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The End of My Blogger Account

This is going to be my last official post for my Blogger blog. It's a sad day. I've been going strong with this blog since 2013, but I feel it no longer provides what I need. I've been toying with the idea of creating a Wordpress website for a while, so after a lot of procrastination, I've finally decided to do it. This blog will remain live, and I'll share the posts and respond to any comments that I see.

Thank you to everyone who has liked and followed throughout the years. Your patronage means the world to me. I hope to see you again on my new WP site: https://amberdaulton.com/

#NewRelease #CharacterInterview - "The Story Between Us" by Darlene Deluca

Congrats on your new release, Darlene, and I'm so happy the heroine from your novel has stopped by for a chat. 

Let's get started...

What’s your name?

Hi, I’m Kristen Hanover, heroine of The Story Between Us

What do you look like? 

I’ve got brown hair with reddish highlights that falls a few inches below my shoulders. I tend to wear it down or in a single braid. I also have green eyes and a smattering of freckles across my cheeks that seem to explode in the summer.

What time period does your story take place? 

It’s a story of contemporary life. We could be friends today! 

What conflicts are you facing?

To tell you the truth, they’re wearing me thin. I’m trying to focus on my career and really make the most of my recent success, but there’s so much going on to distract me. My brother is ready to sell the family farm following my mother’s death, so I’m facing the big cleanout and having to sell our horses – including my own pet, Star. It’s a tough, emotional time for me. Then I meet a really sweet kid and get a great story idea based on one of his heartwarming memories of his parents. I have visions of adorable illustrations and a treasured keepsake for this charming little boy who likes my books. I’m thinking of a dedication, maybe a scholarship fund from a portion of the sales. We’re both excited about the idea. Then his uncle/guardian accuses me of exploiting the boy – using him to make a couple of bucks. Whoa! Are you kidding me?

What is your occupation? Are you any good at it? Do you like it?

I write children’s books, and I love it. My newest book shot up the charts and became a bestseller, so I’m now on tour visiting classrooms and bookstores and meeting my adorable young fans. Interacting with them is a blast. Kids are so funny, and I’m humbled to be an influence in their lives. 

What skill do you have that you’re proud of? Why?

Besides writing, I have a couple of skills, or talents. I can handle a horse pretty well and love to ride. I also play guitar. Now that I think about it, it’s interesting that both of these things are activities that help me wind down, to clear my head and let my thoughts wander. They soothe my soul. And I’ve found that they can help others. In this story, I’m able to connect with a little kid, that’s Dylan, by playing my guitar in a private jam session. Music has a way of bringing people together. And because I have some horsemanship skills, I’m able to help Dylan overcome his fear of horses, which has caused some issues on his grandpa’s ranch. I’m definitely proud of that accomplishment! 

What did you think the first time you saw Reed?

I noticed two things about Reed Armstrong right away. First, he was a fine speciman – good looking, nicely put together and kind of a hunk. But, second, I could tell he wasn’t thrilled about being dragged to a book signing that evening. He seemed bored and ready to get out of there. I caught that look of impatience in his otherwise gorgeous smoky blue eyes. So, while he sent my heart rate spiking, he also got my defenses up. After all, my book signing in a popular Dallas bookstore was a great place to be! 

What do you wish your author had not told others about you?

Sigh. I don’t think it was necessary for her to tell everyone that I’d been warned, that I was headed for trouble and it was my own fault. Okay, yes, my agent had warned me about getting involved with fans. She said it was a bad idea – more than once. But Dylan is such a sweet kid, and I couldn’t turn away from him and his tragedy. His uncle…well, he needed help, too. They tugged at my heartstrings. Maybe I should’ve been more cautious, but come on, who wants to hear “I told you so?!”

Book Tag: When a children’s book author gets a story idea from a young fan who’s lost his parents in a tragic accident, she knows she’s hit gold. She sees a bestseller and heartwarming keepsake. But the boy’s guardian sees exploitation. 

Blurb:

Her agent warned her not to get attached to a fan. But children's book author Kristen Hanover is about to break the rules. Kristen meets a young boy who is a victim of a tragic accident and is drawn into the heartbreaking situation.

Six years ago, Reed Armstrong never imagined he'd actually become guardian of his sister's boy. Now he is, and most days he's not sure he's up to the task.

