Book excerpt for Sweet Callahan Homecoming by Tina Leonard

Sweet Callahan Homecoming

by Tina Leonard

BLURB:

Will Ashlyn Callahan finally find her magic?  The last Callahan rides in the exciting conclusion to the bestselling series, The Callahan Cowobys!

Four Babies—and Her Whole Family—to Protect

Ashlyn Callahan has always known that her fate can only bring danger to those she loves. That's why she flees Rancho Diablo—and the ornery cowboy she loves—to hide out in Texas Hill Country. But all hell breaks loose when Xavier Phillips finds her…and her four newborn babies.

Xav finally tracks down his warrior woman—only to discover she's the mother of two perfect little boys and two perfect little girls. And he's the father! Now Ash has to marry him. With the future of Ash's entire clan at stake, Xav is ready to lay his life on the line to safeguard the family legacy. Not to mention create a homecoming—and a wedding!—worthy of his Chacon Callahan bride!

Excerpt:

Two squad cars pulled in front of the house, and the next thing he knew, a couple of Wild’s finest were yelling at him to put the little lady down.

“I forgot to call and tell the sheriff it was a false alarm,” Ash said, apologetic, as he set her gently on the ground. She was breathless and a bit tousled from being upside down. “You’d better go.”

“I’m not going anywhere until you agree to go with me.” He could be just as stubborn as she. “Go tell the sheriff and his friends that their services aren’t needed.”

“It would be better if you go.”

She gazed up at him, and he caught a funny bit of desperation from her. “Nope,” he said, still wearing stubborn like a badge.

“Ash, is there a problem?” the sheriff asked, and Ash looked at Xav.

“Is there a problem?” she asked Xav, and he realized she was holding him hostage to her demand that he leave.

Well, he’d never been one to go down without a fight.

“Hell, yeah, there’s a problem, Sheriff. This woman won’t accept my marriage proposal. I drove all the way from Rancho Diablo in New Mexico to propose to her. Xav Phillips,” he said, shaking the sheriff’s hand.

The sheriff and his deputies snickered a little at his conundrum. Then the sheriff perked up. “Xav Phillips, Gil Phillips’s son, from Hell’s Colony?”

“Yes, sir,” Xav said politely.

“I knew your daddy before you were even a twinkle in his eye,” the sheriff said, drawing a groan from Ash. The sheriff turned to her.

“Ashlyn Callahan, you hit the panic button because some man has proposed to you? Again?” The sheriff shook his head. “He drives a nice truck, comes from a great family, practically Texas royalty. If Santa brings you a father for those four children of yours, you might treat him a little nicer than calling the law on him.” He tipped his hat to Ash, shook Xav’s hand again, and he and his deputies got back in their squad cars. “Good luck,” the sheriff said to Xav through his open window. “Probably five men in the county have offered to marry this lady, and she’s turned them all down flat.”

He nodded. “Forewarned, Sheriff. Thanks.”

“Are all of you through enjoying a manly guffaw at my expense?” Ash demanded. “Because if you are, I need to get back in the house. I have children who need me.”

“Good night, Sheriff.” He followed Ash back inside, his mind niggling with discomfort and alarm. Five men had proposed to her? Ash picked up a baby that was sending up a gentle wail and sat down on the old-fashioned sofa situated across from the Christmas tree.

He sat next to her. “Hey, Ash,” he said, “the sheriff said something about you needing a father for your children, that Santa had sent you one for Christmas. It was a figure of speech, right?” He looked at her, surprised but not displeased in the slightest that she was undoing the pearl buttons on her white sweater. She tossed a baby blanket over her shoulder, obscuring the baby’s face—and suddenly, it hit Xav like a thunderclap that Ash was nursing that baby.

Which would not be the slightest bit possible unless these were her children. He stared at Ash, and she looked back at him calmly, her denim-blue eyes unworried and clear.

“You’re a mother,” he said, feeling light-headed, and not from the crack Mallory had landed on his skull. “These are your babies?”

