I know that many people are harried during the holiday season, what with shopping and parties and friends and family coming to see you or you heading off to see them, setting up the tree, wrapping gifts—whatever else needs to be done. In addition, most of us work a “real” job. A lot of people can tell you how to prevent some of that stress. My mother has gifts bought (and wrapped, I’m sure) for Christmas 2019! That drives me crazy, but at least she isn’t rushing around in December trying to buy gifts. Others might do their baking in advance so that a thaw and touch up are all that have to be done in November or December.

I’d like to suggest another way to recharge batteries and regroup before you pull out your hair and scream at the dog. Each day take a minute or two to do nothing. And by nothing, I mean no actions, no thoughts, no worries about tasks done or undone. Just sit somewhere, shake off the world (literally shake the tension from your arms and legs), and close your eyes. Relax. Open your mind to silence. The words to Silent Night have it right: “All is calm/All is bright.”

I remember walking to Midnight Mass as a child, holding Mom’s hand and hearing not much more than the crunch of snow under our boots. The lights inside the church, the organ quietly playing Christmas carols, people whispering to each other and crowding in the pews because even people who never attended Mass came to this one. In the hush of the church, there was nothing to do but close your eyes and take in the season. A feeling of peace truly came over us. Stress disappeared.

The magic of sitting quietly for a few moments is not new. It’s old school and low tech but it really works to help you face the rest of the day’s crises! If you try it you’ll see what I mean. The Christmas/Hanukkah season is one of sparkling lights, brilliant trees, shiny balls, and ribbons. We should be able to appreciate it without worry and hassle.

*~*~*

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex. Writing was so much fun Dee decided to keep at it. That’s how she spends her days. Her nights? Well, she’s lucky that her dream man, childhood sweetheart, and long-time hubby are all the same guy, and nights are their secret. For romance ranging from sweet to historical, contemporary to paranormal and more, join Dee on Nomad Authors, where you can read about her newest book, Only a Good Man Will Do: Seriously ambitious man seeks woman to encourage his goals, support his (hopeful) position as Headmaster of Westover Academy, and be purer than Caesar’s wife in order to set a good example. Good luck with that!

Buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HQM5YF5
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1129630612?ean=2940161770603
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/898008
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/only-a-good-man-will-do

Author links:
Website: https://nomadauthors.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeeSKnight
Blog: https://nomadauthors.com/blog
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN
Email: dsknight@deesknight.com

UPDATE: The winner is…Yolaine Clark!
*~*~*

I’m working on my next short story collection — Stranded: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology. The themes all center around a hero or heroine who is stranded, and then rescued by a bad boy. Think, a plane crashes in the jungle and you have to count on a smuggler to see you to safety; or your ship sinks and you find yourself on a deserted island where rescue comes from a man with no intentions of delivering you home anytime soon. Yeah, men taking advantage—not without our hero/heroine’s consent or pleasure, of course!

While I’m reading through the many stories some wonderful authors have sent me, my sister, Elle James, and I are kicking around the cover design. I wanted someone who looked a little scruffy, maybe a mountain man kind of guy. What do you think of these images? Vote in the poll for the one you like best, then offer comments about what you like or don’t for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

  

Ready for some spine-tingling, blood-heating, thrilling and exciting romantic suspense? Instead of one book today, I thought I’d give you a taste of a few. Leave me a comment telling me which one appeals to you most and one lucky person will have their name drawn for a $5 Gift Certificate.

Masquerade
Book #3 Corporate Heat

Hunting a murderer is hot work, in more ways than one.

Lindsey Califaro, second in command at Elite Marketing, is suspicious when her boss is killed in a one car accident. She’s had a funny feeling about things around the agency for a while and now her spidey senses are going haywire. Something is wrong and she’s determined to find out what.

John Martino, highly sought after forensic accountant, is sent by Arroyo to dig into Elite’s books and see if there is an answer there. He expects problems but what he doesn’t expect is to find a super smart hot female who pushes all his buttons and sends his sex drive into overload.

As the two dig into Elite’s books and Craig’s private life, they uncover a sordid trail of sex trafficking and drugs so extensive it shocks them. As they draw closer to the real head of the operation the heat between them rises in temperature and their feelings for each other explode.

As they work to blow open the criminal enterprise, their relationship intensifies and John knows he must do everything to protect Lindsey from a master criminal.

Get your copy here!

Double Deception
Corporate Heat #2

No one could tell who was telling the truth…

For Liam Benedict, the merging of Software By Design into the Arroyo mega-conglomerate is a dream come true—until someone on his staff screws with critical software and put the company and its future in grave jeopardy.

Suddenly life is not so euphoric for Liam. His contract with a defence contractor is in jeopardy, he doesn’t know who to trust on his staff and there is a distinct possibility a foreign power is behind the whole thing.

