Aloha to Ava Claire and THE SWEETEST JERK - Guest post and giveaway!

Please join me in welcoming Ava Claire ...

So happy to be here today on SOS Aloha, talking about my latest, The Sweetest Jerk Series! My story follows Natalee Madison, who kicks ass in all things baked. She's finally breaking into the competitive catering business, scoring the most talked about wedding in the city. When it comes to romance though, her luck is anything but sweet. A sexy blast from the past, at the event that could make or break her business, will turn her life upside down...

Which brings me to my post today! There's just something about unexpected love and second chance romances that makes me swoon. I'm a sucker for redemption; when all seems lost and you think they'll call it quits, there's a look, words, or a song that makes you believe it's all gonna be alright. Better than alright, even--maybe they'll live happily ever after.

For me, that moment is personified in two sentences during the end scene of Sweet Home Alabama. 

(Just in case you haven't seen it I don't wanna spoil the ending...and you should watch it asap because it's amazing!).

My question for you guys is: What book/song/scene from a movie makes you melt and root for one more shot at love?

I loved THE WEDDING SINGER with Drew Barrymore (left) and Adam Sandler (right).  Robbie wins Julia back by singing "I want to grow old with you" as Billy Idol cheers them on.   I also adore all the 80s references in the movie.

Let's learn more about Ava Claire .... 
Ava Claire is a sucker for Alpha males and happily ever afters. When not putting pen to paper or glued to her Kindle, Ava likes road tripping, watching an unhealthy amount of Netflix, karaoke and vintage fashion.

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New Year’s Resolution: No. More. Jerks.

Natalee Madison's life is finally on the upswing. Her business, Madison Creations, is finally gaining traction, and if she slays a high profile wedding, she could be catapulted to heights she's only dreamt of.

She doesn't do dating and it suits her just fine, because she ends it before things get complicated.

And then she sees his face.

Jason Cox.

The best man.

And based on their last run in, the biggest jerk alive.

He's dangerous. Lethal for her 'no complications' approach to men, since he's the one that inspired the approach in the first place.

But when she looks into his eyes, she knows that some rules are meant to be broken…

Billionaire Jackson Colt has success, wealth, power and a presence that makes his competitors tremble with fear. Beneath the armor is a man with a dark and painful past. A man with a heart that he guards by any means necessary.

As far as Sadie McLeod is concerned, 'escort' isn't a bad word. It's a job, one of two that she works to pay off a debt that is not her own. Tough as nails and far from a damsel in distress, love is a luxury she can't afford.

Can they put aside their dark pasts and find the love they both desperately want, underneath it all?

The Sweetest Jerk Part One

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The Sweetest Jerk Part Two

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The Sweetest Jerk Part Three

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Aloha to Collette Cameron and WAGERS GONE AWRY

What Inspires My Romance Novel Ideas? What doesn’t? 

By Collette Cameron 

Thank you so much for having me back on SOS Aloha, Kim. I need a sunny destination to hang out with all the rain we have in Oregon in April.

I often get asked what inspires me to write my romances. I think that’s true of all authors. I usually search for something pithy and wise sounding.

And come up empty-handed.

I’ve got three books releasing back-to-back, and each one was written for entirely different reasons.

Wagers Gone Awry (Conundrums of the Misses Culpepper) was intended as a sweet, light, easy Regency read, and the original title didn’t have anything about wagers in it. But then, on the cusp of planting my rear in a chair to start writing it, my husband told me about the struggles a close friend of ours is having with a gambling addictions.

The next thing know, I’m quoting, Wisdom and Advice—The Genteel Lady’s Guide to Practical Living, a fictionalized guide that is mentioned throughout the story.

“As is oft the case when wagering, one party is a fool and the other a thief, although both may bear the title nincompoop.”

During the Regency Era, gambling was a popular and acceptable form of entertainment, which resulted in the financial ruination of many a man and woman. Heath and Brooke learn first-hand the hardships and chaos one person’s careless gambling can cause for others.

Bride of Falcon, a Regency Novella (May 4, 1015) was birthed as a result of the Wimpleton’s ball scene in Triumph and Treasure. I introduced a couple of characters at that ball that I wanted to have their own stories, and A Kiss for Miss Kingsley was the result.

Once my imagination got hold of the idea, though, there was no stopping my mind from formulating some additional fated matches at the ball, and Bride of Falcon came along. Ivonne and Chance are reunited after a three-year separation. There’s is a hard-won happily ever after.

You’re the first to know, but I’m working on a third novella set at the Wimpleton’s ball too. Shhh.

Finally, Heart of a Highlander, a Scottish short story (May 26th), came about when I was asked to write a short story for an anthology. I adored Hugh and Giselle Ferguson since I first introduced them as secondary characters in Highlander’s Hope.

I cut a scene in Highlander’s Hope where Ewan told Yvette how his mother and Hugh met and married. Heart of a Highlander tells the entire tale, and it’s filled with Scottish folklore too.

So you see, just about anything will get my mind weaving another story. It’s actually becoming a bit of a pain, since I cannot possibly write as fast as I get ideas.

