UPDATE! Secret Desires has been nominated for best Contemporary Romance by Readers’ Choice. I’m so excited. Please read and cast your vote before August 1. (Go to Joansbookshelf.com and click on News and Reviews page. The voting instructions are there!) I was inspired to write my romance because I believe everyone deserves a second chance at love.

I’ve finished my psychological suspense and my WWII historical suspense with romance and am starting a YA novel. Lots going on. Thank you for your interest in my work.

Joan Ramirez aka J.L. Regen

Secret Desires

Nothing in Margo Simmons’s life comes easy. She can’t claim the inheritance on a condo apartment her uncle has left to her until she is gainfully employed in a job for a year. She meets the man of her dreams but anguishes over a loving relationship because he is still emotionally tied to his deceased wife. With great difficulty, she becomes the guardian to a recently orphaned child she had been tutoring. Margo evolves from an insecure, newbie elementary teacher into a woman determined to fulfill the secret desires locked in her heart. My story speaks to anyone who has suffered a loss and had to start over.

How do you build your characters? Most people develop character charts. Others use tarot cards or enneagrams. I decided to go back to astrology signs for my WIP to cause more conflict. What I’ve done for many of my books I do a chart; Heroine – her characteristics. Then I draw a line down the middle of the page and on the other side of the page I do my Hero’s characteristics and I try to make them conflict with the heroine’s characteristics. As I write the story, I solve one conflict at a time.

For example: Carly is a strong, intelligent woman, who runs a large company. On the other side, Link Stone is a strong man who doesn’t like strong women or being told what to do by a woman. That’s one conflict they have to work out in The Fourth Victim.

The Fourth Victim – Sara’s Story

Sara’s emotionally abusive husband dies unexpectedly. She’s struggling to reclaim the intelligent, independent person she was before she married. She vows never to let a man take over her life again. Now she’s part of a special team, training to help other women and on the track of a serial killer.

Mac is been responsible for training women in special ops techniques, so they are prepared when they are challenged to save other women. When he meets Sara, sparks fly between them. He wants her to quit the training and let him take care of her.

Can Mac step back and trust her in a dangerous situation? Can Sara and Mac resolve their issues, or will they go in opposite directions?

Buy Links for The Fourth Victim – Sara’s Story
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JQ97L8M?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-fourth-victim-9
Itunes https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-fourth-victim/id1440048796?ls=1&mt=11
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fourth-victim-saras-story-beverley-bateman/1129787236;jsessionid=DCE3DC6D307F1874CC82403A3F744C44.prodny_store01-atgap02?ean=2940155751731
Google Play Books https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Beverley_Bateman_The_Fourth_Victim?id=_Od3DwAAQBAJ

About the Author

Murder, mystery and romance fills award-winning, Canadian author and blogger, Beverley Bateman’s life. She loves to plot, kill and hopefully baffle the reader. Her nursing and public health nursing background helps with some details and administering a community care facility program had her investigating and directing investigations into irregularities and sometimes a death. She even has court experience.

She began writing in her preteens and loved to write locked room mysteries. Reading Nancy Drew helped her figure out plots. Facing breast cancer, she decided she needed to do what she’d always wanted and began to write. She completed her first romantic suspense novel and hasn’t stopped writing since. She recently moved and now lives among ranches and wheat fields in southern Alberta, with her husband and Shiba Inu dog.

Social Links
Webpage https://www.beverley
Blog – https://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Facebook –https://www.facebook.com/beverley.bateman.18
Facebook Authorpage – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBeverleyBateman?ref=hl
Twitter https://twitter/kelownawriter
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7052567.Beverley_Bateman
LinkedIn – babateman@shaw.ca https://www.linkedin.com/in/beverleybateman/
Pinterest https://pinterest.com/okwriter
Amazon author page https://www.amazon.com/Beverley-Bateman/e/B008M01F5E
Instagram Beverley.Bateman

Whenever I think about what makes me lucky, I come up with a long list.

Today, that list includes stopping by Delilah’s blog to visit with you. This week, I’m grateful to celebrate a holiday that carries on the traditions of my family—and provides plenty of yummy leftovers! And every day, I’m extraordinarily lucky to have a career I love.

I can’t tell you being an author is the most fun job I’ve ever had, because it involves a lot of work, sweat, and tears.

The work comes from trying to bring the ideas in my head to life on the page.

The sweat comes from waiting to see how my editor reacts to those ideas. 

And the tears—oh, the tears! They’re the best part of the job.

