April 2019

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Sunday, April 28, 2019

WeWriWa: Welcome to the Jungle – on SALE just $.99!!


I’m excited to feature two sales – two books from two different pen name personalities, one a couple-centric contemporary by Dana Ransom and the other, a Nancy Gideon paranormal that have one thing in common – a walk on the wild side. Danger comes in all forms when you’re out of your element, whether it’s an untamed wilderness or a jungle steaming with malevolence. My excerpt today is from MIDNIGHT SHADOWS, from my “Touched by Midnight” vampire romance series. 

“They found a tomb, Sheba, buried out in the jungle, maybe the tomb. I thought you’d want to know.”

Dizziness swam up to engulf her senses, sickness sloshing in her belly, roaring upward to sear her throat and nose with the acrid bite of remembered fear, making the world go momentarily black then green . . . then red.

“Sheba, are you still there?”

She bent over, tucking her head between her knees as nausea thundered in her ears and left her trembling. She tried to hang up the phone, missing the cradle once, twice, then just let the receiver fall to the worn rug as she dropped to her knees, swaying in the thrall of a shuddering sickness she couldn’t name.

No, that wasn’t quite true. She knew the name . . . Peru. Paulo called it home, but to Sheba it only meant one thing.

Death.

Does that make you want to book reservations and don a pith helmet? Not me! But our intrepid myth-busting ethnologist, Sheba Reynard is eager to conquer the fears that haunt her with the help of a government-hired monster hunter who knows the name of Sheba’s nightmare . . . Vampire. 



It may be a jungle out there, but are the North woods any safer? Not for Beth Marston who treks to the wilds of Michigan’s UP with her briefcase and designer heels for answers of her own – as to why the man of her dreams abandoned their marriage without explanation. Ready to do battle, she didn’t expect her opposition to take the form of a leaky tent, a surly dog, a moose and a wrong step that add up to unexpected danger and desire. 




Whether it’s a stormy backwoods in LIFETIME INVESTMENT or the deadly unknowns menacing MIDNIGHT SHADOWS . . . some things are worth the risk. What’s $.99 when you can hurry the heart rate from the comfort of your Kindle? 



I’m enjoying three days and nights lakeside at our annual Mid-Michigan RWA Retreat from Harsh Reality with hopefully not a storm or a vampire (well, maybe if he’s hot-blooded!) to hamper my productivity. Here’s wishing all my fellow Warriors a wonderful weekend!!



Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their 8sunday posts.

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Sunday, April 14, 2019

WeWriWa: Nowhere to Run . . . PRINCE OF FOOLS


Just when Amber James thought she might have it all – a safe harbor, a strong, good man who accepts her in spite of the secrets she can’t share and a daughter whose father she can’t reveal, giving her hope for a future that includes happiness and safety - that ingrained truth she’s run from since a frightened teen rears up to tear that dream
away . . .


It was over, the dream, the desire, the hopes that they'd become more. Rico Terriot was a luxury she couldn't afford.

Amber stood panting in the center of her kitchen, her sense of security torn away by a single, paralyzing fact - they were still looking. The call on Evie’s phone . . . was it the first of many escalating threats warning her to keep her mouth shut . . . or else, putting Rico in greater danger by mere association?

They’d have to leave New Orleans. The time to plan for a quick escape started now, this minute, ticking down toward what could be their last. If they didn’t disappear, both her and Evangeline, they’d be as good as dead.

Again, the thought flashed through heart and mind to go to Rico, that he’d get them out of the city if she asked, but she couldn’t involve him, not while he was within reach of those who meant her harm and wrapped up in his own intrigues. If she ran without explanation, he’d follow - she knew he would - so she’d have to make sure he wouldn’t want to.

Survivor’s instincts that had kept her alive and Evie safe kicked into place, setting in motion the pattern of cool, sharp, unemotional thought that would carry them away from harm . . . and all they’d ever desired.


But Amber doesn’t realize what lengths her prince will take to protect her and that future he sees for the three of them together in PRINCE OF FOOLS, Book 3 in my “House of Terriot” spin-off of my “By Moonlight” series (now wrapping up with my current WIP!).




