~~Romance with a sparkling twist~~
~~author and lunch lady—what a combination~~

When I first self-published I needed some short tag line thingie to represent my writing. At that time, I wrote fantasy romance, filling my tales with a number of fey races, coming from an assortment of different worlds. These books formed the bedrock of my Keltic Multiverse.

So, I needed my one-liner to reflect that. I started with “romance with a twist”. Good. Okay. But just wasn’t “it”. I polled a few writer friends, and they told me since I love sparkles so much, that needed to be included. The sparkling twist was born. Romance with a sparkling twist suited me and the stories I love to tell.

Then somewhere along the line, the second statement came into existence. I can’t really remember how or why. But it also speaks to me of who I am—both in the regular world and in my writerly guise. Author and lunch lady—a simple enough description of what I do and who I am. But just those words, written like that, sound and look like a boring social media job listing. Although my life may actually be a little boring, I don’t need to advertise it! Isn’t it amazing what just adding “what a combination” does for my boring life?

It’s a combination that works well for me. For the time being. One never knows when a change-up might happen.

For instance, I no longer write strictly speculative romance. I’ve been staying down to earth and in a reasonably normal world with contemporary romance like Fortunate Cookie, a part of a multi-author series. Cookie releases in a couple of weeks, and now I’m busy planning my next Aspen Gold Series book.

For this next book, I’m also going back to my comfortable fantasy roots and bringing the Keltic Multiverse to a modern-day Colorado tourist town. This new book will definitely be romance with a sparkling twist!

Until that book is done, enjoy Cookie or any of the Aspen Gold Series books. And hey, the first six are available to read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Can’t beat that!

 Cookie

This woman. Wearing frosting. And nothing else…

Cookie Lamont owns a successful cupcake shop in Spencer’s trendy tourist center. Life would be perfect if not for the escalating unwanted attention from a self-important town trustee. She has everything she needs—and a man is the last thing on her mind.

Until he walks into her shop.

Treehouse builder and TV personality Anthony Burnham returns to Spencer and finds focus building cabins for a new camp. His passion for treehouses is rekindled as a sweet, sexy new love blooms.

But the past haunts his steps and threatens his growing relationship with the alluring baker.

Excerpt from Fortunate Cookie…

Coffee order hovering on his lips, Tony rose and, drawn like a moth to flame, moved toward the counter. A young woman had bent behind the clear display case, placing cupcakes in precise rows on a colorful tray. “Uh, excuse me?”

“Yikes.” She jerked and stuck her thumb into the thick, creamy white icing on a dark cupcake. “Well, shi— shoot.”

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I, uh…” Words failed him when she straightened and looked at him with wide, chocolate-brown eyes. Dark hair, tucked up in a messy bun, highlighted her fair complexion. The contrast was a study in perfection. She lifted her hand as if to brush back a stray hair but stared instead at her frosting covered finger.

He had the insane desire to pull that finger into his mouth and lick off every bit of sweetness.

Seeming to pull herself together, she pasted on a perfect customer service smile and reached for a towel. “Hi, welcome to Cookie’s Coffee & Cakes. What can I get for you?”

He couldn’t look away. Her soft gaze held him in thrall. He wanted nothing, nothing but… “Coffee.”

Her pasted-on smile softened to a true grin. “Plain or fancy?”

Regaining some semblance of composure, Tony gave his order in a well-practiced manner.

She turned without comment and started his drink. He hadn’t specified a size, so was filled with relief when she grabbed the largest cup. Rooted in place, he watched her economical movements. When she placed the coffee on the counter, he pointed to the ruined cupcake. “Since I caused that, I’ll take the cupcake, too.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. One of the tribulations of baking. It’s not the first time I’ve worn frosting. It won’t be the last.”

The suddenness of the vision filling his brain made him draw a sharp breath. This woman. Wearing frosting. And nothing else. He gave his head a quick shake but couldn’t shake the thought from his brain—or his uncomfortably interested body. He cleared his throat. “Still, in this case, I’d love that cupcake for breakfast.”

*~*~*

Fortunate Cookie (Aspen Gold Series Book Eleven) will be available August 25^th at your favorite booksellers. Until then, check out the Aspen Gold Series at www.aspengoldseries.com or follow us on Facebook  www.facebook.com/aspengoldseries

*lizzie’s Official Bio

*lizzie starr always made up games and stories to keep her company. So, a cunning witch lived in Grampa’s weather research station and was only held at bay by waving a certain weed. An ancient road grader morphed into a boat carrying wild adventurers to islands filled with fierce lions and dangerous cannibals, which really looked a lot like sheep. When her 6th-grade teacher read to the class, *lizzie discovered the knights of old, Hobbits, and traveling through space and time. Her first written tales delved into fantasy worlds, and she passed many literature classes by handing in stories instead of essays.

Even though she’d turned up her nose at her mother’s love stories, long night shifts at a nursing home drew her to the facility’s library. There she discovered that romance made tales of fantasy and science fiction more delightful, and the focus of her writing expanded.

Filled with fantasy, love, and romance with a sparkling twist, the stories of her imagination swirl their way into the mundane world and into her reader’s hearts.

When *lizzie must return to a more routine life, she’s *the Lunch Lady* at a private school. Author and lunch lady~~what a combination!

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