Rose Harbor in Bloom by Debbie Macomber ~ Review ~

I have been reading Debbie Macomber's work for years. I absolutely adored her Cedar Cove series and have enjoyed watching the character come to life on screen with the Hallmark series. So when I seaw that she had created yet another series set in one of my favorite places to visit, Cedar Cove, I could not wait to start reading. I just finished Rose Harbor in Bloom, the second book in her new Rose Harbor series. I have to say it is classic Debbie Macomber work, I couldn't bring myself to set this book down for long.

I immensely enjoyed meeting Jo Marie Rose and visiting her Bed and Breakfast. She has a lot going on in her life since her husband was killed. I admired her strength and courage, as well as her warm heart. She has been through a lot and has managed to run a business that requires a lot of compassion and care to run. She has a special talent of making her guests feel at home.

In this story we meet Mary who is facing health issues as well as some things from her past. Mary is strong, courageous and not willing to let her illness get her down. I enjoyed reading her story. I'm not going to tell you anymore than that, I will tell you that her story is very emotional. 

Annie and her Grandparents also have a nice story to tell. Annie's grandparents are celebrating their 50th anniversary and they are quite the pair. They were a lot of fun to read about. I found myself laughing at some of the scenes. Annie is dealing with the loss of a broken engagement and it doesn't help matters any when an old family friend shows up for the party. However there is some unexplored feelings between Oliver and Annie. I hope we hear more about them in the next book in the series.

Then there is Mark the handyman, Mark, I believe, is dealing with issues from his past but we don't know what that is yet. Mark has something unexpected happen in this story but once again I'm not going to tell you anymore then that, you are going to have to read it for yourself.

I had a wonderful visit in Cedar Cove and loved that we get a few glimpses of the characters from the beloved Cedar Cove series. I have not had a chance to read the first book in this series but I didn't find I had any problem being completely absorbed in this story. I would, however, love to read The Inn at Rose Harbor and I will be looking forward to Ms. Macomber's next release as always.

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book to read and share my thoughts with you.

Moon Dance by Jillian Chantal ~ Goddess Fish Virtual Book Tour ~ Giveaway ~ Interview ~

Moon Dance

by Jillian Chantal

Jillian will be awarding a free backlist e-book to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop, and a Grand Prize of a moon charm/crystal necklace to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. So be sure to leave a comment below along with your email address so you may be contacted if you are the lucky winner. To increase your changes of winning this fabulous prize visit the other stops on the tour. You may find those stops here... http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/07/virtual-book-tour-moon-dance-by-jillian.html





~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Interview: 

Crystal: Today as part of the Goddess Fish Virtual Book tour, I have the opportunity to interview Jillian Chantal. Would you share a little bit about yourself with us today?

Jillian: I’m a lawyer in my day job and I write romance as an escape and as a way to have a happily ever after. A lot of times in the legal field, there is a clear winner and a clear loser in a case but most of the time it’s not that way and everyone goes away feeling a little unhappy with the result. Writing romance makes me smile because I can make the characters have that ending that sometimes doesn’t happen for my clients.  I also look at it as cheaper and more fun than therapy. LOL

Crystal: Where did you come up with the idea for Moon Dance?

Jillian: I get a lot of inspiration from my thoughts right as I wake up in the mornings and one day I woke up with these sentences in my head: “It’s not rocket science, you know.” And “Well, if it was, I could do it.” 
From there, I knew I had to have a story with a NASA scientist. I mulled over what would not be rocket science and came up with dancing. From that, Gabe, the hero of the story, came to me as a man who wanted to be a professional dancer but became a fireman instead. I wanted to kind of turn the stereotypes around and make the heroine the scientist and the hero the artist/dancer. I have written most of my stories around one or two sentences.

Crystal: What are you currently working on?

Jillian: I’m writing a story set in 1937 on the Orient Express train. It’s a pre- World War II spy novel/murder mystery with some romance, of course. 

Crystal: Do you have any special routine that you follow when you are writing?

