Yes, the heat of summer has hit down here in Georgia, with July coming in today. And since I’m more of an autumn person, I’m overheating.
But the good news is the Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale is now here! That’s right! A month long book sale on ebooks of all kinds ready for your summer reading pleasure.
So whether you’re looking for a more laid back vacation on Esperance, a world with a great night life on Gambler’s Folly, or a bit of magic, you can find it all at Smashwords on sale!
Come on over and join the fun! Grab something cold to drink, get comfortable in your favorite chair, and enjoy the summer.
Yes, here in the Southeast, Summer has rushed in with heat more reminiscent of late July or August. It’s only June, but I’m already looking forward to winter. Our little dog, Lugnut, isn’t sure about all this heat either. He went out into the yard with my husband for a few minutes and, when they came back in, he lay down on the cold tile.
On a sad note, our sweet kitty, Miss Kitty, crossed over early Sunday morning with little warning that anything was wrong. I’m still recovering from the suddenness of her passing. Rest In Peace sweet lady.
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In other news, we now have several black snakes stealing our chicken eggs. We’ve built new nest boxes, bricked up any places where they could get in, but they are still in there stealing eggs. Anyone got an ideas?
But for writing…
I’m still working on the edits for Old Flame, for the Gambler’s Folly series. Editing is so slow going at times, but it does make for a better book. And my editor is nearly finished with Ben of Blackstone’s Forge, for Esperance. One book for each series! I haven’t forgotten you. It has just been a little chaotic around here, between physical therapy, chiropractic, vet visits, and summer weather. But I’ll try to get back to a more regular schedule.
I’ve been getting the next book from Gambler’s Folly edited–hopefully for the last time–so I thought I should give you a few snippets. I also have a book coming later this year from Esperance!
So who wants an excerpt?
OLD FLAME
Gambler’s Folly Book 4
They hadn’t spoken or met since their university days 30 years ago, but here they were on their way to Houston to board the shuttle for Gambler’s Folly. What mischief does Mother Nature have up her sleeve this time?
The landing went well, but he noticed her fingers clutching at the armrest of her seat.
“All right?” he asked.
“Landing always makes me nervous. It’s too close to crashing.”
“Any landing you walk away from is a good one,” Kort said, quoting the old saying. “Let’s go eat some lunch. We can’t check in for another two hours.”
Lunch was good. Another thing he’d always liked about Liz was that she wasn’t afraid to eat. She’d managed to stay at a good weight even after all these years. She had a little extra padding, but he didn’t like stick figure women anyway. With his size, they always seemed so fragile. Liz, on the other hand, might be a lot of fun.
What was he thinking? Get your mind out of the gutter, Kort told himself. Why would she be interested in him? This was Liz, who might be intimidated by his social position, but would never let it dazzle her.
“Kort? Where have you gone?” Liz asked.
“Somewhere a long way away,” he admitted. “How is your lunch?”
“Fantastic! I’d forgotten how much I love Thai food. Thank you, Kort.”
“Well, I couldn’t let you starve, could I?” he teased.
“Are you saying I need to watch my weight?”
“Not at all. I like a woman I can get hold of and wrestle to the ground.”
Where in hell had that come from? Wrestle to the ground? Good lord, what must she think?
Liz doubled over in laughter, partially easing his embarrassment. Apparently she wasn’t offended.
Ben of Blackstone’s Forge
Esperance Book 5
Everyone had assumed that Ben and Deborah would marry once they were old enough. But when Ben went away to finish his apprenticeship, someting happened and nobody knew what. Suddenly Deborah was distant, cold, and at times, downright hostile. As the oldest daughter, tradition said her sisters couldn’t marry before she did and she wasn’t ready. Ben’s father was urging Ben to find a wife, but he couldn’t think of anyone but the Deborah he knew before his apprenticeship journey. What does the future hold for them?
“Thanks, Mr. Blackstone,” she said. “And see if you can teach Ben some manners.”
With a sway in her hips that heated Ben more than the forge, she turned and disappeared down the walk toward the town square.
“Why don’t the two of you get together?” Seth asked his son. “She’s good-looking, from a good family, and can cook with the best of them.”
“Yes, and her tongue is sharper than a carbon steel blade,” Ben added.
“All she needs is a firm hand and a good seeing to,” the elder Blackstone said with a laugh.
“It would take a brave man to bed Deborah Wills,” Ben said, picking up a pair of tongs. “A man could wake up and find himself neutered.”
“Now, Ben, she’s not as bad as all that.”
“No? I think she hates all things male,” Ben said. “She rides a mare, her dog is a bitch, and the cat has been cautioned to have only female kits in her litters.”
His father’s hearty laugh filled the forge, finally bringing a smile to Ben’s face.
“I thought you two were an item there for a while,” Seth said.
“Yeah, I thought so, too. I don’t know what happened after I left to work with Bellamy Forge. We were good when I left, but when I came back she wouldn’t give me the time of day.”
“I haven’t seen her with anyone else,” Seth answered. “Why don’t you ask her out for the Gather dance?”
“She won’t come. I’ve asked her out to the last three dances and she’s refused. I’ve asked her out to dinner and been turned down. Same with coffee and sandwiches. She’s not interested.”
