Guest Post - Mr. Right and Other Mongrels by Monique McDonnell

Please join me in welcoming Monique McDonnel on the final stop of her blog tour for "Mr. Right and Other Mongrels".  Monique was kind enough to contribute a guest post for today.  Please make sure to fill out the Rafflecopter form below to be entered for a chance to win one of three (3) eBook copies of "Mr. Right and Other Mongrels" which Monique will be awarding during the tour.  You can follow her tour stops here. You still have time to visit the other stops.

Romance, Writing and Great Dates by Monique McDonnell

One of the lovely things about writing a book with a romantic thread through it is that you get to relive, or perhaps live for the first time, great romantic moments.

You can recapture that wonderful moment when you first lay eyes on someone and sparks flew, the first date, the first kiss, even the first break-up and make-up.

I’ve been with my husband for quite some time so honestly this has been especially fun for me. My husband is a great guy but he’s not very creative in the date department. It’s true for him and many guys that dinner or dinner and a movie that’s about where the ideas end.

Lucky for me I happen to know a couple of guys who do some really romantic things for their partners, so I have been able to ‘borrow’ some of their ideas and energy for my writing. (You need to benefit somehow from knowing these guys because hearing how one gave his wife a puzzle she had to put together and guess what it was a picture of? Fiji and yes, he had booked and paid for a week’s vacation…well that can be a bit hard to take! It is a really good idea for a character in a book, however.)

When I started writing Mr Right and Other Mongrels I knew that Allegra and Teddy, the two main characters came from very different backgrounds and moved in very different circles so their ideas of what made a great date might be quite different. I believe, however, most people, regardless of their background, are happy to go along on almost any date as long as they’re with someone who makes their toes tingle.

I think a really good date gives you something to do, something to talk about and something to eat as well and hopefully some opportunities to be thrown together. I enjoyed planning Allegra and Teddy’s first official date and I made my husband re-enact it with me as well, which was just as fun. The things I do in the name of research!

What do you think makes for a great date both in life and in literature? 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: Mr. Right and Other Mongrels

Author: Monique McDonell

Publisher: Redfish Publishing

Length: 280 pages/70,000 words

Genre: Romance

Sub-Genre: Contemporary Romance

Sub-Category: Comedy

Heat Level: Sweet (Clean romance/no sex scenes or graphic language)

Available at:

Amazon

Blurb:

Blissfully happy in her own universe Allegra (Ally) Johnson is the sweet best friend everyone wants to have. Quietly and independently wealthy she runs a charming second-hand bookshop in beach side Manly. Heck, sometimes she even goes downstairs from her flat to run the shop in her Chinese silk pyjamas. It sounds like bliss. But is it enough?

When dog-phobic Allegra is rescued from an exuberant canine by the chivalrous Teddy Green, Australia’s hottest TV celebrity and garden make-over guru, her life begins to change. Dramatically!

Unaware of Teddy’s fame Allegra finds herself falling for him, despite her best attempts to resist his charm. Supported by her eccentric family and her fabulous gay friend Justin, Allegra embarks on an on-again off-again romance with Teddy, complicated by his jealous ex-girlfriend, fashionista Louisa and her own narcissistic hippy mother Moonbeam.

Will Ally be able to overcome her insecurities and find happiness with this possible Mr Right or will Teddy’s celebrity lifestyle prove to be too much? Mr Right and Other Mongrels is a light-hearted story about how one chance encounter can change your life.

Excerpt:

My mother however was going nowhere. Worse than that she kept leering at Teddy, which simply made me uncomfortable.

I really didn’t know what was going on with Teddy and me but I surely didn’t want anything going on between Teddy and Moonbeam.

“Teddy, do you want to help me get some dinner together?”

“No Allegra, he can stay and keep me company.” She was good.

“How about we both help Ally out.” What a guy.

So we piled into my small kitchen with her standing a bit too close to Teddy for my liking.

“So what are we having?”

“Potato gnocchi with tomato sauce and a salad.”

“Cool, what can I do?’

I had already cooked the potatoes so I put Teddy to work mashing them. And I pulled down a jar of sauce I had made from organic tomatoes earlier in the summer and put it on to simmer.

Teddy looked at me quizzically “You jar your own sauce?”

“Uhmm yes”. I was always kind of embarrassed by my love of cooking. It makes me seem like a possessed potential housewife or something. I mean I know you don’t go to a club and discuss organic cooking; it doesn’t get the men flocking. Ultimately though I just like to cook and eat well.

“Well, Allegra, that being the case I may have to marry you.” He winked just so I’d know he wasn’t serious. “I’ll grow the veggies and you can make the sauce.”

I noticed Moonbeams dark eyes got a tad darker and flashed a bit wilder.

“I don’t know that there is room for a veggie patch in my flat or your designer terrace either for that matter,” I laughed.

“Well, we’ll just have to move to the country.”

“Sorry can’t leave the shop.”

