Free Read and new review

I have a free read coming out soon with Wild Rose. No release date yet, but hopefully soon. Its title is Buddy's 12-year Crush. I was notified of a review via email of my second release from Wild Rose which is entitled End Of A String. Fallen Angels did the review and gave me three of their angel symbols. I'm really glad somebody read my story and reviewed it. Since I couldn't get the link to work I typed out the review below.
Slim Canton risks losing his college scholarship due to poor grades. He begrudges having to dress up and spend his much needed study time entertaining sorority girls at a residence dinner. This irritation evaporates when he finds out one of his tablemates is the beautiful Natalie Adams. Unfortunately, she treats him terribly, putting him down, and scowling at him throughout the meal.
He's surprised when the top engineering student offers to tutor him in calculus, one of his worst subjects. Time together thaws her icy demeanor. He asks her out roller skating. She says yes. Slowly, he finds himself falling in love. This concerns him as he feels the boyfriend bouncing Natalie is one misstep away from saying good-bye.
End of a String is a sweet look at a boy's first romance during the 1950's. Author Larry Hammersley sprinkles the story with historical references, solidly grounding readers in that world, while capturing the heart lifting yet often irrational experience of young love.
As with many first romances, Slim's attraction to Natalie is primarily physical. Natalie is a difficult character to like. She is sullen, blunt, and often rude to Slim. Even her intelligence, which should be an asset, intimidates him. Yet our charming hero would slay dragons if he could for her. I loved Slim so much as a character, I wished for him a more worthy first love.

There you have it.

Celebrate Labor Day!!

If you have Monday off for Labor Day, as many of us do in the U.S, I have a suggestion for how to spend your time! Celebrate the WORKING CLASS!!

As I've grown older, what I find sexy has really changed. Yeah, the eye candy is nice, but if the bum won't get out and bring home the bacon, what good is he?!

With that in mind, I present to you my new release, The Jinx, which celebrates hard working and all around nice guy, Rick Braswell. Rick is a plumber. He has a good work ethic and a little bit of bad luck. But it all works out in the end. And that's why I LOVE ROMANCE!!!

Here's an excerpt from The Jinx:

“Are you…?”
“The plumber? Yes ma’am, I am.”
When Ellen stood there staring at him from behind
the door, he shifted his tool box from his right to his left
hand. “Can we hurry this up?”
Ellen stepped back, opening the door all the way.
Rick saw that the woman was wearing a thin summer
robe, peach in color. Her light brown hair was damp
around her face. Several wet strands touched the front of
her robe right at her shoulder. The rest of her hair must
have been pulled up somehow. Her face and exposed skin
all the way down to the apex of her robe front were
flushed. She glistened from what Rick was pretty sure
was bath water. Though the robe covered her, it also
clung to her as if she had put it on while her body was
still wet. Oh, man.
‘Well, you see,” she explained as if Rick had all night
to listen. As if he would listen. Not when her hot body was
available to be stared at and drooled over.
“I was taking a bath, and I always put my ring on the
side of the tub. When I stepped out, I knocked over the
shampoo bottle, which must have knocked the ring into
the tub, too. But I didn’t notice until I started looking for
it, and most of the water had gone down the drain, so I
called you.”
Rick guessed she was nearly a C cup when she wore
a bra, which was certainly not on presently. Oh, yes. Rick
realized the woman had finished talking. He surmised she
had been telling him about the lost ring. Or she might
have been telling him the weather report. He didn’t know.
Enough of the ogling. Nice as it was to see a luscious
young body in person, Rick wasn’t into casual sex. He
knew it was time to get to work.
“Where’s the bathroom?”
Ellen showed him where it was. As Rick followed her
through the house, a fragrant scent greeted him. Flowers.
She smelled like the wisteria that grew outside of the
window at his office. The sweet smell wrapped itself
around him like a blanket as he entered the bathroom.
The air was moist and thick, and Rick sucked in a lungful
of air because he felt as if he were suffocating. Every glass
surface was clouded. Good grief! How hot had the water
been in which this woman bathed? It’s a wonder she
hadn’t boiled herself like a lobster!
A vaporous apparition of her taking a bath in this tub
only very recently invited itself into his brain. The image
sharpened and filled Rick’s head in Technicolor. He swore
he heard a dainty splash of water against supple skin. A
trickle of sweat ran down his forehead, and he reached his
arm up to wipe his face with his sleeve. He should have
called Carl. Why hadn’t he called the plumber on duty?
Why?

Passion at an Exhibition; a great review and up for Book of the Week!

PASSION AT AN EXHIBITION gets a 4 and 1/2 book review from Snapdragon at Long and Short Reviews!

PLUS it's up for Book of the Week! I hope you'll vote for me or one of our other two Roses at http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/recentrev.htm

Voting takes place this weekend only!

Here's just a touch of what Snapdragon has to say:

"Instead of Historical romance, read Hysterical romance! In "Passion at an Exhibition", Tori Anne's humorous approach to women and their empowerment is less about The Vote than one might imagine!

...

Tori Anne has created an amazing, surprising, titillating story in the midst of a very unusual background. The window to the past is more like a frank window to passion. I give 4.5 books for this beautifully written, beautifully crafted - and crafty tale. Every surprise is more than the last... and quite a few of the scenes are... just plain Wow."

Wow indeed! Thanks Snapdragon! Hope you'll cast a vote! (my book is about suffrage, after all *s*)

My first cover for Seventh Heaven - a Vintage Read coming soon!

What a great way to start the day! This was in my mailbox this morning. Nicola Martinez did an outstanding job, don't you think?

No release date yet, but soon...

Here’s the blurb for Seventh Heaven:

Lilah owns the New Hope Record and Crafts Shop with her friend, Val. Selling their handmade jewelry and pottery to tourists in their Delaware River town keeps them independent and free spirited. Lilah’s only hangup is James, who bartends down the street. She’s crazy about him, but lately he’s been cold and distant. Turns out he has reason to be down--he’s had his ticket punched for Vietnam. When Lilah makes him a lucky leather-string choker using a silver ankh--the Egyptian symbol of eternity--James is skeptical, but begins to warm to her again. Can Lilah show him that her love is all the luck he needs?

And an excerpt:

Candles light the bar, daisies and daylilies fill a vase at its center. Bob Dylan moans that the answer is blowin’ in the wind.
James walks out of the kitchen. When he sees her, he takes long strides toward her. “Hey, right on time.”
Her voice seems stuck in her dream-filled head. “Well, yeah, I didn’t want to jinx my lucky number.”
He lays his hand on her back, and its warmth seeps through her white cotton blouse. “Come on in.”
She wants to tell him how wonderful the flowers are, how romantic the candles are. How time feels like the river, static, but slipping away too fast. “This looks great.”
“The old guy downstairs loves to garden. He gave me the flowers.” He steps behind the counter. “Are you hungry?”
“No, not at all.” Her stomach is knotted so tight, no food would fit.
“Thirsty?”
She sits on the stool. “Absolutely.”
His muscles ripple as he mixes the alcohol. Cologne scents the air, cologne he wasn’t wearing earlier.
“Another slow night,” she says. The bar is empty except for her and James.
“All week. Very unusual.”
The tang of the drink seeps into her. “Not that I mind.”
“I’m kind of glad.” He leans toward her, and time seems to reverse a few weeks, a river reversing its flow.
Jimi Hendrix croons about the wind crying Mary, his voice a richly toned instrument, as electric as his guitar.
She smiles. “I like the music.”
“Hendrix is always a crowd pleaser.” He watches her mouth as her lips curl around the salty rim.
She sets the drink on the bar. “Let’s hope the crowds stay home for this one.”
He holds out his hand. “Come on.”
She takes it, though she doesn’t understand. Separated by the counter, they walk hand-in-hand to the end of the bar, where he pulls her close. It feels like whooshing up a mountain, like flying. When he moves her across the floor, she’s drifting on air currents high above the earth.
Candlelight reflects in his dark eyes, making them sparkle. He tightens his embrace and they move together like water over a rock. He leans his cheek against hers, and his breath warms her skin.
The song ends. He groans into her shoulder, his hands running slowly across her back. He leans away to look at her. “Want to go for a ride?”
“On your Harley? Hell, yes.”
He laughs, the first real smile he’s shown her in weeks. “Let’s go then.”

http://catemasters.blogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/catemasters

Anna Kathryn Lanier - Books' Trailer

Broken Hero by Anne Whitfield

Broken Hero is my historical romance set in England during World War II.

