ON WINGS OF LOVE Made Me Cry

And the winner from last week’s blog posting is . . .

PAIGE WOOD, who wrote in as anonymous because she couldn’t get her account to work. Congratulations, Paige! You have won a copy of Kim Watters new release ON WINGS OF LOVE.

Of course, having Kim Watters here all last week was such a treat. And after hearing so much about her book, I just had to read it. Now, I have to say I have never read an inspirational romance before, so this was my first one. Oh gosh, I have to admit, it made me cry, but in a happy way! Who would have thought it with a book where the conflict is centered on organ donation?

From setting to characters, Kim excelled with this romance. First, her setting was so realistic I found myself getting uncomfortable with the hot Arizona sun. And she did such a great job with the heroine’s exhaustion (she works some 24 hour shifts) that I was feeling completely wiped out. And I so loved the dog who was realistically messy and impossible not to love. How can you not love a dog named “Houston?”

Second, her characters were well developed (I hope Houston doesn’t take offense to not being in this paragraph). There is the hero, a good looking pilot with a boat-load of guilt and anger, who is trying to live life in limbo. On the other hand, the heroine is very compassionate and determined to make life better for everyone, but has her own insecurities cluttering up her brain. When these two come together, the mixture is trying, uplifting, and a true picture of character growth.

The crying part? Well, it’s not about someone dying if that’s what you think, but other than my telling you that, you’ll just have to read the book to figure it out. If you like children, dogs, people who care, and a happy ending, this book is for you. As a treat, I’ve included an excerpt below.

To find ON WINGS OF LOVE go to http://www.kimwatters.com/

Excerpt:

Noah had come for her.

Ruth stepped toward the plane and the man standing near the doorway. She gazed at Noah, at his muscular chest, at his firm lips. The cold, remote look etched across his features signaled that his attitude about her profession hadn't changed.

Sighing, Ruth grabbed the plane's railing and pulled her tired body up the steps. At the top, she held out her hand to his waiting one. "Thanks for coming, Noah. I didn't think anyone would be able to get through in that storm."

Her fingers tingled as they remained connected with his. Without his sunglasses on, Ruth noticed his blue irises deepened to the color of the clearing sky before they darkened like the receding monsoon clouds.

Her need to soothe away his anguish intensified, but somehow she sensed that Noah wouldn't appreciate her attempt.

Special Guest - Kim Watters, Harlequin Author

This week I have a very special guest, Kim Watters. Known for writing sweet romances, she has just had her newest book ON WINGS OF LOVE come out under the Harlequin brand. Leave a comment and receive a chance to win her book.

Alexis: Hi Kim. Welcome to Happily Ever After Thoughts. Thank you so much for coming. Can you start by telling us why you decided to be a writer?

Kim: Thanks so much for inviting me, Alexis. The pleasure is all mine.

I love to read. Even as a child I'd almost always had a book in my hands. When I transitioned to category romance in my teens I had this habit of rewriting the endings, so it's only natural that I would eventually write my own stories.

Alexis: Your newest release ON WINGS OF LOVE is your first for Steeple Hill. I know you are very excited about this new publisher. Can you tell us a little about how you ended up with them?

Kim: I've been trying to become a Harlequin author for years. They've always been my dream publisher so I kept writing stories and submitted, each time getting closer. One night after my last rejection, I asked God for some direction. The next day I heard that the Love Inspired Line had gone from 4 to 6 books per month. It couldn't get any clearer than that. The next story that I sent to the Steeple Hill line sold. Now I'm part of the Harlequin family.

Alexis: So what is ON WINGS OF LOVE about?

Kim: Ruth Fontaine's job is to deliver lifesaving organs to those urgently in need. But the gruff pilot of her charter plane has no kind words for her work. And then she discovers the heartbreaking reason why. Noah Barton lost his wife and young son. Grieving, he gave in to pressure to donate his child's organs--a decision he regrets. He's bitter against those who "take advantage" of people's anguish. Yet he still flies her on her missions, with his beloved dog, Houston, as his copilot. Now Ruth will have to show Noah he has two other copilots: the Lord and her love.

Alexis: What inspired you to write on this topic?

Kim: Organ donation is a subject very near and dear to my heart. My sister-in-law, for whom the book is dedicated to, is a double recipient and is able to live a more normal life through the generous gift from a donor and his family. My hope is that people reading this book will also come away with a new appreciation for organ donation, the many people involved to make sure everything takes place, and the wonderful gift that each and every one of us has a chance to give to someone else.

Alexis: How is this book different from your others, or is it?

Kim: Tough question. Well, the obvious answer is that it's an inspirational. While my other stories are sweet, this one includes the faith element. Plus I'd like to think my character, their problems, and how they fall in love are different.

Alexis: What are your favorite character traits of Ruth and Noah?