When forensic data analyst Eric Braun discovers who it is and how they did it, he is killed before he can tell Liam he’s discovered the mole. Framed by the killer, Liam is arrested for the murder.

It will take the combined resources of beautiful criminal defence attorney Sydney Alfiore, the woman he loves, and the huge Arroyo Corporation to solve the riddle, but can they do it in time?

Reader advisory: This book contains a scene of on-page murder.

Get your copy here!

Guarding Jenna
Brotherhood Protectors

Jenna Daniels grew up in a world of great wealth and privilege. Powerful men and women from all over the country attended the lavish parties that her stepfather hosted on their Montana ranch. But the night of one party, one of those men crept into her bedroom, blindfolded her and viciously raped her, threatening to kill her if she spoke out. Years of therapy have helped her deal with it but she still freezes at the thought of an intimate relationship. Now she’s a true crime writer specializing in unsolved rape cases, determined to find others similar to hers and track down the rapist. When she uncovers several committed over the past fifteen years, she knows she must return to Montana to find her answers.

Medically discharged after twelve years in the SEALs, Scott Nolan doesn’t know what to do with himself. There’s not much in civilian life for a former sniper. Then a friend puts him in touch with Hank Patterson who heads Brotherhood Protectors and he feels as if he’s found a home again. He’s just finished his first assignment when Hank receives a call from Grey Holden, head of The Omega Team in Tampa, who asks him to have someone keep an eye on Jenna. Good thing, too, because she’s hardly settled into her rental cabin before someone leaves a threatening note under her windshield followed up by a dead skunk on her doorstep with another note.

Good thing the cabin has two bedrooms because Hank insists Scott move in with Jenna so he can monitor her twenty-four/seven. As Jenna gets closer to finding her answers, the attempts on her life increase. But is she in more danger from the unknown person or from Scott, himself a tortured soul but who wakens feelings she is afraid to face may be the only one who can get past her emotional fear and teach her how to love?

Get your copy here!

Just a reminder, folks! My free class, WRITE 50 Books a Year, begins tomorrow—just in time to start making your 2019 plans!  Not signed up? Here’s the link to the Yahoo group: FREE CLASS

You ready for another high-octane thrill ride? Love sexy alpha males who cruise along at the edge of the law? You’re going to love WOLF! Along the way, you’ll see some familiar faces, Reaper and Fetch are pretty prominent. So are the guys and girls from RIP. Haven’t met them yet? Tsk-tsk. They are coming soon!!!!

Missed a book in the series? No worries. Just click on a cover to find out more about these stories, read opening scenes, and find out where to get them!

  

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you’ve read any books in this series, so far!

Meet Wolf

MONTANA BOUNTY HUNTERS: Authentic Men… Real Adventures…

Former Marine Wolf Patterson is working with a team of MBH bounty hunters in the densely forested Kootenai Forest to bring in one Reese Tobin, a man wanted for arson, who escaped from jail just before his trial. When Wolf catches up to him, Tobin draws a gun, telling Wolf he can’t return to lock-up or he’s a dead man. Just as one of his teammates is about to lunge toward Tobin to take him down, a shot rings out, and Tobin is dead.

Former Army Military Police Officer, now Deputy, Meg Henry, was the officer who arrested Tobin, and nothing about that night sat right since. After hearing he was killed, she heads to Kootenai, hoping to talk to the men who were with him last, hoping Tobin told them something that might help her figure out the mystery surrounding him. Because handsome bounty hunter, Wolf, was the last to talk to Tobin, Meg offers Wolf a ride back to the sheriff’s department. They barely begin their conversation when they find themselves running for their lives. Meg doesn’t know who to trust, but she instinctively trusts the tall, intensely attractive Wolf. Together, they work to unravel the mystery while staying one step ahead of someone who wants them both dead.

Get your copy here!

And coming very, very soon…

 

With His Client is coming your way December 18th!
And Animal releases January 22nd!

I have this theory. That stories are born, not made. They are alive and floating around in the universe waiting for their author to pluck them from the stars and put them down on paper. These stories hit with a whoosh. Sometimes coming out nearly fully formed. (Coincidentally, author Elizabeth Gilbert and I share this same theory, as evidenced in her awesome book, Big Magic.)

I’ve been gifted a few stories this way and it always feels a bit like an electrical shock followed by an exciting ride on the world’s best rollercoaster.

For my newest novel, Vortex, I remember the whoosh perfectly. I was watching post-tornado coverage on TV and had this vision of a small girl being found in the rubble with no recollection of who she is or where she came from. I spent several days thinking about that little girl, wondering what her life would have been like. Where did she come from? Was anyone frantically looking for her? And, who did she grow up to be?

