Have you ever walked into a room and known you were not alone?  Have you ever thought you were by yourself only to catch a movement in the corner of your eye?

Throughout history there have been sightings of the spirits people and animals that have long ago passed away.  Every language spoken on earth has a word for ghost and every culture has ghost stories.  It is part of the human psyche to both fear and be fascinated by thoughts of the afterlife and those who have gone there before us.  There have been opinion polls taken that show approximately one third of the population believe in the existence of ghosts.

People have reported seeing spirits in graveyards, old buildings or any number of outdoor locations.  Sightings have been reported ranging from the mere sense of a presence to seeing apparitions of people or animals, sitting, standing or walking about.  There are often reports of a mist surrounding these figures and a notable drop in temperature when they are present.

There are many people who actually hunt for ghosts.  They call themselves paranormal investigators.  These ghost hunters often use electronic equipment to help them find and record spirits.   The equipment can range from audio or video recorders to digital thermometers, night vision scopes and EMF meters.  The SyFy channel has had a television show for many years called ‘Ghost Hunters’ that follows a team of paranormal investigators to various sights in hopes of finding ghosts.

My debut novel, THE KISS OF A ROSE, is at its heart a ghost story.  The chorus of the song, “Kissed by a Rose” sung by Seal was my inspiration to write it.  I heard the lyrics of the chorus one day and had a flash of a grave stone partially buried in snow and a blood red rose lying at its base.  The rest of the story developed from that point.

Belief in ghosts is a very personal and emotional matter.  How among us hasn’t lost a loved one for whom we would give almost anything to see and speak to just one more time.

I believe there are spirits who walk the earth among the living.  I have had the experience of being alone in a room and feeling a hand brush my arm.  So I ask you, have you ever seen a ghost?

Augustina Van Hoven
Proving Love is Strange
THE KISS OF A ROSE – Now available
www.augustinavanhoven.com

A DISTANT PAST

In 1882, Rose Van Buren loved the wrong man and paid for it with her life. Now, more than a century later, the angel Gabriel has granted her another shot at living. In exchange, she must convince a smart, handsome, up-and-coming lawyer to set aside his lofty ambitions.

A FUTURE PRESENT

Stephen Winship is headed straight for the governor’s chair. He has a brilliant career, solid allies, and a seemingly perfect girlfriend. But night after night he finds himself dreaming of a heavenly beauty, a luminous but long-dead girl. Like some altered Ghost of Christmas Past, she shows him her own tragic tale in order to “save him.” And he’s beginning to see Rose is risking her heart as much as baring her soul. Yet falling for her will cost him everything—and open him up to a happiness he never imagined.

Hi Devlin Fans! I’m Lizzie Ashworth, and I’m here to heat you up, which is a good thing considering how d*** cold it’s been lately. Perfect weather to snuggle up indoors and dream of hunky men.

