~ Sharon Copper Has ALL YOU EVER NEED in a Romance ~

So happy to welcome back my co-host, Sharon Cooper! Just joking! I've been lucky enough to be able to host this prolific writer a number of times and am thrilled to have her here again telling us about her latest release ALL YOU EVER NEED. So...without further ado ~

Blurb ~

A woman wants what a woman wants…

Quick-witted, sassy, construction worker, Jada (JJ) Jenkins, loves the finer things in life. She’d rather be in designer clothes and stilettos than sporting steel-toe boots and a hard hat. She hates getting dirty and worst, sweating. Jada’s ready to quit her job and marry a wealthy man who’s able to support her shopping addiction and her expensive taste. She’s not looking for love, only a comfortable lifestyle. What she doesn’t expect to find is a blue-eyed hunk with dimples and a disarming ability to throw her off her game.

For professional football player Zack Anderson, its love at first sight when he meets Jada. The fact that she’s a construction worker is even better. He wants a woman who’s not afraid to get down and dirty, someone who enjoys fishing, hiking and the great outdoors. He thinks he’s found that in Jada.

Before he loses his heart, will Zack discover that the last thing on this feisty steel-toe-boot-wearing-beauty’s mind is getting her hands dirty with love?

BWWM (black woman, white man) interracial romance

Excerpt ~

He rang the doorbell and seconds later, the door opened. His breath caught in his throat as his gaze traveled the length of her body. He took in her long thick hair, curled at the ends, and hanging just past her shoulders. The sleek red dress that wrapped around her luscious curves and stopped a few inches above her knees screamed ‘take me now’. Jada JJ Jenkins was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever met, but tonight the sexy vixen had the blood in his head flowing south at record speed.

Zack released a long, piercing whistle between his lips before he could stop himself. Words escaped him. Watching the way her gaze took in his apparel, appreciation glittering in her eyes was enough to make him want to take her right then, and there.

“Wow!” she finally said and stepped closer. Her hands did a slow glide up his chest, sending his libido into overdrive. Zack knew that if they didn’t leave for the restaurant immediately they weren’t going. Instead, he was going to lift her in his arms and carry her to the nearest bedroom.

“Jada,” he said tightly, warning in his voice.

Ignoring his tone, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Mr. Anderson, I must say, you clean up verynicely. I hope you’re ready for a night you’ll never forget.”

Loving her boldness, he snaked his arms around her tiny waist, pulling her close, wanting her to relish the effect she was having on him. He rubbed his pelvis against her softness. “Any time with you is unforgettable.”

He lowered his head and his mouth covered hers, devouring the tenderness of her lips. A jolt of desire shot through him like a seventy-mile-per-hour tornado taking out everything in its wake. How could one kiss rock his world the way this one was rocking him? The feel of her lips against his felt like home.

His hands had a mind of their own as they slowly glided over her hips and landed on her firm butt. A moan pierced the air and Zack didn’t know if the throaty sigh came from her or him and at the moment, he didn’t care. All he knew was that the combustible yearning roaring through his body bordered on unbearable.

“Uh, you guys need to either bring that inside or take it outside. But whatever you do, close my door,” Christina said from some place nearby. Zack wasn’t sure since he wasn’t ready to end the intense lip-lock. “You’re letting the heat out!”

Both were slow to respond to Christina’s reprimand. Jada eased her grip from around his neck, and he moved his hands up to her waist. “I’m not ready to let you go,” Zack mumbled against her lips.

“And I’m not ready for you to let me go.” She gave him one last kiss before stepping away, giving him a firsthand view of her backless dress and perfectly round ass.

Good Lord!

Jada grabbed her handbag and a Kate Spade jacket from a small table in the foyer. “Maybe we can pick this up in the car or after dinner. Or better yet, why don’t we have a little dinner, go to the theater, and then finish this up at your place tonight.”

He tugged on the handle of her bag, forcing her to him then lowered his head to her ear and whispered. “How is that better? Why don’t we just skip dinner and the theater and just head straight to my place?”

She leaned back, placed her hand on her hip, and batted her long eyelashes. “Sorry, babe, but this dress,” her hand slid from the side of her breast down past her hip, “is meant to be seen.” Flashing a wicked smile that only made Zack more aroused, she looped her arm through his and pulled him out the door.

How in hell was he supposed to sit through dinner and a show with her in that dress and knowing she had big plans for him once they made it back to his place?

Author Bio ~

Bestselling author, Sharon C. Cooper, spent 10 years as a sheet metal worker. And while enjoying that unique line of work, she attended college in the evening and obtained her B.A. from Concordia University in Business Management with an emphasis in Communication.

Sharon is a romance-a-holic – loving anything that involves romance with a happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies or real life. She writes contemporary romance, as well as romantic suspense and enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When Sharon is not writing or working, she’s hanging out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work or reading a good book (a romance of course).

You can find Sharon at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

You can buy ALL YOU EVER NEED at:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books | All Romance

~This Book Is UNLOCKED TREASURE!~

Good morning and happy weekend! We made it through the work week again! Kudos to us! Now we get to celebrate by curling up with UNLOCKED TREASURE! Please welcome my friend Linda Carroll-Bradd.