Blurb
Audrey Pearson’s life changed dramatically when WWII broke out and her large home, Twelve Pines on the East Yorkshire coast, became a convalescence home for wounded soldiers. Her life is no longer lavish with entertainment, beautiful clothes and surrounded by a loving family. Soldiers, physically and mentally wounded now fill her home. The smell of disinfectant replaces her mother’s perfume and gone are the friends and acquaintances - instead nurses roam the hallways.
Captain Jake Harding, a doctor training in psychiatry arrives at Twelve Pines. Audrey immediately finds herself attracted to the Captain, but he is remote towards her. Puzzled by his cold behaviour, Audrey tries to learn more about the handsome Captain. He reveals that he’s lost a wife and baby in childbirth and refuses to ever remarry. However, despite this, Audrey believes she can change his mind and make him aware he doesn’t have to spend his life alone.
The ice around Jake’s heart begins to melt. For years he has rejected the possibility of finding love again because of the pain it caused him before, but the beautiful Audrey shows him her love and she needs someone to love her in return.
Could he honestly walk away from her, from the love that could be his?

Excerpt
From downstairs they heard the commotion of the emptying cellar.
“I’d better check that everyone is all right,” Jake said, but didn’t move. He reached out and took one of her hands. “We need to talk I think.”
“We do?” She tried to pretend she didn’t know his meaning. From his sad expression, she knew it wouldn’t be a talk she’d want to have. He was regretting his actions already. Well, she wasn’t ashamed. She knew she loved him.
“Audrey, I can’t be what you want.”
Her chest squeezed, but she raised her chin in challenge. “You haven’t tried, so how do you know?”
“You want a good man to love you. You deserve a man’s love, the right man for you.”
“And what if you are the right man for me?”
“I’m not. You mustn’t think I am.” He ran his hands through his hair. “You’re young and beautiful, there’s many a man who’d love you—”
“Don’t patronise me.” She tossed her head, angered by his attempts to brush her aside again.
“I’m not, honestly. You’re wonderful, and I wish I could be the man you need.”
“But you are! If you just allow yourself to be.” She reached out for him, only he backed away, shaking his head.
“I won’t. Audrey. I’ll never marry again. I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t cope with the responsibility of loving someone again, of the possible pain…”
“But I love you.” There, she had said the words.
He looked appalled. “You can’t.”
“Don’t tell me how I feel.”
“You don’t know what love is!”
“I’m speaking from the heart, Jake. I’m not one of those girls who plays with men’s feelings. I love you like I’ve never loved anyone else before.”
He backed away, shaking his head, his eyes haunted. “No. I won’t do this.”
“What we shared in my bedroom was special. It was meant. You can’t deny that.”
Jake gave a mocking laugh. “It was a kiss, Audrey. A simple kiss that men and women share in times of need. It leads to sex. You don’t have to be in love to have sex.”
“No. I won’t listen to you.”
“It’s true. Don’t make it out to be more than it was.”
“Why are you so certain that it meant nothing?”
“Because I know the difference.”
She felt sick. “So you wanted s-sex? Just any woman would do…”
He wiped a hand over his tormented face. “No, I didn’t mean…Damn, this isn’t what I meant to say. Listen to me—”
“I won’t listen to you, not until you really know what you’re saying. Not until you really know what you want.”
“I don’t want love, Audrey.”
Emotion clogged her throat. “Are-Are you saying you can never love me or any woman ever again?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Why?” she croaked. Lord, could there be a pain any worse than this?
“I don’t want to love another woman again, not ever.” He closed his eyes momentarily. “I wanted to die after Marianne, I nearly did. I can’t do it again, Audrey, I can’t suffer such…such anguish as that again…”
People were coming up the stairs and their chatter filtering up, drove Jake away. With a last glance at her, his eyes sending his apology, he went to meet the others and resume his role of doctor and caretaker of their reason.
But what of your reason, Jake? Audrey inwardly cried. Who will save you from your self-imposed loneliness?

Buy Broken Hero from Amazon (Barnes & Noble, Fictionwise, etc)
http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Hero-Anne-Whitfield/dp/1601542267/ref=ed_oe_p

Hi Therei

I am new to blogging, but I gather it is just another form of talking, and I sure can do that. It is a pleasure to be aboard such an innovative writing train, and hope to come to know a few of you better. I have a question about all this 'join this group', and 'sign up for this blog' hoo haw. Is there a guide so I can make certain I have dotted all the 'i's and crossed the proverbial 't's? Something simple and easy to fit into a busy day of writing, nursing and playing bluegrass (oh, and taking care of a family)? I am a bit overwhelmed at the 'duties' that seem to come with being a newly-accepted author on this site, but I am a quick study. Just need a better and tighter manual is all. Thank you so much for your help on this one. My email is glowin@persona.ca, and you can send me some kind of answer there.

Thanks a heap

Gloria Jean (newbie)
Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada

TODAY IS THE DAY!! THE RELEASE OF UNIQUE TRANSFORMATION!!

TODAY IS THE DAY!! THE RELEASE OF UNIQUE TRANSFORMATION!!

Hello, Everyone!

The day is finally here!

My e-book, Unique Transformation, is being released today through the Wild Rose Press, so be sure to stop by and get your copy!

www.wildrosepress.com

Also, I am a guest blogger today at http://sisterwriters.blogspot.com, so stop by if you get a chance. I would love to hear from you. I'll be hanging around, so please don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Have a wonderful day!!

Hugs to All My Friends,
Karla

My New Book Cover--thank you, Nicola!

As if being on vacation with my own personal hero isn't enough...I just got the book cover for Marrying Minda by e-mail. On, isn't it pretty? The amazing Nicola Martinez got it just exactly right.

I am so honored to be an upcoming part of the Cactus Rose line. Marrying Minda did very well in two fiction contests, so if you'd like to read the opening scenes, check out my website www.tanyahanson.com or my blog, http://tanyahanson.blogspot.com


I always need friends at myspace, too. Hope to hear from some of you somehow.
www.myspace.com/tanyahansonbooks

Here's a blurb...enjoy!

Mail-order bride Minda Becker arrives in Paradise, Nebraska and eagerly marries the handsome man who meets her stagecoach. His wedding kiss melts her toes. Too bad he's the wrong bridegroom. Having honored his brother's deathbed request to marry Minda, Cowboy Brixton Haynes can't deny he'd like a wedding night with the eastern beauty. But the last thing he needs is to be saddled with a wife and the three children his brother left behind. First chance he gets, he'll be back point-riding along the Goodnight. But leaving Minda proves to be harder than he expected.

