My Books!

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Careful


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Randy will be awarding an eCopy of Careful and a $25 Starbucks GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

For two decades Tyler Gibbons has been keeping a secret from his family. At the tender age of sixteen, Tyler embarks on a student exchange program. Sent to the Andean city of Ambato, Ecuador, he finds daily adventure as he tries to fit in at school, connect with his host family, and navigate through a world of beaches, volcanoes, and jungles. But tucked deep inside this year are events so profound, so unexpected, they forever shape the man he will become.

Now, 25 years later, his mother pulls these soaring tales from her son, exposing, for the first time, the source of a deep unhappiness. While these memories contain the wounds of an unresolved past, they also possess the power to heal his painful present.

Thoughtfully crafted and boldly told, Tyler’s journey takes the reader on a wild South American adventure, while illuminating a mother’s unyielding power to heal her child.

Enjoy an excerpt:

The terminal was absolute chaos. Luggage was brought in from the plane on carts, and people crowded around them, pushing and shoving to get a look. Suitcases were tossed aside in search of others and people were shouting. The decibel level became unbearable.

I managed to collect my bags without having to push anyone and headed to Immigration, where men in uniforms opened and rifled through all of my belongings. The officers would occasionally ask me a question, but I didn’t understand what they were saying, so I just smiled, nodded my head, and said sí. They could have been asking me if I had a dead body in my luggage, and I’d have said yes.

When the invasive suitcase search was complete, I walked to passport control. Reaching under my shirt, I pulled out my money belt, unzipped it, and found my passport. I was trembling. Both from the excitement of the moment and fear that I’d exposed my secret hiding spot.

I handed the man my passport and my visa paperwork. He quickly read over the documents and pulled out his big stamp. This was the moment I’d been waiting for, the first stamp in my passport. This stamp was going to be proof. Proof that I was here. Proof that I was brave. Proof that I was.

Bam! His stamp came down hard on a randomly selected page in the book. He closed my passport, slapped a flat hand on top, and slid it toward me.

I grabbed it from the table and quickly opened it up to admire my proof. The image was smeared and the ink had bled onto the facing page, but it was legible. Not that I could read it, because it was in Spanish. But it was legible. I held it open to dry as I followed the line of people exiting the terminal.

About the Author:
Randy Anderson is a novelist and playwright. His first book was published in 2011. On Making Off recounted his adventures running The Beggars Group, a downtown theater company that produced over two dozen productions at the turn of the millennium. He is also the author of several plays including; Kill the President, The Dwelling, and Yippie! Randy currently lives in Brooklyn where he writes, reasons, and reacts. You can contact him at www.onmakingoff.com, or on twitter @onmakingoff.

The Enchanted

How about an excerpt today? This one's from The Enchanted. Enjoy.


"You heard me. Does my welfare concern you, my princess?" He held his breath as he waited for her answer.

Morgane bit her lip. With a hitch in her voice, she whispered, "You know that it does."

Blood sang in Alan's veins as fierce joy seized him. "I do not know how you feel, and that is the truth. Will you not tell me?"

Did he dare to touch her? He had no choice in the matter. Death would claim him unless he felt her silken skin under his hand. Morgane gasped when his hand came to rest against her shoulder. "Tell me," he breathed, his heart hammering in his chest.

Morgane rolled over and faced him. He felt surprised to see anger on her face. "Why do you torment me, Prince Alan?"

Alan pushed back from her. "I? I torment you?"

"Yes! You torment me night and day. Your face is never far from my thoughts. In the morning my eyes fall upon you, and my heart sings to have another day in your presence. We were not supposed to have a common life at all! I tried very hard to run away, and you angered your father so much he put you through a year of torment to bend you to his will." A little smile came to rest on her face. "But you did not bend, did you? Nor did you break. You remained the same man you always were. I know this in my heart."

