Tag Archives: novels

Commercial Romantic Fiction, Ellie Holmes, Novels, The Flower Seller

THE FLOWER SELLER by Ellie Holmes #Excerpt #Giveaway

June 8, 2016 Melanie Leave a comment

flower

The Flower Seller

by

Ellie Holmes

flower

Genre: Commercial Romantic Fiction

Release Date: 2^nd June 2016

All she wanted was a love she could BELIEVE IN.

Jessie Martin believes that when it comes to love there are three types of people: the skimmers, the bottom dwellers and the ones who dive for pearls. Jessie is a pearl diver. She had thought her husband William was a pearl diver too. But when William leaves her for a younger woman, it’s not just Jessie’s heart that is broken, her ability to trust is shattered too.

Refusing to retire from the battlefield of life, Jessie resolves to put her heartache behind her. She doesn’t want to be that woman who was too scared to love again. There has to be another pearl diver out there; all she has to do is find him.

When fate brings handsome flower seller Owen Phillips into her life, Jessie believes he may be the one but is her fragile trust about to be shattered all over again?

The Flower Seller is a warm, engaging read about love, deceit, betrayal and hope.

BUY LINK

http://goo.gl/UrHYRb

EXCERPT

It had been her daughter Hannah’s idea to put an advert in the Abbeyleigh Gazette. ‘It’s time to take yourself out of your comfort zone, Mum. Why don’t you get Anne to give you a hand with the ad?’

Sucked into the vortex of her daughter’s enthusiasm, Jessie had agreed before she could talk herself out of it.

‘So, what have you got so far?’ Anne had asked over margaritas in Spike’s Bar.

‘Newly single brunette, slim, attractive, early forties, non-smoker, good sense of humour, would like to meet man thirties/forties for friendship and maybe more,’ Jessie read aloud.

Anne pretended to fall asleep and Jessie slapped her arm.

‘Bit dull, sweetie!’ Anne said with a smile. ‘For starters, you should put early thirties. Everyone knocks a few years off. And do you really want to say slim? It’s practically shorthand for flat-chested and you’re not. How about “great figure” instead?’

‘That’s a bit conceited, isn’t it?’

Anne threw her a look. ‘It’s an advert, Jessie. You’re meant to be selling yourself.’

‘Blimey! I’ll just get some fishnets and a red light, shall I?’

‘You know what I mean. You should put something in there about being outgoing. That usually leads to some interesting propositions.’

‘But I’m not outgoing,’ Jessie said.

‘For goodness’ sake, outgoing just means you’re up for a bit of fun. I’m not suggesting for a moment that you put “open-minded”. Now that would lead to some replies that would make your hair stand on end. And obviously your WLTM has to be a man in his late twenties or early thirties.’

‘Has to be? This is my advert, remember? Not yours!’

Anne smirked. ‘So you’d prefer “Recently dumped flat-chested brunette, early forties, lives life with the handbrake on, would like to meet man forties/fifties for visits to the library”?’

‘I’d prefer not to be doing it at all.’

Anne squeezed her hand. ‘I know, sweetie. And you can stick another pin in your effigy of William when you get home but right now we need to get you back out there before life passes you by.’

flower

ABOUT ELLIE HOLMES

Ellie Holmes writes commercial women’s fiction and romantic suspense. She takes her inspiration from the beautiful Essex countryside and the sublime Cornish coast. The Flower Seller is Ellie’s first full-length novel. Ellie is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and the Romantic Novelists’ Association. To find out more please visit www.ellieholmesauthor.com

AUTHOR LINKS

https://www.facebook.com/EllieHWriter

https://www.twitter.com/EllieHWriter

https://pinterest.com/EllieHWriter

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15076107.Ellie_Holmes

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Book Spotlight, Brook Cottage Books, Crime/Mystery, Karen Long, Mystery, thriller

THE SAFE WORD by Karen Long #giveaway #guestpost

June 3, 2016 Melanie Leave a comment

safe

The Safe Word

by

Karen Long

safe

Published January 14th 2014

Genre: Mystery / thriller / crime

Eleanor Raven Series: Book 1

There are rules that every player of every game must abide by, no matter how dangerous the sport.

Toronto has become the backdrop to a macabre set of artistic installations: women kidnapped, tortured and horrifically displayed by a killer with a vision.

Only someone capable of understanding the killer’s creative desire will be able to stop the murders and D I Eleanor Raven is uniquely qualified. Driven by a complex personality she pursues only the facts, only the things she can see, but never casts a judgement.

