New Scottish Historical Release by Madelyn Hill

Heather in the Mist

by Madelyn Hill

Forced to wed to save her clan, Lady Rogan Cameron agrees to wed without love. 


What her father doesn’t know is Lady Rogan has plans of her own—plans to keep her from a loveless marriage. Can she save the clan before she has to say “I do?” 

Ian Albright abolished all ties to Scotland after his family betrayed him and he is now nursing a wounded ego due to an unfaithful fiancée. He pledges never to return to his home until the fateful day he accepts an invitation to his dear cousin’s wedding. The minute he sees his cousin’s betrothed, his heart is captured. If only she didn’t belong to another . . . 

Lady Rogan and Ian have known each other since they were young and bent on vexing each other. Now, the only thing they find vexing is the fact Rogan is betrothed to another. Together they fight their growing attraction while investigating the forces bedeviling the clan. Yet at every turn their foe appears and wreaks havoc. When tragedy strikes, their hopes are dashed again. 

Can Lady Rogan and Ian’s love win when fate seems determined to keep them apart?

Buy now at Amazon!

About the Author:
Madelyn Hill has always loved the written word. From the time she could read and all through her school years, she'd sneak books into her textbooks during school. And she devoured books daily. At the age of 10 she proclaimed she wanted to be a writer. After being a "closet" writer for several years, she sent her manuscripts out there and is now published with Soul Mate Publishing. And she couldn't be happier!

A resident of Western New York, she moved from one Rochester to another Rochester to be with the love of her life. They now have 3 children and keep busy cooking, watching their children's sporting events, and of course reading!

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Excerpt

As she rounded the stables, she halted at the sight of William embracing the strangers. His exuberance told her of their identity. She approached slowly, allowing the men privacy.

Without warning, the dark-haired giant turned in her direction. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart raced. She placed her hand on her stomach to quell the flutters.

Ian Albright.

William’s cousin was not the lad she remembered. Granted, it had been years since she’d seen him. When had Ian changed from a scruffy nuisance into a ruggedly handsome man?

She blinked.

Broad shoulders tapered to slim hips and strong legs, encased in taupe breeches. Thick black hair curled to his shoulders.

Aye, there was a presence about him—controlled power and confidence at the same time. Tingly awareness shot through her body.

And his piercing blue eyes were both vibrant and intrusive at the same time. Those eyes watched her as she approached and she couldn’t help but feel if she were being weighed.

Recovering her composure, she straightened her shoulders and walked to William’s side. His ear was occupied by an excited older gentleman. Their conversation was lost to her, but William obviously kenned the man. William and the older gentleman moved to the carriage and began unloading it.

Someone snapped their fingers.

Aghast, she turned and faced Ian Albright. “I will have you know, I am La—”

“We are tired and covered with dust. The lady of the keep need not worry about me, my man will see to everything.” Ian’s voice was low, with a touch of gravel. And too commanding for her taste. Just who did he think he was ordering her about? Then it struck her.

He doesn’t recognize me.

Linda O'Connor and Her Book Club

Please welcome today's guest, Linda O'Connor!

Natalie - thank you so much for inviting me to visit!

Normally reading is a solitary activity, but for me, one of the best social activities has come from my love of reading! Many years ago, when I still had little ones at home, I craved adult company and more, suggestions for what to read. So I invited 6 friends to start a book club.

We’ve been meeting once a month ever since and take turns hosting. Initially, we served a healthy hors d’oeuvre followed by dessert. Then we thought, who are we kidding, we only want dessert! So it evolved into a lovely evening with a sweet indulgence.

We all read the same book and spend time discussing it – mostly (it competes with catching up with each other)! It’s been fun to see a book from other perspectives – from appreciating lyrical prose, to understanding deeper meaning or metaphor, to laughing at different parts, or sharing what we’ve read about the author.

We’ve had special evenings when an author has joined us. Diane Schoemperlen, author of Forms of Devotion, graciously spent an evening with us. Rules of Thumb: An Alphabet of Imperatives, one of her short stories, is a tongue-in-cheek guide to behaviour. It included the following advice about how to dress: “Under no circumstances whatsoever is it permissible to [wear] anything in lime green, hot pink, or fluorescent orange.” So we all went out and bought lime green, hot pink, and fluorescent orange clothes at the thrift store and wore them that evening. And “Never serve pretzels as an hors d’oeuvre.” So that’s what we served. It was a lot of fun. Of course, Diane was very diplomatic – when we asked if she noticed our colourful attire, she said she did, but wasn’t sure if that was our norm!

We’ve read a wide range of books from every genre over the years and some of the members have changed. But I’ve loved the constant of sharing the gift of reading with a wonderful group of friends.

Here's the book that I've written - our next book club book :D!

Perfectly Reasonable (Book 2, Perfectly Series)

Love what you do and do what you love. Sounds perfectly reasonable, but chances are, you’ll find your passion in the last place you look . . .

Margo MacMillan finished medical school, but in the process, her self-confidence and self-esteem took a beating. So for the sake of self-preservation, she’s stepped away from medicine to re-group. In the meantime, painting soothes her soul and pays the bills.

Trace Bennett set his sights on a medical degree and has to prepare the perfect medical school application. His big plan is to paint his condo for a little feng shui divine luck. When Margo shows up to paint, he realizes he’s found exactly what he’s looking for. He just has to convince Margo to share more than the art of medicine.

She’s got it. He wants it. It’s Perfectly Reasonable.

Buy the book here!