With a suddenness that took his breath away, laughter and light fled from her face. Bleak resignation and hopelessness turned her eyes into two wells of horror. "If I were as beautiful now as I once was, then you would find it difficult to turn away from me." Her lip quivered. "I know that no man wants a scarred woman, but I had hoped..."

"What had you hoped?"

"That you could love me."
 
Blurb:
 
Forced by his father into a marriage he didn’t want, Prince Alan soon finds that his bride isn’t the sweet, submissive creature he expected.  Morgane has the heart of a dragon and beauty beyond compare, but she isn’t thrilled about the marriage either.  When black treachery threatens the kingdom, Morgane and Alan embark on a perilous journey that has an excellent chance of ending in failure and death for them and all of their people.  
 
 
 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Beyond the Book: Character Interview

Elaine: Good morning, LA.  If you aren’t up yet, you should be.  The weather man’s calling for a beautiful day, and traffic isn’t too bad which is great news for all you commuters.  Let’s begin our morning broadcast with an interview with Elizabeth Lane.  Not that Elizabeth needs any introduction, but let me remind you of all she’s achieved in the past few years. 

She originally hails from a little Mid Western town called Fairfield.  When she was twenty one, she and her mother, Frances Lane, moved from Fairfield to Hollywood to give Elizabeth her chance in Tinsel Town.  Of course with Elizabeth’s looks and talent she caught the eye of legendary director Marc Bruno who cast her as Gracie in Gone Away.  Gone Away became one of the highest grossing films in history and catapulted Elizabeth to stardom.  Elizabeth, thanks for coming this morning.  I’m sure you’re a busy woman.

Elizabeth: (smiling warmly) You’re welcome, Elaine.  I always enjoy the chance to reach out to my fans.

Elaine: Yes, it does seem that way.  Some stars are irritated by the press.

Elizabeth: It’s all about dreams.  I don’t mind talking to my fans because like them I know a lot about dreams.  They really can come true.

sure.  What about in the romance department.  Have those dreams come true for you as well?  I reported on the MS benefit last week and saw you and Alex Crawford together.  You’ve been engaged for what: nine months?

Elizabeth: ( squirms a little in her chair and refuses to look the interviewer in the eye)   Yes, that’s about right.  Alex Crawford is extraordinary!  He had a French perfume company create an exclusive fragrance just for me.

Elaine: Wow, the man has a romantic side.  I did want to ask you though, about your relationship with Richard Lovinggood, son of California senator Henry Lovinggood.
Elizabeth: (stiffens in her chair, her face closed and blank) There’s nothing to talk about.  Let’s move on.
Elaine: Ten years ago when he was only seventeen, the two of you had a relationship which you recently rekindled, and you…

Elizabeth: (voice stern)  Move on.

Elaine: Okay, let’s talk about your recent kidnapping.  You were rescued by Richard Lovinggood, right?  For those of you who don’t know, Richard is an FBI agent.

Elizabeth:  (voice cold) That was a painful time in my life, and I don’t want to discuss it.

Elaine: (eyebrows arch) It seems there are a lot of things you don’t want to talk about, and all of them relate to Richard Lovinggood.

Elizabeth: (smiles charmingly) Thank you so much for having me today, Elaine.  I’m due on the set, so I have to run.  My new movie Paradise Bay came out yesterday.  The reviews are great, so don’t miss it.

Elaine: I sure won’t.  (She stands up and shakes Elizabeth’s hand.)  See you on the silver screen.



You can read an excerpt at the publisher’s site or at my web site http://www.elainecantrell.com

Did you know that Return Engagement is the first book in the Lovinggood trilogy, and Blue 52 is the second? Book three is coming up shortly.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Snippet Sunday

Welcome to Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors. I've just started another book, have no idea for a title, and love it so far. I created it from a deleted scene from one of my other books. This is the opening scene in the book. Please do give feedback.  Thanks, and when you are done you can find more great authors at these URLs.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnippetSunday/
http://www.wewriwa.com

EXCERPT




Late afternoon. The Isle of Palms hung suspended between the ordinary hustle and bustle of the day and the blue calm of the evening. The tide had come in so the beach house was closer to the ocean than it was in the morning. Rhett parked his car in the driveway and stared at the house in front of him.