But she also has a dark and dangerous secret – one that will threaten her very survival.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

B & N

PRAISE FOR THE SAFE WORD

Just read The Safe Word by Karen Long – an unputdownable serial killer tale. James Purefoy

For DS Eleanor Raven It’s not so much who, what or when but ‘why’ that leads this powerful read to its conclusion and Karen Long reminds us that a brutal, vicious and destructive act is not something inherently ‘Evil’ or derived from Satan but is a rational choice made by a human being. The quirky, offbeat and endearing relationship between Eleanor and her partner Laurence Whitefoot shines a light on this dark compelling world of sexual intrigue and mystery. My imagination was certainly held captive! Robson Green

Most fictional detectives these days have to have a ‘thing’ to set them apart from the others, and Raven’s is one of the most original for a long time. The plot moves in some unexpected directions, and builds to a genuinely exciting climax. The Safe Word is an impressive, confident debut. Convincing characters and some nice twists make for a compelling, satisfying thriller, and I look forward to seeing what’s next for Eleanor Raven. Killing Time

Karen’s top five recommended reads for crime writers.

I love to read about forensic science. It is the backbone of modern crime fiction and your audience is knowledgeable and critical of duff science. That is not to say that you can’t manipulate time factors to push on a narrative but not understanding the physical world and modern techniques of evidence collection means you are writing science fiction not crime fiction.

The books listed below have enabled me to acquire a solid grounding in how a crime scene is worked, how to kill someone, how to cover your tracks and why that is so difficult in the light of modern forensics.

The Forensic Casebook: N.E. Genge

This is my favourite book on the subject of, well pretty much every aspect of forensics. It begins by defining what the differences are between the ‘scene of crime’ and the ‘crime scene’, a seemingly dry semantic debate. However, Genge’s style is pithy and well illustrated, using television, film and real life cases to expand and clarify concepts. The presentation is varied and invites a ‘dip in’ approach to reading. Bullet points, different fonts and highlighted sections break the material down into appetising segments. I loved the incidental job adverts and the well-edited interviews with crime scene workers.

Severed: A History of Heads Lost and Heads Found by Frances Larson

Frances Larson works as a curator at the wonderful Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, where there is an extensive shrunken head display. The book focuses on the human head as a trophy, an object of morbid curiosity and as an artistic expression. I found it particularly useful, while writing the third book in the Eleanor Raven series, as it covers the psychological foundation of taking body parts as trophies during military conflicts. Difficult subject matter, deftly analysed.

Forensic Entomology: Dorothy E. Gennard

I wouldn’t say this was an easy, or accessible read…at all. It is a serious, well-documented degree level textbook. There are some photographs but nowhere near enough for the lay reader. If I’m going to dip in, this is not a linear read by the way, I either access images on the internet or have an identifier open. I find insects astonishingly beautiful and alien, their life cycles and behaviour, which when combined with temperature, can pinpoint the time of death, is something I am particularly interested in.

Postmortem: Dr Steven A. Koehler and Dr. Cyril H. Wecht

This book has lots of glossy photographs and thoughtfully presented diagrams. The material is compact but it’s designed as a quick introduction to the study of forensics and, as such, is a great writer’s help. The photographs don’t pull their punches and the case notes are relevant, if a little rushed. There is an excellent chart on p75, which measures the visual changes of different bruises over a time period of 15 days. If it’s an exciting introduction to the discipline you’re after, then this book is the one for you.

Molecules of Murder: John Emsley

I am happy to recommend any of John Emsley’s books. They are well written, well researched and don’t skimp on the science. Each chapter has selected a poison and exemplifies its usage in numerous crimes both historical and contemporary. There is a helpful glossary, which gives further information on highlighted words. I confess to being particularly intrigued by the use of poisons and loved the way that Emsley’s conversational and enthusiastic style jumps out of the narrative, on occasion, and sweeps the reader off on an anecdotal journey.

I believe that books make books. You read, absorb and mold information into narratives. Fact, however seemingly dry and inconsequential, is the basis of all crime fiction. Without a working knowledge of how forensics is applied in a contemporary, or even an historic setting, there will be gaps in your plot, or opportunities missed. I am not advocating that fiction should be determined solely by fact, you are not writing a textbook but to omit or fudge modern criminalistics is to deny richness and depth to your story.

ABOUT KAREN LONG

safe

Karen Long was born and raised in the English midlands, educated at Bangor University and taught English and Drama for fifteen years. During her teaching years she studied biology and neurology with the Open University and this interest in medicine, forensics and forensic psychology is reflected in her writing. She is an enthusiastic traveller and has spent time in Toronto, which became the backdrop and inspiration for The Safe Word.

She is a keen amateur naturalist with a deep and abiding love for the crow family. She has dedicated time, love and several fingers in an effort to rehabilitate crows, magpies, rooks and ravens.

Karen is happy to correspond with readers and can be contacted through her website KarenLongWriter.com, where she posts regular blogs.

The Safe Word is Karen’s first novel and was an Amazon bestseller, soon to be joined by the second in the Eleanor Raven series, The Vault. Karen is working on the third novel in the series.