What’s your favorite cold weather fantasy? Mine? A fire crackling in the woodstove and a man naked and ready, like the scene I painted in one of my blog posts. Here’s an excerpt:

~~~

Chris drained the glass. The room reflected the golden glow of the fireplace, and light from the flames flickered against the side of his body and face accenting the pale streaks in his hair, the curve of his mouth. The image of him there, in her cabin, struck Emily like a blow, sucked away her breath. Suddenly she knew what would happen next.

He set the glass on the hearth, took her glass, and brought his body next to hers in one fluid movement, so fast she couldn’t register on the reality of it. And yet, it seemed like he moved in slow motion. His lips brushed over hers. His arms came around and pulled her tight against him.

She spread her hands over his shoulders as their mouths crushed together. He smelled like heaven, crisply scented with his tantalizing aftershave, a hint of wood smoke, and his own musky odor. Like carved iron, his bulging groin pressed against her. Announcing his intentions. Making himself known.

Well, she knew. And that was all she knew. Her mind had become a mush of little more than blind response to his embrace, his tongue, the exploration of his hands over her waist, hips, buttocks. Her breasts became swollen and inflamed.

He walked her backwards to the couch, landed her there, and knelt between her legs. Oh, dear God in heaven, it took only seconds for him to unzip her jeans and tug them down her thighs, and then his thumb had found a warm welcoming home within the wetness. She cried out, so intense was the sensation of this man’s hand on her there. She bit her palm, struggling for control.

In fleeting moments, Emily questioned whether she should put up some kind of resistance instead of yielding instantly to his every move. But the question was not only far away and indistinct, it was also absurd. This was exactly what she wanted, what she had longed for over the months, years, since she had first found herself caught in Chris’ muddy green stare. She could no sooner form a strategic seduction plan than she could whistle Deck the Halls. She was completely in his thrall.

He removed her boots, jeans, panties, and she lay like a rag doll on the soft upholstery as he sucked, licked, and probed with his tongue and fingers until her nipples jutted like stones. She clung to his shoulders where his muscle rippled like a river current. She stroked her fingers through his thick blond hair. She flailed from side to side as his hands pushed her knees into the air and tucked her feet at her sides until the whole center of herself had been exposed. Open to his nipping teeth and thrusting tongue, she whimpered as his fingers stroked in and out.

I have no shame. The thought formed and then vanished.

She wept as he brought her to climax, tidal waves of heat and spasm that raged from the top of her head to the soles of her sock-clad feet. Surges still rolled through her belly as he brought the head of his cock to the flooded center of her sex, nudging only briefly then plunging in.

Oh dear God, this was life and death captured in an instant. His cock spread her open and filled her up, drove to the heart of her soul, to the very core of her being. He thrust long and hard but slowly, so that after a few moments, she opened her eyes and saw him watching her.

“You like that,” he grunted, sliding in deep. Again.

“Oh, yes,” she gasped. “Yes.”

He held her thighs in a tight grip, remaining on his knees while he fucked her. Somehow his shirt had disappeared and sweat lay on his chest in a glistening sheen. His muscles flexed and strained as he took his time fucking her, his breath coming in slow heaves, paced, calculating…

~~~

Ladies, I want your hot winter fantasies. Let’s hear it. I’ll pick a random winner from the responses posted by Thanksgiving. The winner will receive a free ebook copy of Jarrod Bancroft Book II and Book III. Book I is already free at all ebook retailers.

Want to see Jarrod? Feast your eyes!

~~

Connect with me online at my website and blog, https://lizzieashworth.com/
Friend me at https://www.facebook.com/liz.ashworth.524
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Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171772.Lizzie_Ashworth

People are drawn to the unknown. It’s a truth about human nature that has allowed us to evolve and grow. From a young age, we want to understand why the world is the way it is and how things work. I remember my children at that inquisitive age were every other word out of their mouths was ‘why.’ Adults harbor the same need to understand the unexplainable, but we’ve also learned to fear the unknown. It’s why horror movies and scary tales of aliens and other worlds are so popular.

As a writer, I love taking an aspect of the paranormal world and offering a plausible scientific explanation. It adds to the mystery of the genre, and in my opinion, makes it more exciting. You’re left wondering—could vampires, demons, and ancient gods be real? Our ancestors thought so. Every ancient culture has myths and folklore that detail a variety of paranormal creatures and how they fit into their world. It begs the question of why there are all these stories from different parts of the world about the same mystical beings.

I don’t have an answer to that, although the whimsical part of me wants to believe they knew something we don’t. What I do have is some insight on how I wove in a few possible explanations for the creatures in my newest release—Mist Unveiled, book 1 of the Elemental Desire series.

In the world of the Elemental Desire series, Ragnarok is coming. (In case you don’t know, Ragnarok is the final battle between the Norse gods. It marks the death and rebirth of the world. According to the Norse myth, Ragnarok is cyclic, much like the seasons.) In Mist Unveiled, global warming has triggered the early slide into the end of the world. Melting icebergs have released a dangerous enemy and the players of the final battle have awoken too late to prevent it. They’re left scrambling to understand a world that no longer believes in the old gods or their warnings.

Humans have ignored the cautionary tales of old world and turned to science to help them solve their problems. They no longer look to myths to explain the unknowns, and it’s their need to understand ‘why’ that just might ensure this Ragnarok is the final one.

Do you know of any other Norse myths? What are your favorites?