Kim: For Noah, it would be his sense of honor and duty. He didn't want to fly the medical teams around, yet because the people that worked for his company depended on him, he put his own bias aside in order to fulfill the contract and keep his planes flying.

For Ruth, it would be her unwavering faith and devotion to helping those in need be it spiritual or physical.

Alexis: What’s on the horizon for you? Do you have any works in progress that we can look forward to?

Kim: Right now I'm working on another partial for Steeple Hill. This one revolves around a Victorian Mansion in need of series of renovations and a hero and heroine who are both up to the task. Of course if you can't wait for that one, there's always my back list at http://www.kimwatters.com/

Alexis: Kim is giving away a copy of her new release ON WINGS OF LOVE to one lucky commenter this week, so be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win. Also below are some handy links if you would like to buy her book.

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Wings-Love-Inspired/dp/0373875827/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263907670&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/On-Wings-of-Love/Kim-Watters/e/9780373875825/?itm=3&USRI=kim+watters

Borders http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=0373875827

Read-A-Book Goal Realized

I met my January goal to read one book. Actually I read two, but one was for research so I won’t bore you with the details of that one. I promised to share my thoughts on my book-a-month reads, so today I am posting about the anthology HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS which hit the New York Times Best Seller List. In addition, I will tell you a little about the special guest I’m having here on Monday February 8!

HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS
I usually don’t read anthologies because the stories are too short for me. It always seems that I’m just making friends with the characters when the story ends, but I was thrilled to find this was NOT the case with this book. I’m not sure how they did it, but these four authors spun some very hot paranormal romances that had great depth. I was truly impressed.

The Vampire’s Ball by Angela Knight, an author I have never read before, surprised me. It was full of magic, self revelations, and a final battle. The depth of the characters is perfect, from the heroine, Kat, who is a kickboxing instructor that is frantically afraid her mother might give in to her ever-present depression, to the hero, Ridge, the hot vampire, with an over reaching need to protect after losing a loved one in a magic war. Even Lancelot, who is combination knight and vampire and Kat’s long lost father, has a few demons hiding in his proverbial closet. A completely engaging read. I particularly liked the garage that transports high end vehicles to the magic realm. Very cool. http://www.angelasknights.com/

A Little Night Magic was written by Allyson James, one of my favorite authors. This is a story about Jamison, a shape shifter, and Naomi, a florist with a deaf child. When the story opens, Jamison walks back into Naomi’s life after having disappeared for two years. Naomi is not happy, but her daughter is thrilled, and Jamison is determined to stay. We also meet Coyote, a drifter who is actually a god, perhaps the god of chaos, who does his best to help in his odd sort of way. This story handles everything from Jamison discovering he is a shape shifter, to Naomi’s angst about being accepted by Jamison’s Native American Grandfather, to the town’s celebration of the Ghost Train. There is a great battle between a skinwalker, a changer, a god and a human and if you don’t know what all of those are then you need to read this book. What’s even more exciting is that Allyson tells me this story sets-up a whole series of romances. I can’t wait! http://www.allysonjames.com/

Sweet Enchantment by Anya Bast is an escape into the world of the Seelie and Unseelie Tuatha Dé Danann. Bella is a high placed Seelie in the court of the Summer Queen and Ronan is an Unseelie mage who has been living in the Summer Queens court, but is about to be executed. The problem? Bella and Ronan had fallen in love decades earlier and he ended the relationship before they had even kissed. Yet, Bella comes to save him by offering him marriage which he turns down. The two find themselves dealing with a witch, staying in an hourly rate motel, escaping into the Boundary Lands, and bargaining for their lives before the Queen, all while Ronan is determined to find a way for them to be together. This is a “love sacrifices all” and “love conquers all story.” Truly an enjoyable read. http://www.anyabast.com/

A Christmas Kiss is by the well known erotic romance writer Lora Leigh. This story’s tension and thrill is based on the fact the hero, Hawke, a member of the Wolf Breed Compound, has decided that Jess is his mate and there is nothing that will stand in his way of having her. Neither Jess’ own guilt, or the person trying to kill her, or Hawke’s own community will keep him from having her, and have her he does. The great part of this story is the belonging theme as Jess is accepted back into the very community she once betrayed. Trust me, you’ll accept her too. By the way, Laura has a slew of “breed” stories published if you’re looking for more. http://www.loraleigh.com/

GUEST NEXT WEEK
I’m thrilled to have inspirational romance writer Kim Watters joining us next week to talk about her new release from Steeple Hill (Harlequin), ON WINGS OF LOVE. She handles an interesting topic in this romance with a heroine who delivers life-saving organs and a gruff charter plane pilot with a dog. One lucky commenter next week will win Kim’s gift. For more on Kim go to http://www.kimwatters.com/html/newest__release.html and be sure to stop by next week and leave a comment.