“I’m heartbroken,” he feigned distress as he mashed. “I offer to give up my lucrative TV career and to grow veggies and marry you and you won’t leave the bookshop!” 

Extended Excerpt:

First of all there is something you need to know about me. Dogs and I do not get along.

It’s not that I don’t like them, exactly. In theory, I love them.

In reality I have a full-blown hysterical dog phobia.

OK now. Wait. Don’t just decide you dislike me based on that.

I know how dog people are. They simply don’t like people who don’t like dogs, but honestly it just isn’t that simple. That is like saying you hate all Mormons when that’s not possible and really how many do you actually know?

The thing is when I was a child there were a few dog-related incidents that led to the dogs charging at me with teeth bared. Once when I was about eight, I was forced to throw myself in front of a two-year-old and offer my leg as a snack to a Doberman, so that the dog wouldn’t rip into the smaller child’s face. Now objectively I know that was just bad luck and I came across the wrong dog. But honestly, it wasn’t just the once…anyway, more about that later.

It’s because of the dog phobia that I first met Edward Green, also known as Teddy Green, television celebrity and garden guru, but of course I didn’t know that at the time.

I was walking along a nice tree-lined street in Sydney’s lush eastern suburbs minding my own business. I’d been shopping with my friends Lisa and Caroline in Paddington and I’d parked back in Woollahra to save myself a cab-fare home. Ordinarily I would still have been sitting in the pub with the girls but I had a family event to get to. We don’t have functions or dinners in our family, everything is an event.

OK, so I start walking along the street and out bounds an over-excited Old-English Sheepdog who decides to lunge at me...don’t laugh because I know they are considered really cute but they are also very big, quite stupid and not very good at listening to an hysterical woman who is screaming.

“Please go away! Good dog. Go home! Go home.”

So in the absence of anyone else on the street, and anyone who has walked the streets of Woollahra on a Saturday afternoon knows how rare that is, I found myself climbing into the back of a Ute to get away from the dog. After 10 minutes of barking and jumping and panting the dog lay down behind the vehicle on the warm asphalt and fell asleep, thus blocking my exit.

Meanwhile I was left standing in the flat bed of the UTE wondering how I could make my escape. To add to my stress every so often the dog would twitch as if he was in the middle of a rather exciting dream or scratch himself behind the ear. As I was trying to work out what to do to make my escape, help arrived in the form of a cute, brown-haired guy who just happened to be Mr. Teddy Green, national icon and UTE owner.

He sauntered out of the front gate of a terrace house, listening to his iPod, and came from the front of the car and got in. Why he didn’t see me I have no idea. He was about to drive off when I began banging furiously on the rear window of the cabin. Eventually the vibrations and noise got his attention and he climbed out.

“Uhmmmmm Hello… You’re in my UTE.” Very articulate.

“Yes, this dog chased me in here and I have a bit of a dog phobia and…” Then I burst into tears. Now I must tell you that at this time I didn’t know who he was…I don’t own a TV…so I didn’t know that I should have been feeling even more embarrassed and pathetic than I was.

Just then the dog woke up and leapt at Mr. Green.

“This is the dog you are scared of?” he looked quite incredulous. He ruffled its fur and tickled it behind the ears.

“I’m scared of all dogs…but right now, yes THIS is the dog.” I was also searching in my bag for a tissue.

“Oh.”

“If you just move it away then I can get out of your truck and go home. It got out of that gate,” I pointed and indicated.

So he walked the dog back and shut the gate, the same gate Teddy had just come through and I climbed down. I patted my eyes and was thankful that at least, if nothing else that day had gone right, I had worn waterproof mascara.

He swaggered back and smiled.

“Thanks so much. Sorry if I held you up.” I said as I started to walk off.

“Does this happen to you often?” he asked

“The dog part or the UTE part?”

“Both I guess.”

“The dog part is common. The UTE part is an embarrassing new low. Thanks for rescuing me.”

And that’s how it all began.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 

About the Author:

 

I am an Australian author who writes contemporary women's fiction including chick lit and romance. I live on Sydney's Northern Beaches with my husband and daughter, and despite my dog phobia, with a dog called Skip.

I have written all my life especially as a child when I loved to write short stories and poetry. At University I studied Creative Writing as part of my Communication degree. Afterwards I was busy working in public relations. I didn't write for pleasure for quite a few years although I wrote many media releases, brochures and newsletters. (And I still do in my day-job!).

When I began to write again I noticed a trend - writing dark unhappy stories made me unhappy. So I made a decision to write a novel with a happy ending and I have been writing happy stories ever since. I began a year-long writing course at the NSW Writers Centre and (thank goodness) its members morphed into a writing group known as The Writer's Dozen. We published a highly successful anthology, Better than Chocolate, in 2008.

In 2008 I was also selected for the QWC/Hachette Livre Manuscript Development Course for my novel Mr Right and Other Mongrels. In 2009 I received a Highly Commended in the Romance Writers of Australia's Valerie Parv Awards for my novel Hearts Afire.

