Thank you for having me on the blog today. I know it’s not yet Halloween, but I have recently released a Christmas-time romance in eBook, the third story in my Love is Bliss series. HOLIDAY BLISS follows an older heroine and her frustrations as she tries to finish repairs on her home following Hurricane Sandy. Like the other Bliss stories, HOLIDAY BLISS is set in a fictional town, Bliss Township, on the Jersey Shore.

I got the idea to write shifter romances set in this area after multiple visits to the state. Over the last several years, I have visited New Jersey to participate in book festivals and signings. One in particular, the Collingswood Book Festival, is held in Collingswood. The town is closer to Philly than the shore, but if you’ve been to New Jersey (or live there, of course) you’ve seen how the towns are situated. It’s a very different place than Virginia, and I loved driving through the small towns and along the beach.

I originally conceived the Bliss series as a companion to my Home to Dareville series – not necessarily connected, but as a paranormal counterpart. In Bliss, the shifters around town are an open secret among the “normals.” There are wolves and panthers, and sometimes you’ll see them running along the beach. They aren’t dangerous, but sometimes they’ll get into scrapes!

If you like panther shifters and romance, hope you’ll check out HOLIDAY BLISS!

Holiday Bliss

Two years after super storm Sandy ripped up the Eastern seaboard, panther shifter Sheila Houlihan has finally rebuilt her home in the shore town of Bliss, New Jersey. She looks forward to her first Christmas there, if only Jonah will finish with the interior painting.

Jonah, however, is interested in being more than Sheila’s handyman. He doesn’t care about the difference in their ages, and with Sheila soon to become an empty nester he knows she’ll want some company to keep her warm this winter.

It’s only a matter of getting Sheila to see that age is only a number.

Buy: ARe ~ AMZ ~ BN ~ KOBO ~ ITUNES ~ SMASH

Romance Author Leigh Ellwood – Variety and Spice!

Newsletter: eepurl.com/2LNSH
Web: https://www.leighellwood.com
Twitter: @LeighEllwood
Facebook: LeighEllwoodAuthor

Well, if you’re a fan and you watched the show as it was playing last night, you know. If you don’t know—don’t read any further!

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So, Glen died last night. Or did he? How cruel are they to make us wait. If he did die, no doubt at some point Maggie and his friends will see a very poignant sight—Glen the zombie. I don’t think my heart could take seeing him destroyed.

If he didn’t die, there will be a nation of people sighing in relief.

Still, the drama last night is a reminder that no one is safe in the world of TWD. Do you love or hate that aspect of this show?

I’ll admit it. I love zombie movies. Even the cheesiest. Getting ready for TWD last night, my dd and I gleefully watched Burying the Ex—“Some relationships just won’t die.” So funny! But I’ll also admit, I didn’t embrace the idea of a series about the zombie apocalypse. I didn’t start watching until Season 2, and then I had to buy the first season to see what I’d missed.

You wouldn’t think it, but there are always surprises on this show. Not just favorite characters biting it. I wonder every season what they can possibly do to keep the interest going. This season started with a bang with that quarry filled with thousands of zombies. What a dreadful,  hair-raising sight was that, huh? Rick is still scaring/bullying the folks in Alexandria into doing what must be done to survive, and winning converts very slowly. It took the nerdy guy with the glasses getting “blooded” last night to find out Rick was right. Or at least, I hope he’s come to that conclusion, because otherwise, he’s stupid—and destined to die, and I think I saw a little spark between him and certain dread-locked warrior-goddess.

But back to that all good characters must die…

Whose killing off the show crushed you? Hershel’s death was sad, sad, sad, but he was old, right? Still, his brave death cut right through me. My daughter and I both cried with Merle died. He was so wonderful to hate, and anything that hurts Daryl, hurts us. Yes, Beth was sad, but only in the context of what her death did to Daryl, really. My daughter hated that Shane died. He was one of her favorite characters. Merle was mine… What can I say, I love bad boys.

But Glen? Not sweet, brave Glen. We all remember meeting him the first time when Rick hears that disembodied, “Hey you. Dumbass.” What’s not to love about meeting such an energetic and smart survivor. No, I don’t accept that he’s dead. I’ll wait and hope. He crawled under that dumpster. Only Glen would figure out a way not to get eaten.

So, you tell me now. Are you a fan of the show? Are you watching Fear the Walking Dead, too? (I am!) And which character’s death ripped out your heart?

