9/30/2019

Stories of the Heart-Kit Morgan




TRY A LITTLE KINDNESS
By Kit Morgan


Years ago I was standing in the checkout line of a grocery store in an upscale neighborhood. There were two people in front of me. The checker was a young woman that looked to be in her early twenties. Now this particular neighborhood had a lot of rich folks in it. Many were nice, some not so much. 

Unfortunately for the poor checker, the woman she was checking out was one of the latter. “What’s the matter with you?” the woman snapped. “Can’t you speed things up? Are you stupid?”

  That’s the line that caught everyone’s attention. Our heads came up as one and we stared at the checker, whose eyes were misting with tears,  “I’m doing the best that I can,” the young checker said apologetically.

  The woman, who was short, plump, and had on a lot of jewelry as I recall shot back.“No you’re not,” the woman spat. “You can’t even do your job right.” 

That did it … But before I could say anything, the guy behind me spoke up. “Leave her alone and get out of the line, lady. Go home, have a cup of whatever and chill out!”

  The rest of us looked at him, then the woman, who looked about to blow. She scrunched up her face, making her eyes look beady, and glared at him. I’ll never forget that look, and have used it as a signature look for one of my reader’s favorite characters, Mrs. Dunnigan. 

Thankfully, by this time the checker was finished. The woman turned her glare on her, grabbed her bag of groceries and stomped away. What happened next though, brought the checker to full tears. 

Words of kindness flowed from everyone. The man behind me even tipped the girl twenty dollars as she was ringing me up for going above and beyond in dealing with the woman, then said he was going to speak to the manager about what a fine job she did.

 I myself hugged her before I left, leaving her to more words of praise and kindness from everyone behind me. It’s not that she did anything special to deal with the bully, she held her tongue, but if left unchecked the woman would have continued to berate and belittle the poor checker. 

No one deserves to be treated like that when they’re simply doing their job. And everyone in line let her know it. I watched her thank and hug the people that were behind me and left knowing that the girl would focus on the kindness given, and not the harsh treatment of a bully.

About the author: Kit Morgan loves creating stories of hope and love in her little log cabin in the woods in the great Pacific Northwest. Learn more about Kit and her books at: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKMorgan/
 

9/29/2019

Blast to the Past-All I Want for Christmas! Free Read!

 I loved the characters, the setting and the spirit of the holidays. Amanda McIntyre has the magic touch."-Rosemary, Amazon Reviews
FREE SEPT. 29- OCT. 3




The legacy continues....



Rein and Liberty MacKenzie are starting a family…make that trying to. In this sexy, heart-warming holiday tale, the Kinnison Legacy returns to End of the Line, Montana where this persistent couple face more on the road to parenthood than they bargained for.





