Wednesday, November 29, 2017

EXCERPT: Wolf for Christmas






 WOLF FOR CHRISTMAS
 Wolf Shifters
(November 2015) 


Available at:
Amazon
  Barnes and Noble
  Kobo  
iBooks





BOOK BLURB

A letter to Santa brings the only man Melanie ever loved back into her life, but the reunion is bittersweet. Melanie desperately wants him, but she knows he does not want her. Finn rejected her in high school.

Forced on vacation, Finn finds himself face-to-face with the only woman he will ever love, and the one woman he hurt the most with his cruel rejection.

Can Finn prove to Melanie that he really loves her? 

Will Melanie follow her heart and give Finn a second chance?



EXCERPT

“Walking in the middle of the road is just plain stupid! And doing it at dusk is idiotic! I could have killed you,” said Melanie as she stared up at the tall, dark-haired man. “Do you have a death wish or what?”
The man stared at her with the goofiest grin she had ever seen plastered on his face.
Melanie blinked and shook her head. “Did you even hear a thing I said?”
The man continued staring at her.
She sighed in frustration. “Do you realize I could have been killed when I swerved around you?”
A weird noise emanated from deep in the man’s chest.
Melanie’s eyes widened. “Did you just growl at me?” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She knew he had growled at her, and the worst part was it did not frighten her. In fact, it had the opposite effect. It woke something she thought she had buried deep inside her years ago when she realized Finn Dalton would never want anything to do with her.
“I didn’t mean to scare you, and I definitely didn’t mean to make you veer off the road.” Finn grinned at his beautiful mate. He was not sure whom he should thank for his second chance.
The Fates?
Santa?
Honestly, he did not care who had given him the second chance, though he had a sneaky, suspicious it was the Big Guy. He was just glad he had gotten it, and there was no way he was going to let Melanie Clausson get away.
Melanie swallowed. She knew that voice. After all the years, it still haunted her dreams. The spark of desire his growl had awakened suddenly blazed into a full fire that threatened to burn her alive.
“Are you okay?” asked Finn. The scent of her desire wrapped around him like a warm blanket. The drive to claim and mark her as his rode him hard. He wanted his mate. His wolf was in total agreement.
“I’m fine,” said Melanie. She took a couple of deep breathes. She knew she had to get control of her body and her emotions. “Finn Dalton, what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere at this time of the evening?” she asked.
Finn raised an eyebrow. “You know who I am?”    

Monday, November 27, 2017

Quote of the Week


Christmas and the holidays 
are the season of giving.
It's a time when people
are more kind and open-hearted.
--Gisele Bundchen


Friday, November 24, 2017

Random Thoughts: Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Other Stuff


Thanksgiving 2017 is officially over and the leftovers from the feast are in the refrigerator waiting to be repacked and frozen for next week's lunches. I had a good day visiting with family and friends who stopped by for lunch.

This year I'm thankful for...
  • family,
  • friends,
  • continued good health...DH did have a couple more stints placed in his heart earlier this year but so far things are going good.
  • the means to pay for the necessities and a few extras,
  • my writing,
  • my readers and fans.
Some of the family left early because they planned to do hit the early Black Friday sales that were actually starting Thursday night.

Not me! DH and I did the Black Friday sales one time and that was enough for me. Now, I avoid the stores during the Black Friday hoopla. I would much rather do my shopping on-line. It's much easier and I don't have to deal with the shopping crowds and craziness that goes with it.

I know there's still a month left in this year  and Christmas to plan for but I've started planning for next year. One of the things I need to start setting up is my 2018 bullet journal. I need to design tracking pages for my writing stuff and finances among other things. I also want to include pages for the projects I'm working on each month. Some of the pages I plan on using I've actually used this year. So I just have to copy them into the new journal.

Why a bullet journal?

I've tried different types of planners over the year. Some worked for awhile and others didn't work at all. There were things I like about each, but none did everything I wanted them to do. So far I like the bullet journal system which I've modified to fit me. It is flexible enough to cover all the things I want to cover and have it in one place.

I've also started looking at what I've achieved this year and what I want to accomplish next year. I'm actually creating lists for both. I'll post more on these at the end of December and the first of January.

