Blog Tour: Christine Warner and Some Like it in Handcuffs

I’m delighted to have Christine Warner on my blog today as she tours with her contemporary romance, SOME LIKE IT IN HANDCUFFS.

Christine and I originally connected back in the days of Six Sentence Sundays, and have  become blogging and social media buddies. She’s always friendly, helpful and supportive of other authors and–hey–she knows how to create a swoon-worthy hero as you’re about to find out.

So, grab a cup of your favorite beverage (I’ll make mine Green Mountain Vermont Country decaf) and enjoy the special treat Christine has prepared for us!

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Before I get started I want to thank Mae for letting me take over her awesome blog today! Thanks for making me feel so welcome :)

One of my favorite things about sitting down to enjoy some reading time with a good romance is the moment the hero and heroine meet. I love to see what they think of each other in their own words—either by their internals or if they are so bold as to comment aloud. Lol

When I wrote Some Like it in Handcuffs—my light-hearted romantic suspense with humor—I also discovered I liked the process of writing their first impressions. To me, those first impressions show so much about who they really are.

I’d like to share Sunny Kennedy’s first impression of her hero Judson Blackwolf…and I hope when you’re finished reading you have as much of a crush on him as I do :)

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ENJOY!

His large hand combed through his thick overgrown hair before he stopped in annoyance then

swung around on his heel. The mercury light on the pole behind her lit his face as he looked down at her with the most extraordinary pair of gray eyes she’d ever seen. Not solid gray as she summed up in her hasty inspection, but the type of blue-gray color that matched the sky during a spring storm.

Definitely easy on the eyes. The startling realization that this no nonsense detective was quite

a specimen of manhood surprised her. It took her what…all of five minutes to notice. The word handsome didn’t do him justice. His strong, rugged features and dark coloring made his Native American heritage obvious. His height and size made her feel feminine and—she flinched—protected.

Her gaze traveled from the top of his head to the toes of his well-made leather shoes. If she’d paid attention from the start, instead of pouting over her predicament, she’d have noticed all of this sooner. Her lips twitched at her own blatant evaluation of him.

Just the type of guy she was attracted to, too bad he worked law enforcement. All her life she’d been surrounded by men who talked cop day and night. Sunny had sworn off ever actually dating anyone in the profession.

Okay, you’ve learned what weakens my knees at the beginning of a good romance…tell me what weakens yours. :)

About Christine Warner
Christine Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her husband, three children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends. Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmetic. A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities. She loves to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines. A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and her Website.

Buy SOME LIKE IT IN HANDCUFFS at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
The Wild Rose Press

Rosanne Bittner: RIDE THE FREE WIND Book Tour

A Vector Comic Book Explosion Background with StarsToday, I’m pleased to showcase another book by Rosanne Bittner who is touring with her historical western romance novel, RIDE THE FREE WIND. A short while ago, I had the pleasure of featuring book 1 of the Savage Destiny Series, SWEET PRAIRIE PASSION. Rosanne continues the story of Zeke and Abbie in RIDE THE FREE WIND.

BLURB:
Book 2 of the Savage Destiny Series

Abigail Trent Monroe abandons the only life she’s ever known to live among the Cheyenne with her half-breed husband, Zeke. Together they face peril and enjoy a passion most never experience. Their love is so strong that no amount of danger or rugged living can come between this man and woman so devoted to one another.Against the backdrop of a magnificent landscape and during a time when freedom meant everything to the Native Americans, Zeke and Abbie cling to one another for courage and strength.

EXCERPT:
Clinging to Zeke tightly, Abbie pleaded. “Don’t let go! Don’t ever let go!”

“It’s all right, Abbie-girl,” he told her quietly. ……

He gladly kept his arms around her, and she kissed his neck, breathing in the wonderful, manly scent of him, running her hands across his broad, strong shoulders. He moved his lips back to her own in one long, lingering, hungry kiss, then he swung her up into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and asked no questions. … It did not matter at the moment where he had been or why. All that mattered was that he was here now. …

~ooOOoo~

Buy RIDE THE FREE WIND from Amazon
This book is exclusive to Amazon

~ooOOoo~

Portrait 1AUTHOR BIO from Rosanne Bittner:
I’ve been writing for nearly thirty years and to date have had 57 novels
published, all about the American West of the 1800′s and Native Americans. I
write romance, but not the typical bodice-ripping adventures. My stories are
deep love stories, often family sagas told as a series. It is the hero and
heroine’s love that holds them together through the trials and tribulations of
settling America’s western frontiers. I absolutely love the Rockies, the Tetons,
the Sierras, and the wide-open plains, prairies and desert land west of the
Mississippi. In my books, I strive to tell the truth about the settling of the
West and how it affected our American Indians, as well as the gritty depth of
what our brave pioneers suffered in their search for free land and a better
life.

I am a member of the Nebraska and Oklahoma Historical Societies,
my local southwest Michigan historical society, Women Writing the West,
Mid-Michigan Romance Writers of America (treasurer) and the national RWA, and a local charity group called the Coloma Lioness Club. I help run a family business
and love doing things with my three young grandsons. If you visit my web site at
www.rosannebittner.com, where all my titles are listed as well as a page that lists all my many writing awards; or you can visit me on Facebook. At either site you will learn news of new books to come as well as reprints of many of my past titles soon to be published in trade paperback and as e-books! I also have an author site at Amazon.com.