She nodded, and he got dizzy. The woman he loved was a mother, and somehow she’d had four children. This perfect four of a kind was hers.

It wasn’t possible. But he could hear gentle sucking sounds occasionally, and he knew it was as possible as the sun coming up the next day. He felt weak all over, weak-kneed in a way he’d never been, his heart splintering like shattered glass.

“Damn, Ash, your family…you haven’t told them.”

“No, I haven’t.”

A horrible realization sank into him, painful and searing. “Who’s the father?”

She frowned. “A dumb ornery cowboy.”

“That doesn’t sound like you. You wouldn’t fall for a dumb ornery cowboy.”

“Yes, I would,” Ash said. “I would, and I did.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Tina Leonard writes with humor, sexiness, and fun. With nearly three million books sold, she plans to keep writing the stories readers enjoy. Her schedule keeps her very busy creating independent heroines and the irresistible heroes who love them. 

Visit Tina at her Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest 

Amazon | BN

Readers: Tina will be awarding $25 Amazon e-certs to TWO randomly drawn commenters during the tour. To be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and leave comments there, too.

Book excerpt for memoir The Predator Lies of Anorexia: A Survivor’s Story by Abby Kelly

Today I'm happy to be a host through Write Now Literary Virtual Book Tours to present The Predatory Lies of Anorexia: A Survivor's Story book blast with author Abby Kelly. There's a $20 Amazon gift card giveaway contest, too. Enter using the form at the bottom.

Genre: Memoir/Self Help

About the book:

Paperback: 196 pages

Publisher: Bettie Youngs Book Publishers (March 17, 2014)

ISBN-10: 1940784174

ISBN-13: 978-1940784175

Blurb:

I want. I want you to want me. I want you to think I am the smartest, the thinnest, the most beautiful. I want you to want to be me. I want to be enviable. I want to be impervious. I want to need nothing. I want you to know that I am strong. I want to think I am better than everyone else. I want.

I’m willing to give up everything. I will give up mind and future. I will give up health, happiness and peace. I will give up family, friends and fun. I will give up rest and comfort. I will give up food. But please, just let me keep faith.

In this raw telling of her long struggle with anorexia, Abby Kelly reveals the predatory lies that ran rampant in her disordered mind. She will lead readers through the fight to her final victory.
Readers will find empathy, compassion and insight in these pages. Most of all, they will find hope for recovery and a life beyond the battle.

Meet the author:

Abby Kelly is a nomadic, military spouse writing from wherever she momentarily finds herself with her husband, their wonderful dog, Brave, and two tolerable cats.

Abby began writing in the process of recovering from a more-than-decade long eating disorder. She credits Jesus Christ for her full recovery and for filling her with a passion to encourage others to seek freedom from their own addictions and struggles.

Now, Abby writes for numerous Christian publications as well as maintains her personal blog, Predatory-Lies. In her free time, she and Brave enjoy volunteering in hospitals and schools as a pet therapy team through Pet Partners.

Links to visit:

Amazon | Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook 

E-mail: abbykelly1980@gmail.com

Excerpt:

“The Flight”

“You will never see me again!” I screamed. I knew I was running out of time as we approached the airport. 

“I’ll die there! I’m never coming home.”

“Abby, stop. You are getting yourself all worked up and we have to go inside now.” My father parked the car in the dismal parking garage. Ignoring my residual choking on tears, he got out of the car and began to extract the suitcases, careful not to get any dirt on his jeans.

Daddy always looked sharp, one more thing I hated about myself. In the last several years I had become more of a skeleton freak show than an attractive daughter he could be proud of. My face was gaunt and haggard and wore the look of an aging smoker. My breasts were flat and my waist curve-less, like a prepubescent boy. I wore sea-foam green sweat pants with the word “SPIRIT” in block letters down my right leg. The sweats hung around my thighs like a tent missing poles, but I liked them because I felt small inside them. A sloppy white t-shirt blaring “SPIRIT” as well, topped the ensemble.

“Abby, get out of the car.”