Do you like getting a chance to peek a bit more into secondary characters lives? What about when historicals dig into some of the social issues of the era? Does that ruin the escapism and the enjoyment of the story for you?

I’d love to connect with you!

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Bride of Falcon Pre-order Links

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Heart of a Highlander Buy Links

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Mahalo, Collette, for introducing us to WAGERS GONE AWRY.  I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Answer Collette's questions, 

Do you like getting a chance to peek a bit more into secondary characters lives? What about when historicals dig into some of the social issues of the era? Does that ruin the escapism and the enjoyment of the story for you? 

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, April 25, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, April 26.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Susanna Fraser and A CHRISTMAS REUNION

Susanna Fraser wrote her first novel in fourth grade. It starred a family of talking horses who ruled a magical land. In high school she started, but never finished, a succession of tales of girls who were just like her, only with long, naturally curly and often unusually colored hair, who, perhaps because of the hair, had much greater success with boys than she ever did.

Along the way she read her hometown library’s entire collection of Regency romance, fell in love with the works of Jane Austen, and discovered in Patrick O’Brian’s and Bernard Cornwell’s novels another side of the opening decades of the 19th century. When she started to write again as an adult, she knew exactly where she wanted to set her books. Her writing has come a long way from her youthful efforts, but she still gives her heroines great hair.

Susanna grew up in rural Alabama. After high school she left home for the University of Pennsylvania and has been a city girl ever since. She worked in England for a year after college, using her days off to explore history from ancient stone circles to Jane Austen’s Bath.

Susanna lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and daughter. When not writing or reading, she goes to baseball games, sings alto in a local choir and watches cooking competition shows.

For more information please visit Susanna’s website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Thank you for having me here on SOS Aloha today!

When I'm trying to get a grasp on the characters in my historical romances, I often imagine what they might be if they were living in the 21st century, with a full range of 21st century opportunities. For example, Will Atkins, the hero of my debut novel The Sergeant's Lady, would still have a military career, but instead of enlisting at sixteen he would secure an appointment to West Point out of high school and become a career officer. His heroine, Anna Arrington, would most likely go into international development or diplomacy.

In my new holiday novella, A Christmas Reunion, the heroine, Lady Catherine Trevilian, is a smart, savvy young woman who's grown up in a politically active family. Her goal at the beginning of the story is to shape the direction of her country by becoming an influential political hostess. If she lived in the 21st century, she wouldn't need to stay behind the scenes, and I picture her getting her law degree and pursuing elective office.

The hero, Gabriel Shepherd, was more of a challenge to slot into a 21st century career. Like most of my heroes and heroines, he has a strong drive to public service and leaving the world better than he found it. But he also has an abiding passion for music and the talent to match. I think if he had every opportunity set before him, including a family who saw music as a respectable career choice and encouraged his gifts, music would trump all else for him. And while he'd probably be happy as a band or choir director, I'm going to dream big on his behalf and make him a rock star who uses his fame and fortune for the greater good...which would make his eventual romance with 21st-century Catherine somewhat in the George Clooney-Amal Alamuddin mode.

Have you ever imagined what your favorite historical characters might've been if they'd been born in our time? Or what you might've been if you'd been born a few centuries earlier?

Lady Catherine Trevilian and Gabriel Shepherd met in the Earl of Edenwell’s household, he the earl’s bastard nephew adopted as an infant, and she the countess’s highborn niece taken in after being orphaned as a young lady. Though not a suitable match by society’s standards, they fell hopelessly in love – but everything ended when they were caught kissing under the mistletoe. To protect Cat from Gabe’s lowborn charms, the earl bought him an army commission and shipped him out of the country. Catherine eventually accepted an arranged engagement, but never stopped scouring casualty lists for Gabe’s name.

Five years later, Gabe is home on leave for Christmas. Catherine and Gabe quickly learn their feelings have not dimmed – and a forbidden kiss confirms they’ve deepened into passion. But with Cat due to be married in eight days and Gabe still far below her social station, it will take a Christmas miracle for the star-crossed lovers to find happiness…

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Susanna offers an excerpt from A CHRISTMAS REUNION at this link.

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Aloha to Shelley K. Wall and FIND ME

How to Catch a Man?

by Shelley K. Wall

How do you catch a man these days? Hmmm, well according to Amanda Gillespie, you let him convince you to date his best friend. And if that’s not enough, you let him talk you into doing things you were never meant to do simply because he needs your help. Things like rock climbing and hiking and sleeping under the moonlight on the side of a mountain. Ugh, all very nasty things for a non-outdoorsy attorney. Not to mention, seeking out missing heirs to a property which also happen to be missing heroes.

Why does Amanda agree to this nonsense? Because her friend Jackson wants her to help him solve a very confusion legal matter that threatens the financial stability of his father’s company.

Why does Jackson choose Amanda when there are plenty of attorneys in Houston available? Because whether he realizes it or not, he’s missed her like crazy for years—and as much as he hates seeing her with his best friend, it’s better than not seeing her at all. He’s already done that.

Find Me Blurb

Jackson was good at pushing Amanda’s buttons – making her do things her sensible mind abhorred—but was cheating on a friend part of the agenda? Would he go that far? When his best friend has the girl he’s always wanted, how far will Jackson go to tempt her away?