He had lived in this place his entire life, but not in this particular house. Hurricane Hugo came along in 1989 and destroyed the first residence, but his parents had rebuilt in the same place. The current home was built on big pillars sunk deep into the ground and had three stories. Big, wraparound porches could be accessed from each of the three stories.



Friday, April 25, 2014

Saturday Sample

I'm delighted to tell you that Her Kind of Man is still on the publisher's best seller list and is only .99 at http://lachesispublishing.com/?product=her-kind-of-man

But my excerpt today is from a book I just completed. I've tentatively titled it Flood. I don't think I'll have to explain what's going on here.

“Aria.”
The soft tone in his voice when he said her name took her breath away. She tried to speak, to ask him what he wanted, but words wouldn’t come.
His big hand cupped her face and sent white heat racing through her veins. “You are without doubt the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He pushed a few remaining strands of wet hair from her cheek. She stepped closer, and he swept her into his arms and laid her head against his shoulder.
The doctor in Aria wondered if her blood pressure was dangerously high. It must be. Her heart was going like a jack hammer, and her knees felt spongy. She held on tight to Caleb as the scent of sun-warmed masculine skin surrounded her.
Her tee shirt was wet, but where he was touching her back his hand felt red hot against her. She groaned, and he lifted her head from his shoulder. His eyes, filled with heat, locked with hers before fluttering shut. Firm, kissable lips met hers in a sweet, tender kiss that soon morphed into something else entirely.

His hand tangled into her hair, and he kissed her the way she admitted she’d longed for. As his tongue found hers, she shivered and pressed herself against him.  

Fashionista Friday

Hello, folks. Rascal here. Have you missed your fashion conscious canine friend? I hope so because I'm back with some sweet dresses to show you. My mama doesn't need ball dresses too often, but she likes to look at them so that's what I'm showing you. If you need one for an event, choose a pastel, draped gown. It's the latest fashion. What do you think of these beauties? Mama loves the Amanda Wakeley satin gown.



Thursday, April 24, 2014

More Than a Feeling


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding an E-copy of "Frost Family Christmas Anthology" - which includes the first 3 books in the Frost Family Friends Series as well as a bonus short story - to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. Remember, the more stops you visit, the more chances you earn to win.

NOTE: More Than a Feeling is on sale for only $0.99 at Amazon! Pick up your copy today by clicking here.

A dangerous twenty-year-old secret is about to be uncovered in the quaint Vermont town of Carol Falls, where not everyone is who they seem to be.

At first meeting, Spencer Frost appears to be a simple farmer who enjoys reading and quoting poetry. In fact he’s a criminal law attorney from Boston on sabbatical at Frost Family Farm. When he meets Robin Redmond, the lovely new sales clerk at the local independent bookstore, he has no idea he’s about to step into a drama to rival even his toughest legal case.

Robin moved to Carol Falls in pursuit of the man who destroyed her sister’s life. Driven to face him—as well as her own guilt about her sister--falling in love with Spencer is not part of her plans. But as they partner up to unravel the twisted truth behind the crime, she discovers love is the strongest weapon of all.

This is the fourth book in a small-town romance/cozy mystery series that began with The Frost Family Christmas trilogy. These three titles are:

Book 1: What Child Is This by C.J. Carmichael

Book2: Home For Christmas by Roxy Boroughs

Book 3: The Holly & The Ivy by Brenda M. Collins.


Now enjoy an excerpt:

Robin turned on the radio. Loud.

She did not want to think about the magical evening she’d just had. The wagon ride, the stars, the nice Frost family, Spencer whispering poetry in her ear, then looking at her like he wanted to kiss her when they were finally alone.