AUTHOR LINKS

All author or review enquires please contact Karen Long’s Personal Assistant J.B. Johnston – brookbooks@hotmail.co.uk

Check out Book 2 – The Vault – http://amzn.to/1WSnlDn

safe

Did you know that Eleanor Raven is also online?

safe

http://twitter.com/RavenEleanor

https://www.facebook.com/TheEleanorRaven/

GIVEAWAY

1ST PRIZE – SIGNED PAPERBACK OF THE SAFE WORD – OPEN INTERNATIONALLY

2ND PRIZE – ECOPY OF THE SAFE WORD – OPEN INTERNATIONALLY

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contemporary romance, Ellie Gray, Novels, Tirgearr Publishing

BEAUTY AND THE RECLUSE by Ellie Gray #excerpt #giveaway

May 26, 2016 Melanie Leave a comment

Beauty

Beauty and the Recluse

by

Ellie Gray

beauty

Beauty and the Recluse by Ellie Gray

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 12^th February 2016

Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing

Following the recent death of her father, and in need of both a job and somewhere to live, Kiya takes a housekeeping job on the spur of the moment. She soon finds herself living in a beautiful but neglected mansion, working for a strange and reclusive man.

St. John is a man scarred by the past, both physically and emotionally, and is determined to live out his life alone. They are two very different people, drawn to each other almost against their will, but can Kiya convince St. John that he is not the monster he believes himself to be?

Kindle UK/Amazon UK

Kindle US/Amazon US

EXCERPT

Singing softly to herself, Kiya was halfway into the room before she realised that she was not alone. From the corner of her eye, she saw St. John O’Neill spin around in surprise and she gave a startled cry, the vase slipping through her fingers to smash on the floor by her feet. He was a very tall man, easily 6ft. 5ins, broad-shouldered and muscular. His thick black hair, although clean, was long and unkempt, and his beard did not quite hide the vivid scar that ran from high on his right cheek down to his mouth. Incredibly bright blue eyes bore into her and, despite the scar and his rough, dishevelled appearance, Kiya was breathlessly aware that he was an incredibly attractive man. He continued to stare at her, radiating an aura of menace, and Kiya gave an unconscious shiver.

‘Seen enough?’ he asked coldly.

Blushing furiously, aware that she had been staring, Kiya quickly bent to pick up the pieces of shattered vase.

‘Leave it.’ His words were clipped.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t realise what time it was. I’ll just clear…’ she babbled, nervously.

‘Dammit, I said leave it.’

Her hand jerked at his unexpected ferocity and she gave a yelp of pain as the sharp edge of the broken vase sliced her palm. She stood quickly, lifting her hand to check the severity of the cut, and felt a wave of nausea wash over her at the surprisingly profuse amount of blood pouring from the wound. She heard St. John mutter an explicit curse and looked up to see him striding quickly towards her, his expression furious.

ABOUT ELLIE GRAY

Ellie lives in the beautiful East Riding of Yorkshire with her partner, David, and two children, Joe and Abbie.

Ellie is a contemporary romance author, published with the lovely Tirgearr Publishing, and is a proud member of the Romantic Novelist Association.

Her debut novel, Beauty and the Recluse, was published in February 2016 and her second novel, Love on the Nile, is due to be released in the Summer of 2016. Inbetween working full-time in public services and studying for an MSc in Public Management, Ellie is currently working on her third novel.

A few random pieces of information about Ellie:

Favourite TV shows – The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Nashville, Dr. Who, The Great British Bake-off!
Favourite Music – I’m an 80’s girl!, country, sixties, Elvis, classical (when I’m writing)
Favourite Food – Indian, tapas, crisps, cheese
Favourite Drink – black coffee – copious amounts when I’m writing, Sauvignon blanc when I’m not.

Facebook: Ellie Gray Author

Twitter: @elliegray58

Goodreads: Ellie Gray Author on Goodreads

Instagram: Ellie Gray Author on Instagram

Google+: Ellie Gray Author on Goole Plus

LinkedIn: Ellie Gray Author on LinkedIn

website: https://elliegrayauthor.wordpress.com

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Crime/Mystery, Katie Nimmo, Novels

EVERGREEN COPSE by Katie Nimmo #excerpt #giveaway

May 23, 2016 Melanie 2 Comments

evergreen

Evergreen Copse

by

Katie Nimmo

evergreen

Genre: Mystery / Crime

Release Date: May 2015

A long kept state secret is at risk of being discovered. False identities reveal their true colours as the hunt turns to Evergreen Copse.

As the deaths increase it becomes clear that no one is safe. But from whom are they all running?

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Barnes & Noble

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EXCERPT

Robin and Co. Business Associates sat on the second out of four floors in a fire station turned office building in the town of Baxden. Consisting of just three rooms the ‘Robin’ floor was small, but adequate for its needs.