Blurb ~

Aleen MacRae blames the lure of the sea for breaking apart first her family then her engagement. When her interest is caught by a man she sees both in person and in a dream, she resists—afraid to believe in her aunt’s prediction that her future is tied to the sea.

Braden Williams is on the hunt for treasure buried centuries earlier by Rhode Island pirates. His search brings him to the property where Aleen lives. Collaboration on genealogy research draws them closer, and Braden steers her toward his true passion--sailing.



Attending a party with Braden’s family lets her glimpse what she’s been missing. An unexpected discovery before her date with Braden at the Halloween Midnight Organ Recital forces a decision. Will Aleen play things safe or accept what this free-spirited man offers?

Excerpt ~

Ah, the story of her life—practically invisible. The reminder his first sighting had been of her bikini-clad backside made her blush. Still didn’t change the facts. Aleen squared her shoulders. “I remember, but the Manor grounds are still closed.” Should she be nervous about being alone with this stranger, especially one who ignored posted rules?

“Sorry for the intrusion. Let me start over.” Smiling, he approached and extended his right hand. “My name’s Braden Williams.”

Aleen bit her lower lip, but accepted his hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Aleen MacRae.” At the moment their hands clasped, she felt warmth flooding her fingers. With a jerk, she released her grip, tingling sensations running along her skin. Immediately, the scent of fresh air and summer breezes wafted her way. Definitely a man of the sea. Just where I foretold your future lies. Whispers of her great-aunt Zsofika’s prophecy trickled through Aleen’s thoughts. At the memory, her cheeks flamed with heat.

“Wow.” Frowning, Braden flexed his hand and narrowed his gaze then dropped it to his flexing fingers. “That was bizarre.”

“Static electricity, from all that wind yesterday.” A reasonable explanation. In the back of her mind, Aleen could hear Zsofika scoff, “Static schmatic. A connection like that is destiny.”

“Well…” His gaze searched her face. “Aleen—hey, that’s pretty, like the direction alee.” A wide smile exposed even teeth.

Her own smile dimmed. Like I’ve never heard that before. “Thanks.” This guy was not charming his way around the rules. “Sorry, but you’ll need to come back when the gardens are open for visitors. That’s Wednesdays through—”

“Yeah, I read the sign.” He gave a dismissive wave then turned to gaze back at the main house. “But I just needed five minutes to check out some dimensions and the lot layout.”

“So, you woke up this morning and just decided to start out your week by trespassing?”

Author Bio ~

As a young girl, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about fascinating characters having exciting adventures in places far away and in other time periods. In later years, she read and then started writing romances and achieved her first publication--a confession story. Married with 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters, Linda writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from her home in the southern California mountains.

You can find Linda here:

Website   Blog    Facebook   Twitter  Goodreads

You can buy Unlocked Treasure here:

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00O0EQ754

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_175_143&products_id=5855

Giveaway ~

Linda is offering a giveaway through 10/26 with prizes of $10 gift card or a copy of the Halloween anthology, COWBOYS, CREATURES & CALICO, Volume 1, or winner's choice of a tittle from her backlist. Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~ Stop In For The Love of Family, Romance, and Danger, Wild West Style! ~

Author Susan Horsnell has joined us today to share her The Glenmore's: Complete Collection with us. Here's a bit about each of the books in the collection. 

Book 1 - Revenge 

The Glenmore Family come to the assistance of a young girl who has been beaten and horse-whipped then left to die on the track leading to their ranch.
She is taken to their ranch to recover; the outlaws responsible for her beating keep watch in the hopes they can recapture the girl and obtain the information they are sure she has.
The search for the outlaws becomes a matter of urgency when murder, shootings, robbery and beatings affect the Glenmore Family.
Rangers are brought in and the assistance of local Indians is sought.
A story about the most tender love; as well as murder, greed and intrigue.

Book 2 - Deputy 

When James Glenmore locks up a feisty young girl because she causes a
disturbance in the local saloon; he doesn’t realise both their lives
are about to change forever.
They have to endure her father’s deadly temper, which has already destroyed
her young life, before they can be free.
A band of outlaws target the bank in Gold Springs and several horrendous
tortures and murders take place before the law finally catches up
with them; James’ life is placed in grave danger.
James and Rebecca’s lives withstand all obstacles that are put before them
but will James survive the capture of the cruel outlaws?

Book 3 - Sacred Secrets 

Laura Glenmore is the youngest child of Virginia and Joseph Glenmore; the largest ranch owners in the district.
She has three older brothers who have watched out for her all her life.
She takes part in the fall round up to Morgan as she has many times before but on arrival in Morgan, while her father and two of her brothers are at the stockyards, Laura decides to ride off alone for fresh air.
A freak accident leaves Laura unconscious and missing; her distressed family and beau, Nick, all gather in Morgan to begin their search.
As the days pass and the searches reveal nothing; Nick becomes desperate and spends a night in the Canyonlands alone. It is here where Nick is found by an Indian and led to the village where Laura is being cared for.
Nick learns the ways of the Indians and both he and Laura make lifelong friends among these people. As Laura heals they learn the Indians deepest secret and fear and vow to help them keep it.
Follow Nick and Laura through the grief, the heartbreak, the discovery and finally the love that will join them together forever.