Mist Unveiled

Elemental Desire, Book 1

Cat has one love in her life—science. Facts rule her, not passion. At least it doesn’t until an unknown deadly virus claims her sister’s life. Cat’s quest for answers takes her to Greenland and drops her into the arms of the one man who sways her devotion from logic to passion. Rune stirs her lusts, ignites her desires and fuels her carnal cravings, but he isn’t simply a lover, nor is he human. He’s a weapon, one that has the potential to save or destroy her.

Rune, a child of the mist, awakens into a world hovering on the verge of destruction. Rising temperatures have released his enemies from their frozen prison without his knowledge. He searches for them but finds Cat, a human with the power to save him and the world. He hungers for her—blood, body and soul. Every moment of shared passion convinces him of the truth—she’s his greatest treasure, one he’ll die to keep.

Excerpt

Unable to resist the scent of heaven that had lured him to her in the first place, he buried his face into the fall of her raven hair. She smelled of something fruity and exotic. He couldn’t place the scent, but it compounded his craving. He wanted to devour her.

Deep breaths filled his lungs with her signature fragrance. Dizziness gripped him. He tightened his hold on her to stop himself from swaying and unleashed his will to influence her. With the few drops of his blood in her body, he wasn’t sure it’d actually work, but he had to try something.

“Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you.”

She hiccupped. The fingers scratching at his back stilled. He waited a moment for her to succumb completely to his order. Her tense body and rapid heartbeat didn’t lessen as they should have. More expletives whipped through him at the implications of her resistance. He took another breath to calm his racing pulse.

“You’re going to bring the authorities here. They’ll harass me, maybe toss me in jail, all for kissing you. You don’t want that.”

“Don’t I?”

Shit. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder and reined in his power. It was pointless to expend the energy if she was resistant to it. “No, you don’t. You can’t blame me for losing control when faced with temptation. You’re beautiful, Cat.”

She turned her head. He eased back and met her probing eyes. “How do you know my name?”

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Add Mist Unveiled to you TBR at Goodreads! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23248146-mist-unveiled

Author Bio

A true romantic at heart, Nancy Corrigan is convinced there’s a knight in shining armor for every woman (or man), but you won’t find damsels in distress in her stories. She adores pairing alpha heroes with woman strong enough to match them and bring them to their knees. She also enjoys flipping the traditional roles in romances because her motto is—love and people should never be forced to conform to anyone’s norm.

She holds a degree in chemistry and has worked in research but now focuses on ensuring quality. She considers it the perfect outlet for her as she’s the first to admit she has some OCD tendencies. It carries over into her writing life too. While engrossed in a novel, she has a habit of forgetting to eat and sleep. Fortunately, she’s married to her own knight in shining armor who understands her oddities and loves her anyway. They reside in Pennsylvania with their three children, dog, snake and guinea pigs. Her other interests include tattoos, animals, classic cars and all things spooky and sexy.

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Thank you Delilah for hosting me today.

My name is Cora Blu and I write interracial/ multicultural contemporary and underwater romance.

In this series, the heroine’s nationality depends on the surroundings. So we get to see women from around the world become ocean queens.

Ridge is the third novel and fifth book in the Brothers of Element Series and I believe he’s my sexiest male yet. Always known as the bad brother, it’s his turn to have a mate.

Brothers of Element is the story of six tiger shark shifter’s that rule the ocean and through a curse have the responsibility of protecting the corals existence. A particular coral, Clear Coral, holds their ability to shift.

Each male, resides over a different body of water.

They have a dream where they see their mate. It’s up to them to find her before the coral begins to die. Their combined DNA is what feeds her because the females have a connection to the ocean.

Crisis: Ridge is king over the arctic protecting the shifters that call it home. Polar bears are under his protection. His human life mate tags and studies the polar bear for a living. And she’s the local bush pilot land.

Svetlana, will know him from her dreams, but she has no way of knowing he’s real until he claims her.