Jillian: Not really. If there’s particular research to do, I try to do that ahead of time so when I’m ready to write, I don’t have to stop and do more intensive research. I may Google a small item or two as I write but I like the bulk to be done first. I’m lucky to have a brain that holds information (Sometimes too much- LOL) so it’s fun for me to write books that need true facts in them.

Crystal: Did you have to do a lot of research for this book or any other? If so do you have a fascinating fact that you have learned you would like to share with us?

Jillian: For this story, for the blindness parts, I spoke to a very dear friend who is an emergency room doctor. He gave me insight (no pun intended) on burned retinas and how the scarring would look and what a person may be able to discern with that injury. Gabe, the hero, can see shapes and some dark and light. 

Some of the things my friend told me about eye injuries were fascinating but very gross so I’ll leave that to the imagination. I tried to gloss over that in the story so the reader wouldn’t be sickened. 

Crystal: Who are some of your favorite authors that you like to read?

Jillian: I’m a big fan of Heather Graham- I love her ghost stories and her settings. Dianna Love is a great author as well- I admire the way she writes sexual tension.
Lauren Willing writes some awesome Regency books. I adore her work.

Crystal: Is there any genre you haven't written that you would like to try?

Jillian: I actually tried an inspirational story once but only made it to about page 15. I found that even though I’m a spiritual person, my voice isn’t made for that type of story. I’ve decided to leave it to others to write those… for now. 

Crystal: Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?

Jillian: In Moon Dance, the hero, Gabe, was blinded in a fire and is now a deejay in a club. This scene is the second meeting between the heroine and hero. The heroine, Olga, is making a song request:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Favorite Scene Excerpt:

Mary huffed and Gabe could discern her spin on her heel and stalk away. "So, did you come over her to tell me what kind of person I am, finally?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
He pointed at her. "You. Last night. Spilled drink. Remember? You said I was acting a like a typical person like me. You never told me exactly what that was."
"How the hell did you know that I was the same person from last night?"
"Hey, I'm blind, not stupid." Gabe barked a laugh.
"Still, you have to admit, it's a little weird. You don't know what I look like, you've only heard my voice once and you pegged me for the woman you talked to for a few minutes one time. It's very impressive and I want to know how you do it."
"In one sentence you call me weird and in the next, you call me impressive. Which is it?"
"Weirdly impressive. So, how'd you do it? Really?"
Gabe could hear the smile in her voice. She actually seemed nicer tonight than she had the evening before. "It's a combination of voice and scent. I've learned to master putting the two together. I usually associate people with the way they smell and speak. With you, it's easier."
"Why's that?"
"Let's start with that Texas drawl."
"And go where from there? Since American and twang is a dead giveaway."
Gabe leaned out the window and rested his elbows on the ledge. "From there, we go to the combination of jasmine, sandalwood and grapefruit, which I believe is a mixture of your shampoo and the top-note of your perfume."
"Well, I've made a decision."
"And what's that?" Gabe grinned because he could tell from the tone of her voice that she was delighted with his answer.
"Between weird and impressive, my decision is impressive. Hands down."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:

Olga Quinn hopes her relocation to London to work on their space shuttle program is the life changing move she needs after the loss of her co-worker in a workplace explosion.  She meets Gabriel Swicord, a fireman turned celebrity radio personality and deejay. He lost his sight while rescuing a family in the line of duty and has immersed himself in music and work since then. For a few days, Olga and Gabe burn hot for each other and then things turn cold.

Someone is murdering women who patronize the club where Gabe spins records. It appears that he's the connection to the dead women and his name and face are plastered all over the news. Things are not looking good for Olga's peaceful new life and when the killers turn kidnappers, things really begin to heat up.  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:

"Ouch." Olga Quinn dropped the soldering iron on the marble countertop. It landed with a clatter and rolled off onto the tile floor of the lab. She sucked on her index finger with tears streaming down her face. "After all these years, you'd think I wouldn't do that anymore, wouldn't you? I mean, really, I've been making prototypes forever."