Meet Linda O’Connor ~

Linda started writing a few years ago when she needed a creative outlet other than subtly rearranging the displays at HomeSense. It turns out she loved writing romantic comedies and has a few more stories to tell. When not writing she’s a physician (well, even when she is writing she’s a physician and it shows up in her stories) but otherwise she’s working at an Urgent Care Clinic or even better, dancing in a Zumba class (where they say there are no mistakes, only unexpected solos).

Laugh every day. Love every minute.

Linda loves connecting with readers:

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Visiting Casablanca with Linda Bennett Pennell

Everyone, please welcome today's guest blogger, Linda Bennett Pennell!

I have always been interested in World War II. When I originally started work on what is now Casablanca: Appointment at Dawn, it was entitled Wings and was set in Hialeah, Florida. It was to feature a 90-day wonder, as WWII pilots in training were known, and an army nurse. It just wasn’t working for me.

During communication with a former WWII pilot, he mentioned a friend who had been stationed in Casablanca. That sparked my interest. A bit of research into the First Allied Conference, which took place in Casablanca at the Anfa Hotel, and my pilot evolved into an OSS officer from Texas who speaks perfectly unaccented German and looks like a poster boy for Himmler’s SS. The Army nurse remains but she has transferred from Florida to Morocco.

The details of the Casablanca Conference are particularly interesting. It was at this meeting that Roosevelt prevailed upon Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, and Henri Giraud to formulate the policy of unconditional surrender by the Axis powers. Many in the German military and High Command hoped for very different terms of surrender if the unthinkable happened and Germany lost the war.

Spying and communications interception being what they were at the time, Hitler knew the conference was to take place and its approximate date. What he did not know was the correct location. The translator of the intercepted Allied communication made a significant error. He translated Casablanca correctly as "white house," but assumed incorrectly that the conference was to take place at the White House in Washington, D.C., not the city in Morocco. The error was eventually discovered, but not in time for the Germans to take action.

While all the above are historical facts, I am an author of historical fiction. The great fun in writing fiction is permission to play around with the facts. Let’s begin with spies, double agents, and a most unusual top-secret mission from which there is only slight chance of returning. Add two strangers sucked into a vortex of danger and intrigue who must learn to trust each other in order to survive. Next, spice the mixture with the fact that neither of them wants to fall in love. Top it all off with a question. Will seven days be enough to save the Allied war effort and the girl he loves? Casablanca: Appointment at Dawn has the answer.

Casablanca: Appointment at Dawn
By Linda Bennett Pennell

Casablanca, 1943: a viper’s nest of double agents and spies where OSS Officer Kurt Heinz finds his skill in covert operations pushed to the limit. Allied success in North Africa and the fate of the First Allied Conference—perhaps the outcome of the war—hang on Kurt’s next mission. The nature of his work makes relationships impossible. Nonetheless, he is increasingly torn between duty and the beautiful girl who desperately needs his protection and help.

Sarah Barrett, U.S. Army R.N., is finished with wartime romance. Determined to protect her recently broken heart, she throws all of her time and energy into caring for her patients, but when she is given a coded message by a mysterious dying civilian, she is sucked into a vortex of danger and intrigue that threatens her very survival. The one person who can help Sarah is Kurt, a man with too many secrets to be trusted.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Excerpt

“I’m Heinz. What do you want?”

“Oh. It’s you.”

“Yeah?”

“From the restaurant on New Year’s Eve.”

Kurt was silent for a moment, then it came back to him. “I remember. Sarah, right? You’re the girl who refused to dance with me.”

A red flush crawled from her throat onto the apples of her cheeks. “Yes. I’m sorry if I was rude.”

“I’ve been cut dead before. I got over it.”

The girl’s eyes glittered. “I’m sure you did. Are you going to keep me standing here on the doorstep for everyone to see?”

“Why? I’m not expecting company. Would it be a problem?”

“It certainly might if the people who tore my apartment apart followed me here.”

Kurt looked into her eyes with complete attention for the first time since opening the door. Whatever had happened to this girl, she looked terrified and angry. Not a particularly good combination for the covert activities he and Phelps were up to.

Kurt made a quick decision. He stepped back and pulled the door wide while raising his voice. “You better come inside and tell me why you think what happened to your apartment has anything to do with me.”

When they stepped into the living area, Phelps had disappeared. Kurt gestured toward the sofa and the girl sat down.

Propping himself on the sofa’s arm, he looked down into her frightened eyes.

“Now tell me how I can help you, Miss, uh…”

“Barrett, Sarah. US Army. RN.”

“Well, Nurse Barrett, what can I do for you?”

The girl stuck her hand in her coat pocket and whipped out a scrap of paper that she waved in his face. “By telling me what’s on this paper and why it’s so important that somebody took a knife to my furniture.”

About the Author:
Linda Bennett Pennell has been in love with the past for as long as she can remember. Anything with a history, whether shabby or majestic, recent or ancient, instantly draws her in. She supposes it comes from being part of a large extended family that spanned several generations. Long summer afternoons on her grandmother's porch or winter evenings gathered around her fireplace were filled with stories both entertaining and poignant. Of course being set in the American South, those stories were also peopled by some very interesting characters, some of whom have found their way into Linda's work.

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

Linda resides in the Houston area with one sweet husband and one adorable German Shorthaired Pointer who is quite certain she’s a little girl. Favorite quote regarding her professional passion: "History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up."