Here’s an excerpt of the moment before he would bring her into his underwater world:

He hadn’t bothered to shift and heal his wounds, not wanting Svetlana to leave work before he arrived. It was close to the shore, and he could get her into the ocean unseen. Crossing the street to the short expanse of open field, he stayed to the shadows, walking along the back of the brick building crunching through the surface of the undisturbed snow. He ducked avoiding the security camera under the eaves. Slipping in through the delivery door he waited in the shadows of the smaller office, while some old rocker blared out something about sucking on a chili dog… and dribbling off, whatever Bobby Brooks where so he could do what he pleased.

His moistening mouth went slack, as he gaped at the voluptuous site. Svetlana shoved the chair back and wiggled her hips swaying her arms over her head as she moved around the office. A seductive grin tugged at the corner of his lips. He’d have to find this music so she could dance for him in their bedchamber at night. Hungry for more, he let his gaze sweep around following the sensual gyrating she did when she…hell…bent over her chair to type on her keyboard. Ridge’s chest burned with the picture before him. No gap between her thighs—perfect.

When the song changed, he logged to memory the name John Cougar Mellencamp. The song changed again and someone named Rod Steward began singing about young hearts and then another asking if you want his body and think he’s sexy.

He thought Svetlana was sexy incarnate—to tease him in public and exhaust him in private. Adjusting the erection tearing at his zipper, he rested on his heels. Ridge sucked in a long draw of the cool air, calming the animal beginning to stir within him. Hell, his animal was fighting mad, wanting to get out and see what had awakened the shark.

His female was tall with curves, lots of them…well-rounded female curves.

Ridge popped into her mind to witness the fantasy of her thoughts.

Shocked.

Svetlana danced with him in her private thoughts…him.

To find out more about the underwater goodness of the Brothers of Element Series, check out book I, Dagger. They’re not your average shifter.

I will send a paperback copy of Ridge, to one person leaving a comment below.

Thank you, Cora Blu
Cora’s Amazon Author Page
Cora’s Website

Welcome my friend, Sandra Jones! Her new book is out now. Don’t forget to enter contest drawing! ~DD

Her Wicked Captain
River Rogues #1
By: Sandra Jones
Releasing November 4, 2014
Samhain Publishing

She played right into his hands.

Possessing uncanny people-reading skills like her mama, Philadelphia “Dell” Samuels has spent thirteen years in her aunt’s rustic Ozarks home, telling fortunes over playing cards and trying to pass as white. But the treacherous Mississippi River childhood her mama dragged her away from finally catches up to her on a steamboat captained by her old friend Rory Campbell.

Known to his crew as the Devil’s Henchman, Rory is a gambler in need of a miracle. Following the cold trail of his boss’s wife and bastard daughter, Dell, Rory has only one goal in mind: saving his crew from the boss’s cruelty by ruining him. The only one who can defeat the Monster of the Mississippi is the man trained to take his place. Rory’s convinced he can lure his boss into a high-stakes game against a rival, and with Dell’s people-reading skills, the monster will lose everything.

Under Rory’s tutelage and protection, Dell agrees to the tortured captain’s plan. Passion and peril quickly bring them together as lovers. But when Rory’s plan goes awry, the lives of the innocent depend on Dell’s ability to read the situation correctly—and hopefully save them all.

An Excerpt from HER WICKED CAPTAIN

“What sort of danger are you bringing me into?”

“Nothing for you to worry about. I’m good with pistols. I’m good with lots of things.” His voice held a smile, and he flicked the top button of her dress open with the tiniest motion of his index finger.

“Stop that.” Shock zinged through her. She planted her hands on his shoulders to

push away, but he resisted, anchoring her in the circle of his brawny arms. “Let me go!

Stop teasing. You’re trying to distract me. I demand to know what trouble you’re bringing Jeremiah and me into.”

“You demand?” His laughter vibrated his chest beneath her palms. “Lady, you can’t make demands on my ship. The cardsharps who frequent Moreaux’s gaming salons are a different breed than the fur traders and muleskinners you know. They’d as soon put a bullet in your chest than lose a hand of cards, but as long as you’re with me, you’ve got no one to worry about.” He ran his index finger gently along her cheek. “’Cept maybe me.”

