Caribbean Dreams of Love by Bess McBride!

It's here! It's finally here. The release of one of my favorite stories, Caribbean Dreams of Love! This is a story of a lonely woman and her precocious teenage daughter, a Caribbean cruise, a ghost, a pirate, a legend, a mysterious musician and a curse. Please see the video trailer below, plus the blurb and excerpt. I hope you enjoy!

Blurb: Daisy and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Lily, are embarking on a Caribbean cruise. She isn't looking for anything special on the cruise other than a pleasant break from her humdrum existence as long-time divorced single mother to a busy teenage girl. She certainly isn't prepared for an enigmatic man named Peter whose idiosyncrasies in dress and speech mark him as an eccentric person to avoid. But Daisy can't avoid him. In fact, she begins to obsess about him from the first moment she catches him staring at her in the cruise ship terminal. Peter remains elusive and mysterious throughout the cruise. She catches sight of him occasionally, never often enough to please her, and they connect one wonderful night as he sweeps her into his arms for a waltz. A waltz? On a Caribbean cruise ship? While Daisy's dinner companions share nightly tales of the legends of cursed pirates, Daisy dreams of the mysterious man who has captured her heart.

Excerpt:

Bjorn glanced at his enrapt audience and took a deep breath. Daisy cringed. Something was coming.

"And with his last ounce of strength, Captain Smith grabbed his sword and plunged it in Gentleman Jones' heart."

A stab of pain seemed to knife through Daisy's own heart, and she involuntarily put a hand to the painful spot just below her left collarbone.

Even Becky was speechless, her jaw hung open. Lily took a breath and asked the question uppermost in Daisy's mind.

"Did he...does he...?"

"They say he still wanders the Caribbean, alone and lonely, a ghost with no hope of dying or returning to the living."

Bjorn's voice drifted away. He scanned the faces of his audience solemnly.

He shrugged. "But it's just a silly story, one of many. Who knows if any of them are true?"

And in a surprise move, he picked up his fork and resumed eating. Johana smiled demurely and took a sip of water before she too resumed eating.

Bjorn's stunned dinner companions stared at him. Lily, Daisy and Becky exchanged saddened glances.

Jim broke the silence when he started laughing and clapped Bjorn on the back. Bjorn choked slightly and put his napkin to his lips.

"Well, you sure had us going. I'll give you that. So...no truth to the story?"

Bjorn leaned slightly away from Jim and shrugged once again. "I find the Caribbean folklore fascinating, but many of the stories are just that. Stories. I heard this tale from a man in a museum in Nassau once. I liked it." He gave the group a sheepish smile.

"So, it's just a fairy tale?" Becky asked.

"Not a fairy tale," Bjorn smiled slightly. "Just an old legend. If the story were true, we would have to believe in ghosts...and I for one do not care to think about such things." He picked up his knife and fork again and began to cut his food, seemingly no longer interested.

"Just a legend," murmured Johana. She shook her head in amusement. "A story. Bjorn has many."

"Mom, what are you doing? Are you okay?"

Daisy turned to meet her daughter's eyes. Lily nodded toward Daisy's hand still dramatically clutched to her chest.

She colored and dropped her hand. The pain had eased.

Such a sad story!

Video Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEfgJ8Ng7lo

Buy Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1083&zenid=158e2bb07c492a5af9aa0e192c694c7f

Bess McBride
www.bessmcbride.com

Free Read Release

Great News: My free read story, Buddy's Twelve-Year Crush, was released yesterday Dec. 29. Can a ten year old boy fall in love with a sixteen year old girl? Well, when Vicky teaches Buddy how to ride his new bicycle it happens. Buddy is smitten forever but Vicky says it's just a crush. Would a crush continue for twelve years? It was tough to condense twelve years into a free read. Hope you give it a look see. Larry

STARQUEST up for New Covey Trailer Award

My trailer for 'Starquest' is up for a Covey Trailer Award. If you can spare a moment to watch it and vote, if you think it deserves to win, I would really appreciate it - and thank you in anticipation!
The link is

http://thenewcoveytrailerawards.blogspot.com

I’m going to Wales for the New Year to visit my family and friends but before I leave, I’d like to wish everyone here a Very Happy, Healthy and successful New Year with everything you would wish for yourself. And for those for whom 2008 was not a good year, may 2009 be kinder to you.

Lyn

This week's astrological fortune cookie -

DEJA VU LOVER by Phoebe Matthews, Vintage Rose, is a heartwarming love story about a young woman who could have used some advice! So here is this week's fortune cookie to help you make better decisions than our heroine.

12/29 Monday: FEEL CREATIVE? THIS IS A GREAT WEEK TO START A NEW PROJECT. VENUS THROWS IN ARTISTIC NUDGES. IF YOU ARE TEMPTED TO OVERDO, DON’T. COUNT ON SOME HELP FROM THE STARS AND RETURN THE FAVOR TO YOUR FRIENDS. EVERYBODY NEEDS A COMPLIMENT NOW AND THEN.

Now that you have provided a great holiday for everyone else, give yourself a treat and download DEJA VU LOVER from TWRP. You don't even need to go out in the weather to get your book at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=145

Merry Christmas!

Hello!
I just thought you would like to know Wild Rose Press has a Christmas present for you! It is a free download of a Christmas cookbook. The recipes are from some of us authors and editors, and I even saw a couple with Rhonda and R.J's name on them!

Yes! We can write! We can cook! We are awesome! And, if you look at the number of dessert recipes, WE LOVE SWEETS!!

Here's the link:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/publisher/media/TheGardenGourmet_2008.pdf


Happy Cooking!

Jennifer Johnson
author, The Jinx
available now!

Release Date!

