Five Secrets Revealed By Author Amber Daulton

Amber Daulton

Thank you, L.A. for hosting me today. 

I’m the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. My books are published through The Wild Rose Press and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

I live in North Carolina with my incredibly supportive husband and my four demanding cats. The hubby and I love binge watching TV shows, and our favorites are Supernatural and Breaking Bad. When I’m not writing or promoting my books, I’m scrapbooking, digging in my flower garden, or reading.

Hi, Amber. Please tell us Five Secrets we may not know about Lyrical Embrace or you, but will after today!

1) Erica, the heroine, has family issues. Her parents divorced when she was little, but she had to live with her dad after her mother died. Unfortunately, she’s never gotten along with her dad and his new family.

2) Dylan, the hero, wasn’t always the levelheaded man he is during the course of the story. He’s a reformed bad boy, a semi-famous rock star, who gave it all up because he didn’t like the arrogant, sexist drunk he was becoming.

3) This story is book four in the Deerbourne Inn series, a multi-author collaboration of novellas all set in the small fictional town of Willow Springs, Vermont.

4) I did a lot of research into how a music school is set up and operated, and it’s more difficult than I’d thought. A teacher can either work for a school or work freelance, and there are pros and cons to each option, mostly dealing with pay and stress levels. Once the instructor gets a good routine going, however, it can be a fun, rewarding job to have.

5) Each author writing for this series is only allowed to write one story, but that might change in the future. I hope it does because I would love to write about Dylan’s sexy older brother, Birley. I’m not sure who his romantic interest would be yet, but hot single dads are completely mouthwatering.

Blurb:

Out-of-work violinist Erica Timberly decides enough is enough. She leaves her abusive boyfriend and flees the big city, but then her car breaks down in the middle of the night. Though wary of men, she accepts help from Dylan Haynes, a stranger driving by on the road, and soon recognizes him as the sexy former drummer of her favorite indie rock band. Maybe, just maybe, her run of bad luck is finally turning around.

Music teacher Dylan Haynes knows Erica is in trouble, and her black eye is only the first clue. The stubborn yet vulnerable woman needs a friend, but he’s determined to give her everything she deserves.

Will Erica listen to the music in her heart and trust Dylan, or will her past always threaten her future?

Buy: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Find Amber:

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Pinterest | Amazon Author Page | Instagram | Book Bub | 

The Wild Rose Press

Five Secrets From Author Cynthia Woolf

Today you learn five secrets about Cynthia Woolf or her book!  

I've known Cynthia for a long time and it's been a pleasure watching her career sky-rocket upwards. She is the award winning and best-selling author of nine historical western romance books and one short story with more books on the way. She was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia’s father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy not a bounty hunter and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now) not the ranch owner.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

Hi Cynthia, please tell us Five Secrets we may not know about SEDUCED BY A SINNER or you, but will after today!

1)    I’ve worked in lots of different professions. I’ve been a waitress, janitor, deputy assessor, appraiser, accountant, store manager, tourist booth manager

2)    Seduced by a Sinner and the other Destiny in Deadwood series were inspired by the DEADWOOD television series on HBO and a trip to Deadwood itself

3)    My husband and I have been together for 38 years but only married for 18 of those.

4)    I was eight years old before we got indoor plumbing. I took baths in a long metal tub in the kitchen on Saturday nights. The kids bathed first and Dad bathed last. Seems to me, it should have been the other way around, I’m sure we were dirtier.

5)   I want a miniature horse for a pet. I’ll put in a horsey door and everything.

Blurb:

Zach Anderson is a desperate man. He needs to find a killer before the man destroys Zach’s entire family. He also must convince one Lily Sutter, the woman he loves, that she loves him and wants to marry him.

Neither task is an easy one.

Lily Sutter is a sinner. Just ask anyone in Deadwood. She had a baby out of wedlock and she doesn’t deny it. She was seduced and left by one man; she refuses to be taken in by another. The fact that Zach makes her blood boil and her heart race, just by being near, has nothing to do with anything.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Find Cynthia: 

Twitter

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Website

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CYNTHIA'S TITLES AVAILABLE

SEDUCED BY A SINNER (Book 3, Destiny in Deadwood series)    

HEALED BY A HEART (Book 2, Destiny in Deadwood series)

REDEEMED BY A REBEL (Book 1, Destiny in Deadwood series)

CAPITAL BRIDE (Book 1, Matchmaker & Co. series)

HEIRESS BRIDE (Book 2, Matchmaker & Co. series)

FIERY BRIDE (Book 3, Matchmaker & Co. series)

TAME A WILD HEART (Book 1, Tame series)

TAME A WILD WIND (Book 2, Tame series)

TAME A WILD BRIDE (Book 3, Tame series)

TAME A SUMMER HEART (short story, Tame series)

Five Secrets from Author Richard Brawer

Richard Brawer writes mystery, suspense and historical fiction novels. When not writing, he spends his time sailing and exploring local history.  He has two married daughters and lives in New Jersey with his wife.