I'm working on Protected Hearts (Durant Brothers book 2). I'm trying to get back on schedule, but the muse is not cooperating. Characters and scenes for other stories are floating through my brain. I'm keeping pen and paper near to jot down the ideas just to get them out of my brain. So far it's like a flood with no end. I guess I shouldn't be complaining. LOL!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

Monday, November 20, 2017

Quote of the Week



My fondest memories are generally the day after Thanksgiving. 
I get the total decorating Christmas itch.
   --Katharine McPhee

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Backlist Wednesday: LUCIFER



Lucifer
Brimstone Heat, Book 1



Available At:
  KOBO 
 Nook


Banned from returning home until he finds his lifemate, Lucifer Fitch lives and works in the human realm, carefully hiding his true identity from the humans and shifters he protects as the sheriff of Briary Creek. If they knew he was the Lucifer, as in one of the four princes of Hell, chaos would tear the town apart.

Angie Gunner knows Lucifer is different from the others who live in Briary Creek, but that is not the reason she ignores her feelings and the connection that developed the first time they met. He is an officer of the law and she vowed a long tome ago not to date law officers of any kind. She knows firsthand that cops die and sometimes their families die too.

But Lucifer and Angie are forced to make decisions when their pasts combine forces to destroy Angie.
Will Angie be able to look past the badge and see the man she is destined to be with for eternity?

Will Lucifer claim his lifemate before he loses her forever?


Lucifer is the first book in the Briary Creek Wolves spin-off series, Brimstone Heat.

Monday, November 13, 2017

Quote of the Week


Holidays are all different 
depending on the company and time of your life.
   --Dominic Monaghan


Sunday, November 12, 2017

Random Thoughts: Thanksgiving

The trees are swaying in the breeze and leaves are floating to the ground. I can even  hear them hitting the roof. Yes, with the foam and plastic roof, I can hear everything that hits it. I can even even hear the squirrels run across the roof.

Fall is definitely in the air, but today the temperature is warming. We'll be in the low 70s, though I have a feeling it's going to be more like the upper 70s. About once a week for the past three weeks, we've had a cool weather teaser when the fronts came through, but it didn't last very long.

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. Sometimes it's hard to believe the holidays are here. We will have friends and family over. I'm starting to plan the menu for the day so I can create a master grocery list. Honestly, I'm not doing anything fancy, just simple home cooking. DH is going to smoke a couple of turkeys. I think he's actually going to smoke more than just two. He's already received some requests for smoked turkeys.

And yes, they are that good. I remember one Thanksgiving, we had family stay the night. The next morning I pulled the turkey out of the refrigerator to use what was left to make a casserole. To my surprise the only thing left in the pan was bones. Someone had picked them clean and put them back into the refrigerator.

I'll make a ham, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, a green bean casserole, yeast rolls, and a couple of pies. When it comes to pies, I cheat. I'll buy a couple of frozen pies to bake. But I will make a homemade banana pudding. I have two versions that I make. For the holidays, I'll make the "rich" version. This version is more decadent then the normal version I make.

I've cooked holiday meals for friends and family for so many years that it's not that much work. On the day before Thanksgiving, I'll bake cornbread for the dressing, the yeast rolls, and the pies. I'll also make the banana pudding that way it has a chance to set up overnight. DH will also smoke the turkeys. Everything else will be cooked on Thanksgiving morning.

I might even make some shortbread cookies. I actually love shortbread cookies. They are perfect with coffee or hot tea.

What are your Thanksgiving plans?

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Happy Veteran's Day

Thank you for your service and your sacrifices. Peace is not free and it's the payment you make that keeps us safe and allows us to have the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.


Wednesday, November 8, 2017

RELUCTANTLY UNDEAD Excerpt


The night I died, I woke up into a world I thought only existed in the warped minds of screenwriters in Hollywood and romance authors who wrote about the dark, tortured soul looking for his or her soul mate. I mean, get real. Vampires and werewolves are stuff of myth and legends.  Right?

Wrong. Wrong! WRONG!!

Vampires are REAL.

How do I know this?

The night I died, I woke up as a vampire. But of course, leave it to me to screw up the whole process.

Okay, I am rambling. Sorry about that, and I am sorry for apologizing, and I—you get the idea.