I just last week received the release date for my first book with The Wild Rose Press. Chance's Return, a White Rosebud, will release on June 24, 2009. Chance McCord is a ex-rodeo hero, returning home to the North Star ranch in Wyoming. Casey Girard is a young widow with a small son who is spending the summer at the North Star. In the shadow of the Grand Tetons, they fall in love, but a huge rift in the McCord family, as well as Chance's drifter ways, seem destined to keep them apart.
If you love stories of strong women and rugged men, you'll love this story!

Colonial Christmas Traditions and an Early American Cookie Recipe

George Washington’s Christmas list for his stepchildren in 1758 was ambitious: "A bird on Bellows, A Cuckoo, A turnabout parrot, A Grocers Shop, An Aviary, A Prussian Dragoon, A Man Smoakg, (a man smoking?) 6 Small Books for Children, 1 Fash. dress'd Baby & other toys."

Children in colonial America might be given sweets or books, but most colonists wouldn’t have been this extravagant. Usually people of means gave one gift to their servants, apprentices, and children, but didn’t expect anything in return. These gifts were highly treasured and as commonly exchanged on New Year’s Day as on Christmas itself.

Christmas in colonial America bore faint similarity to the gala holiday we cherish today. The Puritans and Quakers (among other Protestant churches) banned celebrations altogether, claiming the holiday was popish and tied to pagan traditions. Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Lutherans introduced Christmas celebrations to colonial America, comprised of church services, dinners, dancing, visiting, and more of the same for wealthy folk. The music featured at balls and parties was the dance music of the period, much imported from across the Atlantic. Religious carols were also sung. "Joy to the World" became popular in my home state, Virginia. “The First Noel,” “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen,” and “I Saw Three Ships” are several more carols still beloved today.

Rather than the fervor leading up to December 25th that dies out almost as soon as the last gift is opened now, Christmas Day in colonial America began a season of festivities that lasted until January 6—thus the "Twelve days of Christmas." Twelfth Day, January 6, was the perfect occasion for colonists to enjoy balls, parties, and other festivals.

Our emphasis on Christmas as a special holiday for children didn’t come about until the mid nineteenth century, brought to America by the more family-centered Dutch and Germans. Christmas in colonial America was predominantly an adult oriented holiday. The Southern colonies were the root of many celebrations (less Quakers/Puritans in the South and more Anglicans) and these included parties, hunts, feasts, and church services. Children were tucked away in bed or left behind, neither seen or heard. One sign of entering the adult world was the honor of attending your first holiday ball. Think how exciting that must have been for young ladies awhirl in taffeta and lace.

Plantations and other colonial homes, even churches, were decorated with holly, laurel, garlands and sometimes lavender. My garden club used to decorate a colonial era home/museum and we were restricted to natural materials and native fruit like apples that might’ve been used in that day. Mistletoe, an ancient tradition and the centerpiece of every colonial home, was hung in a prominent place. Romantic couples found their way under the green leaves and white berries just as they do now. Light was of vital importance at this dark time of year. Yule logs blazed and candles were lit, the wealthier having more to light.

A key part of colonial Christmas celebrations were the large feasts. What foodstuffs were served and the amount set before the guests all depended on the provider’s income. The menu was similar to ours. Among the offerings at a colonial dinner might be ham, roast, turkey, fish or oysters, followed by mincemeat and other pies and desserts/treats like brandied peaches.

Wines, brandy, rum punches, and other alcoholic beverages were consumed in abundance in well-to-do households. Slave owners gave out portions of liquor to their workers at Christmastime, partly as a holiday indulgence and partly to keep slaves at the home during their few days off work. Intoxicated workers were less likely to run away or make long trips to visit distant relations.

One of our most cherished traditions was unknown to colonists. The Christmas tree traveled to America from Germany in the nineteenth century. Christmas cards originated in London and didn’t gain popularity until the nineteenth century. Santa Claus is a combination of Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas from Dutch and English traditions. As Americans absorbed new people and cultures, the holiday traditions expanded. Today, Christmas is an ever-changing blend of the old and new.

Our family makes these ‘Early American Ginger Cutouts’ from a colonial recipe I found in a Cookie cookbook published back in the 1950's.

Sift together dry ingredients:

2 ¾ C. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ginger

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. cloves

½ tsp. salt

Cream together:

1/2 cup butter

1.4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

¾ cup dark molasses (we use Blackstrap)

1 egg beaten

1 tsp. hot water

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Mix wet ingredients into the dry until well blended. Cover bowl and chill dough for several hours (or more). Roll on lightly floured surface and cut with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. We press sprinkles into the dough before baking but that’s a modern addition.

Enjoy this sweet spicy connection with our early American ancestors.

*I have three novels coming to TWRP in May set during or just after the colonial American time period: ENEMY OF THE KING, DAUGHTER OF THE WIND, AND THROUGH THE FIRE.

Signed another contract! Yay!

I have just signed the contracts with The Wild Rose Press for them to publish my romantic comedy, Hooked On You.
This is the first romantic comedy I've written. So I'm pleased it found a home. This will be my 10th novel published!

