Spotlight on Souls Estranged

I’m happy to feature Anne B. Cole’s new release…

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Blurb

Back from their adventures in Souls Entwined, Sam Daggett begins a new relationship with Gretta Dobbs, whose memories of their time traveling experience have been erased. Determined to never leave her again, Sam vows to help Gretta, despite the bad luck curse on her heirloom ring. Within hours of their return, tragedy strikes. As Sam becomes the third victim of the bad luck curse, Gretta’s memories of her time spent in the past begin to return. Unable to remember more than snippets, she realizes that anyone close to her is in grave danger. In order to keep Sam and her family safe, she flees in the middle of the night. Finding the perfect summer job in the back hills of Virginia, Gretta unknowingly crosses paths with a serial killer. With guidance from their ancestral spirits, Roxana and Katarina, Sam desperately attempts to find Gretta before the curse strikes again.

Prologue

In the dim morning light of the hospital room, Sam Daggett watched the little cat stretch its front paws before zeroing intense green eyes on him.

“Roxana?” He scrutinized the feline for the slightest twitch of recognition.

Nothing.

Doubting Roxana’s spirit remained entwined within the gray and white cat, he moved his focus to Gretta Dobbs. She slept peacefully with her hand nestled in his. Neither of their families had returned to the hospital. Her garnet ring caught his attention and immediately a sense of foreboding crept up his spine.

His heart sped as images of his time traveling, out-of-body adventure with Gretta flashed through his mind. Roxana, Gretta’s long-dead ancestor, enabled their souls to entwine within nineteenth-century lovers in order to gather information on the cursed ring. Pride, determination, and fear filled him.

“I’m so sorry we didn’t find all of the answers we needed,” Sam whispered as he lifted her hand to his lips. He watched her eyes and listened for the beep of the heart monitor to quicken, satisfied she remained in dreamland. “I know you don’t remember our time together or what we’ve been through.”

He shuddered at the memories. His gaze fell back to the ring. Frustration filled him. The urge to rip it off her hand pounded through him, but he remembered she remained cursed with or without the ring.

Control. I must control my emotions.

He refocused his thoughts on the present and relished in the gratitude of simply being in the same room with her.

A soft sigh escaped her lips and she squeezed his hand before slipping into a deeper slumber.

“With you, nothing is impossible.” Careful not to bump his broken collarbone, Sam leaned closer and murmured, inches from her ear, “Brave and beautiful. Ready and willing to face pirates, spirits, and the horrors of the purgatories to end the family curse.” His heart hammered in his chest as memories of seeking treasure, falling in love, and losing it all flashed within his mind.

“I love you, Gretta. I’ll do everything in my power to earn your love.”

Tracing his fingers over the back of her hand, he touched the face of the ring’s oval red stone. He remembered every moment of their time together, while Gretta’s memories had been erased. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t prevent his thoughts from wandering. Concern prickled his skin as he recalled their quest to understand the ring’s curses.

The most dangerous one, a curse of bad luck, remained a mystery.

He inhaled and pushed his failures away. “Katarina told me to keep my distance from you because of potential tragedy. Nothing will keep me away. I vow to protect and love you forever.”

Gretta’s grip on his fingers tightened. With her hand remaining in his, he brushed a stray lock of hair off her cheek. She released his fingers and nuzzled into his palm with a tiny sigh. He closed his eyes, content to be back in his own body and time with her.

Yet uneasiness crept deep within and the dreadful feeling of impending tragedy grew stronger with every passing minute.

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Bio

annebcoleAnne B. Cole is a genre bending author who enjoys combining supernatural suspense, time travel, and sweet romance with a touch of magical realism in her books.

Anne lives in Indiana with her husband and three teenage children. She teaches preschool and makes time to run so she can eat ice cream and doughnuts. Anne is currently working on Souls Endure, The Final Book of The Souls Trilogy.

Where to find Anne…

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Protagonist Interview

interviewpixIn Between Land and Sea (released in September 2013), I introduced Barbara Davies aka Isabella of the Mediterranean Kingdom. She returns in The Coming of Arabella.

Before writing my novels, I like to interview the characters. Here’s what Barbara had to say at the beginning of The Coming of Arabella.

Continue reading on Kathy Bryson’s blog.


Spotlight on Heather in the Mist

I’m happy to feature Madelyn Hill’s new release…

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Blurb

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

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

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

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

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

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Bio

Madelyn Promo-Photo (2)Madelyn Hill has always loved the written word. From the time she could read and all through her school years, she’d sneak books into her textbooks during school. And she devoured books daily. At the age of 10 she proclaimed she wanted to be a writer. After being a “closet” writer for several years, she sent her manuscripts out there and is now published with Soul Mate Publishing. And she couldn’t be happier!

