A Kind Of Loving

I have been told that A Kinda Of Loving/Linda Sole/Red Rose Publishing will be out next month (March) and hopefully Chateau Despair in April. I have also contracted An Impetuos Miss and Ryan's Son to Red rose Publishing. An Impetuous Miss is a Regency and Ryan's Son is a contemporary love story.

I have been told that Eternal Press would like to publish Too Hot To Handle and would also like to see more of my work. Too Hot To Handle is contemporary and sensual. It was first published by Triskelion but the rights were bought and returned by Siren Publishing, which was extremely good of them.

On the print front, I am about to do the proofs for Love & War/Anne Herries/Severn House. This is the second in the Upstairs, Downstairs series set at the time of the first world war. I have a Regency out in the Uk next month with Mills & Boon and The Lord's Forced Bride is out in paperback and ebook in the USA. The third in the Sarah Beaufort Mysteries - A Different Kind Of Justice/Linda Sole/Severn House is out next month in hardback. So as you can see,I have been very busy over the past year or so, which is why I don't always manage to remember my blogs.

I recently had my website updated and the stories that used to be available are now on Linda's Story Blog, which can be acessed through the website.

I think that is all my news for this week. I am posting a cover of A Kind Of Loving for you. Best wishes, Linda

http://www.lindasole.co.uk/

http://www.booksfromlindasole.blogspot.com/

http://www.storiesfromlindasole.blogspot.com/

When Dreams Come True is now available

By Pat Cromwell

When Dreams Come True is an upbeat romantic story. Not a lot of angst and turmoil, but a delicious fun journey with two people who are fated for one another. What a ride. The hero, Kenneth Ingram, must to have been a very good boy because his dreams certainly came true. He meets Chris and she slides into his very being like a runner to the finish line. She instantly becomes everything to him, his heart, his soul, his sweet inspiration, his dream come true.

He wants forever. But Chris is jaded – she’s given up on fairy tales and happily ever after. So he has to convince her to trust him, love him, and believe again and let dreams back into her life. He’s not worried that he will accomplish this and the challenge she presents is no hardship for this guy. Follow their journey as Kenneth enlightens his lady love that ... When Dreams Come True, nothing is left of yesterday's pain.

A couple paragraphs in a post is not enough to tell you about this guy and what he does to get his woman ... so check out the video as a prelude to the book and see in living color the recipe he cooks up to serve the lady he's determine to make his main dish - forever!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gZ9r5K7L8I8

The video touches on Kenneth's determination for happy ever after with the girl of his dreams -- the book is his expose of how he does it -- I merely took dictation.

And boy does this guy do it right! At the end of the day the lady in question, Chris, is dreaming of wedding bells, honeymooning in Fiji and baby booties! But she’s jaded and the battle between her head versus her heart (and those raging hormones) is in full force. To borrow a phrase from Macy Gray ... she's dreaming and feening, when she tries to walk away … well you know the tune. But he's not worried and he's definitely up for the task. After all, when dreams come true, the bumps in the road are worth it.

Excerpt (just enough to further wet you appetite):
“I think…this is about sex," she said nonchalantly. However, as she gripped the phone she indulged herself with a fantasy that maybe it wasn’t just lust. Could it be love?

"Perhaps it’s all about sex for you, but definitely not for me." The conviction in his voice was unmistakable. “I’ll work overtime to make sure you understand what it really is. You’ll see, honey, and when you least expect it, the realization will bite you in the ass the way it did me. But don’t worry, Chris, I’ll kiss it and make it better.”

You can read his story by visiting Red Rose Publishing and picking up a copy today.

As always … Happy Reading!

Pat Cromwell
When Dreams Come True (www.redrosepublishing.com)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gZ9r5K7L8I8
http://www.freewebs.com/patcromwell/
EMAIL: pacd97867@cs.com

Destiny's Choices gets 4.5 Roses!!

Wow! I'm so psyched today, okay I admit it I've been psyched for a few days now! LOL Red Roses for Authors/Reviews gave my Native American romantic suspense Destiny's Choices 4.5 Roses. This was one of those unexpected reviews that comes like a thief in the night and surprises you. I am ever so grateful to Morna for the delightful review she did for Destiny's Choices, thank you Morna! :-)

This review is well worth checking out as are the others on the Red Roses for Authors website. So, if you were looking for one more reason to get your copy of Destiny's Choices, well here it is folks! You can read the review here.

