Lumber Jacked by Chance Carter

I chose this book for several reasons.  I really felt like getting it on with a lumberjack in a book.  Hardcore male, strong and powerful, and a melting heart.  Also, I then noticed it was written by a man.  Great, I can get the skinny on how a man thinks, how he writes heroes and heroines, and what constitutes his version of a steamy scene. 

I went through this not too long ago and came up with a similar result.  The characters were too “mushy”, but the sex was “say it like it is.” 

This novel had a few flaws, though.  The conflict ended in the middle of the story.  I had no reason to continue reading except I thought a tangential conflict would sprout.  Sorry, no it didn’t. 

Grady (he’s not named Jack) is a hot and enticing man who starts his life over when he finds out he has a six-month old baby and he’s the surviving parent.  He moves to a mountain town (I do like the setting) and has plenty of money to survive very well. 

So, he’s not a lumberjack as I’d hoped.  Okay, so what does he do?  It took a third of the book to casually mention he stole whatever he has and regrets it.

The heroine, Autumn, has her own issues.  She moves to the mountain to work as a maid at a hotel.  The hotel owners claim they will pay for her mother’s cancer treatments in place of Autumn’s work.  Very noble of her.

The conflict arises in the work she is to perform, the weird and perverted attitude of the owners, and how Autumn deals with this. 

Along comes Grady to hopefully save the day.

Grady and Autumn’s beginning to the love fest is a bit different, and that’s refreshing.  Yet, the conflict could’ve had a lot more punch.

Enough said.  The novella was different on many levels.

Happy reading,

Dawn

Betty Bolte and A HAUNTED MELODY

Thanks so much for having me stop by today to share my new release, Haunted Melody (Secrets of Roseville Book 2)! Set in a haunted plantation in southern Tennessee, this story was such a fun one to write and I hope you’ll enjoy reading.

Music has played a large part in my life, more so in school than after. I played a viola beginning in the third grade and through to community college and community orchestras as an adult. I also sang in the church and high school choirs, and marched in the band in the flag squad. To this day, I love to sing and still own a guitar, which I really need to start playing again. I miss making music! Hopefully after my hubby and I move next month, I’ll be able to find the time to play again.

When I started writing Haunted Melody, I was happy to discover that my heroine Paulette and I share one thing in common: we both react to situations by thinking of songs. Music is an important part of Paulette’s life, one she’s shunted to one side until necessity brings it back to the fore. Only after Zak arrives in Roseville does she find her voice again.

As a result, when she gets into her car to start driving, she hums “On the Road Again.” Sounds very familiar! With that in mind, I thought I’d share the playlist (linked to Spotify) from Paulette’s story, Haunted Melody, in the order in which they appear:

On the Road Again – Bob Dylan

It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls

GoodMorning from Singing in the Rain

I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

You Are My Sunshine

Getting to Know You from The King and I

Witchy Woman – Eagles

Sunshine on My Shoulders – John Denver 

Singin’ In the Rain – Gene Kelly

Shall We Dance from The King and I

Celebration – Kool and the Gang

Back Home Again – John Denver

Unchained Melody from Ghost – The Righteous Brothers

I love the blend of ballad and musicals in this list. Some of my favorite singers and groups are included, especially John Denver and the Eagles. But who doesn’t like Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds in Singin’ in the Rain?

In reviewing this list, it occurred to me that the song titles actually mirror the emotional journey that Paulette finds herself making. Very interesting! I didn’t select them to do that on purpose, but it works.

Do you have a go-to song that pops into your mind in certain situations? Or if you did, what would it be?

Thanks again for inviting me! Please feel free to connect with me at any of the social media sites below. I love to hear from my readers! I hope you enjoy Haunted Melody!

Blurb of Haunted Melody:

Paulette O’Connell needs to build her home decorating business in order to give her unborn child a stable home. While exploring the mysterious attic of the antebellum plantation where she lives, she accidentally summons her grandfather’s ghost. But he won’t leave until she figures out why she needed him in the first place, putting her plans in serious jeopardy.

Zak Markel has been searching for the last ingredient to create the Elixir of Life he hopes will save his brother’s eyesight. But he discovers the woman of his dreams in the smart and beautiful Paulette, distracting him from his focus at the worst possible time, even though she staunchly refuses to allow him past her defenses.

Can he convince Paulette to open her mind to possibilities and follow her heart to true happiness before it’s too late?

