Led Astray – Release Day

May 1st is here and that means book 2 in the New Beginnings series is now out. I’ll be honest and admit I struggled with the faith message in this book. While it was a topic I felt an intense burden to share, I was scared on how it would be received. Okay, I’m still a little scared and nervous but in my heart I know I needed to write about the tendency to judge others who don’t behave exactly in a manner perceived as how a ‘real Christian’ acts. I hope readers can see the heart of my heroine and hero in the words I have written … and also mine.

Blurb: When a client’s privacy is threatened by a Hatfield and McCoy battle erupting, skip-tracer Danita Ballinger heads to Mourning, WV, hoping to settle the feud before it starts. Danita’s rescuing is seen as interference and improper by Pastor Riley Coole, the target for the mining company’s strong-arm tactics.

Pastor Riley Coole isn’t pleased by the person his uncle hired to ‘help’ the town. The outspoken, brazen young woman isn’t who they need. Riley prefers the calm approach to dealing with the mining company not a fight fire-with-fire plan.

When a murderer targets the key players in the mining war, and retaliation is set into motion, Danita and Riley must put aside their private battle to protect the people relying on them for safety. Will seeing each other in a new light put them on a path of acceptance and true love, or create a further divide ripping apart the town and their own hearts?

SRP Review: The Victorian Scoundrel by Stephanie Burkhart

Disclaimer: The reviews I post on The Self Rescue Princess won’t be the usual style of book review that talks about all the points and elements of a novel. My intention is to focus on heroines that I believe exemplify the spirit and character of a self-rescuing princess or are on their way to achieving that status.

I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve done a Self Rescue Princess heroine review. I’ve been so caught up in writing, and learning (reading how-to books), that I’ve allowed fiction reading to take a distant back seat. No more, I say. No more. I miss my pleasure reading … especially getting to know new ‘self-rescuing princess’ heroines.

After a long time of not taking time to read a book just for enjoyment, I started Victorian Scoundrel by Stephanie Burkhart (a fellow Desert Breeze author).

Alice Windsor. Princess of York, was born in present day and travels back to 1857 with her cousin to keep an eye on him. She’s a little suspicious of what he is up to and we come to find out her hunch was right. Alice has a very understanding and protective nature. She is a young woman who won’t stand by and allow those she cares about make bad decisions and wait for them to suffer the consequences … even if helping means stepping in and risking getting in trouble herself.

I loved that Alice remained true to her beliefs, but also respected the time she was in. Alice would get a little annoyed by some people’s behavior but  instead of getting angry, she reminded herself it was the custom and way of the time period she entered.

This is the type of self-rescuing princess I strive to be, one who stands up for herself without being disrespectful to others. And also one who is able to recognize when a situation is more about the customs rather than it being a personal insult or attack. I can’t wait for the second book in this series and spend some more time with Alice (and Edmund her trouble-seeking cousin).

NOTE: Just wanted to let readers know that this book does have some steam (heat)  to it.

I’m in Love … Cover Reveal for Led Astray.

Led Astray is complete. Done. The final copy edit was turned in last Sunday. Even as I breathed a sigh of relief, a little regret filled my heart. I was glad to have a book done. Thrilled to have one less project on my plate so I could focus solely on writing the next book. But, it’s a little sad that I no longer need to spend time with this couple. I’m sure Danita and Riley will have brief appearances in other books in the series, but it’s not quite the same thing. After spending months with them, I feel like I’m saying good-bye to friends I won’t see for a long time.

While I might not see them for a while, I do know something that I will see–The Cover. It’s also an anxious time for me. I’m on pins and needles, obsessively checking my email, to see what the cover designer (for me that’s the super-talented Jenifer Ranieri) will come up with. What will Led Astray look like through someone else’s eyes? Will it invoke the mood I’m going for? Will it say romantic suspense? Will it be love at first sight?

This is the how Led Astray ‘sounds’:

Answering a client’s distress call, skip-tracer Danita Ballinger finds herself battling a mining company executive strong-arming a small rural town and also Pastor Riley Coole who’s determined to show her the error of her ways. When violence invades the town, Riley and Danita must become a united front for the people relying on them for protection.