Worst of all had been the seedling of hope that had awoken in her heart. That she could be happy. Maybe even, one day, loved. And, most of all—normal.

It was like an early April Fool’s joke. She’d been completely taken in. Despite the signs to the contrary—his upper crust accent, his unhardened hands—she’d thought Spencer was a poetry-loving farmer, a modern day Robert Frost.

Only to find out he was an advocate for the sort of criminal who had stolen her family from her. He defended the bad guys, getting them off, twisting the evidence to try and make victims look guilty, fighting for shorter sentences and arguing mitigating circumstances.

He was the champion of men like the one she hated most in the world.

Robin pulled over to the side of the road. She must have been driving in autopilot. Somehow she’d passed the heart of Carol Falls, traveled over the covered bridge and a mile down Red Bridge Avenue to the Fix-It Shop.

It was a narrow, two story wooden building, hemmed in on one side by a pawn shop and a vacant building on the other.

This was not the cute area of Carol Falls where she worked. No, this was where people who couldn’t afford luxuries like ambience or street appeal lived.

She’d already figured out that there was an apartment over the Fix-It Shop where the McGuires lived. The main floor shop was dark now, but at least one lamp glowed in the upper apartment. She could imagine Alistair in an overstuffed chair, feet up on a stool, reading The Brothers Karamazov. Maybe he’d be sipping a cup of tea, or a brandy, with classical music playing softly in the background.

But what about his brother?

The other McGuire, she simply could not imagine. Since she’d arrived in Carol Falls, she hadn’t caught a glimpse of him. Did he ever leave the apartment? She was starting to doubt it. She knew for sure he was there. As the last surviving relative of his victim, she’d been notified when he’d been released from prison and told that he was planning to go live with his brother in Carol Falls.

She wished she could have filed the information under “better off forgotten” and gone on with her life. Not that she’d had much. Since her mother’s death in September, she’d been barely hanging on to her job, let alone doing what she knew she needed to do.

Get new interests. Make friends. Start living.

Instead, the idea of Allan McGuire, free to start over when her own family had been destroyed, had festered in her brain, until finally she’d decided she’d never be able to let this thing go until she’d seen him again and made sure that he would never do to another family what he’d done to hers.

She’d had enough counseling over the years to know this wasn’t healthy. Her obsession with the tragedy had stunted her life and cost her her marriage. Brad had been more than patient with her at first, certain that she would eventually learn to let the past go.

But the seeds had been planted early. She’d only been six years old. Twenty-two years later, the garden that should have been her life had been completely overgrown with weeds.

Robin waited, for what seemed like an hour, until finally the lights in the apartment went out. She stayed an extra twenty minutes, checking to make sure that no furtive figure snuck out into the quiet darkness. Only then did she feel free to make her way home.


National bestseller, CJ Carmichael, has published over 35 novels and has twice been nominated for a RITA award. She likes to write stories about romance, family and intrigue, usually in small town or rural settings. She’s currently working on the next book in “The Carrigans of the Circle C” trilogy for Tule Publishing, as well the next “Frost Family & Friends” cozy mystery/romance for a multi-author series set in Carol Falls, Vermont.

When it’s time to take a break from the computer, she heads to the Rocky Mountains near her home in Calgary where she lives with her partner Michael. If you’d like to learn more about her books, sign up for her newsletter on her website: http://cjcarmichael.com . (C.J. likes to reward her loyal readers on this list with regular draws for free, autographed books.)

Facebook: authorcjcarmichael

Twitter: cj_carmichael

Amazon Kindle Edition: http://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Feeling-Family-Friends-ebook/dp/B00J6NGPIS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397035113&sr=1-1&keywords=more+than+a+feeling

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Kiss The Enemy


Kiss the Enemy
by Dianna Love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Her only hope is in the hands of her enemy.

Slye Temp operative Margaux Duke is chasing an international terrorist who murdered the last of her family. But her plans go up in smoke when her agency is in the crosshairs of the dangerous killer, forcing her to turn rogue to protect the only family she has left - her team. This is no time to get involved, especially with an enemy who steps between her and the terrorist she has to stop.

Logan Baklanov has been known by many names in the underbelly of international terrorism and will do whatever it takes to shield those he loves from the treacherous world he lives in. When his brother’s life is in jeopardy, Logan takes on a role that places him at the top of the most-wanted lists of government security agencies in every country. He accepts the no-win situation, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice until a long legged beauty draws the attention of his deadly target and screws Logan’s carefully planned mission.


Margaux and Logan must join forces in a dangerous game to save a major city from a powerful psychopath, but their ruse escalates out of control when the heat smoldering between them threatens to explode.

EXCERPT:

Margaux gazed around the elegant room, taking in the mundane, wealthy men shopping for an expensive party girl for the night. All of the clients here were middle aged and ordinary.

On the other hand, Dragan’s bodyguard was anything but uninteresting.

He stood off to her right, with Secret-Service-looking eyewear and a coal-black designer suit that had to be custom-tailored to fit shoulders as wide as his.

That was one big man.

Just her flavor, if she had any interest in a taste.

Surprisingly, he still managed to blend into the shadows, motionless as a tiger waiting for his dinner to stroll by. Power rolled off him in silent waves. She couldn’t tell much about his face with that thick, but neat, black beard and his eyes hidden.

Handsome was too simple a word to describe him, too civilized. Like admiring a wolf for its lush coat or a shark for its grace in the water, a woman would find this man attractive in a deadly way.

A woman who enjoyed playing with fire or dancing with lightning.

A woman who was a fool. 

Nothing about that man invited sexual banter, which she found even more appealing. No, he was not one to play with and that presented a problem.

Because right now she had to get to Dragan and that bodyguard was her only route.



AUTHOR Bio and Links:


New York Times bestseller Dianna Love once dangled over a hundred feet in the air to create unusual marketing projects for Fortune 500 companies. She now writes high-octane romantic suspense, thrillers and urban fantasy. Her new Slye Temp romantic suspense series launched its first four books in 2013 to rave reviews and more will follow in 2014. Her books are available in print and ebook.  On the rare days she’s not in her writing cave, Dianna enjoys touring the country on her BMW motorcycle. She lives in the Atlanta, GA area with her motorcycle-instructor husband and a tank full of unruly saltwater critters. Read excerpts of her books at www.authordiannalove.com or join her Dianna Love Street Team on Facebook and get in on the fun!

Links

Website---- https://www.authordiannalove.com

Street team ---- https://www.facebook.com/groups/456015887852513/

Like her on Facebook at--- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dianna-Love-Fan-Page/144494875593699

Follow her on Twitter at -- https://twitter.com/diannalove

Buy Links for KISS THE ENEMY:

Amazon Kindle--  http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Enemy-Slye-Temp-ebook/dp/B00FZ0YGI2/ref=la_B001HMUWBC_1_18?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382305603&sr=1-18

Nook--  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kiss-the-enemy-dianna-love/1117191697?ean=2940148678243&isbn=2940148678243

Kobo— http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/kiss-the-enemy/huP1vBESdEC7Je-9gUUWDQ?MixID=huP1vBESdEC7Je-9gUUWDQ&PageNumber=1

iTunes—  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id728889359

Google Books--  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Dianna_Love_KISS_THE_ENEMY?id=hi_EAgAAQBAJ&hl=en


For other buy links, to read an excerpt, or to purchase an autographed copy, visit  the KISS THE ENEMY page on Dianna’s website:  http://www.authordiannalove.com/bookshelf/77/kiss-the-enemy---book-4