Best wishes to all of you!

COST OF FREEDOM review

Cost of Freedom is "not to be missed', according to Romance Reviews Today. I hope you will read the entire review at their website.

Reason to Believe - on sale now!

Hi Everyone!

I'm Leslie Ann Dennis (but please call me Leslie otherwise I feel like I'm in trouble. See what my parents did to me by hollering "LESLIE ANN!" everytime I was in trouble? LOL) I live in Northwest Louisiana with my dear hubby of nearly 11 years and I currently have a full length rose available with the Champagne line of TWRP, titled REASON TO BELIEVE.

If you like your heroes tall, dark and Scottish, this may be the book for you. :)

Cocktail Reviews recently reviewed it (click here for full review)

Reason To Believe is a lovely, emotionally satisfying read with lovable characters and an ending that made me go ‘awww’. If you’re looking for a heart-warming read, I recommend this book.

Blurb: Lane Douglas is a die-hard realist, so when her superstitious grandfather tells her he will die if the tree planted long ago in his honor in Scotland is chopped down, she doesn't buy it for a second. But when her grandfather's health starts a downward slide, Lane hops on a plane and flies across the ocean to convince the landowner to spare the old, diseased oak. To her surprise the landowner is a devilishly handsome man named Conlan MacGregor. Practical Lane came prepared for a fight to save a silly tree, but she soon finds herself fighting to save her heart from falling under the magical charms of the hunky laird of Wolfscrag castle.

Excerpt:

Filthy, dripping wet, and more than a little agitated, she made her way around the back of the castle. The only bright spot was finding the first door she tried unlocked. She hurried inside, past caring whether she was trespassing.

"Hello?" she called from the doorway. "Anybody home?"

No response.

What was it with these folks? You'd think at least a servant or two would be in a place this size. Shucking her jacket, she gingerly picked her way up the dark flight of wooden stairs that must be some sort of servants' entrance and emerged into the castle's spacious kitchen. Her earlier assumption of this place containing no modern conveniences couldn't have been more wrong. Appliances of every shape and type inhabited the room. She'd seen factory showrooms with fewer mechanical doodads!

Stepping out of her squishy shoes, she scanned the area, taking in the huge walk-in freezer, the two microwave ovens, the oversize kitchen sink with the two long legs sticking out from beneath it, the large gas range, the...

The two long legs?

She blinked and stepped around the wooden island for a closer look.

Yep. Definitely a pair of long, muscular legs protruding from under there.

Lane watched as one large tennis-shoed foot began tapping out a tempo, followed by a male voice singing a cappella and very off-key. She faintly recognized the tune as Rod Stewart's classic, Maggie May. Resisting the urge to giggle at the man's caterwauling, Lane instead squatted down and cleared her throat loudly.

"Wake up, Maggie, da da la bump ba da doo doo doo waaa..." the man sang.

Was he purposely ignoring her? She frowned. Now that was rude. "Excuse…"

A furious solo interrupted her as he banged his wrench loudly against a pipe beneath the sink.

Intent on getting his attention, Lane reached for his leg. Her hand connected with his bare knee, which peeked through the ripped and frayed hole of his faded jeans.The man immediately jerked upright and struck his head on the pipe he'd been trying to fix.

"Owww!"

Guilt poured over her at the sound of his painful groan. "Sorry," she mumbled and stood.

The man crawled out from beneath the sink and pulled the buds from his ears, setting the mp3 player on the stone floor beside him. He rubbed his forehead and offered a brusque, "Hullo."

Lane's heart did a series of flip-flops. The man absolutely oozed sexiness.

Her gaze roamed over his tousled, jet-black hair; the faded white sweatshirt pulled taut over broad, muscular shoulders; the finely chiseled jaw that, even with a day's stubble, harbored a yummy cleft smack-dab in the center of his chin. Her lips parted when her gaze reached and locked with a pair of smoldering silver eyes.

"Mmm hmm." Her throat was suddenly bone-dry.

Eyeing her hesitantly, the man pulled a red rag from his back pocket and wiped his hands. "What did you do,lass, swim the loch to get here?"

His deep, accented voice washed over her, sending goose bumps skittering across her skin.

Here's a short trailer if you'd like to take a look, too.



I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for reading/watching.
*HUGS and Happy Monday!*
Leslie
My Website
My MySpace

The Life You Save, Part Two

After the initial shock, I waited to be referred to a surgeon. Apparently, my doctor didn't know one, for a week went by, then two, then three, and my calls to his office were fended away by the receptionist. I waited one more week, then did the only thing I could think of--I called the American Cancer Society and allowed myself to have a Good Cry, sobbing out my predicament and fear. Within a day, I had been referred to a local representative, who took care of the paperwork to get me on Medi-Cal. Three days after that, I had an appointment with a surgeon and two days later, found myself on a gurney, at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, California, draped and prepped and waiting to be wheeled into the operating room for a lumpectomy.

I was going to be in no condition to drive myself home, I'd been told, so one of my sorority sisters volunteered to be chauffeur. She was there to hold my hand as we waited, making inconsequential conversation the way people do, skirting around the fear that sat on the gurney with me.

Afterward--after I was awake and lucid enough to speak two consecutive sentences, she drove me home. No sooner had I walked into the apartment, still groggy from the anesthetic, than the phone rang. It was the surgeon's nurse. I needed to return to the hospital. They had to do a second lumpectomy, to "get the perimeter."

My driver good-naturedly agreed to take me back. This time, they got it all, the surgeon told me at my next visit, and he felt confident it wouldn't return, but I wasn't out of the woods yet. Now, my regimen of Tamoxifen chemotherapy began, coordinated with six weeks of radiation.

First, I had to meet with the radiologist and get my "tattoos." Nothing that said "Mother" or a big red heart with a dagger embedded in it, but three marks looking like nothing more than lead pencil periods; each under the skin, connected to the others to form a triangle with the area to be treated in the center.

Every morning at 7:00 AM, I drove myself to the radiology department where I lay on a table while the x-ray equipment hissed and rattled and boomed above me, reminding me of every mad scientist movie I'd ever seen--only this time, I was the Bride of Frankenstein who would rise from the slab, announcing triumphantly, "I'm alive! Alive!"

Alive--maybe--but not looking in any mirror that would allow a view of anything below my neck.

The following year, I began the first of my surgeries for breast reconstruction.

It was April 1. When my plastic surgeon and her nurse arrived, I greeted them enthusiastically. I was ready to meet this surgery head on--let's get this show on the road! When she said, "There's a problem. The company didn't send your implants." I waited for everyone to start laughing and shout, "April Fool!"

They didn't.

The company had forgotten to send the implants! A phone call was in to them rescheduling the delivery. Two days later, I returned for Step One of a breast reconstruction.

After the surgery, I was given a card to carry in my wallet, identifying me as a member of the McGhan Medical Corporation's Implant Registry. If I happen to get killed and can't be identified, they can remove my implants and the Registry will be able to tell them that #PL7716 belongs to Toni V. Sweeney. Isn't that a comforting thought?

As a member of the Registry, I will be also be monitored for the rest of my life, and notified if any problems arise concerning the implants.

