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The Candy Hearts are Here!

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The first in the new series from The Wild Rose Press, The CANDY HEARTS have arrived. Join me in welcoming authors Ally Hayes and Emma Kaye  and Jana Richards today as they celebrate their additions to the series:  SECRET ADMIRER,  FOR YOU, and CHILL OUT.  And don’t forget: at the end of the release data there is a link to enter a RAFFLECOPTER to win a KINDLE FIRE courtesy of the Wild Rose Press! You gotta be in it to win it!

perf5.000x8.000.indd SECRET ADMIRER ( Ally Hayes)

Blurb:

Andi’s new to town and looking for a fresh start in the dating department. She’s attracted to the guy she sees each morning, but begins flirting via text with Garrett, a friend of her new co-workers. Despite many attempts and determination, she misses opportunities to introduce herself to Cute Coffee Shop Guy or actually meet Garrett in person. With Valentine’s Day approaching she succumbs to the sugar rush of Candy Hearts and when ‘Secret Admirer’ continues to appear in the messages, she takes it as a sign to decide which guy is her real Secret Admirer.

Excerpt:

I pulled my sporty hybrid into a spot right in front of the aptly named Fresh Start Café. The irony did not escape me. A loud overhead door chime announced my entrance. Though still not quite perky, I gave a weak smile to the few people who instinctively turned. I ordered a large cup to go and walked past the glass case of pastries toward the counter along the far wall offering the requisite sugars, creamers, stirrers, and lids. I only needed a lid, but that proved to be more challenging than I could’ve imagined. I struggled to secure it while avoiding a spill, but I couldn’t produce a seal.

“They are a bit tricky, but the upside is once they’re on, they’re on for good.”

Upon hearing a sexy, yet friendly, male voice, I looked up and blushed upon discovering the face matched the voice. He had medium length, messy, brown hair and soft blue eyes framed by amazing eyelashes. I caught myself staring and quickly looked away and resumed my mission with a renewed effort.

“Yes, snug I guess. You’re right.” Thankfully the lid made a satisfying pop at that moment indicating my victory in the lid battle. I quickly straightened, my hands shaking in time with my racing heart. I wasn’t expecting to meet a cute guy first thing in the morning.

The combination of surprise and attraction woke me better than any cup of French Roast could.

Buy Links:
Amazon   WIld Rose Press

About the Author:

aaly hayes

As the mother of three girls, Ally finds creating drama for her characters an escape from the real drama in her own home. Originally from Boston, she now lives with her husband and family outside Chicago and writes when not driving to practices and games.

Contact Information:

Amazon    Twitter      Facebook
Blog        Goodreads:     Pinterest:

(Read my review of SECRET ADMIRER here)

                                                            FOR YOU(Emma Kaye)

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Blurb:

It’s Valentine’s Day, and candy heart sayings mock Drew Engledown’s lonely state. He wants more in his life than work, but hasn’t met anyone he can imagine spending his life with. When he puts his own life at risk to save a friend, he’s sent back in time to Regency London and mistaken for a murdered earl. Has he been given a chance at love with the earl’s beautiful widow, or will he suffer the same fate as the previous lord?

When her husband’s heir lays claim to all she once owned, Lady Engledown is left nearly destitute. So she doesn’t know whether to be relieved or angry when the earl returns but claims he’s not her husband. Could he be telling the truth, or is he toying with her? She doesn’t know what to think of this man who is so different from the husband she never loved. Can they find happiness together, or will this man she comes to love leave her worse off than before?

 

Excerpt:

She took a delicate sip of the chilled liquid when they paused near the doors to the terrace. They were closed against the cool night, but a draft kept the over-warm air of the crowded ballroom at bay.

He pulled at his cravat, something he’d done repeatedly throughout the night, and let out his breath in a gush. “That’s better. It’s hot as an oven in here.”

She placed a hand over his to get him to release his collar. “We’ll stay but a few more hours. You may untie your cravat the moment we are out of sight within our carriage. Until then, please refrain from disrobing in public.”

He grinned and pulled her closer to his side than was seemly. “You’re just dying to get me naked, I see.”

She gasped. Heat flooded her face. “I meant no such thing. I—”

Drew laughed. “Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t resist. Modern humor.”

She flipped open her fan, waving it before her face in an attempt to hide a bit of the blush that had surely turned her face a brilliant shade of red. For a moment, she’d thought him capable of reading her mind, for thoughts of him naked had indeed entered her head.