Excerpt~


“This is Cody Ross.” The kind woman placed her arm around his tiny shoulders. “Cody, you remember Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie from the house?”
The young boy ducked beneath Ellie’s arm, shielding his face in her shoulder.
She smiled and hugged the boy. “It’s okay, Cody. They are some of my best friends and I know they’d like to be yours, too. Why, I bet if you wanted, Mr. Mackenzie might even take you to see his horses at the Last Hope Ranch.”
The boy peeked at Rein.
“It’s true,”. Rein said with a nod. “We have a lot of horses and one of our dogs just had a litter of puppies. Do you like puppies?”
The boy glanced at Liberty, then back to Rein and nodded. He cautiously extracted himself from Ellie’s embrace.
Liberty’s eyes stung from unshed tears. She wanted nothing more than to scoop up the little boy and hug him. Her fear of whether she could love a child not her own was immediately replaced with that of whether she’d be able to let go of this one when the time came. “Do you like Christmas trees, Cody?” Liberty asked. “We’ve been waiting to put ours up.” She didn’t add that the reason had been her melancholy about the holidays in general. Liberty hadn’t been able to muster much Christmas spirit, despite being very happy for friends and family in the throes of having children—starting their families.
“I never had one,” he said softly. He rubbed his small fist down his cheek and glanced at Ellie, seemingly unsure if that was the appropriate answer.
Liberty smiled encouragingly. “Then this will be a very special tree indeed. One that you can pick out. How about that?”
His eyes narrowed briefly, followed by a barely noticeable nod before his gaze fell on the giant gooey cinnamon roll that Liberty had ordered.
“Would you like to try a bite? Betty makes the best cinnamon rolls on the planet.”
“It’s true,” Betty said with a grin for the boy. “At least, that’s what they tell me.” She placed a cup of coffee on the table for Ellie. In front of Cody she put a small mug of hot cocoa. “You looked like a marshmallow kind of guy. Here,” she said, “you’ll probably need a spoon.”
Cody accepted the spoon, then tentatively reached for the pastry.
“Oh, here. Let me help you with that.” Liberty sliced off a piece and placed it on the small plate Betty had brought.
Cody picked up the bite with tiny fingers and took a nibble.
Liberty held her breath, awaiting the little boy’s reaction.
“Do you like that?” Ellie asked, finally cutting the tension.
He thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
Rein leaned back with a grin as Cody quickly devoured the rest and reached for more.
“How about we get some bacon to go with that? Then maybe Mrs. Mackenzie will share a bit more with you,” Ellie offered. “Would you like that?”
The little boy nodded. For the next thirty minutes Liberty watched entranced by how the young boy’s demeanor changed from sullen to seemingly content. She wondered what kind of things those soulful little eyes had seen. Images of her childhood drifted into her thoughts, remembering things that no child should have to experience.
Ellie caught her gaze and smiled as though understanding the sum of Liberty’s thoughts. She turned to the boy. “Cody, how would you like to go with Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie to see their house, and stay for a short visit? Maybe you could help with the new puppies?”
“They’re only a few weeks old and you’d have to be very gentle. Could you do that?” Liberty took his tiny hand in hers. The mere touch produced a strange lump in her throat.
Cody drew his hand away and, pushing to his knees, whispered in Ellie’s ear.
She smiled and glanced at Rein and Liberty. “Mr. Mackenzie isn’t your father, no, but he and Mrs. Mackenzie have offered to let you stay with them for a while. But I’ll be up to visit you in a day or two.”
“We’ve got a special room ready for you, buddy,” Rein said. “You’ll have your own bed. Your own toys.”
“Tractors?”
Rein blinked, then grinned. “Sure, absolutely. John Deere. And when the weather clears we’ll go down to my brother’s ranch and see the horses.”
“I like horses,” Cody piped up without reservation.
“Then we’ll need to get you a pair of real cowboy boots, I’m thinking. What do you say?”
“And a hat… like yours?” He pointed to Rein’s perched on the hook by the booth.
Liberty caught Rein’s eye and grinned. The little guy wasn’t the least bit shy once he felt comfortable.
“Well, then, Cody, I guess let’s go get your things out of the car,” Ellie said.
Rein stood. “I’ll go take care of the bill. Liberty can go with you. I’ll be right out.”
Ellie handed the boy’s coat to her. “Into the deep end, girlfriend.”
That’s what I’m afraid of. She knelt in front of the little boy. A million questions and concerns spun in her brain. Only one kept swirling to the forefront. Can I do this? She glanced up at Ellie as she stood.
Ellie smiled. “It’s going to be fine.”
Liberty looked down at the little boy who stood holding his mitten-clad hand out to take hers and her heart took a tumble. 



I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS, ESPECIALLY CHRISTMAS MUSIC AND MOVIES (ANYONE ELSE BINGE HALLMARK MOVIES?)

What's Your Favorite Holiday Movie?
So here's my GIFT this season for readers to sample my writing!
FREE September 29- October 3 
PICK UP YOUR DIGITAL COPY 
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS 
May your holidays be filled with many blessings!












9/26/2019

Romancing the Flower: Jacqui's Flower Pictures from France


I ❤️ flowers. If you've seen my Facebook & Instagram pages, you'll see lots of flower photos.

Living in Victoria (on Canada's southwest coast) makes it easy to share my love for flowers. Victoria's mild weather (in both summer and winter) makes it a paradise for gardeners.