I'd Like to Punt-Kick Mercury Out of the Galaxy

Mercury, courtesy of NASA

I have a fairly moderate perspective on things that are non-scientific. Like astrology, numerology, tarot, etc. I find them interesting, and I believe there are plenty of influences we can't measure or truly understand. But I'm not a "believer" in the sense that I give such things much thought in my day-to-day life.

Except for Mercury.

Specifically, Mercury retrograde.

Once someone brought the phenomenon to my attention, it became very clear that this is A Thing. Did you have a misunderstanding with someone, and then you car broke down, followed by your dishwasher, and your e-mail is acting weird and the printer won't stop jamming for no reason? Check the dates. It's probably Mercury.

It amazes me how many people know what I'm talking about when I mention this, and believe in it. My husband thinks I'm insane, and my business colleague has been poking at me about it, but seriously. Every day this week has had multiple mechanical, electronic, and communication problems. People arguing about what a sentence means, when it's interpreted differently by different people. An e-mail in my inbox that made all the other e-mails unreadable until I deleted it. E-mails not sending. Malwarebytes warning me every other day that Facebook has been blocked as a malicious website, alternating with Chrome and Skype. Projects being done by committee (via e-mail, no less) where nothing can be completed because every time we get close to done, someone has a new idea that completely contradicts everyone else's ideas.

It's enough of A Thing that International Business Times did an article on it this week.

I'm sure kicking Mercury out of the galaxy would just make things worse, but ugh. How is Mercury affecting your life this week?

It's Always TV That Brings Me Back Here

Gah, I've been gone so long!

I don't know why TV is usually the thing that brings me back to blogging. Maybe because it's easy to talk about, and more universal than most topics.

Here's the thing. TV is vital to me. It's the biggest thing that makes me relax and turn off my brain.

Reading does it, of course, and I never stop reading. I read in snippets all day long (during meals, mostly), and every night before I go to bed. On very rare occasions, I'll take a big chunk of time to read, but I usually feel guilty because then I'm not writing.

But TV time is different. TV is a signal that I am DONE. No work, no pressures, no household stuff. Me time (though it's better when I'm watching shows with the family).

This summer, we didn't have much TV to watch. Like, 6 shows total, and they didn't always overlap. Royal Pains started and ended early, and The Last Ship finished way before the fall season started. So we had biiiiig gaps of time when we had nothing to watch. And you know what I do then?

I work. Really late. Until 10 a lot of nights. And then I go right to bed because I'm so brain-dead, which is actually a plus because I'm getting more sleep than I got when I had to be up at 5 to go to the day job. Now it's all freelance, which means I'm supposed to be more flexible but it really means I'm working all. the. time.

So! TV is my savior! I binged-watched Jane the Virgin while the rest of the family was off on a trip for a week, and I'm looking forward to that coming back. I'm looking forward to some of the new fall shows, such as Blindspot and Quantico, though I'm more excited about mid-season ones like Legends of Tomorrow and Lucifer. Since we upgraded our TV and DVR system back in May, we have fewer restrictions on recording, so we're giving a whole bunch of things a try. We have the luxury of deleting unwatched if something gets canceled or sucks, and it's easier than trying to catch up if something clicks.

So, Monday is the day things really launch! What are you most excited about, new or returning?

Hearts Under SIEGE is only 99 cents!

That's right, for just a limited time, Hearts Under SIEGE is only 99 cents!



Hearts Under SIEGE is about Molly and Brady, who have been friends since they were little.

It's about Brady and Jessica, the woman who struck him with love-at-first-sight but turned out to be his brother's fiancée. The woman he just couldn't get over.

It's about Brady and Christopher, his brother, and what Brady is willing to do to find out what happened to him when he's reported killed in an "accident."

Because they work for SIEGE, a private spy agency, and things are rarely taken at face value. When Brady and Molly start working together, he sees EVERYTHING differently. And things heat up in more ways than one. :)

The book is at 99 cents at all venues, links found here. Enjoy!

Welcome Guest Blogger Jody Wallace and Her Latest Release, Traitor

Natalie: Welcome, please, creative genius writer and amigurumist Jody Wallace to the blog today. This is such an honor!

Jody: Thank you for having me! Would you like me to tell you about the amigurumi I'm working on right now or the book I just published?

Natalie: Oh, Jody, whatever you utter is a pearl of wisdom. Basically, talk about whatever you like and I swear I'll publish it JUST THE WAY YOU SENT IT TO ME.

Jody: Can I get that in writing?

Natalie: Duh, I just wrote it. In my question. That I totally wrote. That's completely in my personal writing voice.

Jody: Ok, that works. I guess I'd like to talk about Traitor first. It's awesome. The science fiction-based during-apocalypse world it's set in is also awesome, like Falling Skies crossed with Dominion crossed with Defiance, except a lot better and I am not going to kill off any of your favorite characters; include babies who grow from infancy to psychic supermodel in a season; or force Anthony Stewart Head to attempt an American accent.

Once upon a time, Earth was invaded by these horrible black blobs that ate people and couldn't be destroyed by conventional science. They were accompanied by flying red bat daemons that could sort of be destroyed by a lot of missiles. Luckily a squad of powerful angels turned up to save Earth, and they trained a native Chosen One to confront the evil in a final battle.

Except the Chosen One turned out to be a loser, the angels turned out to be aliens pretending to be angels so the Terrans would cooperate (they hoped), and the Earth didn't quite get saved.

Yet.

Natalie: I don't think I've ever heard an idea so awesome.

Jody: I know, right? It's pretty awesome.