Sad tears. . . when I learn about my characters’ lives before the book begins, then when I discover what’s going wrong in their lives now. (As my books are romances, conflict is a given.)

Frustrated tears. . . when the hardheaded hero and heroine can’t see beyond those conflicts to realize they belong together.

Uncontrollable tears. . . when they—or a character who plays an important role in their lives—get hit with a heartbreaking dose of reality.

And the best tears of all. . . the ones that flow when the hero and heroine have finally reached their happy-ever-after.

No wonder I say I’m so lucky!

For this St. Patrick’s week post, I’m sharing a clip from one of my books, Family Matters, a romance that features a heroine from a large and crazy Irish family and a hero who would like to put half of them in jail.

Family Matters

Here’s a quick peek from their first meeting:

The man took a deep breath, which now strained the buttons on his immaculate white shirt, and traced his thumbnail across one eyebrow. “I only argue before a jury. As we’re not in court—yet—that doesn’t apply here.”

Kerry swallowed a wave of panic. “You’re a lawyer?”

“Yes.”

Great. A lawyer who had just stood ranting at Uncle Bren. Things couldn’t get any worse. Or could they? And did she really want to know? “You look like you could use a little assistance with this…meeting.”

He smiled. Despite the situation, she couldn’t help but notice how it changed his entire expression, easing the hard frown lines bisecting his forehead, even lightening the color of his eyes from near black to a dark greenish-gray. An interesting transformation.

She didn’t trust the change in him for a minute.

Still, she squinted at him and found her head tilting slightly, her fingers curling around an imaginary paintbrush. With an effort, she blinked, bringing herself back to harsh reality.

“I could use a warrant and a padded cell.” He gestured over his shoulder. “If you think you’ve got any chance of knocking some sense into that scam artist, go right ahead.”

She squinted again, not in pleasure this time. “Wait a minute—”

“You’ve got no call to say that,” Uncle Bren interrupted, glaring at the man.

He sounded intimidating enough, but Kerry knew the real threat would come from her grandmother, always famous for jumping into any brawl.
Kerry looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, here Gran came, pushing her way through the crowd, barreling toward the lawyer and Uncle Bren.

Obviously, Kerry’s luck is about to run out! Still, she will do anything for the family she loves.

So. . . when it comes to luck, how about you? What good things in life make you feel lucky?

Find Family Matters:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041KLD7E/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/family-matters-barbara-white-daille/1100347286
Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781426869211_family-matters.html

About Barbara

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about those subjects, too!

Barbara wrote her first short story at the age of nine, then typed “The End” to her first novel many years later…in the eighth grade. Now she’s writing contemporary romance on a daily basis. Sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest in her writing life: https://barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter.

Social Media Links:
Website https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Newsletter https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille
Twitter https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/barbara-white-daille
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Barbara-White-Daille/e/B002J6B0QQ

UPDATE: The winners are Debra, Monica, and Colleen!
*~*~*

Post a comment and you’ll be entered to win a free download of this book!

Raw Silk

“… This is one hot book. This is my first m/f/m, m/f/m/f, f/f, and m/m all in one book! And whoa nelly, this was a smoking hot story….” 5 Stars and Top Pick, Night Owl Reviews

“…Delilah Devlin has a scorching hot read on her hands with RAW SILK…Ms. Devlin gives her readers a sexually charged romance…Ms. Devlin turned up the heat with her intense love scenes and memorable characters. I loved Raw Silk, and I would recommend this story to every reader.” 5 Angels and Recommended Read, Fallen Angels Reviews

“…The always exhilarating author Delilah Devlin knows exactly what her readers want – daring, erotic and wicked delightful stories filled with amazing characters, exciting story lines, passion and an abundance of emotions that will keep them riveted to the pages and once again she delivers the goods with RAW SILK…” 4 Hearts, The Romance Studio

A wicked, no-strings one-night stand turns unexpectedly complicated when three lonely hearts collide…

Camille sacrificed romance for success long ago. Now that the lingerie company she and her best friend built is hugely successful, she has a few regrets. Wanting to let down her hair and explore the possibilities, she agrees to meet a man at a bar for drinks only to wind up needing help when she rebuffs his sexual overtures.

Jake and Daniel are two firefighters hitting the bar for a quick drink after a long shift when they see a classy beauty fending off an overzealous boyfriend. With a flex of biceps they chase him off then settle in to seduce the lovely woman whose eyes reflect a hunger they understand all too well. What starts as a simple, pleasurable one-night stand, quickly burns up the sheets.

