I’ve been waiting to release this in all the hoopla, reviews and great press for the new book–but here it is! Enjoy!! (get ready to dance in your chair! 🙂 )
For more information and buy links– https://alana-lorens.com/cruel-charade/
author
Reviews coming in–do you have your copy yet?
CRUEL CHARADE has been out one whole week, and the five-star reviews are piling up! Check out some of these:
5.0 out of 5 stars Page-turner with a Great Twist Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2024
If you like a good legal thriller with an engaging protagonist, you will enjoy Cruel Charade. In this latest offering in the lady lawyer series by Alana Lorens, Bettina Lenard wakes up in a Florida swamp and tries to figure out how she got there and who wants her dead. Unfortunately, there are many possibilities. It could be one of several former clients, a drug kingpin she has crossed, or maybe her ex-husband.
This book is fun, but it’s instructive, too. In addition to the mystery, Cruel Charade is also an accurate description of the journey to diagnosis for a woman with an autoimmune disease, from her husband assuming she is faking pain to cover a drinking problem, to a line of doctors who have no clue how to help her and little interest in trying. The reader has sympathy for Bet but doesn’t pity her. She is a strong, capable woman dealing with an illness that she doesn’t let define her.
The story skips around in time, which can be a bit confusing at first, but stick with it because you will get into the rhythm as you read on. Cruel Charade is a page-turner with a great twist. It’s the perfect book for a weekend at the beach or a me-time treat.
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2024
CRUEL CHARADE by Alana Lorens is exciting with plot twists and turns that will keep you reading through the night. The story revolves around the murder attempt of attorney Bet Lenard who has lost everything in a bitter divorce. She finds comfort with her dearest friend and a new therapist. Written by juxtaposing the past with the present is intriguing and makes you really think when putting the story line together. It boils down to, can Bet figure out who tried to kill her before they try again? A great read all the way to the unique and surprising end. I highly recommend this book.
There is a lot going on in this story. It’s all about Bet Lenard, and the story is in her POV, but it goes back and forth from present time to her past so you get all the reasons behind what’s happening in the back story. Bet is nearly killed in the Everglades in a car fire. She barely gets back from that before other things start happening. As a criminal lawyer, she’s often worked with dangerous people, but she’s not sure who is doing this to her—and there are a lot of possibilities, including her ex-husband.
There’s enough going on in this story that you definitely will not get bored – right up to the last page! Just when you think everything is solved, you turn the page and… it’s not! Nicely done. The only thing that kept me from giving this five stars was the back-and-forth in past/present. Not one of my favorite types of writing, but overall, the story is excellent.
Recommended.
I really enjoyed my review copy of Cruel Charade, a crime thriller by Alana Lorens. The story begins when Miami attorney Bettina (Bet) Lenard, wakes up in a spectacular WTF situation. Someone is out to kill Bet and, given the criminal element she and her not-so-ethical attorney ex-husband have represented over the years, that would-be killer could be anyone. Bet has to stay one step ahead of the killer’s attacks; while battling debilitating pain from an undiagnosable illness, keeping her estranged kids safe, and eluding a mob boss intent on forcing her to work for him. This unusual protagonist is one reason Cruel Charade kept me interested. Bet is a flawed person who doesn’t have all the answers, but she’s doing her best to navigate personal relationships while solving the case. I really loved Bet’s deadpan sense of humor, fashion sense, and foodie sensibilities. I enjoyed the inventive way she got herself out of jams. Cruel Charade is an engaging story with characters that feel real, in a setting that came alive in a sensory way (I really want to try that Cuban coffee). The action kept me hooked. The end satisfied and left me smiling.
Miami attorney Bet Lenard has had a rough year. She’s battling an unknown illness that drives her to drink to cope with her pain. Her lawyer husband has divorced her and taken the best part of their business, their home and their children.
On the night of May 16, 1996, Bet finds herself in the Everglades in the middle of the night, drugged, lost and next to a burned car with a dead body in it. Hoping she’s hit bottom, Bet must drag herself out of her living hell and discover who tried to kill her. Was it her ex-husband, not satisfied with stealing everything that mattered? An angry client, unhappy with the outcome of their case? Her best friend’s husband, livid that Bet’s restraining order kicked him out of her life forever? Police officers fuming that Bet helped a client convict a dirty cop who was their friend? She has no idea.
As she tries to sort out the motives behind her would-be killer, even more suspects come to light. The only thing keeping Bet sane is her relationship with her therapist, who encourages her to struggle and survive, despite everything that’s gone wrong. How will Bet discover the truth and bring her enemy to justice before they strike again and, this time, succeed?
What are you waiting for? Get your copy here:
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A broken family and intrigue on the hot, deadly streets of 1996 Miami #MFRWHooks
Yes, today’s the day! CRUEL CHARADE is out from The Wild Rose Press– and its five-stars future looks good. Do you have your copy yet?
May 13, 1995
One year before The Incident
Bettina stumbled out the side door of the Barracuda Taphouse, straining to focus fuzzy eyes. Leaning against the side of the building, she muttered to herself.
I only took my attention off that pina colada for a minute. Someone dosed it. I’ve got to get straight. Now.
But she couldn’t. Her knees threatened to mutiny and drop her on the pavement. Music pulsed through the wall behind her. She started to spin out of control.
Five things. “Street lights. Blue Lexus. Palm trees.
Lady with a purse. Man with a purse.” Should it bother me that his is nicer?
She straightened her back against the bricks, her fingers scrabbling in the grooves for a handhold. Her eyes closed and the spinning got worse. She forced them open again.