"It has been a while since you worked really hands on, though, hasn't it?" Olga's co-worker, Gina Boudreau said. She bent down and picked up the soldering iron.

"Yeah, in Houston, I was assigned to the design team. I created ideas and other people made the models to test them. Over here, it seems we do all the jobs. I'm glad they have someone to clean the bathrooms or we might get sucked into that as well."

"We're much smaller here at British Aerospace than NASA, but I don't think they'll put us scientists to work in the loo." Gina giggled. "I do wonder why you decided to move here, though. You had a pretty cushy job. I'm a little jealous and why you'd give that up, I'll never understand."

Olga made herself smile as she swallowed the lump in her throat that thoughts of Texas always brought. "I wanted a change of pace for a while. I'm here on loan only. I'm sure I'll head back across the Atlantic someday."

"Maybe you'll decide you love the motherland so much that you'll want to stay forever."

"Not likely since England isn't my motherland." Olga moved over to the stainless steel sink and ran some cold water over her hand that still stung from the burn from the solder.

"I thought all you Yanks were descended in some way from the Anglo Saxons."

Olga shook her head. "Nope. I'm part Russian and part Inuit." She dried her hand off, opened a drawer in the closest cabinet and reached for some burn ointment for her finger.

"So that explains the darkness of your soul." Gina laughed. 

"You sound like you're stereotyping my people."

"I'd never do that. Unless I was kidding around." Gina grinned. She pulled off her lab coat. "Quitting time soon. Come out tonight to the club with me and the gals. We'll have fun. They have a brilliant celebrity deejay there and I want you to hear him. He's quite good."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jillian Chantal lives on the gulf coast of Florida. She’s an avid traveler and enjoys using her experiences in other places as the background and inspiration for her stories. Writing Romantic Adventures with an International Flair is her favorite type of story to focus on. She loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at:

http://www.JillianChantal.com

email: JillianChantal at gmail.com 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JillianChantal

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillian.chantal

Author pages:

http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/brands/Jillian-Chantal.html

http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&filter_author=124

http://www.bookstrand.com/jillian-chantal

Stained By Elizabeth Marx ~ Excerpt ~

She pushed through the front door, the tail of her trench coat flapping out around her like a backwoods banshee. In my twenty-five years, I’d never seen heels that high, legs that long, or a strut that confident stroll across the tacky floor of Three Sips Distillery. I’d caught a glance of her earlier at the wake and this was the last place she belonged. The bar was formerly called Down and Out and I was doing everything within my power to diminish that image, but her presence mocked me. Crossroads was only one of three towns in the county that wasn’t dry, thus three sips. My gaze swept over the woman again. It would take more than three sips of good whiskey to take the edge off the scenarios burning through my imagination at the sight of her.

It was lust; unexplainable, mindboggling, burning hot lust for a perfect stranger. I’d swear the lights flickered the moment her fingertips left the panic bar, and the jukebox came to life on Aerosmith’s Janie’s Got a Gun as she stepped over the threshold.

Polly Anna looked up from washing miniature Mason jars, but didn’t speak a word as the young woman approached the bar. The peacock eased onto a swivel barstool, crossing her legs with the grace of a Southern debutante, while she tossed the large black pocketbook she was carrying on the sticky bar top carelessly. I wasn’t an expert in women’s accessories, but I knew her purse, which was sized like small luggage, reeked expensive. I’d shopped enough with my sister, Mandy, to know. That handbag was sized larger than most diaper bags for twins and the leather was probably as silky as a baby’s freshly powdered bottom.

Her face was angular with fine skin, and familiar to me, but the oversized sunglasses and ridiculous hat with netting was preventing me from figuring out exactly whom she looked like. She removed the hat and it looked like a black widow spider sitting on the bar. She started pulling pins from the back of her head, wincing as she did. Then she ran her fingers through her hair and scratched at her scalp until the entire dark mass framed her face.

“A double Spiced Boxed Whisky on the rocks,” she said politely as she started pulling her elbow-length leather gloves off by the fingertips.

