For Serious Readers: Let’s play a game…

Who Am I?

My hair’s a mess and I’m still in my robe at 4:30 in the afternoon. I have dark circles under my eyes and around my arm pits. I’m surrounded by a guilty mountain of discarded candy wrappers and a pill-inducing Mount Everest pile of … books.

That’s right.

I’m a book-aholic.

Lest you think my affliction is limited to the luscious inky smell of the print version of the seductive species, you would be wrong.

I have two kindles, an iPad, an iPad mini and a Nook reader. I’m seriously considering buying a KOBO reader, but I would need to stop reading long enough to get my credit card, type in all that delivery information an order the thing.

That’s right.

It’s a serious affliction.

And I love it.

Books are like my air. I breathe to read—wait—no—that’s not right. I live to read and I read to breathe. No. That’s not right either…

Whatever.

You get the picture. It’s in a book.

That’s right.

I’m seriously crazy—about books.

The thing is—no one takes it seriously. I hide it.

If someone’s comes over, I’ll dress. Comb my hair. Hide my book in my blouse.

If I go out, I read on my phone. Pretend I’m texting. I wear a hat and a long coat with deep book-filled pockets. It gets hot in the summer, but whatever. I keep my secret.

No one knows I chain read.

That’s right.

I’m a chain-book-reader.

My basement is filled with old books and I built an addition to the garage out back to store more. I’m running out of GBs on my hard drive and I’ve taken to the cloud where I have a commercial storage package.

If Amazon had a VIP high roller club, I’d be a platinum member.

That’s right.

Amazon knows my name.

Who are you?

That’s right.

I want to know what book you’re reading.

Beachcomber Heat

This summer’s heat wave on Martha’s Vineyard is breaking records–and so is the crime wave. A rash of jewel thefts creates a demand for more security than the police can handle.
Shana insists that Beachcomber Investigations take a case to protect the Gable’s jewels because she’s desperate for the big fee from their rich client.
Dane will do almost anything to keep her happy–and to keep her with him on the island.
Almost anything.
But the case turns dangerous when a dead body turns up and they find their ruthless old enemies are behind the thefts. Dane has to decide how far he’ll go to catch the thieves–and how far he’ll go to keep his partnership with Shana.

Get your copy here!

About the Author

Stephanie Queen loves to play games—don’t take her seriously. Unless you want to read her books. She writes the romantic detective series BEACHCOMBER INVESTIGATIONS. The stories include some humor—no kidding—and lots of sizzle and suspense. You can find out all about her and her books at StephanieQueen.com.

Thanks for letting me visit with you, Delilah!  I write both dark, twisty mysteries and lighter, amateur sleuth stories. A shorter story with some heat sounded like a fun addition to the lineup. Alex Montoya is a secondary character in So About the Money, the first in the Holly Price/So About…series. Alex may have been a bit volatile in So About the Money. He simply needed the right woman to help him become the adult he’s capable of being. A bit of nagging from his character led me to write his story—MALBEC MAYHEM.

With all the fabulous wineries located in eastern Washington, choosing a rising star vintner to challenge him seemed a natural fit. Alex and Sofia understand the importance of family—including the joys and challenges associated with running a family business. They simply have to figure out a way to make their hot-blooded nature work for them.

Mix a Spanish chef with an Italian winemaker and create some mayhem—MALBEC MAYHEM.

Successful restaurateur Alex Montoya’s charmed life has hit a snag. His trusted business partner turned out to be not exactly trustworthy, and Alex could be facing jail time over some of his partner’s shady financial deals. As if that weren’t bad enough, creditors are calling in loans he didn’t know he had and he’s desperate to prove his innocence before all his businesses are repossessed.

After a career-building stint in Napa Valley, Sofia Pincelli has returned home to eastern Washington to take over the family’s winery. Running the family business, however, means dealing with her ailing father’s constant micro-management—and his disapproval of Alex. Her father’s condemnation of Alex’s rumored involvement in his business partner’s schemes runs so deep, it threatens Alex and Sofia’s blossoming romance…along with the Pincelli family’s signature red wine. Sofia needs Alex’s crop of Malbec grapes to show her father she has what it takes to make award-winning wine—and save the reputation and finances of the Pincelli winery.