I debated for a moment, but knew that I’d never win. The wildest of my tantrums were no match for Dad’s strength, but until now, at least in the battle of wills, I had triumphed. Two days prior my parents played their trump card.

“We’ve tried everything.” My parents had me cornered in their bedroom. Mom spoke because I listened more calmly to her. “We’ve been patient while you’ve promised over and over to try. We are really, really worried about you.”

Mom’s voice broke there. Dad turned and glared at my little sisters eavesdropping from the bedroom doorway. Two sets of chocolate brown eyes and one blue pair ducked back into the hallway. Then he shut the door and stepped forward.

“You promised to gain ten pounds in two months.” Dad’s voice was taut. The six-foot-four man that I once thought invincible slouched beneath a heavy burden. “Over a month ago, you agreed to the ultimatum that you would gain eight pounds. You’re nowhere near that. You need help and this is not a discussion. Remuda Ranch agreed to admit you, and we need to be there the day after tomorrow.” Daddy turned and left the room.

I slumped to my knees on the floor. “Please, please, please, Mom! Don’t send me away. I can’t be gone for two months. You might as well disown me. I’ll die there!”

Tour Hosted by Write Now Literary Virtual Book Tour

Author Tour Page: http://wnlbooktours.com/abby-kelly/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest post from action-romance novelist Emma Calin

This is a special guest post today, but first I want to mention that our guest, Emma, will be awarding a $30 Amazon voucher to one (1) randomly drawn commenter; a print copy of Shannon's Law will be awarded to two (2) randomly drawn commenters; and a digital copy of Shannon's Law will be awarded to three (3) randomly drawn commenters during the tour. And ALL ENTRANTS get emailed a digital cookery book of recipes (including photos!) for meals/food eaten in Shannon's Law. The book is called 'Cops Cuisine'. 

To be entered for a chance to win any of the gifts and/or get a copy of Cops Cuisine, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and enter there, too.

Thank you so much for letting me showcase my forthcoming steamy action-romance novel SHANNON’S LAW. It’s the second in my PASSION PATROL series - stories where sassy female cops lock up the criminals and always get their man.

February marks the start of my “Pinterest Reveal Virtual Book Tour” in the run-up to the launch on the 28^th February 2014. 

Every day there are feature posts on topics relating to SHANNON’S LAW on blogs all around the world.  They’re all linked together on one big Pinterest Board. Each post replaces a ‘mystery’ silhouette that was posted in January. I saved all  my notes and photos as I was writing, on a private Pinterest Board and now I can share them with you.

Today’s subject is:  Food of Love – companion recipe book to Shannon’s Law

All-action all-loving cops need fuel. In the course of Shannon's Law she and others chomp their way through a fair bit of food.  As I was writing it occurred to me that readers might like to experience some of the dishes for themselves. So it was that Cop’s Kitchen came into being. Where a dish is mentioned I have created a recipe.  All the food has been tried out  at home. Now you can too. The color photos are all my own work as well.  As a special treat during the run-up to launch of Shannon’s Law –  every reader who enters the Rafflecopter Draw below gets a FREE digital  copy of Cop’s Kitchen!

Shannon is a working girl. Between love and crime action she often has little time to consider her diet let alone slave at the stove or go shopping for herbs and spices.  As a true English girl she is well acquainted with take out fish and chips. She has a favorite Curry house to beat anything she could make. Although she buys some dishes ready made, I have recreated the real thing in my own way, using traditional methods. Very often it is the police canteen that keeps her fueled up for drama and passion. My ex cop partner appears to have spent a lot of his career sustained by a famous police dish – Sausage Toad with chips. In the book, Shannon has an important meeting with her boss over such a feast.

Excerpt:

“Now, that’s what I call true Force feeding!” he said.

Shannon laughed and treated the delicacy with brown HP sauce. She missed stuff like this in her new life. Her hips were cheering. They sat down by the window looking out onto the urban swirl of cars and Croydon concrete.

A recipe from Cop’s Kitchen to whet your appetite:

TOAD IN THE HOLE also known as SAUSAGE TOAD

( as seen on the front cover of Cop’s Kitchen)

Ingredients to serve 4 people:

8 best-quality meaty sausages.