Dianna will be awarding EITHER the ebook box set of the first 3 Slye Temp OR a signed copy of ONE of the first 4 Slye Temp books. (Print Books are Continental US Only - Amazon/iTunes/Nook ebook equivalent for international) to one randomly drawn commenter at each stop during the tour, and a GRAND PRIZE of Signed copies of all 4 Slye Temp books – LAST CHANCE TO RUN, NOWHERE SAFE, HONEYMOON TO DIE FOR – plus a MONOGRAMMED SLING BACKPACK, and swag pack of surprise goodies. (Continental US only for print books - Amazon/iTunes/Nook 3 ebook box set for international) will be awarded to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.  Enter using the link below.  You can find her schedule at 
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/03/virtual-super-book-blast-kiss-enemy-by.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Book Review: Shannon's Law by Emma Calin

A sexy aristocrat. A wild-child inner city cop. A crime wave of passion.
A steamy romance novel introducing a sassy female police officer who locks up criminals and always gets her man.
The second book in the "Passion Patrol" series featuring hot cops, hot crime and hot romance. Following the success of "Knockout!" the drama in "Shannon's Law" revolves around another feisty female cop - Shannon Aguerri.
Moved out from the city after one-too-many maverick missions, Shannon discovers there's more going on in the sleepy country village than meets the eye. The son of a local aristocrat arouses suspicion of drug crime activity... but his widower father arouses more animal instincts!
Could she really mix with the British royal family? Can she risk her heart and career on yet another high risk unauthorised investigation? Can she get justice for an innocent boy? Dare a kid from the gutter dream of being a countess?
Shannon's Law - The action romance novel of 2014.
Wild child inner city cop Shannon Aguerri walks a dangerous line between her methods and justice. When the bosses lose their nerve, she is transferred to green pastures to play out the role of a routine village cop. In Fleetworth-Green she encounters signs of people and drug trafficking and homes in on serious millionaire criminals.
As a loner she has attracted men but nothing has stuck. When she meets Spencer, the hunky and widowed Earl of Bloxington, there is an immediate rapport between them. Their social differences mean nothing to their passion and need. Already in the mix is an upper class female rival who has long plotted her way into the Earl's bed. The jealousy is an evil shade of green and the anger is a violent scarlet.
Often inhibited by a sense of duty and honour, Spencer is slow to reveal his feelings. When Shannon confronts him with the need to choose between her word and that of her rival, he does not immediately support her.
All the same, when they are forced together to carry out a desperate rescue mission, their love is stronger than everything ranged against them.
My Thoughts:
This is one book that totally lives up to its tag line. There was plenty of hot sex, hot crimes, and hot cops. However, I found the heroine Shannon to be unexpectedly vulnerable in some ways, and I didn't expect that. To me, there's a hint of a Cinderella story here. You can't help but like Shannon and want the best for her. 
Spence is a little more reserved, but certainly he knows a good thing when he finds Shannon. The supporting characters are interesting and well drawn, and I liked the ones I was supposed to like and disliked the others. The plot is well defined and laid, and brings everything to a satisfactory conclusion. It's snappy paced; it doesn't drag which I like. 
If you like the idea of hot sex and hot cops, better check this one out. 
Buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/Shannons-Law-Passion-Patrol-Series/dp/1494290790/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398125206&sr=8-1&keywords=shannon%27s+law+by+emma+calin

Monday, April 21, 2014

Molly Harper

Please help me welcome Emelle Gamble to the blog. 



1.Emelle, What do you think makes a book a page turner?

Suspense. When I, as a reader, don’t know for sure what’s going to happen next I simply can’t put a book down. I think this is the single necessary ingredient for any good book…make the reader wonder what’s going to happen, let them experience a story that, even though it is a specific genre like romance or a mystery, which surprises them because the characters are unique and not someone they’ve met before. In my book SECRET SISTER, numerous reviewers and readers said this was the most fun part, they just didn’t know what was going to happen next. This made me very happy.

2.How many WIP do you have going at the same time?