Four things. “Bricks. Space between bricks.” She tapped her expensive shoe on the ground. “Sidewalk.” She didn’t dare let go to touch anything else. Her arm rubbed against hard plastic discs down her side. “Midnight blue sequins.” Her new blouse that screamed take me home to bed, stranger.
Three things. “Um…traffic. Drums. Horns beeping.”
Was her breathing easier? She thought so.
Two things. “Cigarette smoke.” She cast an envious glance at the couple standing half a block up with cancer sticks in hand. “Diesel fuel.”
One thing. She couldn’t taste anything at first. Whatever was in her system had taken over. Then bile swirled in her stomach and rose to the back of her throat. Burning, it made its way out as she vomited into a potted plant.
Now isn’t that a lovely picture. Up-and-coming criminal defense attorney ralphing al fresco like a common street drunk.
She wiped her mouth and faced the wall, drooping against it, one hand propping her up.
The door she’d come out of flew open. “Bet? Oh my God, what are you doing?” Mela grabbed her arm. “Are you all right?”
“Nope,” Bet replied. “I surely am not. Someone dosed me. I think it was that suave Nicaraguan.” Her stomach roiled and she threw up again.
“The one with the haircut? You think so?” Mela rubbed Bet’s back. “Come on, let’s get out of here before a Herald reporter shows up. That’s all you need is for Rich to have proof you’re unfit.”
Bet reared upward with a scowl. “I’m not unfit. I don’t have the children in my custody, do I? He won that round, damn it.”
What the story’s about: Miami attorney Bet Lenard has had a rough year. She’s battling an unknown illness that drives her to drink to cope with her pain. Her lawyer husband has divorced her and taken the best part of their business, their home and their children.
On the night of May 16, 1996, Bet finds herself in the Everglades in the middle of the night, drugged, lost and next to a burned car with a dead body in it. Hoping she’s hit bottom, Bet must drag herself out of her living hell and discover who tried to kill her. Was it her ex-husband, not satisfied with stealing everything that mattered? An angry client, unhappy with the outcome of their case? Her best friend’s husband, livid that Bet’s restraining order kicked him out of her life forever? Police officers fuming that Bet helped a client convict a dirty cop who was their friend? She has no idea.
As she tries to sort out the motives behind her would-be killer, even more suspects come to light. The only thing keeping Bet sane is her relationship with her therapist, who encourages her to struggle and survive, despite everything that’s gone wrong. How will Bet discover the truth and bring her enemy to justice before they strike again and, this time, succeed?
Where you can get it:
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Walmart
Target
BooksAMillion
IndieBound
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
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ITunes
You’ll like it–I promise!
https://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=313926
Hot, new paranormal romance from Tina Donahue!
The Craving
NEW RELEASE
Book Two The Wanderers
Erotic Paranormal Romance
She’s everything he’s desired… He’s the one man she shouldn’t crave.
Knowing the danger the Wanderers pose, Erica Vega intends to hunt down the mysterious
group steeped in dark magic, curses, and mind control. As a Deputy U.S. Marshal,
she has the law behind her, along with her telekinetic powers. Let the chase
and battle begin.
Not so fast. Her superior forbids her to go after any Wanderer, instead ordering
her to work cold cases with her new partner Lucian Navari.
Tall, dark, and hotter than sin, Lucian doesn’t play by the book. He has his own
agenda and agrees to help Erica hunt Wanderers on the sly where he and she can
be up close and personal.
Erica’s not one to mix duty with pleasure, but he’s impossible to resist in too damn
many ways. As they investigate an elusive Wanderer, nothing is as it appears—she
can’t trust what she sees or believes. Lies masquerade as truth, and deception
rules while she and Lucian grow closer in a carnal dance that will change their
lives.
Excerpt:
He shoved his hair back. “You still don’t trust me.”
She did, more than any man in her life, except for Mike. However, when people got
rattled or drank, they sometimes blurted stuff they shouldn’t. Not their fault,
but it didn’t make things better. “If by chance you ever say anything about my
power, I’ll deny it. I’ll make you sound like a loon. That’s a promise.”
“You think I’m that much of a prick?”
She’d never met a finer man. With him, she felt comfortable and safe. He’d protected
her after the tree incident and tried to stop her from behaving like a maniac.
Today, they’d become friends without even trying. She should have been scared
at the notion and for breaking one of her work rules. Instead, relief washed
over her. She wasn’t alone in this. “You’re the man. How many times do I have
to keep telling you?”
He chuckled. “God, you’re something.” He searched her face. “Are you all right?”
Her insides still trembled. She suspected from doubt and unease about Pope, and at
having Lucian here, close and alone with her. “I won’t lie, I’ve been calmer.
Maybe a beer will help. Can I get you one?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
She delivered the brew, along with damp dish towels to clean their faces and hands.
Once they were finished, she dropped the things onto the cocktail table and
gestured him to her cloth sofa, large enough to seat four or serve as a
makeshift bed for an overnight guest. They sat on adjoining cushions. She
didn’t mind having him near. His proximity, scent, and heat unsettled her in a
good way. She gulped her beer, hoping it would help her forget the bad stuff.
Lucian sipped his drink and regarded her.
Her throat and face stung with heat. “You’re staring again.”
“Do you mind?”
“Maybe.”
“Then stop making it so easy.”
She lowered her face and smiled. “There’s dust on your shirt and pants.”
He looked and shrugged. “I don’t care, if you don’t.”
His deep voice soothed. His big body promised excitement, comfort, refuge from a
crappy world. Stuff she shouldn’t want, at least from him. Work relationships
always got complicated no matter how she controlled her feelings. Throwing
attraction into the mix made things worse. She gulped more beer.
