Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Meet New Mexico, the romantic hero of your dreams #Giveaway

Posted by Susan B James on 3:00:00 AM with 4 comments

Please welcome guest poster and one of my favorite funny, romance authors, Patrice Locke. Patrice is giving away two eBooks of Exit Signs.  Her latest book, Fresh Start has one of the most hilarious love scenes I ever read. I highly recommend both of them. Rafflecopter is at the end of the post.

Meet New Mexico, the romantic hero of your dreams


Love the ‘bad boys’ in romance novels?
Meet New Mexico—as wild, brooding, mysterious, and oh-so-deliciously gorgeous as any romantic hero—too hot literally and figuratively to be relegated to the background. New Mexico demands star billing.
I picture the fifty states lined up like Chippendale Dancers.
New Mexico saunters on stage, eyes as blue as the azure sky, rocking a Stetson, black leather vest, and ragged Levis, a six-shooter in each hand.
He sizzles. Believe me. I know. I’ve met him. He scoffed when I tried to make him the backdrop for my two books, Exit Signs and Fresh Start. “No way,” he said, and elbowed himself into a starring role.
In Fresh Start, narrator Miranda finds herself stranded in Albuquerque. The high desert landscape looms like a rugged anti-hero, magnifying her sense of isolation until she falls victim to his robust charms and puts down roots.
And in Exit Signs, native New Mexican Tracy tells her handsome rock star about her birthplace as if she’s reminiscing about an ex-lover—someone like Mr. Darcy, Jamie Fraser, or Rhett Butler. Those iconic characters melt our hearts with their troubled pasts, enigmatic quests, and tortured dark brooding.

And they have nothing on New Mexico.

Talk about a troubled past. I challenge any star-crossed lovers to produce a plot as fraught with agony and ecstasy as New Mexico’s relationship with the United States of America. They were engaged in 1850 when the U.S. batted her eyes and claimed the NM territory. But she balked at offering statehood.
She was scared off by New Mexico’s wild reputation for lawlessness and corruption. Outlaws like Jesse James and Billy the Kid personified The Land of Enchantment. New Mexico was good for a fling, not a serious commitment. But after sixty years of dating, the U.S. finally smiled demurely and said, “I do.” She walked down the aisle for the forty-seventh time with the Land of Enchantment as her handsome renegade groom in 1912.
How’s that for a circuitous route to romance?
NM still lives in the shadows, on the edge, never fully accepted. How would you like it if your hundred-and-six-year-long committed relationship constantly came under question?
Happens to New Mexico every day.
In fact, New Mexico Magazine has plenty of fodder for a regular column aptly named ‘One of Our Fifty Is Missing.’
The kind of misunderstandings that drive classic romantic plots are New Mexico’s daily fare. Visitors and residents are still asked: “Have you changed your money to pesos?” “Don’t you need a passport?” “How did you learn to speak English so well?”

Here’s the bottom line: When I read a romance, I want to be mesmerized by the hero. I want him to show up in my dreams, and I want to wonder what he’s up to when I have to put the book down.
I may not love him right off, but by the final chapter, he better be tattooed behind my eyelids and I better long to know more about him. He needs to grow on me the way New Mexico has.

I was a Michigander until destiny made me a New Mexican and The Land of Enchantment wrangled a starring role in my life and in my books.

But, just between us, I’m moving to Idaho soon. I hope Mr. Potato Head can measure up. Please don’t tell New Mexico I’m leaving. I hate tearful goodbyes, and he’s suffered enough already.

FRESH START

--When all you have left is a guilty conscience.
Miranda’s life is falling apart.
She’s lost her beauty and charisma, along with her family’s money and their affection.
She knows it’s her fault when she finds herself in Albuquerque, sixteen hundred miles from home, broke, friendless, and abandoned.
All she has left is a guilty conscience and a to-do list her sister swears will change her life.
It’s a tough list. It requires her to ignore her natural instincts and do the opposite of whatever she feels.
That’s a big problem when Miranda meets Dean.
He’s a force of nature. He’s stubborn, disciplined, and determined—everything Miranda isn’t.
If she follows the rules on her list, will she do the right thing if Dean is the wrong man?

