Showing posts with label Valentine's Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valentine's Day. Show all posts

2/14/2020

Fictional Valentine's !!

WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE
for your
FICTIONAL VALENTINE?












































TELL US WHO YOUR
FICTIONAL VALENTINE IS. 

Just leave a comment for a chance to win all NINE books.
Digital downloads. Open Internationally.

2/07/2020

Who's Your Valentine?

I asked the Get Lost Crew
 ~out of all the characters they've written~
who would they choose to be their Valentine this year. 
WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Let us know in the comments for a chance to win a $5.00 Gift Card.
~ ~ ~
JOSEPH MULCAHY
Christmas Comes to Apple Grove

Joseph is an older hero in my novella. A widower who taught his daughters to be handymen in order to take over the family business.

EXCERPT
With a clutch of daisies on the bench seat beside him, Joe drove to the cemetery. Parking his pickup, he got out and looked up at the sky. The gathering clouds parted, and the sun warmed the air around him. Maureen knew he was coming.
Looking down at her gravestone he felt the quiet descend as always. No matter how he felt when he arrived, within minutes, he’d feel tension, anger, and frustration slip away.
Kneeling, he traced her name, and the date he’d lost her. “Maureen, my love, how could so many years have passed? Some days it feels like yesterday—others, it feels like a lifetime.”
Comfortable, he sat alongside her stone and drew his knees to his chest. “Our daughters are all doing well. They’ve married good men, but you already knew that.”
Settling in for a chat, he brought her up to date on all of their grandbabies. “They would have loved you, but I know you’re keeping an extra eye on them from Heaven. Trust me our two oldest pistols, Danny and Joey, need it! They remind me of Meg when she was little. God forbid if they ever find out their mother climbed the ship’s mast in McCormack’s field and got stuck halfway to the crow’s nest—or the water tower railing.” A warm breeze blew past his cheek and he laughed. “I’d forgotten about Mr. Weatherbee’s barn roof.”
~ ~ ~
ZEKE KINNISON
The Piper


One of my most beloved heroes is Christian Ezekiel  "Zeke" Kinnison from The Piper, the Eleventh Day (12 Days of Mail Order Christmas Brides series). Zeke Kinnison exemplies integrity and honor in a hero. Loyal to the dying request of his captain, he returns the bundled of letters and a pocket watch to his widow. And though he fell in love with her while reading her letters aloud to his weary captain, he performs the requested task and leaves after a stolen kiss in the April moonlight, his heart forever dedicated to Genevieve. Until, years later, when fate brings them together for a second chance. 

Here is a taste of one of my fav scenes--both romantic and sizzling!--showing Zeke's attitude toward Genevieve--a widowed woman he'd walked away from a decade before (trust me, it's complicated!) When she first arrives in Noelle, Colorado she has no idea it's Zeke who is hiding beneath the bearded and rough mountain man exterior. But he recognizes her immediately and his world is upended. I'll also be signing The Piper at the upcoming BookloversCon in Nashville on March 21! Hope to see some of you there! Happy Valentines Day!

EXCERPT
A knock on the door brought Zeke out of his reverie. At first the tapping was gentle, but with each subsequent knock they became louder, more determined. His gaze clung to the front door. As sure as the seasons change, he knew who stood on the other side of that door. The demons he’d wrestled with for over a decade had come to roost and he was about to face the first woman he’d ever given his heart to.
~ ~ ~
WYATT JAMESON

My valentine this year is Wyatt Jameson, hero of Black Ice. His integrity, courage and ability to keep his cool in a crisis make him an excellent companion in the unpredictable weather conditions around Deadwood, SD. 

EXCERPT
“Evelyn Cotton,” he said as the players checked their cards. “Wow. It’s really you.”

That voice filtered through her senses, a sweet memory and brand new at the same time. Her head snapped up and she was immediately caught in a bright, laser-blue gaze. Those familiar eyes seemed to freeze time, stopping it short and pitching her backward.
Wyatt Jameson.

This was the last place on earth she’d expect to see him. Of course she’d given up on ever seeing him again, period. What had she done so wrong that fate or luck or whatever dumped him at her table? 