I couldn’t help myself, I watched her, as transfixed as Polly Anna was. The young woman’s movements were so practiced and elegant, I couldn’t look away. She started at the index finger and loosened the glove at the tip of her finger before moving onto her middle finger, then her ring finger, then her pinky, and finally her thumb. Once she had the silk lining loosened, she gave a gentle tug on the tip of her middle finger and the glove gave way grudgingly, as if the leather was sore to lose the comfort of the captivating and perfectly manicured hand it was concealing.

She removed the second glove in exactly the same manner before she bothered looking back up at Polly Anna, who was standing as still as a wax figure in a museum. The woman pulled her dark, oversized sunglasses partway down her perfectly formed patrician nose and examined Polly Anna from her golden headed mop of hair all the way to the her oversized belt buckle, not missing a detail in between.

I thought Uh-oh, ’cause Polly Anna didn’t take crap off anyone, that’s why she was the only barmaid I’d ever hired. Three Sips Distillery might now host a beautiful southern interior—from the uneven floorboards I’d pulled from an old barn in Guntersville, to the new bar I’d hand stained and fitted with custom stained glass, to the twinkling Christmas lights that danced around the perimeter of the room—but the patrons were still a little rough around the edges. The sweet, but at times surly, barmaid who’d been tough enough to cut off every redneck in shit kickers with enough nerve to start slurring his words wasn’t going to take kindly to a prissy stranger.

The young woman smiled at Polly Anna appreciatively and said, “Sweetheart, it’s emptier than a hog pen on Easter Sunday in here, do you think you can pour me that drink?”

Polly Anna burst out giggling, which was unusual in a woman as pessimistic as our Polly Anna, and something I’d never thought to hear from her. Polly Anna’s reaction, combined with the woman’s nasally Yankee accent spewing the southern saying confidently, had me totally transfixed. That and the fact that I was dying for her to take off her coat so I could see if what it was keeping warm was as fine as what I’d seen so far.

I don’t know if it was what the young woman said or the fact that such a fancy lady said it, but Polly Anna couldn’t stop chuckling and snorting as she moved to the liquor well, filled a glass with ice, and poured the whiskey without necessity of a shot glass.

The young woman smiled from ear to ear as she pulled her sunglasses the rest of the way down her nose and placed one of the stems of the glasses between her perfectly formed teeth. She bit into them.

I swallowed. Hard.


Pre-order Stained on SMASHWORDS.

Add Stained to your GOODREADS want to read list!

About the Author: Windy City writer, Elizabeth Marx, brings cosmopolitan life alive in her fiction—a blend of romance, fast-paced Chicago living, and a sprinkle of magical realism. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs. She grew up in the city, has traveled extensively, and still says there’s no town like Chi-Town.


WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Something’s Cooking by Meg Lacey ~ Goddess Fish Blog Tour ~ Giveaway ~ Interview ~

Something’s Cooking

by Meg Lacey

Meg will be awarding a Jamberry Nails set (with a watermelon motif) and a colorful watermelon knife to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour so please be sure to leave a comment below as well as your email address so you may be contacted if you are the lucky winner. Don't forget to increase your chances of winning by visting the other stops on the tour. You may find the other tour locations here...  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/07/virtual-nbtm-tour-somethings-cooking-by.html


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crystal: Today as part of the Goddess Fish Virtual Book tour, I have the opportunity to interview Meg Lacey. Would you share a little bit about yourself with us today?

Meg Lacey: I am now a full-time fiction writer for the first time since I started writing ages ago.  I have a BFA and MA in theatre, specifically acting and directing, and a minor in Fine Arts and Promotion.

I’ve played a lot of employment roles over the years before I created my first of two ‘established two creative marketing/media companies,.’  Over the years, I’ve been an actress, director, producer, creative director, CEO, copywriter, creative dramatics teacher, mime, mom, college instructor, and a school bus driver.—and boy are there some terrific stories as a driver I can tell.  I’m published with Harlequin, Imajinn Books, Samhain Publishing and now Entangled Publishing.
Go to my website or at any online bookstore to learn more about me.  www.meglacey.com

Crystal:  Where did you come up with the idea for “Something’s Cooking”?