And this is how Led Astray looks:

 

 

I am thrilled! I must answer yes to all of my questions. This image speaks to me in so many different ways. It says everything I wanted it to and so much more. I hope readers are captured and intrigued by the cover also.

Excerpt: The Faberge Secret by Stephanie Burkhart

For those missing all the wonderful ebooks that they learned about last week during Ebook Week, I decided to extended the celebration a little longer.

Blurb: Elise Goodwin finds herself faced with danger when she learns the Faberge egg she’s bought belongs to a Russian mogul, Dimitri Romanov, but is Dimitri playing a game with Elise’s heart to get his heirloom back?

Excerpt:

Elise was cold down to her bones. She flicked her scarf around her neck and glanced at her friend, Lucy Vanowen. Lucy was bundled up to the nines in a thick winter coat, a green and gold knit cap, and Thinsulate gloves. Not even Lucy’s blonde bangs peeked out from under her cap.

 “Burr…” Elise said.

“It’s freezing. You are insane,” Lucy said. “It’s twenty degrees out, and it’s only noon.”

“How do you know?”

“I checked the weather app on my phone.”

“Well, we’re almost there.”

“Let’s hope they have a cappuccino bar.”

What Elise wouldn’t do for a hot drink. She jammed her hands further into her winter coat and walked briskly through the Faneuil Hall marketplace alongside the north market. She was crazy, driving down to Boston so close to Christmas, but Sotheby’s was holding an auction of colonial and European antiques and she was hoping to make a purchase or two for her small heritage museum back in Brattleboro, Vermont. Gently, she ran her gloved hands over the thick wad of hundred dollar bills in her coat pocket. Her small town sensibilities had convinced her to take cash to purchase her antiques, and that may not have been the best idea. While a limited amount of money would keep her honest in her purchases, an uneasy feeling came over her for having that much cash on her person.

The weather was brisk, to say the least. Thankfully, there wasn’t any snow on the ground, but Elise expected some soon. After all, they always had snow for Christmas.

She looked overhead. Gray snow clouds were rolling in from the west. What she wouldn’t do for a vintage colonial flag, a wax vat, blacksmith anvil, or a loom. Elise took another step and walked into someone hard and masculine.

She lost her balance, lunged out, and grabbed the man’s coat. He caught her, but the momentum of her fall drove them both to the ground. He slammed into the cold pavement, taking the brunt of the fall.

“I’m so sorry…” Elise placed her hand on his rock-hard chest and lifted her head only to discover the most stunning pair of cerulean eyes she’d ever seen. Her heart stopped for just a brief second before accelerating to a wild tattoo.

“Elise!” Lucy knelt beside the couple.

“You’ll forgive me, miss, but you seem to have me at a disadvantage.” The man’s voice was deep, yet resonant with the lilt of a foreign accent.

Elise bit her lower lip, pausing momentarily to drink in his handsome, angular features. His lips were firm and sensual, parting into a broad smile to reveal straight white teeth. He possessed thick, tawny-gold hair, and massive shoulders filled his coat. God, he felt wonderful. She gave in to the moment, savoring the contact with him.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, softly.

“Are you hurt?” Lucy grabbed Elise’s arm and pried her off the handsome stranger. Her body ached from the sudden departure of his masculine heat and spicy cologne.

Amusement flickered in his eyes as he got to his feet. “I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”

 Lucy glared at Elise. “Check your pockets.”

______

You can find out more about Stephanie Burkhart and her books at the following sites:

WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

 TWITTER: http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

 FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

 GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

 YOU TUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee

Ebook Week: Excerpt of Lost Then Found

Lost Then Found, is the first book in the New Beginnings Series, which features a skip-tracing business that specializes in relocating abused and stalked women. The second book, Led Astray, will be released in May.

Blurb:

 Skip-tracer Renee Stratford-Knight’s life is becoming stable again. Eighteen months prior, the murder of her sister and the soon-to-follow collapse of her marriage left her reeling. She made it through those dark days with the help of family, embracing faith and starting her own skip-tracing business, New Beginnings, which specializes in relocating abused women. Now, her ex-husband — and former business partner — Jonas Knight shows up asking about her most vulnerable client.