Buy Links:

WIld Rose Press   Amazon

About the Author:emmakaye

Emma Kaye is married to her high school sweetheart and has two beautiful kids that she spends an insane amount of time driving around New Jersey. Before ballet and Scouts entered her life, she decided to try writing one of those romances she loved to read and discovered a new passion. She’s been writing ever since. Add in a hyper dog and an extremely patient cat and she’s living her own happily ever after while making her characters work hard to reach theirs.

Contact Information:

Website:     Facebook Page:    Twitter Page:

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                                     CHILL OUT (Jana Richards)

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Blurb:

Renata Cabral needs to hide for the weekend. Her cousin’s Valentine’s Day wedding means she’ll face embarrassing questions from her large, extended family. Questions like “Why aren’t you married yet?”  Since the breakup of her last relationship, she’s not ready to answer that question. She invents a work-related excuse and escapes to a friend’s lakeside cottage.

Noah Brownlee has been hiding for two years. But now he’s ready to come home and mend his broken relationship with his brother. When a friend offers the use of his lakeside cottage, Noah arrives in the middle of a blizzard with his English Mastiff, only to find the place is already occupied. With her big brown eyes and quirky sense of humor, Renata stirs feelings he thought long dead.

As the blizzard rages, the candy hearts predict love. Can Valentine’s Day work its magic between them?

Excerpt 

“Dylan wasn’t just my brother, he was my best friend, and in some ways, he was like a father. When our mother died, he petitioned the court to make him my legal guardian so I wouldn’t have to go into care. He made sure I studied, pushed me to apply to med school, helped me with expenses.”

“He sounds like a wonderful big brother.”

His lips curved in a sad smile and Renata’s heart ached for him. “He was, and I know he’s going to be an amazing father. I want this animosity between us to end. I want my brother back.” His voice cracked. “But I’m not sure he feels the same way. I said some ugly things…”

“Perhaps, with the baby coming, he wants to mend the rift between you as much as you do.” She hoped she was right.

“Maybe. I’ll find out tomorrow. I’m going to phone Dylan and try to arrange a meeting.”

“It’ll work out. You’ll see.”

He leaned toward her, the corners of his eyes wrinkling with his smile. “I appreciate the pep rally.”

“Well, I was a cheerleader in high school. Rah, Rah.”

He laughed softly, then cupped her face with his hand, his thumb idly stroking her cheek. Her breath hitched at his tender touch. “Thank you for making this easier for me, Renata.”

He leaned in and her heart pounded in anticipation of his kiss. When his lips touched hers, a firestorm of longing ignited inside her. She strained toward him, needing his kiss, needing to heal his pain. His lips parted against hers, and she opened her mouth eagerly, reveling in his taste as his tongue danced with hers. The world faded away, and nothing existed for her except this man and all the tenderness she felt for him. It felt so right to kiss him, so perfectly, completely right.

Buy Link:

Wild Rose Press    Amazon

Author Bio:

jana

When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.

In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada with their Pug/Terrier cross Lou and several unnamed goldfish. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com

Social Media Links:

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Filed under 3 Wishes, Author, Candy Hearts, Contemporary Romance, The Wild Rose Press, Uncategorized, WIld Rose Press AUthor

Christmas Reading list…

There are so many wonderful Christmas/Holiday themed romance books on the market right now and I’m plowing through all my favorites.

But romantic Christmas books aren’t the only holiday filled tomes we can read and revel in. Here are a few of my all time favs:

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg

The Gift of The Magi, by O Henry

The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian Anderson

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, byL. Frank Baum

So… knew this was coming…what ar eyour favorite holiday themed books? Let’s discuss

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Winner, winner, Chicken dinner?

So two days ago I WON NaNoWriMo. And by won  I mean I got to the minimum 50,000 words for the month. And I still have two weeks to go in the month of November. That doesn’t mean I’m stopping; no. I’m not done with the story yet. In fact, I may need another 25-30 k to finish it to my satisfaction.

So, what exactly, did I win?

Well, first and foremost I’ve got the guts of a really good storyline down on the laptop. Yes, it will need editing, and yes, it will probably wind up being a total of between 60 and 70,ooo words when all is done. And yes, I’m sure there are plot holes, character problems, and even very bad grammar ( hey, this is me, after all!), but the fact that I have the major guts of the story down is a win in my book.