Hi Richard, please tell us Five Secrets we may not know about Love’s Sweet Sorrow or you, but will after today!

1) This is embarrassing, but I did very poorly in college English courses especially creative writing. Writing a novel was the last thing I ever thought I would do. However I was an avid reader of newspapers and mysteries novels.

One day I read a horrendous newspaper story about a baby born with a brain impairment and the father refused to take him home from the hospital. The article quoted the nurses’ outrage.

My imagination took over and I asked: What happened to the baby? Was it murdered? Was it switched for a healthy baby? Thus in 1994 my first mystery book, Secrets Can Be Deadly was born and I was hooked on writing.

2)  All my books have a strong woman as a counter to the protagonist and end up challenging him and making him grow as a character.  Since my protagonist in Love’s Sweet Sorrow is the head of the legal department of America’s largest weapons manufacturer I decided to make his love interest someone completely opposite to him, a Quaker. The book started out as strictly a suspense novel titled The Bishop Committee, but as I wrote it quickly became a romantic suspense. The publisher changed the title to Love’s Sweet Sorrow because it closely resembles the story.

3) Don’t confuse the Quakers with the Amish. The Amish are withdrawn from modern society. Quakers fully participate in the modern world. 

Quakers are Christian. I am Jewish and except for the obvious, I found the Quaker religion very interesting. The general perception of a Quaker is that they are all pacifists. They are not. Some do fight in wars.

Please don’t misunderstand me here. Love’s Sweet Sorrow is not a religious book. There is no preaching. The Quaker religion is used to explain the conflicts between the characters and is presented minimally in dialogue and actions.

4) I had entered this book in the Chesapeake Romance Writers, “Finish That Damn Book” contest. The rules were you could not have a contract to publish. When I entered the contest I did not have a publisher. However I had to withdraw the book because I did get a contract before the winners were announced.

They sent me my scores anyway. I received 137 out of 150 points. That’s 91% like. Everyone who has read Love’s Sweet Sorrow found it fresh and unique. The book had not been professionally proofed when I sent it to the contest and I lost some points because of punctuation and editing. It seems I can spin a good yarn, but those pesky Ds in English still haunt me.

5) Now I would like talk about something not related to this book, but very dear to me. My daughter and son-in-law live in Annapolis within walking distance of the Naval Academy. They volunteer as sponsors for plebes (freshmen). Once approved as a sponsor the academy assigns a plebe to them.

As a sponsor they invite the young man/woman into their home when he/she has time off so they can unwind. They feed him/her with food everyone craves, but is not readily available at the academy―pizza, hotdogs, hamburgers, chips and assorted sweets. The first year at the military academies is very intense. Not only is the caliber of education on par with M.I.T., Sanford, U.C. Berkley and the Ivy League, but in addition there is military training. 

Mu daughter  told me two interesting stories about her “charges,” one funny and one serious. The funny one first. Twin girls who live in Maryland within the allowable distance for weekend travel do not go home when they get a pass. They go to her house because that’s where the gathering is.

The serious one is about a young man who was struggling. They encouraged him to keep plugging away and helped him with his studies when they could.  Instead of flunking out, the young man will graduate in 2015.

Blurb:

It is said opposites attract. There can’t be two people more opposite than Ariel and Jason. Ariel is a traditional Quaker with an absolute aversion to war. Jason is the lead council for America's largest weapons manufacturer.

Their budding romance is thrown into turmoil when Jason uncovers evidence linking his employer to international arms deals that could devastate America. His determination to stop the treason puts Ariel in the middle of dangerous territory.

As the chases to retrieve the evidence intensify Ariel is forced to kill to save Jason’s life. She withdraws into a battle raging inside her, unable to reconcile whom she has been to whom she has become. Delving deeply into hers and Jason’s long-held opposing convictions she questions whether they are truly meant to be together.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Vinspire Publishing

Find Richard at:

Website 

Facebook

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Pinterest

Five Secrets from Author J. Hughey

Eruption is available as a preorder--.99 cents and .99 cents until 9/27 - releases 9/13   Amazon

Today we learn 5 Secrets from author J. Hughey!  