Excerpt from Fresh Start Chapter One

Miranda finds herself abandoned in an Albuquerque motel room. When she ventures into the empty parking lot outside, a man with a clipboard tells her she doesn’t exist, which she is pretty sure isn’t true. We join her in progress…

In a cacophony of voices, the only distinctive one came from the faceless figure now approaching the covered walkway where I was hugging the door frame. Out of the sun, the figure came into focus.
It was a man, complete with a face. Smile sold separately. He was not happy to see me.
This helmeted, clipboard-wielding mountain rifled through a wad of paperwork. When he raised his head he caught me in his sunglasses, two tiny mirrors that showed my hair was sleep-wild and my eyes were smudges circled in black, not my best look.
Why would it be? This hadn’t been ‘my day’ so far.
“You can’t be here. Safety regulations.” His tone said he took it as a personal insult that I didn’t disappear now that I knew the score. “Did you hear me? You are not supposed to be here. This wing is empty.”
“I did hear you.” And so did everyone west of the Mississippi and at elevations up to and including Venus. “You’re right. I’m not supposed to be here. But I am.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but I beat him to it, repeating my question, speaking slowly. “Where. Is. The. Car?”
“What car?” His voice echoed off the mountains to the east, ricocheted around the parking lot and shot me in the ears.
I recoiled, dinging my shoulder on the edge of the motel room door, which I was holding open.
“Sorry,” he said, turning down the volume since it hadn’t made me vanish. Yet.
He took off his orange hardhat, wedged it under his right arm and swiped his left forearm over his sweaty head, creating a fresh, tousled look a salon couldn’t have replicated. Nor could the finest stylist have produced the subtle mix of silver highlights that punctuated his spiky dark hair. The impressive effect made me consider a career in cosmetology. Hours might have passed.
“You were saying?” he coached me.
“The car that was parked here – a classic ’57 Chevy, with a white tail panel. Convertible. Shiny.”
“Shiny?” His laugh was a bark. “You mean red? It was here. Guy threw in a couple suitcases, put the top down and drove off. Checked out, see?”
He held out his clipboard with a reverence usually reserved for stone tablets delivered with the crack of thunder on a mountaintop. Was there a god of cheap motels? “Empty,” he said. “See?
“Okay. But the guy? What did he look like? The one who took the car.” I was sure it was Lance, but it wouldn’t hurt to confirm.
“Tall, dark, and handsome, okay? Congratulations on that. Or, maybe not. He’s gone.”
That wasn’t good. In fact, it was very bad, but, like Scarlett O’Hara, I’d think about that tomorrow, or later today. Or never.
If only that were possible.
I’d only survive if I had a distraction. And an excellent diversion was standing in front of me. He was perfect, despite his negative attitude toward my existence. He was tall with finely carved features and a muscled, sweaty physique beneath a t-shirt that had once been black but had faded to gray. It had a fat yellow cartoon ‘D’ on it and the words ‘Big D’s. Your on-the-scene building and maintenance machine.’ He shifted his weight from his left to his right foot and the muscles in his thighs tightened through jeans, which were worn to a soft blue perfection.
“Ma’am?” He had noticed I was staring, which reminded me that men should not smirk. It’s not polite.
And they shouldn’t call gorgeous young women such as myself ‘ma’am.’ That is the height of bad manners.
“Sorry,” I said. Let him decide if I was apologizing for staring at him or for being a blight on his empty wing. “I’m still a little asleep. Um. What did he say?”
“Tall, dark, and handsome? Not much. Drove off. So this wing is empty.”
“So you’ve said. A few times. But it’s not.
He shrugged, stubborn. “The motel says it is.”
“Pretty opinionated for a motel,” I said.
With his left forefinger, he lifted the earpiece of his reflective sunglasses to his forehead, revealing eyes like two soft milk chocolate dots. He had Richard Gere eyes. Bemused. Luscious. Delicious.

I hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before, but the hunger I felt wasn’t coming from my stomach.


