Mercy by Helenkay Dimon

Dimon started Mercy with a fabulous twist.  A lethal, female CIA agent wants to get caught!

Agent Becca Ford can get herself out-of and into any type of situation, and she chooses to pretend to let Jarrett Holt, a man she set-up for jail time, detain her on his property.

When you find out their background, full of erotic romance and treachery, the story will entice you all the way to “The End.”

Becca’s and Jarrett’s sexual prowess is full of demands and orders happily performed all the while Becca is a target of her former allies of the CIA.

A sweet and sorrowful subplot of m/m targets two of the men involved in detangling who wants Becca turned to ash. 

Mercy is a light erotic and suspense novel which uses power, sex, and love that can’t be ignored to unite the hearts of Becca and Jarrett.  He’s a true hero who will give up everything for safety of his love.

The story has a good pace and romance is the heart of the tale with suspense secondary to the main characters actions. 

 

    

Happy reading,
Dawn

gent gent wantingist,  time, detain her on his property

Sisterhood by Lee McKenzie with Giveaway

Last month I was invited to speak about writing romance to a chapter of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority. I’ve never belonged to a sorority and knew very little about them, but I was impressed with the bond of sisterhood these women shared. Their group was also a perfect tie-in to talking about my books because that’s what I love to write. Not sororities, but sisterhood.

As an “only child,” I missed out on having a sibling sisterhood, but I have acquired the next best thing—the true and long-lasting friendship of some amazing women. Over the years we have supported one another through the joys and sorrows of life: boyfriends and breakups, marriages and separations, births and miscarriages, raising children, changing careers, illness and wellness, and the losses of those we hold dearest. These women, my sisterhood, have the courage and strength to cope with the twists and turns of life, but we’re even stronger for having shared them.

If I had to name one thing that has had a profound effect on my writing, it is these women, their friendship, our sisterhood. My Seattle-set three-book series is about three women who meet at a business women’s organization, form a bond and decide to combine their talents into one business venture. Their company, called Ready Set Sold, renovates, stages and sells homes for other families while searching for their own home sweet homes.

I loved writing the romance in these books (The Christmas Secret, The Daddy Project and Daddy, Unexpectedly) but I also enjoyed writing about the friendships among these women and about the mutual support and encouragement they give one another, and at the end of the third book, it was fun to bring all of the characters and their families together and bring all three stories full circle.

In my next book, The Parent Trap (Harlequin Heartwarming, now available for pre-order), the sisterhood is between two teenage girls who become best friends and decide their over-protective, single parents need a distraction. The solution? Their parents can distract each other! By the way, if the title reminds you an old Haley Mills movie, I’m here to tell you this is not that story! The movie is about reuniting a family while my book is about bringing two families together. The Parent Trap will be an October 2014 release.

I want to thank the wonderful bloggers here at Happily Ever After Thoughts for hosting me today. It’s wonderful to be back!

I would love to hear about your sisterhoods—family, friends or both. I’ll be thrilled to give away an autographed set of my Ready Set Sold Series, and a winner will be drawn from the commenters. 

You’ll also find me on my website [http://www.leemckenzie.com] where you can subscribe to my newsletter, Life in the Slow Lane, and on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/lee.mckenzie.romanceauthor?ref=hl].

Happy reading!

Lee

About Lee:

From the time Lee McKenzie was ten years old and read Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, she knew she wanted to be a writer, just like Anne and Jo. In the intervening years she has written advertising copy, magazine articles, and an honors thesis in paleontology, and edited conference proceedings, educational material and technical publications. Along the way her imagination demanded a more creative outlet, and she soon discovered the world of romance. Becoming a four-time Golden Heart finalist and a Harlequin author are her proudest accomplishments yet. Lee and her artist/teacher husband live on an island in the Pacific Northwest, and she loves to spend time with two of her best friends—her grown-up children.

Be sure to leave a comment to win this 3-book series!

Frozen

     I admit, I love Disney movies, whether live action or animated (though I do have a special fondness for animated). Some of my very best memories growing up is watching Disney on Sunday nights, waiting for Tinkerbell to appear on the television screen to spread her pixie dust and invite us to join in delightful magic for an hour.

     Special memories, indeed, so when the advertisements for Frozen started appearing, I knew for certain I wanted to see it. After all, hadn’t I watched every other Disney feature throughout my life? Beauty and the Beast holds a special place in my heart as does Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Tangled. What can I say? I’m a sucker for that happily ever after. 
     Disney movies have that happily ever after I crave….and so much more. Laughter. A few tears. Toe-tapping, memorable music you find yourself humming whenever you’re not paying attention (who doesn’t know all the words to A Spoonful of Sugar from Mary Poppins or Be Our Guest, sung by Lumière and all the dishes in the house in Beauty and the Beast? I admit, I love that sequence!).
     Two weeks ago, I finally had the opportunity to watch Frozen….and it was wonderful! Well worth the wait (for it to come out on DVD). Inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, the Snow Queen, the story-line was heart-tugging yet full of hope, the animation was fantastic, and the humor? I found myself—yes, at my age— giggling (which my DH thinks is hilarious). Who didn’t love Olaf the snowman, singing about summer, not realizing that snow melts in the heat or Sven, the reindeer, who reminded me so much of my dog, Schatzie.
     The music is still in my head (Let It Go, Love is an Open Door, Do You Want to Build a Snowman) and I find myself singing as I’m doing dishes (or trying to write…yeah, I know….hard to concentrate on the words on the page when melodies are running through your head).  
      If you haven’t seen Frozen, you should but you might suffer from the same problem I’m now facing…waiting for the next animated feature!
      So, what’s your favorite Disney movie?