When he and Dylan meet Kristen, Reed downplays his nephew's crush on the author. But as their lives become unexpectedly intertwined, he finds himself captivated as well. Trouble is, she sells stories for a living. Does she truly care about Dylan…and Reed, or is she using them for her own career advancement?

Excerpt:

Reed pulled his keys out of his pocket. In the doorway, he folded his arms and leaned against the casing. “Can I ask you a question?”

Chest pounding, Kristen forced a smile. “Of course.” She took a couple of steps toward him and braced a hand against the back of the sofa.

“Is writing your only reason for being here?”

Heavy, charged air closed around her. How to answer that? Honestly, of course, but…how honestly? “Well, writing is my goal for sure. But—” She glanced around the room before looking at him again. “I’d love to ride my horse, er, Star, and spend some time with…with people I like, too.”

As he pushed off from the door, a slow grin spread across his face. “Sounds like an excellent plan.” He sauntered closer. About a foot away, he stopped. “You’re good with dinner at the main house tonight? Don’t let Dylan bully you. You decide.”

She gave a shaky laugh. That was the plan, right? She couldn’t remember for sure. Her brain was going fuzzy. “I’d love to,” she managed to say.

He leaned closer, his breath warm on her cheek. She braced herself for a friendly peck, but when her eyes fluttered shut, his lips grazed hers. Hovered there, and when she thought her legs might give out, Reed caught her arm and pulled her slightly toward him, his lips covering hers again.

Sparks exploded in her brain, and she grabbed hold of his arm. All of her senses came alive and responded to the unexpected deluge.

A long moment later, he pulled back and brushed a thumb across her cheek. “See you in about an hour.”

Kristen could only nod. As soon as the door closed behind him, she collapsed against the sofa. She ran a finger along her bottom lip. That kiss…Oh, man. The chances of her getting any writing done this weekend just dropped from unlikely to who-said-anything-about-writing?

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DCVKMWV/ref=sr_1_4?
crid=1QUV3FX6BY0ZF&dchild=1&keywords=darlene+deluca&qid=1595387096&s=books&sprefix=darle%2Caps%2C173&sr=1-4

https://www.thewildrosepress.com/genre/sweet-rom

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-story-between-us-darlene-deluca/1137387092?ean=2940162985785

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-story-between-us/id1525107147

Author Bio:

Darlene Deluca writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction, and likes to explore relationships – what brings people together or keeps them apart.

Her intent is to bring to life interesting characters that readers can relate to in real-life situations that combine a little fun, plenty of drama (with perhaps a tear or two), and big helpings of friendship, love and self-discovery, and will leave readers either cheering or sighing with a satisfied smile as they turn the final page.

The Kansas City author enjoys getting lost in a good story with a glass of tea, a bit of dark chocolate and a warm, sunny beach. 

Social Media Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6879809.Darlene_Deluca
https://www.pinterest.com/darlenedelucaau/boards/
https://www.instagram.com/darlenedelucaauthor/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/Darlene-Deluca-282385088481413/?ref=bookmarks
https://twitter.com/darlene_deluca1

Website: https://darlenedeluca.com/

#BookReview – “Say You Love Me” by E.R. Whyte

Blurb

Five years ago, a boyhood dream came true when the prettiest girl I ever knew kissed me on a dare and sent my world spinning. I've crushed on Shiloh Brookings for five long years, the memory of that kiss making other girls come in a distant second.

Imagine my surprise when a friend drags me to a strip club in a neighboring town and the dancer on the stage is none other than Shiloh. AKA Miss Cherry Pie, the sweetest, hottest thing you ever did see.

My first instinct is to grab her down off that stage and hide her away from all those eyes.

My second? Figure out WTH has her up there in the first place. That's not the Shiloh I remember.

Shiloh's life is crazy-complicated, though.

Her present is burdened with baggage from her past, so she has no interest in letting anyone get close. And she may be a stripper by night, but I've just learned that she's teaching in my high school by day, which makes her completely off-limits.
And now she's attracted the attention of a stalker, and the stakes are getting more desperate every day.

Can I win her trust and break down her walls quickly enough to help her?

Review

In book one in the Reclaiming Heaven series, high school teacher Shiloh Brookings moonlights as a stripper to pay for a slew of bills, including her disabled brother’s rehab. If anyone finds out about her after-hours activities, she would be fired from her teaching job and publicly humiliated. Unfortunately for her, two of her students are patrons of the strip club.