Buy links, etc. below:
Order Fresh Start: https://tinyurl.com/yblsm6pz
Buy Exit Signs: https://goo.gl/nMLdfY
Webpage:  https://www.bypatricelocke.com 
Twitter: @patricelocke 

Thanks for the post, Patrice. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Exit signs was one of my favorite books of the last two years. Thanks for offering a couple of lucky readers a chance to win copies. Happy week and Happy reading.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Meet Caroline Warfield. Her Regency series made it into Victoria's Time. #Giveaway

Posted by Susan B James on 3:00:00 AM with No comments

Carol Roddy writes Historical Romance as Caroline Warfield. 
Her Children of Empire series began in the Regency era, but, what with children growing up and demanding their own books, she’s now up to 1839. The Unexpectied Wife comes out tomorrow, July 25th. Carol is offering a giveaway of  the first book in the series, The Renegade Wife. An eBook and a paperback. (paperback is US only. Rafflecopter at end of interview.) 


Carol, please tell us a little more about yourself.
In previous lives I have been many things: stay at home mom, technology director, librarian, army brat, nun…Nun! Seriously? I must know more. But now I live in the Philadelphia suburbs up to my elbows in history, and sit at a desk surrounded by windows that overlook bird feeders so I can watch the foxes chase squirrels up trees and birds compete for space on the suet and seed feeders. I tell stories. That’s what I do now.
I’ve been married since the dinosaurs roamed so you might guess I’m a big believer in happily ever after. Beloved and I look after one another, enjoy our nearby grandson, attend Bible study, and love to travel. I like gardens, but hate gardening. I’m fascinated by birds, especially owls, I can’t pass a historical marker, and I never visited a boring place. Me neither! I love traveling.

I love firsts, so tell me about the moment when a publisher told you they wanted to publish your book.
It came in email. After many years of rejections (and yes, self-publishing was not for me), I had about given up on my romance books and begin to write middle grade historical novels. I happened to notice that Soul Mate Publishing was accepting submissions. I sent Dangerous Works off with a shrug and low expectations.
The response came in email, and I stared at it with open mouth for a considerable period before leaping to my feet to tell Beloved and immediately informing my writers’ group friends.  I have been grateful to Debby Gilbert ever since. Soul Mate has been very good to me.

If it isn’t too nosy. How about the first time you kissed your true love?
Hmm. The lake, the blanket in the grass, the fireflies, the stars…maybe I’ll keep it to myself.

Other than your own, who are your favorite (heroes/heroines/writers) in your genre?
Heroes? I adore Sebastian St. Cyr in CS Harris’s series with his name. Ok, those are mysteries, but she brings the Regency to life, and he is just yummy. 

My favorite romance writers are Carla Kelly, Grace Burrowes, Jude Knight, and Mary Balogh, all Regency authors.

What is your favorite pastime, other than writing?
In the past year I’ve been to Orkney, the Highlands, Singapore, Malacca, and New Zealand. I’m not sure whether Hobbiton counts as an additional country. Travel is our big luxury, and I’m already looking at 2019 and 2020 for plans. I love your travel choices. I want to do Wales next. Then back to Scotland, and Ireland and London.

Any advice for new writers just starting out?
The best advice anyone ever gave me is, “If you want to be a writer, you have to write.”  Just do it. Sit down and write the book. Get feedback and don’t run from criticism. Keep writing.

Tell us about The Unexpectied Wife
The Unexpected Wife is Book 3 in my Children of Empire series. The hero almost took over Book 1 in the series (The Renegade Wife) and wrapped readers around his fingers in Book 2 (The Reluctant Wife). 

Charles Wheatly, Duke of Murnane, doesn’t expect to find his great love when he accepts an unofficial fact-finding mission to Canton on behalf of the queen. He certainly doesn’t expect to confront his wreck of a marriage in such an exotic locale. Zambak Hayden follows her brother to China to escape pressure to make a suitable marriage. She finds the brother drawn into the world of greed, smuggling, drug, and corruption; she resolves to both sort out the truth and protect her brother from becoming prey to all of it—if only she could stop yearning for the one man she can’t have.