Buy Links:

B&N: http://bit.ly/HauntedMelody-BN

Kobo: http://bit.ly/HauntedMelody-K

Amazon: http://bit.ly/HauntedMelody

Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/HauntedMelody-AU

Amazon CA: http://bit.ly/HauntedMelody-CA

Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/HauntedMelody-UK

iBooks: http://bit.ly/HauntedMelody-iTunes

Excerpt from Haunted Melody:

Chapter 1

The enormous orange jack-o-lantern faced the long driveway, challenging visitors to Twin Oaks with its glowing toothy grin. Paulette O’Connell propped her fists on her hips and assessed the rest of the decorations gathered on the wide front porch of her younger sister Meredith’s antebellum plantation home. Gratitude and disquiet filled her chest along with the crisp fall air. Standing at the bottom of the three brick steps, she scanned the clusters of corn stalks propped against the two center columns, the gourds and pumpkins scattered about, and the wisps of fake spiderweb stretched between two of the large white columns. A forbidding black spider waited among the gossamer strands. A white sheet ghost danced in the brisk breeze, rattling the dried corn stalk leaves. With a chuckle, she clapped her hands together. “Perfect. Mer will love it.”

Their next B&B guests might include several young children who would love the spooky yet fun décor as much as she did. If only trick-or-treaters in town came out to the country. But of course, the trek to Twin Oaks wouldn’t yield enough return on investment for the children’s parents to make such a journey. The memory of Halloween parties from her childhood made her smile. Costumes. Games. Telling tales and singing songs about monsters and spooky things. They needed a reason to venture so far from town. Perhaps she could lure them to the plantation with some form of entertainment. Hmmm.

Halloween remained her favorite holiday, at least for the fun props. Ever since discovering she possessed the ability to see ghosts a few months before, the approaching holiday had taken on new meaning. She had grown up with “dreams” about a lady in a blue gown. Who knew she was actually a ghost, her Great-great-great-aunt Grace. Later, she learned from Meredith that Grace’s brother, Great-great-great-grandfather Joe, also hung around the family cemetery, apparently waiting for his sister’s return. Meredith had figured out the identities of the ghosts, but the sisters realized they possessed the ability to see ghosts at the same time.

Thankfully, the ghosts weren’t scary so much as sad and a little spooky. After burying Grace’s remains beside Joe’s, the house held no more spirits, as they finally rested in peace. Knowing the plantation no longer hosted spooks made enjoying the tricks and treats of the season more fun. Although she rather missed Grace’s friendly presence in a gorgeous blue dress replete with sparkling sequins, a dress which had inspired Paulette’s own childhood designs.

Rubbing a hand over her protruding belly, she lingered in the fading afternoon light. She surveyed the expanse of pale grass reaching toward the distant road winding past. The glittering water of the fenced lake where ducks paddled about. Low clouds covered the sky, obscuring the sun. Several trees sported jagged trunks, remnants of the tornado they’d survived six months ago. Hunkered in the storm shelter within the stone foundation of Twin Oaks, she’d feared the destruction of the plantation once and for all. Thankfully, they’d suffered only minor damage, except for the old gazebo. Rebuilding it had been Meredith’s first priority. Its new design proved very popular with the guests, who frequently enjoyed its shady quiet on a hot summer afternoon, or the soft lighting in the evening.

The baby shifted, a tiny foot or perhaps a fist bopping her hand where it rested. “Soon, little one. Another six weeks, give or take, and we’ll meet properly.”

Tires crunched on gravel and she recognized her sister’s glaring yellow Camaro approaching. The sports car shouted its owner’s status. Successful. Independent. Confident. All the attributes Paulette wished she could ascribe to herself.

About Betty:

Betty Bolté writes both historical and contemporary stories featuring strong, loving women and brave, compassionate men. No matter whether the stories are set in the past or the present, she loves to include a touch of the paranormal. In addition to her romantic fiction, she’s the author of several nonfiction books and earned a Master’s in English in 2008. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and the Authors Guild. Get to know her at www.bettybolte.com.

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Charlee Allden on Pets and STEALING MERCURY

Hi everyone! I’m so happy to be here today! I met the fabulous Lexi Post last year and when she mentioned the Happily Ever After Thoughts blog, I knew I wanted to visit. Thanks, Lexi, for inviting me over.

Have you noticed that authors love to talk about and share pictures of their pets? Me too! My 17 year old cat is one of my oldest friends! But, at 17, wanting to lie between me and my laptop is about the most interesting thing he does.

I grew up with dogs, lots and lots of them. I don’t have any pictures to share. Sadly, it was before digital photography and we didn’t “waste” a lot of film on the dogs. :-(

Today, I want to talk about my NEW Dogs…, 

but they’re not pets. I’m not even sure how tame they are! But I DO have pictures. 

I’m talking about my Arena Dogs Series.  Think sexy, gladiator style fighters then add in the fierceness, loyalty, and irresistible beauty of wolves.  Those are my Arena Dogs. Here is where it gets a little dark. My Dogs are part of a genetically engineered race and just like most gladiators of old Rome, they’re slaves with no choice but to fight. 