~ ~ ~
GRAY COVEY
The Rancher and 
the Rock Star
Available for Purchase
I took the "way back machine" to find my Valentine this year. Gray Covey is the world-famous rock star from my very first published novel. Gray not only embodies every fantasy I have about falling in love with a rock star, but he is also my perfect hero.

Gray might be a superstar, but he's also a father struggling to connect with his teenage son, a man who needs to learn what's truly important in life, and inherently romantic and kind. Watching him fall in love with his heroine, Abby Stadtler and seeing how much he was willing to learn from her about life made him one of my favorite characters. He's been the love of my writing life ever since his book was published! 

In this excerpt, Abby is concocting her signature hot chocolate--an artery-clogging "magic potion" she makes whenever there's something to celebrate. And what's a singer to do when faced with magic?

Enjoy the excerpt and check out my original series "Love From Kennison Falls."

EXCERPT
   “What’s the occasion—happy or sad?” Gray leaned in behind her, his whisper causing shivers.
   “Happy. You’re back safely.” She giggled. “My magic potion.”
   “A love potion?”
   “I said magic. Don’t get full of yourself, buster.”
   He nibbled down her neck to a point just beneath the collar of her polo shirt. First wetting the spot with his tongue, he worried at it gently with his teeth. She groaned and pushed him away. “No hickeys, the kids are home.”
   “If this were a movie, now would be the time our hero sings to the girl and changes her mind.”
   “Ooh yeah, like in an Elvis movie.” She laughed again. “Hmm, forgot about Elvis. Maybe he’s number three, and you’re number four.”
   “Nope. I’m pretty sure I’m moving up the list, not down.” He started humming, and her skin vibrated beneath his breath.
   She closed her eyes. “I always wondered where the background music came from.”
   He straightened and winked. “Be right back.”
   He returned with his guitar, a flashy Ovation acoustic, slung across his shoulders. At his first chord, a thrill dove for Abby’s stomach. Then he sang, for her alone, a slow, gravelly version of the old “Love Potion No. 9.” He trailed her around the kitchen, leering as she added the chocolate to the pan on the stove, laughing as she pulled out four mugs. The “gypsy’s pad on Thirty-Fourth and Vine,” the “turpentine,” the “India ink” . . . all the silly, novelty lyrics took on the sultry heat of a jazz love song. His fingers mesmerized her, flexing to form chords. The knuckles slipping beneath his tanned skin were as sexy as the baritone she could no longer resist.
   He sang over her shoulder while she stirred her chocolate potion, sang in her face when she backed up, giggling, against a counter, and sang as he finished with an Elvis-worthy pelvis-waggle. Abby had never seen The King move with any more heat in his hips than Gray did when he pulled the Ovation’s strap over his head and leaned the guitar against a cabinet.
   “Now Elvis kisses the girl,” he said.
   “Oh.” There was barely breath enough in her lungs to speak. “I guess you’d better follow the script.”
   His mouth devoured hers. In the back of her mind, she’d feared the singing would draw Kim’s curiosity, but when his fingers formed their chords on the skin beneath her ears, the worry faded.      When Gray’s tongue slid between her lips and more liquid drizzled into her core, she forgot to care.
He pulled from the kiss, and she moaned in protest.
   “Abby, the rain stopped,” he whispered.
   “Yes, it did.”
   “It’s only nine-thirty. I think there’s still time for that horseback ride. Now. As it gets dark.”
   “Are you serious?”
   “I want you to myself, for a couple of hours. The darkroom is too close to my son and your daughter. You told me once nighttime rides were fun.”
   “And dangerous. I mentioned that as well.”
   “I can promise you this one would be dangerous in more ways than one.”
   She knew better than to go riding off into danger and, still, her heart soared directly into its path.
~ ~ ~
WADE HAMILTON
Criminal Alliance

Wade has an old soul and a charmingly gorgeous smile. Secretly, he wonders if he can ever escape his past. But outwardly, he's full-on bravado. Ultimately, I'd love for him to be my Valentine because of his honor. He always keeps his word. The following is part of a scene in Therese's point of view. I love the teasing, but "get real" moment.