Here’s the trailer:

The prequel to The Unexpected Wife, in which Charles and his cousins appear as boys, A Dangerous Nativity, is always free at various retailers.
https://www.carolinewarfield.com/bookshelf/a-dangerous-nativity-1815/https://www.carolinewarfield.com/bookshelf/a-dangerous-nativity-1815/

To binge read the series, start with Books 1 and 2. They are free with Kindle Unlimited or can be purchased at:
https://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Warfield/e/B00N9PZZZS/

What’s your current WIP?
The Bluestocking Belles publish a box set of novellas once a year. My story last year’s box set, Never Too Late, “Roses in Picardy,” was set in 1916 and ended with happy-for-now as they faced two more years of war. I’m currently working on the sequel for this year’s set. It is 1919 and they are dealing with the Spanish Flu and the chaos that follows war.  Harry’s interfering father is not helping. I have to get this to the team by June 1. The book comes out in November.

I also recently handed in a novella for the Marriage Maker series from Scarsdale Press.
 And finally, where can we find you?
     Website



Thank you for being here, Carol/Caroline. 
Here's the Giveway Rafflecopter for  The Renegade Wife.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Here are some reviews:
Crowned Heart for Excellence, InD'Tale Magazine ...the characters leap off the page and into the reader's heart...Warfield weaves a delightful tale that leaves one sitting on the edge of their seat during most of the novel.
Five Stars Top Pick The Romance Reviews...Her attention to detail is stunning and her passion for literature is apparent on every page. Ms. Warfield immerses the reader in a landscape of vivid, sometimes gritty, details through which the plight of her richly-developed characters is made harrowingly real.
Night Owl Review Top Pick  Caroline Warfield is the ultimate storyteller that makes the reader feel immersed in the life of the characters and the surroundings...will stay with my heart for a while
I think I'll enter myself  Happy Reading, to all of you.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Linda Bennett Pennell's Historical Fiction with a Modern Twist, # Giveaway

Posted by Susan B James on 3:00:00 AM with 1 comment

My guest, Linda Bennett Pennell writes historical fiction, some of it based on real-life characters.  Her latest book, Miami Days, Havana Nights comes out tomorrow, July 18.
In celebration of the release Linda's first book Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel is free today and tomorrow. (July 17 and 18) I read it when it came out and loved it. Do grab yourself a copy. https://www.amazon.com/Al-Capone-at-Blanche-Hotel-ebook/dp/B00DULERAK
Linda, please tell us a little about yourself. 

As for my venture in writing, it has allowed me to reinvent myself. We humans are truly multifaceted creatures, but unfortunately, we tend to sort and categorize each other into neat, easily understood packages that rarely reveal the whole person. Perhaps you, too, want to step out of the box in which you find yourself. I encourage you to look at the possibilities and imagine. Be filled with childlike wonder in your mental wanderings. Envision what might be, not simply what is. Let us never forget, all good fiction begins when someone says to her or himself, "Let's pretend." 

I reside in the Houston area with one sweet husband and one adorable German Shorthaired Pointer who is quite certain she’s a little girl.

"History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up." Voltaire  What a wonderful quote. Thank you.

I love firsts, so tell me about the moment when a publisher told you they wanted to publish your book.
I was thrilled, of course! As are most things these days, the good news came via email with “contract attached” in the subject line. Having someone other than family like one’s work is very validating! (Yes!)

I was fortunate enough to meet my publisher, Debby Gilbert of Soul Mate Publishing, at the 2012 Lone Star Conference hosted by my local RWA chapter. We had an opportunity to chat during the informal kickoff dinner and just clicked. We have a great deal in common. I will always be grateful to Debby for her support and belief in my work! I think Debby is amazing. And I am equally grateful to her.

Other than your own, who are your favorite (heroes/heroines/writers) in your genre?
There are so many, but I will force myself to limit my list. I write historical fiction and love reading it, as well. If not being able to put a book down is an indicator of a great story and wonderful characters, then Aibillene, Celia, Minny, and Skeeter, from Kathryn Stockett’s The Help top my list. I love to read, but finding a book that grabs me like The Help did is fairly rare. Having grown up in the heavily segregated Jim Crow South, I can tell you from experience that what those characters accomplished would have been a miracle in real life. Stockett’s characters were courageous but real. They were true heroines, but also women of their time and place. 
Agree. I lived in Jackson, Mississippi and in Mobile, Alabama in on and off in 1970 -1972. Barry and I were working at small Equity theatres in both towns. I also lived in Atlanta, 1958-1960 during the beginning of integration there. The Help was so true to life.