Rough pre-published blurb:
Ever been in love with your boss?
It stinks. Don’t do it, ever!
Katie Edwards is 28 and single and living the life, that is until a few incidents occur which changes things. Hooked On You is about her adventure in finding true love and all that.
After leaving a leech of a boss, who enjoyed putting the personal in personal assistant, her best friend in the whole world, Joanna, tells Katie of a job vacancy as a PA at a sports magazine.
She now works for a Mr Liam Kennedy, a sports freak, and she don’t even like sports. She doesn’t go to the gym, or go on skiing holidays and the only time she runs is when chasing a bus, even then she soon stops and waves for a taxi. Her job is to make his life smoother as he travels around trying out new sports equipment, interviewing celebrity athletes, reporting new sport crazes, etc. She’s supposed to book his hotels, find future people or companies to interview, etc, all very boring really and typical PA stuff that she can do with her eyes shut.
Currently, Mr Kennedy is in Cumbria, Northern England. Katie arrives at the hotel and has a fortifying drink in the bar while waiting to meet her new boss. Only, when she does meet him, she finds he’s simply sex on wheels, the kind that model for men’s clothing in catalogues. Yummy!! She’s always wanted to work for a sexy boss, but really, you need to be careful what you wish for, because sexy bosses are a hazard to the heart. Before she could say hello, she’d fallen in lust with him. Great. Terrific start. Mr Kennedy, Liam, is totally drool-worthy, she’s mesmerised and alarmed by her attraction to him.
How could she work in a professional manner when all she wants to do is hop into his bed? Difficult dilemma.

I give out more details about Hooked On You when I get them.

Christmas Blog Ride

Hop on the sleigh and join the Christmas Blog Ride. Guess my carol and you could win a WRP Gift Certificate and a Pair of earrings. Continue the journey tomorrow on the next Blog taking part in our Ride and make your list of Christmas songs for the Grand Prize. Don't worry if you haven't been following the 'Christmas Trail' so far - the link to the first Blog on the ride is on my Blog. Join in the fun at http://www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com/

Do You Hear What I Hear? A Recommended Read at CKsS Kwips and Kritiques

Do You Hear What I Hear?, Hoofbeats & Heartstrings Book One
A Recommended Read at CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Well I got a wonderful Christmas gift yesterday, all wrapped up in a nice email from the review team at CK2S Kwips and Kritiques. My new paranormal romance from The Wild Rose Press, Do You Hear What I Hear?, got a 5/5 rating. Best of all, out of the 45 books they reviewed this month, it was picked as one of only 8 Recommended Reads for the month of December. Looks like Santa came early!

Here is a sneak peek at the review:
I was totally charmed by this book from the first page. Teri Wilson creates a wonderful slate of characters, human, canine and equine, that grab your heart and won’t let go. Do You Hear What I Hear? was well developed and the perfect reading choice for the holiday season when we all need a break from the hustle and bustle and long to curl up in a soft corner with a steaming cup of cocoa and a heartwarming read. I loved the unique career that Simone had developed for herself and enjoyed all the scenes about the horse rescue ranch. While part of a series, this book stands alone.

To read the whole review, just click here: http://ck2skwipsandkritiques.com/crystal/doyouhearwhatihear_crystal.html

Purchase the ebook Do You Hear What I Hear? by Teri Wilson:

Click here to purchase from The Wild Rose Press or
Click here to purchase from Fictionwise.

Available in print in February 2009.

Teri Wilson ~ Romancing the pet lover's soul

www.teriwilson.net

I'm blogging, but YOU Can win

Join me as I blog with Paty Jager today. I'm discussing my two Christmas stories, last year's "The Priceless Gift" and today's release "A Cowboy's Dream." Also, if you a comment, you'll be eligible to win one of the two stories that I'll give away today.

Paty Jager

And tomorrow, I'll be blogging as part of the Christmas Carol Blog Train. So, stop by and get the title of my Christmas Carol. Then if you haven't been participating, you can backtrack and get the list of all the Carols, so you can enter to win a $75 The Wild Rose Press gift certificate. Plus, I'll be giving away prizes ALL DAY to those who leave comments. http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/

Anna Kathryn Lanier
A COWBOY'S DREAM - Out Now
Compelling, Sensual Tales of Love and Forgiveness
www.aklanier.com

Passion at an Exhibition is up for a Covey Cover Award! Please vote!

Whee! PASSION AT AN EXHIBITION is up for this month's Covey Cover Award! I sure would love your vote for this ever-so-lovely-cover, considering our dear Nicola Martinez is, in my humble opinion, the best cover artist in the world! Vote Here! Thanks!

DEJA VU LOVER, had she but known -

The heroine of the Vintage Rose love story, Deja Vu Lover, could have used a fortuneteller.   Here's your lucky astrology fortune cookie for next week -

12/15 Monday: ICE, SNOW, BLIZZARD, ALL THAT WEATHER STUFF, BLAME IT ON A STRONG SUN OPPOSED BY A FULL MOON LAST FRIDAY. ON THE PERSONAL SIDE, BE REALLY CAREFUL BECAUSE THIS WEEK IS PRONE TO ACCIDENTS. YOUR INTUITION IS SHARP NOW. MAYBE YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO IT.

For more fortunes and lots more about Deja Vul Lover, including a video, check http://phoebematthews.com

A COWBOY'S DREAM contest

CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF A COWBOY'S DREAM with me! Scroll below to see how to win a copy!

Author Leah Smith has fantasized about her neighbor, Houston’s pro baseball player Marcus Slade, for years, but thinks it’s unlikely she’d catch the cowboy’s interest since her IQ is bigger than her bra size. Having already been hurt by a man who wanted size over substance, she’s not in a hurry to play in that ball field again.

When an unexpected opportunity gets Marcus inside his favorite author’s apartment, he’s not about to let a second chance at love pass him by. Their attraction is quick and electric and has him instantly thinking about something more long-term. But when a woman from his past intrudes, his hopes of a cozy Christmas with Leah are buried beneath her cold shoulder. Risking a strikeout, Marcus has one chance left...go for the grand slam of his life and crash Leah's annual Christmas Eve party in hopes of convincing her she’s this Cowboy’s Dream.

Unedited Excerpt:

A Cowboy's Dream by Anna Kathryn Lanier
Release date: December 17, 2009

The mouthwatering scents of seared steak wafted around Leah as Marcus escorted her into the world famous Kemah Boardwalk Steak House. Her stomach grumbled, a reminder she hadn’t eaten since early morning.

