Guest post – Cat Shaffer

Today, Cat Shaffer joins us to talk about the joy of the unexpected gift! Welcome,Cat!

****

I love unexpected gifts. I’m sure everyone is excited by a surprise delivery of fresh flowers or a piece of jewelry that is absolutely perfect. Most of us, I figure, know the person who sent them. But what would it be like to receive presents from an absolute stranger?
And then discover the stranger is the man who’s occupied your dreams for years?
That’s what happens to Jessica Flint in “Man of Her Dreams,” part of the new Enchanted Lover set. Actually, that’s only a tiny bit of what happens to poor Jessi when she goes back to her small Michigan hometown.

The town is fictional but it’s built of bits and pieces from my past. I have had the great fortune to have been raised in a small farming community and lived or worked in small towns most of my life. What some people might see as dull or sleepy I consider a great place to hang around.

I spent the last two weekends in two different small towns enjoying their festivals. Yeah, there were funnel cakes and overpriced lemonade shake-ups but that’s not why I go every year. I love the chance to visit with people I haven’t seen for a while, pick up neat little craft items and enjoy the things that make the festivals so different even they’re only a few miles apart.
Like the skillet toss at one. Yes, people take turns tossing cast iron skillets to see which one travels the farthest. Or the other’s punkin chunkin where children toss little pumpkins at a target painted on the street.

Sometimes I set up my table and meet readers at these festivals. Other times I help with community projects like grilling up burgers for my Lions Club as I did earlier this month. It’s amazing how many people call my name as they come to purchase one, just wanting to say howdy.
Living in a city has separated Jessi from the quirks and qualities of the small town that nurtured her. Going home – despite being forced to go to her class reunion beyond her will, being trapped in a bridesmaid’s dress that defies description and falling for the stranger/fiancé she found waiting at the airport with her mother – throws her back into the organized chaos of being surrounded by people who love her.

Okay, I’ve never been forced to go to a class reunion. Or being trapped in a maid of honor dress that absolutely defies description. And I have never found myself falling in love with a man I’ve dreamed about all my life but never believed actually existed – and who may actually have been conjured up courtesy of her eccentric office assistant.
I hope you’ll join Jessi on her trip back home and the roller coaster of a love that spans the centuries.

Cat Shaffer, the daughter of a poet and a teacher/librarian, grew up in northwest Ohio, finally saw the light and moved to Kentucky, the land of beautiful horses and far better weather. She lives with a dignified but ultra-sneaky cat, and could not continue to live if coffee disappeared from the planet. Check out her website at www.catshaffer.com.

ENTER TO WIN A $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD & A SET OF 7 PRINT BOOKS HERE!

ENCHANTED LOVER: Tales of Everlasting Love

Seven Novels of Mystical, Magical and Paranormal Romance

PARAMOUR by Margaret Ethridge (ghost)
Two men: one living, one dead, and both vying for her love. Camellia Stafford has never been alone in her room. For twenty years, she’s been engaged in a fierce power struggle with her bedroom’s previous tenant, Frank DeLuca, the ghost trapped in the light fixture above her bed.

ENTRANCED by Maddie James (time travel, reincarnation)
Jack and Claire set out on a wild search through time, not only for the resolution to a powerful attraction between them, but also for a historical artifact that holds the key to their future happiness–the coveted silver-plated chalice made from Blackbeard’s skull.

MYSTIC THUNDER by JC Wardon (witch, mystic)
Millennia of tempestuous ancestral history forewarn Rayne Cavanaugh to hide her ability to communicate with ghosts. But– When the nephew of the man she just can’t resist goes missing in the mountains of Mystic Waters, West Virginia, she must decide between self-preservation and love.

RUNNING OUT OF TIME by Cheryl Norman (time travel)
When Stacy Webber travels to Germany for her best friend’s wedding, she loses more than her luggage and purse. She lands in a different time, fifty years ago, with no idea how to return to her world.

TIMELESS by Jan Scarbrough (psychic, ghost, reincarnation)
When Beth Abbott receives a surprise inheritance from her birth mother, she travels to the family’s nineteenth century mansion in Old Louisville, KY, now a bed and breakfast. There she meets the resident ghost, a little girl whose crying not only scares, but also intrigues guests.