These are the first two books I will be e-publishing in 2012 along with a third novel, A Fair Exchange. I'm not really like the characters in my books at all although I do share something in common with each of them - Allegra (Mr Right and Other Mongrels) has a dog phobia like me, Cassie (Hearts Afire) falls in love on a tropical island and I met my husband that way and Amelia (A Fair Exchange) was an exchange student who is now all grown up.

Website: www.moniquemcdonell.com.au

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MoniqueMcDonell or @MoniqueMcDonell

Please be sure to leave Monique a question or comment below and enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win one of her eBooks. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

VBT - The Gold Crucifix by Nickie Fleming

Please join me in welcoming Nickie Fleming on her blog tour for "The Gold Crucifix".  Nickie has prepared a blog post for us on the topic of writing Historical Romance within the the framework of history itself.  Please make sure to leave a comment or question for Nickie below as she will be awarding two autographed copies of her novel, The Haversham Legacy, to two randomly drawn commenters during her tour.  You can follow her tour here.  

Romance Within the Confines of History

Lots of people will probably think that writing a historical romance has many limits. When you choose a particular era, you have to stick to the events happening in that time, to the habits people had, etc., etc.

This may all be true but in my case I don’t see it as limitations. I’m pretty confident with history, having spent most of my youth reading all about it, and when I set a story like The Gold Crucifix in a particular time frame, it is because I feel like this will give me some leverage into the development of the story.

What better frame than a civil war to spin a romance between two young people who are caught in the middle of this conflict? It being a war where everything was uncertain also explains why Davenport must leave Rebecca and can’t stay around to learn he’s becoming a father.

And later on in the story, I thought it a nice touch to have Sarah become one of the first female actresses in the Theatre Royal. I also let other characters explain why there weren’t any plays performed during Cromwell’s reign, so the reader will understand.

Sarah has also the right age to live through, the Great Fire of London, and being a witness at the disastrous effects of the Plague in the year 1665.  I always try to use as many historical events and real characters as possible in my novels. Here in The Gold Crucifix, King Charles the Second gets a human face, as the reader will learn about his frustrations and his hobbies.

About the romance in itself, putting it into the middle of the 16^th century gives me more perspective. It’s not the honey-sweetened romance you can expect in a Regency romance, where all the proper misses don’t know anything about real life.

Sarah is a young woman who knows what life is about, having had first-hand experience of it during her days serving in the ale-house of her presumed father and later on at the manor house where she becomes a housekeeper. In those days of Restoration, morale was rather loose and every girl knew a rich nobleman would not marry a woman of low birth – and that is the real conflict in this novel. Sarah knows her real father was a nobleman, but she can’t find proof of it.

Sarah knows Richard only sees her as his brother’s housekeeper and the daughter of innkeeper Amos Jennings. He loves her, but feels it is his duty to marry a woman who can bring riches and a name to his family. Of course it all turns out nicely in the end, as love finally overcomes all obstacles and Sarah and Richard are able to become a couple.  And the icing on the cake is the revelation of Sarah’s father at the end…  But you must read the novel to find out who that is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Gold Crucifix

by Nickie Fleming

BLURB:

England, mid seventeenth century. When young Sarah finds out that innkeeper Amos Jennings is not her father, she feels uncertain and scared. Her problems grow bigger when she starts a job as housekeeper and gets involved with two men who both want her love: the earl of Linfield, and his younger brother Richard. To escape these problems, Sarah takes off to London to begin a new life as actress at His Majesty’s Theatre.

Richard cannot forget the young woman her met at his brother’s. He is determined to find Sarah and make her his own--even his wife, despite what his family thinks of it. But love never comes easy. Richard and Sarah will have to face many a storm--even the Great Fire of London--before they can become one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Excerpt: 

As Hart had predicted the performance went smoothly. When Sarah appeared on the stage, her armpits were wet with transpiration. Nevertheless she said her first lines without the slightest hesitation and then became fully absorbed with her role.

She not once looked into the auditorium and therefore was not aware of the fact that most of the male audience was paying more attention to her than to the actual play.

In the royal box the king and his brother were more attentive than normal. Charles looked more than once at the leading actress, to his brother’s amusement.

“I won’t pretend Shakespeare is my favorite playwright,” the king whispered into James’s ear. “But this Ophelia… She’s a damned good actress and a pretty wench as well. Is she a new acquisition?”

“I don’t know,” James answered.

“Her name is Sarah Davenport,” George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, interrupted. The duke was one of the gentlemen in the king’s suit. He also was a frequent visitor of the theatre. “She is one of Hart’s new discoveries and he thinks rather well of her.”

“Davenport? Interesting,” Charles commented

He kept silent for a while, completely forgetting the presence of the others. His thoughts lingered away and a secretive smile curled his mouth.