Book 4 - Caught 

When the Glenmore’s neighbour, Mason Prentiss, passes on suddenly it leaves his ranch to his only surviving relative – Justine, his granddaughter.
Since the death of her parents two years previously in a hotel fire that also left her badly scarred; Justine has been trapped in boarding school in Boston training to be a teacher. When she learns of her grandfather’s death she determines to make a new life for herself at the ranch. She is sick of the taunts and the cruelty and wants to escape to the seclusion of the country.
Justine meets Ben Glenmore when one of the Glenmore bulls escapes and gets in with her breeding cows; it is not a pleasant first meeting! Their lives become intertwined until the most handsome man in Gold Springs falls for the badly scarred young girl from Boston.
Justine’s ranch is under threat when Justine’s cattle are rustled, her stream is dammed and a kidnapping takes place. Ben attempts to help but finds himself caught in the criminals plot.
Will Justine arrive in time to save the one she loves? Will she finally find the peace and happiness she seeks?


Link: http://horsnells.wix.com/susan--1#!book-packages/c19lc

Author Bio ~

I grew up in the Western Suburbs of Sydney in the 50's and 60's.

My parents are originally from the Newcastle-Under-Lyme area of England and came to Australia in 1952 as £10 poms. They came under a migration scheme to help Australia with workers.
My father was a Painter and Decorator and I was the eldest of five children.

I was a Nurse, a career that spanned more than 35 years. During my career I specialized in caring for people with Alzheimer's type Dementia, an area that fascinates me despite how heartbreaking it can be.

When I retired 4 years ago I decided it was time to get the stories out of my head and onto paper. From there I just hoped my stories were interesting and well written enough to attract readers.

It is difficult being a new author now that anyone can publish a book. I can understand readers' reticence to read Indie authors but hopefully they will give people like me a chance. I find as an avid reader, you can be pleasantly surprised most of the time. I can't imagine sticking to just one or two authors and just because an author has a publisher doesn't make them good. I have certainly read some terrible books which have been published by some of the largest companies.

I do hope readers enjoy my books and would love them to leave reviews.


Blog: http://susanhorsnell.wordpress.com
Web: http://horsnells.wix.com/susan--1
Twitter: @susanhorsnell
Bookshop:http://easychairbookshop.com

~ Your Heart Will Be Tied by BONDS OF AFFECTION ~

I'm happy to welcome back this morning author Rohn Federbush! She has quite a different book from the last time she was on with her historical romance, North Parish. Her newest release is a contemporary romance with an intriguing premise. See for yourself --

Blurb ~ 

Tied together as hostages in a bank robbery, an ex-race-car driver, Gina Branson, shares the shock of the bank guard, Thomas Woods, as he witnesses the murder of his twin brother.

Once freed, the roller coaster of Tom’s grief and rage alienates them on issues of retribution and clemency. Bound to each other from their first flicker of interest, the couple weathers both the bank-robbery trial and the death of Gina’s ailing mother to a final testing of their faith, trust and affection.

Excerpt ~ 

Geneva’s City Bank, Illinois

Friday, September 28th

Gina rubbed the bridge of her nose acknowledging defeat might be at hand. The black-and-white marble tiles on the bank’s floor summoned the checkered flag she had ceased to pursue. As a racecar driver Gina taught herself to take violent hits. Perhaps the Lord wouldn’t answer her fervent prayers for a deluge of ready cash. She ducked her head and released the arms of the chair as she’d learned to let go of the steering wheel for unavoidable collisions.

Gina’s financial history would soon blink to life on the loan officer’s computer screen. Would their high-school flirtations fifteen years earlier sufficiently influence Jonas Woods? Gina had trailed behind a bevy of football fans following every move of any coach’s dream, the Woods twins – Thomas and Jonas. She predicted Jonas’s dark eyebrows would raise when he reviewed her negative credit reports.

Her checkbook was as empty as her credit cards were overflowing because of her mother’s continuing medical costs. To help with household expenses, Gina found a job as a school bus driver. Now, she hoped the bank would give her a loan on her mother’s equity in the house to fix its leaky roof and the ancient plumbing, as well as cover the mounting medical debts. Would Jonas want her to have the money?

Gina smiled at him for all she was worth.

Jonas’s head moved closer to his computer screen as he scrutinized her unbelievable amount of debt. Gina had no friends or extended family to tide her over the financial rough patch. As a race-car driver, she never felt a part of the gang. Despite her loyal team, she’d raced alone competing against men. Now she was experiencing the same need for individual courage.

Across the aisle, a bank guard lifted his head toward the balcony at the noise of the vault door swinging open. Gina recognized the guard as Jonas’s twin, Thomas. His mouth was drawn in a thin line of concentration. Tom’s dark blue uniform barely fit his gigantic frame. Then she met his eyes. The combined black of iris and pupil immersed her in their languid pool…until dollar bills starting falling from overhead.