Meg Lacey: I had turned on the TV one day and happened to see a program featuring Martha Stewart. She was cooking something that she said was easy but to me had more complications than the theory of relativity.  She finished up the cooking segment by talking about how she grew the ingredients in her garden and oh, by the way, did you know you can make your own garden lights out of plastic cups, etc.  She proceeded to show her craft project as I watched open mouthed.  That’s when it hit me—this woman is too damn perfect to be real.

So I wondered what would happen if a woman, Tess Banyon, was a brilliant idea person and marketer, but couldn’t cook worth a damn, and kept gluing herself to her grapevine wreath with her glue gun.  She would have to have help to pull it off-enter her mother and sister oh a reporter thinks she is too good to be true and investigates her when she gets her own TV show.

So I was off and running. I had a blast writing this story.

Crystal: What are you currently working on?

Meg Lacey: I am currently working on Book Two of my Million Dollar Men series at Samhain, ‘Million Dollar Rock.’  I just finished book two for my Tales of the Sparrow series with Imajinn Books, “The Sparrow and the Vixen’s Three,” featuring kitsunes (Japanese werefoxes.)  I’m also working on a number of proposals for Entangled.

Crystal: Do you have any special routine that you follow when you are writing?

Meg Lacey: I try to get to my desk early in the am to do some routine work and then I start writing.  I always reread what I’d done the day or evening before to get me started, and am always surprised to see that the work is not as bad as I thought it was when I saved it the day before.  I tend to work as needed to accomplish a project, and that might be anytime day or night.

Crystal: Did you have to do a lot of research for this book or any other? If so do you have a fascinating fact that you have learned you would like to share with us?

Meg Lacey: I have been a producer/writer and art director on various how to cooking shows running on national cable networks, so I know exactly how programs operate behind the scenes and those experiences were invaluable research for this book.  In addition I researched various recipe books for ideas that would work best within my story framework.  I have recipes at the back of the book that I received from friends and relatives.  One of my favorite is for ‘Slumgullion.” Slumgullion is an Irish word for an ‘everyday dinner’. Basically it’s a thrown together mash of meat, vegetables, etc.  So, basically, any old mess of something can actually be a good meal.  That’s my type of cooking.  LOL

Crystal: Who are some of your favorite authors that you like to read?

Meg Lacey: I like to read: James Herriott, Susan Elizabeth Philips, Laura Resnick, Amanda Usen, Annie Seaton, Dean Koonz, Phillipa Gregory, Simone St. James, Kate Morton, JD Robb, Karen Robards, Jeffrey Deaver, James Rollins, Preston and Childs.

Crystal: Is there any genre you haven't written that you would like to try?

Meg Lacey: I want to do a thriller.  I have an idea about a family of serial killers, the mother is the one who keeps the families murdering tradition alive.

Crystal: Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?

Meg Lacey: First let me give you a bit of background about “Something’s Cooking:”

The queen of gracious living, Tess Banyon, has a secret—she’s a total klutz in the kitchen, and if anyone finds out her career is at risk.  News reporter, Josh Farraday’s, job is discovering secrets, and he’s focused on Tess. When these two passionate determined people collide, something’s cooking in more than just the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Authors Favorite Scene Excerpt: 

Tess stood frozen for a minute before she said faintly, “What do you
think you’re doing?”

At the same time, Josh jerked back the curtain that encircled
the claw-footed antique bathtub. Hands clenched on the divided
curtain, his eyes widened to the size of half-dollars, and his jaw
practically dropped to his chest as he stared at her for a long
moment.

“Am I missing something here?”

Tess studied the length of his body, coming to rest on his
most volatile piece of male equipment. “Nope, all there,” she said,
“every inch.”

He laughed. “That’s a relief.”