A little while back, I asked readers on the Wild & Wicked Cowboy website to help me come up with a title for the book I’ll be writing for the next Cowboy 12-Pack collection. Our last collection centered around cowboys who were firefighters, and I used a firefighting term for the title of that story—Controlled Burn.

This time, the collection will center around cowboys who are also in law enforcement. So, I thought it might be fun to come up with a law enforcement term/police slang phrase for the title for the new novella.

Here are some of the awesome suggestions readers had for the title of my next Cowboy on the Edge story. I’d love for you to cast your vote for the title you love the most. You can choose up to three…

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And if you have a better suggestion, I’d love to hear it! Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Controlled Burn!

I know many of you are dealing with crappy weather at the moment. Hugs to those of you facing flooding or worsening cold. Here in my section of Arkansas, we had a very long, dry summer, but Mother Nature seems to be making up for the drought by dropping a deluge on us now. In addition to the crappy weather here, I have my annual crappy cough. I’ve been sucking down codeine cough syrup and popping Allegras, but I’m still miserable, only now I’m groggy and miserable. Which is why I’m whining now. I’m entitled to, right?

In between napping—a lot—I’m trying to keep up with work, but it’s slow going. Try writing when you’re falling asleep over the keyboard. And try coming up with a decent blog when all you want to talk about is the crappy weather or your crappy cold.

I’d love to know someone’s just as miserable as I am at the moment. Then I won’t feel alone. We can band together and croak toasts with our bottles of codeine. Who’s with me? Are you hating the onset of Fall? Are you listening to the incessant sound of rain hitting your roof? Are you feeling a tickle in your throat? 

Oh, and in the middle of this craptastic day, I had to go clean the pool. I rescued a dozen frogs and toads, and lifted net after net of leaves I scraped from the bottom. I sooooo miss being able to dip into the water and let my worries float away…

I miss these days:

Writing for me is like have split personality disorder-everything is the opposite of the way it should be.  I am an organized person. I live by post-it notes, check lists and my calendar.  This is great, theoretically I should be plotter.  Outlines and structured plot points should be no problem.

Yeah right.  I get hives at character sheets and when I tried to plot a story ahead of time, I never wanted to write it. My muse was like “What’s the point? It’s all there in black and white.”

I love not knowing what will happen until I’m writing a scene. But I feel something is missing because writing wise, I’m not very organized. It gives me the heebie-jeebies not being in complete control.  So how do I cope?  Mindmaps!

My husband isn’t into fantasy like I am but he is the one who suggested I try organizing some of my timelines with mindmaps.  I couldn’t get a timeline to work but I love mindmaps for organizing my notes.  I keep everything in a mindmap now – characters, plotlines, places (maps, floorplans, names of cities), research and sometimes a glossary.

This is a screenshot of my mindmap for the current WIP tentatively titled Merman’s Curse, which is novella three in my Paranormals of Arilase series. I’m not sure this will be the published title but it works for now.  The program I use is a Mac only software called Curio. (You can do similar organizing with Microsoft OneNote)

I don’t have a lot filled in yet. Not even images for the hero and heroine. But that is what is so great with the mindmap and display board…it grows when I need it to. I always start with a story blurb and the main characters.  This story I had problems getting to know the heroine Kaycee, so I took a break from the mindmap and wrote a prologue.  It helped me figure out her powers and understand her better.

Now I can complete the initial information in the mindmap and start writing the rest of the story. The prologue won’t be in the final story but some of the information will be included in future chapters. Usually I know my characters before starting a story. This time that didn’t work out.  That’s both the joy and frustration with my writing process.  It’s always changing even when I wish it would stay the same.

So tell me, are you a post-it note, checklist or fly-by the seat of your pants type person?

I’ll randomly select a commenter to receive a notebook with the cover of my werewolf short story Informally Yours.

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Enchantress’ Destiny by Beth Caudill

One dark curse, two elves and a destiny neither could escape.

Cursed at his birth by a dark elf, Rowe Calder avoids personal entanglements, especially his betrothal to Caliressa Bellehaven. Circumstances force them together and love won’t be denied. But the dark elf claims his vengeance and only the strongest enchantress can reclaim Rowe’s soul.