Look for Rosanne Bittner at the following haunts:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Rosanne Bittner: Sweet Prairie Passion Book Tour

A Vector Comic Book Explosion Background with Stars

Today, I’m pleased to showcase another Buy the Book Tour author…Rosanne Bittner who is touring with her historical western romance novel, SWEET PRAIRIE PASSION

Sweet Prairie Passion Book CoverBLURB:
Book 1 of the Savage Destiny Series

The first in a powerful series about the settling of the American West and its
affect on pioneers and Native Americans alike.

Zeke Monroe, a half Indian scout, meets 16-year-old Abigail Trent on a wagon train west, and therein lies the beginning of a magnificent love story that covers fifty years of
passion and drama set against the rugged frontier of an untamed land.

EXCERPT:
When Zeke and Abbie’s eyes met, their gazes held in the moonlight, and they both  knew what had to be. In the next moment Zeke’s lips were on hers, searching tenderly for what he needed, and giving in return. … Abbie looked into Zeke’s eyes, once more searching. Then she smiled. “Even if it can’t be forever – it’s you I want. Only you.” Again, Zeke’s lips took hers …

~ooOOoo~

Buy SWEET PRAIRIE PASSION from Amazon
This book is exclusive to Amazon

~ooOOoo~

Portrait 1AUTHOR BIO from Rosanne Bittner:
I’ve been writing for nearly thirty years and to date have had 57 novels
published, all about the American West of the 1800′s and Native Americans. I
write romance, but not the typical bodice-ripping adventures. My stories are
deep love stories, often family sagas told as a series. It is the hero and
heroine’s love that holds them together through the trials and tribulations of
settling America’s western frontiers. I absolutely love the Rockies, the Tetons,
the Sierras, and the wide-open plains, prairies and desert land west of the
Mississippi. In my books, I strive to tell the truth about the settling of the
West and how it affected our American Indians, as well as the gritty depth of
what our brave pioneers suffered in their search for free land and a better
life.

I am a member of the Nebraska and Oklahoma Historical Societies,
my local southwest Michigan historical society, Women Writing the West,
Mid-Michigan Romance Writers of America (treasurer) and the national RWA, and a local charity group called the Coloma Lioness Club. I help run a family business
and love doing things with my three young grandsons. If you visit my web site at
www.rosannebittner.com, where all my titles are listed as well as a page that lists all my many writing awards; or you can visit me on Facebook. At either site you will learn news of new books to come as well as reprints of many of my past titles soon to be published in trade paperback and as e-books! I also have an author site at Amazon.com.

Look for Rosanne Bittner at the following haunts:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Deborah Brown: CRAZY IN PARADISE Book Tour

A Vector Comic Book Explosion Background with Stars

Looking for a breezy fun read? Check out the debut release, CRAZY IN PARADISE, from author Deborah Brown!

BLURB:
Dying in the middle of the summer in the Florida Keys is sweaty business.

Welcome to Tarpon Cove.  Madison Westin has inherited her aunt’s  beachfront motel in the Florida Keys.  Trouble is she’s also inherited a  slew of colorful tenant’s – drunks, ex-cons, and fugitives.

Only one problem:  First, she has to wrestle control from a conniving  lawyer and shady motel manager.  With the help of her new best friend,  whose motto is never leave home without your Glock, they dive into a  world of blackmail, murder, and drugs.

7722162EXCERPT:
I tried to speak to Dickie about the arrangements when I first arrived  in town. He told me firmly that he only took instructions from Tucker  Davis and he wasn’t allowed to discuss any of the final details. I  wondered why the secrecy, but he was so nervous I didn’t ask any more  questions. He told me not to worry; he had worked hard to make  everything memorable.

I appealed to him, “Don’t family members usually participate in the planning?”

But he was very clear; Tucker Davis’ approval was the most important thing to him.

I took a deep breath. Later, our family would create a lasting tribute  to Elizabeth showing how much we had loved and respected her, and how we  would deeply miss her. But for now, this would have to do, I guess.

I glanced up and saw a man who looked to be in his 60’s walking to the  podium. He was well-worn, beer-gutted with dirty looking grey hair, and  dressed in jean shorts and a tropical shirt that looked as though he’d  worn them for several days.

“Hey, everyone,” he said into the microphone. “My name is…” he paused,  “well, all my friends call me Quattro.” He held up both of his hands in a  two-handed friendly wave.

He was missing his middle finger on his right hand and his thumb on his  left hand. Brad and I glanced at one another and laughed. I mouthed  “Quattro” at him and waved four fingers. He turned away, biting his lip.

“I told Dickie I’d speak first because he worried no one would come up  and say anything and it wouldn’t look right. I told him don’t worry so  much.” Quattro slowly scanned the crowd. “I reassured him there were a  few people here who could think of something nice to say.” He ran his  fingers through his hair and scratched his scalp.

“Elizabeth was a great old broad. Too damn bad, she died so young. She  seemed young to me. Hell, I’m only a few years younger. You know she  checked out in her sleep, and in her own bed. How much better does it  get than that?”

I looked around. A few people were nodding their heads in agreement.

“Now that she’s kicked the bucket…” He paused. “Well, everyone knows  there’s no bucket involved.” He laughed at his own humor. “Have you ever  wondered what the reward is?” He waited as though he expected an  answer. “Hmm, I’ve no idea either. Damn, it’s hot in here. You’d think a  funeral place would turn on the air conditioning.”

“Yeah, I’ve got sweat in my shorts,” I heard someone say. A few others voiced their agreement.

“Keeps the smell down and all,” Quattro continued. “I know when it was a  drive-thru the air worked good and sometimes the place was downright  freezing.”

I saw a few people sniffing at the air. Were they sad? Or were they disappointed they couldn’t smell hotdogs and fries?

Dickie Vanderbilt stood off to the side, staring at his shoes, and  picking at his rather large tie tack in the shape of a flamingo.

“But back to Elizabeth. I called her Betty once and, boy, she got mad.”

Mother sobbed loudly, which I knew was actually laughter. People turned to stare.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “Mother, please. This funeral is bad enough.”

Her body shook with laughter. I gripped her tightly. “Oww,” she whispered.

“Behave yourself, or I’ll keep squeezing.” I shifted again on the bench,  having a hard time sitting still when my legs kept sticking to the  wood.

“Elizabeth was good to a lot of people,” Quattro continued. “Too bad she  won’t be around to do any of us any more favors.” He looked around and  rubbed the end of his nose.

I stared wide-eyed at him wondering if he was about to pick his nose.

“The truth is, I’ve run out of stuff to say. I know she wouldn’t have  wanted to die so soon, but the problem is we all think we’re going to  live forever, and we don’t. So, ‘God Bless’.” He waved and walked away  from the podium.

~ooOOoo~

Buy CRAZY IN PARADISE from Amazon
(This book is exclusive to Amazon)

~ooOOoo~

Author PicAUTHOR BIO FROM DEBORAH BROWN:
Crazy in Paradise, is my debut novel, a Florida Keys mystery, which makes the reader laugh, cry and cheer…

My personal ad would read:

Since all great journeys start with a single step, I’ll have on a cute pair of shoes.

Crazy.  Ice cream loving.  Redhead.  5’2″, long legs.  As an avid  exerciser, I get to the gym every five years or so.  I hate being  tricked by that stinking raisin in the oatmeal cookie when my heart was  set on chocolate.  And it’s totally acceptable for me to be mildly  annoying when it makes me laugh.  South Florida is my home, with my  ungrateful rescue animals, where Mother Nature takes out her bad  attitude in the form of hurricanes.

You can find Deborah at the following haunts:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

WEATHERING ROCK by Mae Clair: Post Christmas Blog Tour #Paranormal #TimeTravel #Romance

A Vector Comic Book Explosion Background with StarsHello friends! I hope you all had a wonderfully Merry Christmas with many blessings, family, friends and good cheer. Today is the launch of my post-Christmas WEATHERING ROCK blog tour. Please join me, Caleb and Arianna as we roam the blogosphere from 12/26 to 1/2 to ring in a New Year!

Today’s stops are:

December 26, 2012 – You Gotta Read Reviews
December 26, 2012 – Real World on Writing
December 26, 2012 – Romance Writer Sara Walter Ellwood
December 26, 2012 – Melissa Keir- Sexy Between the Covers

Happy Holidays!

~ooOOoo~

December 27, 2012 – It’s All About The Romance
December 27, 2012 – Janna Shay’s Fair Play
December 27, 2012 – TheWormhole
December 27, 2012 – TBQ’s Book Palace
December 28, 2012 – Paranormal Opinion
December 28, 2012 – Book Junkie
December 28, 2012 – Writerly Ramblings
December 28, 2012 – Just One More Chapter
December 29, 2012 – Jennifer Lowery
December 29, 2012 – Krystal Shannan – Where Love and Destiny Collide
December 30, 2012 – Romance Me
December 30, 2012 – Author Jinni James
December 30, 2012 – Let’s Get BOOKED!
January 1, 2013 – Books, Books The Magical Fruit
January 1, 2013 – Author’s Café
January 1, 2013 – Books Complete Me
January 2, 2013 – Have Novel, Will Edit
January 2, 2013 – Evolved World
January 2, 2013 – Cheryl Yeko, Where Love Always Win

Javier A. Robayo: THE GAZE Book Tour

A Vector Comic Book Explosion Background with Stars

Buy the Book Bookmark Blitz Tour

Blurb
As a sophomore in college, Samantha Reddick meets Tony Amaya, a brokenhearted young man, whose written words she keeps as a memento of a weekend long affair. The words, written on the back of a paper placemat, become her only solid ground during a tumultuous decade that nearly destroys her, leaving her searching for answers at the bottom of the bottle.

Haunted by guilt and the constant menace from a man she once loved, Samantha searches for Tony and inserts herself into his life through an online friend request to his wife, Gwen. Mutual curiosity opens the door to an unexpected friendship that becomes the catalyst of an inner battle between the better woman Samantha longs to be, and the Samantha who despises her own gaze.

Excerpt
Tony didn’t look nervous at all. Meanwhile I was awash in uneasiness at the prospect of bringing him into my dorm.

The story, all I want is the story and to find out what motivates such passionate writing, that’s all. Just the story…

Liar…

I felt shaky while he walked. In contrast, his breathing was even as though he was so comfortable with the situation. I suddenly wondered if this particular situation was familiar to him.

We took the stairway to the second floor. Our footfalls echoed loudly, the sound joined only by the faint buzzing of the overhead fluorescent lights.

I unlocked the door with trembling hands that jangled the keys. Somehow, I found the light switch and chased the shadows away, revealing a second hand living room set on cheap flat carpeting. I peeled off my denim jacket and threw it across a chair in the kitchen nook. When I turned, I was surprised to see him leaning against the door, held back by uncertainty.

I held the paper placemat between us like an amulet to ward off his intensity. “Do you mind if I read it?”

He fixed his eyes on me and nodded before glancing away, his chin coming to rest on his chest.

untitledI started reading. It was far more intense than I could have ever imagined. It was nothing but raw fury and passion, a determined declaration of love. It read of this girl that had become the center of his thoughts, the very core of his being. I could feel my heart breaking as I was overwhelmed with the strange notion that I wanted to be this Gwen of his. I wanted to know what it was to feel such passion, such love. Tears sprung in my eyes and I cried for him, for this fortunate girl…

For me…

He didn’t ask what was wrong right away. He simply stared just past my shoulder while I made a futile attempt to dispel a sob. I muttered that this was beautiful and he gave me a sad, crooked smile as a tear rolled off the corner of his eye before he turned his face away.

I don’t know what it was about that tear, but it made me go to him like a magnet to steel and place my hands on his face. His skin was burning. There was a little stubble that only made me too aware of his masculinity.
“Kiss me,” I whispered into those confused brown eyes of his. “Just kiss me.”

His hands found my wrists and his eyes stayed on mine. Need became a force as tangible as the strong winds that fuel a storm.

I knew he was thinking I was crazy. I knew he thought of all the reasons why he should stop this crazy bitch in heat and go away. Bloody hell, I was thinking I was crazy.

A tiny voice in my head was screaming all sorts of warnings but just when I felt rejection eating away at me, his eyes fell on my lips and after one breathless moment, he leaned down and kissed me.

Molten lead would have frozen my insides in comparison. I was trembling and when I felt his breath stutter, I opened my lips in invitation. He pulled away and a disappointed moan escaped my throat, allowing reason to slowly take root in my brain. I kept my eyes on his.

His hand held my face as delicately as a summer breeze. His thumb brushed away the tears I finally tried to blink away. His eyes seemed to glitter as they searched mine and time seemed to stop its endless march in perfect silence.

Was this wrong? I let out my pent up breath slowly in a sorrowful sigh as electricity crackled between us.

In one swift motion, his hands brought my face up at an angle and he kissed me so hard, I lost what little restraint I had left.

He loves someone else…

He loves her…

Stop this!

I felt weightless. His touch was firm yet gentle. The kiss grew needier and heat traveled down into my body, setting my abdomen aflutter. My hands found the flat planes of his chest and then ran down his sides to his hips. On their way back, they pushed his shirt up. His hot skin sent a pang of need that had my heart hammering in my ribcage.

My tickling fingers forced him to shift and pull away for a breath. I answered his smile with a lustful gaze as I brought his hands to the buttons of my uniform shirt.

His hands ventured over my abdomen and moved up to grace the underside of my breasts, making my head swim. I shrugged the shirt off and his t-shirt joined it on the floor within seconds.

We engaged in a stumbling waltz as we somehow made our way to my bedroom. Our clothes kept pooling on the floor, marking our passing like bread crumbs on an unknown trail. I was almost sick with need as the coarse hair of his chest made contact with my skin. When I felt him rigid on my thighs, I pulled hard on his neck, bringing him on top of me as he braced his fall with his arms on either side of me, never breaking from the kiss.

“Wait…” he panted. “I… um… I don’t have anything.”

It took a few seconds before I realized what he meant. Shame colored me a shade of red I thought would make me glow in the semi darkness. “It’s okay, I promise…” I said breathlessly.

He gave me a dubious look that I hoped to eradicate with more kissing. His lips found my throat, my face, my shoulder, and I curled driving my hips up to meet him. He was being gentle, too gentle, I thought in frustration, when all I wanted was for him to go right through me. I grabbed hold of his hips, and then thoroughly enjoyed the feel of the muscles on his back as I pulled him into me. The sudden fullness forced me to bite my lip to keep me from crying out. It had been so bloody long…

“Kelly…” he whispered almost breaking the spell, but I was too far gone to care.

A thin wisp of rational thought told me he was probably thinking about someone else. I wondered if he called out Kelly only to remind himself that he wasn’t with the girl behind his writing. It didn’t matter. My body overrode my mind as he moved within me. I held on tighter, needing the closeness, if only physical.

…I’ll be no more than a transient thought in her mind, a small measure of time, insignificant. No more than a barely familiar set of notes to a song seldom remembered…

The lines of his writing flashed through my head as my breath grew shallower.

…No more can I feel the soft warmth of her kiss and its absence becomes me in the form of a living death…

All I could do was accept this moment and quell my own thirst for that kind of love with what little he offered me. The kind of love he obviously reserved for the girl from his writing.

His muscles grew taut under my touch while I held my breath as the inevitable rush of heat converged into my center from all corners of my body. I parted the kiss and screamed my ecstasy, burying my face into his chest while he grew impossibly large in me before collapsing, his own conclusion reached. We held onto each other, our breath ragged, both of us feeling each other’s tremors. If this was the one and only time I was to feel this way, then I’d go into the grave smiling to the high heavens.

View the book trailer for THE GAZE here

502741_origAuthor Bio
Javier A. Robayo is the author of THE GAZE and THE NEXT CHAPTER. He immigrated to the United States in 1988 at the age of 12 from Quito, Ecuador. He began writing as a way of learning English throughout his high school years, and studied at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. He lives in Connecticut, with his wife, and two daughters, where he is currently at work on his next novel.

~ooOOoo~

Look for Javier A.Robayo at the following haunts:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Buy THE GAZE at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Ellen M. Collier: FLAPPERS, FLASKS AND FOUL PLAY Book Tour

Buy the Book Bookmark Blitz Tour

“Boardwalk Empire” meets “The Great Gatsby” in this soft-boiled  historical mystery, inspired by actual events. Rival gangs fight over  booze and bars during Prohibition in 1920s Galveston: the “Sin City of  the Southwest.” Jazz Cross, a 21-year-old society reporter, feels caught  between two clashing cultures: the seedy speakeasy underworld and the  snooty social circles she covers in the Galveston Gazette.

During a night out with her best friend, Jazz witnesses a bar fight at  the Oasis–a speakeasy secretly owned by her black-sheep half-brother,  Sammy Cook. But when a big-shot banker with a hidden past collapses  there and later dies, she suspects foul play. Was it an accident or a  mob hit?

Soon handsome young Prohibition Agent James Burton raids the Oasis,  threatening to shut it down if Sammy doesn’t talk. Suspicious, he  pursues Jazz but, despite her mixed feelings, she refuses to rat on  Sammy. As turf wars escalate between two real-life Galveston gangs,  Sammy is accused of murder. Jazz must risk her life and career to find  the killer, exposing the dark side of Galveston’s glittering society.

Excerpt:
Why in the world was Agent Burton here? Everyone stopped working to watch him make his grand entrance. People don’t usually parade around in a newsroom: They sort of shuffle or stumble or stomp—unless a story’s really hot, then they’ll run. I felt like running away too, but I stayed glued to my chair, pretending to work, my heart racing. What did he want from me?

Burton seemed to enjoy the attention as he headed my way. He was hard to ignore: Standing before me, all six feet-plus of golden skin and hair, he towered over my desk. Looking up, I noticed the curious eyes watching us in the too-quiet newsroom. The reporters stopped typing, fingers poised over keys, hoping for a scoop. My boss stared with unabashed interest.

“To what do I owe this disturbance?” I adjusted my cloche, acting nonchalant.
He grinned at me, then looked around the suddenly still office. “I need to ask you a few questions. Can we go somewhere private?”
“What do you want?” I put on a brave face so the newsboys wouldn’t see me sweat.

Burton scanned the hushed room. “You really want to discuss it here, out in public?”

He had a point. Did I want the whole staff listening in on my private conversation? He probably wanted to discuss Sammy, who was no one else’s business.

“Let’s go outside,” I agreed. Head down, I followed him past a leering Hank, feeling like a naughty kid going to the principal’s office.

Nathan entered the newsroom, a camera slung over his shoulder, stopping to stare at Burton. “Jazz, is everything jake?”

“Everything’s berries.” I smiled to pacify him but, I admit, I had the jitters.

“I remember him. Your boyfriend?” Burton seemed amused.

“He’s the staff photographer.” I ignored his crack. “And a good friend.”

Outside, I felt safe among the throng of people and automobiles passing by in a rush. The hustle and bustle of the streets and sidewalks seemed almost comforting. I looked around for Golliwog, our resident stray cat, but she must have been making her daily rounds for scraps.
“How was lunch?” In broad daylight, Burton didn’t seem quite as menacing or intimidating. Besides, a group of hard-boiled reporters peered out the newsroom, spying on us.

“Fine.” I covered my growling stomach. “What brings you here?”

“Sorry to barge in that way.” He smiled, tugging on his hat. “But I had to get your attention. You wouldn’t give me the time of day the other night.”

“Can you blame me? A raid isn’t exactly the best way to meet new people.”

“I think we got off on the wrong foot.” He stuck his hands in his pockets, jingling some change. “Perhaps we can talk over dinner, instead of standing out here on the sidewalk?”

“Dinner?” Was he serious? “Just like that?” I snapped my fingers. “You waltz in as if you owned the place—like you did at the Oasis—and expect me to dine out with you, a total stranger, because of your badge? You’ve got a lot of nerve, mister.”

“I wouldn’t be a Prohibition agent if I didn’t.” He looked smug. “How about tonight?”

“Tonight? I usually work late.” I admit, I was curious. What did he really want?

“Every night?” He raised his brows. “Don’t they let you off for good behavior?”

“For starters, I don’t even know you and what I do know, I don’t like at all.” I squinted in the sun. “And I don’t appreciate the way you bullied us at the Oasis. I thought people were innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around.” I wasn’t usually so bold and blunt with strangers, especially lawmen. Maybe it was his youth, or maybe I’d finally found my moxie.

“You must mean Sammy. Fair enough.” He held up his hands. “If it makes you feel any better, my gun wasn’t loaded that night.”

“Small comfort now, after you scared everyone half to death.” So it was all an act?

Burton looked down at his boots, as if reconsidering his options. “I hoped you could get to know me over dinner, but how about a quick bite now? I haven’t eaten.”

“Why not?” I nodded, not wanting to let on that I was famished.

Burton stopped at a sandwich vendor on the corner, and tried to pay for my lunch and Nehi, but I pulled out a quarter before he did. It wasn’t a date!

“Where can we talk, in private?” He motioned towards the newsroom. “Away from prying eyes and ears.”

Anxious, I led him towards a city park and we sat on opposite ends of a bench, my clutch bag like a barricade, keeping my distance.

“So what’s the emergency? Why did you come by today, out of the blue? I hope I’m not under arrest!” I half-joked.

Author Bio:
Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer whose articles and essays have been published in several national magazines including: FAMILY CIRCLE, MODERN BRIDE, GLAMOUR, BIOGRAPHY, COSMOPOLITAN, COUNTRY ACCENTS, PLAYGIRL, etc. Several of her short stories (both mystery and romance) have appeared in WOMAN’S WORLD.

A flapper at heart, she’s the owner of DECODAME, specializing in Deco to retro vintage items (www.art-decodame.com). Formerly she’s worked as a magazine editor/writer, and in advertising sales and public relations. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism. During college, she once worked as a cocktail waitress, a short-lived experience since she was clueless about cocktails. Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play is her first novel, inspired by real people and places. Currently, she’s working on the sequel.

“When you grow up in Houston, Galveston becomes like a second home. I had no idea this sleepy beach town had such a wild and colorful past until I began doing research, and became fascinated by the legends and stories of the 1920s. I love the glamour and excitment of The Jazz Age, but Prohibition was also such a dark and dangerous time in American history. Jazz isn’t a debutante or socialite, she’s a reporter caught in between the two halves of Galveston society, struggling to do the right thing despite all the temptations and decadence of the era.”

Look for Ellen at the following haunts:
Website
Goodreads

Buy FLAPPERS, FLASKS AND FOUL PLAY at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Andrew P.Weston: GUARDIAN ANGELS Book Tour

Buy the Book Bookmark Blitz Tour

In a series of terrifying events, otherworldly beings intervene to save innocent lives.

The world community reacts with relief as they realize that guardian  angels may in fact exist, and they are diligently protecting us.

But there are those who would seek to stop what they feel is a threat  against their livelihoods. How far will some go to battle the Guardians?  Is the fairy tale over before it even begins?

Guardian Angels is a powerful and compelling story about the catalyst  that has the power to unite society in the hope for a better future. The  spark of hope is fragile—can it last?

Excerpt:
Luigi decided to toast himself and his accomplishments again. Finding  his glass empty, he rang the bell for a top up, and continued to gloat,  firmly believing he was beyond accountability.

When the door to the study opened a few minutes later and Gianni, the  housekeeper, came in with his favorite Black Pearl Louis XIII cognac on a  silver tray, he insisted the old servant stay with him and drink to his  success. “Come, Gianni, stay, celebrate with me. Good times should be  shared with trusted friends.” The gesture wasn’t missed by Gianni. At  fifty-five thousand dollars a bottle, the cognac was one of the most  expensive in the world, and he quickly poured a generous helping into  two glasses. As he handed one to his boss, he paused momentarily to  savor the bouquet of the blended flowers, fruits, spices, and the deep  amber color of the aromatic liquid.

“You’re looking particularly pleased with yourself today, young Sir. Good news?”

“It’s the very best of news, Gianni, and one that appears to be  maturing with age.” He replied without looking away from the screens.

The old housekeeper tossed down his drink in one and shuffled to stand  deferentially behind his employer. He listened as yet more reports of  the suffering caused by the missile detonations were announced. “That  mess doesn’t look like there’s much to be happy about, Sir. Surely that  doesn’t please you, does it?”

“Aah, Gianni, sometimes, when you need to make a point, you have to  catch your enemy’s attention,” Luigi replied. “You have to ensure they  not only respect you, but fear you. I’m pleased because I’ve done just  that. Wouldn’t you agree, my old friend?”

When no reply was forthcoming, Luigi naturally assumed the old housekeeper must have been unable to hear his question.

Turning in his seat, he felt a peculiar throbbing, tingling sensation  in his teeth and sinuses. “I said ‘wouldn’t you agr . . . .’” Luigi’s  voice choked off in his throat as he caught sight of Gianni’s eyes. The  distinctive, familiar, lazy old eyes of his longtime employee seemed to  be undergoing some kind of metamorphosis. Gone was the semi-vacant,  un-focused faraway look he always seemed to display as he pottered  about. Instead, Luigi was looking into the hardest, most piercing eyes  he had ever seen, eyes that seemed to glow with an inner furnace to  match the cold look of rage chiseled onto his face.

The shock made him drop his glass onto the carpet, spilling about three  thousand dollars worth of the deep amber nectar. Transfixed he watched  as Gianni’s body straightened, grew, and bulked out.

As the years fell away from his face, he realized without a doubt that  he was going to fully shoulder the burdens his choices had wrought.  Before him stood his own personal living nightmare made flesh, dressed  from head to toe in black. Instantly he felt the fire rising within him,  straining for release.

The Guardian stepped forward, making the barest of gestures with his  finger as he did so, and Luigi found himself lifted into the air by some  unseen force. He was held motionless, helpless as a puppet awaiting the  commands of his master.

Nodding at the screens, the Guardian spoke. “Allow me to introduce  myself. I am Andrew, Guardian Lord of Shadow Operations. Did you  seriously think you’d get away with something like this?”

Luigi stared defiantly back, fighting to overcome his shock at the  Guardian’s presence, and surprised at the lack of access to his ability.

“Do what you want, asshole, at least the world sees you as the frauds I knew you were!” he hissed.

“Do what I want? I’d love to, but unfortunately my boss won’t let me.”

Luigi stared impotently back at his nemesis as he strolled closer.

Once he was standing in front of him, the Shadow Lord said, “As for  exposing us as frauds? Well, I really don’t know why you would think  that. We never said or intimated we could be everywhere at once. The  world’s a sad enough place as it is without you adding to it. All we are  doing is trying to help people avoid as much heartbreak as possible.”  Andrew pointed to the repeat bulletins on the screens. “So, once the  world finds out that all this was the deliberate act of some sick and  twisted psycho who didn’t care how many suffered, just so long as he  could score some points, how do you think they’ll react to you, Luigi?”

The point struck home. Luigi struggled in an attempt to slap the  Guardian across the face, to do something to help vent the building fury  inside him.

Helpless, he continued stewing as the Guardian moved so close he was  able to whisper in his ear. “And when they find out about your  abilities, can you even begin to imagine how they’ll react to that? You  worthless, spineless, pathetic little man. I really wish they’d let me  play with you before we throw you to the wolves.”

“Fuck off, asshole, you don’t scare me.”

“Scare you?” Andrew smiled wickedly. “Oh no, Luigi, that’s not my job.  That’s hers!” The Guardian gestured behind Luigi at the same moment he  let go with his telekinesis. Although Luigi only dropped about a foot,  he crumpled to the floor, becoming acutely aware that the strange  throbbing in his teeth was even more pronounced than before.

Turning, Luigi was met with a vision of such barely contained power and fury that he immediately soiled his pants.

Andrew squatted beside him. “Allow me to introduce you to the head of  our investigations branch. This is Victoria, our Lord Inquisitor, and  she’s very pleased to meet you after all the suffering you’ve caused.”

Victoria stood in front of the TV screens, wreathed in a visible static  discharge that blew the circuits of all the electrical equipment in the  office and made the hairs on Luigi’s arms and head stand on end.

Her eyes, so similar to those of the Shadow Lord, intensified in luminosity and turned from grey to white hot.

Luigi shielded his eyes and cowered on the floor in his own excrement. What a fool I am. He thought.

In reply to his thoughts, the Shadow Lord said, “Yes Luigi, what a  murderous, cowardly fool of a man you are. I think the whole world will  agree when they find out, eh?”

Author Bio:
Andrew P Weston was born in the city of Birmingham, in the UK and grew  up in the towns of Bearwood and Edgbaston. He eventually attended Holly  Lodge Grammar School for Boy’s where he was School Captain and Head Boy. He was an active sportsperson for the school, college and a variety of  rugby, martial art, swimming and athletics teams throughout the city.

On graduation in 1977 he joined the Royal Marines fulfilling a number of  specialist roles both in the UK and abroad. In 1985 he became a police officer with the Devon & Cornwall  Constabulary, and served in a variety of uniformed and plain clothed  departments until his retirement in 2008.

Over those years, he wrote and illustrated a selection of private books  for his children regarding the life of a tiny kitten, called, The  Adventures of Willy Whiskers, gained further qualifications in Law and  Religious Studies, was an active member of Mensa and continued to be an  active sportsperson, providing lessons free of charge to local  communities.

An unfortunate accident received on duty meant Andrew had to retire  early from the police force, but after moving to the sunny Greek island  of Kos to speed up his recuperation, he was at last able to devote time  to the Guardian Concept he had developed over his years in the  military and police.

When not writing, Andrew enjoys Greek dancing and language lessons,  being told what to do by his wife, Annette, and hunting shadows in the  dark. He also has a magnificent mustache collection.

Andrew is now contracted to Pagan Writers Press for three books. Fairy Tail, is a short, but dark and gritty erotic paranormal/thriller  with a twist. The second book, Guardian Angels is the introductory book to the Guardian Series, a sci-fi action/adventure epic set in the near  future. The latest short story, Blood Moon, is a paranormal action/thriller  set in the jungles of South America. Further work on the Guardian Series and a new paranormal series, The  Cambion Journals, has been completed and will hopefully be published  during 2013.

Look for Andrew at the following haunts:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Buy GUARDIAN ANGELS at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

 

DISCO FEVER: WELCOME TO THE 1970s

I am excited to welcome author Carrie Crain as she celebrates the release of her delightfully charming tween novel THE ADVENTURES OF AUSTIN GIRL AND THE LEGEND OF DIABLO.

Austin Girl is adorable, smart and feisty. She is thirteen going on twenty and she is thrown into a dystopian world where disco rules and the air reeks of polyester. Let’s talk about the songs in the novel and the songs Carrie listened to while writing this zany book.

Carrie’s Music Playlist

Carrie compiled her official list of songs that she actually listened to while writing her debut children’s novel, THE ADVENTURES OF AUSTIN GIRL AND THE LEGEND OF DIABLO. If I had thought about it, I would have asked her to include the food she ate. LOL. LOL.

Chapter 1: The Kidnapping
El Paso by Marty Robbins
Drifter by Slyvia
Should’ve Been a Cowboy by Toby Keith
Lucky One by Raul Malo

Chapter 2: Austin Girl
Theme from the Mary Tyler Moore Show by Sonny Curtis
Love in the First Degree by Alabama
Ready for the Storm by Kathy Mattea
Jackson by Johnny Cash and June Carter
Crying by Roy Orbison

Chapter 3: Diablo
Boogie Nights by Heat Wave
Stayin’ Alive by The Bee Gees
Makin’ It by Starlite Singers
Escape by Rupert Holmes

Chapter 4: Lucky’s Antiques
Sad Eyes by Robert John
Fly Robin Fly by Silver Convention

Chapter 5: The Samurai Sword
Theme from Halloween by Orlando Pops Orchestra & Aleksander Santi
Gimme Some Lovin’ by Spencer Davis Group
Cowboys and Angels by George Michael
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson

Chapter 6: Mystery Trunk Person
Who Are You by The Who
I Can Feel Your Heartbeat by The Partridge Family
Flying High Again by Ozzy Osbourne
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly
Disco Duck by The Hit Crew
Hotline by The Sylvers