When the Malbec grapes go missing, Alex and Sofia must join forces to find the fruit before it spoils—or risk destroying both of their businesses and their hearts.

Get your copy here!

EXCERPT

In this scene, the bank has threatened to call Alex’s restaurant loan. He’s reeling from that news when Sofia demands to know, Where are the Malbec grapes?

The argument ends with a twist:

Alex stalked to a file cabinet, jerked open the top drawer and grabbed a scrap of black lace. He threw the panties at her. “You might want these ‘delivered’ too. You left them here the other night.”

“Oh for God’s sake, be serious.” Sofia rolled her eyes and thrust her fingers into her hair.

“Why?” He tried to ignore the way her upraised arms pushed her chest forward. “You’re the one who wanted a ‘fun’ relationship.”

“I’m talking about business. Business is serious.”

“What? You like the sex, but not me?” The file cabinet drawer slammed with a satisfying whack. “What is it with you women?”

“It isn’t ‘us women’. It seems to me, it’s you. You have a problem with intelligent women.”

“Bullshit. I prefer intelligent women.”

For a long moment, she studied him. Then she plucked the panties off the floor and stepped toward him. A smile hovered around the corners of her mouth.

“What?” He narrowed his eyes, glaring, more to keep her on-guard than to warn her off. Usually he liked not knowing what she’d pull next, but she loved a challenge—and to win—as much as he did.

She also liked make-up sex as much as he did.

“Nice shirt.” She trailed a finger inside his collar and paused at the first button. “You should wear this color more often. It sets off those gorgeous brown eyes of yours.”

She worked open the button. “Your olive skin…”

Desire rippled down his spine. “Thanks.” He eyed the open door behind them. Not that he cared who walked in.

She leaned closer. Her full breasts brushed his chest. Warm breath tickled his ear and sent a message straight to his groin. A cool scrap of fabric slid into his palm and her fingers closed his around the silk. “You might want to keep these.”

“Oh?” He managed to keep his tone merely interested while heat flamed through his body. If she kept this up, he could sweep all the papers off his desk. Or there were the chairs. The floor. Up against the wall…

“You keep up that crappy attitude though.”

His brain recalibrated. Problem, problem…

Soft lips brushed a series of kisses against his jaw. “And it’ll be a while before you see a new pair.”

That zinger delivered, she pivoted on her heel, and strolled out.

About the Author

Cathy Perkins started writing when recurring characters and dialogue populated her day job commuting daydreams. Fortunately, that first novel lives under the bed, but she was hooked on the joy of creating stories. When not writing, she can be found doing battle with the beavers over the pond height or setting off on another travel adventure. Born and raised in South Carolina, she now lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.

You can also visit her online at the following places

Amazon – Malbec Mayhem at Amazon
Goodreads –  https://www.goodreads.com/Cathy_Perkins
Twitter – https://twitter.com/cperkinswrites
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCathyPerkins
website – https://cperkinswrites.com
Amazon author page – https://www.amazon.com/Cathy-Perkins

Not long ago I was discussing one of the sub-plots in my latest release When a Marquis Chooses a Bride with someone, and they were surprised to hear that human trafficking had been going on for over two hundred years. They thought it was a modern problem. In fact, it’s been going on for over a millennium, but I will focus on the Regency era.

As readers and writers we tend to idealize certain periods in history, and the Regency is one of them. We focus on Mayfair and think that all parts of England were safe, when even Mayfair, the most exclusive area of London was not truly safe. Not only were there slums that even soldiers thought twice about entering, but predators roamed the town.

Well-bred ladies were admonished not to walk or ride alone for good reason. It was not uncommon for young women just up from the country to disappear and wind up in a brothel. After that, most of them could not return to their families. Why? Because the women were blamed for their situations and their families would not take them back.