A moderate sized reception room welcomed all visitors with a pine desk sat facing the main door. Including a potted plant on the right hand side to lighten up the so called dreary environment. A coffee machine was also attached to the wall next to four rather tired looking chairs, a little like a doctor’s waiting room.

At the rear of the reception two separate doors led off to two small offices, each identical in size right down to the radiator being in exactly the same place. Mr Harold Robin, chair of the company, inhabited the office on the left and his associate, Mr Percy Brumpton, the one on the right. A system devised purely out of the fact that Brumpton was Robin’s right hand man, so naturally he had the office on Robin’s right hand side.

To look outside the office windows didn’t hold any amusement. Staring out at a brick arch which marked the entrance to the courtyard in front of the building, and nothing else. Appearance clearly not taken into consideration during its construction, the area within the arch was a very sordid place to come to.

Through that brick arch a tall, gangly looking man tiptoed through the courtyard blowing his nose into his handkerchief as he went. Bernard felt that the January weather had been very unkind to him so far that year. He couldn’t cope with the cold and detested having a wet handkerchief in his pocket all day. Bernard’s short brown hair did nothing to keep his head warm so his grey and blue bobble hat did that for him, though it really didn’t match his shirt and tie.

Since climbing out of his old car he knew straight away he should have bought a new coat. Muttering to himself such things as the icy wind bit in to his thin and inadequate office clothing. Quickening his pigeon like pace he padded over to the office building, shivering as he went, thinking dreamily of the inviting coffee machine that was near his desk upstairs.

Removing his batch of keys from his pocket he fumbled for the correct one to open the outer door, his hands being numb making it difficult to get the key in the lock. A grunt of satisfaction announced the key was in the lock and the white plastic door was opened.

Springing through the door Bernard closed the door a little more forcefully than needed to make sure the cold stayed where it was. Outside. He could already imagine the smell of the hot coffee that awaited him upstairs. Crossing the lobby he untangled another key to open up the post box sat adjacent to the stairs.

“Bill, bill, bill and…” He paused as he ripped open the fourth envelope with his finger. “Junk mail.” With a sigh he reclosed the post box and started up the four sets of stairs.

Reaching the Robin floor Bernard was slightly out of breath. Three years gone and he still wasn’t used to all these stairs, he thought to himself. On arrival at the office door Bernard clumsily dropped his keys and his tie fell to the floor as he bent to pick them up. It wasn’t the first time he had forgotten to do up his tie and it probably wasn’t the last.

The door swung open with a nasty squeak and the smell of papers and coffee hit Bernard’s nose. Smiling to himself he headed straight to the coffee machine and asked it to make him a white coffee. Dropping the boring post onto the desk Bernard started to reattach his tie around his neck.

“Good morning Bernard.” A voice came with the familiar squeak of the front door. He knew that voice anywhere, at least he should after three years.

“Good morning to you Mr Robin.” He replied with a little nod of his head, a half nod as his hands worked around his tie.

“I really think you should find somewhere else to hide that key.” Mr Robin laughed, noting a small key on the reverse of Bernard’s tie. Removing his coat Bernard promptly took it and hung it on the coat stand in the corner of the room.

“Safest place is where I hide it, sir. An intruder would have to strangle me with my own tie before I let them take it. Can I make you a coffee sir?” Picking up his own coffee he placed it on the reception desk out of sight from any would be visitors.

“Sounds like a very good idea to me, the usual please.” Mr Robin departed into his office and dropped his newspaper in front of him. Feeling a chill he glanced over at his window, single glazing never kept the room very warm. He contemplated putting his coat back on.

“Your coffee, sir.” Bernard entered with a cup that was steaming.

“Thank you Bernard, just what I need. That chill has really picked up this morning. Which reminds me, I didn’t see your coat on the stand? Don’t tell me you came in like that.” Robin looked enquiringly at Bernard, already knowing the answer before he spoke.

“Yes, sir. You see, sir.” Bernard stammered, trying to think of a reason instead of giving the real reason he didn’t have his coat.

“She locked you out didn’t she?” Robin asked with an arched eyebrow.

“Yes, sir.” Bernard replied facing the floor. “Didn’t pay my rent in time, sir. I didn’t have the money for my rent so,” he paused. “She took my coat, sir.”

Robin erupted into laughter, the look on Bernard’s face making him worse. “Oh Bernard, that’s the best thing I’ve heard in quite a while. Your landlady is certainly a piece of work isn’t she?” Chuckling to himself he reached into his top drawer. “Now, I look after you Bernard. Like you do for me, so I’ll tell you what I’ll do.” He looked up at Bernard, he was wearing a very confused face.

“I want you to take this cheque and get yourself a new coat when you go to pay the bills this morning. Take some extra time, not too long mind, but get yourself a coat on me.”