Now that I had two breasts again, there were several adjustments I had to make--some of them hilarious, some of them painful--I found I couldn't roll over in bed without pain because my breasts bumped against each other and had to sleep with a pillow between each one. More accustomed to being a 32A, I kept dropping crackers and peanuts down my now 38C cleavage. My breasts were numb and wearing a tube top became embarrassing when it slid down around my waist and I didn't realize that because I couldn't feel it....

In 2002, my surgeon dropped out of the program and I was referred to UCI Medical Center in Orange, California. In 2003, I underwent a Z-plasty to release my lumpectomy scar and my next surgery--the skin flap transplant--was scheduled for Christmas, 2004.

The next surgery never happened. My surgeon was too swamped for me to get an appointment for a follow-up. As a Welfare patient, I was unable to find another doctor to take his place. After three tries, I was told to wait a while and try again. Eventually, I gave up hope of completing my surgery, consoling myself that I had enough up top to be able to wear a low-cut neckline.

I had graduated from monthly visits with my oncologist to check-ups every six months with a mammogram and accompanying blood work. I did monthly self-exams, took vitamins, and followed my doctor's orders.

In 2006, I was dismissed from treatment--feeling like a Work in Progress...slightly unfinished...with 1 2/3 breasts...with 60 extra pounds from my chemo...and a nearly complete lack of bodyhair... but I'm alive.

Recently, I read a newspaper article stating that research has shown self-exams don't aid in preventing death by breast cancer. All I have to say is: Ignore that! See your doctor, have a yearly mammogram--and do those monthly self-exams!

Newspaper stories notwithstanding--the life you save will be your own!

A Train Through Time by Bess McBride is Released!

I'm thrilled to announce that my time travel, A Train Through Time, has been released by The Wild Rose Press, and I've love to post a link to the book trailer, the blurb, an excerpt, and a Five Heart/Recommended Read review by Diana Coyle at Night Owl Romance. Thank you so much for letting me boast!! :-) And look at that fabulous cover by our own Tamra Westberry...

Book Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ifu1wIKlAs

Blurb: College teacher Ellie Standish thinks she’s on a sleek modern train heading to a conference on women’s studies in Seattle, but she awakens from a night’s doze to find herself on a bizarre historical train full of late Victorian era reenactors who refuse to come out of character. When the leader of the group—one handsome, green-eyed Robert Chamberlain—finally convinces her the date is indeed 1901, a skeptical Ellie decries any eccentric theories of time travel and presumes she is smack dab in the middle of a very interesting historical dream. She turns the directorial reins of her dream over to one smitten and willing Robert, only to realize that dreams cannot last forever. Someday, she must wake up to reality, though Ellie no longer has any idea what reality is. She only knows that Robert must play an important part in her future. But how can he...if he’s only a figment of her imagination or worse yet...a man who belongs to an era long past?

Excerpt:
“I’m not going to marry an eighteen-year-old girl, Grandmother.” Robert turned away and strode to the bay window. He stared down onto the city below.
“Robert, be reasonable. You need to marry sometime. Don’t you want a wife? One young enough to give you children? Any one of your sister’s friends would be quite suitable.”
“I’m afraid not, Grandmother. I’m waiting.”
“Waiting for what?” Mrs. Chamberlain muttered.
“The right one. She will come along. I know it.”
“For goodness sake, Robert. Where will you find her? You never appear even to look.”
Robert continued to stare out the window with his hands clasped behind his back. “I do not think I have met her yet, but I feel certain that I will know her when she does finally appear.”
“Robert, what nonsense! You are usually so sensible in all matters except when it comes to this subject. It seems my son’s wife raised a silly romantic,” the older woman muttered.
“Perhaps she did, Grandmother. Perhaps she did,” he murmured with a smile.
“Give me great-grandchildren, Robert. I cannot live forever.”
He turned away and grinned at the frail appearing silver-haired woman resting on the green velvet settee.
“Yes, you will, Grandmother. You will outlive us all.”
“Hmmppff,” she muttered looking away. “The house is quiet. We need children in it once again.”
“Perhaps my sister can do the honors in a few years, Grandmother. All she lacks is a suitable husband.” He consulted his pocket watch.
She eyed him with a piercing stare.
“Have you become a confirmed bachelor, Robert? Has time passed you by then?”
Robert laughed and bent to kiss his grandmother’s pale cheek.
“I hope not, madam. I did not intend to remain a bachelor for the rest of my life.”
“Then why do you wait? Give me a practical reason, none of your romantic musings.”
He straightened and grinned. “I can only assure you once again that I wait for the right woman. I know it sounds foolish, but it is the truth.” He turned away toward the door. “I must go into the office to see to a few things before we leave tomorrow. I look forward to riding the train. I always do.”


"Ms. McBride did a wonderful job of transporting me back and forth through time with Ellie. I loved the characters and the descriptions of the clothes, furniture and people from past times were superb. Ms. McBride made me feel as if I was in Ellie’s shoes feeling, smelling and seeing everything through her eyes. I fell in love with Ellie because she was smart and beautiful and she deserved someone who would love her unconditionally. I also fell in love with Robert Chamberlain because he was intelligent, charismatic and handsome. He had so much to offer Ellie and they were perfect for each other. If only they could get past some major hurdles in the process. I would definitely recommend this pleasant time travel story to other readers and this is a definite keeper in my library. Don’t pass this one up!"

Here's a link to the rest of the review: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.asp?ReviewId=1967

Buy Link:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=931&zenid=32dbbdc8c97221d858bda948d812dfd3

Thanks for letting me share my good fortune!

Bess McBride
www.bessmcbride.com
www.rvromance.com

Lost In Translation

We all know the importance of using just the right word. Sometimes it's easy to mangle English, but when you have to translate from one language to another, things happen that you never expected.

Cracking an international market is a goal of most growing corporations. It shouldn't be difficult, yet even the big multi-nationals run into trouble because of language and cultural differences. For example...

~ The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la. Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs had been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax" depending on the dialect.

~ Coke then researched 40,000 Chinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent, "ko-kou-ko-le," which can be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth."

~ In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" came out as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead."

~ Also in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came out as "eat your fingers off."

~ Japan's second-largest tourist agency was mystified when it entered English-speaking markets and began receiving requests for unusual sex tours. Upon finding out why, the owners of Kinki Nippon Tourist Company changed its name.

~ When Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company mistakenly thought the spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the ads said that "It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."

~ Chicken-man Frank Perdue's slogan, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," got terribly mangled in another Spanish translation. A photo of Perdue with one of his birds appeared on billboards all over Mexico with a caption that explained "It takes a hard man to make a chicken aroused."

~ In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into Schweppes Toilet Water.

~ When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the company figured out why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to the Caribe.

~ Ford had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped. The company found out that Pinto was Brazilian slang for "tiny male genitals". Ford pried all the nameplates off and substituted Corcel, which means horse.

~ An American t-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of the desired "I Saw the Pope" in Spanish, the shirts proclaimed "I Saw the Potato."

~ Hunt-Wesson introduced its Big John products in French Canada as Gros Jos before finding out that the phrase, in slang, means " big breasts." In this case, however, the name problem did not have a noticeable effect on sales.

~ The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem - Feeling Free," got translated in the Japanese market into "When smoking Salem, you feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."

~ Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of of a nororious porno magazine.

~ In an effort to boost orange juice sales in predominantly continental breakfast eating England, a campaign was devised to extoll the drink's eye-opening, pick-me-up qualities. Hence the slogan, "Orange juice. It gets your pecker up."

*Found on Jokes A Day.