“You’re sure you’re all right?”
Bubbles tickled her nose. She rubbed it and wanted to lie, tell him to go home, she was
okay and didn’t need him here. The words wouldn’t come. She looked at him.
He lifted his shoulders. “What?”
Never had she wanted a man as she did him. “Screw this.” She put her bottle on the
cocktail table and crawled onto his lap, straddling his legs. “Don’t talk, please.” She cupped his face. “Unless you don’t want me.”
His eyes rounded. “Are you joking? Hell yeah, I do.”
“Shhh.” She didn’t want words. She needed intimacy and fitted her mouth to his.
He smiled. So did she, their lips lifting together, seeking each other.
The room spun. A ride like no other. His stubble rasped her cheeks and chin. His
lips couldn’t have been softer or warmer. Better than what she’d experienced in
her dream.
He pulled her close and speared his tongue into her mouth.
Shelost her breath. This was past epic and straight into legendary. Even her
fantasies weren’t this good.
They kissed with abandon and stark need, each pressing nearer, trying to eliminate
any separation between them. His strength thrilled, showing her his power, yet
it also felt like a caress.
He growled and tore his mouth free.
“No.” She cupped his head to pull him back to her. “I’m not through.”
“Neither am I.” Holding on to her, he leaned forward, put his bottle on the table then
twisted around and pushed her to the sofa. The cushion whooshed from her weight. “Not a word, understand?”
Several locks had fallen over his forehead. His eyes were bright with lust. Face flushed. So gorgeous. “Yes, sir.”
He laughed and captured her mouth with desire, using it with skill. His kiss was savage and unrestrained, tongue burrowed deep, giving her no chance for words. Wild sounds poured from them, more animal than human. It fueled her lust.
Reason and good sense fled, replaced by carnal instinct feral in its intensity, nothing timid or gentle about the act.
They rocked and rolled deep kissing. The sofa jerked on the hardwood floor.
He broke free again.
He had to stop doing that. She grabbed his hair. “Come back here.”
He hauled her up then pushed to his feet.
She wrapped her legs around his lean hips, her arms about his shoulders.
“Where’s your bedroom?” He looked right, left.
“Behind you.”
He pivoted, carried her across the room, and halted. “Where’s Rápido?”
“By the chair. Give me a sec.” Using her power, she transported him to his tank. There he could take a soak or bask beneath his warming lamp. Turtle heaven. “What are you waiting for?” She squeezed Lucian’s shoulders. “Get going. I’m about to die.”
“And I’m not?” Huffing, he raced into her bedroom and brought her down to the mattress with him. Springs popped. The frame creaked.
Their mouths were welded together, their kiss long and lingering, deep and wet. The best kind.
He jerked free. “Wait.”
“No.” She kept kissing him.
He pulled away. “We have weapons.” He left the bed and put his Glock on the bureau.
She was right behind him and placed hers next to his.
Grinning, they tore at each other’s clothes. Shoes, pants, tops, and underwear flew.
This time, she pulled him onto the mattress.
TEASERS FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE…
_______
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EROTIC PARANOMAL
The Yearning
Book One The Wanderers
Erotic Paranormal
To break this curse, they’ll have to turn the heat up. Way up.
Jasmine Dante prowls Key West’s nightlife, fighting a losing battle against a jealous rival’s curse that forces her to seek carnal pleasure, no matter the danger. Weakened from lack of sleep and driven by insatiable lust, she spots a man who stirs her desperate craving, and begins yet another dance of seduction.
Except the dark stranger who returns her direct stare is no ordinary lover. Inside his powerful body lies a raw sexuality that just might be enough to break her curse. There’s only one way to find out—imprison him in her bed and feed on his passion.
Former Deputy U.S. Marshal Mike Stearn is many things, but he’s no woman’s sex slave. The deadly telekinetic power he ruthlessly suppresses comes alive again at Jasmine’s touch. Beneath her bold, potent sensuality, he senses vulnerability and desperation. He may be in handcuffs, but she’s the one who’s enslaved.
As Mike resurrects his power to free himself so he can find the curse’s source and defeat it, Jasmine revels in his masterful rule. Her ravenous yearning evolves into rapture as she surrenders to his hunger, her darkest needs—and the emotional connection that lies beyond. Unless the curse takes her life first…
About Tina:
Tina’s an Amazon and international bestselling novelist who writes passionate romance for every taste – ‘heat with heart’ – for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. She’s won Readers’ Choice Awards, was named a finalist in the EPIC competition, received a Book of the Year award, The Golden Nib Award, awards of merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competitions, and second place in the NEC RWA contests. She’s featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.
On a less serious note: she’s an admitted and unrepentant chocoholic, brakes for Mexican restaurants, and has been known to moan like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally while wolfing down tostadas. She’s flown a single-engine airplane (freaking scary), rewired an old house using an ‘electricity for dummies’ book, and is horribly shy despite the hot romances she writes.
Website/Blog: http://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tina-donahue
MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/tinadonahue
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinadonahue
Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/1ChWFkO
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Kensington Author Page: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/24772
Sweet ‘n Sexy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K
In the Crosshairs: The Body on Leffis Key
PLEASE WELCOME MY GUEST M.S SPENCER!!
Someone is killing people with a crossbow, but what connects the murders is a mystery, and only a birder and the aide to a dead Senator can find the answers.
Intro
I grew up in the DC suburbs and came back as a young adult to work in the US Senate at a time of great upheaval (1980s). The Washington of my youth was genteel, southern, sleepy, and dull. Members of Congress spent most of their time in their districts. There were no restaurants to speak of—the only parties were at diplomats’ residences. There was a single theatre—the National. JFK allegedly quipped that Washington was a city of northern charm and southern efficiency.