MAN OF HER DREAMS by Cat Shaffer (dreams, parallel times)
Jessi Flint has a perfectly good life with a successful business and the perfect man. So, he’s only in her dreams…until her flaky assistant goes to a New Age fair and Jessi suddenly begins receiving gifts with love notes signed by a mysterious Damian.

ALMOST MAGIC by J.M. Kelley (magic, witch, gifts)
When it came to Vivian Burroughs’ unique connection with nature, her grandmother always said, ‘Mediocrity may not burn as bright as a firecracker, but it seldom blows up in your face.’ But the old woman never advised her on what to do when a sexy new neighbor stokes the flames of attraction.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | IBOOKS | KOBO | SMASHWORDS

October 7, 2014

Guest post – JC Warden

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be featuring the authors who have books included in the Enchanted Lover boxed set (available now!). I hope you enjoy getting to know them. Today’s guest author is JC Warden, author of Mystic Thunder.

Mystic Thunder – Book one of The Cavanaugh Sisters Trilogy by JC Wadron

Rayne Cavanaugh and her two identical sisters all have different inherited mystical gifts. Rayne is of The Devine, which means she is able to cast and conjure spells, but they each have another gift which manifests before they learn of this particular ability, and Rayne’s is to see and talk to ghosts. She flees to Mystic Waters, West Va., to hide from the notoriety she’s suddenly exposed to in LA, but what she finds when she gets there is a man whose nephew is missing, and a ghost who insists she follow him into the dark reality that someone has been murdering young men for years on Mystic Mountain. She must choose between protecting herself and helping the man she is falling in love with, while conscious of the three thousand year old curse that warns all Cavanaugh women to never fall in love.

REVIEWS:

“I would say that J.C. Wardon is a shining new star in the paranormal genre.” Debra Taylor, The Romance Reviews

“Wardon has crafted a page-turner with the first of the Cavanaugh Sisters Trilogy.” Karen Sweeny-Justice, RT Book Reviews

EXCERPT:

Rayne broke free of the tangle of cars and sped-up to head toward the highway and home. Tears formed from both the pain in her skull and the realization that she was forever trapped by genetics that had finally exposed her to the world, and, not unexpectedly, ended what she’d hoped was a promising relationship.

She wanted to scream out her anger and frustration. She wanted to crash into something and shatter it to smithereens. After years of extreme caution, one persistent child ghost succeeded in making her break the first and most important rule her family lived by. She had failed to keep the secret that safeguarded them all. And she had to hurry home to let them know before they heard about it from someone else or saw it on the news.

The exit ramp leading to the highway was as congested as it always was this time of day, so Rayne ignored that route and kept on driving, ending up in the lower income side of the city few tourists ever saw. Los Angeles, the city of Angels, was not so angelic here.

Disreputable business establishments gave way to weathered homes with shabby yards, some with garbage littering streets and lawns, and many with rusting cars sitting atop concrete blocks. It wasn’t a part of the city she knew well. She kept on driving and continued wiping at her nose until the leather seat on the other side of the console filled with bloody tissues.

Rayne kept her speed down and her eyes on the residential road as she reached for another tissue, only to feel the box was empty. She pinched her nose with her finger and thumb, and was nearly gasping for breath as she glanced over to see if there was a used one that wasn’t too saturated. When she looked back up, her breath hitched as an image jumped in front of the car.

Slamming on the breaks flung the used tissues, the empty box, and her purse from the passenger seat onto the floorboard. Her heart beating wildly, Rayne stared at the large ghost before her as its glittering essence mingling with the heat vapors radiating from the hood of her car. Panic turned to anger and finally to despair as she recognized the pesky ghost who made a habit of harassing her.

AUTHOR BIO:

JC Wardon is the author of the Mystic Waters Books, published through Turquoise Morning Press. As a lover of the paranormal romance, the psychological thriller, and the suspense of dangerous plots, all woven into one, JC creates stories that will curl your toes, and make your heart pound.