Anna Kathryn Lanier
#1 best seller THE PRICELESS GIFT
www.aklanier.com

DEJA VU LOVER has a new release date -

He broke her heart in another lifetime and now he's back. Is she destined to love him and lose him throughout eternity?

The Wild Rose Press, cover by Rae Monet, Inc
ebook October, 2008, print book January, 2009

In Her Words

Good morning! I'm Jennifer Johnson, and my book, The Jinx, will be coming out in nine days. YIPPEE!!! I invited Corinne MacGregor, editor of The Jinx to share a little about herself on my blog "This is the Life". Come visit Corinne and find out what her favorite song is (hint: have your speakers on, but not too loud!)

http://jennfrancesca.blogspot.com/

Soon to be Released

I'm excited to announce another of my rosettes for the White Rose line will be coming soon.

Here is a blurb for Lasting Love for the Easter line

When Vermont florist Abbey Jordan’s nursery manager quits a few days before Easter, she is left up the proverbial creek without a paddle. But when she places it in God’s hands, she finds lasting love in a garden of roses.
Brady Jones has a daughter to raise, is out of work, and knows more about cultivating roses than anyone in the state of Vermont. And when Abbey meets him and hires him as the horticultural manager of her Victorian floral shop, it seems like the answer to her prayers. But just on the brink of a budding romance, a fire destroys the nursery and buries all hope of love. Will their passion spark and resurrect – or stay unlit beneath the burning bed of ashes?

Thanks for reading.

Sharon Donovan

http://www.sharonadonovan.com/

Soon to be Released

I'm excited to announce my rosette for the White Rose line will be coming soon.

Here is a blurb for Touched By an Angel



On the eve of his wife’s death anniversary, Charles is as restless as the coming storm. Surrounded by the eerie stillness of the Mojave Desert, he contemplates suicide. But just as he is about to jump, he hears the sweet melodic voice of his wife, telling him it’s not his time.
Then Charles meets Emma who looks so much like his wife she could be her twin. Bewitched and bewildered, Charles is drawn to her. And when they discover their spouses have died on the same day and are buried side by side in the same cemetery, a spiritual bonding occurs that neither can deny. Is it fate—or is Cupid shooting arrows from the sweet hereafter?




Thanks for reading.

Sharon Donovan

http://www.sharonadonovan.com/

Desires of the Heart

I'm thrilled Desires of the Heart now has a cover. Thank you Nicola Martinez for your beautiful work. Below is a short blurb.

When life today is filled with pain, look to the future – or past.

Loren Fairchild longs for children, but is barren. At a cottage in Carlisle, UK, she puts her divorce behind her and begins a new life. She learns that in 1947 the former owner’s wife disappeared. The same week, according to local gossip, her husband took up with a dark-headed harlot. One morning, a simple minded woman appears and triggers events that change Loren’s life forever.

Miles Chapeau misses the wife, the mother of his two children, he’d known before the war. When he returned from WWII in 1945 she’d been hurt in an air raid and now has the mind of a child. He loves her and would never forsake his duty, but misses the intimate side of marriage and a woman to share his life. One day she disappears and his existence is turned upside down.

Thanks for reading!

Linda

www.lindalaroque.com

Five Heart review for Twilight's Kiss from TRS!

Dee Dailey from The Romance Studio gave Twilight's Kiss a FIVE HEART REVIEW! I'm over the moon about this fantastic review! Here's a few snippets of what she had to say about Twilight's Kiss,
Marly Mathews has written a humorous, suspenseful tale of villagers turned vampire slayers. They all know of Lord Sean’s affliction, love him still. Ms. Mathews does a great job building her characters. Bridget, Sean, Grace, Father Clancy, Mary, Rupert, Iris all come alive under her pen.

and...

This is a fun tale with some suspenseful twists from beginning to end. Ms. Mathews writes some of the best dialogue and scenarios around. Sean is such a powerful but loveable guy I just couldn’t help hoping with the rest of the village that Bridget would just say the words and save them both from heartache. It’s a great book with a nice little twist at the end to make it even better.

Thank you so much Dee for your kind words! I'm always happy when a reviewer loves my writing!

If you all are interested you can read the full review by following this link,
Twilight's Kiss reviewed by The Romance Studio!

~Marly

Tessa Takes a Chance - Free Read Released!

Hey, Everyone!

Available today, download Tessa Takes a Chance for a fun, free "mommy length" read when you have a few minutes for a quickie-romance.

Though Tessa Mathews’s professional dreams are coming true, her personal life is a disaster. A breakup has left her emotionally scarred, and worse, dateless on the biggest night of her career. When she trips into a handsome firefighter’s arms, sparks fly. Should she take a chance and invite a stranger?

Rose Petal(7 pages), Sweet

As reviewed by my dear friend, Wendy:

Bravo!!!I loved the story. Just long enough for me to enjoy as I ate a quick
lunch. Perfect Mom read without feeling mom focused. I really like
Tessa.

Wendy N., Los Angeles, CA

#4 on Wild Rose's Bestsellers List!

YIPPEE! What a nice wake-up surprise!

I hope you like the book trailer.