Jackson Holstenar owes his childhood to his best friend Carter, the closest thing he’d had to a brother. Amanda Gillespie’s in serious need of adventure—according to her friend Darlene. After losing her job a year earlier then hiring on with another law office, she hasn’t taken her eyes off work in months. Until the man behind her job loss shows up at the adventure club meeting Darlene dared her to attend—Jackson Holstenar.

When Jackson’s father suffers a stroke, he has to drop his carefree attitude and take over the family company’s helm. He turns to Amanda to help unravel a contract problem at work and fixes her up with his best friend who’s ready to start a relationship. Can Jackson work alongside her again without losing her?

Can Amanda keep her work life out of her personal life and keep Jackson on the friendship track?

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Winter camping in Maryland

Shelley grew up in Missouri, graduated from Oklahoma State University, and took post graduate courses from OSU and the University of Wyoming. She's a member of RWA, Sisters In Crime (SinC), The Literary Guild, and Houston Writer’s Guild. She writes daily, striving to perfect a voice that supplies enjoyable and romantic reads. She has yet to meet a person she doesn't like or a job that's not worth enjoying. She writes with humor, drama, and a desire to share life's precious moments. Shelley currently lives in Texas with her family.

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Shelley is giving away a digital copy of FIND ME to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about "sleeping under the moonlight on the side of a mountain" - love it or skip it?  My kids like camping but I prefer a cabin. 

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, December 6, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, December 7.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Camping in Hawaii typically involves the beach ....

Aloha to Victoria Roberts and MY HIGHLAND SPY

Oh, I have Alba on my mind ... Victoria Roberts joins us today to celebrate the release of MY HIGHLAND SPY, Book 1 in her new series Highland Spies:

This Highland Laird won't bow to the Crown
Laird Ruairi Sutherland refuses to send his only son away to be educated by the English. And he most definitely will not appear in Edinburgh to pay homage to a liege who has no respect for Scotland. So he does what any laird would do-he lies to the king. The last thing Ruairi expects is a beautiful English governess to appear on his doorstep.

But this lady spy might make him...
Lady Ravenna Walsingham is a seasoned spy who is sent to the savage Highlands to uncover a nefarious plot against the Crown. Playing the part of an English governess—a job easier said than done—she infiltrates the home of Laird Sutherland, a suspected conspirator.

If she doesn't betray him first
Ravenna soon discovers that the only real threat Sutherland poses is to her heart. But will the proud Highland laird ever forgive her when he discovers the woman he loves in an English spy? 

“An exciting Highland tale of intrigue, betrayal, and love.”
—Hannah Howell, New York Times bestselling author of Highland Master

“Roberts’ newest features a surprise-laden, quick-paced plot, replete with unconventional and fiercely independent characters. Her lyrical prose grabs readers’ attention, and the high level of emotional tension simply adds to the depth of the story. This book begs to be read and reread.”
—RT Book Reviews

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

I asked Victoria ... what makes a successful spy-turned-governess?

Thank you so much for having me today at the SOS Aloha blog. Although I’ve never been to Hawaii, it is a place that is definitely on my bucket list.

I think what makes Lady Ravenna Walsingham successful at what she does is the fact that she longs to follow in her father’s footsteps. You see…her father, Lord Francis Walsingham, had been Queen Elizabeth’s principal secretary until his death. Little did anyone know that her sire had also been the queen’s spy. Given that Ravenna’s father had handled all of the royal correspondence and had determined the agenda of the council meetings, he had been a very influential man in his time.

But now it’s Ravenna’s time to shine.

Ravenna is a spy for King James and the Crown, the same as her father had been under Queen Elizabeth’s reign. When Ravenna was old enough to show an interest in political matters, her father had educated and conditioned her to one day take his place. She certainly lives in a man’s world, but that’s why she’s so proficient at doing what she does—a mere woman is the last thing anyone would expect.
Family is important to Ravenna but so is king and country. Under the guidance of her Uncle Walter, Ravenna is sent to the Scottish Highlands under the guise of a governess. She’s determined to fulfill her duty and obligations—well, only if a certain brawny Highland laird doesn’t continue to muddle her thoughts.
How far would you go for something you believe in?

Costumed guides at Linlithgow Palace

Victoria lives in western Pennsylvania with her husband of twenty one years and their two beautiful children—not to mention one spoiled dog. When she is not plotting her next Scottish adventure, she’s dragging her clan to every Scottish festival under the sun. Visit her at victoriarobertsauthor.com.

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Sourcebooks is giving away a print copy of MY HIGHLAND SPY to one randomly selected commenter in the US and Canada.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about spywork - could you be a spy?

2.  Comments are open through Satruday, September 6, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 7.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Brooklyn Ann and ONE BITE PER NIGHT

Brooklyn Ann serves up a delicious historical paranormal with ONE BITE PER NIGHT, Book 2 in the Scandal with Bites series, from Sourcebooks Casablanca:

He wanted her off his hands...

Vincent Tremayne, the reclusive “Devil Earl,” has been manipulated into taking rambunctious Lydia Price as his ward. As Lord Vampire of Cornwall, Vincent has better things to do than bring out an unruly debutante.