Natalie: It's awesome that you came to my blog today and wrote this for me. I mean, you wrote the answers. I totally and awesomely wrote these questions.

Jody: You're awesomely welcome.

Natalie: Jody, now that we know about your world, tell me how you came up with the specific idea for Traitor, which I believe is probably the most awesome book in the universe?

Jody: Oh, Natalie, you flatter me so much, but don't be silly. It's probably only the third best book in the universe. I mean, I've written over twenty books now, and at least two of them are longer than Traitor—and longer is always better, if you know what I mean.

Natalie: You're so witty. I'm laughing so hard right now.

Jody: I get that a lot.

Natalie: I wish I could be just like you.

Jody: For starters you'll need to learn to crochet penises. It's an essential component of my personality. And then you need to get very good at lying.

Natalie: Oh, dear, I don't think I can ever live up to that ideal! *sobs* I'm heartbroken now. My soul feels like a dead mouse in a hot car, shriveled, smelly and gross.

Jody: You're simply too honest to be like me, Natalie. And quite frankly—get it? Frankly? Because you're honest?—I don't think you should...

*****

FAKE NATALIE: Jody, what the hell is this? You said you were writing me a guest post, not this crap. I didn't say those things.

Jody: But you promised!

FAKE NATALIE: Send me something else. That's stupid.

Jody: Quit being so damn honest. Do you know how hard I worked on that awesome interview?

FAKE NATALIE: About 10 minutes?

Jody: Shut up.

FAKE NATALIE: I did like your book, though.

Jody: Thanks! Tell everyone to go buy it. Here's the links:

Nook | Amazon | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

My website with the whole first chapter.

Traitor

Maelstrom Chronicles

Book Two

Jody Wallace

Release Date: July 28, 2015

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Publisher: Entangled

Captain Nikolas EstherVorn is a traitor. Or so it was decreed after Niko disobeyed protocol while trying to save Earth from other-dimensional creatures. Stuck in a prison cell, the last thing he needs is to be in close proximity to clever, sexy Dr. Sarah CallenJoseph. Not when he's damn near ready to break out just to get to her.

Niko's desire isn't quite his own…and Sarah can prove it. He—along with the other soldiers on the disastrous mission—were drugged with some kind of toxin. Niko has no clue how the drug got into his body or why, but Sarah suspects there’s a link between the toxin and the fertility crisis of Shipborn humans.

To investigate is forbidden. But as lust becomes something deeper, binding them together in a way neither expected, Niko and Sarah must battle time—and their superiors—to uncover the secret that could save humanity...or destroy it.

About the Author: 

Jody Wallace grew up in the South in a very rural area. She went to school a long time and ended up with a Master's Degree in Creative Writing. Her resume includes college English instructor, technical documents editor, market analyst, web designer, and general all around pain in the butt. She currently lives in Tennessee with her family: one husband, two kids, two cats. One of her many alter egos is “The Grammar Wench,” which should give you an indication of her character. She is a terrible packrat and likes to amass vintage clothing, books, Asian-inspired kitchenware, gnomes, yarn, and other items that threaten to force her family out of the house. She also likes cats. A lot.

Jody publishes the Maelstrom Chronicles with Entangled Publishing, an Earth-based science fiction romance series. You can find other science fiction, paranormal, and contemporary romances by Jody at www.jodywallace.com, including her horrible science fiction romance spoofs, The Adventures of Mari Shu, which make fun of the Maelstrom Chronicles, among other science fiction concepts and stories.

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Our Squirrel Does Wicked

My husband put up a bird feeder outside our dining room window recently. We've had the usual sparrows and finches, and this week we got a pair of tufted titmice and a chickadee. (I love the less common birds, no surprise. :) )

My office window looks out at ground level right below the feeder. So I've a bunch of companions every day. A squirrel, a cardinal (sometimes his mate, too), a chipmunk or two, and three mourning doves. They forage around and under the rose bush. Oh, and I usually have at least one of the cats, too.

So yesterday morning I hear Number Two let out some kind of cry. I called to her, and she didn't respond. She made some other unintelligible exclamation, so I went into the hall. Number One then cried "Oh my God." I asked WTH and got shushed. So I went down to the dining room. And saw this:

This shouldn't be a surprise, right? Squirrels are notorious for getting into bird feeders. But this one was an astonishing feat.

We watched him hang out for a while. We called my husband out of the bedroom. He grumbled, but then also did the whole "Oh my God thing." While Squirrel stared placidly at us through the window and kept chewing.

But here's the thing. Here's where the feeder hangs. The bay window is the dining room window. The feeder (which you can barely see, because of the angle and background) is FIFTEEN FEET OFF THE GROUND.

This is the closest tree:

I'm thinking this little bastard went up the telephone pole in the front of the house, ran along the wires to the side of the roof, and then went over the roof to shimmy down the wire holding the feeder. There really isn't another way to do it. That takes intelligence and determination, right? Especially since there's tons of seed all over the ground all the time.

So after a while my husband said, "okay, tell him to get down." Number Two slapped the window with the flat of her hand. Squirrel JUMPED TO THE GROUND. Fifteen friggin' feet. Defying gravity indeed. 

He was back up there this morning. You almost have to let him take the reward for his effort, you know?

It's No Fun When They Don't Play Along

Ref. last post, about needing something fun to watch? I have Part 1 of Dragon Riders of Berk that my friend Gail sent me! I keep forgetting to ask Number One if she wants to watch it with me. I think I'll just do it, starting tonight. If I'm not working until midnight again.