The hostess greeted Marcus by name and smiled warmly at her. Leah glanced at him, wondering how often he came to the restaurant. Celebration dinners should be rare, not weekly—unless you found an excuse to celebrate every little thing. But what made them special then?

She slid into the booth and mentally shook her head. No matter what Marcus did in the past, this was her celebratory dinner. She smiled as he sat opposite her and determined to enjoy his company for as long as she had it.

The hostess handed them menus. “Would you like something from the bar, Mr. Slade?”
Marcus placed his Stetson beside him on the booth cushion and raised a brow at her.
“Whatever they have on tap will be fine,” she said.

He grinned and nodded. “Two beers, please.”

Glancing at his ‘celebration clothing,” she was glad she’d summed him up right. She’d nearly put on the $900 designer gown she planned to wear to next month’s charity fund raiser and made her look hot as hell, but at the last minute went over what she knew about pro ball player Marcus Slade. Celebrity though he may be, he was obviously still a cowboy at heart. Instead of the silk and satin confection, she pulled on blue jeans and simple blouse. She matched his jeans and western-styled shirt quite well.

Leah opened the menu and looked it over. “You’re a man after my own heart. There’s nothing better to celebrate with than a beer and a good steak.”

He jerked back as if surprised. “You mean to say you’ll actually order a steak?”

“Well, of course.” She laughed, brushing her hair behind her ear. “What’s the point of going to a steak house and not ordering a steak?”

He opened his mouth, but then shut it for a moment before uttering, “Truth be told, most of the women I know don’t eat much meat.”

That was no surprise. Most of the women she’d seen him with were the size of twigs—except in the bosom area—and probably ate weeds.

“Well, I hope you brought along your charge card, because I haven’t eaten much today and I’m starving. I plan to get a really big steak with all the fixings to celebrate.”

Marcus laughed. “Honey, the day I can’t afford to buy a pretty lady a steak is the day I’ll hang it up for good.”

Her heart fluttered at the endearment. Sure, it was common enough for Texans to drop honey and darling like hello and good-bye, but still, hearing it from Marcus made her insides quiver.

He wagged his brows, then glanced down to study his menu. She released a small sigh. Since she was a Roughrider’s fan and had held season tickets for years, she’d known who Marcus was before he moved into The Towers. To say she had a crush on him was probably an understatement, but she’d never suffered from delusions, either. Leah Smith, plain, average daughter of nomad archaeologists just wasn’t the type of woman the major league outfielder dated. As much as she wished she differently, she shouldn’t read more into this ‘date’ than what it was—a friendly, celebratory meal.

Leave a comment and tell me what Marcus ordered them to drink with their meals. On December 17th, I'll hold a drawing and the winner will receive a copy of A COWBOY'S DREAM and a $10 TWRP gift certificate.

Anna Kathryn Lanier
http://www.aklanier.com/

Do You Hear What I Hear - Night Owl Romance Reviewer's Top Pick!

Great news! My Faery Rose, Do You Hear What I Hear?, has been named a Night Owl Romance Reviewer's Top Pick! Check out this great review:

"Ms. Wilson has penned a wonderful story. I loved how the author came up with the creative storyline of Simone being able to communicate with animals and I was truly heartbroken with how she was treated by most people because of her special gift. I fell in love with Simone not only because of her talent with animals, but also how she was the perfect compliment for Chet. I absolutely adored the choice of names chosen for all the animals, especially the horses. I enjoyed this story so much I just couldn’t put it down. Ms. Wilson wrote every detail with a purpose and in the end, she told a beautiful story of love between humans and animals. I highly recommend this story and eagerly look forward to reading more from this author." Score: 5/5

Diana Coyle, Night Owl Romance Book Reviews

To read the entire review, simply click here.

Do You Hear What I Hear?, Hoofbeats & Heartstrings Book One, is available as an e-book NOW at Fictionwise and The Wild Rose Press. For more information, visit www.teriwilson.net . Or look for the print version available February 13, 2009!

Teri Wilson ~ Romancing the pet lover's soul

www.teriwilson.net

And The Winner Is...

Last week we had a contest for SHELTER IN SEATTLE here on this blog. Congratulations to Annette M. Irby!!! You are the winner! I'll be sending you an email in just a few minutes.

If you enjoyed this contest or want to enter future contest, please join my newsletter where I post all my contest announcements!! There will be other free copies given away at other sites. By getting this newsletter you will be alerted as soon as the contests begins! http://www.Rhondagibsonsnewsletter.com

Book Giveaway! Today only!

Win a print copy of this award winning book from The Wild Rose Press today! I'm over at Sweeter Romantic Notions, along with several other top-rated authors from TWRP with books we've giving away. Each author will select a winner from the posters of the day. I hope you'll come on over and win No Second Chance!

Here's the back cover blurb for this romantic suspense:

Hope Farrier rescues unwanted horses, but she’s saddled with debt. Without help she’ll lose Second Chance Farm, the first home she’s ever known. An endowment brings the promise of future relief and the presence of shrewd business manager, Devlin Temple.

Trouble is, Devlin has his dreamy blue eyes on more than her bottom line.

Playboy Devlin Temple lays a trap for the thief that’s fleecing his company. When his cousin sets his cap for Devlin’s job, Devlin knows he needs Hope’s help to secure the CEO position. In her arms he finds the solace and support he craves, but their blossoming romance prompts the thief to raise the stakes.

Will Devlin and Hope pay the ultimate price for love?

Here's the link to win: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SweeterRomanticNotions

See you there!

Maggie Toussaint

award winning author

www.maggietoussaint.com

Christmas Celebrations!!

Come one, Come all to a special Christmas Book Giveaway Event!