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

Where to find Madelyn…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

10 Vintage Obsessions

I’m thrilled to welcome Maia Chance to the Power of 10 series. Today, Maia shares the reasons behind her love of research and her latest release, Come Hell or Highball.

Here’s Maia!

Sometimes I deeply suspect that the real reason I write historical mysteries is because of the research portion of the job. Not, mind you, the dry, dusty, dates-and-facts part of historical research. No, I love the stuff.

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Some of my favorites…

Pyrex. To me, colorful vintage Pyrex bowls are like candy. I don’t know why this is, but I take solace in knowing that I’m not the only one . . . and I know this because not only are Pyrex museums in existence, but there are a lot of people on Etsy who are DRIVING UP THE PRICES on Pink Gooseberry Cinderella bowls. *Shakes fist*

Shoes. Louis heels, t-straps, jeweled buckles, button-up . . . I love them all. It is unfortunate that I have somewhat large-ish, wide-ish feet, so I never can find vintage shoes that fit me. At least, not women’s shoes. Maybe men’s. (Although I saw a few pairs of Napoleon Bonaparte’s shoes in a museum exhibit. Shockingly small. They aren’t joking about his tininess.)

Maps. I am a total Map Nerd. I loathe that turn-by-turn navigation lady on computerized maps. She is so micromanaging. I love to unfold paper maps alllllll the way and navigate. And I LOVE looking at old maps. You can get a sense of a historic worldview just by studying, say, the blank spots on old maps.

Clothes. Oh my goodness. One word: Pinterest.

Furniture. I have this theory that the “historical body”—the gestures, carriage, and even, to some extent, the shape of the body itself—is conditioned not only by food, clothing (corsets, for example), and modes of labor, but also by the furniture a person uses on a daily basis. The cushy feather bed or the scratchy straw mattress? The crude stool that makes you hunch to keep your balance, or the straight-backed armchair that presents you as a ruler but makes your lumbar ache?

Transportation. They simply don’t make cars the way they used to. Period.

Food. I adore researching and writing about food. I edit out SO MUCH detail on food from my early drafts. I mean, I totally understand that it can get in the way of a fast-paced plot, but who isn’t at least a little intrigued by towering aspic jellies, Spam mousse, or orgeat?

Slang. I believe there is no better way to give a story the flavor of history than by inserting some choice slang. Butterfly’s boots? Confabulate? Geewillikins? Sign me up!

Makeup. From demure Victorian face powder to 1920’s Maybelline cake mascara to mod nude lips, makeup really sets a historical tone. I purposely created heroines for my two series who happen to have a knack for cosmetic application: One is an actress and the other, well, she simply likes makeup. Part of the reason for this was I wanted them both to be good at creating disguises. Also, secretly, I want a reason to study vintage magazine ads.

Houses. Here’s another place I have to pare way, way down with the description. I’m totally serious when I say that all of my books have started with a house. Before the characters, before the plot. Because a house (or a castle, chateau, shack) is so suggestive of both a time period and, well, just sitting empty there, it’s got to be filled with a story.

Come Hell or Highball (2)

Blurb

31-year-old society matron Lola Woodby has survived her loveless marriage with an unholy mixture of highballs, detective novels, and chocolate layer cake, until, her husband dies suddenly, leaving her his fortune…or so Lola thought. As it turns out, all she inherits from Alfie is a big pile of debt. Pretty soon, Lola and her stalwart Swedish cook, Berta, are reduced to hiding out in the secret love nest Alfie kept in New York City. But when rent comes due, Lola and Berta have no choice but to accept an offer made by one of Alfie’s girls-on-the-side: in exchange for a handsome sum of money, the girl wants Lola to retrieve a mysterious reel of film for her. It sounds like an easy enough way to earn the rent money. But Lola and Berta realize they’re in way over their heads when, before they can retrieve it, the man currently in possession of the film reel is murdered, and the reel disappears. On a quest to retrieve the reel and solve the murder before the killer comes after them next, Lola and Berta find themselves navigating one wacky situation after another in high style and low company.

Charming, witty, often laugh-out-loud funny, Maia Chance’s Come Hell or Highball introduces a sparkling new voice in crime fiction.