“Thank you, sir. That’s very kind.” Half smiling Bernard stamped his feet together with a full nod and left the room. Mr Robin smiled after Bernard as picked up his steaming coffee to warm up his hands. Taking a sip of his drink he heard voices out in the reception area, he gathered Percy had arrived.

**********

ABOUT KATIE NIMMO

evergreen

Katie A Nimmo was born in England, September 1986. Born and bred in the Surrey countryside Katie had a quiet upbringing around the virtues of family and working hard to make dreams become reality. These ethics have led to many of her aspirations coming true. Previous to her writing career Katie performed on the stage for several years contrary to the popular belief of her shyness among those in her school hood years. Katie’s newfound confidence to defeat the odds led her to pursue her dream of writing which has led to many adventures both on and off the page.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KANimmo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatieAScottx

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7955347.Katie_Nimmo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieascottx/

Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/+CayenneLifestyleBlog/posts

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-scott-5922a795?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic

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Authors, cover reveal, June Moonbridge, Novels, romantic suspense

#CoverReveal ~ ALL THAT THE HEART DESIRES by June Moonbridge

May 17, 2016 Melanie 2 Comments

desires

ALL THAT THE HEART DESIRES

by

JUNE MOONBRIDGE

desires

Title of Book: All That the Heart Desire

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: end of June 2016

At twenty-five, Desire Hart has experienced enough grief for a lifetime.

Changing everything in her life – her identity, her hometown and her country of residence, Desire is determined that nothing will prevent her achieving from finding her missing son. Not even love.

On a spring evening, she meets the golden boy of F1 racing, Lorcan Shore, and finds herself falling for him. Struggling to suppress her feelings, she realises he could help her get closer to the child she believes is her long lost son.

But nothing goes according to plan. Her identity is revealed by the press, Lorcan has a terrifying accident, and the trail to her son finishes in another dead end. So Desire does what she does best – she runs away.

Set against the glamorous backdrops of Monaco, Paris and Nice, ‘All That the Heart Desires’ mixes romance and mystery as Desire struggles to come to terms with her past.

Will she allow herself to accept love into her life again?

BUY LINKS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME

About June Moonbridge

desires

June was born in June and she always loved the moon. She comes from Slovenia, a country which got its independence almost three decades ago.

She studied economics, and quickly realised she hated it. Afterwards, she found herself working in a mainly male-dominated business; at first in automotive and later steel products. She can choose the best steel for your project, but don’t, please don’t, ask her which lipstick brand you should use.

She started to write in high school and was criticised by her teacher. Stubborn as she is, that didn’t stop her. Under different pen names, she had stories published in magazines, and then went on to publish three books.

After having two children, and learning that her second child has autism, she married their father and carried on working. Work and family life left her with little free time. But the desire to write didn’t die. When life somehow sorted itself out, she decided to write a novel in English and her first submissions were rejected…

For what happened then, re-read the third paragraph, second sentence above…

https://www.facebook.com/JMoonbridge

www.junemoonbridge.com

https://twitter.com/JMoonbridge

@JMoonbridge

https://si.linkedin.com/in/jmoonbridge

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2 Copies of the ebook

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Accent Press, Authors, historical romance, Marie Laval, Novels, Scotland

SWORD DANCE by Marie Laval DANCING FOR THE DEVIL TRILOGY BOOK 3 #EXCERPT #GIVEAWAY

May 11, 2016 Melanie 3 Comments

sword dance

Sword Dance

by

Marie Laval

sword dance

Genre: Historical Romance (mid nineteenth century)

Release Date: 31st March 2016

Publisher: Áccent Press

SWORD DANCE (Book 3)

Cape Wrath, Scotland, November 1847.

Bruce McGunn, laird of Wrath in the far North of Scotland, is as brutal and unforgiving as his land. Discharged from the army, haunted by the spectres of his fallen comrades and convinced he is going mad, he is running out of time to save his estate from the machinations of Cameron McRae, heir to the McGunn’s ancestral enemies.

When the clipper carrying McRae’s new bride docks at Wrath harbour, McGunn decides to hold the woman to ransom and use her to get more time to repay his debts. However, far from the spoilt heiress he expected, Rose is genuine and funny – a ray of sunshine in the long winter that has become his life. She is also determined to escape.

As Rose runs away to be reunited with her husband, she discovers there is a sinister side to the dazzlingly handsome aristocrat she married after a whirlwind romance. Why was Cameron so desperate to get her father’s military journal? Why did he insist on keeping their wedding a secret? She is even more confused when Bruce catches up with her and she starts to feel irresistibly attracted to him. Soon she risks her marriage to help Bruce find the truth about his past and solve the mystery of the brutal murders committed on his land. Will her love be enough to heal his haunted heart?