Now he’ll do anything to hold on forever

American-born Lydia Price doesn’t care for the stuffy strictures of the ton, and is unimpressed with her foppish suitors. She dreams of studying with the talented but scandalous British portrait painter, Sir Thomas Lawrence. But just when it seems her dreams will come true, Lydia is plunged into Vincent’s dark world and finds herself caught between the life she’s known and a future she never could have imagined.

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A lover of witty Regencies and dark paranormal romance, Brooklyn Ann combines the two in her new vampire series. The former mechanic turned author lives with her family in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. She can be found online at brooklynann.blogspot.com.

Website: brooklynann.blogspot.com
Facebook: facebook.com/brooklyn.ann.7
Twitter: twitter.com/Brooklyn__Ann
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What did you learn about your fans, your fellow authors, and yourself after attending the RT Booklovers' Convention in NOLA?

The prospect of going to RT was as daunting as it was exciting. I have post traumatic stress disorder and often crowds and loud noises can send me into panic attacks. Also, I haven’t traveled much so I was pretty scared.

Thankfully, I was bunking with the fabulous Jess Haines, author of the H&W Investigation series and she is an absolute saint. She was my Sherpa and gave me a wonderful tour of NOLA and introduced me to some fabulous authors and reviewers. Thanks to her and all the awesome people, (and Xanax) I didn’t have a panic attack.

About the fans, it really sunk in that I actually have them. I couldn’t believe how many people actually recognized me and my books. Including one of the reviewers from RT. It was surreal and definitely reinforced by determination to keep writing.

As for my fellow authors, I learned that I am blessed beyond belief at the kindness, closeness and support of the romance community. I just couldn’t stop smiling as I realized, “These are my people! I actually belong here!” I was a major outcast and bullied a lot in my younger days, so this was phenomenal.

I also found out that pen names are more common than I thought. I’m one of the rare ones who use my real name. Well, my first and middle, anyway. I have a very boring and non-romance-y last name.

What I learned about myself is that being a writer is truly fulfilling, I can handle going to conventions without panicking, in fact, I need to go to more. And… I am absolutely in LOVE with Cajun and Creole food. So much that I want to kidnap a NOLA chef and bring him or her to Idaho to open a restaurant. 

Mahalo, Brooklyn, for stopping by SOS Aloha!  Sourcebooks is giving is away a print copy of ONE BITE PER NIGHT is one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  What is your favorite bite size snack?

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, August 16, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 17.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Mary Wine and THE HIGHLANDER'S BRIDE TROUBLE

Mary Wines is my guest for a cozy chat about her new release, THE HIGHLANDER'S BRIDE TROUBLE, Book 4 in her Sutherlands series from Sourcebooks Casablanca:

Her clan is in chaos...

Raised by her father and brother, Nareen Grant is strong, confident, well-educated—and skilled with a bow and dagger. It’s a tumultuous time for Scotland, and events conspire against her. Betrayed by her family, she makes her way alone, until she lands in the lap of Saer MacLeod. But she wants no help from a savage man of the Isles.

And rivalries are deadlier than ever.

Raised on the rugged Scottish Isles, Saer MacLeod is considered fierce even by Highlander standards. He’s enchanted by the independent and headstrong Nareen. But when an old feud endangers her life, Saer’s fascination with her escalates into a ferocious desire to protect her… and claim her for himself.

Order Print: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | B-A-M | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound

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I asked Mary, If you fell back in time, how would you blend into the village with your 21st century skills - Be a seamstress? Storyteller? Or something else?

Falling through time….hummm….I suppose becoming a story teller would be the obvious choice. But that might be harder than I think. People everywhere have their own culture and sense of humor. Also, there is the fact that being an actor wasn’t really a very respected profession.

Let’s face it, if I fell through time, my knees would be knocking. I’d have to rely on the kindness of fate and my own wiles. Queen Elizabeth was quoted as saying that ‘If I were turned out in my petticoat tomorrow, I would land on my feet…’. I’d love to think I’d do as well. Elizabeth had such a rocky path in life but made it to the top in the end.

I do love to sew but in order to be a seamstress in ears gone by, you had to own your own needles and pins. Any sort of metal was very expensive. Fabric was very expensive too. Noble families would actually send their servants to watch over the cutting process and all of the bits were gathered up and used. Right down to the tiny ones, those were mixed together into something called ‘cabbage’ and used to stuff hip rolls, shoulder treatments and hat decorations.

Acclaimed author Mary Wine has written over 30 works of erotic fantasy, romantic suspense, and historical romance. An avid history-buff and historical costumer, she and her family enjoy participating in historical reenactments. Mary lives with her husband and two sons in Yorba Linda, California.

Website: marywine.com
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Sourcebooks is giving away a print copy of THE HIGHLANDER'S BRIDE TROUBLE to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about time travel - if you fell back in time, what talent could you offer Medieval Times?

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, August 16, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 17.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Breaking News - The first three books in series are on sale from your favorite e-retailer ...

