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A preview of what’s to come, actually.

As you know, if you’ve read any of the series, there are currently three books available. But, with any luck at all, the next book will be out later this year–Old Flame.

They met at university, graduated and haven’t seen each other since, until they meet by chance on their way to Gambler’s Folly. While they’d never been more than friends, hadn’t even seriously dated, there was an attraction now they couldn’t ignore. But can she fit into his very public world?

Here’s a little teaser–

“How particular can you be if you’re keeping company with me?” she teased.

“As I recall, a long time ago I threatened to spank your bottom,” he teased back.

“Your memory is correct. And I believe I dared you to try it.”

“If you keep it up, I’ll do more than try,” he said and felt his face light up.

“Yeah, right,” she answered. “Think you’re up to all that effort? Rich living hasn’t slowed you down?”

“Not so you’d notice,” he said.

“I guess I’d better stay on my toes.”

“You’d be easier to kiss that way,” he said before he could keep the words from coming out of his mouth.

“Who says we’re going to kiss?”

At least, this is what she said, but her face developed a glow that hadn’t been there before, and her scent grew a little stronger as the tip of her tongue moistened her lips.

“I do,” he told her. “At least once in this life, I’m going to taste that pretty mouth of yours. I missed my opportunity thirty years ago, and I’m not going to wait another thirty years.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“No, sweetheart, that’s a promise.”

After Old Flame we have Scotch and Soulmates. Paul is from the British nobility working for Interpol as a profler. Since he’s also an expert on expensive Scotch, he’s helping out on Gambler’s Folly with counterfeit liquors. Sophia is from the Bronx and a radical feminist, who takes ain instant dislike to Paul, even if she is attracted to him. Mother Nature is going to have fun with these two.

Teaser:

“How do you feel about Paul?” Kari asked.

“He’s arrogant, annoying, smug, and too confident for his own good. He makes me want to crack that composure and see the man underneath the mask. Nobody is that calm all the time.”

“Dangerous territory, Sophia. Once you let the wolf out of the cage, it can be difficult to put him back into it.”

“Oh, I don’t want to let him out, just see him snarl a little, and show he’s actually human.”

“And how does he feel about you?”

“No idea, but I don’t think we’re destined to be best friends.”

“No. But I wouldn’t be surprised to find out you’re soul mates.”

“Be serious! I can’t be around the man for five minutes before my inner bitch comes out,” Sophia answered.

“Then why is your scent changing?” Kari asked. “How does his scent affect you?”

Sophia thought back to the conference room and the scent which slowly filled the space. Visions of heather in bloom, with hints of rich loam, and the sea, overlaid lightly with musk had called to her, building her tensions higher.

“That’s what I thought,” Kari said with a laugh. “His scent attracts  you.”

“No, I refuse to take a mate, especially an arrogant Englishman.”

And after this is Unwilling Soulmates. Trevor is originally from Scotland and has worked on Gambler’s Folly for three years up in the Crystal Mountains region. Recently transferred to Speranza, Theresa takes one look at him and immediately dislikes him, but won’t tell anyone why. The tension becomes so difficult around the office, Trevor stops coming into the office and teleconferences with the team when needed.

So when Theresa shows up on the beach during one of his weekend camping trips, he is confused, angry, and completely blindsided when she thows down her mating challenge.

Teaser

“All right, you two. Enough,” Dima barked. “Can we see if there is a way to get past this?”

“Whatever,” the crazy woman answered.

“Now that you’ve worked with Trevor, read his reports, and talked to the guys he works with in the field, don’t you think you could give him a chance to prove himself, rather than instantly relegating him to some ridiculous category?”

“I just don’t like him,” she stated. “Am I not allowed to have a personal dislike for someone?”

“As long as you keep it under wraps at work. But that’s not what you’ve been doing,” Dima told her. “I now have one of my team working from home, with minimal contact with the rest of us, because you can’t control your attitude.”

“Like I said, I can’t seem to control my mouth or emotions around him.”

“What, exactly, have I done to you?” Trevor asked. “I’ve been polite, stayed out of your way, and rearranged my workout to accommodate your schedule. Hell, I even sent you flowers.”

“And we all know you meant them as some sort of insult, you bastard,” she shouted at him. “Was that some crack about my social life? How exactly did you mean those weeds?”

“They weren’t meant as an insult, though at the moment, I doubt I like you any better than you like me. As for being a bastard, I am well acquainted with my father. As a matter of fact, we currently have a good relationship. I’m sure he wouldn’t approve of you or your attitude any more than I do.”

“Is that a fact?” she asked. “And why wouldn’t he approve of me? Too low in the income bracket for his tastes?”