EXCERPT

Excerpt from SWORD DANCE (608 words)

‘What are you doing? Please stop,’ she breathed, as his lips trailed along the curve of her throat.

If only he could… He looked up and the seductive power of her sultry, heavily made-up eyes gleaming in the moonlight hit him like a bolt of lightning. Every fibre of his body reacted to the feel of her soft body against his, the warm fragrance of her skin. She was right, though. What the hell was he doing? Once again he reminded himself that he had no right to feel that way, no right to want her, but damn it, the woman would tempt a saint. And he was no saint.

He swallowed a deep, hard breath, released her and made himself step back. ‘All right. We’ll stay here a while and wait until McRae and his remaining guests have gone to bed. Where’s your horse?’

‘I left it tied to a post behind the hunting lodge.’

‘What about your bag?’

‘It’s still strapped to the saddle. By the time I spoke to the girls and the musicians, we had to get ready to come here.’

‘How did you manage to get into the hunting lodge without being seen by McRae’s men?’

‘It wasn’t easy. I got stuck as I sneaked in through one of the downstairs windows and ripped my – ’

‘You got stuck?’ He would have laughed if he weren’t so angry.

‘The musicians had to pull me in. We had to be quick and very quiet, because Cameron’s men were in the kitchen.’

Damn the woman. Didn’t she care about the danger she put herself in? ‘So, after clambering through a window, you had the brilliant idea to disguise yourself as a dancer and throw yourself into the lion’s den.’

She flinched at the harshness of his tone. ‘I thought I could avoid bumping into Cameron.’

‘You bump into everything and anything you come across, why not McRae?’ he interrupted, taut with temper. ‘He could have recognised you when you were with the others in the music room.’

‘Then I would have confronted him and exposed him for the liar and the debauched rake he is in front of all his guests!’ The baubles on her necklace tinkled like little bells as she shook her head.

‘Weren’t you afraid of all those men ogling you, lusting after you?’ Me included, he remembered, guilt tightening his chest.

‘Well, I… I didn’t think I would have to dance. My plan was to get into the castle and hide until I could speak to Lady Sophia. Unfortunately, Cameron’s manservant was watching us like a hawk and I had no choice but to go into the music room with the others. The girls promised to create a diversion so that I could sneak out unnoticed.’

‘A diversion? That’s a mild way of putting it,’ he sneered. ‘The girls’ dancing was… ahem… striking, to say the least. Ask that poor old man who collapsed.’ He drew in a deep breath. ‘Anyway, where did you learn to dance like that?’

She lowered her eyes, snapped a leaf from a nearby bush and tore it into tiny pieces that spiralled to the ground. ‘Malika taught me, in secret. She always said I was good enough to be one of them.’

She was right, her dancing had been entrancing, mesmerising, but he wasn’t going to tell her. ‘I still can’t believe you took such risks tonight, just to talk to McRae’s fiancée. It was stupid and foolhardy.’ And damned brave, too, even though he would never admit it. Gripped by conflicting urges, he towered above her, his fists clenched and his jaw set.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

ABOUT MARIE LAVAL

sword dance

Originally from Lyon in France, Marie has lived in the beautiful Rossendale Valley, Lancashire, England, for the past few years and likes nothing more than dreaming up romance stories and handsome, brooding heroes. She writes historical and contemporary romance. Her contemporary romance A SPELL IN PROVENCE, as well as her historical romances, ANGEL HEART, together with the award-winning THE LION’S EMBRACE, and the DANCING FOR THE DEVIL Trilogy (which includes THE DREAM CATCHER, BLUE BONNETS and SWORD DANCE) are all published by Áccent Press.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marielavalauthor/?ref=ts&fref=ts

Twitter: Marie Laval @MarieLaval1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6538479.Marie_Laval

Website: http://marielaval.blogspot.co.uk/

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Book 1 in the series

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Anneli Purchase, Authors, Book covers, Novels

#CoverReveal ~ ORION’S GIFT by Anneli Purchase

May 9, 2016 Melanie 9 Comments

Orion’s Gift has a gorgeous new cover!

The talented artist, Anita B. Carroll of http://race-point.com, who did the new cover for The Wind Weeps and Reckoning Tide has done it again!

orion's gift

Love and adventure and run-ins with drug dealers await Kevin on his first trip to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula; not what he expected on his escape from a bad marriage. Share the ride as you read “Orion’s Gift.” Here is an excerpt.

***

Sylvia. Sylvia. The syllables rolled off my tongue. What a pretty name. I tossed back and forth on my camper bed unable to stop thinking about her. Sylvia. Her name suited her perfectly. I hadn’t touched her, but I knew her skin would be silky smooth; her hair soft and satiny. She simply glowed health. Her camper was tidy. She made a great salad in record time. She looked stunning. What a catch for someone!