· The Highlander’s Prize - FREE

· The Trouble with Highlanders - $1.99

· How to Handle a Highlander - $3.99

Meanwhile, Mary offers an excerpt from THE HIGHLANDER'S BRIDE TROUBLE:

He reached out and stroked her cheek. “’Tis a sad thing to see how hard yer feelings are. But there is naught more to fear, she’ll nae have the opportunity to inflict such ills again.”

Nareen jerked away from the contact. She even took a swipe at his hand, but he moved faster, withdrawing in time to avoid being struck. Someone chuckled from where his men clustered near the fires, but Saer was watching her from narrowed eyes.

“I am nae afraid of anything,” she assured him.

“Is that so?” Saer inquired in a silky-smooth tone.

Nareen nodded. Satisfaction began to fill her, but it was cut short as he reached out and stroked her face again. She jumped, completely unable to control her reaction.

“Ye are making sport of me in front of yer men, like a savage.”

His eyes glittered, but it wasn’t with the outrage Nareen had intended to provoke. Instead, there was an unmistakable pleased looked in those dark orbs.

“I am a savage, Nareen.” He stepped forward, placing himself within touching range again. “I do nae let words stand alone. If ye truly have no interest in me, there is no reason to avoid me touch. Stand steady and prove ye are nae moved. I have no taste for a frigid woman.”

She laughed at him but stepped back again. “Then it seems we have a common ground, for I crave no man’s touch.”

His lips thinned. “Now that is something ye shall have to prove as well.”

“I will nae. Me word should be enough on the matter, if ye truly are me brother’s friend.” She didn’t care to hide behind her brother’s name, but the circumstances offered her few alternatives.

“As ye noted, I am a savage, and I always demand proof before I believe.”

This time, she was ready when he reached for her cheek. She stepped aside, avoiding him. She was just beginning to smile with her victory when he closed his hand around her wrist. He really was huge. His fingers closed easily around her smaller wrist, clasping it in an iron grip. She braced herself for pain, but there was none, only a secure hold that defied her attempt to break it.

“Release me.” Her voice had risen, and she shut her mouth before revealing any more of her unsettled state.

“Prove ye are unmoved, lass, and I shall be content to accept yer dismissal.” His tone had deepened, becoming something hypnotic.

“I am irritated.” And remaining still was proving too difficult. She twisted her hand, trying to break his hold again.

“Aye, ye are that.” He lifted her hand to his face and pressed a kiss on the delicate skin of her inner wrist. She shuddered, the touch intensely intimate. She’d never realized her skin might be so sensitive. The simple touch of his lips unleashed a bolt of sensation that shook her all the way down to her toes. His eyes filled with satisfaction.

“But ye are also affected.”

He released her, and she stumbled back a pace because she’d been resisting his hold so greatly. Laughter erupted from his men. Saer stiffened, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

“What?” she said. “Are ye trying to impress me by controlling yerself now that ye see yer men are enjoying the sport ye are making of me?”

“Aye, I am,” he answered darkly. “I am nae the one who chose this setting for our meeting, Nareen. Ye should nae have refused to see me again at court. That left me no choice but to chase ye.”

Aloha to Kristina Mathews and WORTH THE TRADE

Kristina Mathews joins us to celebrate the release of WORTH THE TRADE - today - from Lyrical Press:

After inheriting majority ownership of the San Francisco Goliaths baseball team, Hunter Collins wants to prove to herself and the rest of the league that she’s got what it takes to build a champion. Her first move is to trade for a hot left-fielder. He’s got it all, speed, power, and a desire to win. Not to mention undeniable charm.

Marco Santiago is tired of being the new player in town. This is his fourth team in six years and he’s facing free agency at the end of the season. He wants nothing more than a long-term contract. Hitting on his new owner probably isn’t the best way to secure his future with the team.

They’ll both give anything to get their team to the World Series, even their heart.

Where do you get your ideas? That’s a question every author will be asked at one time or another. It seems like an easy question, and sometimes there is an easy answer. But most of the time the ideas just come. They stalk me in the middle of the night. They come out of left field and demand my attention. Often times I can’t pinpoint an exact moment when a story idea comes to me, or how it evolves into an actual plot. Usually I start with a character, and then I have to figure out what he wants, why he wants it, and what’s stopping him. Then I need to find the exact wrong person for him to fall in love with, knowing she’ll end up being the right person after all.

The story of Worth The Trade, was sparked by an actual event. At the end of July 2012, the San Francisco Giants made a trade for a player I didn’t know very well. I’d heard the name, Hunter Pence, when he played against us, but I’d never really paid too much attention once the series was over.

Then he was traded to the Giants. He booked the next flight and showed up at the ballpark in a limo. He walked out on the field and into the hearts of Giants fans and helped lead the team to a World Series Championship.

The fan in me loves his enthusiasm and the way he plays the game. The writer in me took that image of him pulling up to the ballpark and turned it into a love story. Now I have no way to know the real player’s love life. He’s not married, but that’s all I know. But to make a romance novel work, I needed to come up with the last person a baseball player should fall in love with. Who could be sitting in that limo behind the tinted glass that would turn his life upside down?

Of course, she’s the owner of the team. A young woman who’d recently inherited majority ownership and her first official act as managing partner was to trade for the player she believes will get them to the ultimate goal—the World Series. The only thing standing between them and the Championship is their attraction to each other, and the rest of the National League.