150g (6 oz) plain flour.

4 medium eggs.

150ml (6fl oz) milk, whole or semi skimmed.

100ml (4floz) water.

salt and pepper

Method:

1. Put the oven on to heat up: gas mark 7, 425F 220C.
2. Beat the eggs together in a bowl.
3. Sieve the flour if you wish (I never bother.)
4. Make a dip in the center of the flour and add the eggs to the flour
5. Gradually mix the dry flour into the eggs from the edges
6. Before all the flour is mixed into the egg it will become a dry and solid mass, add a third of the milk. Mix well, try and keep it smooth lump-free. It will start to become a thick solid paste.
7. Add half the remaining milk and continue to work into the paste.
8. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until a smooth batter.
9. Add the water. Whisk.
10. Add a pinch of salt and some ground black pepper. Leave the finished batter to one side.
11. Put the sausages in a deep rectangular roasting tin, around 30cm x 20cm x 5cm(12''x8''x2'').  Arrange in two rows, evenly spaced.
12. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven and place on the hob – if there is not much oil from the sausages, add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan.  Gently release the sausages, but leave them in their positions.
14. Turn on the hob and heat the tray directly until the fat is smoking hot.  Do not leave unattended!
15. Turn off the heat and pour the batter over the sausages.
16. Put the tray back in the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Do not open the oven whilst cooking.

            Suggestion: Serve with gravy and mashed potato (Shannon eats hers with chips from the police canteen).

Book Blurb

Wild child inner-city cop Shannon Aguerri walks a dangerous line between her methods and justice. When the bosses lose their nerve, after yet another maverick mission, she is transferred to green pastures to play out the role of a routine village cop. When she encounters signs of slave and drug trafficking she homes in on serious millionaire criminals.

As a loner she has attracted men but nothing has stuck. When she meets Spencer, the hunky and widowed Earl of Bloxington, there is an immediate rapport between them. Their social differences mean nothing to their passion and need. 

Already in the mix is an upper class female rival – who has long plotted her way into the Earl's bed. The jealousy is an evil shade of green and the anger is a violent scarlet. 

Often inhibited by a sense of duty and honour, Spencer is slow to reveal his feelings. When Shannon confronts him with the need to choose between her word and that of her rival, he does not immediately support her.

All issues are set aside, when they are forced together to carry out a desperate rescue mission. Their love is stronger than everything ranged against them.

SHANNON’S LAW comes out on February 28^th 2014 in print and digital formats for all e-readers.

Amazon are offering some great discounts for pre-orders of the paperback version

(29% off in USA,     12% off in the UK).

You can pre-order the digital version at a pre-launch special price from Nook, Kobo, and iTunes. It will also be available in all digital formats on Smashwords

See this post and others from my tour as they go live on Pinterest or click the Goddess Fish panel below to visit the other blogs in the tour.

Follow Shannon’s Law on Facebook

Visit the Shannon’s Law Website for book details and pre-order information.

To celebrate the launch of SHANNON’S LAW, there is a special FREE gift for you in my RAFFLECOPTER draw. As well as great, unique prizes to win, EVERY ENTRANT will get their own digital copy of – COP’S KITCHEN. There are many ways to get bonus chances – by commenting on this post, liking Facebook Pages etc.

ENTER DRAWING HERE: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28591019

Main Prizes in the Draw:

$30/£20/€25 Amazon Gift Voucher, 2 paperback copies of Shannon’s Law, 3 digital copies of Shannon’s Law.

The draw will take place randomly on Rafflecopter on the 7^th March 2014.

Shannon’s Law comes out in paperback and digital formats for all e-readers

on February 28^th 2014.