Michele Hart
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance Author
http://www.ILoveShapeShifters.com/
~~~ Walk Another World ~~~
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Available NOW! * NO FUNNY STUFF! * a tale for the Muse of Comedy!
SONG OF THE MUSES * 9 Inspirations of Romance * coming October '08
AMUSE ME * another tale for the Muse of Comedy * coming 2009!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Final Edits In for Erin's Rebel

I turned in final edits for my Civil War time travel romance, Erin's Rebel, this past week.

Here's the blurb & an excerpt:

Erin's Rebel
Time Travel Romance
American Rose

Philadelphia newspaper reporter, Erin Branigan, is engaged to marry an up-and-coming lawyer, but dreams of a man from the past, a Civil War captain, change her plans and start her on a journey beyond time. After a car accident, Erin wakes to find herself living in the 1860s in a Confederate army camp.

Captain Will Montgomery, the man of her dreams, is now a flesh and blood Rebel soldier who sets her soul aflame. But the Irish beauty holds a secret he needs to unravel before he can place his trust in her.

Can she correct a mistake made long ago that caused his death and denied her the love she was meant to have? Or is she doomed to live out her life with nothing but regret?

Excerpt:The sound of her name on his lips made her skin tingle. She tore the paper off the package. At the sight of the brooch, her breath caught.

"Do you like it?" he asked anxiously. "I had it made just for you."

Eyeing him, she had a hard time finding her voice. This was Erin O'Connell's brooch, the very one that had sent her back in time. It shone in her hands, new and unworn from time and wear.

What did this mean? She must be following Erin O'Connell's footsteps. As far as she knew her being here hadn't changed anything. Will was still destined to die this year.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Erin. If you don't want the brooch--"

"No." She clasped the pin against her chest as the meaning of his gift sank in. "It just means so much to me."

His look of concern softened into a lopsided grin. "I'm happy you feel that way."

"Thank you, Will." She slipped the brooch into the pocket of her wrapper, then stood on her toes, lifting her arms to circle his neck. She kissed his cheek, inhaling his musky scent.

His mouth was on hers, hot and urgent. The softness of his moustache and chin beard tickled her lips. She opened to him, her tongue slipping inside to taste him thoroughly. He groaned, pressing the length of his body against her.

http://susanmacatee.com/

A Trail of Love by Bess McBride is Released!!!

It's here! It's here. It's finally release day for my contemporary romance set in Glacier National Park, A Trail of Love. Will you look at that cover?

BACK COVER BLURB

Kerrie is on the run from a painful past, and she hides in plain sight as a summer employee in the majestic setting of Glacier National Park. Lonely and isolated from the family and friends she left behind, she dreams of the day when a kind and gentle man will say to her: “I fell in love with you the first time I saw you across the room.”

Dace Mitchell could be that man! The handsome bear ranger rescues Kerrie from her own foolish behavior--more than once--and she finds herself drawn to him against her will...until she discovers he’s already involved with someone else.

When Kerrie begins to get mysterious silent phone calls, it seems the past has caught up to her. Can Dace save her from a violent man who will stop at nothing to have her?

EXCERPT:


A moose! Baby mooses! Was that the right word? Kerrie had never seen moose before in real life. They were magnificent! The dark brown mother so tall, her long stick-like legs seemingly incapable of bearing her great weight. The dark blonde youngsters, though lighter in color and smaller in scale, were perfect mirror images of their mother.

She turned to face an approaching vehicle, casting a last glance over her shoulder to make sure the moose cow and her calves did not reenter the road.

A large silver truck pulled up to the kiosk and Kerrie wished she could have slid down to the floor of her booth. The driver was Dace and he wore the same Smokey Bear hat as she, except as one of those outdoorsy men, it looked so much better on him. He worked for the Park Service. Her summer had just gotten much, much longer.

Kerrie’s heart tapped an excited rhythm against her chest. If this was any indication of what the summer promised, her hiding place suddenly looked a lot like Paradise.


Dace cleaned off the battery posts and reattached the cables. He got back in the truck and turned the ignition over. The truck started right up. Kerrie was sure she actually heard it purring under his care.

Dace unfolded his long legs from the small truck and got out. “There you go,” he said with a grin as Kerrie kept her distance.

“Thank you, Dace. I really appreciate your help. I should get one of those gizmos so I don’t have to stand by my dead truck like a helpless female.”

His eyebrows shot up, and he tilted his head inquiringly. “I doubt you’re helpless. I’ve discovered you women are pretty handy when you need to be. Goodnight, Kerrie.”

Dace climbed in his truck and watched Kerrie pull out of the parking lot. Her taillights disappeared into the night. What was with that woman? For that matter, what was with him? He had better things to do than stalk an unwilling female. Didn’t he? A vision of his sterile, lonely apartment in government housing popped into view. Okay, so maybe he didn’t have anything better to do.

Still, there was something in those beautiful brown eyes of hers that compelled him. Loneliness was turning him into a hopeless romantic, for Pete’s sake. Every now and then, he caught her looking at him with an expression of... What was it? Longing? Dace bit his lower lip. If anything, Kerrie acted like she would be happy to see the last of him. For the most part.

He smiled at the last thought. There was something about her, and he wasn’t going to be satisfied until he knew what it was...or she gave him firm marching orders. With a sigh, he pondered the night ahead, hoping he would be able to get some sleep...though that seemed unlikely. Images of the silky dark curls of a complicated woman had been interrupting his sleep for the past few nights.


And here's a Five Heart/Recommended Read review from Diana Coyle at Night Owl Romance!

"Ms. McBride outdid herself with this story. I immediately felt drawn to Kerrie because of everything she had gone through over the years. I felt bad for her that she had such lack of self-esteem for herself. I also fell in love with Dace because he was the perfect knight in shining armor for Kerrie. He was everything that she had hoped to find in a man and so much more. Ms. McBride wrote this story from the heart and she even had me laughing at loud during some of the scenes. Pick up a copy of this story. I assure you that you won’t be disappointed. You did a fantastic job, Bess!"

For the rest of the review, follow this link: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.asp?ReviewId=2005

The book will be available tomorrow at www.thewildrosepress.com and www.amazon.com in the Kindle Store.

And last, but not least, here is the link for the book trailer, which I just finished a few days ago!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TONFALG3rmU


Thanks for letting me blab, all!


Bess McBride

"Romances for Armchair Travelers"

www.bessmcbride.com www.myspace.com/bessmcbride

www.rvromance.com

Love of My Heart available now

A Sigh of Love available now

A Trail of Love coming August 16, 2008

A Train Through Time coming August 22, 2008

Caribbean Dreams of Love coming December 12, 2008

www.thewildrosepress.com www.amazon.com

4 1/2 HEARTS FOR THE DOCTOR'S DECEPTION FROM THE ROMANCE STUDIO!!!

OMG! A friend sent me this review from The Romance Studio on The Doctor's Deception. I am so excited! Thanks to Brenda Talley for taking the time to read my book. I am so glad you enjoyed it!

http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/drdeceptiongrieve.htm


The Doctor’s Deception
Kathleen Grieve
Contemporary romance
Available from The Wild Rose Press
ISBN: 1-60154-287-9
June 2008





Ms. Kathleen Grieve has written an interesting, bolding told, story about a one-track cardiologist and a nurse determined to enter medical school. She has taken the two strong personalities and proved that opposites, or not so opposites, could attract the other. The two were constantly supported by other characters, but their relationship took center stage.

The outcome of, and circumstances for, this relationship were believable and interesting. The way this story ended is unusual. The plot was well written; the storyline compelling. I highly recommend this story to all who love a great story with a happily ever after.

Overall rating: 4 1/2 hearts out of 5
Sensuality rating: Very sensual
Reviewer: Brenda Talley
August 12, 2008

THE DOCTOR'S DECEPTION IS AVAILABLE NOW! You can go to www.amazon.com or www.thewildrosepress.com to purchase your copy!

Take Care,
Kathleen Grieve
www.kathleengrieve.com

New Fabulous Review!

Courting Trouble
Renee Knowles