High school senior Gunner Ford has been crushing on Shiloh for years. She’s three years older than him, and they attended high school together when he was a freshman and she a senior. Now, she’s his teacher and a new stripper at his friend’s dad’s club. He pursues her—both in school and at the club. They have a history, and despite the consequences, he’s determined to make her his.

I’m not sure how to describe this story. It’s a cross between YA and NA with erotica undertones, and I only think of it as being YA because several characters are in high school and some scenes take place there. Otherwise, it’s NA due to the subject matter.

Shiloh is an interesting character. She’s tough and prepared to do anything and everything in order to provide for her handicapped brother. She’s also desperate and vulnerable, and she makes some mistakes that anyone who was thinking straight wouldn’t have made—like starting a relationship with her student. Her flaws made her a realistic person, and I felt bad for her.

I couldn’t connect with Gunner. Even though he cares a great deal for Shiloh, he’s manipulative and arrogant, which he freely admits. He pursues her against her wishes and doesn’t seem to care that she will get into a lot of trouble if anyone finds out they’re together. I had a very difficult time seeing him as an adult because of this.

About the villain/stalker, I liked him. I don’t know who he is (it wasn’t mentioned), but I enjoyed his scenes and the mania he’s going through in trying to get Shiloh to choose him.

There are some great secondary characters: Shane, Sammy, and Dr. Adams add layers to the story. I’m not crazy about Miles, Gunner’s best friend, though.

Shiloh is 21, and Gunner is 18/19. The age difference didn’t bother me—after all, what’s three years?—but the situation was off-putting (a high school student and his teacher). I think the story would’ve worked much better had Gunner been in college with Shiloh as his professor, but that’s just my opinion.

The story ends on a cliffhanger, so there are lots of questions that will be answered in the next book.

I don’t read 1^st person narrative often, but for the most part, I wasn’t confused as to whose perspective I was reading from. I like Ms. Whyte’s flowing writing style and how she goes into deep POV with the characters’ emotions and thoughts. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

Thank you to Ms. Whyte for sending me this ARC. I voluntarily reviewed it.
4 Stars

#AuthorInterview #BookSpotlight - "Always, Almond Fudge" by Charlotte O'Shay

Let's welcome Charlotte to the hot seat.

I love chatting with authors, so I'm happy you've stopped by! 

 
It’s a pleasure to visit you, Amber. I enjoy your book reviews and blog. 

Aw. Thanks! :) Let's get started... We all need a little inspiration in our lives. What’s your favorite quote and why? 
You can’t hit a homerun if you don’t swing the bat. 
This quote reminds me every day to be better, build on my skills, learn more, put myself out there, and swing for the fences. 

Do any of your characters take over and write the book themselves sometimes? 
All the time. Since I am mostly a pantser, I start a story with an idea or a loose outline. The characters then take my idea and run with it. It’s pretty much my favorite part about being a writer. 

Sometimes the romance genre gets a bad reputation for being cliché and full of Fabios. How do you respond to that? 
Clearly people who talk about Fabios haven’t read romance. Sometimes romance book covers can be a little ‘out there’ but so what? Once you read them, the creative skill of romance authors is evident, the quality of the writing equal to any fiction. The stories span from contemporary to historical to urban fantasy…you name it. As long as at the center of the story, there’s a growing romance between the main characters. 
Romances celebrate the belief that we all want and need love, no matter who we are. Everyone deserves a happily ever after. 

Any advice for the aspiring authors out there? Particularly those who are feeling a little discouraged? 
Write every day. Your voice is unique. Don’t let anyone stop you from telling your stories. Hard work pays off. My only regret is I didn’t start my writing career sooner. 

Besides writing and reading, what are some of your hobbies?
Ugh, I was going to say reading & writing! My family is growing and I crave more time with them. I have fun playing board games, refinishing furniture, exploring new places, walking whether in the city or in nature. Transcendental meditation reduces stress and aids in creativity. 

That's great! I wish I could figure out how to meditate. Thank you again for chatting with me!