Children as young as four and five were kidnapped and made to work for thieves because if caught, they would be transported and not hung.

There were private charities that helped both women and children, but they were few and far between. Many people in government believed that the poor, even children were responsible for the way their lives turned out.

In When a Marquis Chooses a Bride, the heroine, Dotty, is one of those ladies who worked at improving the lives of people caught in bad situations.

A furious female voice Dom knew well rose above the rabble. “He is only a small, hungry child. You will not arrest him.”

Thea. He should have known. Quickening his stride, he swiftly arrived at the gathering of street cleaners, vendors, and the merely curious. The small crowd of onlookers parted for him. At the middle of the scene was Thea squaring off with a sturdy-looking farmer. An underfed, filthy child of perhaps six or seven years clutched an apple in one grubby hand and her skirt in the other, clearly recognizing her as his savior.

“How much for the apple?” she demanded of the farmer.

“That ain’t the point, miss,” the man said belligerently, spittle flying from his mouth. “He’s a thief and deserves to be punished.” The child ducked behind Thea as the farmer leaned to one side. “Hanged or transported.”

Thea’s chin rose as she stood her ground. “I am not saying he was right, but you might steal too if you were starving. The law in this case is too harsh.”

Dom’s cravat threatened to choke him. The law she referred to was one he had supported.

When a Marquis Chooses a Bride Blurb

Thanks to their large extended family and unconventional courtship, The Worthingtons have seen their share of scandal and excitement. But nothing has prepared them for this…

The Dowager Lady Worthington isn’t quite sure what to make of country-girl Dorothea Stern. As the granddaughter of the Duke of Bristol, Dotty is schooled in the ways and means of the nobility. But her sharp wit and outspoken nature has everyone in a tizzy. Especially their cousin, Dominic, the Marquis of Merton.

Prematurely stuffy, Dom was raised by his cheerless uncle to be wary of a host of things, including innovation, waltzing, and most perilous of all: true love. Still, there’s something about Dotty, beyond her beauty, that Dom cannot resist. But the odds are against him if he intends to win her as his bride. Will he choose loyalty to his family—or risk everything for the one woman he believes is his perfect match…

When a Marquis Chooses a Bride Buy Links:
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/1OPiCIK
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/1oP58HL
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/1ILP9mR
B&N: https://bit.ly/1QTj93N
Books a Million: https://bit.ly/1QrfpkA
Kobo: https://bit.ly/21HhiAL

About the Author

Bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them. She has just finished her first series, The Marriage Game, and her new series, The Worthingtons, began in April 2016.

She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a dog. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat cruising the Caribbean and North America. Europe is next!

Website: www.ellaquinnauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor
Twitter www.twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor
Blog https://ellaquinnauthor.wordpresscom

Delilah, thanks for having me over today.

So last year at RWA in NYC, my publisher made a statement that they are looking for sexier cozies. If you know cozy mysteries, they’re mostly low on sex, low on gore, and high on fun.

Then they pushed the envelope. They said my new release was going to be the first in this new experiment. Which made me nervous. How hot were they looking for? Would I disappoint them? And could I write a hotter cozy? I’m kind of a slow steam girl. Even the romances I’ve written are considered mild in this world of 50 Shades.

I sat my editor down and asked her straight out. What are you expecting?

Her answer comforted me. Whatever the story needs and whatever you’re comfortable with.

That’s why I love writing for my publisher. They get me.

After that Spotlight, several mystery authors reached out to me. Apparently a lot of people have been writing sexy cozies, but haven’t been able to find a home for the stories at a traditional publisher. The world of publishing is changing and this is just one example. The writers are out there for all kinds of different books, and the readers are waiting for new experiences.

And so A Story to Kill has a strong reunion romance trope. I even added in a Benjamin Braddock moment for the couple. But it’s not all about the relationship. It’s about the writer’s retreat Cat is starting up in her hometown now that she inherited the Victorian from her ex-husband. It’s about the college and the characters who work and study there. And it’s about the library which plays a big part in the town and the book.