“No. He prefers it if I see women who know how to be ladies instead of screeching harpy fishwives,” Trevor answered, keeping his tone conversational.

“Screeching? Harp… Fishwives?” she sputtered.

“I could have called you an SOB,” he returned.

“Why would you call me a son of a bitch? I am nobody’s son,” she demanded.

“Sorry. In this instance it stands for selfish obnoxious bitch.”

So there’s the lineup from Gambler’s Folly. Sorry you’ll have to wait a bit, but editing takes time. But don’t worry. There is another series and some stand alones coming your way as well.

Looking for books already published? Check out my author profile on Amazon!

So, ciao for now, and as always,

Don’t Forget…

...to Share the Romance…

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Yes, it is!

“Why?” you ask.

I went in for my second cataract surgery yesterday. I had the first cataract removed a month ago, which helped quite a bit in the reading department. I’m hoping this one goes just as well. It’s nice to be able to read labels in the store, newspapers, magazines, and print books again.

Thinking about the same thing yourself?

Don’t sweat it!

The surgeon at Gainesville Eye Associates does laser surgery. It’s quick, and virtually painless. From the time I went in until I was back in the car was about an hour and a half. And that included the post surugery check up. What takes most of the time is getting your eye dilated, IV hooked up, and all the things you need to do before you reach the OR. The surgery itself takes about ten minutes.

Ten minutes?

Yep. That’s it. I will have eye drops to put in several times a day for a month, but that’s no biggie. And for the first few days, my vision will be a little blurry as everything heals. But the results will give me vision like I haven’t had in years.

So what’s happening in my writing world?

I’m still working to finish Gregor Thayne. Too Many Talents should be about through editing, and a few other things are in various stages of editing.

So this weekend, reach out and take home a little magic!

Master of the Fleet will be on sale at Smashwords for only $0.99 this weekend.

So reach for the magic, settle into a comfy chair, and visit the Cote d’Or!

Prefer Amazon?

Check here for the paperback or hardcover!

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This question always comes up when someone hears I’m an author. And the answer isn’t necessarily a simple one. It depends on the book.

I’ve been told by some that I channel my stories. I don’t know exactly how that would be different from how anyone else writes, but once I get an idea, I just sit down, put my mind in neutral and go for it. And usually what I think is going to happen goes in some other weird direction I never would have thought of.

Jareth, First Lord began as a recurring dream. Not the beginning scene of the story, but somewhere down in chapter 1. When it wouldn’t leave me alone, I sat down and wrote it out. But how did we get to this point in the story? And where do we go from here?

Viviane was simply the second part of this story, so there was no problem there. But Morgan was a secondary character in Jareth. I liked Morgan and wanted to know more about her, so I sat down and began to write. I knew she’d come from Clan Belfort, but why had she come? And where would she end up?

Gambler’s Folly started from a song–South Coast. It’s an old song, but it tells about a man who won his wife in a card game. Now how could that happen today? As my mind turned this question over during the day, it began to spin me this tale of a pleasure world away from Earth, where anything could be won or lost in the games. And Gambler’s Folly was born. How the rest of it came about is nearly as much a mystery to me as it is to anyone else.

Dante’s Angel, the second book in the Gambler’s series came about much like Morgan did. He was a minor character I really liked and wanted to know about. And so I let my mind go and began to write. He turned out to be quite a character, as did his soul mate.

But The Russian was born from someone I saw in a video. A Russian rapper by the name of Geegun just looked like a werewolf to me. Probably with dire wolf blood. Now, how could I write him?

What about Master of the Fleet?

At various times in various places, I’ve been a member of the Society for Creative Anachromism–SCA. My persona was named Anne-Marie de Villehardouin, from 13th century France. One night, for some unknown reason, I dreamed a scene at one of the feasts. We had planned a sketch as part of the entertainment, run it by those in charge and had it approved. It involved a couple who started arguing at the table and escalated into her trying to stab him with a dagger. When that doesn’t work, and she loses the dagger, she grabs a sword and the two of them fight in front of the high table.

Now, this was not possible for real, at the time. But I thought it would be fun to do. As I turned it over in my mind, the thought came that it would make a good scene for a story as well. Only instead of it ending as part of the entertainment, it should end with a forced marriage.

Maybe he was a wizard of some sort as well as a swordsman…

I know. My mind is a very strange place. I can assure you, you wouldn’t like to visit.

But feel free to visit my worlds–Gambler’s Folly, Esperance, and the Cote d’Or.

If you shop on Smashwords, go check out my sale this weekend.

In the meantime…

Don’t Forget…

...to Share the Romance…

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That is definitely the question these days. So I thought I would give you a little insight on my decision.