Sometimes the whoosh isn’t a whoosh. It could be a seed of a story that grows out of an off-handed comment.

Several years ago, I worked in public relations for a Fortune 500 company. I was getting antsy to get a press release out and was annoying my contact in the legal department to hurry up. When he quipped that he was just trying to keep me out of jail for accidentally committing security fraud – there it was – a quiet whoosh that grew louder as that “what if” became a story. That off-handed comment became the genesis of my Phoenix trilogy.

Whooshes can even come in dreams.

My current work in progress came to me in a dream. In this dream, I was speaking with one of the main characters, a man who runs a very unconventional business that grants dying wishes. When I woke, I immediately grabbed my journal and wrote down everything I could remember.

Much like an old wives’ tale of a child’s birth, I think the way these stories come into the world says a lot about them. Vortex hit me in a whirlwind and the story felt that way as I wrote it. Phoenix had a slower burn, thus the trilogy. And Dire’s Club is much more character driven than anything else I’ve written, which would make sense for a story that started with a character whispering to me in a dream.

Stories are like children. Every one of them is different. Some are headstrong and stubborn (ask anyone who’s tried to control a plot). Others are quieter, making an impact with soft words rather than a shout. And all of them need a parent – an author – to nurture them and give them the opportunity to live up to their fullest potential.

Whether they came in with a whoosh or a whisper.

Vortex

[Cover’s coming!]

Constant spinning, round and round and round, temperatures rise and fall from stifling heat to chilling cold, emotions run high in anticipation of what will happen next… there’s a fine line between surviving a tornado and falling in love.

A close encounter with a tornado, during the final months of her doctoral studies, jogs a lost memory to the surface. Desperate to relive the vision and find answers, storm chaser Elaina Adams continually puts her safety at risk by placing herself in the path of dangerous storms.

When betrayal strikes, Elaina is forced to pair up with Robert Tucker. “Tuck” owns a storm chasing tour group and only cares about two things: chasing tornadoes and making his next buck.

Seth Maddux was climbing his way to the top as the star meteorologist for the Forecast channel, but an embarrassing outburst on camera sent his career on a downward spiral. Hoping to reignite his career with a promising field assignment, he meets Elaina and a different kind of flame sparks.

Family secrets surface and passions explode in this twister of a tale.

Vortex is a story of family, love, identity and determination set against the thrilling backdrop of Tornado Alley.

About the Author

Kimberly Packard is an award-winning author of edgy women’s fiction. She began visiting her spot on the shelves at libraries and bookstores at a young age, gazing between the Os and the Qs. Kimberly received a degree in journalism from the University of North Texas, and has worked in public relations and communications for nearly 20 years.

When she isn’t writing, she can be found running, doing a poor imitation of yoga or curled up with a book. She resides in Texas with her husband Colby, a clever cat named Oliver and a yellow lab named Charlie.

Her debut novel, Phoenix, was awarded as Best General Fiction of 2013 by the Texas Association of Authors. Other published works by Kimberly includes a Christmas novella, The Crazy Yates, and the sequels to Phoenix,Pardon Fallsand Prospera Pass. Her latest novel, Vortex, will be released in early 2019.

Follow Kimberly online at www.kimberlypackard.com, Twitter or Instagram @kimberlypackard, or Facebook, www.facebook.com/kimberlypackardauthor.

Ever wonder what it feels like to be haunted? I hadn’t…until this past Fall.

Inspired by my visit to the African Burial Ground, I took the self-guided African-American Freedom Trail walking tour. The National Park Service has compiled twenty-one sites commemorating places/events of significance to African American history. From south to north (1 Bowling Green to 67 Lispenard Street) and east to west (Roosevelt Street between Cherry and Oaks Streets to Chambers and West Streets), I visited where slave revolts and draft riots took place, where the original sites of Mother A.M.E Zion and Abyssinian Baptist churches were located, where notable African Americans lived changing history. Black abolitionist Thomas Downing used the cellar of his Oyster House, and David Ruggles used his rooming house as stops on the Underground Railroad.

I’d expected to find plaques like the one on St. Peter’s church in memory of former slave and Haitian philanthropist, Pierre Toussaint or actual edifices like Fraunces’ Tavern, owned by Samuel Fraunces, a West Indian of French and African ancestry. Instead, I arrived time and time again at a corner with no marker or an address that no longer existed. So I tried to imagine the boys and girls who learned at the African Free School or the free blacks who owned farms situated north of the African Burial Ground as far as 34^th Street. I felt their spirits accompany me as I moved from site to site.

I worked as a secretary in a law firm on lower Broadway. I walked these streets to and from work or window-shopped or ate on my lunch breaks, unaware of all this history. How easy it is for one’s story to be lost or erased, not always intentionally or maliciously, but simply because life goes on.