By the 1980s it had changed dramatically (I won’t even talk about the depths it’s risen to today). Perhaps because of the advent of television, politics rather than diplomacy now rule the social life “inside-the-Beltway.” There are hundreds of expense-account restaurants and massive theatres. The celebrities aren’t ambassadors and foreign princes, but pundits, “influencers,” and Hollywoodites.
In the excerpt below the widow of a prominent US Senator confesses to an adulterous affair with a high-powered global investor. This is not uncommon, but in this case there’s murder involved.
OUR STORY:
Palmer Lind, recovering from the sudden death of her husband, embarks on a bird-watching trek to the Gulf Coast of Florida. One hot day on Leffis Key she comes upon—not the life bird she was hoping for—but a floating corpse. The handsome beach bum who appears on the scene at the same time seems to have even more secrets than the dead man.
His story begins to unravel as the pair search for answers to a growing pile of dead bodies. Spies, radical environmentalists, and wealthy businessmen circle around each other in a complex dance. Which one is lying? What do a seemingly random group of individuals have in common, other than being targeted by a crossbow?
In the Crosshairs: The Body on Leffis Key
The Wild Rose Press, May 27, 2024
Mystery, Suspense
89,710 words; 392 pp.
Excerpt: Joanna Confesses
Joanna whirled around and advanced toward Palmer, her cheeks flaming and her teeth bared.
Palmer fell back a step. “I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me, you…you floozy. Keep your smutty hands off Wilfred!”
Palmer was too astonished to respond, but the thought gamboled through her head that jealous rage was hardly a suitable look for a bereaved widow. She was weighing options for escape when Joanna toppled into a chair.
“Oh Miss Lind, I’m so sorry. You must think I’m a crazy person. My emotions are all over the place.” To prove it, she burst into tears.
Palmer gave her a box of tissues and went for a glass of water. When she returned, Joanna had regained her composure. “Thank you.” She sniffed. “I suppose I should explain my behavior.”
That would be nice. “If you like.”
“You see, Atticus and I had what you’d call a political marriage. We did love each other in the beginning, but after a few years, the unabating hostility from my relatives…” She broke off and sipped the water. “My family has lived in Mobile, Alabama, for over two hundred years. We’ve always been Democrats…well, for as long as there’s been a Democrat party, that is. Atticus was not only from the Midwest”—she said it with a moue of distaste—“but he was a Republican. Two colossal strikes against him in the view of my grandmother Rose, the matriarch of the clan. She turned everyone against him, shunned him. At least, until he was elected senator.” She gave a resentful snort. “Even then they barely acknowledged him at family gatherings. I got tired of defending him all the time, and we drifted apart, but the demands of the job meant we had to pretend we were the idyllic power couple.”
That’s how Carson described them. Palmer had trouble feeling sorry for her but could hardly interrupt the flow. “Go on.”
“Last year we were at Davos—that’s an annual economic forum in Switzerland. Everybody who’s anybody in the financial and political worlds goes. Atticus was giving an interview to Forbes, and I took to the slopes for an afternoon’s skiing.”
The lives of the rich and famous…
“I was on my last run and visibility was poor. I took a spill, and suddenly Wilfred appeared out of the gloom. He helped me up and escorted me back to the lodge. We had tea together and…and one thing led to another.” She raised damp eyes to Palmer. “Do you hate me?”
“Me? Why would I hate you? It’s nothing to do with me.”
“Even though I’m a rival for his affections?”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“He came here to see you, didn’t he? Why would he do that unless he was attracted to you?” She produced a tiny hiccup. “He’s left me, you see.”
Buy Links:
In the Crosshairs: the Body on Leffis Key
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Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-crosshairs-m-s-spencer/1145026462?ean=2940185979617
About the Author:
Librarian, anthropologist, research assistant, Congressional aide, speechwriter, nonprofit director—M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled in five of the seven continents and holds degrees in Anthropology, Middle East Studies, and Library Science. She has published seventeen mystery or romantic suspense novels. She has two children, an exuberant granddaughter, and currently divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.
Contacts:
Blog: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com
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Never stop learning
PLEASE WELCOME MY GUEST LISABET SARAI!!!
Take it away, Lisabet!
My bio says that I’ve been writing all my life, and that’s pretty much true. I was penning stories and poems when I was in early elementary school. By high school I’d branched out to novels and plays. Though I’ve also done drawing and painting, sculpture and dance, words have always been my preferred instrument for creation. And to be honest, I grew up believing that I had significant writing talent.
The more I write, though, the more I realize how much I still have to learn.
Total-E-Bound, an English indie publisher focused on erotic romance, brought out the first edition of Getaway Girl way back in 2008. This was only my third or fourth tale written specifically for a romance audience. At that time, I knew almost nothing about the genre and its conventions. (Until I signed with TEB, I’d considered myself an author of erotica.) I spent quite a bit of time reading the work of my fellow TEB authors, trying to grasp the essence of this new category of fiction and to translate that into my own stories. My editors also did not hesitate to point out areas where common aspects of erotica just wouldn’t work for romance readers.
By 2008 I’d concluded that in every romance: 1) there had to be a sense of inevitability to the connection between the hero and heroine, an attraction that might seem to make no sense but which could not be denied; 2) the couple had to at least discuss commitment; 3) the sex (this was erotic romance after all) had to be more than just casual – there should be a sense of fitting or rightness, a connection that transcended the physical.
I tried to implement these conclusions in writing of Getaway Girl. The story was accepted and published, but was never particularly popular. I went on to write a lot more romance, getting better at it over time.