Emma Calin’s Website

Emma Calin’s Twitter

Emma Calin’s Facebook

About.me page: http://about.me/emmacalin

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4915751.Emma_Calin

Interview with new adult mystery author Cristelle Comby

We’re starting off 2014 with new adult author Cristelle Comby. Her newest novel, Ruby Heart, the Neve & Egan Cases (Volume 2)

Cristelle will be awarding a signed paperback of Ruby Heart plus a signed copy of book 1, Russian Dolls, to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. (US only) To be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and leave comments there, too! 

Bio:

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where she still resides.

Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

Ruby Heart is her second new-adult novel, and she’s hard at work on the next titles in the Neve & Egan series.

Welcome, Cristelle. Please tell us about your current release.

It’s the second installment in my ongoing ‘Neve & Egan cases’ series. London: today’s time. Two PI have just opened their agency, clients are hard to find and bills keep piling up. They long for a real case and get it in the form of an elderly woman who's heirloom, a ruby heart necklace, is stolen for the second time in a period of sixty years.

Excerpt:

I close the lipstick, drop it in the door pocket, then look back at the rear-view mirror and check my blond wig one last time. ‘I wouldn’t want to be doing all this for nothing.’

Egan ignores my comment and asks, ‘What’s your plan?’

‘Well, Mrs Hayder said her husband has a type when it comes to women—’ I tug at the wig a little ‘—I’m doing my best to fit the description.’

‘Which is?’ he asks, and I don’t need to look at him to know he’s smiling.

‘Tall, blonde, sexy and exotic.’

‘Exotic?’ he asks.

I frown at my own reflexion. ‘I hope Italian will be exotic enough for him. I’m not sure I’m able to use any other accent convincingly.’

‘I’m looking forward to that part,’ Egan chuckles, tapping the little earpiece he’s wearing. ‘And you’re really certain he’ll want to have a drink with you?’

‘In this dress?’ I ask. ‘I assure you he most definitely will. I’m going to go all Monica Belluci on him — he won’t know what’s hit him.’

‘Monica Who?’ he asks.

‘She’s a well-known actress. She’s all curves and very popular with the male population… some of the females too.’

Egan chuckles as I open the door and step out.

‘Just don’t miss your cue,’ I say, closing the door behind me.

I walk the length of the car and cross the street. There’s a bar on the other side, snuggled in-between two large office buildings.

I wobble on my heels and have to force myself to take slow measured steps. Porca vacca, it’s easier to walk in a straight line after hitting your head against a wall, than when wearing ten-inch heels — trust me, I’ve tried it.

What inspired you to write this book?

I heard a song in German on the radio and it got me the idea about using Germany and WW2 as a sort of backdrop for this novel. The rest is all about Neve and Egan learning to work together, and trying to make it as PI.

What exciting story are you working on next?

The next title in the series, Danse Macabre. This one will be a bit darker; it’s coming up nicely.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

The day I finished my first book.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like?  If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I wish I could write full-time, but it’s not enough to pay the bills. I have a day-job in an office… for a company that design and installs kitchens and bathrooms. I’ve been with them for over 10 years now.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I have this thing with punctuality… I can’t stand to be late, so I’m always early everywhere.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I really wanted to become an actress. I studied stage acting, was in a few plays back in the days… Sadly my country doesn’t really have a movie industry. I’d have had to leave to follow that path.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Just wanted to say thank you for having me. And, if you read any of my books, please let me know what you thought of it: review.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Paperback | Kindle 

Thanks for kicking off the new year on my blog, Cristelle!

Interview with young adult author Allie Burton

Today’s guest is young adult author Allie Burton to tell us a bit about herself and her novel Soul Slam.

Allie will be giving away a $50 Amazon (or BN) gift card to a lucky commenter (who uses the form below). If you’d like to increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and enter there, too! 

Bio:

Allie didn’t realize having so many jobs would become great research material for the stories she writes. She has been everything from a fitting room attendant to a bike police officer to a professional mascot escort. She has lived on three continents and in four states and has studied art, fashion design, marine biology, and advertising.

When her kids asked, “when are you going to write a story we can read?” she switched from adult novels to Young Adult and Middle Grade and hasn’t looked back.