Chapters 7 & 8: The Geisha and Madame Ursa
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves by Cher
Dark Lady by Cher
I’d Wait a Million Years by The Grass Roots

Chapter 9: Contacting All Diablos
Wishing On a Star by Rose Royce
No Way Out by Jefferson Starship
Under the Milky Way by The Church

Chapter 10: Hot Rod Custom Style
Dance, Dance, Dance by Countdown
I Only Have Eyes for You by The Flamingos

Chapter 11: Star and Harold
Space Age Love Song by A Flock of Seagulls
Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra
Wild Flower by The Cult

Chapter 12: Demon in Disguise
I Love the Nightlife by Alicia Bridges

Chapter 13: The Game Room
Light My Fire by The Doors
She’s Not There by The Zombies

Chapter 14: The Hovels
Loves Plus One by Haircut 100
More, More, More by Andrea True
No Time by The Guess Who

Chapter 15: Steal Diablo’s Bling
Paranoid by Black Sabbath

Chapter 16: Diablo Woman
Devil Woman by Cliff Richards
(You’re The) Devil in Disguise by Elvis Presley

Chapter 17: Bob
Turning Japanese by The Vapors

Music Playlist
Stranglehold by Ted Nugent from the Dazed and Confused Soundtrack

Writing This
Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band

THE ADVENTURES OF AUSTIN GIRL AND THE LEGEND OF DIABLO

EXCERPT:
Chapter One
The Kidnapping

The sound of a backfire rattled store windows on the downtown street as Lucky Stevens parked his piece of hippy junk on the East side of Lucky’s Antiques located at 13 Concho Avenue. He drove a flower power Volkswagen bus. The bus was one of those rare 23 windowed jobs with curtains—a residence on wheels. Straightening his suspenders, he stepped out into the dusty landscape, newspaper in hand. He moseyed past a 1960 black Chevy Pie Wagon parked up ahead, admiring the car. The hot rod was decked out custom style with red and orange flames painted horizontally across the sides and hood. He tipped his beaver Stetson hat to the female driver and grinned handsomely. The pink-haired woman was preoccupied with talking to a Magic 8 Ball and didn’t notice the fifty-year-old cowboy.

Scratching his chin, he leisurely strolled up to a period oak and stained glass door. He reached in his Wrangler jeans front pocket and extracted a set of keys. He put the key in the lock and opened the door to a familiar sight. His antique store was housed in a red brick building in Checkered Past, Texas. He could sniff out valuable antiques just by employing his sixth sense. Lucky adjusted his string tie that matched his belt that matched his ostrich quill boots. He was in love with ‘vintage everything’ including his clothes and gentleman accouterments. Ambling through the door, he removed his Panama Jack sunglasses. His gait was deliberate, like a sore racehorse. Bells jingled like rowels on a spur letting out the sounds of commerce. Lucky may have been a little deaf, but he wasn’t so deaf that he couldn’t hear money jingle in the pockets of those who entered into his world. Lucky flipped on the lights and made a silly face at the store’s security camera.

Lucky laid his morning Austin American-Statesman newspaper down on the cracked countertop beside the turn of the century cash register, and looked at the time on his 40 year-old Rolex he’d won in a bidding war at an estate sale of one of Lyndon Johnson’s cousins so many years ago. It was still early for shoppers, just a little half past seven a.m. on Friday.

A set of white pine plank stairs off to the side began to creak. They led to the attic. Lucky housed antiques there that were part of his private collection, including one secret item in particular that oddly wasn’t for sale. He ditched his attention to the paper and walked over to the bottom of the stairs, looking up into the darkness. “Skinny, you up there?” Lucky hollered sharply. His young stock boy didn’t answer. Shrugging, he turned around to walk off. A thump on his noggin sent Lucky crashing to the hardwood floor. His Stetson flew off of his gray haired head and skidded across the floor like ice on marble. Staggering to his feet, he rubbed the back of his head. “What the—?”

Meet Carrie Crain!
Carrie Crain is an author of quirky comedies, adventurous romance and erotic horror including her Nov 2012 tween novel debut, THE ADVENTURES OF AUSTIN GIRL AND THE LEGEND OF DIABLO, and her 2013 erotic horror release, THE CONTRACT. Carrie received her bachelor of arts in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma and studied graduate-level screenwriting and creative writing in fiction at UCLA. When she is not writing, she is either painting, picking up dog poo, playing golf or writing lame jokes while drinking red wine.


Contact Info:

Website
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CarrieCrainBooks and www.facebook.com/LegendofDiablo
Twitter: @CarrieCrain and @LegendofDiablo
Goodreads

Want to purchase Carrie’s novel, The Adventures of Austin Girl and the Legend of Diablo? Buy it here:

Amazon (paperback)
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Contest Time!
Make sure you stick around and comment. Follow @CarrieCrain and @LegendofDiablo for double the chances. We’ll be giving away a copy of THE ADVENTURES OF AUSTIN GIRL AND THE LEGEND OF DIABLO either in paperback or e-book (winner’s choice) and a mousepad depicting the novel’s cover. How fun is that?!


What weapon is Austin Girl holding on the novel cover?
What animal is on the book cover?

Answer both correctly and double your chances. Tweet the answers + comment, doubles your chances!!!

Comment those answers & Tweet your answers using hashtag #TeamAustinGirl or #TeamDiablo (doesn’t matter which hashtag).

The contest ends at sunrise tomorrow. So, get going!!