Blurb

On a lengthy car ride to their annual seaside vacation, a mother recounts the true story of a sweet family tradition.
It's the summer of 1941 in the seaside town of Langford, Rhode Island, and seventeen-year-old Meredith Franklin works as a server at Seymore's Ice Cream Shoppe.
When aspiring baseball player Anthony Fanelli strolls into the ice cream shop, his teasing banter leads to romantic sparks and dreams of forever love.
Their whirlwind courtship comes to an abrupt halt on December 7, 1941, when America enters World War Two, forcing the couple to put their future on hold.
Decades later, a treasure trove of wartime letters details the romance of Merry and Anthony and the sacrifices of a generation.

Excerpt

Merry swallowed. Her powers of speech deserted her as she soaked in his animated features. What was happening to her? A planner by nature, Merry wasn’t ready for the way her imagination was flying off, far into the future. A future where she’d see the strong planes of Anthony’s tanned face every day for the rest of her life. Frightened by the strength of her vision, she occupied her trembling fingers, rearranging the cups and napkins behind the counter. It was getting near to nine p.m. She had work to do to close the shop.

“So, I’ve come for my ice cream. Your favorite.”

“You’re very confident,” she said. Her heartbeat fluttered then galloped forward with a curious combination of nerves and exhilaration.

He pressed his big hands to his thighs and shrugged. “Confident is the only way to go through life.”

Merry felt herself sinking deep into his densely lashed eyes. “I couldn’t agree more. Okay, Mr. Anthony Fanelli, which flavor do you choose?” 

Buy Links 

Books2Read Universal Buy Link 

(click above link for Amazon, Kobo, Apple/IBooks, Barnes & Noble Nook & Google)

Author Bio

Award winning Author Charlotte O’Shay was born in New York City into big family and then married into another big family.
Negotiating skills honed at the dinner table led her to a career in the law.
After four beautiful children joined the crowded family tree, Charlotte traded her legal career to write about happily ever afters in the City of Dreams.
Charlotte loves to challenge her heroines and heroes with a crisis and watch them figure out who they are while they fall in love.

Social Media Links:

WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
PINTEREST
FACEBOOK PAGE
BOOKBUB

#PreOrder - "Moonlight Kisses & MugShots" by Lorelei Confer

 

Blurb

Veronica (Ronnie) Travis, Miami policewoman, now a Saddle Creek, WY Sheriff’s Deputy and
the new owner of Travis B&B, thanks to her Aunt Sally, who leads her on a scavenger hunt to
discover her illegal activities.
Sheriff Mitch Rogers, a permanent non-paying guest at Travis B&B is convinced the late owner
of the B&B had secrets; big ones. And hopes to find out what it is from his new deputy, Ronnie,
if he can only keep it professional between them.
After Rosie’s Diner becomes a crime scene with an ensuing investigation, Ronnie has to sacrifice
everything she’s come to love and treasure, but is Mitch included? Or is Ronnie leading Mitch
on a wild goose chase just like her Aunt Sally?

The premise for Saddle creek series:

Four male friends since childhood grow up in the small town of Saddle Creek, WY, located in the shadows of the Grand Tetons Mountain range. They consider themselves brothers from another mother; share and help each other through the growing pains of adulting after high school and remain loyal to each other throughout; one goes to college, another buys the horse ranch he’s worked/lived on since a young age, one joins the military, and the fourth becomes the local Sheriff.

Moonlight Kisses and Mug Shots is the fourth in the series, the story of Sheriff Mitch Rogers and his new Deputy Veronica “Ronnie” Travis, who is also the new owner of Travis B&B located in Saddle Creek and where the Sheriff resides. And how or why did Ronnie from Miami, Florida become the owner of the B&B in Saddle Creek, WY? This book will be released August 25, 2020.

Excerpt

Ronnie headed out to get familiar with the area. The roads were wet but clear of snow, so she took her time and enjoyed the scenery. She found an indoor shooting range just outside the town limits. Since she wanted to be sharp and on her toes in case the sheriff tested her skills, she parked, grabbed her gear bag from the trunk, and went inside.

The range was relatively small, only six booths, three occupied by men. She found the area, the second on the right assigned to her, but the man in the first one caught her eye. Dropping her bag on the shelf, she back stepped a few paces and gave him the once-over, admiring him from top to bottom. After all, who wouldn’t? Certainly, not a normal hot-blooded woman like me. She loved how his snug jeans cupped a firm butt.