Allie is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Romance Writers of America including the Young Adult, Dallas Area Romance Writers and Heart of the Rockies chapters. She is also a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Currently, she lives in Colorado with her husband and two children.

Welcome, Allie. Please tell us about your current release:

A sixteen-year-old on her first heist to steal an ancient Egyptian amulet inadvertently receives the soul of King Tut…and the deadly curse that comes with it.

           

And Olivia is not alone at the museum.

           

A member of a secret Society, Xander believes it is his place to inherit King Tut’s soul and justly rule. He knows nothing about the society’s evil plan to control the world or the curse. Now, he must deal with the female imposter who stole the amulet.

Xander convinces Olivia they must form a temporary partnership. The two teens develop a connection, and together they must figure out how to end the curse before it turns deadly. On the run, unable to touch because of the curse, and dealing with a male soul inside her female body, Olivia must learn to trust Xander.

As the mystery surrounding the amulet unfolds, Olivia and Xander start to fall for each other. But is love enough to save them and the world from destruction?

Excerpt:

(from Chapter Twenty-Seven)

My spot of defiance hadn’t stopped him. My elation plummeted like my spit. X now had the final ingredient.

Smoke rose from the cup. Colors swirled, mixing and combining like a wacky rainbow. My gaze followed the motion unwillingly entranced. I couldn’t take my gaze off of this creation. The contents glowed with a strange aura.

A light flashed sending a bolt of lightning through the room. I flinched from the heat.

The goons’ hold loosened. X watched with an awed expression on his face.

A sphere formed in the cup. Colors of red and blue and yellow shaped the orb. The colors flamed and burned into a bright yellow. The shiny ball rose on a layer of smoke like the sun on a cloudy day.

I’d never seen anything so fantastical. I held my breath as the orb rose above the alabaster cup and floated like a balloon.

X stepped toward the globe. “Did you know glass was first developed around the time of King Tut’s reign?” He angled his head examining the glass globe of sun. “The golden glass will act like a controller.”

“You can’t control a king.” Or a pharaoh. Or me.

“While I was promised to host King Tut, the conditions weren’t right the year I turned sixteen.” X’s voice grew bitter. His eyebrows came together in a straight line mourning the loss of his own power. “The Society didn’t even read the chant, already knowing through advances in science that an eclipse would not happen on the summer solstice of that year. I became a regular person, just another man in the Society.”

Having the power had been cool, but not if I couldn’t control it. Not if I couldn’t touch the people I loved. Xander’s name whispered through my chest.

“I was promised the soul and the power but never told about the burn out until later.” X’s voice rose higher, angrier. “The Society betrayed me, betrayed every Xander throughout the centuries.”

“Then why are you doing this to me?”

Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

Yes. I still have to reach my word count every day. Now there’s just more interruptions because of marketing tasks.

Have you ever had an imaginary friend?

 I’ve had an entire group of imaginary friends. In a way, writing is like having a cast of characters in your head who want to tell their story.

Do you have any phobias?

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia-the fear of long words. Just typing it made me shiver.

Ever broken any bones?

No, but I’ve had lots of stitches.

Any weird things you do when you’re alone?

Dance around the house naked. Just kidding!

Social links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Wattpad 

Buy links:
Amazon | Kobo | Nook 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with romantic suspense author Rebecca Lee Smith

Today features romantic suspense mystery author Rebecca Lee Smith. She’s having some fun with an interview.

One lucky commenter (who uses the form below) will receive a $50 Amazon (or BN) gift card. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and enter there, too! 

Bio:

Rebecca lives with her husband in the beautiful, misty mountains of East Tennessee, where the people are charming, soulful, and just a little bit crazy. She's been everything from a tax collector to a stay-at-home mom to a house painter to a professional actress and director. When she's not churning out sensual romantic mysteries with snappy dialogue and happy endings, she likes to travel, go to the Outer Banks for her ocean fix, watch old movies, hang out at the local pub, and make her day complete by correctly answering the Final Jeopardy! question.

Please tell us a little bit about A Shadow on the Ground.