Her Cavanaugh Sisters Trilogy kicks off a thirteen-book series rollercoaster ride that will leave you captivated. Whether you’re titillated, tantalized, breathlessly horrified, or shocked to the core, JC’s books always conclude with a sneak peek into the next breathtaking trip.

As of this writing, seven of the thirteen Cavanaugh Series Books are in publication, with the remainder to come out over the next year. Though the trilogy: Mystic Thunder, Touch of Lightning, and Tempest’s Embrace novels must be read in order and in their entirety, to solve the two major quests the characters are burdened with, as well as set up the complicated foundation for the future Cavanaugh series novels, the remaining books can stand alone. However, each subsequent book’s characters build from the ones that came before. (They are a family, after all!)

Due to the time constraints of meeting publication deadlines, JC does not currently have a blog, but you can check out all her current and upcoming releases at: http://jcwardon.com where you are free to comment on your reading experience, or even ask questions.

or tweet her at: @jc_wardon or drop by her FaceBook Author page (and feel free to “Like”): https://www.facebook.com/JCWardonNovelist

ENTER TO WIN A $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD & A SET OF 7 PRINT BOOKS HERE!

ENCHANTED LOVER: Tales of Everlasting Love

Buy now at:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | IBOOKS | KOBO | SMASHWORDS

October 6, 2014

Monday Mayhem – Starting to get spooky!

This week, my first novel to be published, Paramour, will see new life as part of the Enchanted Lover paranormal boxed set!

Paramour features not one, but two of my favorite heroes: Bad-boy-turned-ghost, Frank DeLuca and hunky-guy-almost-next-door, Brad Mitchum.

Over the years I’ve been asked how I envision my characters. Here are some pics I’ve found that might come close. In my opinion, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo would make a lovely Frank:

Jennifer Aniston has Cam’s quirky charm:

And Brad, well, Brad has that guy-next-door mischievousness that makes Gerard Butler so irresistible:

So yeah, in the next couple of weeks you’ll be seeing a lot from me on the Enchanted Lover release. I would appreciate your help in spreading the word about this boxed set. If you would, please share this post or my Facebook and Twitter posts with your friends. We need every bit of word-of-mouth that we can get. And please bear with me, I’ll try not to be too obnoxious about it.

You can pre-order your copy here:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | IBOOKS | KOBO | SMASHWORDS

As an added incentive, I would be happy to send a digital copy of Paramour‘s sequel Inamorata to the first five people who forward their Enchanted Lover order confirmation to mkethridge1(at)gmail(dot)com.

September 29, 2014

Monday Mayhem – Home again!

We had a fabulous time on our trip to New Orleans and Vicksburg. Here is the story of our trip in photographs:

I’m back to work in every way this week. Be sure to look for Paramour in the upcoming Enchanted Lover paranormal boxed set! You can pre-order your copy now at:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords

In other news, I just typed ‘The End’ on another Maggie story and will be revising and adding to it in the coming weeks. I have an idea for a new series (fired by our trip down the Mississippi) that I’ll be fleshing out, and some edits coming from Kensington/Lyrical.

So yeah, I’m ready to hunker down and get to work.

How about you? What are you up to now that they days are getting cooler and the nights growing longer?

August 1, 2014

Megan Mitcham’s Base Branch Series Cover Reveal

Today I want to celebrate the upcoming release of my friend, Megan Mitcham’s Base Branch series (Coming October 2014!) and show off her beautiful cover art. You ready for this?

THE BASE BRANCH SERIES BY MEGAN MITCHAM

Serve in the name of honor. Battle in the name of love.

Known by few as the Base Branch, the United Nations’ Special Operations Forces provide globe defense against any who threaten the fragile balance of peace.

ENEMY MINE
When friends become enemies and enemies become lovers.

Born in the blood of Sierra Leone’s Civil War, enslaved, then sold to the US as an orphan, Base Branch operative, Sloan Harris is emotionally dead and driven by vengeance. With no soul to give, her body becomes the bargaining chip to infiltrate a warlord’s inner circle, the man called The Devil who killed her family and helped destroy a region.