Now, I had the premise for my novel, I needed to flesh out the characters. I didn’t want to just copy the player exactly, as much as I adore Hunter Pence, it wouldn’t be right. So I combined several players to make up the character of Marco Santiago. He is an outfielder, like Pence. But instead of a blue-eyed blonde, Marco has Javier Lopez’s dark hair and smile. He has Lopez’s college degree, and Pence’s Texas roots. I’ve probably incorporated other players’ quirks into the character, as well as a bit of my husband, my sons, my college buddies, and every guy I’ve ever known to flesh out the character.

I’ve created backstories for the hero and heroine, given them flaws and insecurities. Then they take on a life out their own. My heroine, Hunter Collins, is a young woman trying to work in an old boys’ club. She’s a Daddy’s Girl who’s lost her father. But she believes in her team and her players. Her character isn’t based on anyone in real life or fiction. The last female owner of a baseball team that I know of is Marge Schott, and she’s nothing like my character. Then there was the owner in the movie, Major League, who wanted the team to stink so she could move it from Cleveland to Florida. Nope, not a role model for my heroine.

I hope I’ve come up with a story that’s fresh and a little different, with characters that are relatable. I’m sure Giants fans will recognize some of the little details I put in my stories. I’ve been following the team for over twenty-five years, some of it’s going to rub off. But I hope fans of other teams might be reminded of their favorite players. And Phillies fans aren’t reminded of the heartbreak of losing Pence. I’m still not over the Matt Williams trade.

What I hope most of all, is that readers will fall in love with Marco Santiago and Hunter Collins. That they’ll finish the book with a smile, and that same feeling they get when their team wins. 

Danno and Steve coach Little League in Hawaii Five O

Kristina Mathews doesn't remember a time when she didn't have a book in her hand. Or in her head. But it wasn't until she turned forty that she confessed the reason the laundry never made it out of the dryer was because she was busy writing.

While she resigned from teaching with the arrival of her second son, she's remained an educator in some form. As a volunteer, parent club member or para educator, she finds the most satisfaction working with emergent and developing readers, helping foster confidence and a lifelong love of books.

Kristina lives in Northern California with her husband of more than twenty years, two sons and a black lab. A veteran road tripper, amateur renovator and sports fanatic. She hopes to one day travel all 3,073 miles of Highway 50 from Sacramento, CA to Ocean City, MD, replace her carpet with hardwood floors and serve as a “Ball Dudette” for the San Francisco Giants.

Learn more about Kristina and her books at kristinamathews.com.  

Plus Kristina is hosting a fabulous giveaway at this link.

Aloha to Gina Danna and THE WICKED BARGAIN

Gina Danna joins us today to celebrate the release of THE WICKED BARGAIN, available June 19 from Turquoise Morning Press.  From her bio,

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Gina Danna has spent the better part of her life reading. History has been her love and she spent numerous hours devouring historical romance stories, dreaming of writing one of her own. Years later, after receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in History, writing academic research papers and writing for museum programs and events, she finally found the time to write her own stories of historical romantic fiction.

Now, under the supervision of her three dogs and three cats, she writes amid a library of research books, with her only true break away is to spend time with her other life long dream – her Arabian horse – with him, her muse can play.

Marguerite, Countess of Blessington
Portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence
Public Domain

Equality in Decadence, Regency-style

We have all read the novels of the lords and ladies during the Regency period. Rules look pretty set. It was a man’s world. They expected to marry, love not required, for political or monetary advancement or salvation, to continue the family line into the future. The ‘heir and a spare’ mentality that fueled the English nobility. So even if love wasn’t in the makings of the marriage, children were.

Yet how many stories have characters that the man could often find affections with a lady of the night or take a mistress to soothe the ache that he did not want nor desired from his wife? Or perhaps he has a courtesan under his protection? Society didn’t condemn him for this nor was this seen as unusual but more along the lines of this was an aspect of marriage a wife must accept.

Mmmmm… So he could play but she couldn’t? But what if she wanted to? What if she was lonely? Didn’t care for her husband to be in bed with another woman? There wasn’t anything she could do about it.

But what if she got tired of rearing his children – the only time she was intimate with him and upon becoming enceinte, he left her for another? How upsetting that had to be. He played the doting father and husband when he chose to but it was all a front for society, a society that fed off such delicious scandals of straying lords and their forgotten wives. Or what if he repulsed her or she wasn’t upset he slept somewhere else? What about her? What about her wants and desires? Was there a cure?

The answer is yes. Women could and did take lovers. Some were married, some were casual relationships but these were fleeting encounters and just as shallow. But the bigger question was would she seek solace in another’s arms when her husband strayed, never meaning to be home or a true husband?

Would she have a MALE courtesan? A gigolo? If she had the funds, was it possible?

After reading many Regency stories of the hero saving the heroine from the life of being bought by men, degraded to the world’s oldest profession, I wondered what if the roles were reversed – the woman saved a man of ‘ill-repute’?

Well why not?