A single hundred dollar bill landed on the knee of Gina’s white wool trouser. Ignoring the delighted hubbub from the other bank patrons, Gina didn’t move lest it sail away. The Lord might revoke the miracle of pennies from heaven. How many pennies in a hundred dollars? How many pennies did she need to fix the roof? Maybe she could just glue the coppers to the shingles to keep the rain out.

Jonas jumped up, shoving clumps of the showering bills into his pockets. Maybe he needed money as much as she did. Obviously, neither of them had been taught the proper etiquette for an actual, finite miracle. Jonas danced into the aisle with his arms lifted over his head catching the falling money.

Then noise and spraying bullets cut across his middle, folding him onto the floor.

Author Bio ~ 

Rohn Federbush retired as an administrator from

the University of Michigan in 1999. She received a Masters of Arts in Creative Writing in 1995 from Eastern Michigan University. Frederick Busch of Colgate granted a 1997 summer stipend for her ghost-story collection. Michael Joyce of Vassar encouraged earlier writing at Jackson Community College, Jackson, Michigan in 1981. Rohn has completed fourteen novels, with an additional mystery nearly finished, 120 short stories and 150 poems to date.

You can find Rohn at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Google+ | Pinterest

You can buy BONDS OF AFFECTION at:

Amazon

And here are some other books by Rohn:

Love’s Triumph
Goodreads

Abigail Breckenridge is studying to become Ann Arbor’s second female attorney, but a scandal interrupts her studies and sends her off to Europe to avoid the town gossips.

Charles Van Aker, a 6′ 5″ poet, is the oldest of eight and at the age of 18 helps run his father’s furniture company. Charles and Abigail have been friends since grade school, so when the scandal surrounding Abigail violently erupts, Charles and his large family of brothers and sisters stand by Abigail.

Through scandal, distance and lost faith, the love between Abigail and Charles grows steadily, but can it survive the tragedies that a typhoid epidemic buries them under?

Floating Home

Goodreads

It’s 841 and after three years of potato blight on the Ring of Kerry, fiery seventeen year old Irish lass, Angela McGovern leaves behind family and friends to follow her destiny in America. Meeting the tall and handsome Englishman, Michael Halliday on the crossing was an unexpected adventure, and Angela’s courage and character will be tested in ways she never imagined during the passage.

Michael (Bumble) Halliday has secured his dream job as a lighthouse keeper for Lake Superior’s Strawberry Island, and he’s determined to follow through with his plan of living a quiet, hermit’s life . . . No matter how attractive he finds Angela.

Will Michael’s stubbornness destroy the chance of true happiness for both of them?

North Parish
Goodreads

An Ann Arborite, Professor Silas Douglas, became the first president of Michigan’s Historical Society. He was a teenager who witnessed the 1818 Maumee River treaty signing by seven tribes for President Monroe’s Erie Canal. The names of the tribes and the individual natives have been preserved in the Ann Arbor Public Library.

North Parish follows the diplomats around the Great Lakes.
* * * * *

Parish North is the blonde adopted son of a Huron native, and with his manhood-quest completed in time for his father’s trip with a Jesuit bishop, he’s allowed to participate in the efforts to secure powwow agreements from seven tribes around the Great Lakes for the building of the Erie Canal. During the trip, Parish recognizes his vision temptress in Dorothy Evans.

Hoping to join the delegation, Dorothy Evans dreams of escaping duties as her mother’s cook-helper at Fort Detroit. Exciting windows to the wider world open for the girl in the Fort’s Jesuit library. Two centuries worth of European books convince her everything good and pure comes from nature. And when Dorothy meets the blond native, Parish North, she feels her heart quicken when he smiles in her direction. She’s positive Parish is half of her future.

When a bishop assigned to the trip persuades Dorothy’s mother to allow him to chaperon her intelligent daughter on the trip to facilitate her education, Dorothy’s mother accepts his kind offer with the comforting knowledge that Dorothy is under the protection of a man of the Church. But the Bishop’s intentions may not be as pure as they appear and Dorothy’s virtue is in danger. Will the Bishop’s unholy plan succeed?

Sally Bianco Mysteries
The Legitimate Way
Goodreads

Recently widowed and retired as a university administrator, Sally Bianco is bitten by the detective bug to clear an innocent friend of a murder charge. She travels to her hometown seeking the abused woman, only to be courted by a high school acquaintance. John Nelson, who never married.

Part 2:
Sally and John start an agency in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sally’s painter friend’s husband dies. The chemistry professor worked on a failed drug cure. The artist’s stepson links his hate-filled motives with those of an art dealer, a pawn of the dead professor’s scheming boss.

The Appropriate Way

Goodreads

Sally and her husband, John move back to St. Charles, Illinois. At their wedding reception, they are invited to the local renovated Dunham Castle. When they arrive, the father of the hostess announces his home next door has burnt down. The body found inside is not tall enough to be his wife. A crazed villain targets Sally, but it’s John who pays the price.

The Recorder’s Way

Goodreads

Back in Ann Arbor, detective Sally Bianco invites a retreat participant to confide in her. The young woman had been a nurse when three patients died from their doctor’s neglect. She joined the army, served in Iraq and rescued an attack dog. She’s blackmailing the three doctors involved to feed a diet pill addiction. Unwilling to cease the financing of her habit, she attempts to have her dog dispatch Sally.