Of course she was. And someone had already caught her. But maybe he had lost her. That band of white on her ring finger told of a wedding ring recently removed. I knew all about that; my own, sunken to the bottom of the Rosedale sewage treatment plant by now.

I wondered where she was going. I had no firm plans, so maybe I would wait and see where she was heading before making any more travel plans of my own. Mañana, right? I was getting into the Mexican mode already.

I don’t know how long I’d been asleep when I heard a vehicle enter the campsite. The night had been so still that it was impossible to mistake the rattling and coughing of a rusted out muffler. A flash of headlights lit up my camper and then rested on Sylvia’s van. I hurried to stick my feet into my runners. Armed with an axe handle and a flashlight, I carefully opened the camper door and shone the light around.

Buy Links:

Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Orions-Gift-Anneli-Purchase-ebook/dp/B008WEMW7U

Amazon.co.uk https://www.amazon.co.uk/Orions-Gift-Anneli-Purchase-ebook/dp/B008WEMW7U/

Smashwords.com https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/213638

***

About Anneli Purchase

orion's gift

Anneli Purchase lives on Vancouver Island in western Canada, writing and working as a freelance copy editor. She has written four novels and is working on her fifth. She enjoys camping, fishing, gardening, and photography. Outdoor life plays a role in much of her writing.

Authors, Fantasy, Kacey Vanderkarr, Novels, Urban Fey Press, YA fiction

REFLECTION POND by Kacey Vanderkarr #YAFantasy

May 7, 2016 Melanie Leave a comment

Kacey

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Release Date: Torch Rock April 1, 2014

Publisher: Urban Fey Press

Sometimes you find home, sometimes it comes looking for you.

Callie knows a lot more about pain than she does about family. She’s never belonged, at least, not until she falls through a portal into her true home. The beautiful faerie city of Eirensae doesn’t come free. Callie must find her amulet and bind herself to the city, and most importantly, avoid the Fallen fae who seek her life. Seems like a small price to pay for the family she’s always wanted.

Then she meets cynical and gorgeous Rowan, who reads the darkness of her past in her eyes. He becomes Callie’s part-time protector and full-time pain in the ass. He has secrets of his own for Callie to unravel. What they don’t know is that the future of Eirensae lies with them, and the once peaceful city is about to become a battleground for power.

Kacey

CHECK OUT THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:

Poison Tree – Book 2

Kacey

The road to the City of War is dangerous.

With their home in ruins, Callie and Rowan are Eirensae’s last hope of stealing the cauldron back from Fraeburdh. They must travel into the human world where the Fallen hide. The banished fae wait for Callie, desperate to sacrifice her before she comes of age.

If Callie and Rowan survive the journey, something worse looms in Fraeburdh. Rowan is destined for a dark family legacy too horrifying to accept, and his father is anxious to welcome him home. Once the truth is revealed, will Callie ever look at Rowan the same way?

Trapped between feuding cities lost in a centuries-old war, Callie and Rowan will face their biggest rivals yet, and neither of them will make it out unscathed.

Kacey

Torch Rock – Book 3

Kacey

War is coming, and she takes no prisoners. Faced with an impending battle Eirensae cannot win alone, Rowan journeys to Macántacht to seek allegiance from its leader. The City of Honor is beautiful, still untouched by conflict, and full of surprises that bring Callie’s darkest experiences to the surface.

With her friends’ lives at stake, Callie must confront her past, and accept help from a faerie whose face torments her memories. Reconciling the power beneath her skin has never been more painful.

Amid persistent threats from Fraeburdh, an old enemy reemerges with deadly force. Even with Macántacht fighting beside her and Rowan at her back, the odds are insurmountable. Callie’s biggest trial will come not on a blood-soaked battlefield, but in the quiet moments when she must choose.

BUY LINKS FOR THE BOOKS

Reflection Pond

Poison Tree

Torch Rock

ABOUT KACEY VANDERKARR

Kacey

KACEY VANDERKARR has a penchant for fantasy and frequently listens to the voices in her head–most of whom are teenagers. Her favorite place to write is an old salon chair in her kitchen, with coffee in one hand and adoring cats sprawled across her arms. She prefers her music loud and her skeptics quiet. When she’s not writing, Kacey coaches winterguard, works as a sonographer, and hangs out with other weirdos like her at the Flint Area Writer’s club. In addition to her novels, The Reflection Pond Series, Antithesis, and The Stone Series, Kacey’s short fiction is featured in Sucker Literary Vol III, Ember: A Journal of Luminous Things, and Out of the Green: Tales from Fairyland.