My self-guided tour took me from contemplating the centuries-old histories of Africans and African Americans to wondering about other people and their histories. Where were their plaques, their walking tours? The Gustave Haye Museum of the American Indian is now a Smithsonian museum relocated in 1994 to the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House near Bowling Green. Beautiful as its new location is, I was glad I took my Sunday school class to visit the collection in its original home on 155^th Street and Broadway. I hope one day to visit The Tenement Museum at 97 Orchard Street and learn about the lives of European immigrants who came to New York in hopes of a better life.

I ended my day by taking the 2 train from Wall Street to Court Street in Brooklyn and sitting on the Promenade where a wreath hangs memorializing the September 11 Broken Sky event. Two beams of light displayed against a night sky to symbolize where the Twin Towers once stood and to honor the lives lost that day.

As I sat staring at Manhattan across the East River, a line from the musical Hamilton came to me: Who lives, who dies, who tells your story? That line haunted me then. It haunts me still. What haunts you?

One Breath Away

Sentenced to hang for a crime she didn’t commit, former slave Mary Hamilton was exonerated at literally the last gasp. She returns to Safe Haven, broken and resigned to live alone. Never having been courted, cuddled or spooned, Mary now fears any kind of physical intimacy when arousal forces her to relive the asphyxiation of her hanging. But then the handsome stranger who saved her shows up, stealing her breath from across the room and promising so much more.

Wealthy freeborn-Black Eban Thurman followed Mary to Safe Haven, believing a relationship with Mary was foretold by the stars. He must marry her to reclaim his family farm. But first he must help her heal, and to do that means revealing his own predilection for edgier sex.

Then just as Eban begins to win Mary’s trust, an enemy from the past threatens to keep them one breath away from love…

Excerpt:

“It’s a really hot night.” He turned his hand palm up in a silent plea. “Perhaps you’d find a waltz more cooling.” He eased his fingers into her clenched hands. “May I beg the honor of this dance?”

“Beg?”

“Yes, Miss Hamilton.” He tilted his head, slanting his smile to the right. “Beg.”

“You don’t strike me as the begging type, Mr. Thurman.”

“To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” He tongue-swiped his full lips as if he’d just tasted something he wanted to taste again. “I know when it’s time to beg.”

She pursed her lips into a frown, fought back the urge to grovel and won. Barely.

The fingers around hers, clean and huge and strangely slender, hadn’t moved, hadn’t trembled. Their stillness aroused her. His stillness aroused her. Her lips quivered. She inhaled deeply against the surrender summoned by that tiny tremor.

Resist the devil and he will flee.

Silently she called upon the truth in this scripture for rescue.

The devil waited. She stared at the hand on hers, helpless against the appeal, the allure of temptation.

She swallowed hard, opened her mouth to say no, but her tongue refused to cooperate. She huffed out a breath and shook her head. “I—I can’t. I don’t know how to waltz.”

“Well, you’re in luck.” His lips bowed in a smile, full, broad, and hypnotizing. “I’m an excellent teacher and I bet you’re a fast learner.” He gave her fingers a squeeze. “Shall we?”

He really wanted to dance with her. She blinked, speechless. A warning voice protested.

Resist.

Her heart countered.

Surrender.

She firmed her lips, heaved a sigh then accepted his invitation. Felicity’s sputtered shock and Widow Hawthorne’s happy cackle accompanied them to the middle of the dance floor.

He placed his fingertips respectfully but firmly above the rise of her buttocks and held her in place against him. A tickle invaded the wool of her skirt where the tip of his middle finger rested at the head of her crack. Pleasure tripped up her spine and trickled between her thighs. But, from the recesses of remembered experience, a voice of caution persisted.

He wants something, Mary. Beware.

*~*~*

Buy links: 

Wild Rose Press: https://bit.ly/2Oog1Ny
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DmrZWC

About the Author

A native New Yorker, Michal Scott is the pen name of Anna Taylor Sweringen, a retired United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church USA minister. Using the writings of the love mystics of Begijn for inspiration, Michal Scott writes Christian erotica and Christian erotic romance (i.e. erotica and erotic romance with a faith arc), hoping to build a bridge between the sacred and secular, spirituality and sexuality, erotica and Christ, her readers and a well-written spiritually-stimulating and erotically-arousing story. As an African American, she writes stories to give insight into the African American experience in the US. She has been writing romance seriously since joining Romance Writers of America in 2003 and had her first novel published in 2008. She writes inspirational romance as Anna Taylor and gothic romance as Anna M. Taylor. You can connect with Anna on Twitter @mscottauthor1 and learn more about her and her writing at her various websites: www.michalscott.webs.com, www.annamtaylorwebs.com and  www.annataylor2678.webs.com.