Author: Dee S.

A crazy Fourth

July 4th--Happy Birthday, America!This is unquestionably a crazy time in the U.S. and around the world. But today is also our country’s birthday. I’d like to forget the weirdness and just say “Happy birthday, USA!”

I’d also like to thank all of those who kept us free and who continue to do so—our military and military families. Your sacrifice is much appreciated. Also, thanks to all who keep us safe here at home, our first responders who rush to us when we call for help. Because of all of you, our country is better, our lives are better, and considering all America does around the world, the world is better, too.

Have a safe and happy Fourth!July Fourth

Raising children #MFRWauthor

Values to teach childrenI can’t think of any job in the world more important but harder to do well than parenting. When you think of the million of things a parent can do wrong, it boggles the mind. And even if you do most everything right, the kid can decide to screw it all up and leave parents wondering where they went wrong. The good news is, no one does it perfectly, and most kids turn out okay and grow up to have their own kids so they can worry about doing things wrong. It’s a beautiful circle.

So, when we think of the most important value to teach a child, it’s impossible to narrow it to one. We want our children to be honest, self-sufficient, loving, hard-working, trustworthy, etc. Sigh. But if I have to pick one, I’ll say that teaching your child to love is the most important.

When parents teach their children to love—not just others, but themselves—they are also teaching respect for life. Loving means they don’t hurt others purposefully and that they learn to say “I’m sorry” when they do it accidentally. It means they learn to share and give to help those who can’t help themselves. It means they grow up trying to do the right thing and not to cause harm.

How do we teach kids to be loving? One way—the best way, I think—is by Parents and childrenexample. If parents show love for each other as well as for their children, they demonstrate what a good relationship is. It builds a web of love that can’t help but extend to outside the family structure.

Perhaps I make it all sound easy. It isn’t. As a parent, loving means being consistent, so the child learns. It means correcting behavior that doesn’t show caring, even when correcting is hard to do. It means taking time to be loving, even when it seems there is no time. It means doing your regular job, but never forgetting that parenting is the real job.

We’re going through a crazy, topsy-turvy world right now, and we could use a lot more love. If we teach our kids to love themselves and each other, I think the ideal will spread from generation to generation, keeping everyone’s little corner of the world a better place.

What do you think is the best value to teach?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Burning Bridges by Anne Krist: old letters put the lie to Sara’s life. Now, mending her past mistakes while crossing burning bridges will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.

One Woman Only
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

Who knows what a woman can do? Jan Selbourne #MFRWHooks

The Woman Behind the Mirror

Blurb –
The Woman Behind the Mirror by Jan SelbourneBetrothed by her father to a man twice her age, Sarah Forsythe does the unthinkable—she runs away with the son of a Methodist minister. Not to Gretna Green, to colonial America—the New World. For Sarah, a “new world” of broken promises, abandonment, poverty and shame. Around her, the American Revolution is simmering, and the siege of Boston worsens by the day. As British soldiers seek out traitors and treason, a desperate Sarah breaks open a safe looking for cash. Instead, she finds a box holding Bank of England documents. Through willpower, bitter determination, and lying through her teeth, Sarah manages to make her way home to England. What she doesn’t know is that two men follow, and they will do anything to claim those documents.

Bank investigator Neil McAlister faces an almost impossible task—to determine the true owner of the documents by deciding who is lying. Most of all, as danger creeps ever closer, he needs to know who wants the secretive, beautiful Sarah dead.

Buy link
Kindle Unlimited

MFRW Book Hooks

Excerpt –
When the early dusk gave way to night, she cut her hair to above her shoulders. Dressed in grubby men’s breeches, a thick quilted coat and cloak she’d bought from a street hawker, her cropped hair pushed under a black hat and a knife in her pocket, she walked past the front entrance, looked around and hurried down the lane to the rear of the building. Stepping over rubble and filth she moved closer to the back door and almost sagged with relief. The cover over the coal chute had not been sealed. Crouching down, she pulled the metal ring and pulled again but it wouldn’t budge. Forcing down the urge to scream and kick, she pulled again. With a harsh scraping of wood against wood it lifted, and she dropped into the black hole. Hitting the pile of coal with a thud, she lay still listening, then crept into the empty kitchen and the hall. A glance behind her and she sprinted up the staircase to Samuel Fenton’s private quarters.

It was as she expected, dark and stripped of all furniture, so she felt her way along the wall until a hand covered her mouth. Her heart thudded with shock then she bit down hard. The grip loosened and she kicked back behind her. Two strong hands swung her around and jammed her face into the wall.

“Move and I’ll cut your throat,” a muffled voice hissed in her ear.

Sarah tried to kick back again but he dodged to one side and threw her to the floor. Winded and terrified she flinched when his knife pressed against her throat.

“Who are you? Answer me!”

“Please,” she begged. “Let me go and I’ll not look back.”

A sharp intake of air. “A woman?”

Sarah was pulled up to face a man shrouded in black and with a scarf covering the lower part of his face.

“Let me go!” she yelled but his grip tightened and now frightened for her life she fought back. Her fingernails clawed at his eyes and when he jerked away her boot lashed into his shin bone. Swearing furiously, he kicked her feet from under her and she landed heavily on the floor.

“Bitch,” he snarled. “If you were a man, you’d be dead.” Within seconds he was gone.

Shaking uncontrollably, Sarah backed into a corner and curled into a ball until the cold and the terrible silence became unbearable. You are so close, and you can’t lie here forever.

Lifting her head, she peered into the dark room before crawling to the alcove where the mahogany desk had stood. Inch by inch, she felt along the floorboards until she found the join. Her fingers moved forward until they found the second join and pushed down. It didn’t move. Stifling a sob, she willed herself to remember the night two men had challenged each other to a duel. She’d burst into this room to find Samuel Fenton on his knees placing a box into the hole. He’d swiftly covered it, spluttering something about dropping his snuff box. She hadn’t so much as glanced at the floor, instead she’d pointed to the salon shouting, “Quick, they’ll kill each other.” Now, she had no idea how to open the hidey-hole.

God, it was so dark she couldn’t see a damn thing. Gritting her teeth, Sarah felt the floorboards again. No keyhole. Her eyes closed in despair, why didn’t she bring a hatpin or… Her eyes flew open. Idiot, the knife!

Keeping one finger on the join, she fumbled for the knife in her pocket and pushed it into the crack. Nothing. “Please, please,” she begged silently and dug the knife into the other join. A soft click. Now what do I do? Her fingers gently pushed again, and the other end lifted. Every nerve in her body was screaming to get out now as she lifted the box from its hiding place. Something else was beneath it.

Her fingers probed and picked up a slim leather folder when a noise outside made her freeze. Dear God, he was coming back. Then it went silent. Most likely an alley cat. She pushed the folder into the pocket of her cloak, clutched the box to her chest and, heart pounding loud enough to hear a mile away, she crept down the stairs and into the kitchen. Across the flagstones to the coal chute. “Oh no,” she whispered. There was nothing to help her climb out. Defeated, she slumped down to the floor and put her head in her hands.

It was a scraping noise that roused her. Most likely a tree branch against a window, but wait, how did that brute get in and out? Gripping the knife, she walked beside the walls, touching each boarded window and door and then stopped to listen. Back to the privy where chamber pots were emptied into the sewer outside. The small door was open, its rusty hinges squeaking. Dropping to the floor she crawled through the gap, stepped over the foul-smelling drain and was about to run when a figure loomed in front of her.

Hard hands grabbed her shoulders. “What were you doing in there?”

“Nothing, get away, get away from me!” Jerking away, the box slipped from her grasp and hit the ground with a clatter.

The man grabbed her again. “Slut, answer me or I’ll break your fucking neck.”

Blindly Sarah lashed out at him and her breath caught in her throat when he gave a sickening whoop and staggered backwards to collapse onto the cobblestones.

Oh, dear God. In her panic to get out she’d forgotten the knife in her hand. Her legs were turning to water, she couldn’t move, then a shout from the road.

“What goes on there?” Two night watchmen with lanterns were turning into the lane. Dragging air into her lungs, she picked up the box and fled.

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Making her engine purr #MFRWHooks

This is a blog hop. Be sure to check the link at the bottom to see posts from other authors!

Blurb:
One Woman Only by Dee S. KnightOne Woman Only, Book 2 of the Good Man series

As one of a set of triplets, Jonah Goodman has always stood out as the least academic—and the last one to take the world, or commitment, seriously. Thing is, that’s not really who he is. But who can he convince of that? Not his family, who see him as they always have. And maybe not his one love, the sweetheart he left behind in high school but with whom he is now sharing an erotic holiday. Will he get his second chance to prove to Kelly that he is a loving man who wants more than a sensual few days, but a real relationship with the woman he lost once and doesn’t want to lose again? With that chance and Kelly’s love, Jonah knows that a “good man” can become a better man.

Buy link:
Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt:
“A burger and fries, please.” Jonah had said the words, but in synch with someone else. Someone whose voice was slightly higher and a lot more feminine. He turned his head to the left and met the green gaze of the last person he wanted to see tonight. For an instant, the spit dried in his mouth and his eyes widened as his past slammed headfirst into his present. She was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen and his body responded with an immediate and aching erection.