“Are you asking anyone to the dance? A man your age should be thinking about a wife.”
“I was going to ask Moire. She will at least speak to me.”
Watch for these two books later this year. I’ll keep you posted on progress and release dates.
I know I’ve been quiet for a while, but between my husband’s surgery, my surgery, follow up appointments and physical therapy, it has been hectic around here. But I’m back today to say Happy Sunday.
I’m still plugging away at the editing for Old Flame. I’m trying out a program called AutoCrit to see if it can help make the process easier for my editor. I figure if it can catch all those words I repeat ad nauseam at least a little of her work will be done for her.
So far, I’m liking the program. It checks for a lot of things, not just repeated words, and I’ve found quite a few areas I need to work on. All in all I feel it will help me out in this final editing phase.
Not much else happening around here at the moment. I hope to be finished with Old Flame soon and get back to writing on Tiger’s Tempest. I also have to work on the editing for Gregor and Lady Calloway…
Looking for my work?
Go over to AllAuthor. You’ll find links to all my books there and links for sample pages to preview!
Take care, enjoy the spring weather, and have a lovely evening.
Good afternoon and happy Friday to everyone out there today! I missed last week due to surgery, but seem to be recovering well enough, even if I am about to go crazy with sitting around.
I had hoped to do some editing while I recovered, but sitting up at the desk wasn’t working well, and neither was the lap top.
But I’m about to begin again on Old Flame. I figure if I can make it through a chapter a day it shouldn’t take long. Of course what it shouldn’t and what it will may be different. You know how that goes, I’m sure.
So if this isn’t too long, or I miss another week, don’t despair. I’ll be back when I’m fully functional again. In the meantime, catch up on the Gambler’s Folly series while you wait for Old Flame. This time we have bear shifters!
Everything out here is beginning to green up in preparation for springtime. The trees have new buds and a few have tiny leaves showing. I just hope they know what they’re doing. Last year we had a late freeze which killed quite a lot of the fruit around here. We had no mulberries at all due to the late freeze.
So what else is happening around here?
I’m about two-thirds of the way through the final edit of Old Flame, the next book in the Gambler’s Folly series. And my editor is nearly finished with Ben of Blackstone’s Forge, the next in line for Esperance. I’ll keep you posted on release dates!
So what are they about?
Old Flame features Kort Behrens and Elizabeth Murphy, bear shifters from the USA. Thirty years ago they were friends at university, but hadn’t met since, until are both on their way to Gambler’s Folly. Kort is now a billionaire, twice divorced, and giving up on love. With his single status and his wealth, he’s a target for women hoping to hook up with a rich playboy and is tired of the hassle. Liz is a widow who lost her husband four years ago and is content by herself with her energy healing practice. They had never really dated in their younger days, but each considered the other a good friend.
But on the way to Gambler’s Folly, a spark begins to grow and these two old friends find there is much more attraction than they had counted on.
Maybe they’ll have a a second chance at love.
Ben of Blackstone’s Forge tells the story of Ben Blackstone and Deborah Wills. They’d grown up together and each had always figured they would marry when the time came. But something happened while Ben was away on his apprenticeship which changed everything. When he returned, Deborah was cold, nearly hostile, towards him and nobody could tell him why.
On top of that, his father was insisting he find a wife. He hoped to retire in a few years and wanted to see Ben settled. Unfortunately, the only woman Ben had ever loved was Deb.
Deborah’s father was pushing her to get married as well. She had younger sisters with beaus, and tradition dictated the eldest marry first. But she couldn’t marry the only man she’d ever loved for reasons only she knew. And she would not marry anyone else.
And then their fathers get together and draw up a contract for an arranged marriage for the two of them, to take place in a month’s time.
Watch for Old Flame and Ben of Blackstone’s Forge!
You can help me out by picking your favorite cover art for Old Flame!
It’s that time of year again–rain most days and temperatures from summer to winter and back again. It will be just a bit too chilly not to have heat, but as soon as you light a fire, it’s too warm.
How are things going in your world today? It seems like a great idea to find a good book, a cup of coffee or tea, and have a seat for the rest of the afternoon.
What are you reading? If you haven’t looked at my books before, check out the video below for a brief preview. I have two series under this pen name–Esperance and Gambler’s Folly.Esperance is more laid back featuring people with unusual abilities. Gambler’s Folly is futuristic with shifters.
Either way, one of them would make a good read for your afternoon. I’ll have new covers out soon, so let me know what you think. In the meantime, happy reading!
Can you believe it? This is the last Friday of August already. And summer is definitely having fun as the seasons move toward autumn. The temperatures here have been close to 100 F and the nights haven’t cooled off below the 70’s in days. I’ll be glad when it cools down a little.
But to celebrate the end of the month, for this weekend only, all of my books at Smashwords will be available for FREE! And that includes Master of the Fleet. If you like romance with a magical twist, give it a try.
Yes, you read that correctly. FREE BOOKSfor this weekend. Monday, they all go back to regular price. So if you’ve been wanting to try some of my books now is a good time to go for it.
In the meantime, try to stay cool. I know it’s difficult this time of year. With the sudden bursts of rain we’ve had the humidity is up and the mosquitoes are hungry. Stepping outside is like stepping into a sauna full of mosquitoes.