 
In Stealing Mercury, the first Arena Dogs novel, Samantha Devlin is hired to pilot a courier ship,when she discovers her cargo is actually three Arena Dogs condemned to death for daring to fight for their freedom. Mercury, their leader, and Lo, his emotionally broken arena-brother, challenge all her notions of honor, loyalty, and love as she discovers just how much she will risk to keep them… and herself alive.

This series is full of adventure, space ships, uninhabited and alien planets, and big-hearted characters. 

The second book, Tempting Jupiter, will be out this spring. That makes this a good time to try Stealing Mercury and to sign up for my new release announcements at the link below.

Buy Links for Stealing Mercury: 
Kindle  |  Nook  | Kobo  | iBooks

New release announcements: http://eepurl.com/bgjrnL

 

You can also find out more about the book and download deleted scenes or digital art for your desktop on my website:  http://www.charleeallden.com/books/stealing-mercury/

Because my books have a darker edge (always with a HEA), I also like to put a little positive energy into the world with my Prompt-A-Day facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PromptADayPractice/

You can also visit me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CharleeAlldenAuthor/  I’d love to see your pets, so I’ve set-up a thread on the page that you can add your pet pictures. Hope to see you there!

 

Charlee

The Heat is Here!

        It’s a beautiful Sunday here in Phoenix. The sun is brilliant, the sky is a lovely azure blue without a single cloud to mar it and my citrus trees are in bloom. They smell heavenly. I can hear the bees buzzing around, doing what they’re supposed to do and judging by the amount of blossoms, I should have a bumper crop of oranges and pink grapefruit.

Why did I tell you all that? I’m not rubbing it in or trying to make you jealous, gentle reader—I know a lot of you are dealing with snow and cold weather. It’s to tell you that I’m a wimp when it comes to heat. Anything over 80 degrees and I’m sweltering (I tend to run warm anyway….when everyone in the office is freezing, I’m comfortable) and it’s been warm.  Temperatures have been in the high 80’s/low 90s. I know! It’s only March! Don’t hate me, but I’ve already turned on my air conditioner. I didn’t want to. Really. I didn’t. It’s just too soon. I usually try to put it off as long as possible…at least until April….but this year, I just couldn’t. The warmth hit me like a ton of bricks (believe me, I’m not looking forward to 110 degree days…..where most people hibernate in the winter, I do it in the summer). 

So you’re probably asking yourself why a girl who loves the cold weather (nothing better than sitting in front of a fire all cuddled up in blankets and reading a good book while the snow is falling outside) is living in the sweltering desert of Phoenix. Well, my DH is here. And where he goes, I go. He loves the heat, acclimated himself really well the first summer we moved to Arizona. Me? Not so much.

Photo courtesy of Robert Fabich, Sr.

The other reason I'm here....can't beat the scenery. I love the beauty of the desert. There's no other place quite like it.

So, here I sit in a t-shirt and shorts beneath the ceiling fan (yes, it’s on high) and listening to the air cycle off and on and I’m still too hot! At least, I’ve got a good book to lose myself in! Maybe it’ll be winter in the story and I’ll cool off just by reading about it!

As always, happy reading!

Marie

Laird of Shadows

I was waiting for this release. I cleared my schedule so that I could read and review it. I downloaded it even. Then life happened. Sigh. Now my window into the romantic adventures of Laird and Lass has been bumped to next weekend. However, since I absolutely love Eliza Knight's novels, I feel confident that this one will be just as great. I mean, it even has a ghost so it must be good! Lol. I did chuckle though, and it's probably just me. But the muscle-bound man on the cover is the hero named Beiste. I'm ignorant as to the correct pronunciation, so for reading, in my mind, it will be "Beastie". No one is allowed to correct me because he is now and forever Beastie. He does have a little resemblance to one, after all <wink>.

Laird of Shadows

Beiste MacDougall has only just found himself as laird of his clan after a brutal attack from Vikings leaves his father slain. On the night of his sire’s death, a beautiful woman comes to his castle begging for help, calling upon a vow their clans had made years before. Though he’d rather wallow in his pain, Beiste is tempted by the lass, the secrets she holds, and the chance at retribution she brings.

Lady Elle Cam’béal is desperate to save her brother and her clan from the vile clutches of her Viking enemies. But there is only one man who can help her, a handsome, provocative laird with a beastly temper. When he locks her in a chamber, she is visited by an apparition, and left with a secret that changes her destiny. Elle must figure out a way to accept her fate, but also forge a future of her own choosing.

As battles and treachery rain down upon them, Beiste and Elle find unlikely allies in each other, and a few stolen moments of passion that bring light from the shadows…

A much smaller, novella-length version of this story appeared originally in the Once Upon a Haunted Castle anthology. This extended version is twice the original size!

Check it out on Amazon!

Next month I will have a new release to announce and hopefully a video to accompany it.

Until then, be happy!