Right now I’m sitting on a big weird book I don’t know what to do with and I’m writing a new one and thinking all the time about another one, which would be the first in a series of three books.  This is the usual for me, but I hate it. I wish I could just think about one book at a time. I think I’d be more focused, although way less fun at critique group. My partners are used to me talking about five things at once, bless them.

3.Where do you get your inspiration?

I get inspired from every single word every single person I know, observe or watch on TV says. I am not kidding. Writers are the ultimate observers, but like a kingfisher we’re waiting to stab our beak into a new idea swimming by. So be very, very careful around  writers. We’re thieves…and we’ll put you in a book before you can cry out, “My jewels!"

4.Which genre appeals the most to you?  

Women’s fiction and mystery are tied. I love them both.

The least?

I can’t read horror. I used to. But the real world is so scary, I just don’t want to read about more fear or suffering.

5.What's the hardest part of writing?

Not falling into the easy way out of a scene. When you’re tired and its late, sometimes its tempting to do the obvious instead of the real with a character. Because the real needs solid motivation, inevitability, uniqueness. In MOLLY HARPER, I deal with the issue of adoption, and how an adoptee feels about finding their birth mother. I really wanted to get this right for this character, and I fought a long time to get to know the women in this novel. I was not sure until the book was  done if I’d given readers an honest scene, not just a sitcom replay. Which is why I rewrite about 10 times before I’m through.

The easiest?
Getting a new idea and before word one is written down talking about it, especially to other writers. We all get giddy and excited and make suggestions and see little snippets of scenes in our heads. It’s all wonderful and fun. But then you put your fanny in the chair, in a quiet room with a blank screen.  It is no longer easy…

Thank you very much for hosting me on your blog, Elaine. I’d love to hear from your readers what they find hardest and easiest about their careers. Because then I’ll steal it and use it in a book. HA!

 Spoken like a true author! Help her out, readers. Tell her about your own career. Right now, why not a blurb and an excerpt?

Blurb:



Movie star Molly Harper has it all, beauty, success in her field, and a loving family and marriage to actor Ben Delmonico. Norma Wintz, Molly’s mother, has it all, a lovely life style and two children who adore her, and a respite from the battle against cancer she’s been fighting. Anne Sullivan, at age fifty, is optimistic that her move to sunny Santa Barbara, California, will allow her to be closer to her youngest son and his family, and help her start her life anew after the death of her beloved husband.

But all three of these women, despite their considerable blessings, are plunged into turmoil when the most intimate of secrets that ties their lives together is revealed. At this same time, Molly Harper is confronted with the news that her marriage to actor Ben Delmonico is over. As she navigates this heartbreak and tries to keep the personal details of the drama off the front pages of the newspapers, Molly must also find a way to once and forever negotiate a way forward with her ex- lover and best friend, the volatile and compelling Cruz Morales.

How each of these characters handles the resulting upheaval in their own life, and in their relationships with one another, forms the compelling story of family, secrets and trust in the romantic women’s fiction novel, Molly Harper.


EXCERPT:



Anne Sullivan looked down at her watch.

One twenty-one p.m. Norma Wintz was twenty minutes late.

Anne leaned back against the banquette and avoided making eye contact with the hovering waitress. She folded her hands together and wondered if her face looked tight as cellophane stretched over a bowl of tuna salad. That’s how it felt.

I shouldn’t have come. She glanced around the unfamiliar restaurant. It was all glass and mirrors; chock full of shockingly glamorous Californians surely leading shockingly exciting lives. People who wouldn’t understand why a widow from Potomac, Maryland was breaking into sobs and intruding on their lunch experience.

Which is probably what I’m going to do once Norma arrives, she thought. She had tried to prepare herself for meeting the woman, face-to-face, who had adopted her baby thirty-five years ago, but Anne wasn’t sure she was going to be able to handle it as she hoped.

Calmly. Dispassionately. In control.