Jonas knows his ex-wife helped embezzler Gina Howard elude the authorities and plans to bring the young woman to justice. When Renee is threatened, Jonas grows suspicious of his client’s reason for finding his niece. In order to uncover the secrets their clients hold, Jonas and Renee must struggle through distrust and the pain of their pasts to work together to save the life of a teenage girl — and their own.

Excerpt:

Renee locked the apartment up tight and took the stairs. Gripping the rail, she plodded down the steps, each step draining energy. The eventual battle with Jonas weighed down her spirit. She didn’t want to relive the painful moments of her life.

She stepped onto the ground floor, tugged open the door leading to the back parking lot and walked outside. A cold breeze played along her skin, drifting against her unprotected neck. The impulsive summer haircut she chose that winter over the hairdresser’s recommendations no longer symbolized independence to her but teenage rebellion.

She tugged up the small collar of her leather coat. “Showed him, didn’t I.”

Hands clapped. Renee halted under the dim lights of the outside doors. Her heart rate accelerated as she looked around the darkening area. Parked in the lot were three cars and a van. She swallowed hard and stared at the windows of the van, trying to make out any figures. Placing her hand into her front pocket, she pressed her thumb onto the keypad of her cell phone. She sent out a heads-up message to her brother.

Jonas stepped into the light, a sarcastic smile stretching across his face. Better to face a known enemy than an unknown one. She typed another message to her brother. False read. Lord, let that work to keep Alex at home rather than charging to the rescue.

“Your skills at deception have gotten better.” Jonas loomed over her.

“I learned from the best.” Regret tugged at her conscience as the words left her mouth. She pushed it away. If she allowed Jonas to get the upper hand, then she offered an opportunity for his words to steal away her confidence.

She tilted her head back and locked onto his storm-cloud gray eyes, standing in place even though her neck muscles ached. She promised herself not to ever allow a man to make her feel powerless. The streetlights allowed her to see her reflection in his eyes. As he studied her face, his gaze softened. He reached out, fingers lingering by her cheek.

The air between them crackled. A shiver raced through Renee and she fought the instinct to lean those few inches toward his touch. They were divorced. They no longer meant anything to each other. She drew back but not before awareness crept into his gaze. He knew. He sensed it.

Time to end the silent duel, and leave. Now. She held in a frustrated sigh as she asked the question Jonas silently demanded. “What do you want?”

“Gina Howard’s location.”

Ebook Week: Excerpt of Faith, Fireworks and Fir by Pam Andrews Hanson

 I’ve been wanting to join in the celebrating of ebook week and it has  sped by without hardly an acknowledgement from me. Though, I have been reading ebooks this week. Since I have a few days left, I’ve decided to post some excerpt to finish up the week.

 

Faith, Fireworks and Fir: David Maxwell comes to Evergreen, Michigan to persuade his beloved elderly aunts to sell their bed and breakfast and retire to Phoenix to be closer to him. His aunts have no intention of retiring and enlist Faith Turner, manager of a year-round Christmas store, to persuade their nephew to change his mind.Can Faith help her friends and avoid falling in love with soon-to-be-gone David?

 

 Excerpt:

 

“Are you here about the angels?”

 

Faith Turner leaned against the checkout counter hoping a big problem was about to be solved.

 

“My aunts are dears, but I’ve never heard them called angels,” the tall, dark-haired man said smiling warmly.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just assumed—I mean, our customers don’t wear suits and ties. They’re mostly tourists, and when I saw your dark suit….”

 

“You thought I was here about angels?”

 

“Blown glass angels,” Faith explained, feeling a little flustered by the intensity of the gorgeous dark eyes focused on her. “We received a shipment with more than half the ornaments broken. The company promised to send a sales rep with replacements. I was hoping you were it. July is a busy month, and we’re doing a special promotion on the angels. At least we were until they arrived all smashed up. I cried when I saw how many were ruined. But you don’t want to hear my problems. How can I help you?”