EXCERPT--
   “Shh.” He placed a finger across her lips. “Your boss might be listening.”
   “I feel like we’re wasting time,” she whispered back, as close to his ear as he’d been to hers.
   “I know a lot of things we can do in the dark.”
   His whisper sent one of those delicious tingles down her spine, landing in all the right spots.
   “You already passed on that, remember?”
   “Postponed,” he breathed intimately across the top of her ear.
   One word of encouragement from him and she melted in anticipation. About to give in, she came to her senses when two unknown somebodies walked past the door. “You’re right. They may be watching us. I know surveillance and security increased since you brought the building down. Literally.”
   “To be fair, I was in no shape to destroy anything.” Wade twisted her hair around his finger, trapping her ear close to his face.
   “Never mind, you know exactly what I mean.” Breathy words escaped and a gasp of expectation as his lips passed across hers once more.
   “As a matter of fact, I do,” he said louder, leaning away from her.
   “Don’t sound so surprised.” She cut an anxious giggle short, changing it to a worried tap on his shoulder. Why am I more nervous with him than the criminal I work for?
   “I am surprised.”
   “Why? This happens when two people know each other. It’s natural.”
   He laughed so hard he began to choke, coughing into his hand like a man with asthma.
   “Why is that so funny?” she asked before she laughed with him.
   “Therese, we don’t know each other.” He shook his head, laughing more. “We have this thing—believe me, it’s an attractive thing and I like it. But I don’t know if anything about you is even real.”

God, he was right. Wade Hamilton was absolutely right. He didn’t know her, but she’d kept tabs on him, researched him, knew a lot about him.
~ ~ ~


WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Let us know your choice of our five heroes
in the comments for a chance to win a $5.00 Gift Card.


your host, Angi Morgan
Get Lost on Facebook   @GetLostInAStory  #GetLostStories
AND OUR NEW Facebook Group: The Readers’ Spot

2/16/2019

Celebrating Valentine's Day All Weekend!


Valentine's Day is one of my favorite days of the year. I love the idea of an entire day devoted to love and romance. What's better than a day of romance? How about four days? That's why when I was invited to participate in Coffee, Cupcakes and Contemporaries' four-day Valentine's Day party. I jumped at the chance. The fun started Thursday, but it'll be going on through Sunday (with prize winners announced on Monday (February 18). I hope you'll come over and join the party. There will be New York Times bestselling author Secret Valentines and other bestselling authors there to entertain you with lots of fun and prizes. I’m hosting on Sunday from 2pm - 8pm. During that time, I'll reveal the cover for my next book - an April 16 release. Please come over and celebrate the most romantic day with us. Here's a link to the PARTY. Hope to see you there!


**********************************************************************************************************


National bestselling author Nancy Robards Thompson lives and writes in Tennessee, but her imagination transports her all over the world. She has found Nirvana doing what she loves most – writing romance and women's fiction full-time. After hanging up her press pass, Nancy won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart in July 2002. Since then, she’s sold more than 40 books, which critics have deemed, “…funny, smart and observant.” You can connect with her at NancyRobardsThompson.com; on Facebook at Nancy Robards Thompson Books - www.facebook.com/nancyrobardsthompsonbooks; and follow her on Twitter at @NRTWrites .

2/14/2018

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

It's your last day to enter the
WHAT'S YOUR CANDY 
50 book giveaway 
and don't forget to leave comments for the $25.00 drawing.


What's your favorite Candy?  Did you choose a favorite book?

LEAVE A COMMENT FOR DAY ONE:
CONVERSATION HEARTS & HARD CANDY

 Vicki Batman        Stacy Connelly        Janie Crouch
Nan Dixon        Laurel Greer        
Amanda McIntyre        Angi Morgan        Joanne Rock

LEAVE A COMMENT FOR DAY TWO:

ChristI Barth          Carolyn Brown       Wynter Daniels        Cynthia Diamond 
Danica Favorite          PJ Fiala         Rachel Goldsworthy        Lorraine Heath
Teresa Keefer         Erika Kelly         Cindy Kirk         Linda Lovely
Angi Morgan         Kathleen O’Brien        Priscilla Oliveras        Linda Rees
Nancy Robards Thompson         Susan Scott Shelley        Sharon Wray

LEAVE A COMMENT FOR DAY THREE: BOXED CHOCOLATES

Sarah Andre      Leanne Banks        Karilyn Bentley       Rosanne Bittner        Regan Black
Jacie Floyd        Susan Fox            Eve Gaddy        Gail Hart           Julia Justiss 
Catherine Kean        Angi Morgan        Carrie Nichols       Carrie Padgett        Cheryl Pierson



What are you doing for Valentine's Day? Leave a comment for a chance at the $25.00 gift card.