As always, happy reading (and watching!)
Marie

JoAnne Meyers, Guest Author

WRITING PARANORMAL

When it comes to fiction writing, almost anything goes. That is why I love writing paranormal and fantasy stories. The author can go completely over the edge and make something unbelievable seem believable. When it comes to ghost stories, I get a lot of my inspiration from real life experiences. Not necessarily my own either. I watch television programs that partake of the supernatural and paranormal flare. Programs from ordinary people who claim they experienced either an afterlife experience, or a haunting.

Some of the stories from my anthology, Wicked Intentions, are based on actual hauntings. In The Legend of Lake Manor, I placed my young psychic, Cassandra Lopez, in a haunted mansion I fashioned on my knowledge of a three-story mansion in my hometown and information from television about a restaurant/bar in Ohio, supposedly ruled by demons so violent that the local police are constantly closing it down.

A television documentary about a young mother plagued by ghost sightings since childhood, inspired The Haunting of Barb Marie and her gift/curse.

And The Apartment, in which my newlyweds, Bill and Gayle, are plagued by sightings of evil ghosts that threaten their marriage and theirs lives, originated from a real apartment haunted by the ghosts of two homosexual lovers who died violently. The legend says no tenant is able to stay there until the spirits are chased off by a paranormal investigation team.

On the Discovery Channel, is where I got the idea for Summer Wind. I learned of the colonial explorer Jonathon Carver who lived during the 1700s and whose ghost is believed to be haunting the Summerwind estate, built in the early 20^th century. Carver’s ghost is, supposedly, searching the house’s foundations for deeds to a vast tract of land (10,000 square miles) given to him by Sioux Indian chiefs as a reward for the peace treaty he created between two warring tribes. In my Summer Wind, 29 year-old Ginger is mysteriously drawn to the old mansion, and like the many owners of the real mansion, the haunting had a negative and profound effect on Ginger and her family.

Another investigative program concerned one sister’s psychic premonitions about her twin’s murder. This led to my story, Blood Ties, and my heroine, Audra Roper’s dark, disturbing visions of her sister’s disappearance and the roller coaster of risks, heartbreak, and intrigue that followed.

Dark Visions came from reading a newspaper story while sitting in a diner. A young woman began having visions of her father's disappearance that was actually his murder from years earlier. So, my Carrie Reynolds starts having nightmares on her twenty-sixth birthday and believes these ‘dark visions’ can solve the twenty year disappearance of her father.

I set my murder mystery, The Truth Behind the Lies, on Norfolk Island after following a three year long murder investigation on that island from 2003. In my story, Federal Police Inspector Ian Christian faces attacks, more murders and ghostly occurrences, and the killer is closer than anyone realizes.

So, the next time you get Writer’s Block, or need a new idea, try switching on the television, open a newspaper, delve into history or simply look and listen. You will find something to stimulate your muse. 

Author Bio:

JoAnne has been a long-time resident of southeastern Ohio, and worked in the blue-collar industry most of her life. Besides having several novels under her belt, JoAnne canvas paints. When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, JoAnne spends time with relatives, her dog Jasmine, and volunteers her time within the community. JoAnne is a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, Savvy Authors, Coffee Time Romance, Paranormal Romance Guild, True Romance Studios, National Writers Association, the Hocking Hill's Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. JoAnne believes in family values and following your dreams. JoAnne’s original canvas paintings, can be found at: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com

Other books by JoAnne:

Murder Most Foul-a detective/mystery

Loves, Myths, and Monsters-a fantasy anthology

The Crime of the Century-a biography true crime

Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between

Upcoming Releases:

Twisted Love-a biography true crime anthology available June

Flagitious-a detective/mystery novella anthology available Summer 2014

Website: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com

Blog: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com/page2

Buy links for “Wicked Intentions” 7 bone chilling paranormal/mystery tales

http://www.melange-books.com/authors/joannemyers/WickedIntentions.html

Paperback:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?keyWords=wicked+intentions&categoryId=100501

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Intentions-JoAnne-Myers-ebook/dp/B00GNRUF40/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384531716&sr=1-1&keywords=wicked+intentions+myers

Contact JoAnne: joannetucker98@yahoo.com

My First Time at Romantic Times

Just jotting off this quick post about being a first timer at the Romantic Times Convention. In three words, or one acronym, OMG!

I feel like a deer in headlights! There is so much happening at the same time. I know I'm missing a few things. But everyone is so friendly and I’ve had a chance to catch up with a few friends from all over the country and made a few new ones, mostly while standing in line or while eating or while dancing! Even got to hang out with Kathryn Falk!

There is so much to see and do and with 2,400 people here, many more to meet. The events are a fabulous time like when we went  to Mardi Gras World, and New Orleans is fascinating. So fun to explore when I get a chance. Lots of good eateries and the Bananas Foster is to die for :-)

I’ll give a full report when I get back, but I have to say that so far, this is not a convention to be missed!

Always, Lexi

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