When I first published Gambler’s Folly, I did so through a traditional publisher of romance/erotica. For quite a while after the book came out, it was in the top 10-25 for it’s category, which was Mainstream Sensual.

When I wrote Dante’s Angel, they decided not to pick it up, because sales had been too low for Gambler’s. Most likely, I could have done better with another publisher. This company’s sales were mostly from their erotica–menage and fairly graphic stories. Since then, they have discontinued their Mainstream line altogether.

I published Jareth and Viviane through a hybrid publisher. But again, even though they liked the book and seemed eager to pick it up, it didn’t do as well as I’d hoped. And again, part of that was due to the nature of their other books. Mine was quite different from the rest of their line.

My books are paranormal romance. They also contain elements of fantasy and magic at times, and some intrigue. One series deals with a team of shifters who form a department for Interpol on another world.

The other series is set on a world ruled by multi-gifted First Lords who have several psychic powers. Running through the series is the main story line begun in Book 1, so there is a bit of an intrigue running through it, along with the romance and paranormal.

Under Sultonna Nadine, we get into magic. The book which is out now deals with elemental magic. Our MC controls wind and water as Master of the Fleet for his company. The next book out will deal with trying to remove a curse put on a genie by a witch several hundred years ago.

I understand cross-genre books can be tricky to market, and publishers and agents are a bit skeptical. So what could I do?

I went to Amazon’s KDP and self published all of my books, including the ones I got the rights back for. The process can take a little time, since the different versions, ie. Kindle, paperback, or hardcover, have to be differently formatted. And you have to design your own cover and do your own editing.

Is it worth it?

For me, I feel it is. I have control over the whole process and I don’t take months or years trying to find someone willing to take a chance on me.

Is it right for you?

Only you can answer that.

In the meantime, if you’re a writer, KEEP WRITING.

If you’re a reader, KEEP READING.

And as always,

Don’t Forget,,,

…to Share the Romance…

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Yeah, I’m not a happy camper this week. About a week ago, I tripped in a parking lot and fractured my right patella. After an after noon in ER, they decided I just needed to wear a brace until I could see an orthopedic specialist. So a few days later, I got in to see the doctor,, who told me much the same thing. Keep a brace on when I’m up and walking around. Take pain killers as needed. See me in two weeks for more x-rays.

It’ll be about 8–10 weeks healing time.

In the meantime, it is taking me forever to get things done. My daily walks are not a thing until I can walk properly again. And sitting at my desk is somewhat less than comfortable. Go figure, right?

So I haven’t done much writing this past week, though I have been reading through the next book for Gambler’s Folly to mark it up for editing. I do this on my Kindle Fire, so I can read without sitting at my desk. I’ve found I can highlight areas I want to work with and then take the Fire in to my desk and go through it there.

Much easier on the knee that way.

So what will be the next book for Gambler’s Folly?

Old Flame, which will be Book 4.

What’s it about?

They met at university thirty years ago. Though they were friends, they never really dated each other. Since then, Kort has had two failed marriages and become a multibillionair, considered the most eligible bachelor on several worlds. Elizabeth married and has recently become widowed.

Her kids bought her a ticket to visit them out west, and then surprised her with a vacation package to Gambler’s Folly. At the hotel her first night, waiting to fly to the spaceport for the shuttle flight, she runs into her old friend from university, also going to Gambler’s Folly.

And then the fun begins.

Still in editing, this will be a little while yet before it’s ready to publish, but I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, how about an excerpt?

EXCERPT

It was only a short drive to the hotel from the spaceport. Word must have gone ahead that Kort would be in town, so as soon as he stepped out of the limo cameras were flashing.

When she stepped out of the limo, there were questions from all sides.

“No, Liz is an old friend I met before I got on the shuttle. Since we were both staying here at the Stella d’Oro, I offered her a lift. I may convince her to have dinner with me later, but that’s all. We’re simply friends from our university days.”

“Is Liz short for Elizabeth?” someone called.

“Yes,” he answered.

“What about it, Liz? Any designs on Mr. Behrens?” someone else asked.

Feeling in a mood, she answered, “Who says I’d have him?”

She had expected a laugh or two, but got stunned silence before the questions began again.

“Now, you’ve heard it from the lady in question. Like I said, we’re simply friends who met again recently after several years. We’re catching up on old times. Don’t imply anything else, please.”

When they’d finally made it in the door and out of sight of the reporters, Kort turned to her with a laugh and gave her a big hug.

“Who says I’d have him? That was brilliant, Liz. It’ll keep them going for days.”