2/11/2018

Boxed Chocolates

Day Three of What's Your Candy? brings us boxes of chocolate...

Our friends are, of course, particular about what kind & type...but guessing would be pretty hard.  So can you guess who sent the Snoopy and Heart box pictures? 



The answers are below in their quotes. Leave your guess as a comment to be registered for a $25.00 gift card. You don't have to be correct. Maybe let us know WHY you guessed the way you did. Contest is open through midnight February 14th.

Who admits to taking a bite or pinching the chocolates
to discover the filling?


Sarah Andre        Leanne Banks
Karilyn Bentley   Roseanne Bittner
Regan Black        Allison Collins
Kathy Douglas    Kerry Evelyn
Jen FitzGerald    Jacie Floyd
Susan Fox            Eve Gaddy
Gail Hart              Julia Justiss
Catherine Kean  Angi Morgan
Carrie Nichols    Carrie Padgett
Cheryl Pierson






Carrie Nichols
"Apologies should be accompanied by dark chocolate truffles!" ~Carrie Nichols


Giant, dark-chocolate-covered creams from Rogers’ Chocolates in Victoria, BC (my home town) “Ever since I was a kid, these rich, luscious treats were THE special gift for a special person on a special occasion.” ~Susan Fox





Rosanne Bittner
Cheryl Pierson

“My dad always saw that my two sisters, my mom, and I each got our own beautiful heart-shaped box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day, no matter how hard times were–he never forgot. My first hero!” Cheryl Pierson


“ANYTHING that is DARK, DARK CHOCOLATE. 70% cacao preferred. If it’s milk chocolate, I will give it away unless it’s PACKED with tons of nuts.” ~Rosanne Bittner


Gail Hart
Jacie Floyd
“Godiva chocolate truffles, because they’re like a great romance hero—rich and sweet.” ~Gail Hart





“My first and favorite gift of Valentine candy was a box of Maple Creams from Libs Candies, a very special candy store in my hometown (Evansville, In).” ~Jacie Floyd





Leanne Banks
Carrie Padgett

"Chocolate-covered vanilla buttercream candies.  I've loved them since before I had teeth and I watched my Mama eat them!"~ Leanne Banks


See’s Chocolates are a special treat for Valentine’s Day. Nuts & Chews, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, I love it all. But no coconut!”  ~Carrie Padgett

Eve Gaddy
Kerry Evelyn

“Chocolate buttercreams are my absolute favorite and they always remind me of my grandmother.” ~Eve Gaddy



“On Valentine's Day 2007, I became a mom. The sweetest gift ever!” ~Kerry Evelyn

Sarah Andre
Jen FitzGerald
Valentine Dove Chocolate, because you get to eat chocolate and follow their self-love tips like: "indulge in a bath," (OK, cuz Dove Chocolate told me to!)” ~Sarah Andre


“They're just so rich and luscious. Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate; what's not to love?” ~Jen FitzGerald
Linda Broday


Karilyn Bentley
Boxed Chocolates...Why limit myself to just one one kind? Oh man, have to try them all!” ~Linda Broday



I love the assorted chocolates in the heart-shaped boxes. Yummy!” ~Karilyn Bentley






Regan Black

chocolate shells


“In our house nothing says love like a chocolate starfish!” ~Regan Black










Catherine Kean
Allison Collins
Godiva Chocolate Truffles. “So very delicious and worth savoring, just like the perfect romance novel.” ~Catherine Kean



"Life really is like a box of chocolates - from creams and caramels, to nuts and nougats, every day is a new experience to bite into." 
~Allison Collins




Kathy Douglas


Julia Justiss

"Caramel (no nuts, no fillings, just caramel) covered in DARK chocolate!"



"I like the Whitman's Samplers because they used to have Snoopy figurines with the box and I love Snoopy." ~Kathy Douglas




Angi Morgan


"It's me... I admit it...
I pinch or take a small bite out of all the chocolates in the box. If I don't like them...my husband will eat them anyway." ~Angi Morgan










Remember to leave a comment to be eligible for the $25.00 giveaway. Extra chances for leaving a comment all three days.