Oh yes, this could become a special occasion indeed…

~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Nickie Fleming was born and raised in the historical town of Dendermonde, Belgium – home of the legendary Horse Bayard.

She read English Literature at the University of Ghent, and got her master’s degree in philology. Since then, she has been working as a high school teacher.

Her interests besides reading and writing are travelling, skiing in winter and enjoying fine food.

Links: 

Website: www.nickiefleming.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Nickie-Fleming/222668744458949

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Please remember to leave a comment or question below for Nickie to be entered in her contest. You can follow her tour here.  

VBT - Seattle Delight by Charlotte Stout

Please join me in welcoming Charlotte Stout on her blog tour for her newest release, Seattle Delight.  Charlotte was kind enough to answer some questions for me below.  Please make sure to leave a comment or question on this post, as Charlotte will be giving away a $75 Amazon Gift Card to one randomly drawn commenter during her tour.  The more often you comment, the better your chances at winning.  You can follow her tour here.  

Interview

Me: Hello Charlotte, Welcome to my blog. When did you know you wanted to be a writer and did you always want to write in the contemporary romance genre?


Charlotte: Before I get to your questions, I would like to say thank you for agreeing to host this stop on the tour. I so appreciate your time and courtesy.

I have always enjoyed the written word. I was an avid reader as a young child all the way through adulthood. I would read all these wonderful books by other authors and think, “I would love to do that.”

In the corporate world I was a very good writer. However, the only action and sex I got to write about may have been in a statement of finding document after conducting an investigation into alleged wrongdoing by one or a group of employees. I was complimented all the time by colleagues, the CEO (my boss), and attorneys for my writing skills. 

Then in the beginning of 1997 I started penning a novel about a woman living in the Northwest who is waiting for her husband to die for a variety of reasons. I wrote over one hundred twenty pages of that novel. Later that summer, I was on a trip with my girlfriends Bev and Patty to the Grand Canyon and I let them read those one hundred twenty pages.

Their enthusiasm and feedback fueled my desire to write. That’s when I knew I wanted to make writing novels part of my life. Bev and Patty are still after me to finish that very first attempt at a novel and I will soon.

I never thought I would write in the contemporary romance genre. My next two books are romantic suspense. I ended up in contemporary romance because I had a simple love story to tell and that’s where it fell.

Me:  You live in the Southwest but your first novel is set in the Seattle area.  What about Seattle drew you to set your book there?  Is there a personal connection?

Charlotte:  Seattle holds a very special place in my heart.  I lived in Seattle for ten years.   When I lived in Seattle, I had the best time.  I met my husband of twenty-six years, fell in love (yes, with him), and our courtship was crazy good. 

We only dated for a few months before he asked me to marry him. I said no.  He persisted and eventually I said yes.  I have so many fond memories of Seattle and the love that grew between us there that I wanted to create a romance that embodied some of what we experienced. 

We were young and starting out in our careers. We didn’t have a yacht, a limousine, lots of money or the other fancy accoutrement's of the wealthy but we lived, loved and played hard in one of the most vibrant and diverse cities in the country.  How could I not want to write something about a place that is so meaningful to me?

Me:  Your heroine meets her hero in a coffee shop, are you a coffee drinker and if so what is your favorite flavor/brand?

Charlotte: I am not a coffee drinker but I love the atmosphere of coffee shops.  Starbucks was just starting when I lived in Seattle and coffee shops were popping up everywhere.  It’s where business is conducted, love is initiated or resurrected, deals are made or broken and books are read and written.  

I am a tea drinker and love the Market Spice tea I would purchase at Pike Place Market.  At Starbucks, I always sat and read a book or watched people nursing a Venti iced tea.

Me:  Has your family been supportive of your venture into writing in the romance genre?

Charlotte:  I do not have children but do have seven siblings.  I believe they are supportive.  We are all dispersed across the United States and while we work to stay abreast of what’s happening in each other’s lives, it becomes complicated by time zone differences.

We have a family reunion coming up during this book tour.  They know I will be in attendance at the reunion (I’d be disowned if I didn’t show up) but they know I will need to be taking breaks from boating, volleyball, golf or whatever else is going on to check in on the tour. 

My husband and dog are very supportive. 

Me:  Can you tell us what you are currently working on?  Will any of the characters from “Seattle Delight” make an appearance in your next book?

Charlotte:  No one from “Seattle Delight” will show up in the very next book I expect to have out next month.  The upcoming book is a romantic suspense set in Minnesota and Alaska.  It is a “yikes, that’s scary” kind of book but with a romantic bent too.  It moves fast and is nothing like Seattle Delight.  There’s lots of depth and meat to this next endeavor.

I am also working on finishing the romantic suspense novel I mentioned earlier.  The one I penned in 1997 and presented the first one hundred twenty pages to my girlfriends when we were on one of our trips to the Grand Canyon.  I want to finish it not just for me but for them.  They still ask me about it to this day.