~ Hauntingly Handsome Reese Caster from CASTER'S UNFRIENDLY GHOST! ~

Good morning! I'd like you to welcome Reese Caster to the blog this morning, the hero from CASTER'S UNFRIENDLY GHOST.

So, Reese. Let's start off with the basics. What is your occupation?

Surgeon.

Why? My father was a doctor, and I was always impressed by his skill and dedication. But, honestly, the main reason I became a surgeon was because of the money and prestige. It was only after I’d been doing it for a while that I realized the feeling of saving a life, or improving a patient’s life, is worth more than all the money in the world.

What do you see as your strengths & weaknesses? 

My strengths are that I’m successful and intelligent. My weaknesses? I don’t know, maybe I can be a little shallow at times.

How did you meet Emily? 

She worked in admissions at a hospital where I practiced.

What was your first impression of her? 

I thought she was pretty, and she had an odd mixture of vulnerability and strength. I was drawn to her immediately.

What do you like about Emily? 

That she’s smart and funny and kind.

Definitely good traits to have. Caster, what is it that you want out of life? 

I always thought I wanted to be free and have a good time. You know, live for myself. Lately, I’ve been thinking that all seems kind of pointless if I can’t have Emily in my life.

Has life handed you any major disappointments?

I actually handed myself my biggest disappointment. When I was with Emily years ago, things were getting a little too serious, too intense. So, I sort of manufactured a meeting/hook up with my best friend. They ended up getting married.

Tell me about this best friend. 

Joey Tillman was my best friend, but when he married Emily, we drifted apart. It was kind of awkward for him to be with the woman I’d dated, plus, seeing them together wasn’t exactly easy. Then, he died in a plane crash, and I regretted not staying in touch. I managed to lose both my best friend and my girl.

Thank you for your honesty, Caster. Now I'd like to welcome Emily Tillman. We'll start off easy for you, too, Emily. Tell us what your occupation is? 

I’m Administrative Assistant for a large hospital.

Strengths, weaknesses? 

My strengths are that I’m loyal and compassionate.

Weakness? I seem to go for the wrong men. I desperately want a husband and children. I married Joey, and I loved him, but before we could have a family, he tragically died. The man I really gave my heart to is a player, big time, and he will never settle down.

What’s your family like and how does your upbringing affect you now? 

I was an orphan. Raised in foster homes. I had one foster mom who loved me and wanted to adopt me. Before that could happen, she was killed in a car accident. I never found my place in a family, and I think that is part of why I want one of my own so badly now.

Describe Reese. What was your first impression of him? Did it change over time? 

Reese Caster was every woman’s fantasy at the hospital. Sexy, good-looking, successful, charming. But, he was a real playboy. Even knowing that, I couldn’t resist getting involved with him. I was shocked that he gave someone like me the time of day, and I knew better, but I jumped in with both feet. While I originally thought he was nothing but a womanizer, when I got to know the real him, I found that he was very caring. He couldn’t give himself completely to a woman, but he gave all of him, and a little more, to his patients.

Is there anything about Reese that you would consider a flaw? 

Oh, yes. He has his share of flaws. In my eyes, the biggest one is his commitment phobia.

What is it that you want out of life? 

A husband and children, a happy family of my own.

Has life handed you any major disappointments?

My biggest disappointment was when my foster mom, Della died tragically. I was heartbroken, devastated.

Thank you both for joining us this morning! If you'd like to purchase CASTER'S UNFRIENDLY GHOST and find out, as Paul Harvey would say, "the rest of the story," you can find it here:

Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Casters-Unfriendly-Ghost-Hauntings-Garden-ebook/dp/B00NQMV4NQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412516933&sr=8-1&keywords=caster%27s+unfriendly+ghost

Nook:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/casters-unfriendly-ghost-alicia-dean/1120455662?ean=2940150463943

Wild Rose Press:

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_177_139&products_id=5840

Blurb ~

A year after her husband’s death, Emily Tillman is ready to start dating again, and hopefully, find what she’s always wanted—marriage and children. But the man who broke her heart five years ago is back. And he’s anything but the marrying kind.

Confirmed bachelor Reese Caster is perfectly content with his life—and he’s finally over Emily, the one woman who almost made him commit. Now, his world is rocked when her dead husband shows up, demanding that Reese pursue Emily to keep her out of the clutches of her latest suitor—a jerk who is only after her money.

Being around Emily again has made Reese reconsider his bachelor life style. But now that the threat of the other man is gone, the pesky ghost wants Reese to break things off. Can he and Emily find the love they were denied, or will the ghost of her dead husband destroy their chances?

Excerpt ~

Caster jerked his arm off his face and shot to his feet. Joey stood in the room—looking the same as he had the last time he’d seen him five years ago; dark, wavy hair, even darker eyes, his usual attire of jeans and a T-shirt—this time a Thunder basketball shirt—that big, shit-eating grin he always wore.

“You’re not real.” Caster shook his head. “This cannot be happening. I’m wasted. I’m imagining things.” Caster kept a litany of denial going until Joey/not Joey held up a hand.