December 8th to the 14th -- Make sure to pop in everyday for a chance to win. There will be lots going on everyday--all day long.

White Christmas Book Jubilee
14 Authors ~ 14 Holiday Book Giveaways
December 8th to December 14th

Free Books, Holiday Recipes, and Excerpts to warm you to the tips of your toes

Schedule:
Monday, December 8th – Rose Ross Zediker & Jan Scarbrough
Tuesday, December 9th – Pamela Thibodeaux & Linda Swift
Wednesday, December 10th – Cindy K. Green & Sarita Leone
Thursday, December 11th – Kara Lynn Russell & Anna Kathryn Lanier
Friday, December 12th – Marianne Arkins & Stacey Joy Netzel
Saturday, December 13th – Nan Jacobs & Teri Wilson
Sunday, December 14th – Stacy Dawn & Carla Rossi

There's still time so don’t miss the celebration! http://cindykgreen.blogspot.com

Also: Your favorite White Rose Authors are celebrating Christmas all month long on the White Roses in Bloom Blog!

Drop by often to our celebration where you'll find stories, tips, recipes and more to help you get in the Holiday mood!

Who knows, you may even receive a gift for posting a comment :-)

Hope to see you there!
PamT

Covey Award

Cost of Freedom's trailer has been nominated for a Covey Award. Please vote for #4.

Caribbean Dreams of Love by Bess McBride Video Trailer!

Yes, it's true....I'm just nipping in at the last minute with the video trailer for my upcoming release (Friday, December 12 at www.thewildrosepress.com), CARIBBEAN DREAMS OF LOVE, a light paranormal featuring a lonely woman on a Caribbean cruise with her precocious teenage daughter, a mysterious musician, a ghost, a pirate, and nightly dinner tales of legends and curses. I had great fun with this video, especially taking the pictures!

Video Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEfgJ8Ng7lo

Blurb: Daisy and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Lily, are embarking on a Caribbean cruise. She isn’t looking for anything special on the cruise other than a pleasant break from her humdrum existence as long-time divorced single mother to a busy teenage girl. She certainly isn’t prepared for an enigmatic man named Peter whose idiosyncrasies in dress and speech mark him as an eccentric person to avoid. But Daisy can’t avoid him. In fact, she begins to obsess about him from the first moment she catches him staring at her in the cruise ship terminal. Peter remains elusive and mysterious throughout the cruise. She catches sight of him occasionally, never often enough to please her, and they connect one wonderful night as he sweeps her into his arms for a waltz. A waltz? On a Caribbean cruise ship? While Daisy’s dinner companions share nightly tales of the legends of cursed pirates, Daisy dreams of the mysterious man who has captured her heart.

Excerpt:

Bjorn glanced at his enrapt audience and took a deep breath. Daisy cringed. Something was coming.

“And with his last ounce of strength, Captain Smith grabbed his sword and plunged it in Gentleman Jones’ heart.”

A stab of pain seemed to knife through Daisy’s own heart, and she involuntarily put a hand to the painful spot just below her left collarbone.

Even Becky was speechless, her jaw hung open. Lily took a breath and asked the question uppermost in Daisy’s mind.

“Did he...does he...?”

“They say he still wanders the Caribbean, alone and lonely, a ghost with no hope of dying or returning to the living.”

Bjorn’s voice drifted away. He scanned the faces of his audience solemnly.

He shrugged. “But it’s just a silly story, one of many. Who knows if any of them are true?”

And in a surprise move, he picked up his fork and resumed eating. Johana smiled demurely and took a sip of water before she too resumed eating.

Bjorn’s stunned dinner companions stared at him. Lily, Daisy and Becky exchanged glances.

Jim broke the silence when he started laughing and clapped Bjorn on the back. Bjorn choked slightly and put his napkin to his lips.

“Well, you sure had us going. I’ll give you that. So...no truth to the story?”

Bjorn leaned slightly away from Jim and shrugged once again. “I find the Caribbean folklore fascinating, but many of the stories are just that. Stories. I heard this tale from a man in a museum in Nassau once. I liked it.” He gave the group a sheepish smile.

“So, it’s just a fairy tale?” Becky asked.

“Not a fairy tale,” Bjorn smiled slightly. “Just an old legend. If the story were true, we would have to believe in ghosts...and I for one do not care to think about such things.” He picked up his knife and fork again and began to cut his food, seemingly no longer interested.

“Just a legend,” murmured Johana. She shook her head in amusement. “A story. Bjorn has many.”

“Mom, what are you doing? Are you okay?”

Daisy turned to meet her daughter’s eyes. Lily nodded toward Daisy’s hand still dramatically clutched to her chest.

She colored and dropped her hand. The pain had eased.

Such a sad story!

Bess McBride
www.bessmcbride.com

Want a special date for Christmas?

In the mood for a little Christmas romance? Here's an excerpt from my new Christmas Faery Rose novel available now from The Wild Rose Press - Do You Hear What I Hear? by Teri Wilson. Break out the mistletoe and enjoy:

She looked so beautiful sitting here in his truck with his dog resting on her lap. Her blonde hair spilled over her shoulders and onto the back of the seat. She looked like an angel herself and he thanked God she was right here with him instead of perched on top of someone's Christmas tree. "You did all this last night? Weren't you exhausted?"

She shrugged her shoulders as if it were no big deal. "I was anxious to get it all up. I love Christmas." She turned her gaze from the dog to him, her green eyes as big as saucers. "Oh, no. You're not a Scrooge, are you?"

He couldn't help but laugh at the somber way she said it. "No. I, Chet Wallace, do solemnly swear I am not a Scrooge." He crossed his heart for added emphasis. "I'm merely impressed by your holiday work ethic."