Then there is the sequel to Seattle Delight.  Julien and Charly are not finished with their journey together.  I actually love both of these characters and it is so fun to pretend I’m Charly when I am writing.

I have started a blog, continue to work on my website and find time to spend with friends and do something physical to expend all that pent up energy from sitting behind a desk. 

Me:  What was your approach to writing the love scenes in your novel?  Was it difficult or did the scene just flow?

Charlotte:  I am a good Catholic girl so the sex scenes are naturally difficult for me.

I remember when my husband was reading Seattle Delight on a flight back from Hong Kong and read one of the many sex scenes, he turned to me and said, “Where did this come from?”  I replied, “From my experience with you of course.”  He rolled his eyes and continued reading.

In my family you never discussed sex.  No one has ever had the sex talk with me.  Of course, I have and do talk about sex with girlfriends but never in a descriptive way.  So, to write a sex scene, I put myself in the position of the woman and write what I envision as sensual, sexy and will result in mind blowing sex and orgasms (multiple).  It’s not as difficult as I thought it would be and has been an interesting experience for me.

I actually blush when writing some scenes because I feel like I need to go to confession afterward. 

Friends who have read Seattle Delight tell me the sex scenes are hot and always ask how I came up with them.  I just keep them guessing.  I am sure they believe Warren, my husband, and I have mind-blowing sex like what is in the book all the time.  It would be unladylike for me to confirm or deny this point.  Wink! Wink!

Me:  What has been the best/worst thing about having your first book published?  Would you change anything about the process you have gone through?

Charlotte:  There is a segment of the population who react skeptically when I tell them that I am an independent author and have self-published a book.  Sometimes I observe them giving me a look of, “so, you’re one of those people!” 

Being the naïve person I am, I don’t accept the hypothesis that indie authors deliver an inferior product.  It is my belief that the reader can and should expect quality regardless how the book was prepared for market.

I know a college professor who recently went the “indie” author route and self-published a satirical novel about life on a college campus.  Why did he do this?  Why not go the traditional route, especially with his contacts?  Because going the traditional route was difficult and time consuming.  There were too many constraints.  He did not want to give up his teaching career but wanted to publish a novel.  Publishing the book independently allowed him the flexibility he needed to accomplish both.

I have read the professor’s book and believe me; it is professional in appearance, grammatically precise and he tells a great story. 

For me, being an indie author allows the freedom to explore writing in different genres without committing to any one specifically.  An indie author can dip their quill into different genres more easily and figure out which one(s) suit(s) them and their readers. 

The difficulty with being an indie author and publisher is the solitary nature of the work.  One needs to develop a supportive online community, find reliable editors, have access to information, and possess a thirst for knowledge.  You must be ready and willing to work harder than you’ve ever worked before because you do it all.  I believe the absolute hardest piece of being an indie author and publisher is learning how to market a book.  Marketing is an area that is ever-evolving and is an endeavor I will be working on forever.

I can’t think of anything I would have done differently.  It has all been a learning process to prepare me for the next book I publish.

Thank you again for hosting this stop on the tour.  I appreciate your time and interest. 

Bonne Journée

Charlotte

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seattle Delight

By

Charlotte Stout

BLURB:  

Charly’s life was simple and uncomplicated, just like she wanted it.  Or so she thought!  One chance encounter with a devilishly handsome stranger in her local coffee shop would turn her world, and her heart, upside down.  She would be thrown into a realm of privilege and romance, and more than just a little danger.  

How will she handle the dark gorgeous man who has inserted himself into her domain?  When danger threatens those she loves, will she have the strength of heart and spirit to do whatever it takes to save them?  Share Charly’s adventures as she navigates through the quickly changing landscape that has become her life.

EXCERPT:

“Hey, watch it,” Charly said as someone bumped her table and precious drops of the caffeine laced fuel danced across the table.  She couldn’t afford to lose a micro gram of caffeine. Not today – well not any day!  Considering she’d written two lines and a finished first draft of her book was due in two months, she knew she was in a world of hurt.

Charly turned to see who had been so rude.  Okay, as a romance writer it was Charly’s job to write about hunks but what she saw before her left her breathless.  Looking at her with Caribbean Sea blue eyes, copper skin, and dark hair falling in waves to the top of his shoulders was a God.

“Pardon, I am so sorry,” he said in a deep, richly accented voice bowing his head in her direction.  

His eyes – those incredible blue eyes were intently focused on Charly making her feel self-conscious.  Charly regretted that she hadn’t taken more care with her appearance this morning.  Her damp hair was a mass of unruly curls, her face devoid of makeup with the exception of a dab of lip-gloss.  Charly rested her chin in her right hand appreciating the view before her until she laid a finger on her upper lip.  Panic rose within her; she felt it and if he noticed it she would be mortified.  Damn, why hadn’t she waxed her mustache last night?   Why did women get mustaches in the first place? It’s not like we don’t have enough to worry about. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Charlotte lives in Arizona with her hunky husband Warren, and her spoiled Silky Terrier, Tess. Her life has been filled with serious endeavors, including earning a Master's degree, owning her own business, consulting and working in the corporate world as a human resources executive. Before penning her first novel, Charlotte had written several practical guides for business applications, not exactly steamy stuff. Luckily, she never lost sight of her dream to write a novel that would encompass her passion for gorgeous men, adventure and a love of life.  Enjoy!