 

She was talking too much, a habit she’d tried hard to kick. What was it about this stranger that made her chatter on instead of finding out what he wanted? A lot of strangers came to The Christmas Store, so what was so special about the tall, lean man on the other side of her counter?

 

“I’m David Maxwell. A girl cleaning rooms at my aunts’ bed-and- breakfast said Cora and Carrie might be here.”

 

“You just missed them. They came to check on a wreath I special- ordered for them. It’s nice to meet you at last. Your aunts talk about you a lot. Oh, I’m Faith Turner. This is my parent’s Christmas store, but I’m managing it for them.”

 

The sisters were dear friends of her family, and she was happy to see their elusive nephew after hearing about him for years. They hadn’t exaggerated how handsome he was, and the pictures on display in their parlor didn’t begin to capture his vibrant good looks. His hair was such a dark brown it was nearly black, and he had the longest lashes she’d ever seen on a man.

 

“Do you know where they might have gone?” His resonant voice reminded her of his reason for being there.

 

“I think Carrie went to a hair appointment, and Cora was going to the supermarket. They didn’t want to bother with the wreath until their errands were done, so I expect at least one of them to come back later.Maybe you can catch up with them at Angela’s Beauty Salon or the Budget Buy store. They’re both on Fort Street, about a quarter mile down from us.”

 

“Maybe it would be easier to wait at inn. By the way, I’m impressed with your store. I expected it to be full of plastic Santas and mass- produced collectibles. You seem to be preserving the true meaning of Christmas. Do you mind if I look around while I’m waiting to catch up with my aunts?”

 

“Please do. My parents always tried hard to emphasize the spiritual side of Christmas. We have a full line of items for the holiday, but both my mom and dad worked to find decorations appropriate to celebrate Christ’s birthday. If you like, I can give you a tour.”

 

She was pleased he’d noticed the quality of their stock, and even happier when he took her up on her offer. The more she looked at him, the more obvious it became that Cora and Carrie’s photographs didn’t capture his ‘wow’ factor. He was far and away the best-looking man to step foot in the store in a long time.

 

Bio: Pam Andrews Hanson and her mother,  Barbara Andrews, have written a wide range of women’s fiction together for nearly 20 years. Pam blogs about family, faith, and aging at pamshanson.blogspot.com. Please stop by to say hello!You can also ‘like’ her on on Facebook at her official author page.

Celebrating Romance Isn’t Just for February

 

February is usually known as the month for romance but that is no longer the case as The Romance Reviews is celebrating their 1st Anniversary Party this month. All during The Romance Reviews will be having author chats, games and prizes at their Anniversary Party Room. (link provided)

 Over 300 authors, including me, will be participating in this event. In taking a look at the author list, I see that pretty much every sub-genre and heat level of romance is represented. Something for every reader.

If you have time, stop by and register to attend. Week 1 of the event starts today March 1, 12:00 am EST and ends March 7, 11:59pm EST. Winners for Week 1 will be announced on March 8. If you’d like to see a list of the weekly and major monthly prizes offered, please go to the Contest Prize List page. (link provided)

 

Lost Then Found Giveaway to Celebrate 1st Year

To celebrate my 1 year anniversary with Desert Breeze Publishing, I’m hosting a giveaway of Lost Then Found, the book that inspired the name of my blog.  Leave a comment to enter for a chance to win.  When I was first trying to get my inspirational romantic suspense published, I ran into a little issue with my heroine. I started to reconsider how I wrote heroines, until a friend gave me the best advice. Her words of wisdom was I should create my characters the way they were in my heart and then find a publisher that published those types of story. I talked about my journey into writing romantic suspense in my first blog post.

January 5, 2011 was when I received an email from Gail Delaney saying she’d like to offer a contract not only on the first book in the New Beginnings Series, Lost Then Found, but also for the rest of the series– a total of 5 books. Led Astray, book 2, is off for editing and scheduled for release May 1, 2012. Today, I’m working on book three, Safe and Sound, in the New Beginning Series. It’s amazing.