Series: Paranormals of Arilase – Novella 2
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Fantasy Romance
Length: Novella – 25,200 words
Heat Level: Spicy

Available for Sale at:
Amazon – https://www.amzn.com/B00UNF3QKI/
            Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121412070
            iBooks – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/enchantress-destiny/id976609430?mt=11&uo=4
            Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/enchantress-destiny
            Google – https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Beth_Caudill_Enchantress_Destiny?id=v4NhBwAAQBAJ
            All Romance eBooks – https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-enchantress039destiny-1764005-143.html

About the Author

Although Beth grew up in West Virginia, she currently resides in North Carolina with her husband, two sons and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who makes an excellent lap warmer. Blending the analytical and creative sides of her brain, she delights in creating fantasy worlds for others. Catch her online most days except when NCIS and Once Upon a Time air.

Author Website: https://BethCaudill.net/
Author Newsletter: https://eepurl.com/fs6SU
Author Email: beth@bethcaudill.net
Author Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/beth_caudill/
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBethCaudill
Author Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/bethcaudill13/
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/bethcaudill
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00538IWEU

UPDATE: Rbeey Swan is the winner of the gift card!

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Thanks a bunch for the blog invite, Delilah! A big, down home wave is coming your way from the Southernmost point of the USA!

Since this is my first visit to your spot, let’s get acquainted with a little Q&A.  Afterwards, you can read an excerpt from my latest release in the Bachelors of Shell Cove series, CONVINCING LINA.

**Giveaway Alert!**

Plotter or Pantser?
I am a hybrid of the two–a plotster. I create a loose plot diagram for the beginning, middle, and end of my manuscript. It takes me about six hours to record the turning points, and then I start writing.

What’s on your desk?
Salt and pepper. I write at my dining room table.

E-books, print, or both? Any preferences? Why?
I love the feel of a book in my hands, but I can read about 400 pages per day. Translation-buying print books when you can read a book a day is a financial disaster in the making. Digital books are purse friendly.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?
I travel to most of the destinations mentioned in my books. In the past twelve months, I’ve visited Ireland, the Dominican Republic, Peru, West Virginia, Florida, New York, and Texas. My husband is so over the novelty of research!

Music while you write? What kind?
Each one of my books has a soundtrack. Generally, the soundtrack is a mixture of rhythm and blues, country, and soft rock. I tend to listen to the soundtrack before I start my writing day.

Email/social media before or after you start writing?
I spend 15 minutes on social media, eat my breakfast, and then I sit down to write. This routine helps me to focus on the task to come-writing, not the fear of what will I write today.

What do you read? Do you read different genres when you’re writing vs not writing?
I read fiction and non-fiction. Typically, I read historical fiction to relax. I’m a retired nurse practitioner and I enjoy reading about nurses and the nursing profession. Currently, I am reading NIGHTINGALES, The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale.

Thongs or bikinis?
In CONVINCING LINA,  the story starts in sunny Shell Cove, FL before the hero whisks Lina away to Waverly Falls, WV. Lina James is a curvy psychiatric nurse that has a lingerie drawer full of thongs. Curvy women rise up and take your rightful place in the Hall of Heroines.

Favorite beverage while writing?
I’m a southerner, so sweet tea is my coffee. I take this stuff intravenously during my writing sprints.

You’re a new addition to the crayon box, what color would you be and why?
I would be the color Sunrise. A combination of the sweetest Florida oranges, the energy of Gala red apples, and the happiness of yellow marigolds in full bloom.

CONVINCING LINA, is Book 2 in the Bachelors of Shell Cove series.

Lina James, psychiatric nurse and self-proclaimed independent woman isn’t going to allow another man to walk out of her life. Her love is officially off the market. She’s declared a preemptive strike on the male species with a man-fast. There’s just one glitch in Lina’s detox plan–Gideon. Her blood sugars spikes remembering the one kiss they shared.

Gideon Rice, is a veteran Marine and respected psychiatrist with more emotional wounds than his patients. He lives his life in camouflage–a wall between his rejection filled past and his new life ensures the two worlds never intersect. Gideon’s life plan is simple–give wounded warriors a place to heal and convince Lina James she’s the only woman for him.

When Lina’s past brings danger to her doorstep, she’s forced to accept Gideon’s help. His tender touch and determination to keep her safe, rocks the foundation of her man-fast, but she’s determined to resist her cravings.

How will she keep him at arm’s length when he is the safe haven she’s always wanted?

In a high stakes game of cat and mouse, how will they find the courage to risk their hearts in a fight for their lives?