Last year I reclaimed the rights to the story so that I could self-publish it, and a few months ago I set myself the task of re-editing the piece in preparation. I really hadn’t looked at it for more than a decade.
I was appalled by how clumsy and stereotyped it seemed.
Inconsistencies in character and in plot were only part of the problem. There were also long passages of purple prose, most especially in the sex scenes. I posted the tale in my critique group and discovered there were also plentiful anachronisms and inaccuracies related to its historical period (contemporary) and British setting. (The story was originally targeted for an anthology entitled Bound Brits, so it had to take place in the U.K.)
I subjected the story to possibly the most thorough revision I’ve ever done on any of my work. I won’t say that it’s unrecognizable, but I probably modified at least 25% of the text. In the fourteen years since the first revision I’ve learned a lot, both about romance and about writing in general. Practice does make perfect; I’ve published nearly one hundred titles since that early attempt, both romance and erotica. This second edition of Getaway Girl is orders of magnitude better than the original.
But maybe I shouldn’t use the word “perfect”, because in truth, as long as we authors are writing, we are learning all the time. I’m about to revisit my first novel, preparing an expanded twenty-fifth anniversary edition for release sometime this year. This will be the fifth version of Raw Silk. I have no doubt it will be the best.
Our story:
Be careful what you wish for
All Peg wants is a break, a bit of adventure, a relief from her mundane existence in the bucolic but boring Yorkshire hamlet of Kirkby Malzeard. When dashing, sophisticated journalist Lionel Hayes saunters into the pub where she’s tending bar, Peg suspects that he was just the sort of man to fulfill her fantasies of escape.
The seductive Lionel, however, is not what he seems. Before she knows it, Peg is a hostage, roped and gagged, speeding away from the scene of a daring crime. Lionel is armed and dangerous, but somehow Peg still wants him – regardless of the consequences.
Note: This book was originally published in 2015 by Totally Bound. This second edition has been substantially revised and has a new ending.
EXCERPT:
“What are you doing here, if I might ask?”
“Me? Oh, I’m a journalist. I’m doing a story on the find and its historical implications.”
Peg felt a twinge of suspicion. “The press conference was yesterday.”
“My car broke down halfway from London. I spent last night in a town even tinier than this one.” His smile was charming, apologetic. Peg’s uneasiness melted away.
He leaned towards her across the bar, putting his hand over hers. “That’s why I appreciate your help, in giving me the information I need.”
His skin was warm and smooth, none of the calluses of a manual labourer. Not like the farmers Peg had occasionally dated here, before she gave up on finding a man in her home village. He ran one fingertip up and down in the sensitive crease between Peg’s thumb and forefinger. The light touch was enough to turn her nipples to aching knots and trigger a throbbing between her legs.
She caught a hint of his scent, a balsam-laced aftershave or cologne that simultaneously conveyed masculinity and refinement. His forefinger ventured higher, stroking the back of her wrist, a gesture both delicate and bold. Her pussy clenched as though he were massaging her down there, instead of merely brushing a casual finger across her hand.
She stared at the bar, blushing, angry with herself for being so susceptible. Finally, she managed to raise her head and meet his eyes, which were a stormy hazel colour.
“What paper are you from?”
“Oh, I write for an upmarket travel rag. I doubt that you would’ve heard of it. This story should enhance the romance and mystery of your already delightful village. I expect you’ll see a surge in tourists after publication.”
“You should interview Peter Lofthouse. He’s been mayor for the last dozen years.”
“I have the feeling that I’m talking to a real authority right now. Lived here a long time, haven’t you?”
She bristled. How did he know that? Maybe because she seemed such a country bumpkin. “I spent some time in London, but I had to come back. Family problems.”
“Sorry to hear that…” He scanned her chest, seeking a name tag. Peg felt as though he were fondling her breasts instead of just looking at them. Could he see the swollen tips, pushing up through her soft green jumper?
“I’m Peg,” she said, snatching her hand from his and reaching for the bar rag. “And you?”
He bowed slightly. “Lionel Hayes, at your service. But I’ll bet you’re really Margaret, right? It’s much more musical, more sophisticated. It suits you.”
He was clearly trying to flatter her. She didn’t really mind. “Lionel—sounds like an aristocratic playboy from the nineteen twenties. Nobody’s named Lionel anymore.”
The journalist laughed again, soft and intimate, sending the blood rushing again to Peg’s cheeks as well as to other body parts. He drained the last of his pint, then reclaimed her hand. “I’ve got to go. But it’s been pleasure to meet you, Margaret. Perhaps I’ll mention you in my article.”
Buy Links
Kinky Literature – https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/1587-getaway-girl-/
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2WM4BXR
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D2WM4BXR
Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1557686
Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/getaway-girl-lisabet-sarai/1103185498
Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/getaway-girl-10
Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6499560218
Add on Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/212364347-getaway-girl
Add on BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/getaway-girl-by-lisabet-sarai-2024-05-03
About Lisabet
Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, LGBTQ, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.
You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh
Seeking happy in life
PLEASE WELCOME Canadian author MARGOT JOHNSON!!!
I’m excited to introduce my sixth book, Some Other Way!
Some Other Way explores themes of motherhood, second chances, and competition. I know a young woman who gave up a baby in a private, open adoption, and she has remained involved in her child’s life in a surrogate-aunt type of relationship. Hearing about that experience was the seed of an idea that grew into Some Other Way.
While the plots differ, all my books have a few things in common.
- Determined women who chase their dreams and find love along the way.
- Characters who tend to love dogs, especially golden retrievers (which happen to be my favorite.)
- Happy endings—because who doesn’t want everything to work out okay in the end (even when it seems impossible)?
- Speaking of happy, I’ve started posting about all kinds of happy things because in real life, we can all use more good news, happy thoughts and amusing anecdotes to make us smile. I’d love to hear your additions. Dog photos are always welcome too! Follow me on Facebook and sign up for my newsletter for more fun!
A few fun facts inside and outside my writing life:
- I was a figure skating coach and I have an upcoming novel set around a small-town skating rink.
- My first job after graduating with an English degree was writing ad copy at a radio station. That’s where I learned to write under pressure.
- My books are set close to home in some real and some imagined locations. I’m proud to be from the Canadian prairies and like to give others a glimpse of this part of the world.
- I currently serve on the Board of Directors of Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, and I’m happy to help support SK authors.
- I love dogs (especially golden retrievers) and so do many of my characters. My dream job is running a doggy hotel, but I think I’ll stick to writing.
- I almost won a car on the TV game show “Let’s Make a Deal.”
- I walked a half marathon in just over three hours.
- My dad was a journalist, author, and editor, and he instilled my love of reading and writing. I hope he would be proud of my work, even if romance wasn’t his genre.
- My sister Donna Gartshore is also a writer. She writes for the Harlequin Love Inspired line.
- When people ask me for writing advice, I say, “Just do it!” Get your words on paper. You can always fix them later.
Our story:
Maybe what she wants is not what she needs…
Jayne Jones’s life is full as surrogate aunt to her birth daughter, given up in open adoption five years ago, and as leader of the Adopt-a-Dog service. She yearns to expand the overcrowded dog shelter on a coveted piece of adjacent land. When Dr. Evan Scott, her high school crush, returns, he complicates everything by becoming her formidable opponent.
Back in his hometown to join a medical clinic that wants to expand onto the same property, Evan is ready to forget past hurts and embrace a fresh start with the cute girl—now attractive woman—he remembers. But should Jayne bare her heart to the good-looking newcomer? And will her secret change his mind?
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Pride and Prejudice at The Cat Café: a Furrever Friends Sweet Romance
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a fortune should donate to a cat rescue.
Liz is happy about her friend’s potential romance but less impressed with Carl’s best friend, William. He seems stuffy and rude, and worst of all, he doesn’t like cats. Meanwhile, William is intrigued by Liz even though every one of their interactions seems to go awry, in part due to his terrible cat allergy.
For the sake of their friends and the animals, the two figure out how to get along – until Liz learns some horrible facts about William. But is she trusting the right person? Then the feisty kitten Lydia disappears – perhaps stolen – and they have to overcome their differences in order to rescue her.
The Furrever Friends Cat Café helps people find furry forever friends – and just might lead to romantic love too. This Pride and Prejudice modern adaptation features fresh twists to delight both fans and new readers.
Visit the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series on Amazon US orAmazon UK or see the series with links to all retailers.
Overworked PhD student Liz and her friend Jade visit the local cat café. Sparks fly between Jade and Carl, while snark flies between Liz and William. For their friends’ sakes, the two manage to get along – until Liz hears something horrible about William. But is she trusting the right person? Then the feisty kitten Lydia is stolen, and they have to overcome their differences in order to rescue her. This Pride and Prejudice modern adaptation, set at a cat café, features fresh twists to delight both fans and new readers.
EXCERPT: On Sunday morning, Liz closed her computer and rubbed her throbbing forehead. Jade had been singing for the last hour. It was like living with freaking Cinderella, the Disney version where she had all the animal friends and was unfailingly cheerful when she should have been enraged by her mistreatment.
But Liz would not go into a rant in her own mind. What was the point of arguing with someone who agreed with you?
Anyway, apparently Jade had a reason for singing. Carl had liked her business proposal. Carl understood that while the local cat rescue was on sound footing, it didn’t have the resources to handle special needs cats. Carl loved cats. Carl, Carl, Carl.
Liz had to smile, seeing her friend so giddy. She just hoped Carl was the sincere and not merely showing enthusiasm because he wanted to impress Jade long enough to get her into bed. If he was playing games, Liz would have to destroy him, and she didn’t have time for that. But he’d seemed nice enough.
Once she’d shaken off her annoyance at the cat-hater and the squealing girl desperately trying to attract him, Liz had watched Jade and Carl with great interest. The chemistry between them had been off the charts. Liz might have envied Jade for that too.
Not that she envied her best friend for anything. She wanted wonderful things for Jade, and Liz didn’t have time for a relationship anyway, or know anyone interesting, so …
Wait, what had she been thinking about?
Jade hit a particularly high note.
Oh, right. Good chemistry.
Liz chuckled and headed to the kitchen to refill her coffee. She was pretty sure she’d already taken the last cup, but if she was lucky, Jade would have started a second pot. She found Jade scrubbing the counters as she sang. Liz scowled at the coffee maker, or more specifically the empty space where the glass pot should be. The dishwasher was running; apparently Jade had decided to wash the coffee pot as part of her enthusiastic cleaning binge. Freaking Cinderella.
Author bio
Kris Bock writes romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. In the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a billion-dollar lottery. Can they build new dreams and find love amidst the chaos? In the Accidental Detective humorous mystery series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. Learn more at KrisBock.com. Get a free 30-page story set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café when you sign up for Kris Bock’s Romance and Mystery newsletter. You’ll also get a printable copy of “22 recipes from the cat café” and a free Accidental Detective mystery short story with bonus material.
Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. The series starts with Felony Melanie in Pageant Pandemonium. Sign up for their romantic comedy newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin. Or find the books on Amazon US or All E-book retailers.
Second Chance Furbabies
Please welcome author PIA MANNING!
Thanks! What inspires me? Many of the characters that live and work in Pinecone Creek are drawn from my real-life encounters and observations. Pinecone Creek itself is a compilation of my experiences in the small towns in which I’ve lived, worked, or visited in the Northwoods territory of Wisconsin. My imagination also contributes to my overall plots and stories. You could say I make stuff up for a living, lol. End of the day, I hope my tales transport you to a different, fun, reality.
Another aspect of my life that I share with the kind-hearted people of Pinecone Creek is a driving desire to give deserving animals a second chance at finding loving homes. Emily Slater (Hometown Spirits, Caveman Creek 4) finds a German Shepherd mix that has given birth to a litter of four in an old shed on her newly acquired property.
After her new dog gobbles her lunch, Emily calls for reinforcements in the form of Mike Lambert. The gallant Mr. Lambert answers the call with twenty pounds of dog food, and various canine necessities. (And lectures Emily about personal safety!)
Momma dog looks remarkably like a dog we adopted a few years ago. Unfortunately, the real Momma passed away several months ago. She was a wonderful, loving, companion. I miss her terribly.
I also share my home with several cats, one of whom belonged to the real Letitia. Belle survived a year on her own after Letitia’s death. I found her at dusk, huddled underneath a chair on our deck. She was desperately ill and covered in fleas. It took weeks of food, medication, and love to bring her back to health. Belle is now a house cat who has no desire to return to the great outdoors.
I hope it gives her former pet mom some comfort knowing her furbaby is loved and happy.
Nurse Practitioner Emily Slater wants a home of her own in a welcoming community. She fell in love with Pinecone Creek and hopes to connect with the people she serves and give back to her town. Emily needs the kind of relationships that last a lifetime.
Brothers Mike and Paul Lambert have always called Pinecone Creek home. They need a woman to share their lives and their bed. One look at Emily sends their hopes soaring, and they spin dreams of having a family and children. Their protective instincts roar to the surface whenever they’re close to her. Even though they’ve been disappointed before, they’re willing to risk their hearts again.
But Emily hasn’t finished unpacking and her ‘to-do’ list is a mile long. The men are panty-dampening hunks, and they make her feel safe, but she isn’t ready to commit to the brothers quite yet. And that cabin she just bought? Someone or something doesn’t want Emily there.
Excerpt:
“That’s Letty Nelsen’s old place. No one’s lived there in a while. Not since—” Mike’s gaze traveled downward.
“Letty got murdered,” Angie finished. “People say strange things happen out there at night. Lights, sounds of a woman crying and moaning…” She shivered.
“The realtor told me a lady died there, but he didn’t say anything about a murder. I’m not sure if I believe in ghosts or hauntings, but that is awful. I planned on stopping out there tonight to unload tools, take measurements, and try to get an idea of how much DIY is in my future.” And how much it’ll cost, Emily thought. “But I haven’t been back in weeks. Can you give me directions? It’s no fun wandering around in the dark.”
“Tell you what. Why don’t you follow me?” Mike offered.
“Oh, thanks, but I don’t want to put you out. If you don’t mind just directing me…” Emily honestly didn’t want to impose on Mike, but going off with a strange man to an isolated cabin in the woods wasn’t a smart thing to do—no matter how nice he seemed or how fast a woman might drown in his soulful brown eyes or notice the muscles straining against the Henley underneath his flannel shirt or…
“No trouble. It’s on my way home,” Mike coaxed.
“You’ll be safe with Mike. Besides, I know you’re leaving with him, so he’d be in for a big hurt if you disappeared!” Angie declared while she cleared their plates.
“Thanks, Angie.” Mike rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“My pleasure, Mike,” Angie answered over her shoulder before she disappeared into the kitchen.
“With a reference like that, how can I say no?” Emily laughed and laid some bills on the counter. “If you’re sure it won’t take you out of your way, I’d appreciate the help.”
Biography and Social Media:
Pia Manning is the erotic romance author behind the Caveman Creek series. She is married to a wonderful man. Rides herd on four cats (not easy to do) and canine Noodles the Schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle cross), raises monarchs, and plays Clash of Clans. Not a morning person.
Find me at:
Website: https://www.piamanning.com
Siren Bookstrand page: https://www.bookstrand.com/pia-manning
Amazon Author Pg: https://www.amazon.com/author/northofhwy8
Apple Books: https://www.apple.co/4aOraBY
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/caveman%20creek
Twitter: https://twitter.com/piamanning3
Email: pia.manning@yahoo.com
All Author: https://allauthor.com/book/87193/hometown-spirits/
Hometown Spirits: Caveman Creek 4
Menage, Erotic Romance, Contemporary, Small Town, Spanking, MFM, HEA
Preorder link: https://www.bookstrand.com/book/hometown-spirits-mfm
Why Felicity?
PLEASE WELCOME Canadian author FRANK TALABER! Take it away, Frank==and yeah, why Felicity??
You hear the phrase all the time; “it’s a man’s world”. Only sometimes it’s not. We can’t do the one most profound thing in all of humanity. Give birth. Okay, we have a part in it, obviously. But it’s a very small part.
I’m sure there are very many other examples, but the fact is there are a lot of areas
where being a woman is the best thing in the world. Now I know you will think this is a trivial point, but what about romance? We are very bad at it. We really have to learn about it and work at it. Apparently, we are even very bad at writing about it.
Booking into a romance writing convention in Calgary, the lovely lady receptionist was looking for my name tag and it was taking a while. The other lady bumped her arm and said, “he’s the other guy registered here.”
“Just the two of us?” I asked.