Since I’m writing Book 3, I decided to giveaway 3 books to celebrate: 1 PDF copy, 1 Kindle Copy (I’ll gift directly from Amazon), 1 Nook copy (I’ll gift directly from Barnes and Noble). To enter, leave a comment on this post with your email address and let me know which copy you’d like to win. Please feel free to share this giveaway. Entries will be accepted until Monday, January 9 at 11:59 pm. Winners will be notified no later than January 11 (adding a couple of days in case  internet issues happen due to winter weather). 

Blurb: Skip-tracer Renee Stratford-Knight’s life is becoming stable again. Eighteen months prior, the murder of her sister and the soon-to-follow collapse of her marriage left her reeling. She made it through those dark days with the help of family, embracing faith and starting her own skip-tracing business, New Beginnings, which specializes in relocating abused women. Now, her ex-husband — and former business partner — Jonas Knight shows up asking about her most vulnerable client.

Jonas knows his ex-wife helped embezzler Gina Howard elude the authorities and plans to bring the young woman to justice. When Renee is threatened, Jonas grows suspicious of his client’s reason for finding his niece. In order to uncover the secrets their clients hold, Jonas and Renee must struggle through distrust and the pain of their pasts to work together to save the life of a teenage girl — and their own.

Excerpt:

Renee locked the apartment up tight and took the stairs. Gripping the rail, she plodded down the steps, each step draining energy. The eventual battle with Jonas weighed down her spirit. She didn’t want to relive the painful moments of her life.

She stepped onto the ground floor, tugged open the door leading to the back parking lot and walked outside. A cold breeze played along her skin, drifting against her unprotected neck. The impulsive summer haircut she chose that winter over the hairdresser’s recommendations no longer symbolized independence to her but teenage rebellion.

She tugged up the small collar of her leather coat. “Showed him, didn’t I.”

Hands clapped. Renee halted under the dim lights of the outside doors. Her heart rate accelerated as she looked around the darkening area. Parked in the lot were three cars and a van. She swallowed hard and stared at the windows of the van, trying to make out any figures. Placing her hand into her front pocket, she pressed her thumb onto the keypad of her cell phone. She sent out a heads-up message to her brother.

Jonas stepped into the light, a sarcastic smile stretching across his face. Better to face a known enemy than an unknown one. She typed another message to her brother. False read. Lord, let that work to keep Alex at home rather than charging to the rescue.

“Your skills at deception have gotten better.” Jonas loomed over her.

“I learned from the best.” Regret tugged at her conscience as the words left her mouth. She pushed it away. If she allowed Jonas to get the upper hand, then she offered an opportunity for his words to steal away her confidence.

She tilted her head back and locked onto his storm-cloud gray eyes, standing in place even though her neck muscles ached. She promised herself not to ever allow a man to make her feel powerless. The streetlights allowed her to see her reflection in his eyes. As he studied her face, his gaze softened. He reached out, fingers lingering by her cheek.

The air between them crackled. A shiver raced through Renee and she fought the instinct to lean those few inches toward his touch. They were divorced. They no longer meant anything to each other. She drew back but not before awareness crept into his gaze. He knew. He sensed it.

Time to end the silent duel, and leave. Now. She held in a frustrated sigh as she asked the question Jonas silently demanded. “What do you want?”

“Gina Howard’s location.”

SRP Review: Holiday Edition IV: Santa’s Present, Carol’s Christmas, A Christmas Carol

Disclaimer: The reviews I post on The Self Rescue Princess won’t be the usual style of book review that talks about all the points and elements of a novel. My intention is to focus on heroines that I believe exemplify the spirit and character of a self-rescuing princess or are on their way to achieving that status.

During this month, the reviews I post on The Self-Rescue Princess will have a different focus as my reading habits change. From Thanksgiving until the New Year, I only read novels set during the holiday season or have a seasonal theme. The Holiday Edition reviews will focus on the holiday spirit in the stories, and I plan to review more than one book in each post. I decided to go with more than one because I find I read more at this time and I want to share as many holiday short stories, novellas and books that I can during this time frame.