During my August trip to southern France and (on a cruise) to Italy, Spain, and Malta, I saw some (but not a lot of) flowers. Maybe it was because the end of summer was approaching. It could've also been the earlier record-breaking heatwave followed by August temperatures of 90 Fahrenheit / 32 Celsius with high humidity no rain.

I really struggle in the heat. But every time I see a flower, it perks me up - and then I had to, of course, take a picture šŸ™‚ šŸ’šŸ“·❤️

These are the flowers I saw on my trip...

First flower seen in Marseille, France
Bougainvillea in Marseille, France

Periwinkle-colored flowers in Genoa, Italy
Giant Marigolds in Valetta, Malta
Flower on Mount Vesuvius near Pompeii, Italy
Hibiscus in Lourmarin, France
Scarlet-colored flowers in Lourmarin, France
Clover (I’m guessing) in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Camargue, France
Last flower seen in Cassis, France
My favorite flower is the peony. My mom grew them in her amazing garden on the farm where I grew up in Northern Alberta, Canada. It's a part of the world where winters are very cold, so gardening is seasonal and challenging. I'm blessed to be able to see peonies in Victoria - even if they bloom for what feels like only a few very short weeks in the summer.

Peonies seen this summer in Victoria, Canada 

What's your favorite flower?


Jacqui Nelson - Author Picture
Want to find out what happens when Welsh meets West in Colorado 1878? Read an excerpt from my September release, A Bride for Brynmor, on my website

Fall in love with a new Old West...where the men are steadfast & the women are adventurous. 

Website: JacquiNelson.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/jacquinelson

Join my newsletter & receive Rescuing Raven (Raven and Charlie's story in Deadwood 1876) for free: JacquiNelson.com/download-my-free-read 

9/23/2019

C.H. Hosts USA Today Bestselling Author May McGoldrick

Please join me in welcoming USA Today Bestselling Author May McGoldrick! 





Meet May McGoldrick

USA Today Bestselling Authors Nikoo and Jim wrote their first May McGoldrick romance using historical figures that Jim researched while earning a PhD in sixteenth-century Scottish and English literature. Nikoo, a mechanical engineer, is a born storyteller. She is all about characters and feeling. Jim is about action and sense of place. Together, they have crafted over forty fast-paced, conflict-filled historical and contemporary novels and two works of nonfiction under the pseudonyms May McGoldrick and Jan Coffey.

Their stories have touched the hearts and minds of millions of readers all over the world. Their work has been translated into over a dozen languages, and counting. Because of their success, they have been frequent guests on local and national radio and television. They travel regularly, speaking at writers’ conferences, libraries, classrooms, and book group gatherings. 

For the past decade, Nikoo and Jim have been conducting workshops bringing 21st century collaboration and writing skills to students and teachers. 

These popular and prolific authors write historical romance, suspense, mystery, and young adult novels. They are four-time Rita Finalists and the winners of numerous awards for their writing, including the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Daphne DeMaurier Award, three NJRW Golden Leaf Awards, two Holt Medallions, and the Connecticut Press Club Award for Best Fiction. Their work is included in the Popular Culture Library collection of the National Museum of Scotland. 


~ ~ ~

Blurbs:




HIGHLAND CROWN 
THE ROYAL HIGHLANDER SERIES: Book 1


Scottish pride, persuasion, and passion… 

The Radical War of 1820 is tearing Britain apart. In Scotland, cries of liberty, equality, and fraternity ring out in the streets. In this new series, three extraordinary women must find the courage in the Highlands to fight for the future of a nation.

Inverness, 1820
Perched on the North Sea, this legendary town is a place where Highland rebels and English authorities clash. Among the fray is a lovely young widow who possesses rare and special gifts.






WANTED:  Isabella Drummond
A true beauty and trained physician who has inspired longing and mystery in a great many men, Isabella is being hunted by Englishmen and Scottish rebels both. She’s escaped to the Highlands in search of survival.

FOUND:  Cinaed Mackintosh
Cast from his home as a child, Cinaed is a fierce soul who answers to nobody but himself. . .until Isabella saves his life—and adds more risk to her own. Now, the only way Cinaed can keep her safe is to return to the place from which he was banished. When the truth of his past comes out, what will these two ill-fated lovers sacrifice to be together…forever?