Nicolette Pierce
www.NicolettePierce.com

Interview with Joyce Wylde and a Giveaway!

Lexi: Please welcome Joyce Wylde with her new release and she came bearing a gifts. Be sure to enter the rafflecopter below for  a chance to win THE HOMECOMING and a Wylde gift bag!

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

JD: I think I may have come out of the womb this way. The writing, the creating, whether it was music, poetry, or short stories, has its own thread woven into my DNA. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t creating characters and story lines. When I didn’t imagine myself a writer. However, it took a backseat many times to the hectic day-to-day activities of real life. Marriage, working a full-time job, and raising our three sons. But I never gave up. And I’m blessed to be living my dream.

Lexi: What are you most excited about in this new release?

JD: I’m most excited about the story line. The family roots which tie Hayden and Elsa to a mountain in Kentucky. It strikes a personal chord with me. I’m blessed to live on the same piece of property where my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents lived. I know, personally, the ties that can bind a person to a certain place. I know family roots that grow deep into mountain soil. How hard it would be to sever those ties.

Through this book, I’m excited to be able to give voice to the destruction of the Appalachian way of life caused by the controversial practice of mountaintop removal mining. The environmental hazards, the health issues pitted against the need to provide for family. It doesn’t matter what end of the political spectrum you reside, or whether you believe in God, or the universe, we are all children of this planet with a duty to protect our natural resources. Once a mountain top is blown away, it can’t be rebuilt. Once an endangered species is hunted to extinction, there’s no bringing them back. It’s our duty to protect our planet and our natural resources for our children, our grandchildren, and for future generations. 

Lexi: Where did you get the idea for this story?

JD: The idea for this story was a culmination of many things. My love of the mountains. My anger seeing them in West Virginia and Kentucky obliterated in the name of coal. Witnessing the destruction. Reading the first-hand accounts of life in these small coal towns. The struggles, the illness, the premature death. And this overlying Divine theme from a verse in Corinthians, let all you do be done in love.

Lexi: What are your favorite traits of the two main characters?

JD: I would have to say Hayden’s strength in his beliefs, and Elsa’s stubborn determination. Hayden’s faith, his certain knowledge is a perfect balance for Elsa’s weaker faith. And her inbred mountain stubborn is the driving force for her determination to do whatever it takes to give her daughter the happy childhood she deserves. And to heal her daughter’s wounded spirit. Even going against Hayden, the man she once loved with all her heart. Sacrificing her future, her own happiness for her child.

Lexi: What do you think everyone should know about your husband?

JD: That he is my very own super hero! He loves me. Inspires me. And he believes in me. I wouldn’t be here, if not for him saying, “You can do this. I know you can. It’ll be our wild adventure.” And there’s where the pen name, J.D. Wylde comes from. The “J” is for Joyce. The “D” is for Dave. And the “Wylde” is our wild adventure. See? I told you he was a super hero!

Lexi: It was great to visit with Joyce and she has brough a giveaway. Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance!

THE HOMECOMING Blurb:

Hayden Michael Roark came home a decorated war hero. But no amount of medals, or commendations, can make up for the fight he lost to save his family and his Appalachian hometown from the greed of big coal and the environmental hazards of mountaintop removal mining.

It has cost him everything. His reputation. His home. The life he wanted. And Elsa Billings, the woman he loved.

He’s done fighting. All he wants now is peace. A place to come home to heal his wounded spirit. And mend his battered soul. Instead, he finds Elsa Billings McCreary and her seven-year-old daughter living in his house. On his mountain. Leaving him without a home. And, whether he wants it, or not, with one more battle to fight. Convincing Elsa to leave Roark Mountain and Cooper Falls, Kentucky, before bad air and polluted water sicken her. Or worse.

Elsa Billings McCreary has fought her entire adult life. With Hayden’s coalition to save their town. For her husband, lost in the darkness of anger and depression. And for her daughter, an innocent casualty in her less-than-perfect marriage.

She’s lost every fight. But she won’t lose this battle to heal her daughter’s spirit. Even if it means going up against Hayden Roark. The man she once loved with all her heart. The man she never thought she’d see again. But he is here. On her doorstep. (His doorstep, if she wants to split hairs.) Bringing with him the promise for the future she’d always prayed she’d have with him.

But it comes with a price she’s not willing to pay.

When he life takes an unexpected turn, Elsa’s faith is tested. She soon finds herself in the fiercest fight of her life. Physically, and spiritually. Can she beat the hand Fate has dealt her to have The Homecoming she and Hayden both desire? 

Purchase link: 
http://tinyurl.com/jox7olo

 

About Joyce:

J.D. Wylde is the author of sweet and sexy romance. She has a line of sexy contemporary romances, as well as a line of sweet inspirational romances of faith. She writes stories with strong heroines, sexy heroes and always, a happy ending.

Website: 
www.jdwylde.com

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