Bio: J. Hughey knows what a girl wants. Independence. One or two no-matter-what-happens friends. A smokin’ hot romance. A basic understanding of geological concepts. Huh? Okay, maybe not every girl is into geology, but J. Hughey is, and in the Yellowblown series she combines her passion for a timeless love story with her interest in geeky stuff to help Violet Perch get a life, despite an ongoing global catastrophe. J. Hughey is the alter-ego of historical romance author Jill Hughey.

Hi J., please tell us Five Secrets we may not know about Eruption, but will after today!

1) I originally didn’t intend Eruption to be categorized as a romance. I wanted Violet Perch’s relationship with her freshman crush to be important, but not the driving thread. My editor thought I needed to more strongly pick a genre, and since romance is my favorite thing to read and write, it was natural to lean the story a little more heavily in that direction, though Violet’s best friend and family are also important keystones in the series.

2) At first, Violet’s home was set in Pennsylvania. I soon decided to move her west to Indiana to heighten the impacts of a Yellowstone eruption. In a similar vein, Boone Ramer, Violet’s love interest, was going to be a Texan. I realized he also needed to be closer to the action, so I brought him north to Nebraska. I’ve really enjoyed creating this down-to-earth cattle rancher.

  

3) I’ve actually trademarked the term “Yellowblown.” I guess that isn’t truly a secret since it was published in some national register somewhere, but I haven’t exactly publicized it.

4) I wrote some really cool scenes from the points of view of people across the U.S. as a means to show what is happening across the nation during the eruption. The editor hated them, hated the interruption of flow between chapters. So, after much gnashing of teeth, I pulled them — the scenes, not my teeth. The first deleted scene is actually on my website as an intro to the story. 

5) My husband likes Eruption. I know you’re thinking, “Of course your husband likes your book!” But, he hasn’t even read most of my historical romances, so I can honestly say he doesn’t just humor me where my writing is concerned.

Blurb : With Violet’s perfect college semester underway, obviously the Yellowstone caldera will erupt for the first time in 630,000 years.

Violet Perch savors every minute with her best friend roomie and a freshman crush showing signs of becoming a sophomore boyfriend. When devastation in the west combines with the volcano’s ash to muck up the works all over North America, her deny-deny-deny strategy does the trick…until college closes and the hot guy gives her a ride home.

  

Buy Links: Eruption will be available on September 13!  Amazon

Find J. Hughey at:

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Five Secrets from Author Jean Joachim

Five Secrets From Jean Joachim

Bio: Jean is a best-selling romance fiction author, with books hitting the Amazon Top 100 list since 2012. She was chosen Author of the Year in 2012 by the New York City chapter of Romance Writers of America. The Renovated Heart was chosen Best Novel of 2012 by Love Romances Café, Lovers & Liars was a finalist for Best Novel of 2013 by Love Romances Café. 

Her series, Hollywood Hearts was a finalist for Best Series of 2013 and Megan Davis and Chaz Duncan (from If I Loved You) finaled as Best Couple, 2013 by Love Romances Café. The Marriage List tied for third place from Gulf Coast RWA Chapter and, most recently, Lovers & Liars was selected as a 2013 Reader’s Crown Finalist in Contemporary Romance by RomCon. Jean has 25 works of fiction published. Married and a mother of two sons, she lives in New York City with her family and a rescued pug named Homer.

Hi Jean, please tell us Five Secrets we may not know about Rescue My Heart or you, but will after today!

1)   I spent 5 years volunteering for a local pug rescue. Experiences during that time have paved the way for Rescue My Heart.

2)   I’m left-handed, but I bat, golf and cut with a scissors righty.

3)   I love to sing, though I can’t carry a tune.  Shhhh, don’t tell anybody.

4)   The part about Alfred, the pug plucked from the kill shelter at Christmas, in the book really happened to me.

5)   I have a grudge against selfish bicycle riders in Central Park. Hack Roberts’ character grew out of that personal peeve of mine. I have  seen people carted away in ambulances who were hit by bikes. 

Blurb :

One smug veterinarian on a bike runs into one sharp-tongued dog walker, literally. Injury leads to insult. Adversion leads to attraction. Pug rescue brings them together. A funny, sarcastic, heart-warming ride. 