“I have no idea why I said that. It just slipped out. Are we likely to have a following everywhere we go?” she asked.

“For a day or two, until they get the idea I’m telling the truth. Unless you change you mind and decide you’ll have me instead?”

“Don’t press your luck.”

Wish me luck with the knee, and I’ll try to keep you posted on what I’m up to down here in the Southeast.

And as always…

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

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I was just getting used to it being September, but then there was so much going on in September, I’m not a bit surprised. Between two weddings and a birthday, plus all the usual things going on around here, I felt like the Red Queen in Through the Looking-Glass last month.

So far,October has been a little slower, if a little more frustrating. Due to a fall in a parking lot, I’m now wearing this fashionable splint because of a fractured patella. I don’t think the break hurts as much as all the traumatized muscles and abrasions. Once I’m up for a little while, I do pretty well. But after I’ve been sitting down for a little while, all those muscles complain as loudly as they can at being asked to work again.

But what about writing, you ask. I’ve been working on Unwilling Soulmates, as far as writing, and we’re up to 91,000 words. All I have left to write is the wedding scene, which shouldn’t take too long. And then the first read-through before the editing begins.These two have been quite a challenge, and have very specific ideas about how this story should go, starting with one who didn’t like his name…

And now I have a question for you.

What would you like to see in my posts? Little snippets of my work in progress? Bits from already published works, aside from teh excerpts on the other page here? More about my writer’s life?

Drop me a comment and let me know what you think. I’ll probably be doing a little more writing while this knee and I sort out our differences.

In the meantime,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

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Can you believe it? September is here already, with all this month brings this year. So far, we have two weddings and a birthday in the family, along with all the other appointments and events taking place.

Whic his part of the reason I’ve been absent for a couple weeks.

Not to worry! I have done some writing on Unwilling Soulmates and I’ve been doing a read through of Lady Calloway so I can get started on the down and dirty process of editing the story. I’ll do my best to cut out the dross before handing it off to my editor, who will then do a slash and burn on it before we release it to the public.

Lady Calloway has been a long while in the writing. It has been one of those stories which was quite easy to start, but then I couldn’t quite figure out how to end the thing. There were too many possibilities to choose from. And I liked them all. But I finally got it sorted.

Now for the first read through of the entire book. We’ll see how it flows now that it is all written. Yes, there will be changes along the way. First drafts are notorious for being crap. Some worse than others. But that’s why there is editing, probably my least favorite part of writing.

Let me tell you a little about Lady Calloway.

First, I’m still trying to find the proper title for it. As the plot has turned and twisted, the working title has become inadequate.

In a world which isn’t quite the one we know, in a country which might have been England, Kerrick and Liora live in a town which just misses being Victorian London. In their version of the world, the church and state are two sides if the same coin. The secular laws are based entirely on the scriptures and the church has the final authority if there is a disagreement over interpretation of the law.

Kerrick and Liora have been married for three months, mostly unhappily. But it has taken three months for Kerrick–who is employed by the church–to find out the reason for their problem is based in a heretical belief Liora holds. As a church employee, it is his duty to report her to the church, but he loves her too much to subject her to the confessors. Instead, he plans a trip to a private seaside family home to reason with her and persuade her to accept the current teachings.

Who could have foreseen the events which unfold once they arrive?

This book will be a little while in the finishing, but stay in touch and you’ll be the first to know when it is released! This is a stand alone and will be under the pen name Sultonna Nadine.

Want to read more from Sultonna?

Go to Amazon and check out Master of the Fleet, a tale set in an alternate world of Northwestern America, where the United States is divided into kingdoms and magic is just a part of everyday life.

Want a snippet from Lady Calloway?

In a country that’s not quite England, and a town which just misses being Victorian Londre, Kerrick Calloway trudged wearily up the walkway to his home.

“Paradise preserve me,” Kerrick muttered, shaking his head and running his fingers through his sandy brown hair. Hadn’t today been aggravating enough already?  

His wife greeted him with a kiss which barely grazed his cheek, irritating him even more.

“What’s wrong?” Liora, his wife asked, her gray eyes stormy and troubled. “Why are you angry?”

Shrugging her shoulders under her thick auburn hair, she began to turn away, as she waited for his answer. His arm shot toward her, his hand grasping her jaw firmly as he turned her to face him.

“Why? I just want to know why I can’t have a proper kiss from my wife. After working all day, it would be nice to feel my wife cares for me, instead of thinking she simply tolerates me.”

Releasing her with disgust, he started toward his study.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Liora replied. “Of course, I care for you. Every day I meet you at the door with a kiss.”

“You call that a kiss?” he shouted, turning back towards his wife. “That’s the sort of kiss you’d give to a brother or father, not the kiss a husband expects from his wife.”

“What’s the difference? I greet you each and every day to show you I love you. Does the kiss matter so much?”

“Yes, it does” he shouted in anger. “A man expects a few niceties when he gets home, and a proper kiss from his wife is one of them.”

“Why are you going on so much about a kiss? You know I love you.”

“Do I?” Kerrick asked, exasperated. “How am I supposed to know that? Your kisses are sisterly at best, unless I press the issue. And in our bed, half the time I feel I’m committing rape. You agree to sleep with me, but show no passion. Can you even feel passion?”

Suddenly wanting to know if she could show anything at all, he pulled her to him roughly, one arm firmly around her waist, the other twined in her hair turning her face to his. He kissed her savagely at first, his mouth hard on hers, demanding, before his kiss became more sensual. At first she tried to struggle free, and then, for a brief moment, he felt the beginnings of awakening arousal, before she stiffened into her usual stance—endurance.

“Don’t, Kerrick,” she pleaded with him as he released her. “Please, never do that again. I can’t bear it.”

“Can’t bear what? The thought you might feel something for me? You didn’t have to accept my proposal of marriage.”

But this is only the beginning of their troubles.

Watch for Lady Calloway from Sultonna Nadine in the future. In the meantime, check out Master of the Fleet and the books in my two series: Gambler’s Folly and Esperance.

Have a wonderful month of September and watch for sales over at Smashwords this month!

And as always…

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

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Does anyone else have trouble believing the summer is almost gone? Here we are in August already. Where has the time gone?

I’ve been working on a couple WIPs. One for each of my series. They’re going well, though I’m not sure where we’ll all end up. My characters tend to have ideas of their own and take off without informing me beforehand. So I try to keep and sort it out to a happy ending. Trevor and Theresa, on Gambler’s Folly, are no exception.

Do you prefer e-books or paperback?

My personal preference is for paperbacks, but these days they can cost quite a bit. And if we’re traveling, I can take a whole library with me in e-book form. But there’s something about the feel of the pages in a physical book, the smell of the ink, or the scent from an old book which has seen a lot of the world.

What is the oldest book you own?

I have a book I bought when I was in high school at a Goodwill store. It was priced at twenty-five cents and I loved it. It has travelled with me for years and about once a year, I retrieve it from the bookcase and read it one more time.

Copyrighted in 1909 by Arthur Hornblow, By Right of Conquest is a turn of the century romance. While it is pretty tame for today’s readers, it nonetheless gives us an insight into the written word as it was over 100 years ago, as well as life in society at the time.

So share your books with me in the comments below.

While I doubt any of my books will last as long as By Right of Conquest, I have fun writing and sharing them with you.

Check them out at Amazon, Smashwords, or any major bookseller. The first two books from the Esperance series are available from Audible as well.

Have a wonderful month, my friends.

And Don’t Forget…

...to Share the Romance…

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No, not like that… I mean as in Vocal.Media, the online place for those of a creative bent to share their work.

I’ve had a few things up on Vocal.Media for a little while now. Sometimes I write about events in the news, or things on my mind. Sometimes I create short stories to share with others.

Either way, it gives people a chance to check out my work without buying one of my longer novels, and for free at that!

Looking for a short fiction work?

How about The Reward, Warrior Priestess, or The Walk?

Maybe something more down to earth…

There’s Diabetic and Confused, What’s Different, and The Digital Age.

Go over, check it out, and if you like it, leave a tip.

Want an excerpt? Here’s something from The Digital Age.

I know many of you have grown up in this digital age, where everything is available online, on your phone, or on your tablet. And I will admit, it can be extremely convenient when doing research, especially thinking back to all the hours I spent in the library before this digital age. College papers would have been so much easier if I could have researched them online.

The thing is, though, that we are now dependent on all things digital. At the moment, I’m having a real problem.

Want to learn more?

Check out my page at Vocal.Media!

Talk to you later, everyone.

And Don’t Forget…

...to Share the Romance…

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This blog how has a podcast!

It’s true!

WordPress has recently offered the option of turning blogs into podcasts, so I decided to give it a try.

What do I talk about? My books, the series, this writer’s life.

Who has a lot of time to read these days? Sitting down with a book in the evening is one thing, but reading all the different blogs which interest you can be time consuming.

So, if you can listen to them in your car while you drive to work…

A much better solution. Am I right?

I currently have five podcasts available and will be adding more as the cats allow. They will try to help…

Where is it, you ask?

You can find my podcasts over at Anchor!

Go on over! Hear the latest news from this author. And share with your friends.

As always…

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

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