If you haven’t tried a cozy mystery before, I hope you take a chance on the story.

Lynn

A Story to Kill

Former English professor Cat Latimer is back in Colorado, hosting writers’ retreats in the big blue Victorian she’s inherited, much to her surprise, from none other than her carousing ex-husband! Now it’s an authors’ getaway—but Cat won’t let anyone get away with murder…

The bed-and-breakfast is open for business, and bestselling author Tom Cook is among its first guests. Cat doesn’t know why he came all the way from New York, but she’s glad to have him among the quirkier—and far less famous—attendees.

Cat’s high school sweetheart Seth, who’s fixing up the weathered home, brings on mixed emotions for Cat…some of them a little overpowering. But it’s her uncle, the local police chief, whom she’ll call for help when there’s a surprise ending for Tom Cook in his cozy guest room. Will a killer have the last word on the new life Cat has barely begun?

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Lynn Cahoon is an Idaho expat. She grew up living the small town life much like the settings she now writes. Currently, she’s living with her husband and two fur babies in a small historic town on the banks of the Mississippi river where her imagination tends to wander. Guidebook to Murder, Book 1 of the Tourist Trap series won the 2015 Reader’s Crown Award for Mystery Fiction. Find out more at: www.lynncahoon.com

Links:
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Story-Kill-Cat-Latimer-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0190HGVK6/
Goodreads –https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5857424.Lynn_Cahoon
Twitter – https://twitter.com/LynnCahoon
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LynnCahoonAuthor
website – https://lynncahoon.com/
Amazon author page – https://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Cahoon/e/B0082PWOAO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Sharon Hamilton’s bestselling Navy SEAL series continues with NASHVILLE SEAL: JAMESON. On sale now!

Here’s a short excerpt:

But there was no denying he was mad. It was like how he felt if he gave a bad performance. He’d wind up back at the motel room, alone and feeling sorry for himself, in a rotten mood until that knock on the door. Some angel would come and be his temporary lifeline, breathe the life back into him with her body, with her kisses, with all the magic and allure those groupie kittens could provide him. He needed that tonight.

Except tonight he was with his lovely new bride. His blushing bride. On the first night of their marriage. When he should be the prince charming and end her Cinderella day with the bedding of a lifetime. With a night she’d remember her whole life. That’s what Lizzie deserved. Could he pretend enough to give that to her? What did that make him then? Did he deserve her?

Can’t wait to read more? Find JAMESON on the following retailers:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/29mUpCG
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/29zqvIe
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/29mVF8X
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/29rmjv5
Amazon FR: https://amzn.to/29zrPdY
Amazon DE: https://amzn.to/29iOWad
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/29mNqd3
iBooks: https://apple.co/29ivSIQ

On Monday, I drove to Little Rock, AR to witness my youngest daughter’s swearing in ceremony.

She’s joining the Arkansas Army National Guard. She starts basic training Oct 31^st, then will go to Officer Candidate School staring in Jan 2017 and then on to AMEDD training (medical) for her Basic Officer Leadership Course. Then she will submit her request to join the Physician’s Assistant Program.

If she gets in, in three years, she will be a licensed Physician’s Assistant and an officer in the Army National Guard. I am so very happy for her and can’t wait to see her in uniform. Please send her positive thoughts to help her through Basic and Officer Candidate School. They are supposed to be tough!

So what’s new with me this month? I had two releases! That’s right, two!

Warrior’s Conquest

WARRIOR’S CONQUEST, an historical time travel set in the medieval times. This story is one my sister, the fabulous Delilah Devlin, and I co-authored a while back and are re-releasing. It’s exciting and has a hot, sexy hero and a totally kickass heroine. The characters are a lot of fun and you’re likely to fall in love with Rufus! Get your copy now!

A twenty-first century woman transported to medieval times is forced to accept the protection of aa beast of a warlord as they struggle to survive in the middle of a war-torn land.