What is your favorite pastime, other than writing?
I love to sing. In fact, I sing in two choirs: the Texas Master Chorale and my church chancel choir. I am a first soprano, which is a good thing because sight-reading is not my greatest quality. Sopranos get more than our fair share of the melody. It’s so much easier to read melody from the top of the staff rather than trying to figure out which note is yours lower down the chord! I am terrible at sight reading - always have been. But like you, I love to  sing.

 How do you motivate yourself when inspiration takes a vacation?
My paternal grandmother, while not having a great deal of formal education, was an intelligent and wise woman. As the wife of a country doctor, she bore 11 children, including three sets of twins, and lived to be 92. Doctors of that period were not compensated the way they are today. My grandfather’s journal/accounts book shows entries where patients paid him in what they had, mainly farm produce and livestock. It was not unusual for him to enter “Mrs. X – childbirth - peck of corn.”

If there had been money to spend on clothes for 11 children, getting to the store would have been a challenge because they lived they far back in the mountains. My grandmother made most of the clothes her children wore and was an excellent seamstress, by all accounts. She had a definite philosophy regarding creative pursuits. When frustration or lack of motivation sets in, put your project down and do something else for a little while. When you come back to it, whatever was troubling you will have worked itself out in your mind without your even knowing it. Her wisdom has guided me in my creative pursuits and it works. By walking away for a little while, I can usually clear my mind of writing woes. Thank you for sharing this story. I agree with your grandmother's philosophy. 
What’s your favorite thing about research?
I love the past so much that I have a B.A. in American and British history. 
Research, especially in primary sources, allows me to actually get inside the heads of historical figures. In addition, unearthing footnotes of history is exciting and they form the basis for my most of my plots. Confederado do Norte tells the story of a child whose father chose to remove his family from the defeated South rather than live with Reconstruction.
The fact that some Southerners immigrated is one of those
footnotes of history.  For example, with Confederado do 
Norte I was able to find diaries written by the real Confederados as they traveled to and began their new lives in Brazil.
Reading their firsthand accounts gave me insights that I could not have gotten 
any other way.
With Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel and Miami Days, Havana Nights, I focused on the lesser known bits of the history of crime in early 20th Century Florida.

The premise of Casablanca: Appointment at Dawn hinges on playing “what if” with a historical footnote regarding WWII’s First Allied Conference that took place in Casablanca.
A love for digging into the past and unearthing the obscure is, in my opinion, why most authors of historical fiction choose the genre. In addition, unlike writing for academia, one can be creative with the footnotes that one uncovers!


Any advice for new writers just starting out?
Learn all you can. Read in your genre. Read books on craft. Attend workshops. Talk to other writers. Join a critique group. All of this is important. Most important, however, is be kind to yourself. Nothing kills creativity like negative self-talk.

Tell us about  Miami Days, Havana Nights (love the cover!)
Blurb
Sometimes our biggest debts have nothing to do with money.

1926. When seventeen-year-old Sam Ackerman witnesses a mob hit, he is hustled out of New York under the protection of Moshe Toblinsky, A.K.A., the mob’s bookkeeper. Arriving in Miami with no money, no friends, and no place to hide, Sam’s only choice is to do as the gangster demands. Forced into bootlegging, Sam’s misery is compounded when he falls in love. Amazingly, the beautiful, devout Rebecca wants only him, but he cannot give her the life she deserves. When Prohibition ends, Sam begs the mobster to set him free. The price? A debt, as Toblinsky puts it, of friendship. A debt that will one day come due.

Present Day. History of American Crime professor Liz Reams has it all - early success, a tantalizing lead on new info about Moshe Toblinsky, and a wonderful man to love. Life is perfect. So what’s keeping her from accepting her guy’s marriage proposals? Confronting a long-standing personal debt sets her on a journey of self-discovery. While she delves ever deeper into Sam’s and Toblinsky’s relationship, her understanding of her own relationships increases as well, but the revelations come at a price. The emotional and physical dangers of her dual journeys may prove too big to handle.