Her heart was pounding with a staccato fury, and for a
moment she felt like she’d melt. He was gorgeous. “What are you
doing in my bathroom?”

Josh swiped his hands down his body to shed the excess water,
then stepped out of the tub onto the bathmat. He reached for the
towel hanging on a rack. Lazily, he wrapped the terrycloth around
his waist, tucking the end in. He smiled. “You said the door right
at the top of the stairs.”

“I said turn right at the top of the stairs.”

“Oh, turn right.” He grinned. “I thought you were being a bit
forward.”

“Were you snooping in my bedroom?” she asked, amazed at
the thought.

He nodded toward the door. “Are you sure that’s your room?
It looks like a stage set. There’s nothing personal to identify
you in there. No mementos, nothing. I found that disappointing,
considering your skills.”

“You admit it? You were looking through my room?”

“Only on the way to the bathroom.”

“I don’t believe you,” she said, punctuating her words by
poking her finger into his chest. “You’re a low-down snoop, that’s
what you are.”

“A snoop? A reporter being called a snoop? Surely not.”

His chuckle was infectious, but Tess wasn’t buying it. She was
red-faced and perspiring, although that could have been from
the heat and moisture in the room, not because she was more
embarrassed than she’d ever been in her entire life, or wanted to
rip the towel from his hips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

"Something’s cooking in more than the kitchen…

Tess Banyon is a ‘Martha Stewart’ type of homemaker-guru-marketing-entrepreneur-extraordinaire.  Investigative journalist, Josh Farraday is determined to convince the women of America that Tess is too good to be true.

He’s right.

Tess is a marvelous marketer with tons of ideas, but she can’t really cook and has been known to attach herself to a grapevine wreath with her glue gun.  Now she’s doing her own TV show, and Josh has been assigned to do a behind-the-scenes story."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:

“You’re not going to disappoint your admiring public are you?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t have any public here.”

 “What about me? I’m here. And I’m certainly admiring.”

His gaze was so hot she shivered. She could feel the path his eyes were taking as they roamed over her, starting at her mouth and continuing to make a leisurely journey around the world. Her nerves jumped.

She backed closer to the charcoal grill. The ribs were already cooking, but needed an application of her bottled barbecue sauce. She reached to the small table by the side of the grill and grabbed the first thing that came to hand. Turning toward the grill, she aimed at the ribs and squeezed. The entire grill burst into flame as the lighter fluid hit the coals, the fire leaping high into the air to char the poor little ribs sitting in the midst of the conflagration.

“Oh my God!” Tess backed up from the flames and reached for a spatula. At the same time, Josh lurched forward to grab a long fork that hung on the grill handle. “Don’t worry, I’ll rescue them.”

He speared the ribs, lifting them up from the grill and backed up, only to bump into Tess who was stepping forward to slip the spatula underneath. As they collided, Tess jerked her arm up and accidentally smacked him in the forehead with the spatula. He twisted to get away from her, raising his hand to his forehead. As he did so, the ribs flew over his head.

Mouth wide open, Tess watched what looked like half a side of beef arc into the stratosphere and then land on the patio tiles with a splat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Meg has a BFA and MA in theatre, acting and directing, and a minor in Fine Arts and Promotion.  Over the years, Meg has been an actress, director, producer, creative director, CEO, copywriter, creative dramatics teacher, mime, mom, college instructor, and a school bus driver.  She’s established two creative marketing/media companies, working as a V.P. and as CEO, creating projects in all media: network cable programming to corporate initiatives; to video, games and interactive websites. Meg is published with Harlequin, Imajinn Books, Samhain Publishing and now Entangled Publishing. Learn more about Meg and her books on her website or at any online bookstore.  Look for her new books, Something’s Cooking from Entangled Publishing, 8/13; The Sparrow and the Hawk, out now.  The Sparrow and the Vixens Three, 11/13, and Million Dollar Mistake, 9/13.