For those of you who are wondering if there is going to be more in store for James and Tiana, the answer is a resounding YES! I am working on a sequel tentatively titled Destiny's Decisions, and of course there is my holiday short Destiny's Holiday which you can still win a copy of by visiting my website and participating in my current contest! So stay tuned, there is more to come.

Good morning--and I do mean morning. It's 5:15 am and dark outside but I wanted to say hello before I go out into the world to work.
I'll be happy when the sun will be coming up before I go to work and still be up when I get home at 7:30 pm. That's a long day but I only do it two days a week. Any way, I will be happy when Spring comes back and the snow melts away in a figurative and literal way. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm looking forward to warm sunny days and they're just around the corner. Thank goodness. March is about to arrive and, here in the South, that means Spring. No matter how March begins, the end is always wonderful. It's also my birthday month and, even though I'm not so crazy about the advance of years, that's a celebration, too.
I'm looking up Latin phrases for my WIP, Harmonica Joe's Reluctant Bride and I have found some good ones. I'll end my chatter with this one:
Die dulci freure (Have a nice day!)
Sarah McNeal
www.sarahmcneal.com

The Witch and The Wolf has been released!

He's a spy for the British Crown…she's a woman desperate for revenge—together their love will save the British Empire and make them both believe in second chances.
Read the excerpt and buy the book at New Concepts Publishing!

The Witch and The Wolf at New Concepts Publishing!

My historical paranormal full length book, The Witch and the Wolf was released at New Concepts Publishing on the 21st! Needless to say, I am quite delighted!
~Marly

News from Uk

This month has been busy with visits to the RNA Romantic novel of the year awards, the Mills & Boon 100th birthday party and this week a chapter meeting of the RNA. it makes it difficutl to fit in all the blogs and the writing as well as all the stuff we all do. However, I managed to get off soem stuff for a new book to an agent/friend and she likes it a lot. It means even more work this year but if this book comes out right it is important. It is for one of the big publishers mainstream Uk and I have my fingers crossed.


Cassie's Sheikh has got to number seven in the Red Rose Publishing list at fictionwise. I am not sure exactly what this means but again, fingers crossed. I hope it is doing well for my publisher. I should have another book out with Red Rose soon called A Kind of Loving. I am going to give you a small excerpt from that now.

It had been warmer than this earlier in the year but there was a definite bite in the air that morning and it was already the second week of May. Perhaps the cool weather was the reason she was feeling a bit out of sorts with herself, because she was down and there was no real reason for it. She ought to be feeling on top of the world, Verity thought as she parked her car in the yard at the back of the shop.
The gravel crunched beneath her feet as she took a large bunch of fragrant lilies and roses and her cumbersome shoulder bag from the boot, before going through the narrow alley from the yard into the main street. This past year had seen the realisation of one of her dreams, something that gave her great personal satisfaction. But there was a problem, a dark shadow that hovered at her shoulder.
It was in her mind as she unlocked the door of her small shop, lingering like a bad smell as she keyed in the number to cancel the alarm and walked through to the back room, which she used as her office. She removed her warm red jacket and fluffed out her chestnut brown hair in front of the mirror; her eyes were that greenish brown that some call hazel. Underneath her jacket she was wearing a slim-fitting black dress. There was only just over another two months to her fortieth birthday but she didn't look too bad. She'd kept her figure well after Jane's birth and there hadn't been any more children. She'd been sorry about that, and for a while she'd hoped that she would have another baby, but somehow it hadn't happened; though there was no medical reason why it shouldn't.
Was that what had gone wrong between her and Michael? Had they grown apart instead of bonding into a family unit? Would it have been different if they'd had a son? She knew that Jane was very much her daughter and thought that perhaps Michael sometimes felt a bit left out.
She puzzled over it as she arranged her flowers in two old and rather beautiful cut-glass vases. One she stood in the little room that was fairly private but which, through a window, gave her a view of the shop interior, and the other she carried out to replace some dead roses standing on the desk that took centre stage of her window display. She stood for a moment to admire them, pleased that she'd taken time to stop and buy the flowers on her way in. Perhaps it was an extravagance to spend so much on fresh flowers, but she did love to see them about the place.
Verity was frowning as she returned to her office, picked up a tin of the special beeswax she always used for her antique furniture and took it into the shop. She had made it a practice to polish a couple of pieces of furniture each morning, to keep the place smelling of fresh polish and the potpourri she had in bowls set at various points about the shop. Her customers always remarked on the beautiful smell; it relaxed them, and her friendly manner encouraged them to trust her enough to buy. Her trade had started slowly at first, but people came back and her reputation had grown this past year.
Usually the very fact of being here amongst these beautiful things was enough to make her relax herself. She loved the feel of the silky finish of old wood, the way her cloth glided over the surface of a beautiful antique table or an elegant desk. Looking at them gave her a sense of permanence, of satisfaction, and knowing these things were hers to sell gave her a purpose. She was doing something she wanted to with her life at last.
Verity stood with the cloth in her hand as she considered. Had she wanted to marry Michael Lovelace nearly twenty years ago? She'd been pregnant with Jane, and it had seemed the natural thing to do – but had she really wanted to be his wife? She supposed that she must have done. There must have been a time when his smile had made her feel good, when his jokes had made her want to giggle, his touch had sent the blood racing through her veins. Yes, of course there had! It was just that it was hard to remember these days. He spent so little time at home. His business demanded attention six days of the week, and on Sundays he often played golf in the mornings. After lunch he cut the lawn if it needed it, otherwise he cleaned the car or fell asleep in front of the television.
She knew that Michael wasn't the only man to follow the same dull routine every weekend. Her friend Susan Edwards was always complaining that her husband Bill did the same thing, but she said it with a smile on her face, and a look in her eyes that told a different story. The magic was still there for Bill and Susan, but Verity knew that it had gone missing from her life, though she wasn't sure whose fault it was.
For a long time, while Jane was still a small child, she'd been happy enough; they had still shared a small joke or an intimate smile, but of late even those things had vanished. They hadn't had sex for weeks – they hadn't made love for more than two years, and there was a difference.
Verity hadn't forgotten what it felt like to make love, to know the warmth and satisfaction, the sharing that comes from being close to the man you care for. She had loved Michael once, perhaps she still did deep down. He was still undoubtedly an attractive man with his thick, slightly wavy hair, which was a darkish blond in colour, his blue eyes and rather heavy brows. But his character had changed of late and there were times now when she felt she was living with a stranger, and someone she didn't always like very much.
To a casual observer, Verity was the very essence of Today's Woman. Efficient, well groomed, with an air of confidence, a friendly manner and a look in her eyes that warned she meant what she said. Dealers liked her because she was businesslike and they knew where they stood with her. She didn't lie about her stock and she'd become known for having good, genuine pieces. But she had something more, a vitality that made her eyes shine and her laughter was infectious, though she wasn't aware of it herself.
Verity was brought out of her reverie as the shop bell pinged and two men came in. She had seen one of them several times before, a dealer in his fifties who bought things from her occasionally, but she was sure the younger man hadn't been in before. He was tall and well built with soft brown hair that waved slightly back from his forehead and greenish blue eyes, and he towered over his rather short and chubby companion.
'Mrs Lovelace,' Harry Barton said and grinned at her. Harry always wore a suit and his shoes were highly polished. He was a cheerful, confident man who loved his work and Verity rather liked him. 'You're looking gorgeous as usual, and this shop smells like a dream.' Harry was part Irish and known in the trade as a charmer.
'It's the potpourri,' she said with a smile. 'That sunshine is nice. It was rather cold when I came in this morning but I should think it's getting a bit warmer out now, isn't it?'
'Summer is on its way, slowly but coming,' he replied and gestured to his taller companion. 'This is my sister's boy, Joshua Roberts. He was working as a carpenter for a furniture business but the firm went bust last month, nothing to do with Josh here.' He gave his nephew a jovial poke in the ribs. 'I've taken him on with me. He's a craftsman, and I think he deserves better than to be a carpenter. He could be a restorer of fine furniture, and he'll be good at it.'
The younger, good-looking man pulled a wry face as he looked at Verity. 'What my uncle means is that I'm useful to carry things, but if I take the right classes I might make a restorer of antique furniture one day.'
'Good restorer's are few and far between,' Verity told him. 'I hope you stick at it, Mr Roberts. I was disappointed with the last piece I had done.'
'Next time give me a buzz,' Harry said. 'I can probably point you in the right direction. I know a couple of good men in the area.'
Verity gave him one of her dazzling smiles. 'That is kind of you, thank you, I shall.'

Changeling: Of Elves and Men. Excerpt One

Hi all,

I just thought I would give readers a bit of something special to read, an excerpt from my first book published with NCP, Changeling: Of Elves and Men.



Please enjoy this excerpt, involving the very hot couple on the front cover! :D

Excerpt:
Shane never once looked over his shoulder to acknowledge Ivy there so close behind him. Only once he strode in through the French doors and into the hall where the bedrooms were located, did he spin around to face her.

“Damnit, Ivy. I told you you weren’t to come tonight.”

“And I told you what you want has nothing at all to do with me!”

Looking up into his raging eyes, Ivy lifted her head higher and reminded herself that she was not afraid of his fury. She had just followed him back here to tell him that he had no right to tell her what to do, that was all.

With a growl, Shane took a step forward and wrapped an arm around her waist before she could step back nimbly to avoid him. As his lips crushed hers, he felt any resistance she felt toward him wavering. This hadn’t been what he had planned to have happen at all. When they pulled away from each other, Shane’s eyes raked over her body, taking in her reddened lips that looked like they had been well kissed.

His jaw tightened, as he told himself to stand away from her.

“If you followed me just because you wanted to sleep with me, there were better ways of doing that,” he said, trying to turn his frustration into sardonic amusement.

This time, it was Ivy’s turn to growl her frustration. “You stupid, stupid man!” she told him, though Shane noted with interest that it was not exactly a denial of his supposition.

With the hint of a smile playing the edges of his lips, he stepped toward her again, curious to see if she would dodge him the second time around. His fingers found her hand, and silkily, laced their way between her fingers. The simmering heat in his eyes drew her in despite herself, and when the door closed soundly, Shane wasn’t the only one behind it.

Again, he swept towards her, and ravaged her lips, forcing them to move under his as he wished them to, claiming them for his own. Ivy would have moaned if she had been given the breath to do so. As it was, she had to press her body against his to keep herself upright. The rising bulge at the crotch of his jeans told her he didn’t seem to mind. Eventually, she would have to go back to using her own balance to keep her upright. She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that.

Shane maneuvered them slowly around in a half circle, directing them ever intentionally toward the bed where they would make their consummation of this union. Ivy’s eyes fluttered shut, and she allowed him to guide her where he would. Within the strength of his arms around her, the thought occurred to her that she had never felt safer.

Her breath rushed out of her when Shane picked her up. A second later, she was placed reverently on the bed, a throw back, she thought, of the injuries he was so convinced he needed to protect her from. Before she could complain, Shane began to undo the buttons of her shirt. She arched up a moment later, so that he could cast first it, and then her bra, aside, somewhere between the bed and the door. Then she was reaching up to him, and his kisses moved down from her lips, to her neck, in an unrelenting trail to the waistband of her pants.

He looked up at her for a moment, as if waiting for Ivy’s signal that it was okay for him to go on. Willingly, she gave it to him, and her tight, black pants were unbuttoned, then eased down her shapely legs, and forgotten on the floor beside the bed.

Morning found the two bodies still entwined around each other. It was Shane who woke up first, lifting his finger to flick a strand of Ivy’s dark hair out of her face, which in turn woke her up, too. He had a ready smile on his features, even as Ivy looked around herself in disorientation.

“What I want has nothing to do with you, huh?” Shane asked. It was the ill-timedness of her comment, just before they had fallen into bed with each other, that amused him.

Because it so clearly amused him, it angered her, and Ivy immediately pushed him away from her, as much as she could with their legs still entwined. Another moments’ trouble took care of that problem, too. She sat up, grabbing the pale sheet against her chest.

The smile never left Shane’s lips. “I reckon it’s too late to do that now,” he said to her with a wink that made her flush with embarrassment and anger at the same time.
* * *

"Changeling: Of Elves and Men" Now Available at NCP
http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/changeling.htm

For more excerpts, take a look at my personal blog. I promise it won't bite... hard!
Nikki Watson.
http://nikkiwatson.blogspot.com/