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Welcome to my place in the blogosphere!
feel free to explore the Flight Deck and check out my books and website.
Then fasten your seatbelts, sip a glass of something sparkling and let's chat awhile!
I hope you'll stop by again for guest authors and spotlights from time to time.

Beloved Enemy joined Starquest and Children of the Mist to continue the Destiny Trilogy and I'm thrilled to announce was shortlisted for the R.N.A. RoNA Awards 2017, awarded 2nd Runner up in the RONE Awards 2017 and was the winner in the SF/Fantasy category of the 'Best Banter Contest'.

Tuesday 2 February 2016

Valentine's Pets And Kisses Spotlight


Valentines Pets and Kisses

by K.L. Brady, J.L. Campbell, Suzette Riddick


Join the authors at the release day party today and say you were sent by Goddess Fish Promotions!  https://www.facebook.com/events/1648008515464074/

GENRE: Romance (sweet)




BLURB:

Something for Everyone!

Each story features a sweet romance, tender kisses and hugs, and precocious pets—all brought to you by USA Today bestselling, national/international bestselling, and award winning authors who have crafted heartwarming heroes and heroines that will make you laugh, cry, swoon, and sigh.

Candy and canines. Flowers and felines. Celebrate this Valentine's Day with your sweethearts of the human and fuzzy varieties!

Nothing is more heart-warming than kisses from the pet who adores you and the man who loves you, so snuggle up with VALENTINE PETS & KISSES and strike the perfect mood for moonlit walks and candlelight dinners with your pet and sweetheart.

Valentine Hound Dog  - Rachelle Ayala

Fashion icon Jenna Hart, along with her basset hound puppy, tries to convince a burned former fireman that beauty is never skin deep and love's arrow strikes not only the beautiful, but the bold.

The Crazy Girl’s Handbook - DelSheree Gladden

Spending the weekend babysitting her two nephews and a puppy was supposed to be fun. Sweating to death at a baseball game while getting gum in her hair, soda down her shirt, and an ice cream pedicure wasn't part of the deal. Neither was finding out the best guy she'd ever missed a blind date with had witnessed it all. Longest. Weekend. Ever. 

The Vet's Valentine Gift - J.L. Campbell

Matthias Laing has snagged the woman of his dreams, but his job as a vet keeps getting him into trouble. The situation is past complicated because of the growing assortment of animals in Toni's house and to top it all, the conflict between Matthias and her ex-husband. Can Matthias and Toni's budding romance survive their challenges and if it doesn't, will Jade, her precocious five-year-old find a way to play Cupid and fix things by Valentine's Day?

Her Perfect Catch - K.L. Brady

Nerdy, struggling sports writer Melanie Vincent needs a miracle when her dream of running a nationally recognized blog hits a snag due to low readership. After Mel is gifted a pair of Super Bowl tickets for years of faithful dog sitting, she has a chance encounter with her favorite football player that leads to the inside scoop on the biggest story of her career...and maybe the love of a lifetime.

Inflamed - Jade Kerrion

Debra Martinez doesn’t believe in happy endings, until Sean Orr, Havre de Grace’s newest firefighter, shows her and her son, Aidan, a new and beautiful kind of “normal.” But the happiness can’t last—not for Sean who is on the run from his own past.

Remember When - Hope Welsh

Laura and Brent really tried to make their marriage work, but in the end, it just wasn't meant to be. Or was it? When they meet to discuss joint custody of their Akita, they discover they have much more to talk about other than the dog.

Your Biggest Fan? - Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

 Noah Patrick, NFL bad boy, has sworn off women, who only seem to want him for his fame and his money. Callie James is such a big Noah Patrick fan, she named her energetic Chihuahua after the man of her dreams. When they find themselves hiding out in the same Brooklyn Brownstone, a crazy blizzard, a never-ending supply of spaghetti, and a dog with identity issues bring them together even though they both have secrets that would tear them apart.

The Feline Fix - Caroline Bell Foster

Meeting Police Constable Callum Forde on the worse day of her life, makes cat lover and scientist Wendy Wilde question all that she values, her cat’s loyalty and the role science plays in love.

Trembling Hearts - Suzette Riddick

Recluse Jason Carr is living in rural Virginia after an accident leaves him physically scarred. While taking a stroll and minding his business, the spunky Lezlie Sharpe literally crashes into his life, stealing the heart of his beloved pooch, Trooper. Now, forced to share living quarters, will Lezlie capture Jason’s heart too?

Valentino, Be Mine - Tina D.C. Hayes

Kaylee Rose is thrilled when a neighbor moving out of the country asks if she'll consider taking in her teacup Yorkie, Valentino, but there are a few strings attached. When she finds out a man she can't stand is the other caretaker, she's forced to deal with the arrogant jerk until they decide who gets the pampered pooch permanently . . . or risk losing the dog to a heartbreaking fate.

Lost and Found - Jeanne Bannon

Lexie is so distraught after long-time boyfriend, Josh, dumps her, she takes a leave of absence from her teaching job. Josh leaves behind the puppy he bought for her just before things fell apart even though she’s not a dog person. Lexie contemplates giving it away but decides keep the little mischief-maker and get her some training. 

While at puppy obedience school, Lexie meets Tommy, the happy-go-lucky type she could give her heart to if only she was ready. But Lexie gives Tommy the brush off and they lose touch. However, a series of events, some unfortunate, bring them together again.

Surviving San Francisco - Susan Oloier

When 23-year-old Leah Newland accepts a job in San Francisco and runs away from her small-town Illinois life, she expects things to change for the better. What she doesn’t expect is to lose her job, adopt a cat she hit with her car, and fall for a sexy and seemingly unavailable veterinarian. Suddenly, going back to the Midwest seems better than surviving San Francisco.                                                  

19 Ivy Lane - Aubrey Wynne

Eloise Kolby steps off the bus and greets Hollywood with high expectations and a smile. Two months later, she’s broke, hungry and rethinking her dream. An offer to house sit provides her with too much time alone, an adopted family of kittens and a sexy postman waiting at her gate.

Victor Burnham can’t stop thinking of the beautiful, mysterious woman who just moved into his hometown. She meets him each day at the mailbox, waiting for a letter. 

When the envelope finally arrives, they both must face decisions that could make their dreams come true or jeopardize their relationship forever.  

Three Plus Three - Cindy Flores Martinez

A year after losing her husband, a grieving widow, Violet, and their beloved bichon frise visit their favorite place the day before Valentine's Day. While they are there, Violet meets a handsome widower who makes her feel alive again.



Excerpt:

Her Perfect Catch by K.L. Brady


The lobby was no less elegant than the hotel's exterior, draped in luxurious natural-colored decor with reddish accents, Italian marble, and ornate European-styled furniture placed in cozy, conversational arrangements. The desk attendant, an older gray-haired lady with a southern twang, shifted her eyes between them.

"Well, don’t you two make the cutest couple?"

"We do, don’t we?" Dylan said, wrapping his arm around Mel's shoulder, grinning as if he won the lottery.

With one eyebrow up, Mel glanced at his hand and then brushed it off. "Uh, no, no. We're
best friends."

"Oh, I get it. Friends with benefits." She winked.

"No, no. Just buddies."

"Well, if he's not with you"—she reached between her ample bosom and pulled out a
business card—“he can give me a call. I get off in an hour."

"Uh, ma'am, we'd just like to check in, please. Any additional rooms available?"

She pursed her lips and gave Mel every bit of her attitude. "Afraid not. We're all booked up until Monday. Super Bowl."

Mel handed the woman her credit card, waited for her to process it for incidentals and hand her the keycards. “Room 315. Up the elevator to the third floor; your room is on the left at the end of the hall.” As Mel dragged her suitcase and Mack toward the elevator, his carrier handle started to cut into her finger so she swapped bags with Dylan. Then they pressed ahead through the pristine, marble lobby to catch a ride to their room.

"Mel, why do you keep doing that?" Dylan asked as they waited for the elevator to alert its arrival.

"Doing what?"

"Telling everyone we're not together as if I’m a leper or something."

"If my memory serves me correctly, denying that we're a couple used to be your role. How many times have you told your potential prey that I'm your little sister?" Mel responded, giving him the side eye. "Guess you taught me well, Obi-Wan."

He grimaced as the elevator doors opened, motioned her inside, and pressed “3.”

"Listen, I've wanted to talk to you about Gizelle. She didn't cancel. I did...and there's a
reason, something I didn't realize until recently."

"How many times did I tell you Gizelle was all wrong for you?"

"About a thousand, but that's not what I'm—"

She let out a long exasperated sigh. "Dylan, while I just love hearing about your sexualexploits and break-ups," she said facetiously, "how about you hold that thought until after I'm out of a hot shower and into some pajamas."

"But you don't understand. What I'm trying to say is—"

Just then the doors opened and Mel stepped off the elevator. It was too late when she heard someone yell, "Go deep!"

An object collided against her temple, causing a dull aching pain to stretch across her skull and into her neck. Dylan's voice screamed, "Watch out!" before all light and sound faded and the hall went black.


AUTHOR Bios and Links:

Rachelle Ayala From romantic suspense to sweet contemporaries, I write from my heart and love to include children and pets in my stories. 


Twitter: @AyalaRachelle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clare.chu

DelSheree Gladden is a USA Today bestselling young adult and romance author, whose writing includes everything from dystopian and Native American mythology to sweet and funny romances.

Twitter:  @DelSheree
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDelShereeGladden

J.L. Campbell is an award-winning author who writes sweet romance, romantic suspense, women's fiction, new and young adult novels.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JL_Campbell
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jlcampbellwrites

K.L. Brady is a multi-award-winning author of sweet and sexy romantic comedies, young adult romance, and a spy thriller series based on her career in U.S. intelligence.

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KARLAB27

Jade Kerrion writes frequently award-winning, occasionally best-selling science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance novels.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jadekerrion
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JadeKerrion


Sydney Aaliyah MIchelle is a contemporary romance writer, a voracious reader and movie fanatic who hails from Texas.




Caroline Bell Foster writes contemporary women’s fiction with themes of substance that defy convention.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbellfoster
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/carolinebellfoster


Suzette Riddick is a wife, mother and nurse practitioner who enjoys writing romance novels with a touch of reality.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzette267
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/suzetteriddickromanceroom/


Tina D.C. Hayes writes romantic suspense and cozy mysteries while her pampered pooches and parrots stand guard against writer's block.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@Tina_DC_Hayes/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaDCHayesAuthor/

Jeanne Bannon is an international best-selling author of paranormal and romance fiction with twenty-five years of experience in the publishing industry.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@jeannebannon
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeanne-Bannon/182120961844916?fref=ts

Susan Oloier is a mother and educator who writes memoir, as well as adult and young adult contemporary fiction.

Twitter: @narrawriter
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSusanOloier/

Aubrey Wynne is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night.


Cindy Flores Martinez writes sweet romantic comedy and inspirational romance in both English and Spanish.



Book Sale Links

Kindle US: http://bit.ly/VPKK
Kindle UK: http://bit.ly/VPKUK
Kobo: http://bit.ly/VPKKobo
Google Play: http://bit.ly/VPKGp
Apple: http://bit.ly/VPKiBk
Barnes & Noble Nook: http://bit.ly/VPKNok

Website Links

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Saturday 23 January 2016

Show it off Saturday

https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeTimeRomance/?fref=nf


 
Apologies for not being 'live' at the Facebook event - I've and a few computer problems and it's the early hours of the morning here in the UK and I have to be up early in the morning.

However, to win my lovely galaxy pendent, to celebrate the third book in the 'Destiny' series (Children Of The Mist was the second)just answer the following question:




This is the cover of the second in the Destiny Series - which do you think most represents the planet Niflheim?
A, B or C?





A


B





C




BELOVED ENEMY 3rd in the 'Destiny Series'
Release Date 11th March 2015



(Contest ends 24th January, please leave a comment on FB by clicking the 'Coffeetime' banner at the top of this post)

Friday 22 January 2016

Twelfth Night At Ayre Hall - spotlight and Review



Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall
By LUCCIA GRAY







Following Edward Rochester’s death in All Hallows at Eyre Hall, Jane Eyre, who has been blackmailed into marrying a man she despises, will have to cope with the return of the man she loved and lost. The secrets she has tried so hard to conceal must be disclosed, giving rise to unexpected events and more shocking revelations.

Romance, mystery, and excitement will unfold exploring the evolution of the original characters, and bringing to life new and intriguing ones, spinning a unique and absorbing narrative, which will move the action from the Yorkshire countryside, to Victorian London, and across the Atlantic Ocean to Colonial Jamaica.

MY REVIEW



I loved Jane Eyre when I first read it and was not too sure what to expect with 'Twelfth Night At Ayre Hall', especially as I hadn't read the previous novel 'All Hallows at Ayre Hall'.  I was pleasantly surprised. Luccia Gray manages to convey the same atmospheric atmosphere as the original, although of course Jane has changed and evolved and seems more self assured than she used to be, although she was always a strong woman, but now she is  now even more confident and assertive.

I was a little saddened at the disclosures of Edward Rochester's less than virtuous character, since I fell rather hard for him in the original Jane Ayre, but then Luccia Gray is not the first author to hint that his treatment of the original Mrs Rochester, Bertha, was, at least in part, responsible for her mental instability, and that although he obviously has his good points, he had many faults as well.