I’m taking two weekends off before sharing the final “House of Terriot” book, PRINCE OF DREAMS to promo a special $.99 sale from April 16 to 30 on two very different (and not just because of my pen names!) books – LIFETIME INVESTMENT, a contemporary romance written as Dana Ransom and MIDNIGHT SHADOWS, part of my Nancy Gideon “Touched by Midnight” vampire series. Looking forward to reintroducing you to them!

Finally – SPRING! Windows open, birds chirping and even took my sister’s old dog for a long walk so he could leave p-mail on every bush and tree. Will have to go check replies soon now that sidewalks are free of ice and snow!

Happy driving with windows down and Happy Writing, Fellow Warriors!!


Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their 8sunday posts.

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

What’s a Bunny to do? BUNNY OMEGA ON THE RUN Blog Tour


How much reading outside the box do you do? Due to limited reading time, I used to have a short list of favorite authors in a very narrow scope of genres. But now, with impulsive One Click e-book buying and my wonderful friends from Insecure Writers Support Group and Weekend Writing Warriors to tease me with unique storylines, my eyes have been opened to what I’ve been missing.You know what I’ve discovered – New voices and views make things fresh again. Good writing, engaging dialog and unforgettable characters can transcend any genre. As a writer (and a reader!), you grow complacent if you don’t expand your boundaries. So, having been happily tempted outside my normal reading box by her Alien Sci-Fi romances as well as enjoying her gripping Paranormals, I jumped onboard Weekend Writing Warriors author pal Jessica Subjects’ blog tour after reading fun and frisky excerpts from her new release, Bunny Omega on the Run, and can’t wait to burrow into the full book. Prepare to be delighted! 


As a pop star, I never expected to find true love.

Not in a world where everything is temporary and often fake. But then he ran into me. Not once, but twice. My tiger instantly recognized him as my mate. Now, I just have to convince Kish that what we have is real. 

Love was for the weak.

I was doing just fine on my own. Then I met TK. Literally smacked right into him. But no matter how much I wanted it to be true, I refused to believe that he could love a bunny shifter from the wrong part of town.

Bunny Omega on the Run is a super sweet with knotty heat MM mpreg shifter popstar romance. It is book 1 of the Shifter Towers series but can be read as a standalone. 
♕♕
EXCERPT


I eyed the barrel of the 9mm pointed at my face. Clutching my hands behind me, I tried to hide the excessive shaking throughout my body. “It’s okay. You can pay me later. I’ll...I’ll just be going.” Anything to get away from there alive. 


The lanky, bald man in the black suit clicked the safety off. “There won’t be another time.” 

Without waiting for a shot to be fired, I spun around and bolted down the street. I had no time to shift. I simply ran. Over fences. Through yards. Down one alley after another. I didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop. My mom and siblings depended on me. I couldn’t help them if I was dead. 

After what felt like forever, my thighs burned and chest ached. I had to stop. Or at least slow down. But I didn’t know if I was still being pursued. I dared a glance behind me. No one. Thank fuck! It was time to slow down. Shift and find a place to hide.

Smack! 

I slammed into something hard. Someone hard. Liquid terror filled my veins. Somehow the guy in the suit had outsmarted me. I was dead. Gone. No chance to say goodbye to my family. My knees gave out, and I crumpled toward the ground. But strong arms caught me, lifted me back up. Did the man want to stare in my face when he killed me? 

“Whoa, whoa. It’s okay, little omega. I won’t hurt you.” The man pulled me closer. Tight into his broad chest. 

And that’s when I smelled the wild, rugged scent. A predator. Not the human who had been chasing me, but a tiger. I was in the arms of one of the most dangerous types of shifters in the world.


♕♕
ABOUT JESSICA E. SUBJECT

Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class, listen to BTS, and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. 