Buy Links:

 ARe

 Amazon

 Barnes & Noble

 iTunes

 Smashwords

Social Media Links:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Five Secrets from Kathleen Kaska and Her Novel ~ Murder At The Galvez

First we get to meet Kathleen, and then read her secrets. They're very interesting :)

Bio:  Kathleen Kaska writes the award-winning Sydney Lockhart mysteries set in the 1950s. Her first two books Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus-books for the Pulpwood Queens Book Group, the largest book group in the country. The third book in the series, Murder at the Galvez, has just been released and number four will be out soon. Kaska also writes the Classic Triviography Mystery Series, which includes The Agatha Christie Triviography and Quiz Book, The Alfred Hitchcock Triviography and Quiz Book, and The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book. The Alfred Hitchcock and the Sherlock Holmes trivia books were finalists for the 2013 EPIC award in nonfiction. Her nonfiction book, The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story (University Press of Florida) was published in 2012.

When she is not writing, Kathleen, a native Texan, spends much of her time traveling the backroads and byways with her husband, looking for new venues for her mysteries and bird watching along the Texas coast and beyond. It was her passion for birds that led to the publication The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane.

Hi Kathleen, please tell us Five Secrets we may not know about you, but will after today!

1)  I had not planned on writing the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series. At the time Sydney appeared in my life, I was working on another series. Then one afternoon while staying at the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Sydney walked into my life and demanded I tell her story. The crazy girl wouldn’t shut up until I wrote the first scene. Her story was so entertaining, I put the first series on the backburner and began writing Murder at the Arlington. I’m working on book number five right now. The first series is still unpublished.

2) Since I’ve been writing my Sydney Lockhart series, I’ve had this weird reoccurring dream. Let me back up. Like I mentioned in my bio, the series is set in 1950s and Sydney is a twenty-nine-year old female Philip Marlowe. One of my readers described Sydney as a cross between Jessica Rabbit and Lauren Bacall. Anyway, since I began writing about her wild exploits, I’ve often dreamed of running down the street wearing a pair of red stilettos. I do own a pair of red stilettos, but when I run, it’s in a pair of New Balance sneakers.

3)  When I was a teenagers in the 1960s, I watched a lot of TV. My favorite TV personality was Morticia Adams from The Adams Family series. I wanted to look just like her, act just like her, and be blessed with her femme fatale charm. A few years ago, I wrote a short story about a high school girl obsessed with Morticia. The title is Role Model and by the time this blog posts, the story should be up on Amazon as an e-book. 

4)  I want to be an Egyptologist. Yes, I know at my age that will probably not happen. I didn’t discover my passion for ancient Egypt during my trip to that wonderful country in 1992. Since then, I’ve read everything about Egypt I can get my hands on, nonfiction and fiction. And that includes Elizabeth Peters’ entire Amelia Peabody series. I’m fascinated with King Tut’s story and am intrigued over the mystery surrounding the demise of his sister/wife Ankhesenamun. 

5)  Okay, I saved the most shocking secret for last. Don’t hate me, but I don’t like Oreo cookies. A real chocolate cookie is not pitch black and a real cream center is not stark white. I ate them when I was a kid because every kid ate them. Now that I’m an adult, and not so susceptible to peer pressure, I eat whatever cookie I want.

Blurb :

Eighteen years after discovering the murdered body of her grandfather in the foyer of the historic Galvez Hotel, Sydney Lockhart reluctantly returns to Galveston, Texas to cover the controversial Pelican Island Development Project conference. Soon after her arrival, the conference is cancelled; the keynote speaker is missing. When his body turns up in the trunk of Sydney’s car, she’s hauled down to the police station for questioning. The good news is Sydney has an alibi this time; the bad news is she finds another body—her father’s new friend—he’s floating facedown in a fish tank with a bullet in his head. Her father’s odd behavior and the threatening notes delivered to her hotel room, leads Sydney to suspect that her grandfather’s unsolved murder and the present murders are connected. As if this wasn’t bad enough, just a few blocks from the hotel at her parents’ home people are gathering, sparks are flying, another controversial event is in the planning, one that just might rival the Great Storm of 1900. 

Buy Links:

Amazon

LL Publications

Social Media Links:

http://www.kathleenkaska.com

http://www.facebook.com/kathleenkaska

http://www.kathleenkaskawrites.blogspot.com

http://www.twitter.com/KKaskaAuthor

http://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

http://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-Kaska/e/B001K88UMQ/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1402244054&sr=1-2-ent