#1 Selling Historical Romance at TWRP Right Now!
www.reneeknowles.com
The Wild Rose Press
Regency Historical Romance

NEW REVIEW! From Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction

"A more apt title I have yet to find, COURTING TROUBLE lives up to its name (double entendres and puns all included). The soft-hearted but lively and impulsive heroine, Lily Kennyon, goes from one scrap to another but finds her anchor and soul mate when her childhood friend and "dream" lover, Lord Anthony Darby, returns for the London Season that looked to be going down the drain for the resolutely single but scandalous Lily.

Both Anthony and Lily find balance and a red-hot romance in each other's company as they brave the Ton together. Sedate Anthony and fiery Lily light up the pages with their witty repartee and steamy courtship, but misunderstandings, insecurity, and family interference drives them apart paving the way for a truly wondrous reconciliation. Would that every man proposed the way Renee Knowles's hero does.

Ms. Knowles makes her characters work for their happily ever after packing the pages with emotions that will leave you happier than ever … living up to the goal of a romance. Full marks for COURTING TROUBLE, as they court each other Anthony and Lily will win your heart too!!!" --Reviewed by Raakhee Suryaprakash

Blurb: Lord Anthony Darby is determined to marry a wife with an exemplary reputation. Then he sees his childhood companion, gorgeous, scandalous, Lily Kennyon again. And all he wants is her in his bed. He decides to avoid her. Until her father makes him an irresistible offer: he'll sponsor Anthony's entry into an exclusive club, if Anthony will accompany his outcast daughter to society events. Can Anthony resist Lily's sensual lure? Or will his hunger make him lose control?

Lily has always rued her impulsive nature. Never more than when her defiance led to an accident, which paralyzed her sister. Afterward, she decided if her sister would never marry, neither would she. Yet she wants to experience lovemaking. So, when Anthony courts her, she devises a plan to seduce him. But she fears she's falling in love. Then she discovers Anthony's attentions were all part of a pact with her father…

Read an excerpt

Buy E-book Now

Buy in Print

Renee Knowles
Sensual, Sassy and Slightly Sinful
Going Topless--"A must read."--Euro- Reviews Out Now! Siren
Courting Trouble--Regency Historical--Available Now! Wild Rose Press
Guilty Pleasures--Just Released! Siren
www.reneeknowles.com

My First Review!

Roses and Garden dwellers!

I just recieved my first review (showing my green-ness: ever) for my spicy historical novella

PASSION AT AN EXHBITION

from Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction,

and I'm thrilled to report a great first showing!

See what reviewer Debbie Gould has to say!

http://blog.lyndacoker.net/2008/08/06/wrdf-review-of-passion-at-an-exhibition-by-tori-anne.aspx

Pick up a copy of PASSION for yourself and tell me what you think at www.myspace.com/v_torianne!

Cheers!

Tori Anne

A Sigh of Love by Bess McBride Goes to Print!

It's true! It's true! My Alaskan romance, A Sigh of Love will be available in print this Friday, August 8, 2008, at most online bookstores (although I saw it ready to go at www.amazon.com today). :-)

Aaaannnnddd...I got my author copies today! All twenty one of them...to start! I'm absolutely thrilled to hold the book in my hands at long last! Not quite sure what I'm going to do with them. I'll use some for contest prizes, maybe schedule a book signing or two! Who knows!

Here's the blurb:
Abbie is on her way to Anchorage, Alaska to meet George whom she has been corresponding by telephone for the past three months. George has repeatedly asked her to come up to Alaska for a visit so they can meet in person. Call her crazy, but Abbie makes airline reservations to fly from her home in Seattle up to Anchorage to meet George. She’s lonely. Why shouldn’t she make a mad romantic dash up to the last frontier to meet a man? She’ll just ignore the practicality and logistics of a long-distance relationship. When she calls George to let him know her arrival time, he chooses that awful moment to let Abbie know that he thinks they don’t have much in common after all and she should cancel her plane reservations. Abbie is stunned, humiliated and ashamed of the lonely desperation that drove her to make nonrefundable airline reservations to Alaska.

What to do? Abbie decides to go to Alaska anyway. A grouchy and depressed Abbie meets Tom on the plane, a tall, handsome anthropology professor who happens to be half Native Alaskan and half Caucasian. As the plane flies north, Tom and Abbie discover a mutual attraction. By flight’s end, Abbie is completely enamored of the stranger, and she doubts her judgment, perhaps even her sanity, as she finds herself falling again for yet another Alaskan male...until George shows up, that is.

I've been fortunate to have some very nice reviews of A Sigh of Love. Please stop by my website at www.bessmcbride.com and read a few.

Bess McBride

"Romances for Armchair Travelers"

www.bessmcbride.com www.myspace.com/bessmcbride

www.rvromance.com

Love of My Heart available now

A Sigh of Love available now

A Trail of Love coming August 16, 2008

A Train Through Time coming August 22, 2008

Caribbean Dreams of Love coming December 12, 2008

www.thewildrosepress.com www.amazon.com

GUEST BLOGGING TODAY~

Stop by this link: http://sisterwriters.blogspot.com/ where I've been interviewed over at SisterWriters Blog. Hope to see you over there!

Kathleen Grieve

AUTHOR OF FUN AND SEXY MEDICAL ROMANCES!
The Doctor's Deception Available in
Print/Ebook form on 06/25/08
Print ISBN:1-60154-287-9
Order your copy at WWW.THEWILDROSEPRESS.COM
myspace.com/kathleengail789
WWW.KATHLEENGRIEVE.COM
Keeping A Pulse on Life & Romance Blog at http://kathleengrieve.blogspot.com/

Introducing Tanya Hanson...and a contest

Hi! I was thrilled to sign my contract with Cactus Rose for "Marrying Minda" just as I packed to leave for RWA! The full-length western romance recently placed first in the historical division of the Merritt "Magic Moment" Contest sponsored by SARA--San Antonio Romance Writers, and also placed first with perfect scores in the "Ignite the Flame" contest sponsored by the Central Ohio Fiction Writers.

I am so happy to be part of the Wild Rose Press family.

To celebrate, I'm holding a little contest. Visit my website www.tanyahanson.com to find the answers to the five questions below...and you just might win a $10 Starbucks gift card! The answers are found in the award-winning excerpt found on my Bio page. I'll draw one name from all the correct replies at midnight on August 6.

Don't forget to sign the guestbook when you stop by. And I always need friends at myspace and comments on my blog! I'm featuring a real-life Texas hero at my blogspot today.

Here goes:
1. Where does "Marrying Minda" take place and in what year?
2. What is the name of her intended bridegroom?
3. What is Minda wearing when she comes to town?
4. Who is Priscilla?
5. What color are Minda's eyes?

Hope to hear from you.

~Tanya Hanson
www.tanyahanson.com
www.myspace.tanyahansonbooks.com
http://tanyahanson.blogspot.com

Courting Trouble Now Available in Print!

Courting Trouble--the #1 Historical Romance at The Wild Rose Press Right Now--Is Now Available in Print!

English Tea Rosebud
Spicy

Here is a blurb:

Lord Anthony Darby is determined to marry a wife with an exemplary reputation. Then he sees his childhood companion, gorgeous, scandalous, Lily Kennyon again. And all he wants is her in his bed. He decides to avoid her. Until her father makes him an irresistible offer: he'll sponsor Anthony's entry into an exclusive club, if Anthony will accompany his outcast daughter to society events. Can Anthony resist Lily's sensual lure? Or will his hunger make him lose control?

Lily has always rued her impulsive nature. Never more than when her defiance led to an accident, which paralyzed her sister. Afterward, she decided if her sister would never marry, neither would she. Yet she wants to experience lovemaking. So, when Anthony courts her, she devises a plan to seduce him. But she fears she's falling in love. Then she discovers Anthony's attentions were all part of a pact with her father…

To read an excerpt, click here.

Or Buy Now in Print.

Buy in E-Book.

Renee Knowles
Sensual, Sassy and Slightly Sinful
www.reneeknowles.com

All or Nothing - Cover

Thank you, Kimberlee Mendoza, for such an amazing cover... I'm so thrilled!

Here's the blurb for All or Nothing!

------------------------------------

A widow finds love.
A soldier seeks redemption.
A murderous bandit threatens to destroy them both.

RuthAnne Newcomb, a young widow starting over, nearly dies on the perilous winding road to Tucson, Arizona in 1876. The accident is cover-up for a heinous crime at the hand of the murderous bandit El Tejano.

Robbed and left for dead, all that remains for RuthAnne is her faith and her God-given talents. She needs both to endure the handsome, vengeful cavalry captain who saves her life.

Captain Bowen Shepherd offers aid in exchange for information leading to the criminal's capture. El Tejano is bound to strike again, likely against the only living witness to his crimes.