Giveaway

$25 USD (or equivalent) Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Accent Press, historical romance, Marie Laval, Novels, Scotland

BLUE BONNETS by Marie Laval DANCING FOR THE DEVIL TRILOGY BOOK 2 #Excerpt

May 4, 2016 Melanie Leave a comment

blue bonnets

Blue Bonnets

by

Marie Laval

blue bonnets

Genre: Historical Romance (mid nineteenth century)

Release Date: 28th Jan 2016

Publisher: Áccent Press

BLUE BONNETS – Book 2

Cape Wrath, Scotland, November 1847.
When her ship is caught in a terrifying storm off the far north of Scotland and she catches her first glimpse of Wrath Lodge, Rose believes she has reached the gateway to hell. Her encounter with Wrath’s laird Bruce McGunn does nothing to reassure her. A reckless officer discharged from the army, McGunn holds a bitter grudge against her husband’s family, the wealthy McRaes, and Rose is soon horrified to find out that he means to hold her to ransom in order to save his estate from financial ruin.

Bruce’s health is failing fast, and he fears he is descending into madness with terrifying hallucinations tormenting him every night. Soon something else is keeping him awake – a growing attraction for his feisty and exotic captive, and the gruesome discovery of two women’s bodies washed ashore near the castle. One of them, Malika, is a childhood friend of Rose’s she last saw in Algiers the day before her marriage to McRae. How the women died, who killed them and disposed of their bodies is a mystery Bruce now has to solve.

Determined not to miss the ball where her darling Cameron promised to announce their wedding he has until now kept a secret, Rose manages to escape dark, gloomy Wrath. She takes with her a posy of pine sprigs she believes was given to her by the Dark Lady, Wrath’s resident ghost, and confused feelings for Wrath’s brutal and tormented master – the man she calls McGlum…

Blue Bonnets (BOOK 2) Excerpt

‘Why did you lie to me?’

‘I didn’t.’ She didn’t even look at him but carried on stacking the dirty tumblers up. She then snapped shut the lid of the jam jar and brushed the crumbs off the table top into the palm of her hand. When she threw the crumbs into the fire, the flames hissed and flared.

Like his temper.

He strode towards her, stopping only a couple of paces from her.

‘You did lie. You heard the McKenzies…The question is why.’

The rush of heat to her cheeks didn’t escape his attention, and neither did the trembling of her hands as she caught the sides of the plaid slipping off her shoulders. So she wasn’t that cool and composed after all. He narrowed his eyes, hardened his voice.

‘I want answers, and I want them now. Who are you? McRae’s mistress? A whore he picked up in the docks in Algiers?’

She gasped, the plaid dropped down from her shoulders onto the floor but this time she didn’t seem to notice. The fire behind her outlined the contours of her body, the curve of her waist and the swell of her hips. Her blonde hair fell in tight curls and ringlets down to the small of her back, her lips parted, her breasts stretched the thin fabric of the nightdress with every breath she took. She looked as innocent as an angel, as tempting as sin.

He clenched his jaw and stepped closer. Some angel she was. She would damn well explain herself even if he had to pull the truth out of her the hard way.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

ABOUT MARIE LAVAL

blue bonnets

GIVEAWAY

Book 1 in the series

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book covers, Book Promo, cover reveal, King Park Press, Novels, The Secret of Hillcrest House

The Secret of Hillcrest House #Cover Reveal

May 1, 2016 Melanie 2 Comments

#Cover Reveal

for

The Secret of Hillcrest House

The contest is over, the title was chosen and now it’s time to reveal the fantastic cover Julie Jordan came up with using my original image.

First of all… the ebook cover…

secret

And the full wrap for the paperback version…

secret

Blurb:

Sometimes there’s more to a house than bricks and mortar.

Hillcrest House is one such place. Perched on a cliff in the picturesque town of Angel Falls, there is more to this Victorian mansion than meets the eye. When referring to the house, the locals use the word haunted on a regular basis. Strange visions appear in the windows, especially the second-floor ones over the side porch. Even stranger events take place within its four walls.

Rumour has it, the original owners, Asher and Maggie Hargrave, never left their beloved home. They claim the couple and their family are responsible for driving people away. Over the years, Hillcrest House has changed hands numerous times. No one stays long. Renovations begin then stop and the house is once more abandoned. The latest in this long line of owners is Jessica Maitland.

Will Jessica be the next one to succumb or will she unravel The Secret of Hillcrest House?

And how about these fabulous quotes…

Melanie Robertson-King’s latest novel serves up a delightful blend of the supernatural and spicy romance, Lynn L. Clark, author of The Home Child, and Fire Whisperer & Circle of Souls: Two Novellas of the Supernatural, & The Accusers

Intrigue, dark buried secrets, hot romance and a neat twist in the tale make this riveting reading, Sheryl Browne, MA Creative Writing, Choc Lit Author

A fun read that keeps you guessing right up to the surprise ending, Dayna Leigh Cheser, Author of Janelle’s Time, Moria’s Time, Adelle’s Time, & Logan’s Time

The Secret of Hillcrest House is available in paperback and for the kindle from amazon and coming soon to other online retailers.