HIGHLAND JEWEL 
THE ROYAL HIGHLANDER SERIES: Book 2


Edinburgh, 1820
Scotland’s capital is rocked by angry protests in the wake of the Napoleonic wars, and home to a young woman who will fight passionately for her cause—and her heart’s desire.

A REBEL AT HEART
Maisie Murray’s sweet, docile exterior masks the courageous spirit of a firebrand determined to champion women’s suffrage with like-minded friends. But fighting for her principles has swept her directly into harm’s way—and into the arms of a man she cannot resist.  







A WARRIOR BY BLOOD
A trained officer with the Royal Highland Regiment, Niall Campbell has spent his life serving the Crown. Battle-weary and searching for peace, he can’t help but step in when his sister’s activism risks her life—and leads him to Maisie. But unless Niall and Maisie can find a way to stand up to the destructive forces that threaten to divide them, long-buried secrets and political schemes are destined to stand in the way of the glorious love they’ve found…

~ ~ ~

Where to find May McGoldrick:


To learn more about us, please visit our blog at https://www.maymcgoldrick.com/blog-interviews where you can find interviews and opinions galore…


~ ~ ~



Highland Jewel
Royal Highlander Series: Book 2
Excerpt: CHAPTER 1


Dalmigavie Castle, the Highlands
August 1820

Far above jagged crags and worn peaks, a hawk soared free, floating on the breeze beneath the pale azure sky. Below, a glistening stream snaked through steep-sided glens, protected by thick stands of tall pine. Above the flowing waters, an impregnable stone fortress sat high on a rocky brae.
Dalmigavie Castle. Built by a warrior clan, its thick grey walls and high towers had struck fear into the hearts of the fiercest enemies for half a millennium. To the south and east, the majestic mountains of the Scottish Highlands rose like an unbroken line of ancient warriors, standing eternal guard. Beyond the forests to the west, endless hills and valleys, impassable rivers, and the great loch that cut the Highlands in two, kept the enemy at bay. And to the north, a single path led from the sea, half a day distant. Ever since human feet trod this stony soil, it had been a track that no enemy would dare attempt, for no army had blood enough to spill on the rugged hillsides of the Highlands.
Dalmigavie Castle, the perfect place to keep the dream of Scotland alive. A fortress to protect Cinaed Mackintosh, the man called the “son of Scotland.”
Maisie Murray leaned over the edge of the stone parapet of the ancient tower and stared to the south and the range of mountains in the distance and thought of the world and the man she’d left behind in Edinburgh. Niall Campbell.
Sadness, like a fist, squeezed her heart. More than four months had passed since she’d last seen him. Maisie would never forget their last day together in his rooms at Milne’s Court. She loved him. He loved her. But later, his departing words put a painful end to all of their dreams.
I’ll not be coming back. You are free of the promises we made. You must forget me. 
Never. To forget him was to forsake hope, to surrender all belief in tomorrow, to accept that she was to be deprived of love for the rest of her life.
Maisie wondered where he was now. Her heart ached with fear that he hadn’t survived the things he was being forced to do. Not knowing what his mission was or where he had to go was crushing. Tears threatened to fall, and she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the scent of pine and heather. Her eye was drawn to a hawk, wheeling in the blue sky far above her.
The sounds of children playing in the courtyard below mingled with the hammering of the smith at his forge and pulled Maisie’s attention back to the life around her. This was her new world. Dreaming of Niall and her old existence. She’d found her voice on the streets of Edinburgh. She marched and protested and spoken out. Here, she was still finding her way, but she was using the sharp, concise power of the written word to fight for her cause. She was writing articles and letters that were finding publishers in Edinburgh and Inverness. 
The sound of footsteps running up the stone steps behind her drew Maisie to the top of the stairwell. It was Morrigan. The two of them had arrived at Dalmigavie together. Sisters, not by blood, but by choice and by family relations. 
“They’re here.” Morrigan’s long, dark hair glinted in the sunlight.
“Who is here?”
Breathless, she pushed by Maisie and moved to the parapet. “The men coming from the Borders. The ones that everyone has been waiting for.”