My husband has a lot of fun with telemarketers and wrong numbers and stuff like that. Our number is only 1 digit different from the local Domino's number, and people used to always call and ask if we were Pizza Hut, or would immediately launch into their order or request for delivery, even though we hadn't answered "properly." He'd say we were out of pizza or that we were Little Cesar's or something like that. They moved across town, out of our area, and now a) they won't deliver to us and b) we don't get calls for them anymore. That's NOT a good trade.

You know those people who call you and say they're from Geek Support and there's something really wrong with your computer and they want to help you? I kept one of those guys on the phone for 20 minutes. At one point he told me his company's address in Connecticut and I went on about how I used to live up there and asking if he'd seen certain sites. I told him I didn't want to go downstairs and boot up my computer. He passed judgment on my being in bed at that time of the morning, even though I hadn't said I was in bed, I said I was in my bedroom. That was a fun conversation. He tried so hard!

Anyway, today I got a friend request on Facebook. I always say yes. This person immediately messaged me privately. Red flag, right? It went like this:

Her:  hello
Me:  Hi. :)
Her: how you doing
Me:  Not too bad. How about you?
Her: i am good
Me:  Good. :)
Her: well i saw your name among the 20 lucky people who won $500,000,00 from the smartphone lottery i am among the lucky winners too
i have gotten my own check and i just cash my own check yesterday why havent you get your check
Me:  Oh, I did! I got my check three days ago.

She hasn't responded. So boring. *sigh*

How have YOU tried to play with someone lately? Did they play along?

Drowning in Darkness

I have never (or at least for a decade or two) gone for darkness in my entertainment. I tend to prefer light paranormal and romantic adventure over dark paranormal romances or urban fantasy or suspense. My husband can't drag me unconscious to a horror movie. And when I tried watching Daredevil on Netflix recently, I couldn't watch past the episode where the bad guy decapitated someone by bashing a car door against his head. For, like, 5 minutes.

Lately, though, I've gotten myself into some pretty dark stuff. Like iZombie. It didn't start out dark. I mean, as far as zombie fiction goes, it was cool. The heroine is focused on hiding her condition and getting along without going full-on zombie. But they couldn't leave it as "she's the only zombie who survived." No, the last episode I watched (we're still behind) ended with her finding out her hunky British rock star boyfriend, who has spiced up that screen by a LOT, has been not only been buying brains from the evil guy (normally yummy David Anders; why does he have to be evil AGAIN?!) who is abducting and murdering kids to feed his zombie customers and make tons of money...the kid they are eating is the one her ex-fiancé Major cared so much about that he got beaten up twice and lost his job. And I know what's coming for Lowell. As if THAT'S not enough, Liv's only real supporter is Ravi, her boss, who's trying to find a cure. And he got BITTEN BY A ZOMBIE RAT. I am so freaking sad for him.

So that wasn't too dark by itself. But it ended ominously. My Outlander, and I love it—except the most recent episode about killed me. We watched it right after iZombie, so I insisted we watch Modern Family to cleanse my brain. I'll watch the finale because of Jamie, but I'm NOT looking forward to it.

friend Gail has talked me into trying

Then there was Supernatural. Always kind of dark, but unique. Until this year's finale, in which Dean gives up, makes a deal to kill his brother and go somewhere unreachable for eternity, and then fails, kills Death (nooooo, Julian Richings!!!!), and has the Mark removed, thereby unleashing The Darkness—the evil that came before us, that God and his archangels battled back and trapped. The Mark was the key. So now they've unleashed this Darkness. Can you GET any bleaker?

I'd be so ready for light summer fare, if there was any. Franklin & Bash is no more, and Covert Affairs has also been canceled. Thank God for Royal Pains starting in a couple of weeks. But the other shows I watch in the summer are The Last Ship—about the only people who have survived a worldwide plague—and Falling Skies—about the only people who have survived an alien invasion. Nothing light and fun there! I have Dark Matter on the "new show" list, but anything whose trailer ends with "Because we're dangerous" is unlikely to be a laugh a minute.

So I might have to find something I can get on DVD from the library and binge-watch. Any suggestions?

Upcoming Books I Can't Wait For

I ended up judging two published contests (the Prism and the Daphne) at the same time, so I have 8 books to read by May 15. And I have... *counts* ...57 titles on my Kindle I haven't read yet. (OMG, I should haven't counted!) AND there are a couple dozen paperbacks on the shelf in my bedroom.

And still, I can't WAIT for a bunch of new books that aren't due to be released for weeks or even months. Here's a sampling:

Go Ahead, Make My Bouquet by Misty Simon
Release Date May 22, 2015

Okay, I confess, I got to read this one already. :) It's a great contemporary romance set in the same small town as Misty's What's Life Without Sprinkles? and Making Room at the Inn. If you've been waiting for Zoe's story with my level of impatience, you'll want to get this one on your wish list. :)

No Woman Left Behind by Julie Moffett

Release Date June 1, 2015

I've loved this adventure/mystery/romance series since the beginning. I have a theory about Lexi that I'm eager to see revealed (or not!) in the next book.

Under the Lights by Shannon Stacey

Release Date May 26, 2015

Football! It's high school rather than pro, but I'm geeking out anyway. :) Shannon has another book coming out in June, with firefighters. I've enjoyed the Kowalskis, but excited to start new stuff by her.

Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones

Release Date May 19, 2015

If you haven't read the Charley Davidson series, and you're one of those who loves to binge, you're in for a treat. Snarky, brilliant, unique heroine, super-hot hero, ever-growing (but not unmanageable) mythology... The only reason I'm not thrilled that there are apparently 3 more books after this one is that means we might not get more YA or "A Lovely Drop" stories from Darynda. But I guess I'll survive. :)

The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher

Release Date September 29, 2015

Steampunk is something I like the idea of a lot more than I ended up enjoying in reality. I used to read a lot of historicals as well as epic fantasy, but lost my taste for both a while ago. But since I can't devour the next Dresden Files book until some undefined time that might be in 2016, I'm willing to try this to tide me over. :)

 The Bull Rider's Son by Cathy McDavid

Release Date July 1, 2015

Cathy is amazingly consistent, keeping me in family westerns at a steady pace. :) Her mouthwatering heroes keep me away from my chores, that's for sure. :)

Dakota Cowboy by Lisa Mondello

Release Date May 30, 2015

Talk about consistent! Her last Dakota book just came out last week, but I'll barely have time to miss them when the next one releases. And that's a GOOD thing. :) More westerns, but in a totally different kind of world than Cathy's books. Hmm, I'm reading a nice balance across the country, with Shannon's books in New England! :)

What books are you looking forward to?

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Blue Silver is Back!

Long-time readers might remember that several years ago, I was part of a collaboration with a few other authors on a series of novellas called Blue Silver. These all take place at the same time, with the comeback of the band Blue Silver at their core. Well, it's time for another comeback! Jody Wallace, Megan Hart, and I have resurrected these stories, updated them to fit with modern technology and stuff, and re-released them. So if you missed them, now's your chance! They're just 99 cents each. You can find out more by visiting the Blue Silver page. Thanks!

Greatness in Customer Service: Hulu and, Believe It or Not, American Airlines

Okay, so I probably just had the best customer service experience ever.

Back in December, I subscribed to Hulu Plus so I could watch the end of Selfie. Once the last episode aired (so sad!), I canceled my subscription. Or so I thought.

I clicked the cancel button, and confirmed I wanted to cancel, and then they have this cute little video telling you that you don't want to cancel. Down to the right, where the eye doesn't naturally fall (trust me, I learned about the Z-pattern thing working at an ad agency), was a check box you had to click to say yeah, I still want to cancel. Until that box is checked, there's ANOTHER cancel button that's white and not real obvious.

Now, I would swear I'd gotten to the point where it told me I'd canceled and I'd get an e-mail confirmation, but I can't find an e-mail confirmation in my files, and it's quite possible that I rolled my eyes at the video and overlooked all that. I honestly don't remember.

So when I was looking carefully at the charges on my credit card today and saw a charge for Hulu Plus, I was very mad. Not least at myself for not noticing it for the last two months. I immediately went through the process I described above and made VERY sure that I completed it. I still haven't gotten an e-mail confirmation, by the way.

However, when I sent an annoyed message through their help center, I got an immediate response. Literally, 4 minutes after I posted my complaint. I acknowledged my own culpability but told them I felt their practice was tricky and misleading and it would unfortunately cause me to speak negatively about them and never go back. They told me in response that they'd forward my comments about their procedures and refund me for three months of charges.

I KNOW, RIGHT?! Who does that? Obviously, someone who wants my service again. They'll get it, as soon as some network cancels a show I love but runs the remaining episodes through Hulu. :)

The other experience was with American Airlines. I bought Number One a ticket from Boston to Ohio last weekend before her grandmother died. The services ended up being scheduled a couple of hours after her flight back on Sunday. I'd booked through Priceline, which had saved us not enough money, but some. And that always makes things trickier. My brother, who flew Delta, was told he couldn't change anything until he got to Ohio, and then after that they couldn't book him a later flight on the same day and said if he flew another day he'd have to buy a whole 'nother ticket, to the tune of somewhere around a thousand dollars.

I spent a lot of time on the phone with American while they tried to help me out. The bummer was that because of very full flights, for her to go home later Sunday, even using G inventory (presumably tech-speak for bereavement fare), we'd have had to pay $652 plus a $200 change fee. For her to fly Monday would cost $117, because the difference in fares reduced that $200 change fee. There was a $25 penalty for using Priceline, too. I had to make two separate calls but everything went incredibly smoothly. So they'll get my business again, especially since all her flights landed early.

So what great customer service have YOU gotten lately?

Unretouched Last Man Monkeys Male Draw New Releases and FREE Books

I couldn't come up with a good title that hinted at the content of this post so I just kind of mashed it together. So here's a preview:

1. Unretouched Photos
2. Last Man on Earth
3. 12 Monkeys
4. Why I Follow More Male Celebrities on Social Media
5. New Releases and Two Free Books

Unretouched Photos
I was just reading a short piece in Entertainment Weekly that analyzed all the unsavory reasons "we" clicked on unretouched celebrity photographs and used that for brief commentary on the (mostly) awful state of our society.

Why can't we just click because we're curious?

I didn't actually click on any, though I kind of heard that they were out there. If I had clicked on them, it wouldn't have been because of resentment of Beyonce (I really couldn't care less about Beyonce—notice how I didn't even add the accents on her name?) or a desire to feel more like Cindy Crawford. If I'd clicked, it would have been pure curiosity about the process. I mean, we talk all the time about how magazine photos are unrealistic, but we haven't had a clue exactly how much of a difference there is. So it would be a "huh, how about that" moment for me and, I suspect, a lot of other people.