While Jake knows he can’t let Camille crush their relationship because of age differences, Daniel still thinks he can walk—until he gets a whiff of Camille’s best friend Lacey. Suddenly three isn’t enough.

Can’t wait? Get Raw Silk now!

Excerpt

Nothing was better than a lip-gloss kiss—sweet, silky, made for savoring.

Jake Lassiter picked up his beer and drew on the froth, imagining another kind of cream slipping between his lips while he stared at the woman’s shiny pout. She didn’t seem to realize anyone stared as she slicked her lips with a clear lube, tucked a stray blonde curl behind her ear and closed the mirrored compact. Or maybe she did and the performance was just a tease.

“Dayum, bro. Gotta have me some of that,” Daniel Parker murmured.

Jake shot him a glare, just to check, and sure enough, his best buddy was staring at the same honey-haired beauty.

“I call dibs.” Danny scowled, humor gleaming in his dark brown eyes.

“Can’t call dibs. I saw her first. I watched her come in the door while you were paying for the drinks.”

“Oh yeah? What color is her hair?” Jake asked, leaning toward the bar to cut off Danny’s view.

“Who gives a damn? Did you see her ass?”

Jake snorted, annoyed they were talking like two never-been-laid teenagers, but that’s what usually happened after a long week when both of them were too worn out to rub a single brain cell between them. That either had been able to lift bleary eyes past their beers said a lot for the woman’s appeal. She shone like a beacon in the badly lit bar.

“Why not let the lady make her own choice?” Danny drawled.

“Like she’d come near either one of us,” he muttered, his gaze sweeping the expensive cut of her navy suit, the sleek fall of her chin-length hair and understated makeup. She wore “class” like he did a pair of well-washed jeans—comfortably.

Still, it had been her expression that had snagged his attention. Something soft and wistful shone in her large, dark eyes. She wished she was anywhere but here. Read the rest of this entry »

Readers often ask where authors get story ideas. My romantic suspense Becker Circle is about two things I know well—moving past toxic relationships and starting fresh. It’s also a fast-moving, feel-good story. Thanks Delilah for letting me celebrate people with the courage to escape and start over.

Have you ever started fresh? I did in my early 20s, late 20s, and again in late 40s. Not much was different except for having a bit more wisdom and cash. We experiment, make mistakes and learn from them.

In Becker Circle, Gillian got away from her abusive college boyfriend. She promised herself to never let anyone treat her that way again. During her fresh start, she did the right things—good corporate job and earned her CPA certification. She also got a second job as a bartender in her local pub to earn extra money and fill her empty social life. There, she was the new girl. Adorable bad boys hit on her, and she fell for some.She learned to set boundaries and created rules for her new life to keep from repeating mistakes: figure out if they’re drunk before letting them in, violence is a deal breaker, and no one can mess with me.

I was lucky. Earning potential was my escape from toxic relationships. Nearly one in four women and one in seven men in the U.S. have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner. Gillian escaped and saved herself lots of pain by learning early. Like Gillian, we’re never alone. There’s always help from friends, family, co-workers, local police, and organizations like Hope’s Door New Beginning Center.

Here’s a Becker Circle scene from Gillian’s journey to rebuild her confidence and self-worth to move past violence.My goal is for Gillian’s courage to bring hope and inspire others to do the same. In recognition of Becker Circle’s first birthday, Becker Circle is $0.99 on Amazon through March 17.

BECKER CIRCLE EXCERPT

Walking into work the next morning, I replay last night’s bad dream. It seems like everyone in the lobby stares at me. They know. The people in our building’s deli where I grab coffee see the sign on my forehead, “Jerk magnet!” They must have all experienced the walk of shame with me.

It’s already tough enough to concentrate on my day’s task of file folders filled with financial spreadsheets to reconcile. Just as the numbers start to swim on the page, ringing from my purse startles me. It’s him.

“Gillian, I’m so sorry.”

This will be good.

“I know I fell asleep.”

That’s all I get?

“I hardly slept the night before,” he says.

Then why did you go out? Why did you text me? Why call me now?

“It happens.” I sink into my uncomfortable desk chair. “You were tired. I do have to say, what happened was a first.”

About five different flavors of apologies follow, and not one of them changes my mind. Twice now he’s humiliated me. Rule five of my new life—falling asleep is unacceptable. “I’ve got to get back to work, Joaquin.”

“I feel terrible, Gillian. Really.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

“Um, yeah. See you at the pub.”

I turn the phone off and toss it across my desk. “Nooo!” I bury my face in my hands to muffle the scream. I don’twant to see him at the pub! Also, there will be never be a chance to make it up to me.