 Maisie stood beside her as she leaned out, scanning the courtyard. For days, the air had been crackling with a mixture of threat and expectation. British forces were after the son of Scotland. The threat of an attack on the castle or the possibility of an assassination attempt on Cinaed’s life had kept everyone on edge. At the same time, a delegation was coming from the Borders. Maisie had no idea what the arrival of those people meant, or what they were to bring with them. But the Mackintosh clan folk were talking about the messengers as if they were messiahs.  
“Look.” Morrigan pointed.
Maisie leaned over the edge and saw the group approaching the entry to the Great Hall.
Beneath her, Cinaed stepped out into the courtyard, and Blair Mackintosh crossed the open space to take his usual protective place beside him. Searc Mackintosh, a cousin to the laird, led the three visitors, and the clan chief was speaking with one of them, a burly, well-dressed gentleman.
Maisie’s gaze was instantly drawn to one of the other newcomers. The wide brim of his hat shadowed his face, but there was something about the confident steps, the motion of his hand as he talked. The broad shoulders. His impressive height. Awareness flashed through her, and Maisie’s heart skipped a beat.
It couldn’t be. She walked along the edge of the tower, following the men’s steps below. Morrigan’s voice was silenced by the loud drumming of Maisie’s heart. She stared, afraid to blink. Afraid he would disappear. It couldn’t be.
The men stopped before entering the keep. The visitor pulled off his hat, and Maisie forgot to breathe.
“What’s wrong?” Morrigan clutched her arm. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words emerged.
Niall was here.
Recognition triggered a rush of emotion. Spinning on her heel, Maisie raced across the top of the tower, leaving Morrigan calling after her. In an instant, she was running down the dark stone stairwell, made even darker by the bright sunlight she’d left behind.
Niall was here. That meant his sister Fiona must be free. Now he’d come for her. Their promises to each other were still alive. He loved her.
 At the foot of the steps, Maisie ran along the corridors to the Great Hall, searching for them. Her doubts and fears were gone. She was again the same woman who’d run through the streets of Edinburgh that winter day, a lifetime ago, wearing no boots or coat, holding her heart in her hand, offering herself to him body and soul.
They weren’t in the Great Hall.
“The visitors? Where are they?” she asked a Mackintosh fighter she’d seen shadowing the group.
“The laird’s study, miss.” 
She hurried to the closed door. Voices drifted through. Niall’s deep voice. The last of her doubts disappeared. Joy basked her with its warmth. She raised her fist, ready to knock. 
“Maisie. What’s wrong?”
She jumped at the sound of her sister’s voice. Isabella stood few steps away, silhouetted by the light coming from the courtyard. Maisie blinked. A chill prickled down her back. A dark reality re-emerged, choking her. Her sister. The physician. The woman who’d sacrificed so much on all of their behalves. Her family. Maisie’s eyes burned. Her throat closed. Isabella, for the first time, was living as she chose to live, and not acting because of what she saw as her duty.
“Maisie?” She approached.
“Visitors.”
“I heard the news too. Finally, they’re here. Everyone is relieved. Men we can trust.”   
 Trust. Men we can trust.
Her sister Isabella. Niall’s sister Fiona. What Maisie would do for Isabella, Niall would do for Fiona. Isabella was free. Fiona was a prisoner.
Tears brimmed over. His words the last night they were together were back. His life wasn’t his own. “No!”
With anguish squeezing every bit of air from her chest, Maisie shoved the door open and entered.
All conversation in the laird’s study halted, and every head swiveled toward her. But Maisie’s eyes were on only one person. Niall. He stood up. The blood drained from his face.
His handsome face was a watery image as her tears fell relentlessly. She loved him, but she would let him go. He was her hope, but she would take misery.
“You can’t do this. I won’t let you.”
Maisie crossed the room and faced Niall.

“I know why you’re here.” Words caught in her throat, but she forced them out. She wouldn’t remain silent. She couldn’t. “Cinaed Mackintosh is Isabella’s husband. I can’t let you do it. I won’t let you kill him.”

Buy Links:




a Rafflecopter giveaway