LINKS:

Web site:  http://www.charlotteastout.com

Blog:   http://www.charlotteastout.com/blog   

I want to thank Charlotte for being on my blog today.  Please remember to leave a comment or question below so that you can be entered in Charlotte's giveaway.  The more often you comment on her tour, the better your chances.  You can follow her tour here. 

VBT - Touched by Death by Dale Mayer

Today I'm pleased to offer a review of Dale Mayer's "Touched by Death", a romantic suspense novel.  Please be sure to leave a comment and enter the Rafflecopter form below as Dale will be awarding a copy of the ebook to 15 lucky entrants during her tour.

Title: Touched by Death

Author: Dale Mayer

Publisher: Valley Publishing

Length: 90,000 words

Genre: Romance

Sub-Genre Romantic Suspense

Sub-Categories: Mystery/Thriller

Heat Level: Steamy (Hot sex scenes/language, but not explicit.)

Available at:

Amazon

Blurb:

Death had touched anthropologist Jade Hansen in Haiti once before, costing her an unborn child and perhaps her very sanity. A year later, determined to face her own issues, she returns to Haiti with a mortuary team to recover the bodies of an American family from a mass grave.

Visiting his brother after the quake, independent contractor Dane Carter puts his life on hold to help the sleepy town of Jacmel rebuild. But he finds it hard to like his brother's pregnant wife or her family. He wants to go home, until he meets Jade - and realizes what's missing in his own life.

When the mortuary team begins work, it's as if malevolence has been released from the earth. Instead of laying her ghosts to rest, Jade finds herself confronting death and terror again. And the man who unexpectedly awakens her heart - is right in the middle of it all.

Excerpt:

The women headed to the Iron Market and the few shops open along the way. The elegant mansions and town homes spoke of days gone by. Once glorious in their regal bearing and bright colors, these buildings had taken a major knock from Mother Nature. Still, even with the damage from the earthquake, Jacmel was a tourist destination like no other. At least here, there were obvious revitalization attempts happening to get the city back on its feet.

The afternoon zipped by at a rapid pace – full of shopping, laughter and fun as the women ran from shop to shop and stall to stall buying a few items to make their job a little brighter and more comfortable. Jade was delighted to find several brightly colored t-shirts and cotton pants in a beige-khaki color. They would withstand a lot of wear and tear. At one brightly festooned stall, she found several hair clips big enough to hold her heavy blond hair off her neck.

If she'd had a little longer to prepare and pack, she'd have gotten a haircut. As it was, the clips would do for now. She could always get it cut here if she couldn't stand the heat. Meg's short curls looked perfect. And Susan's fine black bob that stopped at her chin also looked comfortable.

"Now that has to feel better." Meg patted Jade's hair clip. "Nice. Now I almost wish I had long hair myself. Almost." She grinned and picked up several clips. "I bet my sister would love a couple."

"Later, when it's time to go home. Too much to pack this early."

"You're right." Meg put it back with a sigh. "Too bad though."

As they headed back to the SUV Susan stopped at another brightly colored stall, one festooned with odd-looking handmade dolls. An old short and squat women – wearing so many necklaces, they almost obliterated the sight of her red blouse underneath – worked at the booth. The woman's black gaze latched onto Jade and never let go.

Jade moved to the other side of Susan in an effort to get away from that piercing stare. And came too close to the weird-looking straw and cloth dolls. She noticed the papier-mâché looking ones painted in black with weird markings…and many other items she couldn't begin to recognize. "What are these things?"

"Vodou paraphernalia."

Jade shuddered and took several steps back. "Not for me, thanks."

Susan shook her head vigorously. "No. You don't get it. This stuff is for good luck. Used to ward off bad spirits."

With a second shudder, Jade moved several steps back, shaking her hands in front of her. "I still don't want one."

Susan grinned and reached to pluck her choice off the top of the stall. "Well I do. Just what we need for the grave work."

The transaction was done in silence. The old woman accepting the money never took her eyes off Jade. Unsettled, Jade did everything to avoid her. She wished Susan would hurry.

Finally they were done. Jade turned to leave when the old women moved off her stool so quickly, Jade never would have believed it possible if she hadn't seen it herself. Before Jade could back away the old woman grabbed her by the arm.

"Danger stalks you. You see it but you don't understand it. Careful. Or you will join those that have gone before." She dropped Jade's arm and returned to her stool beside her cart.