 About the Author

Addison Brae lives in Dallas, Texas on the edge of downtown. She has been writing since childhood and continues today as an independent marketing consultant. She addicted to reading and enjoys jogging in her neighborhood park, sipping red wine, traveling the world, collecting interesting cocktail recipes, binge-watching TV series, vintage clothing, and hanging out with her artistic other half and their neurotic cat Lucy.

Connect with Addison Brae on her website, Tirgearr Publishing, Twitter, Facebook,Instagram, Bookbub, or YouTube.

Buy links:  $0.99 on Amazon through March 17! Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords,iTunes,Kobo, B&N Nook

Spring is just around the corner, right? At least I keep telling myself that. I recently decided that I would update my wardrobe from hoodies and jeans to something. Little more dressier. So I thought it would be cool to order one of those subscription boxes Stitchfix. So I ordered my box and got it about a week later. I will say I was not disappointed, but I will say I spent more that I would’ve at Walmart. Ha ha

They send 8 pieces and I kept 2. And spent $145 more than I would’ve usually but I really do love the shirt and pants.

So my question for you is what is your plans for Spring?

Spring and Summer I have a lot of great things coming your way. One of which is a box set I am part of called Sweetest Obsessions with a brand new book.

So for ONLY .99 CENTS you can Pre-order on Apple Books, Nook and Kobo!

Ready to meet your next book boyfriend? There’s something for everyone, with 23 drool-worthy heroes in this sizzling collection.

Variety is the spice of life! Find your new sweetest obsession in this collection of over twenty sweet and scorching tales.

Don’t deny your sweet desires. Which one will be your sweetest obsession?

Steamy. Scorching. Sizzling. Which one will be your sweetest obsession?

https://books2read.com/SweetestObsessionsBoxedSet
https://www.subscribepage.com/SweetestObsessionsBoxSet
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44020728

Follow Me on…
Shannon Nemechek, SGT, US ARMY Retired
& Author of A Warranted Series
Website~www.shannonnemechek.com
BookBub~ https://www.bookbub.com/profile/shannon-nemechek
Facebook~https://www.facebook.com/srnemechek

UPDATE: The winners are…Ann and Michelle Levan!
*~*~*

I’ll make an announcement soon about a new SEAL story. Can’t share the news until I have a hard date and cover to share, but it should be very, very soon! In the meantime, I have lots of military heroes for you to enjoy, including several stories centered around a Navy SEAL or two or three… 🙂

Enjoy the excerpt I’ve included. I really, really enjoyed writing a story that featured a female amputee. And you would not believe the number of online articles I read and YouTube videos I watched to make sure I got the details right! I was determined to do Kylie justice.

Here are all my currently available titles in Uncharted series.
Peruse these lovelies…

Click on the covers to learn more!

Contest

I’ll choose two winners! Tell me whether you’re ready for more SEAL stories for a chance to win your choice of an Uncharted SEAL story!

Hard SEAL to Love

Former SEAL, “Big Mac” McLane, is sure he earned all kinds of bad karma somewhere when his first mission with Charter Group is guarding the “Love Boat” and its activity director. Okay, so the cruise line is sponsoring a special cruise for wounded soldiers and their families — a great cause — but Big Mac doesn’t do well around families and children, and Kylie Hammond is cute, but he feels like he has two left feet whenever she’s around. But he’s going to do his job, keep it strictly business, fade into the background whenever she’s around, but it seems Kylie has other ideas…

Kylie knows the big SEAL isn’t exactly gung-ho for his new assignment, but she can’t be more pleased. The big man’s the yummiest thing she’s ever seen, and coaxing blushes and glares from him becomes her favorite sport. But then things begin to go wrong aboard ship, people disappear, and then someone’s killed. The thing her charity most feared — a terrorist attack at sea — appears to be underway. Now, she has to trust Big Mac and his team to keep her wounded soldiers safe.

Excerpt

Mac stepped through the entrance of the Hampton Inn. The lobby was a study in orderly chaos. Suitcases were lined up and stacked against one wall. Men and women, some in wheelchairs or walking with crutches and walkers, and missing limbs—some multiples—filled the space.

Mac tamped down a feeling of guilt for being able-bodied and whole as he walked through the throng, nodding now and then as he passed the veterans. He headed to the concierge and asked where he could find Kylie Hammond. After being informed which conference room Soldiers’ Sanctuary had commandeered to hand out welcome packets to arrivals, he headed down a hallway, relieved he didn’t have to push through a sea of bodies. He was ready to start this op. Sooner the better. Five days would fly by, and then he’d have the down time he needed to get his head on straight before the next assignment.