As son of the warlord, Baine Kendrick will happily use Sloan’s body, if it expedites his father’s demise. Yet, he is wholly unprepared for the possessive and protective emotions she provokes. Maybe it’s the flashes of memory. Two forgotten children drawing in the dirt beneath the boabab tree. But he fears there is more at stake than his life.

In the Devil’s den with Baine by her side, Sloan braves certain death and discovers a spirit for living.

JUSTICE MINE
For justice. For country. For love.

STRANGER MINE
One takes control. One finds balance in letting go.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22710047-enemy-mine

AUTHOR BIO

Megan was born and raised among the live oaks and shrimp boats of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where her enormous family still calls home. She attended college at the University of Southern Mississippi where she received a bachelor’s degree in curriculum, instruction, and special education. For several years Megan worked as a teacher in Mississippi. She married and moved to South Carolina and began working for an international non-profit organization as an instructor and co-director.

In 2009 Megan fell in love with books. Until then, books had been a source for research or the topic of tests. But one day she read Mercy by Julie Garwood. And Oh Mercy, she was hooked!

Megan lives in Southern Arkansas where she pens heart pounding romantic thriller novels and window steaming erotic romance.

Author links:

http://www.meganmitcham.com/

https://www.facebook.com/meganmitchamauthor

https://twitter.com/MeganMMMitcham

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6552758.Megan_Mitcham

July 28, 2014

Monday Mayhem – Nesting edition

Now, before my beloved Jewels goes bonkers picturing me acting like some kind of winged creature, let me state for the record that my kind of nesting looks more like this:

I was quite the homebody this weekend, and though I sacrificed a writing date with the fabulous Katie Kenyhercz for a couple of alarm-free days, I feel it was the right decision. As much as I enjoy being on the go, it was time for this girl to whir and shut down for a bit.

Of course, being the obsessive compulsive I am, you know I managed to be terribly productive whilst on the nest.

The bathrooms have been scrubbed and the laundry is fairly caught up. I cooked pollo guisado patos (because I am turning into a Latina trapped in a body of Irish/German extraction) one night and meatloaf and oven roasted potatoes another. I smooched the grandbaby and spoiled the fur-babies. In my downtime, I did some banner work for my friend Maggie, read a galley proof and added another 6k to a work in progress.

I did leave the Ethridge Estate on occasion. You know, the usual errands – Diet Coke stockpiling, grocery procurement (read: we were out of chips), and the mailing of newly signed publishing contracts.

*waits a beat*

*proceeds to chair dance*

Nope, it never gets old. Of course, the contract was for one of Maggie’s stories, but never fear, boring old Margaret got a little action this week as well. It’s official! Turquoise Morning Press will be releasing a new edition of Spring Chickens! Whoo hoo! New life for Lynne and Bram!

All in all, it was a pretty good weekend. How about you? What’s new and exciting in your life?

July 14, 2014

Monday Mayhem – Revisited

Lately I’ve been working on rewrites for an old favorite. Remember Spring Chickens? Well, it’s going to have new life! Hopefully one that includes cover art that doesn’t make the author cringe each time she looks at it.

Here’s a little taste of the story to refresh your memory:

“Good morning,” she said, lounging against the doorframe. She raised the pot. “Coffee?”

Bram scraped his palms against his jeans. His eyes locked on hers. “Are you an angel?”

Her smile widened. “Maybe.” She gave the storm door a nudge with her foot. “Come on in.”

She didn’t peek to see if he followed. The heavy footfalls of his boots gave him away. She added a smidgen of sway to her hips and a blush heated her cheeks when she heard him pick up the pace. The pot and mugs barely landed on the table before she turned and ran into a solid wall of man.

“Good morning,” he whispered and brushed his lips over hers.

“Mmm.”

She blinked drowsily. Her hands slid to his shoulders. Muscle bunched beneath her fingers. Heat that came from more than early morning sunshine seeped into her fingertips. He pulled her closer, every inch of his long, lean body pressing flush against hers.

“I thought about doing that all night,” he murmured, stealing another soft peck.