A sharp retort sprang to her tongue, but the hungry look in his eyes froze her. His gaze fell to her mouth, and he eased forward. Anticipation held her captive as his lips brushed over hers, warm and gentle, fitting like the missing half of a pair. Her eyelids fell shut against the sparks in her mind, and she swore she felt them ignite, the heat flowing up her chest and neck.

When he sat back, she opened her eyes to find him regarding her through dark eyes of his own. Wanting more, she folded her lips together, savoring the wondrous sensation of his mouth on hers a moment longer.

“Did you see that coming, angel?” he whispered.

His teasing words were like ice water in her face. “I see everything I want to see. Be serious.” Truth be told, she was glad she wasn’t standing at the moment. His surprising kiss could’ve swept her feet out from under her. She looked down at him haughtily. She’d show him she wasn’t to be played with. There’d been other men who’d tried to spread her legs, who’d kissed her first—though never as sweet and seductive as Rory’s kiss. But she’d bested every man, found their weaknesses, turned their superstitions against them. Rory wasn’t any different. He thought to bring her back to his boss like a prize? Well, she was nobody’s trophy! “What makes you think you can kiss me, Captain?”

His hand slid behind her head. He smirked. “You’re the one who came to me. Now”—he twined his fingers in the back of her hair and murmured—“let me kiss you properly.”

Dell refused to come any closer, but he bent his knees, propping his feet up on the

other chair and causing her to fall against his body. Her hands flattened on his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath the linen of his shirt. His lips covered hers again, and his hand caressed the back of her neck in a gesture so tender and intimate, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. The tip of his tongue touched her bottom lip in request. She couldn’t deny her curiosity a moment longer, so she opened for him, allowing his tongue to seek hers.

He tasted of smoke and rum, provocative and forbidden as he coaxed her, melting her inside and out, until she gave way and parried, matching movement for movement.

When she fell fully into his erotic dance, he purred low in his throat. His fingertips

trailed up and down her neck, stroking her skin with care, but his lips were urgent. She

drank him in, following her instinct to dissolve in his embrace, allowing him to deepen his exploration. Her fingers fumbled under his open shirt, questing for his skin and finding the fine hair of his chest.

Rory turned his head, taking in a deep breath. His hands covered hers. “I was wrong. Maybe you’re the dangerous one.”

Dell bit her bottom lip as she tried to corral her racing heart. Suddenly uncomfortable in his lap, she readjusted, and he groaned. She discovered the reason for her discomfort—his rigid organ strained against her backside.

Rory tapped her chin with a light fingertip. “If you’re after respectability like you claim, you’ll not find it with me. Understand?”

Dell nodded and untangled herself from him. His arms fell away as she cast off his blanket and stood. Perhaps it was the wine she’d drunk or the heady comfort of his warm body, but she immediately wished she’d stayed put, enjoying more of his kisses. She hugged herself, looking at his boots, the deck, anywhere but at him that he might know her thoughts.

“Unless”—he shifted and spread his arms across the back of the chair in an invitation for her to feast over the naked muscles of his chest—“you’d rather lower your standards like your mama and wallow in decadence with the rest of us.”

“Like my mama?” Dell huffed. “Damn you! My mama was a decent woman. That’s why she got me out of that kind of life. One kiss—two kisses—doesn’t make me one of your tarts, Gory Rory. And you kissed me. I never asked you, I never gave you permission.”

He lifted a mocking brow. “You sure didn’t try very hard to refuse me.”

Dell spun away and headed back to the captain’s quarters. She heard him mutter an

indignant “Gory Rory?”

His laughter rang in her ears as she closed the door.

Link to Follow Tour:  https://www.sandrajonesromance.com/events.html
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22922437-her-wicked-captain

Buy Links
Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Her-Wicked-Captain-River-Rogues-ebook/dp/B00M497W56/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410398050&sr=8-1&keywords=her+wicked+captain
B&N:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-wicked-captain-sandra-jones/1120006611?ean=9781619223752
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/her-wicked-captain
iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/her-wicked-captain/id903379545?mt=11

Author Info

Historical romance author Sandra Jones was born and raised in Arkansas. She loves living in a cabin overlooking White River where she enjoys watching eagles and dreaming about the adventurous frontiersmen who once traveled past in steamboats. When she’s not reading, writing or researching, she’s the cook for her cranky old tom cat, her husband of more than 25 years, and her two grown sons. She also loves to chat with her fans.