Morgan Maguire is afraid to believe in second chances. The family orchard is failing, her twin brother is being framed for murder, and the sharks are circling. The tough exterior she's spent years hiding behind is beginning to crumble, just as the man who shattered her heart is back in her life. Gage Kirkland is as compelling and magnetic as ever, and he's offering the kind of help she may not be able to refuse. But can she trust him?

To finance his troubled son's therapy, Gage, a former investigator, takes one last job--recovering a stolen Civil War artifact. Unfortunately, it's in the possession of the woman he left behind, the woman who's haunted his dreams ever since. The electricity between them still crackles, but unless he helps exonerate her brother and finds a way to confess his true reason for returning, how will he ever recover Morgan's heart?

Do you like kissing in public?

No. But I do feel an inexplicable pang of jealousy watching others do it. Once I was crossing the street in Manhattan and saw a couple stop in the middle of traffic, wrap their arms around each other, and kiss passionately, like there was no tomorrow. It was wildly romantic.

What is the sweetest thing someone has done for you?

I had surgery last year, and even though I’m pretty self-sufficient, my husband insisted on staying with me in the hospital the night before. I only had a small window of opportunity to eat before they cut me off from food, and the hospital cafeteria was closed. I knew I wouldn’t get real food for at least four days and asked if he would get me something from the vending machine. He went downstairs and found a little Starbucks tucked away beside the hospitality shop. He brought me a sampling of all those wonderful pastries that I always drool over, and deny myself, while standing in line waiting for my non-fat sugar-free decaf cappuccino. That night, we had a picnic on my hospital bed: apple fritters, banana walnut bread, cheese Danish, blueberry scones, chocolate croissants, and blueberry muffins. It was one of the best (and sweetest) meals I’ve ever had.

What kind of music do you like?

Smooth jazz and movie soundtracks for writing, old standards (Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, etc.) for cooking, soft rock for cleaning house, and adult alternative for hanging out. When I’m driving, I keep punching the radio station buttons until I find a song I know all the words to.

What do you do in your free time?

I like to watch movies, old or new, especially with my seven-year-old step-grandson. We are kindred spirits where movies are concerned, and I take him to see everything from The Croods to Monsters University to Turbo. I also love to read, play the weekly trivia game at the local pub, go to dinner, hang out with friends, and gather in the kitchen with my two sons and daughter-in-law for a gabfest and some serious wine tasting. I also love to travel the world, and I would recommend that to anyone who can make it happen. Traveling changed my life. It may shrink your pocketbook, but it expands your mind and heart like nothing else can.

What is one thing we would be surprised to learn about you?

That I have directed or acted in over 120 plays and musicals.

Excerpt from A Shadow on the Ground:

Gage grinned, making Morgan’s heart beat in slow, rolling thuds. “I'm going to make some calls about finding Sean representation. If he goes up against a murder charge, he'll need the best lawyer we can find.”

“We?”

“We.”

He held her gaze while a current of electricity sliced a path through the center of her abdomen.

“I didn't want to leave you alone last night,” he said.

“I was fine.”

“Well, I wasn't.”

“Oh, come on. A big, tough, adrenaline junkie PI like you?”

“Not so tough when the bullets are flying.”

Memories of the night before slammed into her brain—the sound of gunshots cracking the air, Gage pushing her off the flagstone walk, lying stone still beside him in the wet grass with a broken rhododendron stob biting into her neck. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel his breath crashing across her shoulder, the pulse at the base of his throat flicking against her cheek. How long had it been since she’d touched a man? Or been wrapped like his most cherished possession in the strong, shielding warmth of his arms? Had she ever felt so safe? Would she ever feel that safe again?

Maybe she should hold on to the memory. Bury it deep. Then, when she needed comfort, she could take it out and replay it over and over in her head to drive the unbearable loneliness away. Until something that felt like contentment trickled through her bloodstream, like a double shot of apple brandy on a cold, wintry night.

A shadow fell over the table.

She lifted her eyes and gasped softly. The last thing she expected to see were the pale, twisted, angry eyes of Lawrence Finch.

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