Last Man on Earth
I really wanted to like that show. I watched the first two episodes, and for the most part, while I was watching, I enjoyed them. The humor was there, and Will Forte and Kristen Schaal did a great job. But afterward, when it popped into my head, it wasn't the humor or pathos or cinematography or directing or any of the good stuff I thought of. It was how many bugs had to be crawling in that house, and why the hell didn't he just MOVE when it got gross? He's in a big neighborhood of mansions, and it can't be the only one in Tucson, even if he felt compelled to stay there.

Plus, somehow, despite said squalid house being full of enough empty booze containers to have drained the entire city's supply, his local bar remains fully stocked.

And they can't get water because there's no power but he somehow pumps gas?

Okay, those are small logic things and the writers can't be expected to think of ALL of them. I'd give them a pass except for the absolutely ludicrous "we were chosen to save humanity by procreating" storyline. If Phil had pointed out that their kids would have to then procreate with each other, and then those kids with each other, and how horrible that whole idea is, then I'd have been okay. Especially if Carol responded with the very logical hope that there might be other people out there still, they just weren't in the same place at the same time, and they can't just give up. Two simple lines of dialogue and I wouldn't be so squicked out and annoyed.

So when all I can think about after watching a show is the bad stuff, I don't go back. Sorry, LMOE. Good luck to you, because I think you're a fun idea.

12 Monkeys
This show had the opposite effect on me. I wasn't going to watch it at first, because the movie had no appeal. But then Aaron Stanford changed my mind, and I'm soooo glad! He was my favorite on Nikita, and he's even better on this. There's a lot of tension and chemistry on this show. I love Amanda Schull, too, and Emily Hampshire and Kirk Acevedo. And it's the one show every week I have to watch the instant it's on, and I need the next episode immediately.

I have to admit to being unsettled after the last episode, though. During the first half of the season, everything was kind of straightforward (for a time-traveling suspense show with more than one crazy person). Cole had a simple mission: go back, kill a guy, and save the world. But it didn't work, and things got harder. He got to experience the world he was trying to save. The comforts and conveniences and even more importantly, the humanity. People who had more to do, to care about, than killing for their next meal or a bit of warmth. And Cassie made it personal. Jones might have done some awful things to get to this point, but her goals seemed so noble.

And now... Not only are they less noble (albeit understandable), not only are her methods impossible to justify, but it might not even be true, that anything can be changed at all.

I just can't wait to see what happens next.

The Male Draw
I have this vague guilt that I'm drawn to male celebrities and NFL players for my "social" (non-personal) entertainment. I like a lot of actresses and admire tons of other women in a multitude of roles...but I get notifications on Facebook for Tom Brady (New England Patriots quarterback) and Stephen Amell (actor from Arrow), and I follow Misha Collins, Alan Tudyk, and Nathan Fillion on Twitter instead of Gina Torres, Felicia Day, or Mindy Kaling. My favorite shows might have female characters that I love, but it's the men I really watch for.

I'm such a betrayer of my gender.

But I was thinking about it yesterday, and I think I figured out why. IRL, I'm surrounded by women. Day-to-day, there's my husband and one of my bosses, but I have two daughters and work with a dozen women in my day job. My closest friends are women, and when I get together with other writers, all but one are women. On Facebook, probably 90% of my Friends are women, and the ones who aren't are family.

So it kind of makes sense that I'd be drawn to men in my entertainment, be it football, television, or the social media extension of both.

Right?

New Releases
I am SOOOOO happy to finally announce the release of the third book in The Soul Series!

Harte and Soul is about Peter Ranger, who some of you might remember from the first book, Soul of the Dragon. (If you didn't read that one, it's free right now!) Peter's all grown up now, a single father who comes under attack. Brooklyne Harte is assigned to investigate, mostly to see if his extraordinary daughter's abilities are powerful enough to make her a target.

Brook never realized how closed off she was until Kiena and Peter burrow into her heart, and she understands how much she's willing to sacrifice to protect them. But when the threat becomes exponentially greater, her relationship with Peter seems doomed no matter what she does.

You can buy this book here:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance eBooks | Kobo | Smashwords | Google Play | iBooks

Right now, you may be all, "Hey! You said free BOOKS, plural!" I'm glad you mentioned it! As I said, Soul of the Dragon is currently free. 

You don't have to read that book or the second book in the series, Soulflight (also at a special price) to enjoy Harte and Soul. But if you want to find out how Alexa and Ryc and Samantha and Rock got together before reading about them in Harte and Soul, those books do come first chronologically.

The other free book is actually a collection of micro-stories. Remember when I participated in Tiny Treats—A Holiday Collection back at the end of 2014? Well, we did it again! Introducing Tiny Treats 2—A St. Patrick's Day Collection! These stories are slightly longer, but still readable in short bites, and they all center around the March holiday. The anthology is totally free at all retailers!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | Smashwords

FREE Tiny Treats, Renegade, and Computer Shopping

So what's everyone been up to?

I've been freaking cold, man. It's been in the teens, which broke records for our area. Typically, we play football on Thanksgiving in sweatshirts. Not that it can't be cold now, but usually low 40s, high 30s. Not 17! I'm a little worried about our oil budget this winter.