Bio

MaiaChance_Photo-262x300 (2)Maia Chance writes historical mystery novels that are rife with absurd predicaments and romantic adventure. She is the author of the Fairy Tale Fatal and The Discreet Retrieval Agency series. Her first mystery, Snow White Red-Handed, was a national bestseller. Her latest releases are Cinderella Six Feet Under and Come Hell or Highball.

Where to find Maia…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon


RB’s 10 Favorite Quotes

I’m thrilled to welcome Soul Mate author R.B. Austin to the Power of 10 series. Today, RB shares her favorite quotes.

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Here’s RB!

Thank you so much for hosting me, Joanne! Listed below are ten of my favorite quotes.

I love words that when pulled together cause me to think. To feel. Or want to change. Or help me realize I’m not alone this is a huge, sometimes scary, world.

I hope you, dear readers, find some inspiration to brighten or change your day.

1. Never give up…No one knows what’s going to happen next. –L. Frank Baum

2. The mind I love must have wild places. –Katherine Mansfield

3. And what is empty turns its face to us / and whispers: / “I am not empty, I am open.” Tomas Transtromer

4. Do you think that I count the days? There is only one day left, always starting over: it is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk. –Jean-Paul Sartre

5. In a time of destruction, create something. –Maxine Hong Kingston

6. Is this why we love at all? To save. –From the movie “A Winters Tale”

7. For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought. –Edmund Spenser

8. Be a lamp, a lifeboat, or a ladder… -Rumi

9. We can only die in the future, I thought; right now we are always alive. –Amy Hempel

10. Your thorns are the best part of you. –Marianne Moore

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Blurb

The war between Apollyon and the Trihune has begun.

Lucas scours the street in need of a fix. He captures his enemy instead of kills. Spins lies instead of truth. Seeks darkness instead of light. So close to the edge with no concern for the fall.

The map was foretold. Its key long lost.

Sent on a mission to find the key necessary to defeat Apollyon, Lucas meets Kate. Fiery, powerful, unable-to-touch-any-object Kate. As his feelings for her grow, the addiction inside him wanes.

Until he learns she is not meant for him.

Find the key. Find the way and triumph.

His future with Kate is bleak. The darkness, too hard to control. The key, still lost.

Can Lucas win the battle raging inside his body in order to win the war rising on the streets?

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Bio

rbaustinRB Austin enjoys torturing dogs (dressing her Cairn terrier in knitted sweaters and booties), embarrassing her daughter (singing in the car . . . at the top of her lungs . . . with the windows open . . . at a stop light), and indulging in the second deadliest sin (chocolate, Swedish fish, chocolate, sour patch watermelons, and chocolate).

This author’s love of the sun puts in her in the more-than-likely-not-a-vampire category, unless you’re referring to the bloodsuckers in her Trihune series, then all bets are off.

She likes stalkers! . . . Well, not the creepy kind. So if you’re not creepy, she’d love to meet up with you on Facebook or Twitter.

Where to find RB…

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Happy Release Day!

At the Quilt Show

Quilts at the Grand Show - June 6, 2015

Quilts on the Grand Show – June 6, 2015

It was one of those spur-of-the-moment ideas that seemingly came out of nowhere. But thinking back, I do recall hearing about the “Quilts on the Grand Show” for several weeks before the actual event. The advertisements appeared in local papers, and several establishments—including the library branches—proudly displayed the work of these talented artisans.

When I found myself with several free hours on that Saturday afternoon in early June, I headed up to Fergus, a short thirty-minute drive away. Having never quilted, I didn’t anticipate spending too much at the show and planned on visiting other shops in the area.

Continue reading on Catherine Castle’s blog.


Spotlight on Dancing in the Athenian Rain

I’m happy to feature Katie Hamstead’s new release…

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Blurb

When Donna is sent back in time to Classical Athens, she’s furious at Dr. Stephens for sending her against her wishes. Then a Greek soldier purchases her to be his wife.

She’s forced to learn a new language and culture, and faces her fears of never returning to her own time. The society hates her, especially because they think she’s an Amazon, which forces her to confront her issues—being compared to her genius brother, borderline abusive friends, and a cheating boyfriend.

But her husband, Peleus, is kind and patient. Although against her best judgment, she allows him into her heart. He counters all the negative voices from her past, but those voices drive a wedge between them. She must let go of her fears, her inhibitions, and insecurities, and admit her feelings, or she could lose him and the life they’ve built.

goodreads


Buy Links

Amazon (US) | Amazon (Australia)

Bio

katie-teller-author-photo-2-3 (2)Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.

After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.

She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She currently works as an Acquisitions Editor with Curiosity Quills Press to help support her family.

Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.p

Where to find Katie…

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads