Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas!



We're having a quiet Christmas this year. Our older daughter and her family are in South Dakota for the week, spending time with their other grandparents and family there. We'll have all of our kids and grandkids here later in the week when they get back.

So I'm taking my time, cleaning out one area of the house at a time, and getting out my decorations, and making gifts. But I wanted to wish every one a happy, blessed Christmas. May this holiday be one of magical memories, wherever you may be.

Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Please Welcome Author Felicia Rogers

Felicia Rogers is here with a special gift for us - a brand new historical novel! Here's the info:


The Ruse, Andrews Brothers, Book One
The fix is in…but her heart can’t be fooled.

Luke Andrews, Baron of Stockport, is in trouble. He needs a wealthy bride to secure future funds for his financially shaky estate, but the belle of the London season is a spoiled terror with an arrogant father. They’d try the nerves of a saint and Luke can’t quite bring himself to make an offer he knows he’d regret.

Meanwhile, Luke’s half-brother Chadwick never could resist a good game of Faro, or anything else, for that matter. With the baron away, Chadwick will play — gambling the estate’s remaining funds into oblivion. He needs to devise his own scheme to replace the money he’s lost, before his brother returns. 

In Stockport village, Brigitta Blackburn doesn’t have two sticks to rub together — literally. With the estate in financial distress and rents high, food and wood are scarce. When she sneaks onto the baron’s land to steal some firewood, she’s caught, hauled before the play-acting “baron,” Chadwick, and offered a solution to her plight… and his.

But Chadwick’s ruse embroils them all. How can Brigitta accept what she thinks to be true, when she really yearns to follow her heart?

--a traditional Regency novel

Buy it Now:
Amazon:  http://tinyurl.com/lkdksyd
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/lt2lwkn


On sale for 0.99 from Dec. 24th to Dec. 29th!!!


****

See what one reader said about The Ruse:

By Kivey on Amazon: I honestly LOVED this book it was so awesome. Luke is a hunk and his brother well you all will see if you read it :). This book was very suspenseful. I was on the edge of my seat and laughed the heroine is just sooooo spunky. She is truly one heroine I wouldn't want to mess with.


Excerpt:
Fountains bubbled and birds landed in the baths. Luke took the long trail and walked by the fishing pond and hunting grounds. A rock jutted out from the mountain and Luke paused, blocking the sun from his face.
From his high perch, the ruins of Stockport Castle tumbled across the green below. He remembered being a lad and staring at the ruins while holding tightly to his father’s hand. His father’s vivid descriptions had almost made him feel as if he’d walked through the hallowed halls that lay destroyed.
Reality of how things that stood the test of time could still plunge into nothingness gnawed at his innards and he wished his father was around to offer wisdom.
Downhearted, he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned. Upon approaching the manse, he knitted his brows. A line of people gathered. Behind them, carriages lined the road almost as far away as the village.
He strode toward the crowd and joined them. Raindrops fell and he tugged his top hat lower. The throng groaned and waved umbrellas aloft. Before them the manse doors parted and they entered the east wing of the estate.
Tourists dressed in fine frocks with plumed hats filed into the main room, staring avidly about at his home. An individual Luke had never seen acted as a guide, lifting his hands and pointing at one side of the curved staircase. There a woman of refined grace descended.
The guide announced, “Introducing Baroness Stockport, Brigitta Andrews.”
Luke blinked rapidly as the woman turned, smiled, and waved. The crowd returned her actions. She continued to descend until she reached the landing, where she stopped.
From the opposite set of stairs, his half-brother Chadwick, dressed in regal attire, descended. The red coat emphasized his broad shoulders, which he held back. His face scrunched, he didn’t look at the crowd, but instead focused a look filled with unrequited hatred toward the woman on the landing.
The guide lifted his hand toward Chadwick and said, “Introducing the Baron of Stockport.”
Luke covered his gasp and huddled deeper into his coat. What is the meaning of this?
Before any further thoughts could drift through Luke’s mind, Chadwick stopped in the middle of the stairs and shouted, “And just what do you think you’re wearing?”
The woman bristled. “I’m wearing the yellow today, my lord.”
“The yellow? Blah. I’ve told you I detest yellow. Get thee upstairs and change this instant.” He pointed his finger above and the lady cocked a brow and glared.
“You will not tell me what to do! I’m the baroness and I can do as I please. If I want to wear yellow, then I shall wear yellow!”
Chadwick didn’t waver and Brigitta hitched her skirts and ran upstairs. Chadwick faced the crowd and apologized for his wife’s behavior before casually turning on his heel and leaving himself.
Shocked, Luke blindly followed the crowd. The guide led them through the entire east wing. They studied the wall of family portraits, swooned over the ancient family heirlooms, and ended with a riding tour of the grounds.
With each new sight his ire increased. While he’d been strangled initially by feelings of cold, blind rage, the trip on horseback through the grounds cooled his temper and now he was naught but confused.
The event ended and the visitors left in their carriages. Discreetly, Luke sneaked into the house through a downstairs window and raced on tiptoe to his chambers. He sat at a desk and pondered until his head ached. Finally, he pulled the servant’s rope that led directly to his personal valet’s room. He paced, his mind jumbled with nonsensical thoughts. The door opened and he blurted, “Jarvis, I have a problem.”
The valet entered and closed the door. A blank stare covered his face as he blurted, “My lord, we weren’t expecting you. Welcome home.”
“There is something foul at play here.”
Jarvis squinted, lifted his nose, and sniffed.
“Not an odor, Jarvis.”
He lowered his chin. “Excuse me, your lordship, but I fail to understand your meaning.”
Without pretense, Luke said, “In the east wing, Chadwick is pretending to be me!”
“Are you sure?” asked Jarvis, his voice lending to a squeak.
He rounded on the servant. “Yes, I’m sure! They called his name as the Baron of Stockport and last I checked that was me!”



Buy The Ruse on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/lkdksyd
Buy The Ruse on Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/lt2lwkn




ROMANCE AUTHOR
Felicia Rogers
Felicia Rogers is an author of eight novels and two novellas. When she's not writing, Felicia volunteers with the Girl Scouts of America, teaches at a local homeschooling group, hikes, and spends time with her family.

To find out more information about Felicia Rogers use the links below. She loves hearing from readers.


Email: feliciarogersauthor@yahoo.com

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Christmas Cookie Time!

  

I realized that it's been a LONG time since I've posted anything about any creative endeavors other than writing. So I decided to change it up a little. Yesterday I went to my monthly scrapbooking club, and following a several year tradition we had our annual Christmas cookie exchange. Since I do very little cooking in this house it's been quite a while since I've done anything in the kitchen (well, I do help out with the Thanksgiving carcass soup, but in the past few years Dear Hubby has taken that over too) I did my annual fretting about what to make.
First, I tried a recipe I'd found online that the poster promised would taste like a Butterfinger bar. Since I love those, I decided to try it. I made one batch and promptly decided I was not going to repeat the recipe enough times to make the four dozen I needed. And then I remembered a fabulously easy recipe shared by a marvelous flute player in the community orchestra I play in. This amazing treat isn't really a cookie, but it's close enough – and the best part is it has only THREE ingredients! Ha! I quickly ran to the store and bought enough for four batches (I wasn't sure how much each batch would make.


          So here's what I got for each batch: one bag of Oreos, one brick of cream cheese, and one bag of chocolate chips – that's it!












I crushed up the Oreos (store brand, of course) and then mixed it with the softened cream cheese. Then I rolled up the mess (using a sandwich baggie as a glove) into little balls. I put these out on the back porch to cool down for a few hours – no room in the fridge, and it's colder on the porch anyway! After that I melted the chocolate chips in a double boiler and rolled the balls in the chocolate.


YUM!





I set them out all night to harden and then packed them in these cute boxes that I learned how to make at the last scrapbooking retreat – so I not only made the "cookies" – which are made out of cookies and actually taste like cake pops – but I made the containers I gave them away in!
I am so proud of myself – I can't wait till my schedule calms down later this week so I can make more stuff! When I do I'll share.
In the meantime, I'm finally listening to Christmas music. Making those treats put me in the mood!


Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Please Welcome Author Moriah Densley


It is my pleasure to introduce you to fellow EsKape Press author Moriah Densley! Moriah is the author of one-third of the books currently available from EsKape Press. She writes regency romances with strong, dynamic heroes and and equally strong, determined heroines. There's also a paranormal romance series due to release at Entangled Publishing next year.
Today Moriah is sharing details from her newest regency, The King of Threadneedle Street. Read on to find out about this treasure, and then be sure to enter the rafflecopter to win some of her fabulous jewelry!


BLURB for The King of Threadneedle Street:

He owns three shipping companies, a diamond mine, and his own castle.
He knows Portuguese, Hindi, Mandarin and Morse code.
His assets net thirteen million.

Everyone thinks Andrew Tilmore, Lord Preston, the financial prodigy dubbed “The King of Threadneedle Street,” has it all, but he wants the one prize money can’t buy: his childhood sweetheart.

Alysia Villier can’t say if it’s worse having Andrew’s father in control of her inheritance or Andrew in control of her heart. He’s ruined her for any other man, but she simply can’t give in to him. She knows he’s destined for great things — marrying a courtesan’s daughter would jeopardize everything he stands for.

Keeping Alysia out of trouble and away from eager suitors becomes a cross-continental quest for Andrew, and he won’t be stopped by his old-fashioned family or the disapproval of the ton. After all, he’s a man with the power to play newspapers and investors like pawns, tumble world markets and incite riots… but can he win the biggest gamble of his life?


EXCERPT: Seeing her “old flame” again

Author's note: Alysia Villier always knew she could never have Andrew Tilmore, her childhood sweetheart. A courtesan’s daughter is no match for a financial genius and peer of the realm. Alysia sees Romeo and Juliet’s story as a cautionary tale. Besides, who is truly in love as an adolescent? She expects to oversee the wedding preparations for Andrew’s sister, perhaps wave at Andrew from across the room, then never see him again.

A long shadow blocked the sun, accompanied by broad footsteps trampling the grass.
“What have we here, a unicorn caught sunbathing? Prime hunting,” came a familiar voice. A sonorous chocolatey bass, somehow deeper than when she had last heard it, and his Lancashire accent replaced by a genteel inflection she found jarring.
“Not at all,” she replied without opening her eyes, rattled by the jolt in her pulse. “Such plodding footsteps could only belong to a troll. Easily outrun by a unicorn. But trolls are really quite harmless, if you keep them fed.”
“On unicorn meat?”
“No. Pomeranians.” An old joke stemming from their mutual love of mastiffs and disdain for yapping small dogs.
His laughter almost stopped her heart. She distrusted the easy, boyish, tone tempting her to believe all would be well now that he was there. She opened one eye, unsurprised to find their years of separation had rendered him not at all like a troll. Over six feet of Gallic demi-god sharing the same body with the most bookish man she ever met. Andrew Tilmore, Lord Preston, heir to the illustrious Marquess of Courtenay. Drew, to her, or when he deserved it, Troll.
“Lisa,” he said in a tone he should reserve for a hot bath or rare cognac, and sat beside her on the grass. “As lazy as ever, I see.” Adolescent teasing which meant, So you managed to sneak away. Bravo.
“You weren’t expected until Friday next, Drew. Unfortunate timing you will no doubt regret.”
“Why? Is something amiss?”
“Only the apocalypse.”
Andrew snorted, waiting for her to explain. She would not. Lady Courtenay trying to run her household for the first time — while pretending to arrange a ducal wedding, which Alysia was truthfully in charge of — would not mix well with the problem Andrew’s presence would bring. Specifically, his being in the vicinity with Alysia.
She pushed herself up on her elbows, mindful of the buttons she’d loosed on her bodice. He wasn’t looking, but fastening them would draw his attention. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her bent knees.
Andrew leaned in to catch her gaze, and she suppressed her shock. She knew that expression he wore, as plainly as if she’d heard his thoughts. Still it made her stomach drop and her lips tingle with longing. Alysia pulled away, not trusting herself to look him in the eye.
If she had any hope of surviving two weeks under the same roof with Andrew, she had best set the precedent now for their behavior. She had just finished her last private conversation with him. Their last kiss had been more than two years before. After his sister’s wedding, she would never see him again
  

AUTHOR BIO

Bestselling author Moriah Densley sees nothing odd at all about keeping both a violin case and a range bag stuffed with pistols in the back seat of her car. They hold up the stack of books in the middle, of course. She enjoys writing about Victorians, assassins, and geeks. Her muses are summoned by the smell of chocolate, usually at odd hours of the night. By day her alter ego is your friendly neighborhood music teacher. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband, four children, and two possibly brain-damaged cats.
Moriah has a Master’s degree in music, is a 2012 RWA Golden Heart finalist, 2012 National Reader’s Choice Award winner, and ’12 NRCA “Best First Book” finalist. She’s the author of the bestselling “Rougemont” Historical Romance series from Eskape Press, and the “Network-One” Paranormal Romance series coming 2014 from Entangled Publishing. Moriah is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Greenburger Associates.

BUY LINKS: The King of Threadneedle Street is available at AmazonBarnes & NobleSmashwords, Kobo, All Romance eBooks, and  Amazon UK.

AUTHOR LINKS: Moriah can be found at her Website and blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

And now for the giveaway! Moriah has some wonderful jewelry she's made in honor of her new release! Here's a picture of what you can win - just enter the rafflecopter below! Good luck.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Monday, December 2, 2013

Jillian Jenkins: Music to write to

       As a musician, I'm always interested in how music inspires creativity as well as other skills. Author JF Jenkins took the time to share how she used a playlist to help her plot her latest release, Displaced.


Buy link: http://amazon.com/Displaced-The-Achlivan-Cycle-ebook/dp/B00DTLOZ30 POST: I'm not a writer who writes to music. I plot to music, though. Here is a list of songs you can find in the unofficial "Displaced" soundtrack.

"The silence isn't so bad 'til I look at my hands and feel sad, because the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly."

"And I will stumble and fall. I'm still learning to love, just starting to crawl."

"Hold still right before we crash 'cause we both know how this ends."

"'Cause I don't want to know what I'm walking away from if you'll be mine."

"Behind your Broadway show, I heard a voice say 'please don't hurt me'."


One lucky commentor will win three songs from the list! Tell me which one is your favorite, or if you've read the book, which song is missing that should be on the list.

Then enter the official Rafflecopter giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway