Check out this NY Times article on Strong Female Leads…. makes me think.
women
PTSD leads to assorted tragedies in SECOND CHANCES
Check out my feature of SECOND CHANCES at the blog home of Alicia Dean today, talking about heroine Inessa Regan’s passion for helping victims of domestic violence! https://aliciadean.com/2020/02/11/hobbycareerpassion-it-happens-to-nice-men-and-women-too-by-alana-lorens/
New Audiobook Release for Lyrical Embrace! Ebook, too!
Out-of-work violinist Erica Timberly decides enough is enough. She leaves her abusive boyfriend and flees the big city, but then her car breaks down in the middle of the night. Though wary of men, she accepts help from Dylan Haynes, a stranger driving by on the road, and soon recognizes him as the sexy former drummer of her favorite indie rock band. Maybe, just maybe, her run of bad luck is finally turning around.
Music teacher Dylan Haynes knows Erica is in trouble, and her black eye is only the first clue. The stubborn yet vulnerable woman needs a friend, but he’s determined to give her everything she deserves.
Will Erica listen to the music in her heart and trust Dylan, or will her past always threaten her future?
Excerpt
Dylan deepened the kiss and lightly tugged on her bottom lip. Tears streaked his flushed cheeks as he smiled at her. “I’m so grateful I found you, baby. I heard you screaming. When I saw that bastard press a gun to your head, my heart nearly exploded. I thought I might lose you. I promise you, Erica, I will never control you as Phil did. You will always have the ability to choose. I just want to make you happy.”
She gripped his hand and brushed her lips across his calloused knuckles. “I know. You do make me happy. You took a bullet for me.” A sob constricted her throat, but she pushed it down.
A blast of noise rent the air. Fireworks filled the sky, visible in the alley from the narrow stretch of space between the buildings.
Erica loved the bright colors and designs, but hardly cared about watching the spectacle. She dropped her gaze back to Dylan.
A grin spread across his face. “It’s been one wild Fourth of July. Why don’t we do something more low-key next year? How about no guns and crazy exes? Just us, the creek, and a bottle of wine. Clothing optional.”
She laughed softly, amazed he could make light of the situation. “That sounds perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
****
Series: Deerbourne Inn (book 4)
Narrator: Georgia Allens
Audiobook Rights Holder: Amber Daulton with Daulton Publishing
Audiobook Release Date: January 23, 2020
Ebook Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Ebook Release Date: February 11, 2019
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 40k
Heat Rating: 3 Flames
Want to hear a sample?
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43225610-lyrical-embrace
Audio Buy Links (US)
Amber Daulton’s Media Kit for Lyrical Embrace — AudioAmazon – https://amzn.to/37zIyKx
Audible – https://adbl.co/36q03LL
iTunes – https://apple.co/2RlLmVH
Audio Buy Link (UK)
Amazon – https://amzn.to/38DbXUc
Audible – https://adbl.co/2uxsN8g
Interested in the ebook instead? You can grab a copy here:
Books2Read – http://books2read.com/u/m0MYaV
About the Author
Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through The Wild Rose Press and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.
Amber lives in North Carolina with her husband and four demanding cats. Feel free to visit her at http://www.amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com.
Social Media Links
Facebook Author Page – http://www.facebook.com/amber.daulton.author
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AmberDaulton1
Street Team – https://www.facebook.com/groups/572204316296198/
Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/amberdaulton5/
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6624921.Amber_Daulton
Amazon Author Page – http://amzn.to/14JoZff
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amberdaultonauthor/
Book Bub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/amber-daulton
Book Gorilla – https://www.bookgorilla.com/author/B00ALQITWY/amber-daulton/kcc
Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/amberdaulton
LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/pub/amber-daulton/87/538/368
Google Plus – https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AmberDaulton
The Wild Rose Press – https://www.thewildrosepress.com/authors/amber-daulton
What happens when the madam falls in love? #MFRWHooks
After a run of bad relationships, Lily Pearl Evans has finally become an independent woman. In the New Mexico desert town of Chaparral, she works for herself, sets her own rules, and is determined no man will hold her back again.
Gene Nicholas worked for more than a decade to achieve his dream to be a doctor. Wanting to share his gifts with those less fortunate, he leaves south Florida to volunteer for Doctors Without Borders in Mexico.
When Gene provokes a showdown with the local Mexican drug cartel, he becomes a man with a price on his head. On the run, he ends up on Lily’s doorstep–a mystery man forced to conceal his past to protect them both. With the cartel’s dangerous web drawing tight around them, can Lily and Gene survive a drug lord’s revenge?
Buy the ebook:
Publisher https://www.thewildrosepress.com/books/secrets-in-the-sand
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-in-the-sand-alana-lorens/1030929480?ean=2940012668950
Excerpt:
The women weren’t dressed in what he expected as usual afternoon casual wear in suburbia. No culottes or capris here. Their hair curled loose around bare shoulders. Two wore cocktail dresses; the rest some sort of silky lingerie. They seemed perfectly comfortable as his gaze crawled over their exposed bodies. Most wore no makeup, they were all beautiful.
Gene’s diagnostic brain clicked forward along some trail of logic. “Is this a…?”
The woman smiled. “Bordello? You could say that.”
The redhead walked across the room toward him, the front of her skirt flowing open, revealing legs that couldn’t possibly be on the upward side of thirty, although his trained eye recognized subtle evidence of her age. She held out a peach-nailed hand. “I’m Lily Pearl Evans. Welcome to the Sassafras Social Club.”
He automatically took the extended hand, felt the softness of her skin against his. Up close like this, he could see she had cultivated an early beauty into striking middle-age allure. “I’m sorry to impose.”
“So, Mr. Richards, I’m curious what brought you to us.” Her fingers held his hand, turned it over to examine it.
He tried to pull away, but she held tight, her grip stronger than he’d expected. “What are you looking for?” he asked. What if the bordello had ties to Agustin’s cartel? Several of the girls had olive skin, dark hair and eyes. Thinking he was safe, he could have landed in the snake pit.
“Your fate line is very strong,” Lily said, tracing the midline of his palm.
“Is it now?” He didn’t look at his hand, his mind’s eye still seeing it covered in blood.
The warmth of her hand didn’t leave his. “An itch under my skin tells me there’s more to you than meets the eye, Mr. Richards.”
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A woman on the Rebound –Love, sex and mystery
Today’s guest is LINDA GRIFFIN, author of THE REBOUND EFFECT. Welcome, Linda!
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I was an enthusiastic reader from day one. I read my very first Dick and Jane primer to everyone in the house, including two captive kittens, one tucked under each arm. Then I read it backwards. As soon as I figured out that somebody had to create the words I was reading, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up—a “book maker.” I dedicated The Rebound Effect to Dick and Jane “who first ignited my passion for the written word.” I’ve been writing all my life and was first published when I was in college, but I’ve been able to spend more time on it since I retired from my position as fiction librarian for the San Diego Public Library. My stories, from short shorts to novellas, have been published in numerous literary journals. The Rebound Effect is my third published novel and the second with the Wild Rose Press.
What is something unique/quirky about you?
I enjoy washing dishes by hand, but only if somebody reads to me while I do it.
Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to you!
Earlier this year, our old, unused dial-up phone started calling 911. The police came to the door several times, once in the middle of the night, before we figured it out.
What are some of your pet peeves?
The puzzling notion that conjunctions somehow reverse the pronoun rules. Only a two-year-old would say “Me went to the store,” but I constantly hear things like “Me and him went to the store” and “She gave it to he and I.” Like Teresa, the heroine of The Rebound Effect, I also hate distracted driving and movie previews that give away too much of the story.
Where were you born/grew up?
I was born and raised in San Diego, California, and would never want to live anywhere else. I enjoy visiting other places, but San Diego will always be home.
If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
Reading! And eating chocolate.
Who is your hero and why?
Jaycee Dugard, because she chose to live her life with strength and joy and purpose, helping others instead of dwelling on what was taken from her. I also very much admire former President Jimmy Carter for all the good work he does all over the world.
What kind of world ruler would you be?
A terrible one! Overwhelmed and confused.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I love the three R’s –reading, writing, and research. I also enjoy movies, Scrabble, and travel. I’ve been to three countries and forty-eight states, most recently Hawaii. I like to visit art museums, galleries, and botanical exhibits too—beauty feeds the soul.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Klutzy, independent, honest, and impatient.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I wrote my first story. I lifted the basic plot from a Nancy and Sluggo comic book and wrote “Judy and the Fairies”at the age of six.
Do you have a favorite movie?
I always find it impossible to choose just one favorite of anything, but the one I have watched most often is the 1968 film, No Way to Treat a Lady, with George Segal and Rod Steiger. Love, Actually may eventually overtake it, though.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
I can see my forthcoming novel Guilty Knowledge as a movie, or better yet a TV series. I would cast Boris Kodjoe or Trai Byers as the hero, and his partner is one of my favorite supporting characters. I always enjoy writing dialog for tough, sassy women.
What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
I’m not sure if it counts as a literary pilgrimage, but I went to England to visit the places described in the Poldark novels by Winston Graham. Cornwall is lovely.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
I have two. My sometime writing partner, Huxley, is a stuffed writer mouse from Starbucks. I consider him co-author of the novella “Starbucks” (Eclectica April/May 2015.). He named the characters and insisted that it not be a romance, although he is otherwise partial to bedroom scenes. My muse is a lizard named Sparkle. They can both be seen on my Facebook author page. Sparkle is in the cover image.
#OnTour with @SilverDaggerBookTours | #SilverDaggerBookTours #Romantic 
#Suspense #Psychological #Thriller #TheReboundEffect #TheWildRosePress @lindagriffinauthor @lindagriffin50702
About the book:
In the small town of Cougar, struggling single mother and veterinary assistant Teresa Lansing is still bruised from a failed relationship when Frank McAllister sweeps her off her feet.
Frank is a big-city SWAT officer who moved to Cougar only four months ago. He’s handsome, charming, forceful, very sexy, and a bit mysterious. He had his eye on Teresa even before they met and is pushing for a serious relationship right away.
Teresa finds his intense courtship flattering, and the sex is fabulous, but she doesn’t want her deaf six-year-old son to be hurt again. Her former fiancé cheated on her when he got drunk after being unjustly fired, but he loves her and her son, and the whirlwind romance is complicated by his efforts to win Teresa back.
And then there’s the matter of the bodies buried at Big Devil Creek…
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45862670-the-rebound-effect
Buy Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SS8SGT1/
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rebound-effect-linda-griffin/1131957492
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Linda_Griffin_The_Rebound_Effect?id=WmqhDwAAQBAJ
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-rebound-effect-2
Website: http://www.lindagriffinauthor.com/the_rebound_effect_134160.htm
~~&~~~~&~~~~&~~~~&~~
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I was born and raised in San Diego, California and earned a BA in English from San Diego State University and an MLS from UCLA. I began my career as a reference and collection development librarian in the Art and Music Section of the San Diego Public Library and then transferred to the Literature and Languages Section, where I had the pleasure of managing the Central Library’s Fiction collection and initiating fiction order lists for the entire library system. Although I also enjoy reading biography, memoir, and history, fiction remains my first love. In addition to the three R’s–reading, writing, and research–I enjoy Scrabble, movies, and travel.
Domestic violence: not always what you think
As several of my Pittsburgh Lady Lawyers did, I worked for many years with survivors of domestic violence. It happens to women and men, to poor and rich, to unknowns and even the most famous. Mostly the question is, how much it costs to hide what’s happening and what’s 
at stake.
I feel like people have been trying to educate the general public for so long about DV and the reasons why it happens and the reasons why people stay in relationships that could threaten their lives. It baffles me that it’s not generally understood. Especially by the person affected.
From WebMD:
Usually, physical abuse isn’t what comes first. The abuse can creep up slowly. A putdown here or there. An odd excuse to keep you away from family or friends. The violence often ramps up once you’ve been cut off from other people. By then, you feel trapped.
Having been married more times than I’d like to confess, I admit there are lies one tells oneself to keep moving forward. It’s not so bad. At least he doesn’t (smoke, drink, stay out all night, hit me, stalk me). Sure, there are people who have it worse than you. 
But why shouldn’t you want better? Life isn’t a dress rehearsal. You don’t get a second take at this life if you wasted too much of it settling for second, third or fourth-best.
In the current political climate, when women’s rights are being threatened or at least disregarded, some abusers are trying to make the subjugation of women a new “normal.” DON’T LET THEM.
How do YOU feel about you, in your relationship?
, describes a list of symptoms a victim may have:
Victims of an abusive relationship may experience some of the following emotions and behaviors:
- Agitation, anxiety and chronic apprehension
- Constant state of alertness that makes it difficult for them to relax or sleep
- A sense of hopelessness, helplessness or despair because the victim believes they will never escape the control of their abuser
- Fear that one cannot protect oneself or one’s children. This person will turn down the assistance offered by relatives, friends or professionals.
- Feeling paralyzed by fear to make decisions or protect oneself
- A belief that one deserves the abuse
- A belief that one is responsible for the abuse
- Flashbacks, recurrent thoughts and memories of the violence and nightmares of the violence
- Emotional reactions to reminders of domestic violence
Physical Symptoms
Victims of domestic violence can also have physical symptoms that aren’t directly caused by physical abuse. These symptoms are instead caused by the constant stress and tension of living in an abusive relationship. These symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Asthma
- Gastrointestinal symptoms
- Chronic pain
- Restless sleep or inability to sleep
- Genital soreness
- Pelvic pain
- Back pain
Does any of this sound familiar? For you or someone you love? Help is available at every income level and social standing. Find a public computer, do some research and reach out for that help. Start at the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, at thehotline.org. Start at your local shelter. START.
Photo by William Murphy
Another resource sent in by the Pixelprivacy company–https://pixelprivacy.com/resources/spying-on-your-cell-phone/
Family Law attorney and single Mom? More than a full time job
Today I’m featured on the Romance Lives Forever blog!
Read the new Conviction of the Heart by Alana Lorens #RLFblog #romanticsuspense
What would you do?
Leyla Brand had one perfect day in her life: the day she met rock singer Arran Lake at the Bele Chere Festival. They seemed to share so much in common, Leyla was sure they were soulmates and had a future together. The next day he received the call to hit the big time and vanished into the world of California rock and roll, becoming an international star and leaving her behind. Five years later, a stranger contacts her on social media, wanting to know if she’s the Leyla Brand he met at Bele Chere. Should she open that door and discover who this might be, or, if it is him, will Arran just break her heart again?
We read stories all the time about people who reconnect with long-lost lovers, old high school sweethearts, cherished beaus who just didn’t stick around… You’ve got to wonder how they have changed, or how you have changed, over the time passed. Is it possible that if last time was the wrong time, that now might be the right time?
Here’s the lead-up to the big question:
Is this Leyla with an E from Bele Chere 2005? If so, please answer me.
The Facebook message, like the last, was from Bonsai Boy. Leyla with an E? Now that sounded a little more familiar. Who was this Bonsai Boy? She clicked through to his homepage, but found that he kept most of his information private except for those he’d chosen as friends. All he listed publicly was his hometown, Salinas, California, that his occupation was ‘farmer’, and that his birthday was March 11. A Pisces…Who did she know with a March birthday?
When was Arran’s birthday? Had she ever known that? She couldn’t recall him telling her. It hadn’t been relevant. Damn.
Think, Leyla. Someone should know. She typed an Internet search for Arran Lake, seeking one of those intrusive fan pages that collected information like a crazed stalker. She found several, and clicked through to be confronted with a host of photographs of Arran, in concert, on the red carpet, with his arm around a succession of young actresses or musicians his name had been linked with over the years. He was still jaw-dropping gorgeous, even six years later. The site featured articles about his concert schedule, his charity to raise money for the homeless, and…there it was. His birthday. March 11.
Could it be?
She went back to Bonsai Boy’s page, then his message. Why would he list his occupation as farmer, when he was a famous performer? She thought back to she and Arran, strolling through the greenhouse at the Biltmore, when he’d known so much about the plants, his education in that field.
Could it be?
Only one way to find out.
What would you do?
THAT GIRL’S THE ONE I LOVE….
March’s Women’s history month– Second Chances
Excerpt:
Inessa’s gaze flicked to the opening in the fence. The man waiting there stepped through, approaching with apparent reluctance. When he wavered at the steps, Ann took his arm and helped him onto the porch.
“Inessa Regan, this is Kurtis Lowdon. Kurt, this is Inessa Regan, the lawyer I told you about. She is fabulous! She can draft up what you need in no time at all!”
Inessa studied the man, taking in his thin frame, shadowed brow, and very close-cropped blond hair. Something about him wasn’t right. She set her wine glass aside and waited for one of them to explain.
“Sorry to disturb you,” he said. His apology was followed by a boyish grin, and that’s when the oddity of the picture came together. He moved and stood like an old man, but he had to be less than thirty, perhaps just college age. “Annie insisted.”
“It’s her way.” Inessa managed an answering smile, shreds of courtesy tugging at her conscience. “I usually don’t see clients outside the—” Realizing she was about to say “office,” the irony stopped her. “Well, seeing as I don’t have an office, I’ll have to make different arrangements.”
“No office?” Ann’s brow twitched, but she hesitated only a moment before barreling right on. “You can help him, though, can’t you, Nessa? Kurt’s just finished his second round of chemo. He wants to make sure his life is in order—just in case, you know? I told him not to worry, that everything’s gonna be perfectly fine, but he’s so stubborn, you know, like men are, and thinks it all has to be written down in black-and-white…”
Ann babbled on, but Inessa didn’t really listen. She looked into Kurt’s blue eyes and recognized there knowledge of his imminent mortality. His smile, however, was undimmed in spite of it. She felt like an ass for indulging her self-pity over an employment setback.
“Nice to meet you,” she said at last, leaning forward to shake his offered hand.
“Same here.” The warmth of his regard jolted through to her toes as their hands met. He glanced down at her feet. “Never met a barefoot attorney before. I guess I thought you were all born wearing wingtips.”
Nonplussed, Inessa finally laughed.
“Aha! My new marketing brand. ‘The Barefoot Attorney.’”
“It could work.” A mischievous streak sparkled in his eye. “When can I meet with you? Time is of the essence, as you people say.”
“I don’t know. I’m not even sure where.”
“Nothing wrong with right here, if you ask me. How about tomorrow? I’ll bring breakfast?”
That smile. Hard to resist. He and Ann together were like an oncoming city bus. Best get on, or get run over.
“Umm, well, all right. Sure. Nine a.m.?”
“Perfect. Thanks.” He squeezed her hand again and stepped back.
“Great!” Ann gushed. “I just knew this would work out! And so convenient, too. You’re a saint, Nessa.” She stamped a foot on the porch as the gray cat poked its head up out of the bushes. “Moonbeam! Get your butt back home now!” The animal vanished into the growing darkness. “Come on, Kurt, honey.”
She took his arm, and they walked away, Ann talking a mile a minute. The young man paused to wave before he closed the gate.
After he was gone, his smile lingered with Inessa, stirred something deep within her. She tried to get hold of herself. Inessa Lin Regan, that’s nonsense. You’re old enough to be his mother.
Well. Maybe an older sister.
Maybe.
An unexpected bubble of joy trickled up inside her. As night settled in and the stars flicked into visibility one by one, she finished her glass of wine slowly, looking forward to breakfast for the first time in years.
——————-
SECOND CHANCES, by Alana Lorens, from Zumaya Embraces; Trade paperback, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-61271-080-8, 236 pp.; Ebook, $5.00, ISBN 978-1-61271-081-5 (Kindle), 978-1-61271-082-2 (epub)
Available wherever fine books and ebooks are sold.)
New page!
The Pittsburgh Lady Lawyers now have their own Facebook page here! Check it out for videos, events and more!
Alana Lorens, author 