Author Links
Website: https://www.sandrajonesromance.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandrajones.author
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SJonesRomance
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/SandraJones

Rafflecopter Giveaway (Please See Rafflecopter for Description)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hello readers! I am delighted to be on Delilah’s blog today. I am currently writing a series of biker books called Ready To Ride so I’m all about bikers right now.

I love writing about bikers! They are rebels and free spirits.  And usually tattooed.  Yum!  Despite their rough exterior, they can still have hearts of gold…and abs of steel.  J  The only things they care about are the love of the open road, and the camaraderie of their fellow bikers.  Until they fall in love.  And when a big, powerful biker falls in love, it is heartwarming, and beyond sexy!

So what are the top sexiest things about bikers?

5) Strong arms and stronger legs.

Have you ever tried to hold up a motorcycle? I have, once, and it just fell slowly over onto me. Those things are some seriously heavy pieces of machinery. Operating and even just standing with a big bike results in some serious muscle toning.

4) They always wear protection.

Helmets. Visors. Elbow and knee pads. Chaps. That’s right, CHAPS. And even the leather isn’t just for looks, ladies. It’s also super strong, road-burn resistant material. These guys know how to stay safe while still looking like they could take on a band of outlaws.

3) Leather.

Ever dreamed of dressing like catwoman? Hopping on the back of your man’s Harley may be the only excuse you ever have for rocking head-to-toe-catlady leather.

2) The amount of power between their legs.

VERY good vibrations. ‘Nuff said.

1) They’re fun to ride… with.

Bikers know how to move. When to speed up, when to slow down, and probably more than a couple take-your-breath-away tricks. Not to mention the free, wild feeling of flying along a deserted road at top speeds in the open air. Adrenaline rushes are the best aphrodisiacs.

Phew! I’m all revved up just thinking about these delicious bad boys! I hope you enjoy reading about bikers as much as I enjoy writing about them.

Thank you so much for your time, and keep on riding!

Xoxoxo 🙂

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Opal’s brand-new serial novel, called Riding Steele, is releasing over the next several weeks. Riding Steele has six parts and all six parts make up a complete novel.  The first two parts are available now and a bundle that will include all six parts will be available in the new year.  (It’s available for preorder now!)

Riding Steele is the third in the Ready To Ride series. The first two are novellas (Hot Ride and Wild Ride) and each book stands alone.  Throughout the Ready to Ride series, we have followed various members of the gang and their sinful exploits, and in Riding Steele we meet their leader. The Alpha’s Alpha. Get ready to ride once again with Riding Steele!

Riding Steele #1: Kidnapped
November 4^th, 2014
Being kidnapped by bikers is a harrowing experience, but for some reason, Laurie doesn’t feel as terrified as she should. The leader’s steely eyes soften when he looks at her, and the others in his gang clearly know she’s hands off. But does that include Steele’s hands? Her brain resists him, but her body insists she wants those big hands all over her. Steele doesn’t know how he wound up in this mess–with a kidnapped woman on his hands and the police hot on their trail. Now he and Laurie are in hiding at an isolated cabin, and Steele has to figure out how to extricate himself…and steer clear of his accidental captive whose tight, slinky clubbing attire is making him think all kinds of dangerous thoughts…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/1l9AbeY
BN: https://bit.ly/RTR_RS1
iBooks: https://bit.ly/1uTXnj0
Kobo: https://bit.ly/1rjRTJN

Hot Ride
Amazon: https://amzn.to/1l4xkyE
BN: https://tinyurl.com/RTR1-OC-B
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/RTR1-OC-K
iBooks: https://bit.ly/1rqVR75

Wild Ride (An Invitation to Eden Story)
Kindle: https://amzn.to/1jtqhTb
Nook: https://bit.ly/1mbjyzH
Kobo: https://bit.ly/1uFymHh
iBooks: https://bit.ly/1B01cmG

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Have you ever told a mistruth to a guy? I’m not talking about an all-out lie here. I’m talking about an innocent fib. You know, as sort of a…lark. I have, but hey, growing up in a small town, the entertainments available to teenage girls were as limited as the pool of available teenage boys. That never stopped my girlfriends and me. A good lark could fill an evening with fun and although our little escapades occasionally backfired, when they led to meeting new boys, well, those were sweet.