“Let me save us some time. I died in a plane crash a year ago, you came to my funeral. You haven’t seen or spoken to my wife since. I, however, have been keeping an eye on her. She’s about to make a huge mistake, and I need your help to keep that from happening. I’m sure you’ll help me because, in spite of the fact that you pushed the two of us together, you care about Emily, and you don’t want to see her hurt.” Joey moved toward him, and Caster stepped back. “Before we proceed, though, I apparently have to make you see that this is real, that I’m here. Pinch yourself.”

Caster shook his head. “I’m not going to do that. You’re not real.”

“I would pinch you if I could, but I can’t touch people. Only inanimate objects. Guess I’ll have to prove it another way.”

Joey held his arms out to his sides and lifted off the ground. Just hovered there, like a… Ghost. No way in hell…it couldn’t be.

“See, I’m really, truly a ghost. Now, are you ready to hear me out?”

Caster nodded, although he was anything but. He was ready to call the police—or a psych ward.

“I have been unable to move on since my death. My otherworldly mentor—for lack of a better title—told me it was because I can’t rest until Emily is happy. She took my death hard, and now she’s starting to see some dickwad. He’s planning to ask her to marry him, but he only wants her money.”

In spite of the impossibility of the situation, Caster could no longer deny it. Joey Tillman’s ghost was here, in his apartment, asking for a favor. He shook his head. Son of a bitch. “How do you know he only wants her money?”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on him—and her. He’s a greedy bastard. He found out Emily received a large insurance settlement from the insurance company—dying in a plane crash is quite a profitable way to go, FYI—and now he wants to get his hands on that money. He’s had a vasectomy, but he told Emily that he hopes to have children one day. The thing Emily wants most is children. I wasn’t able to give them to her.” He fell silent, cleared his throat, but his voice was still hoarse when he spoke again. “Like I said, he’s tricking her, using her, and I can’t allow that to happen.” He blinked rapidly and pressed his thumb and forefingers into his eyes. “Emily doesn’t deserve that. She’s the best.”

Emily was the best, Caster couldn’t argue with that. “So, where do I come in?” Okay, it was official. He was actually convinced Joey’s ghost was here, and that he needed a favor. Wow.

“I want you to go after her.”

“Go after her? You want me to kill your wife?” Maybe he wanted Emily to join him on the other side?

“No, of course not. I meant, go after her romantically. Sweep her off her feet.”

Caster snorted a laugh. “I thought you didn’t want her with the wrong guy. I’d be worse than the bozo gold digger.”

Joey was nodding before Caster finished speaking. Hell, he didn’t have to agree so vehemently.



Find Alicia here:

Website: http://aliciadean.com/

Blog: http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008364070487

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alicia_Dean_

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/aliciamdean/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468339.Alicia_Dean

~ Who Doesn't Love DESPERATE HEARTS? ~

So happy to have author Rosanne Bittner back and to be kicking off her tour for DESPERATE HEARTS! So, without further ado, here's Rosanne!

Hello, romance readers, from Rosanne Bittner! I’m visiting this blog to tell you about my September book, DESPERATE HEARTS (Sourcebooks). It’s my 59th published book and an exciting tale about a Montana vigilante. Mitch Brady falls in love with a young woman who has come to the little gold town of Alder, Montana under mysterious circumstances. Little does this lawman know that Elizabeth Wainright is wanted for murder back in New York City!

I’ve been writing over 30 years and just turned in my 60thbook. I’m an avid lover of America’s magnificent West, its history, its breathtaking landscape, and all the exciting western action that is food for so many plots. I love to take fictitious characters and wrap them into real American history, telling that history through realistic stories that readers remember long after they finish one of my books.

Next up is a reissue of one of my favorite love stories, OUTLAW HEARTS, new cover and all, next June (2015). The very next month a sequel will be published, DO NOT FORSAKE ME. I’ve seen the proposed cover and it’s lavish, harking back to the dramatic and memorable covers of the sweeping historical romances of the 80’s. Many have told me it reminds them of the famous GONE WITH THE WIND poster of Rhett and Scarlett standing on the bridge with Atlanta burning behind them.

You won’t want to miss DO NOT FORSAKE ME, a story of love, forgiveness, redemption and exciting, often gritty, western action, which contains tragedy and triumph – and some very hot love scenes! The first book is about wanted man Jake Harkner and the woman who loves him and becomes his rock. The story covers several years and brings Jake from the depths of despair to the heights of love and acceptance. The sequel involves Jake’s grown son and daughter and a family closeness that will bring both laughter and tears. I love these two stories and am considering a third book.

I have always wanted to write – wrote tons of poems over my early years – my first poem in the 2d grade – my first short story in the 4th grade – but I never tried a full novel until I was 34 years old. I’d read THE PROUD BREED by Celeste de Blasis, and I just said, “I want to write a great love story like that,” and off I went. Another book that impressed me for many years before I ever tried writing books is A LANTERN IN HER HAND, by Bess Streeter Aldrich. What a wonderful story!

One piece of writing advice is something I learned the hard way and something very important for new writers to remember – watch passive voice and be careful of omnipotence – i.e. let the story happen through the characters and don’t sit “above” the story telling the readers what’s happening. Let it all happen through the characters in an active way. By doing so, readers become even more involved in the story and everything seems more real.