This will be my last Holiday Edition of Self-Rescue Princess Reviews for 2011. I hope everyone has enjoyed these reviews and I will feature a new set of holiday reviews next year. I’ll be resuming the heroine based SRP reviews in 2012 and also plan to add in one non-fiction (self-help or how to) review a month.

Now, on to the reviews:

Santa’s Present by Sue Perkins. This story is a lovely, historical short story set on Christmas day. Velma spends Christmas Day with her family, while she understands why her beau can’t be with her, she longs for his presence. He has given her a present to open but she must wait until that night to open it. I love the warmth and love shining from Velma’s family. Even the stricter sister is shown as a loving person with just a more formal way of interaction with people. The holiday spirit comes through in the way the family treats each other and does their best to make the day bright for everyone. I love the sweet romance between Velma and Jack and want to read their longer story so I can watch it progress.

 

Carol’s Christmas by Jackie Leigh Allen is a contemporary short story taking place on Christmas Day. For me, the holiday spirit is Carol herself. I love how she is willing to put aside her sadness on not being able to go home for the holiday and focus on doing what she can to make someone’s day brighter. She has a giving spirit which is a characteristic the Christmas season brings out in all. 

 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This is one of my favorite Christmas stories and is a re-read. The narrator style of telling the story gives me the feeling as if I’m being read to and is what I love most about this book. The voice used always has me ‘falling’ into the story and I find myself at the edge of my seat, and find myself eager to be ‘told’ the next part of the tale. When I read the story, I always find a line or an ‘image’ I don’t recall and I find myself thinking about and reading that section one more time so I can just soak in the words. This story itself is about holiday spirit, looking past one’s self to others and using what you have to make people’s lives brighter … including your own.

SRP Review: Holiday Edition III – The Christmas Train, A Married Man’s Guide to Christmas, Orphaned Hearts

Disclaimer: The reviews I post on The Self Rescue Princess won’t be the usual style of book review that talks about all the points and elements of a novel. My intention is to focus on heroines that I believe exemplify the spirit and character of a self-rescuing princess or are on their way to achieving that status.

During this month, the reviews I post on The Self-Rescue Princess will have a different focus as my reading habits change. From Thanksgiving until the New Year, I only read novels set during the holiday season or have a seasonal theme. The Holiday Edition reviews will focus on the holiday spirit in the stories, and I plan to review more than one book in each post. I decided to go with more than one because I find I read more at this time and I want to share as many holiday short stories, novellas and books that I can during this time frame.

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci is about a reporter Tom Langdon traveling across the country by train during the Christmas season. Tom meets some interesting people on his journey and also re-establishes a connection with someone from his past. It’s a lovely story of redemption, understanding and a community (the people on the train) pulling together to get through a stressful and could-turn-tragic event. Many sweet moments, a few stretching believability but that’s to be expected with a ‘classic’ feel-good Christmas tale.

 

A Married Man’s Guide to Christmas by Robert Henry is a non-fiction book of humorous essays dealing with the different areas of holiday madness and how guy’s can get through … or muddle through … them. I found some of the stories very funny and some that I’d label as having a little ‘wicked’ humor that didn’t quite work for me … but I know others will love those stories. It was a quick read and a very unusual and funny take on a Christmas how-to/self-help book.

Orphaned Hearts by Shawna K. Williams is one of my favorite books I have read this year, not just the holiday season but during all of 2011. If I was going to put together a list of my Top 10 it would be up there … like 2 or 3.  This is an unusual holiday story as it starts long before the  season, but does wrap-up at Christmas and the heart of this story is the Christmas spirit displayed through the year. It’s a lovely book filled with love, compassion and hope. In Orphaned Hearts,  a young orphan boy who is fostered by the town ‘spinster’ when his soon-to-be adopted parents cannot care for him. The pastor knows the loving heart Sadie has and asks for to care for the boy for a short while other parents can be found. I don’t want to give away to much of the story but I will say this is a ‘heart-melting’ book. I’m not a crier, especially when it comes to books or movies, but this one got me a little teary at the end. I loved the ending. Orphaned Hearts will be a book that I’ll read again. (as of this posting this e-book published by Desert Breeze is on sale for the incredible price of .99 cents)