Then she opened her mouth.

“Oh hell,” Kelly said. “It’s you.”

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New! Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Cynthia Terelst

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Cynthia TerelseLet Sleeping Dogs Lie

Blurb

Will one of the treasures they find be each other’s heart?

It’s been five years since Tara walked out of Shepherd’s life without a word. Since then he’s spiralled through drugs, alcohol and empty relationships, with Tara on his mind the whole time. Now he wants to win her back, and what better way to do it than by creating a fake scavenger hunt? He knows she won’t be able to resist.

Tara’s lost enough loved ones and she didn’t want to see Shepherd added to that count. So, when she saw him high at graduation, she did the only thing she could – she walked away. When she’s teamed up with him for a million dollar scavenger hunt, the feelings reignite. For a second chance at love to work, she needs to be brave enough to open up to him, to tell him everything she withheld the first time around.

Shepherd didn’t realise how much winning would mean to Tara. He now needs to come up with $3 million for her foundation before the hunt is over. If he can’t he will need to tell her it’s all fake, and he doesn’t know if he can risk that.

Will secrets destroy them a second time around?

Excerpt
Tara
Shepherd and I sat on the couch side by side and watched The Martian while we ate dinner. The warmth from where our arms touched seeped through me. I should have moved away, but I didn’t want to. The spices from the tacos radiated off him. What would they taste like when mixed with the sweetness of him? My eyes were drawn to his lips, the curve of them. I could practically feel their softness.

Shepherd turned his face to mine. My eyes lingered for a moment as I imagined his soft breath brushing my face as he bent his head toward me. My breathing shallowed to the point that it was nearly non-existent, as if I were a starfish. I turned my face away and resumed watching the movie, making sure my hands kept to themselves and my thoughts remained on the man saving his own life on the screen. Matt Damon may have been the most attractive astronaut I’d ever seen, but he was nothing compared to Shepherd.

The movie ended and I sat there while the credits rolled. Our closeness suddenly made me feel like we were in a flux capacitor. Time—five years of it—had been starved, and now it was swallowing me whole. Everything about Shepherd felt like home. Everything. And if I allowed it to, this feeling wouldn’t just swallow me, it would become me.

I jerked away from him, my heart racing, my skin cold, while I broke into a sweat. I couldn’t allow this to happen. Shepherd was no longer my solace. He never truly was because he never knew my grief. My grief over my brother. The feelings of loss at my parent’s death.

No, Shepherd was not my solace. Not then. Not now.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Cynthia Terelse

Cynthia Terelst and Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
CT: Ideas come in the most mysterious ways. My daughter had just moved to a new town for work. She told me about how there was a top pub and a bottom pub and at bottom pub people remembered your name. I made a random post about it and one of my friends said it sounded like a puzzle. So I thought, why not write a book revolving around a scavenger hunt.

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
CT: You can’t have a scavenger hunt without places where to find the treasure. So after I decided where I would set the book I needed to figure out where the treasure was going to be hidden. Then I needed to come up with clues to direct the players to that place. It sounds easy. But trust me it’s not. You need to provide enough detail for them to get to the answer but still be vague enough so that can not guess straight away.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
CT: Many of the places mentioned in the book I have visited personally, and the ghostly encounter was real!

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
CT: I don’t write full time, yet. My aim is to be a full-time author at the end of 2023. That is when the project at my day job is scheduled to complete. I intend to write two books a year and build up a loyal fan base in between.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
CT: I have very supportive friends and family who like to say they know a published author. They might get sick of me talking about my launch, the book that I’m working on, but the never say so. And I appreciate that.

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer
CT: The support in the writing community. People are open in sharing what works for them and what hasn’t. Many are there to extend a helping hand to you and share their infinite wisdom.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
CT: I know where my books starts, what I want to happen in the middle and what the ending is. My planning does not go much beyond that. For this book I wrote out index cards for each scene but I only looked at the first few and then my writing just went on its own merry little way.

NA: Do you have quirky writing habits?
CT: Not really. Sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I don’t. I hand write my first draft and then type. I guess that is something not all writers do. It helps me think clearer.

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
CT: I don’t have much spare time. I usually just veg out in front of the TV at the end of the night for an hour or so.

NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
CT: Because it was clean and it fits. I’ve put on a bit of weight and not all of my clothes fit at present.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
CT: How much longer I can stay in bed for because I MUST get up.

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?
CT: Cleaning is not my thing. When I got a pay rise the first thing I did was get a cleaner.

NA: What are you working on now?
CT: My next novel is a royal romance, with a smattering of polo, rambunctious kids and I’ll throw in a spider and snake, because Australia. Lol.

Teasers

“You’ve got ketchup—” His thumb reached the side of my mouth and wiped across my lips, leaving them heated. It was such a Shepherd thing to do, so natural, I thought nothing of it at first. But we weren’t Shepherd and Tara anymore. We were no longer a consist that couldn’t be separated, that would be useless apart. We were separated, and for good reason. Just because my lips yearned for his in that moment, it didn’t mean I needed to act on it.

***

I looked up at Shepherd. I wanted him to kiss me. My lust was a coiled snake, lifting its head, stretching out towards him. I knew what his lips felt like. I knew what he tasted like. I’d remembered it for five years and now I yearned for it more than ever. Musk from his cologne was sexy as hell. My skin tingled as I breathed it in deeper, drawing it deep into my lungs.
I took a step toward him. As he reached out and curled his hand around the back of my neck, heat surged through my body.

***

So, as much as I wanted to stay away from Shepherd, I couldn’t. The chance of winning three million outweighed my wants. How much I once loved him did not matter. I couldn’t afford to think about it. And I needed to rein in any residual feelings…for eighteen more days.

Buy Link

Author Bio

Cynthia TerelstCynthia Terelst is a project officer by day and a writer by night. She is a contemporary romance writer who likes to share a little bit of history, some Australian scenery and a whole lotta love. Cynthia does not shy away from difficult topics, as she feels that they should not be ignored.
She lives in Queensland, Australia, where the sun shines at least 283 days a year.

Read Cynthia’s previous blog post, The Cat’s Out of the Bag!

Social Media Links

Website http://cynthiaterelst.com/
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Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cynthiaterelstauthor/
Facebook For the Love of Words FB Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/572605370313807/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cynthiaterelstauthor/
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cynthia-terelst
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Cynthia-Terelst/e/B07ZCTX8SB/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/cynthiaterelst
Linktree https://linktr.ee/cynthiaterelst

Whoa! Rock You Like a Hurricane by Sierra Brave

Rock You lIke a Hurricane by Sierra Brave

Title: Rock You Like a Hurricane
Series: Triple Passion Play
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Romantic Suspense, Ménage

Rock You Like a Hurricane by Sierra Brave

Limited Time Re-release Sale: $.99*
(*US Price, prices in other countries vary based on market)
Buy Links:
Amazon
US UK CA AU

Other Retailers: https://books2read.com/u/mKD6Y9

Short Interview

NA: What made you decide to re-publish the first book in the Triple Passion Play series?
Sierra: After the unfortunate passing of the owner of the publishing company, my rights to Rock You Like a Hurricane reverted to me. To keep the book available, I had to re-publish.

NA: You made extensive revisions. Why?
Sierra: The characters in the Triple Passion Play series are some of my favorites which is probably why I wrote four books featuring them. The first book was published in 2016. When I was ready to re-publish, I took a fresh look at the story. Rock You Like a Hurricane was still a fun, sexy read, but in the past four years, I’ve learned a lot, and my writing style has changed. The voice no longer sounded like my own so I edited until the characters and story felt like they belonged to me again.

NA: Were there any major changes in the plot?
Sierra: No. The bones and the heart of the story are the same. The time frame covers less than forty-eight hours—Rock You Like a Hurricane is all about the catalyst for the deeper relationship developing between Ken, Tommy, and Trisha in the next three books.

NA: Is Rock You Like a Hurricane a historical romance?
Sierra: Not really. I call it a retro erotic romance. I wrote book four, Triple Naughty Christmas, first before any of what became the first three books. My intent had been to write a stand-alone holiday romance about a seasoned poly relationship. Once my middle-aged poly trio began to come to life on the pages, I felt like a lot more of the story of Trisha, Tommy, and Ken deserved to be told. The beginning seemed like a great place to start. Book one is set in 1996 when the three MCs are still in college.

NA: Why does Rock You Like a Hurricane feature so much world-building?
Sierra: I wanted to convey a sense of nostalgia for the mid-to-late 90s, but I spent a lot of energy setting the scene for a much larger reason. In order for older readers to be able to relate to the main characters, I needed them to feel as if they were stepping into the college coed or new adult mind frame. Tommy, Trisha, and Ken behave differently in book one than they do in book four because they’re not nearly as mature or confident yet. Navigating the early days of adulthood is a challenging time often filled with impulsive decisions and mixed-emotions of anxiety and excitement. I wanted my mature readers to remember those heart-pounding, fly-by-the-seat of your pants, but in some ways, much simpler days.

Sales Blurb:
All bets are off in the eye of the storm.

Trisha Harper has a dilemma. She’s crazy about two smoking hot guys, best friends who share a fascinating synergy. She’s honestly not sure which man she wants more, the Asian stunner or the gregarious blond jock. Maybe both?

Tommy and Ken know each other so well they’re able to complement each other’s strengths while minimizing each other’s weaknesses. Neither man can imagine a life without the other, but they never expected to fall for the same woman. Meeting Trisha changed everything.

A hands-off, gentleman’s agreement kept the peace but as the trio hunkers down together to ride out a potentially deadly hurricane, the quarters are close and the sexual tension is stifling. A game of strip poker has both men teetering between desire and the fear of rejection and loss.

Lightning crashes. Jealousy flares. Tempers explode, and then the power goes out. What will happen in the dark and how will they face the dawn?

Rock You Like a Hurricane is a stand-alone, Male-Female-Male (MFM) romance but also a prequel to the unfolding bisexual ménage saga of the Triple Passion Play series. The story contains sizzling, put-you-in-the-moment love scenes with graphic, descriptive language. If you are offended by explicit content and heavily implied bi-curiosity, you might want to read a different book. Previously published by Liquid Silver Books.

Excerpt

“Hey now! You’re going to mess up my luxurious locks.” Tommy ran a hand through his hair while smirking before he bent forward and snatch the pillow with one hand while gathering her up with his free arm. Trisha squirmed, resisting until Tommy pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Settle down now.” He nuzzled the side of her head.

Her chest tightened and her pussy sent shockwaves through her core. Tommy had hugged her before, but he had never held her close in such an intimate way. His hard chest supported her shoulder while his soft, yummy-smelling hair brushed against her neck and cheek. For some reason, he smelled like Ken tonight. She closed her eyes, breathing in his fragrance. Oh! Her eyes flickered open as his cock stirred beneath. He’s getting hard! Trisha’s breath caught in her throat, and she pursed her lips to repress a smile. As her eyelashes fluttered, she caught the expression on Ken’s face. Shit. He looks as if he’s been punched in the gut. Is he jealous? I can’t have these two fighting.

Scooting back into her seat, Trisha used both hands to shove Tommy away.

“Unhand me, you troll!”

“Troll!” Tommy scrunched up his nose and twisted his lips.

“Well, when you make that face.” She pointed and laughed. “I saw a deck of cards over by the snacks. Let’s play poker.”

Tommy grinned and nodded. “Sure, but Ken will wipe the floor with us.”
Trisha shot a look Ken’s way, offering him a smile and a wink before awkwardly looking away while playing with her hair.

Ken stretched in his seat. “As much as I’d love to rake you two over the coals, we don’t have any chips.”

Well, here’s my opening. Hope my voice doesn’t crack. Trisha lifted her face, batting her lashes at him. “Who needs chips when we have clothes?

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly awesome!!!!
What a fantastic read…I loved every page..the characters flowed..the storyline was fresh and so damn sexy lol
This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I can honestly say I can’t wait to see what other adventures she has in store for us…

Thank you and blessed be
Victoria – Amazon reader

5.0 out of 5 stars All I can say is… HOT HOT HOT!!!
I didn’t know what to expect since I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review but I really enjoyed this book!!!!!!!!!!! At first I was skeptical but after reading the first few chapters and getting to know both male characters I was very intrigued and could not stop reading. Both Tommy and Ken have endearing qualities and the yin and yang balance between the two were very nice. I really LOVED the character of Trisha and how realistic her curiosity with both male characters progressed. The internal dialogue throughout the book was funny and witty where I found myself laughing out loud at times. I have not read a lot of M/F/M novels however I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It had a good amount of dialogue and passionate yet raunchy scenes. I was not sure what hentai was but after looking it up I can see that it fit in with your story and character very well. I also really loved the flow of the story and the descriptions for everything, where creative analogies and metaphors were utilized making the story more relatable. I look forward to more by this author. 🙂 THANKS SIERRA!! XOXOXO
Kimi – Amazon Reviewer

Triple Passion Play--Sierra Brave

More Books in the Triple Passion Play Series
The Power of Three
Amazon US UK CA AU
Other Retailers: https://books2read.com/u/4DoyPr

Baby Makes Four
Amazon US UK CA AU
Other Retailers: https://books2read.com/u/mKKYAL

Triple Naughty Christmas
Amazon US UK CA AU
Other Retailers: https://books2read.com/u/bzvGw9

Follow Sierra
The best way to keep in touch with Sierra is to sign-up for her newsletter. As a thank you, she’ll send you a download of Fevered Dream for FREE: https://mailchi.mp/7332d9f55a11/blushing-press-sign-up-page
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Charity Sunday: Homes for Our Troops

Charity Sunday: Dee S. KnightHow Charity Sunday works: for every comment made on this blog post, I will donate money to the charity named. Thanks for your help and your participation!