Anne’s chest suddenly ached, as if all the emotion she’d suppressed for decades gathered into a knot under her ribs.

I should call the number for Norma Wintz and tell her not to come. Which was a great idea, except she’d left her cell phone in the car. And if she went to her car to get it, she might not have the emotional courage to come back.

To say nothing of the fact that if she walked the two long blocks to where she was parked, there was a good chance she would miss Norma Wintz altogether, and the woman would probably think she was a crack pot.

Anne took another peek at her watch.

One twenty-two.

That’s impossible. It felt as if an hour had passed since she’d last looked at the time.

“Excuse me, are you Mrs. Sullivan?” A waiter, his eyes jade green against his tan skin, smiled at Anne. His name tag read ‘Taj’.

“Yes, I’m Anne Sullivan

“There’s a call for you.” Taj held out a phone.

Anne pressed it against her head. “This is Anne Sullivan.”

Taj clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at her as if she was a small child on the first day of school.

“Hello, this is Norma Wintz calling,” a voice said in Anne’s ear. “I’m on my way but there was an accident and traffic is wretched. I got no answer on the number you gave me, but I wanted to let you know I wasn’t standing you up.”

“Oh, that’s no problem.” Anne nodded at Taj and repositioned the phone an inch higher on her ear. “I don’t have other plans for this afternoon.”

“Fine. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.” The phone went dead.

“Okay. Thank you!” Anne met the waiter’s eyes and wondered how Taj had known to bring it to her.

Norma Wintz must have described me to him. But what could she have said, since we’ve never met?  Look for a woman who seems the sort to give up her first-born child for adoption?


Author Bio and Links


Emelle Gamble was a writer at an early age, bursting with the requisite childhood stories of introspection. These evolved into bad teen poetry and worse short stories. She took her first stab at full length fiction in an adult education writing class when her kids were in bed.  As M.L. Gamble, she published several romantic suspense novels with Harlequin. She has contracted with Soul Mate Publishing for Secret Sister, published in the summer of 2013, and Dating Cary Grant, a March 2014 release.

Once and Forever, an anthology which includes the novella Duets, came out on November 1st. Molly Harper, a full length novel starring the characters from Duets 3 years later was released by Posh Publishing in January.

Emelle lives in suburban Washington D.C. with her husband, ‘Phil-the-fist’, her hero of thirty years, and two orange cats, Lucy and Bella. These girls, like all good villains, have their reasons for misbehaving. Her daughter, Olivia, and son, Allen, are happily launched on their own and contributing great things to society, their mother’s fondest wish.

Review Quotes:

Praise for Secret Sister

“Along with being a very unique and captivating plot, SECRET SISTER offers a shocking turn of the paranormal kind. So if you are the type of person that wants ordinary romance in a book, you won't find that here. This is a story of friendship, family, and most of all, true love and what those things can mean. I cannot recommend SECRET SISTER strongly enough… “ Fresh Fiction, Fresh Reviews

"If you're looking for a typical women's fiction/romance, don't look here... this story has a twist of the paranormal that will have you willingly stretching your belief in order to enjoy the plot. Emelle Gamble has created a story that will tear your heart out."  Long and Short Reviews

Links:

Email: emellegamble@aol.com

Website:  www.EmelleGamble.com 

FaceBook:  Author Emelle Gamble

Twitter: @EmelleGamble

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7123746.Emelle_Gamble      

Secret Sister by Emelle Gamble is now available on Amazon!  http://amzn.to/17J2Bn6

Once and Forever  an anthology with Emelle Gamble’s novella, Duets, is now available on Amazon!    http://amzn.to/1h9fZWv

 Emelle will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during this tour and the Reviews Only Tour A digital copy of Molly Harper will be awarded to 3 randomly drawn commenters also during this tour and the Reviews Only Tour.  You can find her schedule at
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/02/virtual-nbtm-book-tour-molly-harper-by.html