Jade froze. So shocked and horrified by the crone's touch, she hardly understood what the old woman said.

Meg grabbed her arm. "Come on," she hissed. "Forget about her. Let's get back to the SUV."

Susan snagged her other arm so the three walked back linked together.

"That was too weird," Meg said. "I'm glad you got a doll, Susan. Good luck is just what we need."

 

About the Author:

Dale Mayer is a prolific multi-published writer. She's best known for Tuesday's Child, Hide'n Go Seek, her romantic suspense novels that was one of the final four in the Kensington Brava/Romantic Times contest this last year. Besides her romantic suspense/thrillers, Dale also writes paranormal romance and crossover young adult books in several different genres.  To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series . All her books are available in print format as well.

To find out more about Dale and her books, visit her at http://www.dalemayer.com. Or connect with her online with Twitter at www.twitter.com/dalemayer and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dalemayer.author.

 

BOOKS BY DALE MAYER:

Psychic Vision Series

Tuesday's Child

Hide'n Go Seek

Maddy's Floor

Single Title Romantic Suspense/Thrillers

Touched by Death – out now!

Novellas

It's a Dog's Life- romantic comedy

Young Adult Books

Dangerous Designs – Book I

Deadly Designs – Book 2 – out soon!

Vampire in Denial – Book I of Blood Ties

Vampire in Distress – Book 2 out soon!

Gem Stone Mystery Series- out soon!

In Cassie's Corner- soon

Non-Fiction Books

Career Essentials: The Resume

Career Essentials: The Cover Letter

Career Essentials: The Interview

Career Essentials: 3 in 1

MY Review:  



This is the first time I've read a Dale Mayer book and I'm glad I started with a romantic suspense, one of my favorite genres.  The pacing of this book was excellent and there were plenty of plot twists and turns which kept me glued to the pages.  The romance between Jade and Dane, the two main characters, was believable and spicy sweet; their chemistry was fantastic.  


I found the setting in Haiti to be an interesting choice, most of the books I've read set in that small island haven't really focused on the beauty of the island and Ms. Mayer managed to blend the beauty of the island and the people, even as they are going through the devastation of a horrific earthquake.  Living in an area which has the occasional earthquake, I understood the fears of the people perfectly.  I also liked how Ms. Mayer briefly references voodoo and the impact it has on the local population, but doesn't focus on it a subplot in solving the mystery as some other books I've read have done.  


The only thing I was sorry to see with this book was the end.  I enjoyed the mystery and suspense, and as a good mystery should do, I was kept guessing until the very end.  I look forward to reading more of Ms. Mayer's work in the future and have already added several more of her books to my kindle.  Overall, this is a very well written and enjoyable book.


My Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns

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Spotlight & Giveaway - Summer Nights & All Summer Long by Susan Mallery

Spotlight - Summer Nights and All Summer Long by Susan Mallery

So far my summer reading has only been so-so, I haven't gotten to read as much as I've wanted to read but what I have read has been very enjoyable.  Anyone who follows my blog, pretty much knows I'm a huge fan of Susan Mallery and her books and what can be a better way to celebrate a new release than with a spotlight and giveaway.


Today I'm spotlighting the two newest books in her "Fool's Gold" series set in a small fictional town in Southern California.  

Summer Nights by Susan Mallery 

Wild hearts cannot be tamed…

Horse whisperer Shane Stryker is done with passion. This time around, he’s determined to meet someone who will be content with the quiet life of a rancher’s wife. And the fiery, pint-size redhead who dazzles him at the local bar definitely does not fit the bill.

Small-town librarian Annabelle Weiss has always seen herself as more of a sweetheart than a siren, so she can’t understand why Shane keeps pushing her away. Shane has formed the totally wrong impression of her but only he can help her with a special event for the next Fool’s Gold festival. And maybe while he’s at it, she can convince him to teach her a few things about kissing on hot summer nights, too—some lessons, a girl shouldn’t learn from reading a book!

Excerpt: Chapter One - Part One

Shane Stryker was determined enough to never walk away from a fight and smart enough to know when he'd been beat. The beautiful redhead dancing on the bar might be everything he wanted, but she the worst thing he could have.


Her eyes were closed, her long, wavy hair swayed in rhythm with her body. The sensual beat of the music hit Shane square in the gut. He shook his head. Okay, it hit him lower than that, but he ignored it and the draw he felt. The need. Women who danced on bars were trouble. Exciting, tempting, but not for him.


He might never have met her, but he knew the type. Attention-seeking. Deadly—at least for a guy who had assumed marriage meant commitment and monogamy. Women like the one on the bar needed to be wanted by every man in the room. A ride he wasn't willing to take again.


Slowly, regretfully, he turned away from the woman and headed for the exit. He'd come into town for a beer and a burger. He'd thought he could catch the game, maybe hang with the guys. What he'd found instead was a barefoot goddess who made a man want to forget all his hopes and dreams in exchange for a single smile. His dreams were worth more, he reminded himself, glancing over his shoulder one last time before stepping out into the warm summer night.