Homes for OUr TroopsWelcome to this month’s Charity Sunday! This month I’m highlighting Homes for Our Troops https://www.hfotusa.org/ . The mission of Homes for Our Troops is this: “To build and donate specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives.”

Even if you’ve had only a broken leg (or hip or arm or had knee surgery) you can appreciate the barriers posed in our homes. If your home has steps, for instance, think of the handicap injured or wounded folks have in getting around. Homes for Our Troops takes into consideration not only steps, but height of a stove or sink, whether a shower is handicap accessible, etc. These can be priceless accommodations for the man or women who wants to be independent. I hope you will take a look at their website and see what all they do.

Burning Bridges by Anne KristI’d like to share an excerpt from Burning Bridges, where the hero is a sailor on his way to the war in Vietnam.
Blurb:
Letters delivered decades late send shock waves through Sara Richards’s world. Nothing is the same, especially her memories of Paul, a man to whom she’d given her heart years before. Now, sharing her secrets and mending her mistakes of the past means putting her life back together while crossing burning bridges. It will be the hardest thing Sara’s ever done.

Buy link: Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt:
Sara stared at the letters arranged before her in numerical order. The moment in time she and Paul shared was long ago, yet her dream had conjured his presence as though she’d just seen him. In her mind, his blue eyes darkened with passion before his lips captured hers, and he moaned his appreciation when their tongues met. She tasted his sweetness and knew the steel of his arms as he held her. How many nights had she put herself through hell reliving those memories? Too damn many.

After the concert, they’d met clandestinely on weekends, mostly at Sandbridge, where they could walk and talk undisturbed. With each meeting, stirrings built deep in Sara that pushed her to want more, but Paul insisted they restrain themselves because of her age.

Then the weekend before he shipped out, she’d planned a surprise and her life changed forever.

The kettle screeched, bringing her back to the present. Sara prepared a cup of tea and then picked up the envelope marked twenty-eight. At one time, she would have given her right arm to hold this letter. Now, curiosity and the desire for a brief escape drove her more than the passion of youth. Blind love had faded when she’d had no word to bolster her during the long weeks after the ship left.

First had come the waiting. No letters arrived, even though she wrote him daily. There were no phone calls, no notes, no anything, for days that dragged into weeks then crept into months.

Anticipation morphed into anxiety. She worried he was sick or hurt and unable to write.

One day she admitted that Paul must be afraid to write for some reason, and she feared what he would say if she did receive a letter. That their time together had been a mistake, that she was too young to be in love. That he really loved someone else and Sara had been only a stand-in while he was in Virginia. Perversely, she began to sigh with relief when she arrived home and found no word.

Now, knowing why she hadn’t received mail, what would she feel if she opened this letter and her old fears proved to be true?

“Nothing,” she murmured. “Paul’s dead. He can’t hurt me anymore.” At the very least, his letters might allow her to put his ghost to rest. For that reason alone, she had to read them.

She slid her thumb under the flap and ripped the envelope open. A single sheet held his hurried scrawl.

Heroines—how they shape up #MFRWauthor

Slim or full-figuredI don’t think I’ve consciously given a thought as to why I normally create my heroines as slim or slender. I don’t think I purposely avoid the full-figured heroine, but maybe in some way I do. It’s definitely something I will consider in the future. The fact is, full-figured women are as beautiful as slim women.

Just a few short years ago, full-figures were considered sexy. Hourglass figures are also considered full-figured—think Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Russell, Britney Young, or one of my favorite celebrities, Nigella Lawson. Full-figured womanCurvy is great. Curvy is good. Know why? Because beauty comes from within, not at the makeup table or on the scale. It comes from loving yourself and being happy with who you are.

The one sort of disadvantage I can think of for full-figured women is that clothes aren’t easy to buy. Find something that fits the bust and it might not fit the waist. Clothes for women are too often designed for the mythical woman—perfectly proportioned, little hips, and where anything above size 10 is considered plus size. Full-figured woman have hips. They have boobs. They have a little heft to them. When I write my full-figured heroine—and I have her in mind already—I’m going write about clothes shopping, too.

Sexy, full-figured womanWhat about you? Does it bother you to write (or read) about a woman who isn’t a size 6?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Burning Bridges by Anne Krist
One Woman Only
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

Does the figure make the woman?—Jan Selbourne #MFRWauthor

Are my characters full figured or always slim? That is a good question because I try to avoid stereotypical characters such as a woman with an eye watering figure – because I don’t have an eye watering figure – or a Superman with rippling muscles. I want my characters to be like you and me, real and believable, warts and all. I realise now that my characters’ figures reflect their lives and trials and tribulations.