The switching of POV in each chapter threw me a little to start with, especially since the narrative is all told in the first person, but it soon becomes apparent in which person's 'head' we are, with each switch, and I did not find it hard to follow. The characters themselves are all well drawn and mostly likeable in varying degrees, The story moves swiftly, and one becomes acquainted with new characters who were not in the original book, including Jane's young daughter, who was given up at birth, and whom Jane believed had been stillborn.

While not exactly ending on a 'cliff hanger', the story does leave the reader wondering what happens next, and I will be looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 

 I give this four and a half stars and recommend it as an enthralling and entertaining read.
Buy Links








About Luccia Gray
Luccia Gray was born in London and now lives in the south of Spain with her husband. She has three children and three grandchildren. When she's not reading or writing, she teaches English at an Adult Education Centre and at the Spanish National University

Author links









Giveaway


2 paperback copies of the book
(Open internationally)

Monday 18 January 2016

Monday's Musings

Half way through the month already!  It seems a long time since Christmas in some ways, and yet in others only yesterday, time is a strange thing!

We had our first snowfall yesterday, it would have been lovely if it had happened on Christmas Day, because it was only a light fall, not enough to cause any great inconvenience, but enough to make everything white and pretty for a while.

I don't know if Choccy had seen snow before, it hardly snowed at all last year so he didn't have time to play in it, but yesterday he had so much fun chasing his ball and racing around like a mad thing, he didn't seem t mind the cold beneath his paws at all.

Changing the subject completely, I now have the RELEASE DATE for BELOVED ENEMY!

It will be officially released on
11th MARCH - so exciting!

Watch this
space for news of events to celebrate the event, and some contests.


Take care and keep warm if you're somewhere where it's really cold.


Friday 15 January 2016

Release day Blitz and #Giveaway for Step On Me More by Mary Ricksen and Joan Afman

I am so thrilled to be able to help my dear friend Mary Ricksen, and Joan Afman, both Fellow Wild Rose Press authors,  to celebrate the release today of:
Step On Me More
by Joan C. Afman & Mary M. Ricksen
Genre: New Adult/Women's Fiction
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Release Date: January 15, 2016



Shelburne High School teachers Kailyn Hartigan and Lisa Stone have had enough. Bullying among students is reaching an all-time high, and the rest of the staff is either in denial or too afraid of repercussions to help address the problem.

When Stephanie Moore—aka: Step On Me More—is welcomed by Shelburne High as the new principal, taking an anti-bullying stance becomes a dangerous game. One that could cost Kailyn and Lisa not only their careers, but the lives of the students they seek to protect.



I puttered around for the rest of the afternoon. The smell of chocolate chip cookies filled the house. I knew many of the neighbors and always made enough for the parents, too. Making up my face, I plastered green face paint all over, even on my hands. Every year I wore the same costume. I loved the darn thing and so did the kids. I made a damn fine witch.

Outside, a small speaker fed the sound of wolves as they howled at the moon, followed by chains rattling and ghostly voices. Spider webs covered the bushes and porch, while a scarecrow jumped and groaned when anyone approached. When I first put him out there after I’d inherited my aunt’s house, he’d scared the bejesus out of everyone. The neighbors nicknamed him Clarence. He was part of my Halloween tradition and he had friends of his own. Very effective conversation piece.

At around three in the afternoon the doorbell rang. I wondered if it was a package from Pyramid I’d been waiting for, since it was too early for trick-or-treaters. When I opened the door, two figures stood before me. My breath caught as I stared at them. Both wore black capes, but their masks threw me for a loop. Jason. Pinhead. Were these the masks stolen from Lisa’s students? “What the hell,” I murmured, my voice as shaky as I felt inside. “What can I do for you?”

They stared at me through creepy cut out eyeholes.

Scared, I started to close the door. I couldn’t stop the thumping in my chest and I trembled as one of them stuck his foot in the doorway.
In a move so fast I couldn’t react, he forced my door open and I fell back a step. “Hey! Stop. Get out of my house.” I’d never had cause to be afraid on my own porch, despite the ghosts and witches.

“Take that, bitch.” He pushed me so violently I fell into a heap on the floor, slamming my knee so hard I heard a crack. One of them kicked me in my side and I writhed in pain as another foot connected with my back. I screamed, scared for my life. With one last connecting slam, they bolted. Agonized, I forced myself to breathe. That last kick had taken all the air from my lungs and I gasped. I heard their laughter as they ran down the steps. I lay there for quite a while. What the hell had just happened?

I fell into an agonized daze, holding my sides. Those brats knew where to kick to hurt a girl. The phone rang, jolting me to awareness. I dragged myself to the closest chair, pulled myself into it, and reached for the handset. Tears coursed down my face and landed on the numbers. I couldn’t speak. I wondered if it were enough liquid to wreck the circuits.

“Kailyn.” I heard screaming and shouting in the background as Michael yelled into the receiver.

“Michael,” my voice was the barest whisper.

“Can you hear me, K? Turn on the news. Something terrible has happened.” Michael shouted, his voice oddly shrill. “It’s Andy. Andy Klein.”

I couldn’t speak, but oxygen made its way through my body. I knew better than to clench my muscles, but it had been so long since my last beating, I’d forgotten how best to get past the pain. What about Andy?

“He brought a gun to school. He showed up in Marcelle’s last period class and waved it around. He…he…” Michael forced the words out. “He shot at two other students, K. The only good thing, God help us… is that he’s such a bad shot he missed them both.”

“Andy?” Devastated, I stopped trying to stand up and dropped back to the floor.

“They’re taking him away in handcuffs.” Michael’s voice broke. “He’s just ruined his life, and at this point, there’s not a damn thing we can do to help him.”



I enjoyed this book, it is an interesting story but with a very important message.The two protagonists, Kailyn and Lisa, are likeable, well written and easy to identify with. Their struggle to deal with the bully who blighted their schooldays and is now back in their lives makes for a nail-biting and fascinating read. I won't give too much of the plot away, but I will say I loved the play on words for the name of the antagonist Stephanie Moore.  Very clever.  Joan and Mary have done a wonderful job of combining an entertaining and suspenseful story, with some nice romantic elements, and at the same time putting across the message that one does not have to submit to bullying and in the end, all bullies are cowards and will eventually, as in this story, will get their well deserved 'cumuppance'.





Joan C. Afman
Joan Conning Afman grew up in western Massachusetts and central New York. Always interested in art, she began her career as an advertising copywriter and artist and went on to earn her BFA at the University of Hartford Art School, finishing up by teaching art for sixteen years in the Hartford Public School System.

Joan’s mother had been an English teacher and thought that her daughter had the potential to write. However, marriage and family delayed this option until her retirement to Florida, when at last the time and opportunity beckoned.

Married to the Reverend John Afman for twenty-two years, she is the mother of four grown children and grandmother of six. Joan always enjoyed the church life and remains active in church and Bible study at Jupiter First Church in Jupiter, Florida.


Mary M. Ricksen
Born in Vermont, Mary Ricksen, being the daughter of a government official, spent her youth in several places. From New York, Texas, and Virginia, to the beautiful city of Ottawa, her family moved every three years to a new place. A great love of horses found her cleaning stalls and grooming for the privilege of just being near them.

The people she met were diversified. And the scenery ranged from the aqua brilliance of the crystal waters of Florida, to the mountains of Vermont and North Carolina. Mary was always drawn to the beauty of Vermont. Now living in Florida, she still feels the call of those peaks and the tranquil waters of Lake Champlain.

Mary is married and lives with her two German Shepherds, a calico cat and her computer engineer husband.

It was the love of books that inspired her to write. Reading, being one of her favorite things, took her to places that she wanted to go. Somewhere between the pharaohs of Egypt and the whimsical world of Zanth, she found a voice. Writing led her to meet some of the most interesting people she has ever known. The mind of a writer is a wonderful thing. And that alone was worth the effort.






Monday 11 January 2016

Monday's Musings

Thought you might like to see a picture of T'pau and Harri in the snow!

(No, it's not snowing today, this picture was taken a year or two back.  We've had non-stop rain nearly every day since before Christmas, but I thought this picture looked nicer than one of them in the pouring rain up to their fetlocks in mud.)  Oh if you feel sorry for them being out in the cold and wet, they have nice warm blankets on and a shelter with plenty of straw and hay which they can go into whenever they want to.


We're nearly two weeks into the New Year already and despite the miserable weather, we're not nearly as bad off where I live than other parts of the country which have suffered terribly from flooding.  There is always something to be thankful for.

This is going to be a busy month.  I have several author posts lined up and am delighted to be able to be part of my friend Mary Rickson's Facebook party on 20th January, for 'Step on Me More', a romance with a serious theme, that of bullying, which she and Joan Afman co-authored.  I'll be putting the details up here and on my Facebook Page.

Changing the subject I just heard on the radio that there are more stars in the sky than all the words ever spoken by humans.  Isn't that absolutely amazing!

Talking about stars, the third book in the series that started with 'Starquest' will be available in early spring and I should be able to make an announcement about the pre-order information soon. Watch this space! :)
Have a great week!