BUNNY OMEGA ON THE RUN RELEASE CONTEST* 

Enter to WIN a print copy of Alien Next Door: The Complete Series and Cosmic Desires by Jessica E. Subject. Plus, Map of the Soul: Persona, the next album from BTS, the boy band that has a permanent place on Jessica's writing and life playlist.

*Contest is international except where prohibited by law. Must be 18 or older to enter. No substitutions will be made.Contest ends April 15, 2019. Prizes will come directly from the author and are not sponsored by anyone else. Good luck!

♕♕
WHERE TO ENTER


or Enter Here!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Sunday, April 07, 2019

WeWriWa: Where To Turn When There’s Nowhere to Run - PRINCE OF FOOLS


Amber James is a survivor. To save herself and her young daughter, she’s made a new life for herself in the middle of New Orleans’ secret shapeshifter population, hiding in plain sight, concealing a secret that could get them killed. The last thing she expects is to fall hard for the last male in the world who would give her a second glance – royalty from another clan in love with his brother’s mate, who sees her as a sympathetic ear and a one night stand he can’t remember. But heartache is preferable to the danger that surrounds them when he decides to become that better man she always knew him to be.

"I want you to know there's not a damned thing in this world that you could tell me that would make me think less of you as a person, a female, or as a mother because I know you, Amber James, that you're strong and good and kind." 

She made a soft little sound in her throat but didn't stop him. 

"Up until now, I thought my name defined me, a Terriot prince, and that was enough to get me anything I wanted except self-respect. I didn't see that as ever changing until I met you. That you could look at me, at who and what I was, at what I did, and could see something worth even a second of your time still amazes me. I want to be what you see when you look at me.” 

Her fingers spread wide, inviting his to slip between them as he continued. 

"I don't know anything about your family except what you've told me, that you have shadows in your past as dark as mine, and I will never judge you because of them. I'm not going to ask you what they are, not tonight, but I'm going to want you to tell me, not because it's any of my business, but because I can't be that man I need to be to protect you and Evie unless I know what to watch out for. I'll move heaven and earth for you . . . all you have to do is ask." 


When I started writing PRINCE OF FOOLS, I wasn’t sure how I was going to redeem the careless and self-centered Rico Terriot from my “House of Terriot” series – until I got to the tender, family-centric heart of him. All he needed was a self-reliant female, who saw him as that “more” he always longed to be, to bring out the hero inside him. And what a hero he evolves into for this desperate woman and child. But more on that next week . . .

Before you leave, pop over to my review of fellow Warrior Diane Burton’s new middle grade sci-fi release, RESCUING MARA’S FATHER – It’s out of this world awesome!! And there’s goodies! 

Write on, Fellow Warriors!!


Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their 8sunday posts.

Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Friday, April 05, 2019

RESCUING MARA’S FATHER Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway!


As someone who was captured by the spell of story-telling practically from the cradle, I know how important it is to entice a young mind with the potential found between the covers of a book. So, I jumped at the chance to preview author buddy, Diane Burton’s first venture into the Young Adult market. Having read all of Di’s quirky contemporaries and high-flying space operas, I eagerly began RESCUING MARA’S FATHER. I found it an impossible read – impossible to put down! Foolishly, I began reading it on my lunch hour at work . . . not enough time! Couldn’t wait to get home to cue it up on my laptop and jump back into the adventure of the spunky (but never obnoxious) teen heroine and her sidekicks, young and old. (I’m buying a copy for my grandson!). What an adventure! Take a taste . . . then run to One Click!

My Review: Rescuing Mara’s Father by Diane Burton 

Impossible to put down! 5-Stars!

In this tightly woven, highly entertaining Hero(ine)’s Journey from pampered to imperiled, Mara is the perfectly imperfect 14-year-old, filled with the dreams and drama of someone who never quite fit in and doesn’t realize the importance of what she has – the safety of a loving home – until it’s suddenly stolen from her. The challenges she and her devoted friends will undertake to find her kidnapped father provide the stuff of great and constantly sustained adventure.