Perilous Love by Jan SelbourneIn my first book, Perilous Love, Gabrielle thought of herself as thin, shapeless and uninteresting. That shapeless figure would be her saviour when she and husband Adrian, whom she despised, were badly betrayed as world war one exploded over Europe. Adrian, the quintessential upper-class Englishman is very conscious of his masculine physique until injury renders him helpless. The only way they narrowly escaped capture was to disguise themselves as male peasants on the terrifying journey to safety.

In Lies of Gold, Julian has the hard, toned body of a soldier, trained in unarmed combat. Without those years of hard living, he could not have stopped the ruthless traitor peddling young people for gold. Katherine, the woman Julian loved and lost, is more worried about her children’s safety than her figure, until Julian comes back into her life.

War changes a man. For Harry Connelly in The Proposition, it’s down to a bullet on the Western Front or arrest and prison at home. Severely injured, he falls beside the body of a dead soldier with the same build, same colouring—his one chance of a new life. What the hell—he swaps identity discs. Now Andrew Conroy, repatriated home with a limp and a small pension, he’s more worried about being caught than his physique. When he meets Lacey Haines, he sees a beautiful woman. Lacey has been a nurse on the European front and she needed strength and stamina more than she needed a reed-thin figure. Does it matter to Andrew? Not likely.

In The Woman Behind the Mirror, Sarah Forsythe’s lovely face and The woman Behind the Mirror by Jan Selbournehourglass figure are her assets, and she’s very aware of that when eloping to the American colonies. When everything she trusts deserts her, Sarah must sell those assets to survive – and in that mirror, every day, she sees a loathsome harlot in a gambling club. It’s not until Neil McAllister, who by the way has a damn good body, investigates her for possible bank fraud, that she has the courage to see herself as she once was.

It never ceases to amaze me that every book has a different story to tell with characters that draw us in and, in a lot of cases, characters we can relate to. That’s the beauty of it.

What do you think?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Jan

The Woman Behind the Mirror
The Proposition
Lies of Gold—Silver Historical for 2019: Coffee Pot Book Club

New! Pre-order Dare to Hope by Madison Michael

Dare to Hope
Double Dare Romance Series (Book 1)
By Madison Michael
 
♥♥GiveAway♥♥
Maddy is offering a few lucky readers the chance to win an ebook of Dare to Hope from ibooks or another ebook format. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter! You may enter each day for a chance to win so be sure to follow along with us on the Pre-Order Tour.
 
♥♥Pre-Order Details ♥♥
 
Dare to Hope is now available for Pre-Order on B&N, Apple Books or Kobo. After it’s release it will only be available on Amazon, so Hurry! Go Pre-Order your copy if you prefer these formats for reading.

About Dare to Hope: 

She’s Betting on Love and the Stakes are High

 The “Crazy Eights,” eight women who have been friends for 30 years, have a powerful connection yet rarely see each other. At a pivotal time in their lives, they create a way to remedy this predicament, an audacious dare contrived to bring them together for weddings – each participant must get married within twelve months. The stakes are high. Win the bet and lose your heart; or lose the bet and perform a personally mortifying task.

 In the first of their stories, we meet Eliana, beautiful and brilliant, but starting over, focused on her career, not on some foolhardy dare. Longing for a family but recently divorced and on her own, Eliana sets her sights on a new job, a new home and accepting her single, childless status. Independent and determined, she has no idea that in less than six months she will both win and lose her heart’s desire.

 Jeremy Klein, genius engineer and inventor, is also making life changes. He’s sold his startup to a major medical device company, becoming President and CEO, and a billionaire before he is forty. Although he’s gun-shy about the dating game, Jeremy knows it’s time to apply his smarts, sex appeal and new-found success to finding true love.

 When Eliana meets Jeremy, they bond quickly. The couple has so much in common and a chemistry that sizzles. Winning Eliana feels like a fantasy come true to Jeremy. Their attraction is immediate and electrifying, and a one-night stand morphs into planning a future. But plans change. On track to wedded bliss, baby and all, Jeremy and Eliana are derailed by accusations that threaten their relationship, Eliana’s career and Jeremy’s future as CEO.

 Spies, lies, allegations and misunderstandings abound, threatening to destroy their happiness. That is, until those “Crazy Eights” get involved, scheming and manipulating to win Eliana her happily ever after. Can a group of determined friends help Eliana and Jeremy hold onto love?