Stepping inside the room, he noted two long conference tables filled with plastic buckets of folders. Three elderly men manned the table.

One of them who sported a gray buzz cut and a surprisingly muscular build glanced his way. He lifted his chin in greeting.

Mac decided he was as good a place to start as any and strode toward him.

The old man held out his hand. “Joe Olinksy,” he said, in deep, loud voice. Then he leaned against the table edge and whispered, “You with Charter?”

Mac eyed him then glanced at his two buddies who were moving closer. His presence as part of the security team was supposed to be on a “need-to-know” basis.

Grinning, Joe waved a hand. “We’re part of your support. Eyes and ears only. We’re a little too long in the tooth to be the muscle, but we’re here to help. We’ll be staying in the stateroom next to yours.”

Skeptical that this band of elderly brothers could be of any service at all, Mac drew a deep breath and gave Joe’s two companions another look.

“This is Morty,” Joe said, pointing toward a thin man with a round, pot belly. “And that’s Sly.”

Sly smiled, and his teeth were blindingly white and little too large in his mouth.

“Ex-marines, 3rd Division during Viet Nam,” Joe said. “You a SEAL like Wiley?”

“Semper Fi,” Morty said, grinning.

Mac grunted, revising his original assessment. These guys had seen real action. “I’m looking for Kylie Hammond.”

“She’s out in the atrium,” Joe pointed toward the windows behind him, “getting a cup of coffee. She’s been manning the tables since dawn. And don’t worry about us. We can handle ourselves. After all our help on the last cruise, Poppy made sure to add us to the team. We’ll have your six.”

The three elderly men hadn’t been mentioned in any of the briefings he’d attended back at HQ. Wiley for damn sure hadn’t said a thing, but then again, Wiley had looked a little smug when he’d heard Mac was being assigned to protect his wife’s best friend. He cleared his throat. “Mac McLane by the way,” he said, giving a nod to all three men.

“We’ll see you aboard the Oceanus,” Joe said.

Mac left them and thought about calling Wiley to find out why the hell he hadn’t mentioned his geriatric buddies. Just to bitch because he was already dreading the coming minutes. He didn’t have a lot of experience with Ms. Hammond’s brand of womanhood. He’d served with women in the field, and slept with the women who swarmed bars outside Navy bases, hoping for a hookup with a SEAL.

Women outside those two categories tended to make him nervous. In his experience, women had served only two purposes, as support and/or stress-relief for a SEAL. Not that he looked down on them. He liked the women he’d known. But he hadn’t had to think much about what kind of impression he made or how to talk to them. He could be gruff and blunt. What the hell would he talk about for the days and nights he and the princess would be glued to each other’s sides?

Entering the atrium, he glanced around for someone who fit the picture he’d made up in his mind. She’d be pretty, no doubt. He couldn’t imagine anyone who was friends with Poppy Shackleford and attending her social functions looking any different.

Most of the small round, brightly tiled tables were filled with men and a few women. Probably wives of the wounded soldiers, who’d be accompanying their husbands on the cruise.

One woman sat alone, her head bent over her cell phone which lay flat on the tabletop, a tall Styrofoam cup beside it. Her hair was a mass of dark brown curls. Her body, what he could see of it hunched over the table, was slender. Her bare arms and the tops of her shoulders, revealed by an olive tank, showed well-developed muscles. She wore no jewelry, save for a watch on an olive-colored web strap. Faux military-issue? And now he wondered whether she was one of those who was so enamored of military men she wore cammo pajamas. He’d met a few like that. As he moved nearer, she must have sensed someone watched her.

The woman’s gaze lifted from her phone and locked with his.

As he took in her features, he slowed his steps. Wide-set green eyes whose gaze never wavered, tan skin, rose-colored lips, cheeks that were prominent and high. She was lovely, but didn’t wear a hint of makeup. She didn’t need it. Unbidden, interest flared inside him, heating his blood.

“Are you Mac?” she asked, her voice even and little husky.

His tongue felt thick as he gave a crisp nod and replied. “You Kylie?”

Her smile was a little tight, but she pushed up from the table to greet him, her arm reaching forward.

When he looked down at her hand, with its long fingers and short bare nails, his gaze dropped to her legs. Another shock stole his breath. She wore shorts which ended at mid-thigh, revealing one long, nicely turned limb paired with a shapely thigh that disappeared into the black cup of a prosthetic limb.