By the way, I’m Ember. Ember Winterstone.




Available at:

Amazon   

Monday, November 6, 2017

Quote of the Week


Some memories are unforgettable, 
remaining ever vivid and heartwarming!
   --Joseph B. Wirthlin


Saturday, November 4, 2017

Random Thoughts: Weather, Holidays, Writing and Stuff

The trees are still green but the grass is starting to turn brown in places. The sky is over cast and grayish making it seem colder than what it really is. It's November and it should be cold, but here in South Texas the weather is warm. The highs for the next few days are supposed to be in the upper 70s and lower 80s. Not exactly what you think the temperature in November should be and definitely not the way it looks outside.

Last weekend, we did have a cold (cool) front drop the temperatures for a couple of days. Two nights the temperature actually dropped into the 40s and we had to turn on the heat for the first time, but today the air conditioner is back on. 

Texas weather. Gotta love it!

The stores are putting out Christmas stuff, if it hasn't already been out. The grocery stores are stocked with all the stuff to make Thanksgiving dinner, and everyone has Halloween stuff marked down. I feel like the stores are rushing the holidays. I guess I can't say too much. I am watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel and drinking my version of a latte. I heat some milk in the microwave, and then make a cup of coffee with my Kuerig (I use a mix of pre-filled and refillable pods). I'm the only person in the house who drinks coffee. DH doesn't like the stuff.

I'm working on Protected Hearts (Durant Brothers #2), but writing has been a little slow. Last Sunday I was knocked down with a nasty stomach bug so all my plans were tossed to the winds. It happens.

It's back to writing, so have a wonderful weekend!



Thursday, November 2, 2017

Excerpt from INKED MEMORIES by Carrie Ann Ryan









 About INKED MEMORIES

The Montgomery Ink series by NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan continues when the final Denver Montgomery sibling refuses to fall for his brother’s former flame—the company’s new plumber.
Wes Montgomery watched his entire family fall in love, and now finds himself ready to settle down. Except the one person he seems to find chemistry with is not only his twin’s ex, she also works for Montgomery Inc. But when the two find themselves in one compromising situation after another, Wes realizes he’s having second thoughts about the dynamic woman who’s burst her way into his life. Sure she sets off his temper, but she also makes him hot in every other way possible.
Jillian Reid never loved her best friend like everyone thought she should, so she pushed him away so he could have his future. Now, despite fighting it, she finds herself attracted to the one man she shouldn’t. When her father’s health takes a turn for the worse, and a danger no one saw coming show its face, she’s forced to turn to Wes for help. The two of them have fought off their attraction long enough, and each cave to the desire. But this enemies-to-lovers tale might have an ending no one ever dreamed of.
Get your hands on INKED MEMORIES now!
✦Amazon http://amzn.to/2p0UqOU
✦iBooks http://apple.co/2foEDcy
✦Barnes & Noble http://bit.ly/2pVfvgV
✦Kobo http://bit.ly/2fD4AnO
✦Google Play http://bit.ly/2pqze65
✦Amazon Paperback http://amzn.to/2kz640M


EXCERPT
Jillian had spent a week working so hard on the warehouse project that she hadn’t been able to focus on anything else but her job and her aching muscles. That was the only way she’d been able to keep going after making yet another fool of herself by calling Wes last weekend. Yes, she’d actually needed help with work, but the aching twinge that had occurred when she heard the other woman’s voice just annoyed her.
Wes Montgomery wasn’t hers. None of the Montgomerys were, and that was how she liked it.
In fact, she had a date tonight with a nice man. A second date—something she hadn’t had in far too long. So those annoying feelings she’d had in a moment of weakness for a certain Montgomery could go take a flying leap off the top of the warehouse.
Clark was sweet, if a little too sweet, and seemed like a wonderful man. She’d told Storm the truth: that she wanted to find her own happily ever after. Going out with men on dates was part of that plan. So far, she’d been on four different first dates, but none of them had stuck. The first ones were a little too...boring for her, and there hadn’t been a lick of chemistry. Clark at least had a small spark that could maybe one day turn into the inferno she felt with—
Nope. Not thinking about him.
Ever.



See the INKED MEMORIES trailer:


About Carrie Ann Ryan

Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.