I've also had a lot more Christmas spirit this year. Not sure why. I usually compartmentalize my holidays. It gets me into trouble when we hit December 15 and I realize I don't have time to ship presents the inexpensive way. So maybe that's why I've been planning sooner. I have a couple of presents bought, which isn't much, but I'm very Christmas-focused, mentally speaking. :)

Part of that might be because I've been laptop shopping. Or rather, pre-shopping. My laptop is ill. Last year it was having lockup problems. The tech guys couldn't find the problem, but talked me into upgrading to a faster hard drive. My battery wouldn't hold a charge, so I bought a new battery, too. Well, that had to be a refurbished battery or even just plain used, because first the lock tab snapped off, then the laptop stopped seeing the battery at all. So I'm tethered to the wall. Which is doable, though not of highest convenience. The lockup still happens, mostly (thought not always) when I'm watching video. And now I've got two growing splotches of what appears to be leaking liquid in the display. I can work around them, but not sure for how long.

SO. I've been shopping laptops. At first I was thinking small and light. I like typing on the Surface, and I like the idea of convertability. Also considered the Lenovo Yoga, and then I saw the Toshiba Radius. The 11 is very affordable and it's gold! But you can't know what will work best until you try them all out, right? So I went over to Best Buy, which had more on display than I expected. Apparently not being able to "ship-to-store" from the website doesn't mean the store doesn't have the computer. I didn't like the keyboard of the Yoga, and the screen of the Radius 11 was just too small. I really liked the Toshiba with the detachable screen, but it was very wobbly, and that concerned me. I found a Radius 15.5", and I really liked that. I can get a portable CD drive for about $30 so I can use my Office 2007 (instead of paying $99 to download the hateful 2013). But then I was looking at the reviews. The 5-star reviews are vague. The 1-star reviews are far fewer in number, but wifi weakness and spacebar issues and flickering screens and very poor customer service from Toshiba are repeated throughout. Of course, someone who gave that 1-star rating says "I bought an Acer instead and love it" and you go over to Acer and they talk about screen and bootup problems and the bottom line is that every make and model can have issues. It's always a roll of the dice.

So I'm kind of back to the drawing board, maybe. But then I look at the temperature, consider the oil bill, and know that I have to ride my old laptop into the ground anyway, so STOP SPENDING SO MUCH TIME LOOKING, NATALIE. LOL

Okay, on to more fun stuff!

I am very excited to announce the release of a new anthology. Trish Milburn pulled together a couple dozen highly talented authors (and I am so humbled and honored to have been invited!) in a collection we decided to call Tiny Treats.

Tiny because these are micro-stories. I tested them out—you can literally read a whole story while waiting in the pickup line for your kid, or the drive-thru at a busy Starbucks, or while you're waiting for you spouse to be ready to leave for dinner, already!

Treats because they're all really good romances. Seriously, I'm not just saying that. If there was a single dud in the bunch I'd be more vague and general. :) I loved every single one.

Most of these are contemporary set and the holiday featured is Christmas, but there are some historical and paranormal gems, and Halloween, Thanksgiving, and New Year's are all included.

But best of all, it's completely FREE! Everywhere! So you can download it now!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Smashwords

Oh, and if you've read If You Believe in Me, my story, "On This Christmas Day," features Rina and Danny!

I have another story out, too. This one isn't new. It's a reissue (updated, but with no major changes) of an erotic paranormal novella, and it's only 99 cents at all retailers:

Trex Samuels has lived her life supporting her best friend. Her job as an information broker allows her to stay in one place and keep tabs on Jake, who travels the world using his unique gifts to save abducted children. Trex is the closest thing to a home Jake has, and she waits for his infrequent visits that always bring both joy and pain. Things change, however, when Jake is on the run from the law. This time, he is haunted by his failures, tormented by waking nightmares. This time, he’s brought a partner.

Dan awakens in Trex a new craving, but one that doesn’t eliminate the old. When she realizes the men need her, that she has the power to banish their demons–however temporarily–they embark on a journey of sensuality and desperate pleasure. In the end, she not only has the power to heal them, but to set them free. And only one will come back to her…

Note: Originally published in 2008, reissued 2014

Buy Now:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Kobo
Google Play/BooksSmashwordsiBooks

Goodreads page

"Why the hell would you DO that?"

Today I have a post at Everybody Needs a Little Romance about my writing retreat last weekend. (That photo to the left is the room service cart I held hostage so I could write on the side of the room that had the view of the ocean.)

Because of my trip, I am SO far behind on TV! My husband is a little overwhelmed by our stuffed DVR. LOL So we're only doing a bit at a time, and I'm two episodes behind on a lot of stuff. Behind on a lot of my favorites and dying to catch up!

But some of what I've seen lately has been absolutely delighting me.

Let's talk about Haven first. I caught up last night, and I'm SO FREAKING GLAD they spread the swapping trouble over two episodes. Dwight and Gloria were awesome enough (though there wasn't much difference between Dave and Vince LOL) but OMG, Nathan and Duke. They were PERFECT. Lucas Bryant was amazing with Duke's body language (the hand gesture was spot on!) and Eric Balfour, who really had the easier job, I'm glad they were able to split Audrey and Mara, because Emily Rose is doing a great job as Mara and now we can have The Real Audrey Parker back.

One benefit to being behind? I caught up just in time for a new episode tonight. LOL

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is the other one that has delighted me this week. We finally watched last night, and not only is Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse quite delicious, the reveal that she's Hunter's ex was fantastic. His reaction killed me. I love when I don't see something coming until the last second, and then it hits right before the reveal. I get to be surprised and smart at the same time. LOL All the new characters have just enhanced the show, and I can't wait for next week.

I caught a spoiler on Twitter last night about Supernatural so now I want to catch up on that one. Also, Sleepy Hollow. I don't care where they take it. The relationship between Abbie and Crane is one of the best on TV right now.