 In the tradition of The Beguiling Bachelor Series, Madison Michael creates a romance series about independent and sassy women, sexy and successful men, true love, and lasting friendships.

 Genre: Steamy Contemporary Romance

 Buy Links:


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An Excerpt from Dare to Hope:

His grin was devastating up close – wide and welcoming, with a hint of naughtiness and the promise of shared pleasures. But it was his eyes, deep coffee brown and fringed with long dark lashes that were his best feature; piercing, intelligent and inquisitive eyes, trained on her.
Please, God, Eliana prayed quickly, do not let this man be the new sales manager. It would be lamentable if she had to keep him at arm’s length. He was the first man Eliana had felt drawn to since Nico. If she was honest with herself, he was the first man she had ever felt this attracted to so immediately. It was enough to make her believe in love at first sight or fate.
“Hi,” he stepped closer, ignoring the empty stool beside her to halt just inside her personal space. Usually, Eliana would have reflexively backed up, but she savored his closeness, the power emanating from his presence. Even in this stuffy bar, he smelled good – fresh, like soap and good whiskey. And up close, his eyes were more magical – a hint of gold dancing in their depths.
“Hi,” she responded on a breath, letting the single word hang there for a moment before adding “You aren’t in sales, are you?”
“Nope.” If he thought it was a strange conversation starter, he kept it to himself. “Engineering and design, although I have dabbled in sales. I could be in sales for you,” he offered in a voice smooth as brandy, redolent with sexual promise and a hint of curiosity. She laughed at his offer. “Are you in sales?”
“Yes, I am. I was thinking of what a crime it would be if you turned out to be my new boss. I’m meeting him tomorrow.”
“Jeremy,” he responded, extending his hand to shake hers. “Not in sales. Is your boss named Jeremy?”
“Thankfully, not.” Eliana extended her hand, savoring the moment as Jeremy wrapped his long fingers around hers. She noticed there was no wedding band as she admired the strength and length of his fingers, the fine hairs on the back of his hand, and his grip – warm and dry. His skin was soft over fine bone and healthy muscle. Everything about him captivated her. “Eliana.”
Jeremy seemed in no hurry to release her hand, but after several beats too long for politeness, Eliana pulled hers from his. “Is this seat taken?” he asked, already sitting down, not thinking twice about it. “Or perhaps that table against the wall? I am anxious to learn why you don’t know who you work with, Eliana.”
Eliana laughed and watched as Jeremy’s breath stopped. His every emotion was transparent, especially the desire flaming in his eyes right now. A passion she reciprocated. Wholeheartedly. She couldn’t remember such an instantaneous attraction. But with Jeremy, she felt electricity and lust move through her entire body, just from the touch of his hand and the sound of her name spoken in his rich baritone.
“Eliana,” he rolled the word around his mouth as if tasting a fine wine. “What a lovely name.” Eliana panties dampened. He was just saying words, but their underlying promise was undeniable. She wanted to be alone with him. She wanted to be naked with him. And all she knew was his first name.
Eliana nodded toward the table, questioning her sanity. She was sure about what this man wanted, but after only minutes, her body governed her head. Jeremy spoke briefly with the bartender, passed him a fifty like it was a single, and motioned for her to lead the way to the empty table. Before they had settled in their chairs, both had fresh drinks. Earlier, the bartender had responded to her beauty with decent service and half-hearted flirting, but he reacted with alacrity to the big tip.
“So, spill,” Jeremy directed, leaning forward on his elbows and putting his mouth dangerously close to hers. Just a few inches, Eliana imagined, and they could be kissing. “I am dying to hear your story. I want to know absolutely everything about you.” The way he lingered on the word ‘everything’ made Eliana wetter still. Oh man, she was in way over her head.
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Meet Madison Michael:

Madison Michael loves to binge news, movies, books, Oreos and romance – reading romance novels, writing romantic stories, watching Rom-Coms over and over. Maddy has spent her self-isolation fretting about the health of her friends and neighbors and catching up on TV programs from ten years ago. Hunkered down with her cat, Gracie, and a Zoom life-line to the world, she is wondering how people date and social distance, how much junk food she can consume in a day and why Gracie only wants to play when Maddy needs to work.

 Oh, and Madison is also hard at work on the rest of the Double Dare Romance series. Watch for more of the series in Autumn and Winter, 2020.

Madison’s Social Links:

All Caught up on Madison’s Books?

The Beguiling Bachelor Series – 
Four Successful, Sexy Men meet their matches – and how!
The B&B Billionaire Books – Second Chance at Love stories set in small town America
Standalone Stories – from Sweet Time Travel to Sexy May-September Romance
(available only when you sign up to be an Insider)

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