Past and Present Excerpts
Chapter 1
May 18, 1926
105 South Street
New York City

Knocking - sharp, loud, rapid - echoed through the empty speakeasy. Sam froze, the notes of a tune stuck in the roof of his mouth. He glanced at the entrance and leaned the handle of his push broom against his shoulder. Puffs of dust settled on the floorboards around his feet while he remained motionless.
It was late, too late, to be admitting customers, even for the city's illegal watering holes and gambling joints. Although a thick crossbar and several stout locks protected the heavy iron door, an uneasy feeling crawled down Sam's spine. Growing tension over control of the Fulton Fish Market, in fact the entire South Street area, was making a lot of people jumpy, including him.
Several seconds passed without noise from the other side of the door. Sam let out his breath and laughed at himself. Working at the fish market in the afternoon then staying up half the night at the speakeasy didn't leave much time for sleep. It kept him on edge. All the rumors and threats floating around these days weren't helping either. Inclining his ear and hearing nothing, he relaxed and gave his broom a shove.
Bam, bam, bam.
Sam's heart jumped into his throat.
"Open up, Monza. I know you're in there." The shout, colored by an Irish lilt, came from the second floor landing accompanied by renewed pounding. "I come to talk with ya. We need to settle this business. I got a proposition for ya."
Sam's breathing kicked up a notch as he looked over his shoulder toward the office. The boss didn't like to be disturbed when he was meeting with his guys. The pounding from outside in the hall returned in earnest, but the office door remained fixed.
"You gonna open this damned door or do I break it down?" The doorknob rattled and jerked.
 Behind Sam, the office door clicked open an inch. He watched in the mirror over the bar as the muzzle of a .38 Special emerged from the opening, its nickel-plated barrel glittering in the overhead lights. One of the gangsters stepped into the room, met Sam's eye in the mirror, and jerked his head, then the room went dark. Sam dropped his broom and backed into an alcove next to the bar. The office door opened wider. Several shadows scurried across the floor. Metal locks and bolts snapped and clanked, then the entrance door swung inward.

Chapter 2
Present
Fall Semester
Gainesville, Florida

Crap. Not one blessed thing gained.
Liz bookmarked and closed the archival records web page she had paid a small fortune to access. Frustration knotted the muscles at the base of her skull. She stretched her back against the living room sofa and rolled her head and neck. Months of research and all she had to show for it was a regurgitation of everything everybody already knew. Maybe she was what she most feared – a one hit wonder destined to fade from her fifteen minutes of glory into ignominious mediocrity.
Jeez. How was that for a pretentious mouthful? Liz's lips thinned into a smirk accompanied by a quiet snort. Well, at least she could still laugh at herself. Unfortunately, some people might not find her so amusing.
She glanced across the room at Hugh. Liz drummed her fingers against the edge of her computer. He would probably understand if she didn't meet the deadline. Hugh was a good boss and a good... What? She never knew what to call the man she lived and worked with. Boyfriend sounded so lame, childish even. Boss tended to raise eyebrows. Fiancé would work if she had said yes to his most recent proposal.
Liz sucked the corner of her lower lip between her teeth. Of all the things she had ever thought herself to be, a commitment-phobe was not one of them. And now she was on the verge of disappointing him twice in one week. The new course she was designing could still be taught in the spring, but it would be incomplete as it stood now. She had incorporated a plethora of original details about Al Capone, et al., but new, riveting details on Moshe Toblinsky and the Jewish gangsters were proving elusive. As a consequence, Florida's Underbelly, 1920-Present: the Mob in the Sunshine State would probably fail to accomplish what the dean expected despite its titillating title. What a depressing thought.
Buzzing against Liz's thigh made her jump. She dug the phone out of her jeans pocket and looked at the caller ID. Her heart rate kicked up a notch. She slid her finger over the screen to take the call and listened to the monologue coming through the ether.
            Liz tapped the end call icon, slumped a little lower into the sofa cushions, and sucked her lower lip between her teeth. Apparently, nothing was going to go right today. 
Next to the living room window, Hugh lounged in an armchair with the latest historical monograph spread open on his lap, pretending he hadn't listened to her side of the phone conversation. When she didn't speak, he looked up from the book and raised his brows. 
"Well?" His voice was kind but direct.
"Well what?"
"What was in that call to make you look so stormy?"
Liz sighed and crammed her phone into her jeans pocket. "Aunt Mildred says Daddy is going downhill faster than anyone thought possible, something Mom decided to keep from me. Yesterday, he wandered away from the house and was gone for hours. Mom was on the verge of calling the police when a neighbor brought him home. The neighbor stopped Daddy trying to board the ferry to Whidbey Island. He said he had to report for duty at the naval air station." Liz hunched her shoulders and shook her head. "He retired from the Navy in 1995."