Website: www.meglacey.com

Email:  meg@meglacey.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/meglaceybooks

Twitter: @MegLaceyBooks

Good Reads:  http://www.goodreads.com/meglacey

Amazon Buy Link Something's Cooking 

DEATHWATCH by Dana Marton ~ Release Day Blitz~ Broslin Creek Series

DEATHWATCH 

by Dana Marton

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB: 
 The only person who can identify the most notorious hit man in the country, Kate Bridges is running for her life. Murphy Dolan is in the Army Reserves, returning from his 2nd tour of duty, only to find a stranger hiding in his house. She's scared spitless. He's completely burned out on violence. Neither has any trust left to give.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:

“Let’s try one more time.” Murph moved toward her. “Pretend I’m the assassin. Murph is dead out in the kitchen. You’re out of bullets and cornered.” He reached for her. “First choice?”

“Kill the bastard.” Kate grabbed for the barstool and whacked him in the head as hard as she could, but he twisted in the last second and the blow glanced off his skull.

He’d ordered her right at the beginning, fairly forcefully, to hold nothing back. And then he’d pushed and pushed, baiting and goading her. At this stage, if she maimed him, she figured he deserved it.

“Second choice?” He pushed forward with a growl.

“Incapacitate him then call 911.” She lunged forward instead of pulling back, and kicked at his most sensitive parts, but wobbled at the last second and missed by a fraction of an inch.

“Third choice?” He grabbed for her.

“Run like hell and live to see another day.” She put her head down, then yanked it up hard, smashing it into his chin so that his head snapped back and his grip on her slipped.

She ran for the stairs that led up.

He was on top of her in a second, bringing her down and pinning her. “Wrong move. What did we say about the stairs?”

“If I have a choice, go down.” The basement had an outside exit, while upstairs she could get trapped.

“Right.” He lifted his body off her and sat next to her, his eyes narrowing as he watched her struggle to catch her breath. His biceps bulged from under his black T-shirt that was barely wrinkled, while her shirt and pants looked like he’d mopped the house with her. Which, technically, he had.

She sat up. He was insanely strong. She hadn’t expected that, considering his injury. And he was fast. He didn’t have to think about what move he was going to make next. He fought on instinct, while her instincts pushed her to run away screaming.

Except when they pushed her to throw herself into his arms. She looked away from him, not wanting him to read her pitiful reaction in her eyes.

“I’m going to reinforce the rainspouts. Then you can go upstairs if you have no other choice, and climb down without breaking your neck.”

“I can break my neck even if the rainspout doesn’t break under me. Severe balance deficiency. Remember?”

He closed his eyes for a second. “All right. If at all possible, go for the basement.” He reached into his pocket and gave her a set of car keys.

“What’s this?”

“I got a rental today. It’s parked in front of 212 Summer Lane. You run out the basement door, cross the back neighbors’ yard. It’s a black Mustang. There’s some money and a backup gun in the glove compartment. If all else fails, you get in and drive away. Tank is full. It has GPS. Just drive and be safe.”

“And you?”

“Don’t worry about me.”

Tension filled the air between them as they stared at each other.

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“We’re going up against a master hit man. We’re going to get hurt. Our best case scenario is just not to be dead when this is over.”

She drew back, her limbs going cold suddenly. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this. I could just leave. I’m good at running. I’m a hell of a lot better at running than I am at fighting.”

“If all goes well, you won’t have to fight. I’ll fight for you. We discussed this already. This is the only way you’ll ever be free. This is your best chance. You have a partner this time, someone who’s been trained both as a cop and a soldier. And we know Asael is here, that he’s coming. He loses the element of surprise.”

He moved closer and took her hand. “If you want to be free…I’m pretty sure it’s one of those now or never things. We’ll set the trap for the day after tomorrow. I don’t want to wait too long, or he might make his move when we’re not expecting it.”

She nodded.

“We’ll make a show of me going off,” he said. “But I’ll circle back and come in through the back door. When he comes, I’ll engage him. You go call for help. If he gets through me, you run for your life. But it’s not going to happen. I’m going to handle him.”