"I don't know… you didn't even know Santa liked champagne." She shook her head and made tsk-tsk noises, all the while still petting Pollock behind his ears.

"I love Christmas, too. Honest." At first he was merely teasing her, enjoying their flirty banter. But then, he was struck with a fantastic idea. He looked once again at the candy canes, the reindeer and the lights surrounding Simone's home and felt his heart leap with joy. Thank you, Santa! "Actually, I can prove it to you."

"Prove what?"

"That I love Christmas." He couldn't stop the smile from dancing on his lips.

"How can you prove something like that?"

"You'll see. Come with me next Saturday night and I'll take you on a special Christmas date." When he asked her for the date, he reached out and touched her cheek. He couldn't help himself. He ran his thumb along the side of her face and felt her shiver beneath his touch.

She didn't say anything at first. Chet had been so sure she would say yes. Being with her all afternoon at the track had seemed so natural. He had never felt so connected to another living soul before. In his heart, he knew she felt the same way. He could see it now – in her eyes, in the way she looked at him and he could feel it in the tingle of her fingers when he held her hand.

But why wasn't she saying anything? Since he first touched her face she hadn't uttered a single word. Still, he left his hand there, unable to tear it away from the smooth porcelain of her cheek.

"Chet."

He could feel the heat of her breath swirling around his fingers. "Yes?"

"I'd love to go on a special Christmas date with you on Saturday." Her lips curved into a soft smile and her eyes seemed to glow with anticipation.

He ached to pull her into his arms and kiss her right here and now. But he couldn't. He wanted their first kiss to be memorable, special. Simone deserved better than a first kiss in the front seat of a pick-up truck. So, instead he ran his thumb gently along the pink flesh of her bottom lip. "Saturday then."

"Yes. Saturday."

Do You Hear What I Hear?, Hoofbeats & Heartstrings Book One by Teri Wilson

Click here to purchase from The Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1043

Click here to purchase from Fictionwise:
http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook76584.htm?cache

Book Sale Celebration

Hi all, Help me celebrate the sale of my first book—a young adult romance called THE STILLBURROW CRUSH, which was contracted by The Wild Rose Press Climbing Roses Line—by entering my prize giveaway contest. Go to http://lindakage.com/contest.html to enter and win a $20 gift card to Amazon.com.

Book Sale Celebration

Hi all, Help me celebrate the sale of my first book—a young adult romance called THE STILLBURROW CRUSH, which was contracted by The Wild Rose Press Climbing Roses Line—by entering my prize giveaway contest. Go to http://lindakage.com/contest.html to enter and win a $20 gift card to Amazon.com.

DEJA VU LOVER by Phoebe Matthews

He broke her heart in another lifetime and now he's back! April needs advice and maybe you do, too, this week, so here's your astrological fortune cookie -

12/08 Monday: THE SUN MAY NOT BE SHINING IN YOUR PERSONAL SKY BUT IT GIVES STRENGTH AND GENEROSITY TO THE WEEK. YOU COULD SPEND TOO MUCH, BUT HEY, ISN’T THAT ALWAYS TRUE THIS TIME OF YEAR? CREATIVITY PEAKS SO TRY OUT YOUR NEW IDEAS.

DEJA VU LOVER by Phoebe Matthews, Vintage Rose October, 2008
For video and excerpts and some very nice reviews, check out my website at http://phoebematthews.com

Or order the book at 

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=145

Buddy's 12-year Crush

Hello Everyone: My Free Read, Buddy's 12-Year Crush, is due out after the holidays during the first week of January. It was tough to compress Buddy and Vicky's twelve years into 2500 words. Please let me know how I did. Thank you Lauri, for your congratulations back in late November. I appreciated that and repeated that on my own blog too. Larry

YES, PROFESSOR - cover art!

Whee! Hot on the heels of my Official Blurb comes this dazzling cover!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I cannot get over how much I love my cover artist, Nicola Martinez. I told her today I think her covers are classier than my stories. *snort* Yep, here's the gorgeous cover for my upcoming (that's right, rated-HOT) novella, Yes, Professor... You only wish you knew what's written in that diary sitting on that desk, I'm surprised it's not on fire. *grin* Come on, everybody's had a Professor fantasy, right? Well, I'll indulge it for all of us with this scandalous little number.

Let's hear that blurb one more time, shall we?
"Patience Winters’ world is about to turn upside down. After two years as personal assistant to the stern and striking Professor Richmond at the Women’s Academy, her term is about to end. Achingly in love with him, Patience longs for the professor to give her a reason to stay. Desperate for some hint he might feel the same way, Patience steals a peek at her mentor’s secret journal and discovers his scandalous fantasies. But how can she let the professor know she’s in on his secret? Her typical breathless "yes, Professor" has never meant so much."


I'm having such a great time with this.

And again, in the meantime, because I'm feeling relatively shameless :) here's what's spicy and currently available - see, again with the gorgeous covers!
Passion at an Exhibition








Cheers,
Tori Anne
19th Century New York Comes Alive With Spicy Snares and Saucy Wit!

Win a free book and other goodies

Yes - it's officially in print. Just in case you've forgotten, this is the cover. I have to say it's even more beautiful in 'real life' and the starry background carries on to the back cover.To celebrate I'm holding a contest to win:

1. An autographed copy of 'Starquest'

2. A special 'Starquest' Teeshirt with the cover printed on the front. Large or Medium - winer's choice

3. A handmade English lavender sachet to keep it smelling sweet and fragrant

4. A handy Desk calendar for 2009

5.A pair of tiny 'blue rose' earrings'. (To see find out the significance of the blue rose you need to read the story)

To enter - just go to my WEBSITE and read the first chapter of Starquest to find the answer to this question -What is the name of the DESTINY'S computer? When you've found it, email me at: Contest@hywelalyn.co.uk before 27th December, making sure I have your email address. I'll get the prizewinner's pack out to them early in the New Year.