I also think it’s a win that I worked on the story every day for multiple hours a day. I didn’t get distracted, or work on something else, or go shopping. The last one really hurt, too.

It’s also a win that I participated in something so worthwhile, and in so doing, encouraged other writers in the same boat as me. Misery loves company, it’s said, but I think camaraderie and sharing a similar goal is much more descriptive of our November endeavor.

So, have you won yet? If not, how many words to go? Remember, even 100 words a day is 100 more than you had yesterday.

nanowrimo

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NaNoWriMo time again

The first of November is a day that I circle on the calendar whenever I get a brand new one for the upcoming year. 11/1 represents the beginning of not only another month, a countdown to Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the beginning of the yearly NaNoWriMo challenge for writers across the globe.

nanowrimo

For those of you in the know ( and those of you who aren’t) NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, The challenge is to compose a 50,000 word novel  ( or greater than 50,000 words if you are so inclined) from 11/1- until 11/30. You catalog your daily word count on the NaNo site and complete tasks for “badges” of honor along the way. Once the end of the month comes, your total is tallied and if you reach the 50,000 word, you “Win” the challenge.

People who know me know I love an individual challenge. I’m not into team sports, don’t like to compete with others for anything. I would be one of those who would be eaten during the zombie apocalypse because I wouldn’t fight back! But when the challenge is just between me and myself, well, then I say, “bring it on!” I lovelovelove  a challenge myself with writing and NaNo is one of the best ways to do that.

Prior to the challenge, I usually think about what I’m going to write, plot out a few key points, put together rough sketches of my characters and then start, raring to go, on day 1. For the past 2 years, the nano books I’ve done have been sequels, so I knew where I was going with the plot, had already met the characters, a had a defined path. This year is no different. I am penning the 5th book in my MacQuire Women series.  This will be Serena MacQuire’s story and it is a tear jerker in my imagination. Hope I can get that emotion on the page for the reader to jive with.

Anyway, off I go. Day 2 is looming. Day one was a corker with over 3500 words down. Now I have 46,500 left to go…

So, do you NaNo? Let’s discuss…

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Food for Thought

Welcome to the MFRWBookHooksBlogHop.

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Click on the link below to find your next favorite author. But first….

here’s a little snippet from my newest release FIRST IMPRESSIONS. A simple dinner between friends is never as simple as it seems…

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In the next instant, Pat’s stomach rumbled loud enough to be heard above the kitten’s deafening purrs.

Clarissa tried to contain her giggle so she wouldn’t startle the animal, but when Pat’s neck heated with a ruddy flare and he thrust his hands into his pockets, she couldn’t hold it in.

He squinted at her, and, with a menacing glare, pushed nearer to her. “You’re always quietly laughing at me,” he said, stopping so close she could feel his hot, moist breath on her face. “I can’t figure out why I want to be around someone who always laughs at me.”

“I know why,” she said, kissing the kitten again.

When his left eyebrow shot up his forehead, she answered. “It’s easy. Whenever we’re together, we’re usually eating. You’re hungry, so you want me to cook for you.”

His face went blank, and she couldn’t for the life of her discern what he was thinking. She could hear him breathing now, not only feel it, the air pushing out of him a tad faster than it had moments before. The flushed heat on his neck spread up his jaw. She could have melted to the floor when his eyes turned hot too, the lids hooded, so much so, Clarissa finally understood the meaning of a smoldering look.

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Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, Family Saga, First Impressions, Friends, love, MacQuire Women, Romance, Romance Books, Strong Women, Uncategorized

Books-to-Movie Adaptations.

We all have a favorite book that we would just love to see made in to the best movie ever. We can name the celebs we want to star in it, the location,  the director and maybe the music composer. I recently did a shout out to my Facebook peeps, asking them to tell me their favorite book-to-movie adaptations. Some of the replies included:

Girl Interrupted

CiderHouse Rules

The Horse Whisperer

The Firm

The Notebook

A Time To Kill

The Shining

Hunger Games

Sense and Sensibility

and my favorite: The Kiera Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice

All of these books were fabulous as were their movies and I saw and read them all, so I have to agree with the choices.