He stood then reached out to pull her to her feet.

She hesitated a moment before she asked, “How is your shoulder?”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“Right. That’s why you still favor your right arm.”

“I can use my left arm.” He put his left hand under her chin, tilting her face to him. Then he lowered his head to hers and kissed her.

Everything went still inside her as his warm lips touched hers. She could barely remember the last time she’d been kissed. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed this, a man’s arms around her, his dark gaze boring into hers with scorching heat. And, boy, could Murph Dolan fix a girl with a look that sent tingles down all the way to her toes.

He smelled like man, tasted like coffee and felt like heaven.

Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she gave herself to the sensation of being pressed against his hard chest while his mouth explored her gently, teasing her, tasting her. His great warrior body vibrated with restrained need, but he took the kiss slowly.

He brushed his lips over hears in agonizingly slow motion, covering every nook and cranny, then catching her bottom lip between his teeth for a minute before he swept inside and tasted her fully, making her weak in the knees.

Maybe he remembered her balance issues, because he gathered her against him tightly. Part of her wouldn’t have minded staying like that forever.

“I wanted to do this from the moment I saw you sleeping in my bed,” he murmured against her mouth.

“I just wanted to shoot you,” she said the first thing that popped into her dazed mind, then caught herself and winced. “Sorry.”

He laughed as he stepped back. “That’s a very healthy survival instinct. We’re going to develop more of that in whatever little time we’ll be given.”

And then he attacked her.

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Author Bio:

Dana Marton writes fast-paced action-adventure romances that take her readers all over the globe. She is a Rita Award finalist and the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. She loves writing stories of intrigue, filled with dangerous plots that try her tough-as-nails heroes and the special women they fall in love with. Her books have been published in seven languages in eleven countries around the world.

She would love to hear from her readers. 

Okay, the above version is the glamour version for press releases. The truth is that my path to publication was nothing but unglamorous. I wrote for 13 years and completed 4 books (as well as having others in various stages of completion) before I finally received a call from a Harlequin editor. I was beginning to wonder if I was being tenacious or just too dense to know when to quit. But it all worked out at the end! J I love, love, love writing and would spend all day in front of the computer if I could just break my family of the habit of wanting to eat and wear clean clothes. What’s up with that? But I must get up from the desk now and then, if only because my Internet connection goes down or my ancient PC overheats. Then I do enjoy cooking, knitting, hunting for treasures at the flea market, our Beagle, Peanut the Destroyer, and gardening.

I’d love it if you picked up one of my books and emailed me to tell me what you thought of it. I’ve been known to name characters after readers. Just ask Princess Judi.

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Links:

Visit Dana on Facebook

Dana Marton's Website

Amazon link for Deathscape

Amazon link for Deathtrap

Amazon Link for Deathwatch

  

TO CATCH A PRINCESS By Caridad Pineiro ~ Cover Reveal ~

To Catch A Princess

by Caridad Pineiro

Gambling at Love: To win her heart he has to risk his secrets. . . Romantic Times: 4 Stars – “From the first page, the pacing is strong, the action plentiful and the characters interesting enough to hook you in.” Untold wealth, a loving family, a solid career in America: the only thing Princess Tatiana lacks is the one thing she really doesn’t want—a husband. Unfortunately, her parents have just arranged her marriage to a royal from the old country. Are they kidding? It’s the twenty-first century! Police Detective Peter Roman is a royal living incognito … and escaping a secret that has haunted his family for years. He’s been quietly in love with his best friend Prince Alexander’s sister for as long as he can remember. Little does she know that he is secretly the Grand Duke to whom she is unwillingly betrothed… When a series of high-end jewelry heists threatens Tatiana’s exclusive charity exhibition in glamorous Monaco, the two must trap the clever jewel thief before he strikes again. In a fight for their lives, Peter’s secret identity is revealed. With danger and passion increasing to the breaking point, she must decide: catch a thief...or trust the heart of her true love. Read an Excerpt Apple Itunes To Catch a Princess Amazon Buy Link B&N