A man being paid to do what most did for the fun, thrill and excitement, for love or conquest, posed an interesting question. How would a male courtesan act? Would he, like his counterpart, regret doing so? Would he be cornered into doing this for survival? Would he fall in love with a client, knowing in the long run, his reputation was sullied for selling his body for sex? Enticing questions. And the biggest one of them all – were there male gigolos during the Regency?

Out of references of the period, especially those speaking of courtesans and other vices, there are vague hints of male courtesans. And why not? What man wouldn’t love to receive funds for doing what he’d do anyway?

My muse worked fast and furious to hand me Ethan Warth, the Marquis of Blackmore and his lady, Arabella. Added to all this was the Showtime series Gigolos, about a male escort service in Las Vegas. To hear these men speak was fascinating – the idea that they were there to please the client, regardless of her looks or age. It was their ‘job’ to make her feel special and give her all their attention as if they were her husband/boyfriend/lover. Their stories and attitude about the entire career, was perfect timing for Ethan’s story. It gave him that hint of realism that made him a living/breathing person and so helped the depth to his character.

One lucky commenter will win an ecopy of Ethan and Arabella in The Wicked Bargain!

For more information, please stop by ginadanna.com.

Prince Regent, known to many courtesans
Portrait by John Russell
Public Domain

Gina is giving away a digital copy of THE WICKED BARGAIN to one randomly selected commenter:

London 1816

Haunted by a past as a sex slave, nobleman Ethan Warth returns to England as a male courtesan for rich matrons and runs a brothel for wealthy lords. Arabella Covington appears on his door, trained in the medical arts but unable to practice because of her gender. He hires her to care for his ladies but her inquisitive nature and beauty make him desire to teach her the world of seduction.

Ethan, however, never counted on falling in love…

To enter the giveaway, 

1.  Leave a comment about what draws you to historical romances.

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 21, 10 pm in Baltimore. 

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to M.L. Buchman and PURE HEAT

BICYCLES AND ROMANCES 

with M.L. Buchman

I’m a big fan of Napoleon Hill who said, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit.”

Twenty-one years ago I lost everything to an unscrupulous business partner. I lost my business, most of my reputation, my desire to work in the career I’d been climbing for over a decade, and the house I’d spent every spare minute and dime fixing up for a family I never had time to find because I was working hundred hour weeks. That was a pretty grand failure.

I was so lost and overwhelmed that my solution, which somehow made perfect sense at the time, was to sell off my car and most of my other belongings, climb on a bicycle, and head out on a round-the-world bicycle trip. Over the previous years I’d done a lot of riding and a bit of touring, so this wasn’t totally out of the blue, but it was pretty close. I ultimately spent eighteen months on the road, almost all of it solo. I rode eleven thousand miles, climbed enough hills to total the height of the International Space Station’s orbit, and crossed through fifteen countries and over thirty languages.

Whatever country I was in and no matter for how long, I tried to learn something of the language and customs. Whether it was two months such as Japan, Australia, Indonesia, India, or Greece (where I was trapped a third month by a very late spring pounding the rest of Europe), or a matter of days in those European countries that seemed to disappear beneath my tires almost as soon as I entered them, I learned what I could.

The lessons were manifold. I met wonderful people and saw wonderful places. Shadows of this occur in all of my writing in the oddest places. I biked over the rugged hills of West Timor, Indonesia—which will appear in Firehawks #2 Full Blaze releasing next in December. I also ate Barramundi and had a beer at the bar in that book and met people who have some parts of my experience of them populating that book.

But before I rode on those hard paths, I first rode down the west coast of the U.S. for six weeks from Seattle to San Diego. I had hiked a fair amount as a kid, but for those weeks, and the sixteen months to follow, I lived outdoors. I started with a small tent and cookstove. By the time I was done, I had just a bivvy back (basically a waterproof sheath for a sleeping bag).

In those six weeks I rode through the Washington and Oregon forests, I camped among the California redwoods and fell in love with the rugged beauty of such wilderness. It is that love of these woods that I have tried to capture in Pure Heat.

Now for the equal or greater benefit. I now live on the Oregon Coast that I came to love during that bicycle trip. I looked in my journal a few days ago because I couldn’t remember which campgrounds I had stayed at along the this stretch. As I write this, exactly twenty-one years ago I was camped in a state park. It had drenched rain for the first three weeks of my trip and I had covered five-hundred long, cold miles. According to that entry, I rode through three separate hailstroms on that brutal day and upon reaching camp I refused to leave my tent for two nights and a day except to make a meal on my campstove in the rain.

This morning, as almost every morning, my wife and I looked out our window that overlooks that exact state park without knowing that was where I had laid so confused and lost twenty-one years ago. My kid step-kid is graduating college soon. I’m a full-time writer, and Pure Heat is my twenty-fifth novel and seventeenth romance. I’m left to wonder what I will learn from this present adventure that I’ll be writing about twenty-one years from now.