We’ve all read and fallen in love with books that we wish, hope, and dream will be made into a movie worthy of the book. Many times, tho, that dream falls short and dies on the cutting room floor for whatever reason. I think the above movies were such good adaptions of the books they were based on because many things came together well. Great casting, a rich screenplay and a screenwriter who actually got the book and characters, a director who stayed true to the writer’s vision and excellent settings.  All of the above films had wonderful casts – I mean, really, Robert Redford, Matthew McConaughey, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosselin, Charleze Theron…..come on. Big screen royalty, one and all. The scripts actually used dialogue from the books ( always the best way to go!), and the directors didn’t try to insinuate their visions into the movie – they took their own and adapted them to fit the book – again, always the best way to go!

SO, what was your favorite book-to-movie adaptation, and why? Let’s discuss….

If they made a movie of my recent book FIRST IMPRESSIONS ( shameless plug, here!) I’d like it to star Matt Bomber as Padric and Julia Roberts during her Steel Magnolias era as Clarissa. Two very hot peeps! Those of you who have read my book – and God Bless you always! – what do you think of my choices??

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Reputation is everything…or is it?

 

MFRW BOOK HOOKS BLOG HOP is today!!!

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click on the link at the bottom and discover your next favorite author! But first…..

Here’s a little sumthin’ sumthin’ from my new release OUT TODAY, FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

Clarissa sighed and settled back against the doorframe. “Can I be honest?”
“I would hope so.”
“I’ve been hearing about your reputation with women since I moved here, and I’m not looking to be the flavor of the week.”

He stared at her for a second as hurt washed through him. “When you say honest, you don’t pull any punches.”

She reached out and gripped his forearm. Her hand felt so good against his skin, he instinctively laid his own over it. He swore he saw a flash of lightning spark from underneath his fingers when he did.

Blurb: 
Family Practice Doctor Clarissa Rogers’ first impression of Padric Cleary is biased and based on gossip. The handsome, charming veterinarian is considered a serial dater and commitment-phobic by his family and most of the town. Relationship shy, Clarissa refuses to lose her heart to a man who can’t pledge himself to her forever.

Pat Cleary, despite his reputation, is actually looking for “The One.” When he does give his heart away, he wants it to be for life. With his parent’s marriage as his guidebook, he wants a woman who will be his equal and soul mate in every way.

Can Pat convince everyone – including Clarissa – she’s the only woman for him?

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Buy Links For FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

Amazon                         Wild Rose Press                          Barnes & Noble
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Filed under Alpha Hero, Alpha Male, Author, Contemporary Romance, First Impressions, Friends, MacQuire Women, Strong Women, Uncategorized

Holy C**P! I made the cover!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/25879715/TBB%20WEB%20August%202015.pdf

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Interview: Contemporary romance author Peggy Jaeger

Another recent interview…this never gets old!

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Untitled (1)Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance author who writes about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.

Her current titles, available now, include SKATER’S WALTZ and THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME, books 1 and 2 in her 6-book The MacQuire Women Series, published by The Wild Rose Press. Tying into her love of families, her children’s book, THE KINDNESS TALES, was illustrated by her artist mother-in-law.

Peggy holds a master’s degree in Nursing Administration and first found publication with several articles she authored on Alzheimer’s Disease during her time running an Alzheimer’s in-patient care unit during the 1990s. In 2013, she placed first in two categories in the Dixie Kane Memorial Contest: Single Title Contemporary Romance and Short/Long Contemporary Romance. A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, she is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.

FirstImpressions_w9816_2_85FIRST…

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A Reflection on the Dark Dance with the Shadow We Call Depression

A piece worth reading, a thought worth remembering, and my own addition, the TAO of NGU NGI for all those struggling – never give up never give in.

susanannwall's avatarSusan Ray, Instructional Designer

I wrote this two days after Robbin Williams’ death and opted not to post it at that time because too often viral messages have a very short life expectancy. Depression, or any disease, isn’t something we should think about only in the fleeting, emotionally-charged moments following a tragedy; depression is like a virus that spreads, slowly, methodically, praying on those who don’t have the means to fight it. It doesn’t mean someone is weak or selfish or desperate. Depression is different for every person who faces it. I’ve been sitting on this post for a year, and now on the anniversary of Mr. Williams’ death, I think it’s time to finally release this into the wind as a reminder that depression is alive and not just lurking in the shadows, but thriving and stealing the livelihood of too many.


55fc983c13_robin-williamsRobbin Williams did not have a profound impact on my life…

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