Free on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon | Amazon UK

And SEAL’s DECEPTION is releasing on its own. This is book number 8 in my TAKE NO PRISONERS series. If you like dangerous missions to a prince’s palace in Saudi Arabia, give this one a shot!

Navy SEAL poses as a bodyguard to a sexy CIA operative undercover as the arranged bride of a Saudi prince in search of the biological weapons sale traced to the Prince’s palace

Amazon | Amazon UK | Kobo | Nook | iBooks | GooglePlay

Sign up for my newsletter to learn more about my upcoming releases and for a chance to win great prizes! Hurry! Elle James’s Newsletter

I recently celebrated a significant birthday. However, people seem to think I should now behave like a grown up and be serious, right?

Some have gone so far as to ask: “Why don’t you write a real book for a change?” “Why don’t you write something that matters?”

Translation: Why do you still write romance?

Well, hello!

I believe romance readers want love stories because they are believers in the power of love to reshape their lives in miraculous ways.

In today’s world with so many ethnic groups taught to hate and with so many public figures encouraging hate along with an us-versus-them mentality, the need to express love for others and to be kind is more important than ever. I try to take every opportunity to celebrate my favorite forms of love: weddings and babies. There is always such hope and love with those events, and they only get better when there’s a cowboy involved!

Since I’m from Texas, it may be only natural that the two series I’m currently publishing are about cowboys! And, of course about the women they love and their babies, and weddings too! These novels celebrate all love from the tender caresses of a baby, to romantic wedding celebrations that include extended family and community, to the steamy, passionate nights under the wild Texas moon.

My latest series is called Lone Star Dynasty, and it focuses on the wealthy and powerful Starks, with their legendary ranch, and their loves and triumphs over challenges in South Texas.

To introduce the series, Book 1, Love With An Imperfect Cowboy is on sale for $1.99 (regular price $3.99) from August 24 until September 1.

LOVE WITH AN IMPERFECT COWBOY

She’s a runaway bride looking for love in all the wrong places

Desperate to escape her cheating bridegroom, Hannah Lewis heads to the one place nobody will ever think to look for her–Texas, where she’d planned to go on her honeymoon.

An Impossible Attraction

Grieving widower, rancher Liam Stark knows better than to get involved with the big-eyed, naïve-looking dazzler who walks into his bar lost and alone casting haunted glances his way, practically begging him to kiss her. When she puts herself in harm’s way, he saves her. He doesn’t do love, but maybe he can give her what she wants… if for one night only.

Get your copy and follow Liam and Hannah’s story as they explore the possibility of finding love where they least expect it:

iBook | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Texas: Children of Destiny

The second series I’m currently publishing is my Texas: Children of Destiny series, which was written a while back, but revised and republished in ebook format. This series is set in Texas and across the globe as members of the powerful Jackson family loved and lost but are given a second chance. Will they take advantage of their opportunity to win love back or will their pride force them to risk it all?

Best of all, as a gift to my fans and an incentive to new readers, Passion’s Child (Book 1) is free.

Passion’s Child is the story of an estranged, married couple, who meet again when their beloved son’s life is threatened. When Nick tries to claim his wife and child, they discover that their passion for each other still burns as hotly as ever, despite Amy’s terrible secret.

Is it too late for them? Will his sins and her secrets destroy their second chance at love? Or can love triumph over all?

Order your copies of Ann Major’s Texas: Children of Destiny series and discover the terrible secrets kept and the risk they must take to rediscover the power of love.

About the Author

ANN MAJOR lives in Texas with her husband of many years.  She has three grown children and several grandchildren. She has a master’s degree from Texas A&M at Kingsville, Texas and is a former English teacher. A founding board member of the Romance Writers of America, she is a frequent speaker at writers’ groups.

Besides her writing, Ann loves to hike in the mountains, sail, kayak, travel, and play the piano. Most of all she enjoys her friends and family, and lastly, but not least, her cat.