Tall, dark, and handsome. His light-blue denim shirt tugged tight across his back as his muscles bulged when he pulled the trigger. When he looked her way, she quickly averted her eyes but not before she glimpsed his handsome face and thick dark-brown hair. No way did she want to get caught staring at the hottest man she’d seen in some time.

Back in her booth, she placed her loaded weapon on the small shelf. Safety goggles were next and, of course, earplugs. When she pushed a button on the wall to her right, the target sped out about fifty feet.

It appeared she and Mr. Handsome were the only two remaining shooters. She swallowed, established her stance, and lifted her gun. Nice and easy, she thought, as she steadied her arm and took aim. After six quick shots, she brought the target in, removed the empty magazine, and placed it on the shelf to be reloaded. She quickly put her gun on the shelf and studied the target: six perfect bull’s-eyes. Excited at the results, she jumped, and then quickly covered her mouth before a squeal escaped. She hadn’t lost her excellent sharpshooter skills after all, despite not practicing for a few weeks while packing and making arrangements for the move.

“That’s some pretty good shooting,” a deep voice, smooth as butter with a slight huskiness, came from over her right shoulder. She swiveled her body sideways where Mr. Handsome stood close to her. His body heat radiated in the small area, sending sparks throughout her body. She licked her suddenly dry lips and ran a finger across her upper lip, wiping off the few tiny droplets of sweat that had accumulated. He was about a foot or more taller than her, and her eyes traveled up his muscled chest to where a navy T-shirt peaked out underneath at his throat. When her eyes met his, she inhaled. They were a beautiful dark brown with golden flecks. An instant jolt coursed through her body, and a chill ran down her spine. She stared at him until he cleared his throat.

Turning, she took a step closer to the target. “Thank you.”

Just .99 cents!

Pre-Order Links for Moonlight Kisses & MugShots
 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08964Q92V

UBL: https://books2read.com/u/bMPwo7

BIO of Donna Confer w/a Lorelei Confer

Lorelei Confer lives on a peninsula in the mid-west coast of Florida with her high school sweetheart, now husband, and AJ, her longhaired Chihuahua.
In the fourth grade, she wrote her first story—something about getting a shot at the doctors—that was produced by the teacher for parents and students in an assembly. When she was older, she spilled her guts in a journal every night and wrote long newsy love letters to Viet Nam.
She is a multi-published author of romantic suspense with two series: The Deadly series and the Saddle Creek series along with numerous others and novellas. She loves to hear from her readers so if you want to stay “in the know” visit her website, sign up for her newsletter.

#PreOrder #GuestPost - "Middle Ageish" by Shirley Goldberg

How Much of Middle Ageish is True?

Many thanks to Amber Daulton for hosting me on her lovely blog.

I’m a newbie author, so squeaky new my book isn’t even out yet. Ten more days to go. August 26 is the release date.

So why a book about a woman who starts over, moves from Paris, France to New Haven, CT, goes back to school, and online dates?

My friends asked the same question. Since the book’s heroine, Sunny Chanel, is online dating, they sneak in a few questions when we’re enjoying a virtual happy hour. “How much is autobiographical?” “Was that a true story about the 300-pound man Sunny dated?” “Did you really go on six meets in one week?”

Sure, there’s a bit of me in Middle Ageish, but making fiction, and turning experience into a belly laugh is much more fun than humans should have. And I’m having the time of my life, pumping my checkered past for “copy” as Nora Ephron (or was it her mother?) calls everything that’s story material. From a trip to Walmart where an old guy mistakes your shopping cart for his (Subtract twenty years and turn that into a Meet Cute scene?) to an online meet with a guy who’s got the sort of beard that catches in his zipper, my mind clicks and grinds, always on the chase for a story.

And, yes, I used to hide my pocket journal in my overlarge (for a date) handbag and scribble notes in the ladies’ room midway through a date. Isn’t that why someone invented that cliché, the devil’s in the details? I sat through dozens of first-meets where guys talked about themselves for forty-five minutes straight and never asked me any questions, or somehow thought I’d be googly-eyed with mirth at their date-from-hell stories.

So when I wrote about Sunny sneaking off to the restroom to jot down thoughts during her dates, well, yes, I did do that. Sometimes, I’d even call a friend for advice. From the toilet, I’m admitting it. Let’s call him Peter, and say he’s got world-class experience in the dating department. He’s real and he’s on my website.