My next project is a toss-up between my first full-length contemporary story and/or another historical Indian/white romance that harks back to the sweeping romances of the 80’s.

You can find me all over the internet – Google, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, Sourcebooks.com, my web site (www.rosannebittner.com), blog site (www.rosannebittner.blogspot.com, and many other social networking sites and blogs. You can go to my web site and “one-click” on book titles to order them or do the same through Amazon. I always attend the Romantic Times convention, and in 2015 it will be held in Dallas, Texas. I hope I see some of you there! Just go to www.Romantictimes.com to find out more about the convention. I’ll be there with flying colors to push OUTLAW HEARTS and DO NOT FORSAKE ME. I have already held several book signings for DESPERATE HEARTS, but one more is coming up on October 25th in Muskegon, Michigan at Barnes & Noble at 1:00 pm.

Be sure to pick up a copy of DESPERATE HEARTS. It’s a great read, and you’ll fall in love with Mitch Brady!

     

Blurb~

SHE’S A WOMAN WITH A SECRET

Elizabeth Wainwright is on the run. Accused of a murder she didn’t commit, she has no choice but to cut ties with her old life and flee West. The last thing she wants is attention, but when her stagecoach is attacked, she suddenly finds herself under the fierce protection of one of Montana’s famed vigilantes…whether she likes it or not.

HE’S A MAN WITH A CODE

Lawman Mitch Brady is sworn to uphold justice in the wild lands of 1860’s Montana. He’s never met a man he’s feared, and he’s never met a woman more desperately in need of his help. Something’s shaken the secretive Elizabeth, but as he gets to know the beautiful city belle, he finds the only thing he wants more than her safety…is her trust.

Excerpt ~

“I really don’t want to dance,” Elizabeth protested, half yelling above the whooping men and loud piano playing. “It hurts my shoulder.”

“Just one little dance, lady?” her partner begged.

“Really, I …”

Suddenly a big fist rammed into her partner’s jaw, sending him flying across two tables. He landed against a bar stool and everyone backed away from Elizabeth. She turned to see Mitch Brady standing there with a dark look of rage in his eyes. “The lady said she didn’t want to dance!” He scanned the room. “Everybody here understand that?”

The man Mitch had clobbered rolled to his knees, groaning.

“Stu was only wantin’ a dance, Mitch,” another man spoke up. “Ain’t no harm in that.”

“There is when the woman was dragged in here against her will and never agreed to the dance.”

Everyone backed farther away, and Elizabeth could see no one in the room was about to give Mitch Brady any more trouble. … He took hold of Elizabeth’s arm and led her toward the swinging doors at the saloon entrance. “Let’s go,” he said.

Elizabeth followed him out.

Bio ~

I’ve been writing for over thirty years and to date have had 60 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, the nationalRWA, National Rifle Association 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 Website you’ll see all my titles 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.

You can find Rosanne here:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Google+ | Pinterest

You can buy DESPERATE HEARTS here: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

More by Rosanne Bittner ~

TENNESSE BRIDE

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Extraordinary…Bittner’s characters spring to life. —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Raised in the hills of Tennessee, Emma Simms dreams of the day she’ll escape her life of poverty to start over in the excitement of Knoxville. But when her mother dies and she’s left with no one but her stepfather, Luke Simms, her dream abruptly becomes a nightmare. Luke plans to send Emma to Knoxville alright—straight to a notorious brothel.

River Joe, the mysterious Cherokee-raised frontiersman, knew from the first time he set eyes on the beautiful Emma that he had to have her as his own. And one glimpse at the handsome, buckskin-clad stranger ignites the flame of dangerous desire in Emma’s heart.

Their passion could consume them both, but their love could very well save her life.

TEXAS BRIDE

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

A man who must choose between his love or his life in this dazzling tale, named a Romantic Times Book Reviews All-Time Favorite.

Rachel Rivers is the most beautiful woman that Brand Selby has ever met. From the moment he laid eyes on the proper schoolteacher and watched her tremble beneath his longing gaze, he knew he wanted nothing more than to win her heart.

But Rachel lives in a land where hatred for the Indian runs deep, and where she is courted by Texas Ranger Jason Brown, Brand’s sworn enemy. But the fate of Rachel and Brand’s love has already been sealed, and not even the prospect of Rachel being cast out from her own kind, nor the threat of Brand’s own demise, can extinguish the flames of desire in their hearts.

OREGON BRIDE

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

On a trail of danger, love follows no set path.

Traveling west aboard a wagon train with her late husband’s family, young widow Marybeth MacKender wishes only to leave behind the memories of her loveless marriage, and to protect her infant son. But the dangers of the train are endless, as are the advances of her brutish brother-in-law who is resolute in claiming Marybeth as his own.

It isn’t until Marybeth meets Joshua Rivers, a frontiersman both tough and tender, that her hope for the future ignites as brightly as the desire in her heart. With courage aroused by passion, Marybeth is determined to face the perils of this rugged terrain for Joshua and the love she feels as great as the odds stacked against them.

FULL CIRCLE

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Rosanne Bittner returns with her hallmark “power, passion, tragedy, and triumph.” —Romantic Times

The last thing sheltered missionary Evelyn Gibbons wants upon arriving at the South Dakota reservation is to fall in love. Yet, from the moment she clashes with Black Hawk, the complicated man of the Sioux, she knows he’s everything she could ever want, and everything she can never have.

Living in the hills with his young son, Black Hawk reveres the ways of his people and is determined to preserve Sioux traditions. But when he meets Evelyn, a woman from the society he most abhors, not even his own prejudices can smother the flame of desire that burns for her.

But in the midst of their unlikely romance is a storm tide of treachery and hate that threatens to destroy their love, and their lives.

UNTIL TOMORROW

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Powerfully charged with thrilling escapades, colorful history, realism, romance, and a pair of memorable characters who prove that love can indeed triumph over everything. —Romantic Times

Addy wants nothing more than to leave her small Illinois home for the gold-rich hills of Colorado, where a teaching job awaits. But her plans are thwarted when a band of outlaws rob the very bank in which she is withdrawing her savings, taking her hostage in the process. Rogue and ruthless, her captives sweep her off to the country with evil intent, but one man stands in the way.

Ex-Confederate soldier Parker Cole doesn’t understand his own fierce determination to protect the beautiful captive from his fellow bandits. Touched by her courage and spirit, he vows to prove his love to her, following Addy to a mining boomtown filled with dreamers and desperados. Fearless though he may be, Parker must summon all of his courage to beat out the line of rich and powerful suitors in the pursuit of the greatest treasure—Addy’s heart.

SAVAGE HORIZONS
Book One of the BLUE HAWK SAGA

Amazon | Nook | iTunes | Kobo

An orphaned half-blood man named Blue Hawk is adopted by a white family and renamed Caleb Sax. Caleb struggles to let go of the only habits and culture he’s ever known – that of the Cheyenne – and gradually learns to live among the whites, but not without great difficulty and prejudice against him in the white world. Through it all he never stops wearing a blue quill necklace that belonged to his Indian mother, a part of his past that will always remind him of his true blood.

Besides Tom and Cora Sax, the white man and woman who love Caleb like their own son, someone else shows Caleb true, loyal love. It is Tom and Cora’s daughter, Sarah. Sarah and Caleb fall in love, instigating years of struggling to stay together against tremendous odds. Sarah discovers Tom Sax is not her real father, and she is stolen away in marriage to a white man she does not love. Devastated, she is led to believe Caleb is dead. Caleb spends years searching for her, and when he finds her at last, a dynasty is born from their blood. 

FRONTIER FIRES
Book Two of the BLUE HAWK SAGA

Amazon | Nook | iTunes | Kobo

Continuing the story of Calab and Sarah Sax, this deeply moving love story takes the readers to Texas, which in 1833 still belongs to Mexico. Living on 49,000 acres in San Filipe de Austin, an American settlement founded by Stephen Austin, Sarah and Caleb witness a phenominal growth in the territory, a population explosion of people looking for free land. All become part of a growing sentiment that Texas should be an independent province and not part of Mexico.

With Sarah and their children, Caleb, known as Blue Hawk to his Cheyenne relatives, and his family find themselves involved in a Mexican war … and eventually their son is involved in the battle for the Alamo. For a time Caleb and Sarah think he’s been killed, and amid all their heartache and turmoil an old enemy comes knocking, someone who once nearly destroyed Caleb and Sarah’s love and life together. Choices must be made, danger lurks everywhere, but the deep connection between Caleb and Sarah can never be broken.

Don’t miss this fabulous continued story of America’s stunning history, and a family that became crucial to the settling of Texas!

DESTINY’S DAWN
Book Three of the BLUE HAWK SAGA

Amazon | Nook | iTunes | Kobo

Book #3 of this Blue Hawk trilogy, brings an epic frontier story to an ending readers won’t want to miss. Caleb searches for his beloved Sarah, who has again been taken from him; while at the same time he helps his children seek their own fortunes in the West. His son Tom rides the outlaw trail in search of men who killed his Mexican wife; Caleb’s daughter Lynda, a dark beauty, finds herself in love with a lawman in the heart of the West; Cale, Lynda’s son, marries a Cheyenne woman and gives his life to the Cheyenne way; and James, Caleb’s youngest son, struggles with his identity and tries to hide his Indian heritage.

DESTINY’S DAWN takes the readers on adventures from Colorado to California, as Caleb searches for Sarah, the love of his life, in a story about a nation divided by blood, and two people united by wild passions. Through it all two things help Caleb stay grounded and determined … his love for his beautiful Sarah … and the blue quill necklace he has worn since a young boy, reminding him of the mother who died giving him birth.

Savage Destiny

Find the Entire Series on Amazon.com in Print

and Now Available for Kindle Download!

Voted BEST WESTERN SERIES by Romantic Times Magazine in 1986, the Savage Destiny books chronicle the lives, love, and adventures of Abbie and Zeke Monroe. To celebrate the publication of the seventh, and last, book of the series in 1996, Zebra reprinted all of the original six books, with attractive new covers.