All Summer Long by Susan Mallery

Can a summer fling turn into love that lasts a lifetime?

Former underwear model turned entrepreneur Clay Stryker has loved, tragically lost and vowed that he’ll never risk his heart again. After making his fortune, the youngest of the rugged Stryker brothers returns to Fool’s Gold, California, to put down roots on a ranch of his own. But he’s frustrated to discover that even in his hometown, people see him only for his world-famous…assets.

Firefighter Chantal (Charlie) Dixon grew up an ugly duckling beside her delicately beautiful mother, a feeling reinforced long ago by a man who left soul-deep scars. Now she has good friends, a solid job and the itch to start a family—yet she can’t move toward the future while she’s haunted by painful memories.

Clay finds an unexpected ally, and unexpected temptation, in tomboyish Charlie, the only person who sees beyond his dazzling good looks to the real man beneath. But when Charlie comes to him with an indecent proposal, will they be able to overcome their pasts and find a love that lasts beyond one incredible summer?

Excerpt : Chapter One - Part One

"Don't take this wrong, but seriously, a cat of your size needs to keep all four paws firmly on the ground."

Charlie Dixon continued up the ladder, aware that Daytona was watching her with serious contempt in his large, green feline eyes. The black and white cat was about twenty-six pounds of attitude. His climbing skills might be excellent, but his ability to get down the tree left much to be desired. At least once a month he got his big furry butt to the top of Mrs. Coverson's sycamore and yowled to be rescued. About an hour later, the old lady panicked and called the fire department. Daytona, named for Mrs. Coverson's love of all things NASCAR, glared and hissed and threatened, but in the end, he submitted to be safely carried to the ground.

"Come on, you," Charlie said, climbing the last two rungs of the ladder. "You know you're getting hungry and I'm your ride down to your food bowl."

On cue, the cat flattened his ears and gave an impressive growl.

"Cheap talk, big guy," Charlie said, then reached for the cat. Daytona took a swipe at the back of her hand, but the movement was half-hearted at best. He was already moving toward her, allowing himself to be picked up and held against her.

"Don't worry," someone called from the sidewalk. "I've got your ladder."

Charlie sighed heavily. "Civilians," she muttered. "How do they always find me?"

Daytona didn't offer a response.

Charlie looked down and saw some guy hovering by the base of her ladder. "I'm fine," she yelled. "Step back."

"Someone needs to hold the ladder," the dark-haired man insisted.

"Not really."

Charlie tucked Daytona securely under one arm and started her descent. She went quickly, aware that Daytona's attention span was often shorter than the trip to safety. When he started squirming, they were both in danger of tumbling. This time she cut it a little too close.

Daytona pushed all four paws against her, then twisted in an attempt to climb down the rest of the way by himself. Charlie hung on, knowing the cat's delusions of grandeur would not have a happy ending. Not only didn't she want to fall herself, there was no way she was going to face old lady Coverson with a less than perfect Daytona beside her.

"Stop it!" she told the cat.

"Need me to come up?" the guy asked.

Charlie briefly wondered how much trouble she would be in for kicking him with her steel-toed boots and if it would be worth it. Some of her best friends were civilians, but honest to God, there were people who totally lacked common sense.

"Stay back," she yelled. "Step away from the ladder and don't interfere."

"I'm not interfering. I'm helping."

Before Charlie could respond, several things happened at once. Daytona gave one final push for freedom. Charlie leaned over to make sure she kept a grip on the squirming cat. The ladder lurched, the idiot below started up and everyone had a moment to rediscover the power of gravity.

Daytona fared the best. He used his claws to dig in to the side of the tree, then scurry down. Charlie came in second. She was maybe six or seven feet from the ground. It came up fast, but instead of hitting the sidewalk or even the grass at the base of the tree, she slammed into the guy who'd been trying to "help."

As she lay on top of the idiot and sucked in air, Charlie watched Daytona stroll over and give a last annoyed hiss. The cat stalked away, his tail high. Charlie rolled off the guy, aware that at five-ten and well-muscled, she weighed a whole lot more than was considered fashionable. No doubt he'd had the wind knocked out of him. With luck, only his pride was hurt and then she could lecture him on why it was never good to be stupid. At worst, she was about to have to call for an ambulance.

"You okay?" she asked, shifting into a kneeling position and glancing at the man for the first time. "Did you hit your head and—"

Crap and double crap. This wasn't some random stupid person, she thought, taking in the perfectly shaped jaw, the firm, full mouth and, when his lids slowly opened, the dark eyes fringed by long lashes. This was possibly the best looking man on the planet.

Clay Stryker, model, movie butt double. His ass had been flashed in magazine ads, calendars and on the big screen. He had a killer body and his face was even better. He was the kind of man for whom, on the promise of a smile, the earth would change its rotation.

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