help you do a thorough cleanup, and make sure that nothing else suspicious is going on,” he offered.

    “Thanks. Listen, I wanted—”

    “Well, I’d better let you go so that I—”

    “What are you wearing?” she blurted.

    There was a pause. “Well, at the moment, since you just woke me up—”

    “No, I mean today. What are you going to wear today?” Great. Now she couldn’t get the image of Preston, sitting up in bed with no shirt on, his face scruffy with new whiskers, and his hair standing out in all directions, out of her head. Oh, my!

      “I’m going to wear a T-shirt and pair of jeans like I always do when I go to work.”
      Work! “Preston,” she said, trying to keep the growing panic out of her voice, “don’t you realize what day this is?”

      Another pause. “Monday?”

      “The twelfth,” she added for emphasis.

      Dead silence prevailed for at least thirty seconds. Then, “Something supposed to happen on Monday the twelfth?”

      “PRESTON!”

      A hearty laugh rang in her ears. Ooh! Was he going to get it—but not until after their appearance on TV. “You scared me out of my mind,” she confessed with an aggravated chuckle. “Please tell me you didn’t really forget.”

     More laughter. “Nope. I just wanted to make sure you got your cardiac workout this morning since it's close to Valentine’s Day and all.”

     Argh!

    Just when she started thinking about the best way to get him back, he surprised her again by asking, “What are you wearing?”

    Penny looked down at her towel-wrapped body. “Uh . . . “

    “See? It’s not so fun to be bombarded with personal questions first thing in the morning.”

    “I’ll try to remember that in the future,” she grumbled. “Now, can we get serious?”

    “I am. I want to know what you’re wearing so that I can match my T-shirt to yours.”

    “No. Not a T—”

    His low rumble let her know she’d fallen prey to his teasing again.

    “Preston Ames,” she said in a threatening tone.

     “Uh-oh. In order for that to work, honey, you’ve got to know my middle name. It’s Preston Lee Ames.”

     “I’m not your mother. I’m your—”

     “Fiancee, I know. And that’s why we’re practicing our flirting, so we’ll be all warmed up for the show.”

     Penny froze. So that’s what he was doing? What a sweet guy. Her legs turned to butter, and she practically sank onto the floor. “Thank you,” she whispered.

     “You’re welcome, sweetheart. I’ll pick you up at four-fifteen.” They’d been told they would need to arrive at a quarter till five so that they would have time to prepare. They’d also been told to not wear any makeup; their crew would take care of that.

    It wasn’t until after Penny hung up that she realized she'd never found out what he’d be wearing that day.



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Thursday 18 January 2018

Pre-Meditated Murder






Tracy Weber is the author of the award-winning Downward Dog Mysteries series featuring yoga teacher Kate Davidson and her feisty German shepherd, Bella. 

Her first book, Murder Strikes a Pose won the Maxwell Award for Fiction and was 2015 Agatha award nominee for Best First Novel. The third book in her series, Karma's a Killer, will released January, 2016 by Midnight Ink.
  

Tracy and her husband live in Seattle with their challenging yet amazing German shepherd Tasha. When she’s not writing, Tracy spends her time teaching yoga, walking Tasha, and sipping Blackthorn cider at her favorite ale house.


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If Kate Doesn’t Act Fast, the Only “I Do” in Michael’s Future Will Be at His Trial




Yoga instructor Kate Davidson is ready to marry her boyfriend Michael, so she’s disappointed when a special dinner doesn’t end with a proposal. But disappointment turns to dismay and outrage as she learns the real problem: Michael is already married and his estranged wife is blackmailing him.

When his wife’s body is found―by Kate and her dog, no less―Michael is strangely unable to remember where he was the night she died. Since Michael has no alibi, Kate steps up to uncover what happened. What she walks into is a tangled web of deceit, obsession, and immigration fraud . . . with Michael trapped in the middle.











Snippet:

Bella stopped lunging and whipped toward the child. The ecstatic toddler bee-lined it toward Bella, across the busy parking lot. The blue Chevy Malibu (driven by the male teenager that had been making out earlier) sped toward him, seemingly unaware that a child was careening toward his front bumper.

“Stop!” I yelled.

In a freeze-framed moment of gut-wrenching clarity, the teenager’s face twisted in horror. He slammed on the brakes and the car flew into a skid. I dropped Bella’s leash and dove for the child, praying that Bella wouldn’t go after Gabriella again. Tires screeched on pavement. Burning rubber stung my nostrils. My knee scraped painfully against the sidewalk, but I grasped hold of the child and yanked him toward me.

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Wednesday 17 January 2018

Tarragon, Key Keeper




Karlie Lucas is a preschool teacher by day and a writer/artist by night.

A graduate of Southern Utah University, Karlie received a B.A. in Creative Writing, with a minor in art. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, The International English Honor Society, as well as ANWA, the American Night Writers Association.

Karlie is interested in all things magical and mysterious, especially elves and dragons. She is an avid fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling.

When not writing, Karlie can often be found drawing, baking, watching her favorite old school shows, or just spending time with her family.

She currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband and a cat named Kally
 

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For hundreds of years, the gates of Tarragon have been sealed from the outside. Prophecy speaks of the day the last Key Keeper will return and wake the dragons from their spell-cast slumber, returning them to their rightful home.

Seeking to fulfill her father's dying wish, Anwen Porter travels to the Drakonii Mountains where she meets Tyler, a mysterious local with a secret. With his help, she learns more about her clouded past and her own abilities. But when Courtney, a lovesick mage, tries to insert herself into their plans, things begin to go horribly wrong.


With death threatening at every turn, Anwen must learn to rely on her newfound friends to survive. But how can she unravel the mystery of her heritage when everything is trying to kill her?









Snippet:

'The Mountains rise majestically all around,'” he began to quote. “'The sapphire blue waters of Lake Wyvern shimmer across the way, keeping sentinel over the Sacred Island.'
Anwen almost stopped breathing, refusing to move any closer as she stood in shock. “How did you know that,” she breathed. “No one could know that. No one.” Unless he’d somehow snuck into her room while she wasn’t looking and read her great grandmother’s diary.

Tyler looked at her as he dropped her hand, one foot still in the boat, sensing her confusion and fear. “'Across the shore. Down the Consecrated Hall. Past the tombs of the immortals, lies the gateway to the Stone City, home to those who dwell with us. And further still, the Gates of Eternity that lead to Tarragon, home of all dragonkind,' from A History of the Keepers.”


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