And I still have that little packed-with-memories journal. 

Shirley Goldberg
Middle Ageish/Romantic Women’s Fiction

Middle Ageish Blurb

Sunny Chanel's marriage is circling the drain when her husband marks his colonoscopy on the calendar and ignores their anniversary. With divorce papers instead of roses on the horizon, she says "au revoir" Paris and croissants, and "hello" cheap New Haven apartment and ramen noodles.
Encouraged by her friends, Sunny jumps into online dating, twenty-three years and twenty pounds after her last date. To her surprise she discovers dating might require a helmet, and occasionally armor to protect her heart, but after years of being ignored, her adventurous side craves fun and conversation. She's middle-aged not dead. Then suddenly, on the way to reinventing herself, life takes a left turn when the one man she can't forget calls with an unexpected request. 

Excerpt from Middle Ageish

I slouched at my computer and peered at the screen. The letsclick.com dating site was becoming my best friend. 

The first email in the lineup was from Luke. Soulmate Guy, I called him, because he was the first who’d talked about the soulmate thing—even though there were 7,000 other guys online clamoring for a soulmate.

Cute, too, with Jeff Bridges hair. Jeff still had hair, didn’t he?

A popcorn sound startled me––newbie dater that I was––and a cartoon bubble appeared on the screen with Luke’s image. Would you like to chat with Luke?

Well, that was a dumb question. I hit the yes button. Yes, yes I would. Chat was the site’s version of texting and this was my first time.

—Luke: Hey, got a few minutes? This messaging is friendlier than old school emails. How goes it? Back from vacation. Went to the island. So different there in the winter. Beautiful in a different way. Just came home from doing a little bar dancing. I stayed about an hour. Every once in a while, I do that on a tense night. This was my tense night.

—Sunny: Tense, shmense. What’s wrong?

—Luke: One of those old girlfriend things. We have a lot in common—biking, riding, skiing, and some total madness thrown in, but she doesn’t give me space. It’s complicated.

— Sunny: What’s with the old girlfriend thing? If you’ll be so kind as to be my dating mentor, I have a question. Dating mentor, is it wise to redate old girl/boy friends?

—Luke: Absolutely not, are you nuts? My prob is I don’t like being alone. I like sharing things with someone.

—Sunny: So what is it you look for in a woman? Really, I’m not fooling around here.

—Luke: I know you’re not. I’m taking your question seriously. Well, I’m past craving the 30 year olds with zero body fat and total flawless skin. That is a truly good thing since I’m 54 and they wouldn’t want me anyhow. But our bodies are important, the only one we have, so I can’t pretend I don’t care about the shape a woman is in. I like smiles, legs, arms, necks. You get the picture. Oh, can’t forget that erotic zone called the mind. That’s most of it.

—Sunny: Wow!

—Luke: I can’t stand it anymore. I’m signing off here so I can call you. Give me your phone number. Please. Now—

PreOrder Middle Ageish at your favorite bookstore
Available on August 26, 2020 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DHHGVSD
Apple: https://tinyurl.com/y37cbc5u
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/yyuwpq6o

About the Author 

Shirley Goldberg is a writer, novelist, and former ESL and French teacher who’s lived in Paris, Crete, and Casablanca. She writes about men and women of a certain age starting over. Her website http://midagedating.com offers a humorous look into dating in mid life, and her friends like to guess which stories are true. Middle Ageish is her first book in the series Starting Over. Her character believes you should never leave home without your sense of humor and Shirley agrees.

MY SOCIALS:

https://twitter.com/mylifeasadate
https://www.facebook.com/midagedating
https://www.instagram.com/shirleygoldbergauthor/

Visit my website for another excerpt from the book and grab a copy of Happy Hour, a short story about an online meet and a misunderstanding. https://midagedating.com/

#GuestPost by Linda Nightingale

Something Writing Related: The Hallowed (and Harrowed) Pig Path to Publication

You know those people who were published the day they began marketing the book. Success was just as immediate. These lucky souls are the envy of the writing community…and a rarity.

Not I. The road to publication was a long, harrowed journey into the farther reaches of the universe. I should have been put into crypto freeze and launched by NASA. It took me forever!