 I love the premise. Your writing is so intriguing. Thank you for being here, Linda.

Dear ones,  in case you read this post after July 17 and 18, Linda is giving away a copy of Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel.  
You can find Linda in the following places:
 Twitter:  @LindaPennell


Buy link for Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel:  http://amzn.to/16qq3k5
Buy link for Confederado do Norte:  http://amzn.com/B00LMN5OMI
Buy ink for When War Came Homehttp://amzn.com/B010RXNZRO
Buy link for Casablanca: Appointment at Dawnhttp://amzn.com/B0121Q6S88  
Buy link for Miami Days, Havana Nights: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F7NFD8K
Happy Reading.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Christmas in July! Rachel Sharpe's Latest Jordan James Mystery

Posted by Susan B James on 3:00:00 AM with 1 comment

Rachel Sharpe has a new Jordan James mystery out. A Simple Misconception released on June 20th.  Rachel is guest posting about it today. And  you can win a copy of the series! Four books, people. I love series'. Enter below. 

It's hard for me to believe it's been four years since the world was first introduced to Jordan James, PI. Much has changed in that time, in both Jordan's life and my own. Since Cold Ambition, my debut novel, was released in 2014, I've had two children. This has given me a new perspective on life and on writing. As each book has been written, Jordan has grown as a character. I feel her experiences in the novels, as well as my own in real life, have helped develop both her character and her storyline. I love writing about Jordan, Jon, and all the characters in her world. While I wouldn't mind writing another story with a different cast of characters someday, right now, I'm happy to continue developing Jordan James. I hope readers will enjoy her latest adventure in Simple Misconception and many more to come in the future.

 Also from Rachel Sharpe:
COLD AMBITION, Available Now on Amazon!!!  http://www.amzn.com/B00L2OLQPG/
LOST DISTINCTION, Available Now on Amazon!!! http://www.amzn.com/B00Q5OGCS4
BITTER RETRIBUTION, Available Now on Amazon!!! http://www.amzn.com/B015YS0O94


SIMPLE MISCONCEPTION BLURB
“A Trip to the Big Easy Turns into a Big Nightmare…”
When private investigator Jordan James returns home to New Orleans for Christmas, she never imagined her holiday could end with kidnapping and death. As she begins to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a childhood friend, she unwittingly stumbles upon a dangerous, international syndicate. With lives at risk and time running short, Jordan must find a connection between these seemingly unrelated events if she ever hopes to find her friend.

SIMPLE MISCONCEPTION EXCERPT:
While I stopped, he kept walking. Thanks in large part to the laws of both physics and gravity, when I stopped moving, but he continued, his sheer mass sent me flying forward. It happened too fast for me to cry out. I sailed forward, landing face first into the back of one of the couches before falling against the wooden floor. Hard. Staring up at the second floor balcony, I rubbed the back of my head. It felt tender right away. I groaned softly. Suddenly, Zane’s face came into view, but his attention was not on me.
Instead, he was staring past me, at the white couch into which I slammed. More accurately, he was staring at something on the couch. Ignoring the protests of agony my muscles and nerves exuded, I rolled onto my stomach. I pulled myself to my feet, using the couch for support. As soon as I leaned over, I saw her. She was dead.

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Tuesday, July 3, 2018