“Yeah. Bit of an unknown having even one, y’know. Most guys can’t do romance, let alone write it. Or want to write it!”
Julia-Rae is a highly talented businesswoman who runs a very successful travel magazine; editor, marketing, layout, she does it all. Even the photoshoots, this one in particular at the heady location of Machu Picchu. (So here is the main need for the re-write; cameras. Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds and the very well-written scene of Julia-Rae struggling to change the 35mm film in full Mexican sunlight was, sadly, left on the cutting-room floor.)
Whilst at said shoot, she meets a handsome, crazy man that sweeps her off her feet. Literally. Especially when he takes her bungee jumping (although she does get her revenge later by insisting he attend a cross-dressing party with her, but that’s another story.)
They begin to quickly fall for each other but there is a problem. Both have pasts; pasts that mean neither of them was looking for love so of course it just falls into their laps. Or does it? Julia-Rae is skeptical of his feelings when she finds out he is after something very precious to her. So, was their meeting high on a remote mountainside truly spontaneous? Or was there a sinister reason for it. Well, you’ll just have to enter their world to find out!
So that’s the beginning of the writing life of Felicity Talisman. Frank Talaber (me. As me!) has ventured into many other genres; urban fantasy, crime thrillers, spiritual thrillers (one based on science fiction), comedy, erotica and some non-fiction, basically everything except westerns (although I can dance Gangnam style, does that count?).
Very many times I’ve thought of hanging up my pencil, as it were. I was at that point a few years ago. Well, 398 rejections is an awful lot to take. But then I read a story. A true story. A mother who frequented a warm, dry café somewhere in England, nursing one cup of lukewarm coffee. She graduated from university, but just seven short years later, she had suffered a failed marriage, was jobless and with a small child dependent upon her. Well it is no wonder she was suffering clinical depression and sometimes, in the wee small hours when sleep eluded her, she even contemplated suicide. But despite all of this she knew in her heart she was a writer. How easy it would have been for her to give up and then the world would never have met Harry Potter.
Further research found other similar stories. War and Peace, the great literary classic by Leo Tolstoy, was rejected by over a hundred publishers before it was accepted.
If it weren’t for perseverance, Stephen King’s Carrie would not have seen the light of day. He dumped it into the trash along with the words, “I give up. I’m going to stick to being a teacher.”
Although the perseverance in question was not his but his wife’s. “You tell me you’re a writer. Dust off that blown, crumpled and withered ego and put it out there. AGAIN.”
The very next publisher accepted the book, otherwise only the children of some Eastern American state would know him at all, and then only as a stuffy English teacher.
Dr. Seuss of Cat in the Hat fame did give up. Fortunately for him, he left his rough draft to be found by a fellow during a house party, who just happened to work at a publishing house. The rest is simply Green Eggs and Ham.
So, I persevere. Several of my novels have been picked up, and Felicity Talisman has now been accepted by a publishing house. So, although I am not yet up there with the Rowlings and Kings, I will be one day. Just gotta keep going!
OUR STORY:
She only wanted Not to fall in love with him. He only wanted to steal her company.
Roy only wanted to seduce Julia-Rae and convince her to sell him her company. Julia-Rae wanted to shut him out of her heart like every other man that ever got close. Only what do you do when you fall in madly in love with the enemy and the enemy with you.
Will the dark secrets they hold tear them apart or bring them closer together?
A romance novel for women seeking, love, marriage and family while fulfilling the adventures of their heartfelt desires and dreams.
BIO:
Born on the wild Canadian prairies but tired of the winter months in Edmonton, Frank immigrated to the more temperate cedar forests of coastal British Columbia. Yes, they get snow in Chilliwack during the winter months, and on that odd occasion Frank is forced to search out the snow shovel, dust off the cobwebs and have a go. At the snow, not the cobwebs.
His run-of-the-mill day job of auto technician/service advisor seems at odds with being an inspired, off-the-wall, author, but his zest for life, the environment, and the little muses that won’t let his pencil stay still, spring from his mother’s Hungarian ancestry. It’s the Gypsy blood, he says, which pounds through his veins with wild abandon, driving him to the realms of fantasy.
This is the muse inside, the essence of Frank Talaber.
People who have read Frank’s books describe him as a natural storyteller who writes like his soul is on fire and his pencil is his voice screaming. They go further to say that they find his books grabbingly intense and hilarious at times, screaming everyday life from such a realistic viewpoint you’re drawn into his world, hook, line and plum bob, unable to stop; almost cursing that they can’t set the book down, page after page. Frank takes great pride in the realism of his work, painstakingly visiting most of the locations, (obviously, only the “real-life” ones!) and he is so thorough that many readers have remarked that they can hear, taste, visualize, smell and feel the essence of the place. “It really is like being there” one remarked. There isn’t a greater compliment to be made.
His tagline is Canada’s Foremost Off-beat Author (also the name of his YouTube channel; check it out for his witty and informative videos) who writes in urban fantasy, science fiction, crime, spiritual, romance, erotica and comedy genres. Well, anything that comes to him, basically! Except westerns. Although he does like to ride Gangnam style; does that count?
Literature written almost beyond genres, whose compelling thoughts are freed from the depths of the heart and subconscious before being poured onto the page. Or, as he often says, “you don’t have to be mad to be a writer, but it sure helps”.
Email: twosoulmates@shaw.ca
My webpage https://franktalaberpublishedauthor.wordpress.com
My novels on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Frank-Talaber/author/B00UC407R0
My Youtube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx5ki4gpdokN-9KAIZzu53w
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/franktalaber
Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-talaber-6a594481
Ebooks on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Frank38
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/franktalaber58
Alana Lorens, author 