I started writing in 1992. I was only two years old, mind you. I don’t want to drop any clues about my age. My first book was The Vampyre Effect, and it grew to over 1,000 pages because I loved the hero and followed him everywhere:- parties, performances, and would have followed him to the bathroom, but my vampires don’t use the ‘facilities’. The book evolved over the years, the first ever-evolving chapter winning a contest or two. Along the way, this mammoth masterpiece became Sinners’ Opera, which was finally chopped in two and published by Double Dragon Publishing. (In 2019, my rights reverted to me, and the book was re-released by The Wild Rose Press).

But my first book wasn’t my first to be released.

During this time, I bred, trained, and showed the magnificent Andalusian horse. Breed magazines published various of my articles, but my real love was fiction. A friend who was a new author with The Wild Rose Press urged me to submit a romance to them. Problem. There was only one romance in my stable of books, and it wasn’t complete—was never meant to be finished.

I found two naked parts of a short story in my computer. Like Victor Frankenstein, I sewed them together. Voila, a romance to submit.

So, my first fiction publication was Black Swan in 2009. I scraped my courage and ego off the floor (lots of rejections will do that) and sent it to an editor I’d met at a convention in San Antonio. When Callie Lynn Wolfe at The Wild Rose Press accepted Black Swan, I danced, then broke open a bottle of champagne with my recent ex, and he danced, too. (Maybe, he wasn’t such a bad ex after all.)

At the time, The Wild Rose Press accepted only romance. After Black Swan, a vampire short story by the way, I was again at a loss with my dark fantasies. Another author friend in Nebraska of all places told me Double Dragon Publishing in Canada was open for submissions. I sent a book I thought would never, ever get published to DDP. In 2 weeks, they actually sent me a contract for Gemini Rising. GR’s theme, though it’s explained at the end, is taboo to most publishers; controversial at best. DDP published the book in 2012. My first published novel! YAY! I was on my way. Move over (insert name of famous author here.)

Back to the future.

Eight books later, Callie is still my editor, and my latest release, Life for Sale, is dedicated to her for all her help and guidance over the years. Life for Sale is the second book in the Tomorrow’s Angels series. Love For Sale is the beginning of March and Christian’s tale.

Love For Sale began life as a short story and won first place from the Houston Writers Guild in that category. One day, I happened upon it in my computer, poured a glass of wine (it was after five somewhere) and began to write. Love For Sale wasn’t the easiest novel I’ve ever written, perhaps because I thought of it as a short story. After almost a year of nitpicking, I turned it into a novel, sent it to Callie, and it was published in 2015. Love is available at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XCZ6EVY?pf_rd_r=RMGMHRY09DG32M35H8RQ&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee and is on sale on Amazon for only 99-cents!

In the series Tomorrow’s Angels, Christian is a sentient android, indistinguishable from human—an intelligent being with emotions. March, his owner, saw a small ad in a women’s journal advertising “love for sale”. When she flew to England to Mayfair Electronics, she found her dream man, and at an extremely high price in terms of dollars-and-cents, made him hers. However, her past and his future soon endanger their happiness—indeed their lives.

March and Christian return in Life for Sale, the second in the series, available for preorder on Amazon.

~*~

Publication? My advice to new writers? When discouragement breathes down your neck, shiver. Prescription:- Promptly remember you love writing—just how much you adore that hero or heroine. Instead of letting a rejection stop you dead in your tracks, write for yourself again. The road may be harrowing but think of all the adventures you and your characters can have and kiss your Muse. You are a writer. You love your craft. Write. Persevere. Success? You’re more successful than (insert name of famous author here.)

Amber, thanks oodles for allowing me to guest on your lovely blog.

Title:        Life for Sale

Genre:        Sci-fi Romance

Publisher:    The Wild Rose Press

ISBN:     
978-1-5092-3215-4 Paperback
978-1-5092-3216-1 Digital 

Length:    262 pages

Release Date:    August 24, 2020

Tagline:    A sentient, humanlike android and his owner race to stop an insane robot before someone else dies

Keywords:    Sci-fi Romance, murder mysteries, romantic suspense, fantasy Romance, contemporary romance, New Releases, The Wild Rose Press, sentient androids, robots, humanlike androids, Linda Nightingale, Life for Sale, Love for Sale, book series, Love For Sale sequel, Tomorrow’s Angels series.

BLURB:

Mayfair Electronics has created life.

But four of their Special Editions—sentient androids indistinguishable from human—have escaped. Rebel, Christian Aguillard and his owner, March, are on the run, but they have a bigger problem than his creator's plan to destroy him. They've discovered that one of the renegades has suffered a dangerous malfunction, threatening them with more than just exposure.

Trapped on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic, March and Christian must stop the insane robot before someone else dies. All the evidence points to March being the killer's next victim.

EXCERPT:

“Why are you here? To spout more nonsense?” Spitting mad, Monica reared up in her enemy’s face.

“Not at all.” March’s hand flashed, almost too rapidly for Monica to see, and came down hard below her nose in a Judo-like attack.

Shocked and in pain, she stumbled back, switching modes as she pushed off the bed. “That’s it, whore. You’re a dead woman.”

“I don’t think so,” her rival gritted out, hands braced on her hips, her expression as cold and hard as her mediocre brown eyes. She shook her head. “Look, Monica, I know you’re aware of your actions. I’m going to give you a chance. You must deactivate until we can safely transport you to Dr. Cross for testing. Surely, you know something is wrong.”

“As they say in the films, you and whose army?” She squared her shoulders, preparing to strike without notice. “I didn’t do anything to that bloody dog. I didn’t do anything to you, fool.”

“You didn’t mention Anne.” The other woman seized Monica’s arm. “What did you do to Anne?”

Claws out, Monica lunged. March darted beneath her guard, stabbing at a spot beneath her left earlobe. Monica shoved her back. “Looking for my off switch, fool? It’s well hidden, like where Ms. Goodie Two Shoes wouldn’t even think about going.”

Her insane human rival stood at the locked door, her stance as much as saying to leave Monica would have to get past her. No prob. She stalked toward her rival, murder in her eyes. March didn’t move. When Monica threw a punch at her eye, she moved by the gods.

The American bitch lurched back, crossing her arms across her face, anticipating Monica’s next attack. Forearm struck forearm. A human bone should break, but March stood her ground, her limb intact. She recovered too quickly, dealing Monica a hard blow beneath her cheekbone, barely missing her eye, slamming her back against the wall.

“I don’t know what you are, March Morgan,” she sneered. “But it’s not going to save your butt.”

“No, but I am.” Looking like an avenging angel, Christian—in a Houston t-shirt and khaki shorts, his long hair disheveled—had somehow appeared behind March without either of them hearing.

PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

Linda Nightingale’s Life for Sale takes the characters from Love for Sale and sets them on a dangerous adventure for these androids posing as human. After fleeing at the end of the first book, they are trying to hide from the watchful eye of Mayfair, but decide a reunion is in order. One of the four, however, is suffering a murderous malfunction. The resulting story is not so much a murder mystery as it is a study of a chaotic mind, albeit lab created, yet eerily human in its madness. Nightingale has seamlessly made the unbelievable believable for the reader with a totally unexpected, but thoroughly satisfying ending to this duet. Imaginative premise, well developed characters and an insight into a mind gone wrong make this a great read…S. Hutchinson

BUY LINK

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08D2Z5XLC
More to come! 

 Interested in More? Check out book one in the Tomorrow's Angels series:

 

Mayfair Electronics has created life.

In Love for Sale, the high-tech electronics company, in black and white, offers “love for sale”. Mayfair has engineered sentient androids indistinguishable from humans. March Morgan flies to England and meets the man she has been searching for her entire life. Christian requires no programming to love March at first sight, but her past and his future soon threaten their happiness—and their lives.

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XCZ6EVY

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After 14 years in Texas, Linda returned home to her roots in the South Carolina red clay. She has eight published novels, four of which are available from Audible.com in audio. For many years, she bred, trained and showed the magnificent Andalusian horses. So, she’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer. She’s won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers’ Magnolia Award for Excellence, the Raven Award, and the SARA Merritt. In real life, she was a legal assistant.

LINKS:

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LNightingale

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LindaNightingaleAuthor

Web Site:  http://www.lindanightingale.com – Visit and look around. There’s a free continuing vampire story.

Blog:  https://lindanightingale.wordpress.com/ - Lots of interesting guests & prizes

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4839311.Linda_Nightingale

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/lbnightingale1/

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Nightingale/e/B005OSOJ0U

Book Bub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/linda-nightingale