Bowen and RuthAnne must work together and risk everything to unmask the bandit. Will their newfound love, or their lives, be the cost of bringing a murderer to justice?

~Ashley

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Visit Ashley Ludwig's Blog

Coming Soon...
Tessa Takes a Chance, Free Read, Summer 2008
All or Nothing, Spring, 2009The Wild Rose Press

DANCING WITH FATE released today

I'm so happy to say my story 'Dancing With Fate' , in the 'Song Of The Muses' anthology is released today. I am thrilled to be involved in this, alongside eight fantastic and gifted authors.

Here is a short blurb and extract:

Dancing With Fate
Faery RoseMiniature
(91 pages) (Spicy)

Blurb:

Terpsichore's task, to restore a love of dancing to the folk of Wales, seems simple. However, all is not as it seems. Danger follows. Legends are threatened. She had not meant to lose her heart or to have to save the man she loves by dancing with Fate.

Extract

She was the loveliest woman Myrddin had ever seen. Spellbound, he watched her step from the falls. He should have turned away but he found it impossible not to watch her as she dried herself. When she started to dance, he was captivated by her grace and the eloquence of her movements. She seemed unconcerned about her nakedness. Not that she had anything to be ashamed of; such exquisite beauty should not be covered. Long, dark red-brown hair fell like a veil of silk to below her knees. Her skin was smooth and flawless; her breasts were firm
and high, full but not heavy, above a tiny waist.

Her rounded hips undulated sensuously in time to her singing, while her upper body remained perfectly still, apart from the expressive movements of her arms. Her legs were slim and very long and she moved on tiptoe, her small feet scarcely seeming to touch the ground. Between her fingers, she held a long piece of silky material, which she swirled around her, until it seemed almost like a living thing.

Myrddin watched, enthralled. He'd never known anyone to dance as she did. The way she swivelled her hips had him mesmerised. Her voice was soft and clear, with a haunting quality. It reminded him of the musical bells of Maes Gwyddno, the civilization that now lay drowned beneath the sea. At times of danger, if one listened hard enough, one could hear the bells ringing from beneath the waves.

Moreover, it may have been a trick of the light, but she seemed to radiate a soft glow, pure and shimmering. He shook his head in disbelief. He must be imagining it. He'd eaten nothing since dawn, this was surely a vision brought on by weakness from hunger.

Myrddin crept closer and a twig cracked underfoot. Before he could take cover, the beautiful dancer stood motionless. Her eyes, green as the depths of the ocean, looked directly into his.


If you'd like to watch a trailer, or take part in my competition to win a pendant in the shape of a waterdrop, details can be found at Terpsichore's My Space:

www.myspace.com/terpsichoremuseofdance

My website: www.hywelalyn.com

MyBlog: http://www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com

Lyn

DENIED ORIGIN releases today!!!

Title: Denied Origin
Author: Amber Leigh Williams
Imprint: Crimson
ISBN: 1-60154-276-3
Length: Rose (240 pages)

Rating: Spicy

Former FBI agent and bodyguard Mark Welles’s career and life are going downhill until he meets Marcisso Tuttora, the man his father died protecting years ago. Wealthy businessman Marcisso puts the life of his only child, Valentina, in Mark’s hands by asking him to return to Rio de Janeiro to guard her.

Less than a week later, Marcisso and his wife are murdered in their beds, and Valentina is running for her life for reasons she cannot begin to guess until she meets Mark Welles. A stubborn heiress to an oil fortune and the son of a highly decorated soldier, they must find a way to escape the country without getting caught and find out why they are chased by a deadly terrorist. In a matter of weeks, they are driven into a scavenger hunt across the globe laid out by Valentina’s parents and embark on a passionate, emotional journey as exhilarating and intense as the race for their lives.

EXCERPT:

“He’s gone…gone.” She chanted it like a sinner at a shrine, her eyes wide with fear. “He was there…then he was gone.”
“Drink it,” he ordered, holding her tight. He managed to pour the liquid into her mouth.
She winced as she swallowed it. There were tears pouring down her cheeks again. “They took him to get to us. He was just a ladder to me.” She ripped the envelope from her bra strap and, in a sudden burst of righteous anger, hurled it across the room. “What is it worth? People shouldn’t have to die for me!”
She collapsed into shudders against him. He held her close as she sobbed loudly into his shirt. “Don’t think of it,” he advised.
Her face lifted and she stared incredulously at him. “Don’t think about it?” she shot back.

“Why don’t you tell me how to do that? Why don’t you tell me how to block it out, numb it? You must be an expert on that!”
He was silent. The anger was better than helpless shudders. He let her berate him without interruption.
“They killed a good man to get to me! It’s my fault he’s dead! It’s my fault that some poor, innocent man is lying out on the street in a million pieces! There’s no way they can justify that!”
“They’re not trying to justify anything, Valentina,” he said calmly, taking her face in his hands to keep her eyes on his. “They’re not thinking about morals or justice. They’re thinking about you and the letter. They’re thinking about eliminating you. They think they can weaken you or take you out by targeting the people you love. He didn’t die a coward. That matters. Let that be your comfort.”
Unmoved by his words, she shoved his hands away from her face and scrambled to her feet. “Who’s going to die next for me, Mark? You?” Her lips trembled threateningly and her eyes filled with hot tears at the mere thought of the idea. “If you die, too, because of me, I’ll never be able to live with myself. If somebody else dies for me, I won’t be able to keep going. Why not just let them take me? It should end here! Right here, right now!”
He got to his feet and went to her quickly. In a quick surge of anger, he pushed her against the wall with his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t say that ever again, you hear me? You’re not going to give up. You’re not going to quit. If you do, you’re quitting your family. You’re quitting what we’ve worked for together. You’re quitting me. Could you live with that, Valentina?”
Her hands came to her face as her throat heaved with dry sobs. “Why can’t it all just go away? I don’t want my life anymore. I don’t want it. I can’t live this way anymore. Take me back home, Mark. Take me right now.”
“I am taking you home!” he yelled without thinking.
She stared at him for a long moment. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He paused, collecting himself. “You’re going to find out soon enough because you’re not quitting. The end’s not far and I won’t let you quit now. I can’t. You’re moving on even if I have to drag you every inch of the way.”
She shoved him away, her eyes hot with fury. “You don’t control me!”
“You can justify his death by finishing this. You will finish!”
“Leave me alone!” she cried, turning from him. “Just go away; take my father’s money and run. I don’t need you anymore.”
“You need me, Valentina,” he warned, gripping her arm before she could walk away. “You need me and you know it!”
She broke down into exhausted tears, sinking to the floor and burrowing her face between her knees as she wept unrelentingly. When he reached down and touched her, she bristled and glared up at him with reddened eyes. “Stay away from me. Stay away.” She crawled into the bathroom and shut the door in his face.
He stood staring at it for a long time, breathing hard. When he’d calmed down, he pushed it open. He saw her curled up on the rug next to the tub. Even as she protested, he scooped her into his arms.
“I told you to stay away,” she warned half-heartedly.
“You’re not going to stop me this time,” he told her as he carried her back into the room and laid her on the bed. He lay beside her, pulled her against him and held her close. “If you’re going to cry, you’re doing it here with me.”

“Don’t you ever give up?” she asked wearily.
“No. Quitting isn’t an option for me. It never was. You remember that.” He brushed his lips over hers. He heard her soft sigh and murmured, “Rest now. We can’t stay long. Just long enough.”

"In Denied Origin, Amber Leigh Williams spins a nice tale of suspense, during which the reader is taken on a journey around the world in several days. This is a fast-paced story that keeps the reader on the edge of the seat and guessing. The action and sexual tension keep the reader wondering, waiting, and wanting more. I can only imagine Amber Williams will get better and better and be well read. Her creativity is obvious with this appropriately-named, highly-charged, danger-filled setting and story. Watch for her future works. She’s an amazing writer. No doubt about it."

--Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction

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