One of our most successful ploys to meet new guys was a road trip. We’d pile into a car and hit the road for neighboring towns. Scoping out the local cuties, when we found a group that included enough boys to go around, we’d stop and strike up a conversation…claiming we were lost. Of course we never were, but the gambit worked like a charm. The truth is, teenage boys are suckers for poor, helpless females. Our mothers would have been horrified if they’d ever discovered what we were up to, but keep in mind, the world was a different place back then. I mean, I never once owned a key to the door of our house because it was never locked and the local townsfolk tended to keep an eye on what the young people did. Our “we’re lost” trips were harmless fun and netted all of us a date or two over the years, and one husband.

Jane Whitmore, the heroine of my Christmas novella, A Case for Calamity, could have been in the car along with my friends and me. She and her best friend, Shae, have been known to enjoy a good lark, but when they agree to switch identities to foil Shae’s father in his latest matchmaking attempt, things go horribly wrong…and since I write romance, wonderfully and sensually right.

So, what about you? Have you and your friends ever perpetrated a harmless lark? If you have, was it a rounding success or an unmitigated disaster?

A Case for Calamity releases 11.10.14. Part of the Yellow Rose line, “Calamity” is book eight of the 12 Brides of Christmas novella series from The Wild Rose Press.

Buy links: Various formats @ The Wild Rose Press or Amazon

For Jane Whitmore, agreeing to switch identities with her best friend seems like innocent fun, but spending a romantic night in Paris with a man who doesn’t know her real name turns out to be a lark gone bad. When their one night of passion proves to have lasting results, tracking down Gabe Sutton and telling him he’s about to be the father of her child is just another calamity Jane would rather avoid. After years of avoiding long-term romantic entanglements, Gabe has found a woman he might just be able to build a life with, only to have her disappear. When he finally finds her, his belief in happily-ever-after staggers under the weight of deception, and looming fatherhood leaves him with two choices: fight her for custody of his future child or cling to the promise of true love.

Excerpt:

“He doesn’t even know my name. What am I supposed to do? Walk up to him and say, ‘Hi Gabe. I’m the chick who tricked you into believing I was Michael Austin’s daughter two months ago in Paris. Oh, and by the way, I’m having your baby?’”

“I was thinking more along the lines of, ‘Hi, Gabe. I’m the chick who snuck out of your hotel room in Paris before you could say Good morning, beautiful. By the way, I had a really good time—and six orgasms. Oh, and I’m having your baby. Want to get a pizza?’”

Jane laughed at Shae’s cheeky grin, then shoved her fingers through her hair. “Right. That’ll work.”

“I googled him. You’re right. He’s hawt! He left his number that morning in Paris.” She smiled slyly. “It’s in my phone. You should call him.”

Jane snorted. “I don’t think giving Gabe Sutton a booty call would be a good idea. Besides, I’m on a sabbatical from men.”

Shae waggled her brows. “What’s that old saying? When you fall off a horse, you need to climb right back on?”

Mac’s links:
TheWildRosePressAuthorPage
Amazon Author Page
mackenziecrowne.com
FaceBook Author Page
Twitter @maccrowne
Goodreads

Author bio:

Wife, mother and really young grandmother, Mackenzie Crowne lives with her high school sweet heart husband, a neurotic Pomeranian, and a blind cat. She calls Phoenix home because the southwest feeds her soul. Though her friends claim she’s a princess, she disagrees. After all, one can’t raise two rambunctious boys to wonderful men without getting a little dirt under their nails. A lover of the romance genre, her resolve to share her stories with others was sharpened by a bout with breast cancer. Today she is an award-winning, multi-published author and seven-year survivor, living the dream.

Her friends call her Mac. She hopes you will too.