Her fingers tangled in the short curls at the nape of his neck. “Hmm. Thought about doing what all night?”

A breathy chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Aw, now, no angel would say a thing like that to a guy.”

She laughed, and he swooped in, swallowing her gasp of surprise. He cradled the back of her head in the palm of his hand. His fingers sank into her hair, loosening the clip.

Oh, cheater.

Sugar and cream sweetened his tongue. He had coffee. So not fair. She lapped him up, knocking his ragged ball cap to the floor. The coffee mugs clanked when she stumbled into the table. He braced her back, his fingers splayed wide and sliding temptingly lower. She flailed, attempting to plant her hand on the tabletop to gain leverage. Instead, her knuckles grazed the steaming glass coffee pot.

“Aghhh,” she yelped.

“What? Did I hurt you?” he panted.

Lifting her hand to her mouth she shook her head as she sucked on her knuckle. “No. I’m okay.” He tried to pull back, but she reached for him again.

“Coffee. Hot. Bad coffee.”

She laced her fingers at the base of his skull, sliding her hips along the edge of the table and pulling him along with her. “You had coffee. Gimme more of yours,” she whispered and yanked his head down again.

He chuckled against her mouth, his lips molding to hers—tasting, testing, tempting. “Like that?”

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “No. Yes. More.”

He stroked the skin of her throat, his breath stirring her hair. “Awfully bossy in the mornin’, Miz Prescott.”

“Haven’t had enough coffee. I’m not awake.”

“Oh. Well, then, maybe I can help.”

He kissed her thoroughly, sharing the dregs of his morning elixir. Her fingers clenched, pulling him closer by fistfuls of woven cotton. His hand slipped under the hem of her shirt, warm fingers grazed the small of her back. Lynne moaned and pulled harder, leaning back on the table.

The mugs skittered across the table. Hot coffee sloshed from the pot, splattering the hand he used to brace his weight. She arched against him, catching his groan and rewarding him with a triumphant laugh when they broke for air.

His lips brushed her cheek. He drew the tender flesh below her ear into his mouth, his warm tongue laving her skin. This time she moaned, and he answered with a chuckle. He ducked his head and nuzzled her neck.

“I am never going get the damn porch done,” he said in a husky whisper.

****

Hope you enjoyed this blast from the past. Happy Monday!

June 23, 2014

Monday Mayhem – Reclaiming my routine

This week I’m going to focus on getting back into my pre-2014 routine. What does this mean? I need to figure out how to manage my time in this brave new world I’ve entered. Since I’m working toward feeling better physically, my first order of business will be to figure out how to fit gym time into my day. Next, I’ll tackle reestablishing the daily word count.

So I thought I’d start here with the good old fast five. Ready? Here we go!

What I’ve been working on: I’m about halfway through the battle of the sexes story I’ve been working on, but need to narrow the focus a bit. I’ve spent the least week reading, editing, and rewriting what I have so far in hopes of getting it on track to finish.

What’s running around in the back of my mind: A plot bunny inspired by an old Frank Sinatra song. Can you guess which one?

What I’ve accomplished: I worked all weekend, but I did get this post done. Does that count?

What new goal I’m chasing: Reclaiming my writing routine.

What I saw: Park Hill Collection showroom at the Dallas Market Center.

So, to get things back on track, let’s do something fun…Comment below and take a guess at which Sinatra song is making me itch to write a story and I’ll draw one winner from the correct answers for a choice of any book from my (or Maggie’s) digital backlist – one copy for you, and one for a friend!

June 9, 2014

Monday Mayhem – Remember me?

I know I’ve been MIA lately. I’m sorry. My life as been in sort of a state of flux lately. I’ve left the company where I’ve worked for the last twelve years and started a new job. I’ve also been battling strep, staph, and a good, old-fashioned sinus headache. So yeah, I’ve been kind of a mess.

But I’m better now.

The decision to change jobs took a huge weight of my shoulders. And even though I’m having to deal with the inherent awkwardness of being the new girl who knows nothing, I’m a much happier person.

So far, 2014 has been all about cutting myself some slack and making necessary changes. To be honest, I’ve been doing a good bit of this:

Other than the release of boxed sets, I don’t really have anything new coming on the writing front. That’s something I hope to remedy in the coming months. Spring Chickens is all mine again. I plan to revamp it a bit and re-release it later in the year. Then, I think I want to make another run at Containment.

Of course, Miss Maggie is seeing all sorts of action – the tramp. It’s all about striking when the iron is hot in this business, and the steamy stuff is hotter than ever right now. There’s a new release from Harlequin just last week (The Last First Date), an upcoming boxed set from TMP (including Seducing Steve!), and a smoking hot story for the born before 1970 crowd (Three Little Words) coming from Kensington/Lyrical.

Sooooo, that’s what’s new with me. Thanks for your support and patience. I hope you know how much I appreciate you!

Tell me, what are the haps by you?

May 5, 2014

Monday Mayhem – Marvelous

You guys, I have to tell you that I had the nicest weekend. It was a hectic week, starting out with a case of strep throat and continuing through to Friday, which has become back-to-back meeting day for me at the day job. I kicked the weekend off by doing one of the funnest of all fun things…having an eye exam.

Okay, maybe not such a blast, but it was a relief to have it done. I had an appointment back in February, but had to cancel due to an ice storm. Then, I was on the road most of March. I have no idea what happened to April, but I have been running on my last pair of contact lenses. It had to be done.

So there. I checked it off the list. Made the man get his peepers looked at too. Goose-gander, birds slain with a single stone….

Since we were already in chore mode, Fodder and I did the grocery shopping while we were out. That onerous task complete, I was able to retire to the recliner where I chatted with my girls and generally goofed off until it was time to crawl into bed.

Fodder and I had talked about having some type of getaway over the weekend. It’s been a stressful ~~few weeks~~ ~~months~~ year, and we just wanted to do something a little fun. We settled on spending a few hours just about 45 minutes up the road in Conway, AR, where the Toad Suck Daze festival was in full swing.

No, I did not just make up that name. It’s a thing. Here’s the website.

Sadly, to get to the festival, we had to pass through tornado-stricken Mayflower, AR. I won’t post pics or say anything more here because I can’t do justice to the utter devastation left in the path of that storm. I will simply ask you to please continue to support your own local Red Cross and other relief organizations.

The festival was fun, the day was beautiful, and the fair food? Well, let’s just say no one left hungry. We had toasted ravioli and cannelloni, jambalaya with sausage and chicken, kettle corn, and our new fair friend: deep fried cookie dough.

Yes, that is a hunk of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough (egg-free, we were told) deep-fried, dipped in chocolate, and rolled in pecans. Yeah…good times.

My handsome escort also won a prize for me at one of the many ~~sucker magnets~~ games of skill set up along the midway. Meet Colonel Corn – the latest and greatest ~~weapon of spousal torment~~ token of my love’s esteem and affection.

I’ll leave the ensuing conversations to your imagination. Now, multiply everything you just thought by ten, and you may have an inkling of what Fodder’s ride home from Toad Suck might have been like. I haven’t laughed that much or that hard in a while.

Back on the Ethridge Estate, we proceeded to nap in anticipation of another storm blowing through our neck of the woods. This tiny tempest was thoroughly enjoyable, though, and the path of destruction he wrought much more easily set to rights.

This morning, Fodder and I drove down to the Arkansas River to walk the lovely paths at Two Rivers Park.

While we were strolling we sighted a couple of does and a yearling not 100 yards from us. The sun was sparkling on the river, the sky was blue and cloudless, and the hills fresh and green with spring growth. It was the perfect way to start the day.

Later in the afternoon, I planted impatiens in the hanging baskets and spent a little time holding paws with my puppy dogs whilst my hero grilled steaks. And now, here I am in my chair – full, happy, and more relaxed than I’ve been in a long, long time.

I think we’re all caught up on my side now. Tell me what’s been happening in your world!

Oh! And don’t forget (like I almost did) about Love Finds A Way – the new boxed set that includes Contentment! It’s available now for only $0.99! Please tell all of your friends!