The author’s talent for world-building is amazing, evolving naturally on each page from the delightful ‘slanguage’ of the characters to the differences of castes and cultures set in a lush, often harsh backdrop that embraces the reader and doesn’t let go. Wonderfully paced backstory reveals traverse the dangerous path of long-kept secrets, constantly teasing with subtle foreshadowing to keep pages flipping all the way to a satisfying end for readers of any age. Can’t wait to read more from this new (to Young Adult) author! 



Her father is gone! Taken by the Queen of Compara’s agents. Mara has to rescue him before the Queen tortures and kills him. 

Instead of the kind, loving father she’s always known, he’s become demanding, critical, with impossible expectations—not just as Father but also as the only teacher in their frontier outpost. Mara would rather scoop zircan poop than listen to another boring lecture about governments on Central Planets. Give her a starship engine to take apart or, better yet, fly, and she’s happy. Now, he’s gone. 

Never mind, they’ve had a rocky road lately. 

Never mind, Father promised she could go off planet to Tech Institute next month when she turns fifteen, where she’ll learn to fly starships. 

Never mind, she ran away because she’s furious with him because he reneged on that promise. Father is her only parent. She has to save him. 

Along with her best friend, eleven-year-old Jako, and his brother 15-year-old Lukus, Mara sets off to find her father. Her mentor, old spaceport mechanic, seems to know why the Queen captured Father. In fact, he seems to know her father well. But, does he tell her everything? Of course not. He dribbles out info like a mush-eating baby. Worse, he indicates he’ll be leaving them soon. And Lukus can’t wait to get off our planet. Mara’s afraid they will all leave, and she’ll be on her own. Despite her fears, Mara has to rescue her father.

About D.M. Burton


The first time D.M. Burton saw Star Wars IV: A New Hope, she was hooked on science fiction and space travel. The Star Trek movies made her want to travel to other planets. Alas, she is still Earth-bound. D.M. and her husband live in Michigan, close to their two children and five grandchildren.

Join D.M. Burton's readers’ group on Facebook.

For more info and excerpts, visit D.M.’s Website

She writes adult fiction as Diane Burton, where she combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides writing science fiction romance, she writes romantic suspense, and cozy mysteries.

For more info and excerpts from her books, visit Diane’s Website

Connect with Diane Burton online:



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Wednesday, April 03, 2019

IWSG: I Need a (Scenic) Vacation!


Our Insecure Writers Support Group question for April is: If you could use a wish to help you write just ONE scene/chapter of your book, which one would it be? (examples: fight scene / first kiss scene / death scene / chase scene / first chapter / middle chapter / end chapter, etc.)

My answer, though I’m not proud of it is: The next scene. In the 70 books I’ve published, THIS one has been the most challenging. Sitting down at the keyboard without knowing how I was going to fill the page has never been a problem . . . until now. That, “I can’t wait to capture this idea in writing” drive hasn’t engaged. Instead of sliding behind the wheel with the vehicle of my imagination all warmed up and rearing to take me on an adventure, it’s stalled and cold, making me crank and grind out the words every time I turn on the computer. Once I get moving, I travel along comfortably, but being OCD/ADD, I’ve always had the trip all mapped out before I begin so I don’t waste any time making wrong turns on the journey. But not this time. Some days, it’s either call the Auto Club for a jump or just go back to bed.

Maybe I need a vacation for both body and mind. It’s been years since I’ve had any quality time off just to rest and recharge without obligations (I don’t count knee replacement surgery!). The idea of holing up someplace with WiFi, a comfy bed, a pool, a workout room, meals I don’t have to cook, and no expectations to meet except those of my characters . . . a dream trip! Some of my writer friends religiously rent a hotel room to finish their book. I don’t think I have enough time off accumulated to write 18 chapters . . . but I’d have a running start.

Where would you go to take a scenic break?

Pardon me. I’m off to scout locations . . . as soon as I visit my IWSG pals.

Happy Spring! And Happy Writing!



Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.The awesome co-hosts for the April 3rd posting of the IWSG will be J.H. Moncrieff, Natalie Aguirre, Patsy Collins, and Chemist Ken!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Twitter hashtag is #IWSG