Thanks for being part of the journey,

ML Buchman

Mahalo, ML, for sharing this unique experience with us!   ML Buchman is celebrating the release of PURE HEAT, Book 1 in the new series of FIREHAWKS:

The elite fire experts of Mount Hood Aviation fly into places even the CIA can’t penetrate. Carly Thomas could read burn patterns before she knew the alphabet. A third-generation forest fire specialist who lost both her father and her fiancé to the flames, she’s learned to live life like she fights fires: with emotions shut down. Former smokejumper Steve “Merks” Mercer can no longer fight fires up close and personal, but he can still use his intimate knowledge of wildland burns as a spotter and drone specialist. Assigned to copilot a Firehawk with Carly, they take to the skies to battle the worst wildfire in decades and discover a terrorist threat hidden deep in the Oregon wilderness−but it’s the heat between them that really sizzles.
Pure Heat received STARRED reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist!

M.L. Buchman’s romances have been named in Booklist’s Top 10 of the year and NPR’s Top 5 of the year. He has also published science fiction and fantasy under the name Matthew Lieber Buchman. He is happiest, no matter how cliché it may seem, when walking on the beach holding hands with the mother of his awesome kid… or when he’s writing. In addition to his career as a corporate project manager, he has rebuilt and single-handed a fifty-foot sailboat, both flown and jumped out of airplanes, designed and built two houses, and bicycled solo around the world. He is now making his living full-time as a writer, living on the Oregon Coast. You can keep up with his writing at mlbuchman.com.

Lava erupts into fire ...

Sourcebooks is giving away one copy of PURE HEAT to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Are you a bike rider - casual or serious?  I am just a casual rider ... and I found a few paths to travel around the historic Patuxent River.   Of course, I miss my bike ride across the Hickam side of Pearl Harbor (link).

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, May 10, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 11.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City 

Scouts at the Hilo Fire Station on the Big Island

Aloha to Maggie Mae Gallagher and ANOINTED

Isn't this cover incredible?   Maggie Mae Gallagher joins us today with a special guest post ...

First Crushes

The first Hollywood guy I fell in love with was Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. What girl could resist his no-holds-barred passion for historical artifacts or his disarming charm with a dash of devil-may-care bad boy skimming the edges, not to mention his deftness with a whip made you wonder how those hands would feel with you in them. I was five when I fell for Indy. It’s a love affair that has tempered and forged what I look for in a hero: passion, drive, determination, and honor.

As I grew, my tastes matured, but I still wanted heroes who would transport me on some marvelous adventure Goonies style and risk everything he wanted for the woman he loved. Yet, I still couldn’t shake loving the bad boy. Most Buffy fans wanted her to end up with Angel, and I wanted her to shove Angel aside for Spike. True Blood fans adored Bill, while I wanted her with Eric. If I admit it, I even loved The Mummy. I mean come on, he cursed his soul for the woman he loved. Besides, Arnold Vosloo in nothing but a skimpy skirt was mega-hot.

When Gaelen first strutted onto the pages of ANOINTED I finally realized why I had loved all these men. The answer, I adore Epic love stories. I’m not the flowers, candy, and Mayberry Lane type, not that there is anything wrong with that. But I want to a hero who will barrel in, upend order, and take me on a voyage to the edge of Mordor to defeat Sauron’s forces or travel on a train into the heart of Egypt to stop a curse from ending the world.

Gaelen has a touch of the bad boy I have always had a crush on, with a larger-than-life attitude. There were times I wanted to strangle him, almost as much as Alana did; although, that tends to happen when you put two confident people together. However, I couldn’t help but fall head over heels for Gaelen.

While my tastes in Hollywood leading men have changed as new stars have been christened, Chris Hemsworth or ahem, actor dressed as Thorin Oakenshield, call me maybe, they still have the underlying element of dangerous, unrepentant, bad boy to them. And as for my first love, he may be seventy but he’s still a hunk!

Who was your favorite Hollywood crush?

About the Author

Maggie doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t writing. When she was a kid she acted out her favorite scenes, only better, with her brother and cousin. As a teenager, she wrote reams of poetry, but realized her true love lay with creating characters and stories. A former music and history major, Maggie is a total geek at her core. When she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with her two furry felines.

Website: maggiemaegallagher.com

Facebook: link

Twitter:  twitter.com/magmaegallagher

Mahalo, Maggie, for being my guest today.   I fell in love with Harrison Ford in STAR WARS (a few years before INDIANA JONES).   When I lived in Hawaii, I often wrote about Alex O'Loughlin aka Steve McGarrett.  It was a Five O thing.  But I truly admire Gary Sinise for his work with the USO.

usoonpatrol.org

Maggie is giving away an autographed copy of ANNOINTED:

My name is Alana Devereaux. I enjoy the simple things in life, walks in the park, sky gazing, and ripping a demon's heart out though its chest. I am a demon slayer, the last of my kind, and I have been sent back through time to save your world. How am I doing so far? My time travel went haywire, all the signs I needed to stop the prophecy have passed, and the only way I can save my world is by keeping yours from ending.  Then there's Gaelen, most days I want to deck him. He hides his true motives and if it was not for the intel he had, I would be rid of him. Any day in my life without a demon attack is a good day; I haven't had a whole lot of those lately. The only problem is, if I don’t stop the Mutari, this world will burn.

To enter the giveaway,

1.  Answer Maggie's question - who was your favorite Hollywood crush?

2.  This giveaway is open to US readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, March 8, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 9.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

I had to fight off the other spouses to pose with Alex.