Christmas is coming and books make wonderful presents. If you'd like an autographed copy for a Christmas gift, just email me at Lyn@hywelalyn.co.uk .

Yes, Professor - Official Blurb

I'm thrilled to share with you my Official Blurb for my upcoming HOT Mini American Rose, Yes, Professor...

"Patience Winters’ world is about to turn upside down. After two years as personal assistant to the stern and striking Professor Richmond at the Women’s Academy, her term is about to end. Achingly in love with him, Patience longs for the professor to give her a reason to stay. Desperate for some hint he might feel the same way, Patience steals a peek at her mentor’s secret journal and discovers his scandalous fantasies. But how can she let the professor know she’s in on his secret? Her typical breathless "yes, Professor" has never meant so much."

Did I mention it's HOT? :)

Yes, Professor release date is TBA.


In the meantime, check out Passion at an Exhibition, a spicy little number...



Be sure to visit the American Roses at our Blog.

And at Romancing American Historicals!

Cheers,
Tori Anne: Where 19th Century New York Comes Alive With Spicy Snares and Saucy Wit!

Your chance to win a free book

Okay I confess this is shameless promotion of Shelter In Seattle! I am thrilled that it is coming out today in paper back. I am so thrilled that I'm willing to give away one lucky reader a free copy. So if you are feeling lucky, comment on this blog mention you'd like a copy of this book and I'll ask my editor to pick a number from 0to however many comments we get. If you are the commenter with that number, I'll make sure you get a copy of Shelter In Seattle. Be sure and put your email address in the comments.

Is that as clear as mud? I'm an author... normally I write better then this. LOL

Ok... Go to the comments on this post, I've left a sample of what I want you to do.

Roni Adams Sleigh Ride Post

Christmas Ride Blog Event


I tried in vain all morning to get this to post to my Roni Adams blog site and it wouldn't work. I don't know how many folks I"ll catch over here, but I"m going to try. You can also read this blog at my web site of www.roniadams.com. Sign my guestbook while you're there!

Merry Christmas and welcome to my blog.

I’m told that we are celebrating the holidays in December and that I need to give you a clue as to what my Christmas song is. I would love to tell you to read my latest release and the second in my Double B Series, “The Cowboy Comes Home” because my heroine Beth and my hero Tyler dance to this Christmas classic when they meet up again for the first time, but its not due to release until sometime in early January.

This famous Christmas song brings tears to my eye every time I hear it no matter who sings it:

“Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams”


That’s all the hints I can give you. Have you figured it out yet? Well, for any Mom of adult kids it’s a song that’s near and dear to our hearts as we hope all our little sugarplums find a way to be around that Christmas tree on the 25th.

This holiday season as you sit around with your family and friends please remember our servicemen and women who are far away from home this holiday season. As I prepare for my own son to do his first tour of duty in Iraq with the Marines I’m thankful that he doesn’t ship out until the first week in January. You can believe that next year at this time, this song will bring me to my knees as I eagerly anticipate his return.

The participants of the Christmas Ride blog event are giving one lucky person a $75 Wild Rose Press gift certificate! All you need to do to enter is attend each day's blog post, identify the carol, and make a complete carol list to submit after the final blog post of Christmas Eve. Don't forget to check the list twice! Send it to Christmasrideblog@live.com by midnight, CST Dec. 31st 2008!

My own special gift to you is that anyone who leaves a comment here will be entered into a drawing to win an e-copy of the first book in the Double B Series “To Tame A Cowgirl” which also includes the first scene from “The Cowboy Comes Home”. Make sure you include your email so I can send you the book and check back here on Friday morning to see who won.


And tomorrow on the next stop on the Christmas Ride blog event, go to http://www.stacydawn.blogspot.com/

Me, Again, Stalking My Books

Okay, this one link floored me. I came across this one bored tonight. It shocked me most at the thouth that some deluded individual just might buy my book at this price.

32 bucks for a book that hasn't even came out in print yet? Are you serious?!! What's more astounding is that some poor sap will probably buy my book at this price. Listen, AMAZON, for goodness sakes even BARNES AND NOBLE will get you a cheaper price than this. I'm not that big of a writer for anyone to shell out more than the given price for my books. Seriously, if you are that hard up just write me and tell me how much you love me I will purchase the damn book for you. If it means printing out a hard copy and signing that's what I'll do, but DAMN folks. 32 bucks?!!! That's insane. I wouldn't shell that out for a Jenny Crusie. And I love JENNY CRUSIE. I heart that woman. I would be the first in line once she writes a stand alone novel. I would be that weirdo who will drag her kids out in the cold for her next stand alone novel likes it a Star Trek convention.

Well, that is all I wanted to expound about today. Nothing to see here folks.

~Melissa Blue and I'm out~

Five Angels for A Train Through Time by Bess McBride

Five Angels from Fallen Angels Reviews!

Yahoooeee!!! Five Angels from Whitney at Fallen Angel Reviews for my recent release, A Train Through Time!

Here's a bit of the review.

Bess McBride’s A Train Through Time takes a very modern woman and drops her smack into the tail end of the Victorian era. Ellie is independent, vegetarian, and a feminist, and it is fascinating to watch her try to deal with the differences between the society she was raised in and that of 1901. Her struggle with wearing a corset is most entertaining and had this reader imagining the discomfort that such a device would cause. This story contains a lot of detail and appears to be well researched, and I certainly enjoyed the trip back in time to the Seattle of the Victorian era. The story also does a good job of teasing the reader with an element of suspense: Is this entire adventure a dream, or has Ellie really traveled in time? For Robert and Ellie’s sake, I hoped that the time travel was real, but there is just enough of a suggestion that it’s all a dream to raise a doubt. For this mix of historical detail, romance, and suspense, this reader found reading A Train Through Time a thoroughly enjoyable experience.