Convincing Lina Excerpt

How many times had she believed a man when he said he was with her to stay? She had scoured the “sucker” tattoo off her forehead. Those words no longer held value. Words that were too easy to disregard, forget, or abandon. She knew from experience.

She exited the master suite dressed in a royal blue cotton sleep set with capped sleeves. The v-neckline was tasteful, rather than revealing. She expected to see him stretched out on the sofa when she descended the stairs from the master suite. Gideon was organized, so it was odd to think he required extra time in the bathroom. Her graphite color couch was unoccupied.

Crossing to the darkened kitchen area, she hesitated a moment outside of the guest suite. She gave a quick rap on the door and waited.

“Come in.” Gideon’s voice hit her ear in a perfect amount of base. Her body vibrated like a tuning fork. Read the rest of this entry »

We head back to Colorado for an exciting adventure. Meet a real Madame with a shady past, a sexy billionaire and a former female Texas Ranger turned Covert Cowboy (er cowgirl, in this case). What do I love about the Covert Cowboys, Inc. series? I love the sexy men and women who have something to prove. Not to anyone else, but to themselves. My heroes are drool-worthy and my heroines are strong and feisty.

Psst! Contest information is beneath the excerpt!

CLANDESTINE CHRISTMAS
Covert Cowboys Inc #8
Available now in print and in ebook Nov 1

Amazon | Nook | Kobo | IBooks | GooglePlay

Sexy cowboy ropes in stunning secret agent!

A wickedly handsome billionaire rancher, Chase Marsden is past his dissolute playboy days. With Covert Cowboys’ Kate Rivers posing as his fiancée, he’s determined to find the culprits trying to murder an old—and notorious—friend many would kill to keep silent.

From the moment Chase eyes Kate—beautiful, tough, but vulnerable—he knows she’s the one. Kate, a former Texas Ranger, fears nothing but Chase’s reckless kisses. As they investigate together, each clue puts their lives further in jeopardy. Will Christmas find them under the mistletoe…or escaping kidnappers and dodging hit men?

Excerpt:

Chase sat back in his chair at the Lucky Lady Saloon in Fool’s Fortune, Colorado, letting the three-hundred-dollar-a-bottle whiskey and the lilting sound of Sadie Lovely’s voice wash over him.

Today marked the anniversary of his obligation to his grandfather’s will. In order to inherit all of what his grandfather left him, he had to agree to live at the Lucky Lady Ranch for two entire years without leaving for more than one month out of each year.

Finally, he was free to choose wherever he wanted to go, whatever he wanted to do and whomever he wanted to do it with.

But he wasn’t really. In the past two weeks, he’d gone from anticipating leaving the ranch to his overseer to promising to stay until things settled down with Sadie.

Fifteen years older than him, she was a friend from his former playboy life, really an acquaintance who’d saved him from being mugged by thugs and drowning in a gutter when he’d been too drunk and stupid to help himself.

Tough as nails, with a heart of gold, Sadie had held off the thugs with a .40-caliber pistol she kept strapped to her thigh beneath her evening dress. She’d dragged him into her home, sobered him up and asked for nothing in return.

He’d offered her his friendship, and even got to know her grandson, Jake, a cute little boy with curious green eyes. He wasn’t sure what had happened to cause Jake’s mother to crash her car, hadn’t asked and Sadie hadn’t volunteered the information. It was clear she was raising the boy to the best of her ability.

When she’d come to him two weeks ago, scared and in need of his help, he’d opened his doors to her, set her up with a job at one of the businesses he’d inherited from his grandfather and helped her move her and her grandson into his big empty house on the Lucky Lady Ranch until she could get set up in a place of her own.

Sadie ended her song and descended from the stage to sit in the chair opposite Chase. In her late forties, she was still an attractive woman, with smooth curves and a sultry smile. “I’m glad you came.”

Chase sat forward, the mild buzz from the alcohol clearing as he leaned forward. “I came as soon as I got your message. I must say I’m surprised you agreed to perform tonight.”

She shrugged. “I never know when a threat is real or just a threat. All I know is that I can’t live my life like this. I have to work to support my grandson. Speaking of which.” She bit her lip, the lines around her eyes more pronounced than usual. “I want to make sure you’re still good for my backup should anything happen to me where Jake’s concerned.”

“I’m his godfather now. I’d do anything for the kid.”

She reached across the table and touched his arm. “Even raise him as your own?” Sadie held his gaze.

Chase’s chest tightened. “That won’t be an issue. He’s got you.” Read the rest of this entry »