For the rest of the review, follow this link: http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2008/November/Whitney-ATrainThroughTime.htm

Bess McBride
www.bessmcbride.com

Petticoat Pledges

Petticoat Pledges is available from The Wild Rose Press .

Hope you enjoy the excerpt!

Sarita

Sarita Leone

From the Heart

The blurb:

By the time the war is in its third year, those left behind in eastern Mississippi are accustomed to hard times. They've overcome physical obstacles, adjusted their expectations, and gone from grand, gracious living to...well, just living. And while many hardships can be handled,there are others that are so painful as to be nearly unendurable.

When Valentine's Day approaches and Bettie hasn't any word from the man she's pledged to love, she learns how deep the pain of silence can be.Will she hear from Henry on the day decreed for love? Or will she go on waiting...and wondering?

The excerpt:

Mississippi, 1864

"I don't understand it. Everyone else has already gotten word, even if it's just a little something, from their men. But me? Nothing," Bettie said, knotting her fingers in her lap. There were moments, like this one, when she wondered if the children she taught at the one-room schoolhouse were the closest she'd get to having her own.She hoped not, but in these uncertain hours the only thing she could be sure of was her burning desire for the war to end. Not tomorrow, but today—this very minute, if possible. "Not a tiny scrap of paper with an `I love you' on it, not one of those darling braided hearts made from wheat stalks, not even a walnut with a heart carved on its side. Nothing. Which, believe me, is much worse that even the grimiest, scraggliest little bit of something." Hanging her head so low that the ends of her pinned blonde curls touched her shoulders, she screwed her eyes tightly shut and willed the tears not to fall. When she was certain she'd won the crying battle, at least for now, she looked up at the woman who sat beside her in the dimly-lit parlor and shrugged. "What can I say? I must be spoiled rotten to be thinking of myself at a time like this but honestly, Julia, I can't help it."

Reaching across the divan cushions, the other woman patted her hand. The expression on her thin, weary face mirrored those worn by so many others. If only one word could be used to describe the widespread look, it would be resigned.

"You're not spoiled, not one bit. Why, if anything,you're fully deprived of each and every little pleasure of life, almost. All of the things we were accustomed to, all of the gay gatherings, tasty food and comforts of life are gone from us. To yearn for some word from Henry,especially when others have gotten theirs, can hardly be considered spoiled."

It was true. There wasn't one family in eastern Mississippi who hadn't felt the ravages of war, the effects of declaring independence from the heavy-handed Northern oppression, dearly. Since the state had seceded in January `61, there had been little comfort, happiness or pleasure for anyone. Now, three long, hard years later, it was nearly impossible for those left at home to recall life before the war with anything but the merest shadow of a memory, at times so vague and elusive it seemed more imagined than actual dreams.

For most, word of the war was one of the main reasons they went on living. That and the snippets of communication from their loved ones on the battlefields,brought by any means available to their work-worn hands and love-starved hearts.

"Ours was such a fast promise, a spur-of-the-moment pledge the morning they were leaving. Why, as a group of men walked by, Henry called out to me. It was just as casual as if he'd asked me to dance with him at the Harvest Ball. `Love me while I'm gone, won't you,Bettie?'It was a request that I'll hear always. Even in my sleep his sweet voice comes to me." The words were nearly whispered now, as she recalled the crispness of the morning they were first uttered.

Christmas Ride blog event

Spend the Holiday in the Garden.

You've been into the basement for the 6 foot artificial tree or into the lots to find the perfect evergreen to grace the front room picture window. Lights on the tree and more on the house. Set up the miniature Christmas village with all the trimmings, angels on the mantle, Santa and snowmen on the shelf, you've decorated with the works. Baking holiday treats, sipping hot cocoa, apple cider, and cinnamon lattes. Send Christmas cards, find time to enjoy your family. And finally, when you've spread holiday cheer until your ready to run over the shoppers with your car, it's time to take a moment for yourself.

So after a long day, and a long holiday season that is crazy while you're planning, but when all is said and done, is over much to quick, it's time to steal a few precious moments and cuddle up with a romance story.

The Wild Rose Press has a wonderful selection of Holiday stories. Visit www.TheWildRosePress.com

Now for a chance to win a 6.00 gift certificate to the Wild Rose Press, tell me your favorite holiday flower or your favorite holiday treat. Christmas Rose, pointesttia, or orchid. Sugar cookies, nut fudge, or candy canes.



And to spread more Christmas cheer, the participants of the Christmas Ride blog event are giving one lucky person a $75 Wild Rose Press gift certificate! All you need to do to enter is attend each day's blog post, identify the carol, and make a complete carol list to submit after the final blog post of Christmas Eve. Don't forget to check the list twice! Send it to Christmasrideblog@live.com by midnight, CST Dec. 31st 2008!

Here is your hint for the Wild Rose Press selected Christmas song--

See the candy fairies, sugar-plums, jelly-beans, chocolate bars, Dance the minuet,
With the candied cherries, lolly-pops, peppermints, candy-canes, As they pirouette, See the Fairy Princess curtsying, gracefully, beautifully, Swaying to the tune...
Music in the air , so entrancing..
Flowers in her hair as she's dancing..
Love is everywhere..
Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h..
'Neath the yellow lemon-drop moon.
There she goes now, on her toes now,
To her yellow lemon-drop moon.


And tomorrow on the next stop on the Christmas Ride blog event, go to http://michelehart.blogspot.com/.

Don't forget to leave a comment to enter a drawing from a 6.00 Wild Rose Press gift ceritficate, and collect the Holiday song for a chance at the grand prize.