THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13th MARKS THE RELEASE OF

Braedric's Bane, Book IV in The Golden Key Chronicles!

Find out more about the final installment in this epic fantasy romance!

Advance praise for Braedric's Bane:

5 STARS from Comet Babes Books! Amazing 4th book. What more can you ask from a fantasy series--time travelling, costumes and even a fight. Add the sexy hero and it has everything you could want in a book!

5 STARS from ! An epic fantasy, adventure and romance with a dash of comedy rolled into one fabulous book. I literally read it in one sitting.

To escape the clutches of the evil Wizard Gaelleod, Rowena and Caedmon flee to the future. With her memories in tact and the help of her dear friends, Rowena is confident they can uncover the clues behind her connection to the key.

Yet Violet's dire prophecy does more than detail their history. Caedmon's worst fears are confirmed. Though they must return to his realm, everything he loves stands to be ripped from his grasp.

Join Caedmon and Rowena as they embark on an epic battle to protect the Austiere Kingdom and fight to safeguard their love in Braedric's Bane, Book IV of The Golden Key Chronicles.  

Available February 13th on AMAZON and AMAZONUK!

 

Praise for The Golden Key Chronicles:

57 FIVE STAR REVIEWS on Goodreads

42 FIVE STAR REVIEWS on Amazon US/UK

Like the best fairy tales, Rowena’s Key captures the imagination and the heart with a bonus undercurrent of spicy romance. 5 Stars on Amazon

AJ, why do you have to write the most wonderful heroes? Aaaahhhh!!! Now I'm hooked and begrudgingly wait for Book 2. I can't believe this is happening! 5 Stars on Amazon

Crazy good! A total fan of the first book, the second did not disappoint at all. I swear I could smell leather while reading this book I was sooooo into it. 5 Stars on Amazon

I liked Rowena in Rowena's Key. Candra's Freedom just made me fall in love with her! Fierce and headstrong, she is everything a heroine should be. 5 Stars on Goodreads

I absolutely adored the first two in this series, with Rowena’s Key being one of my favorite romance reads of 2013, so I had high hopes (read: desperate cravings) for Caedmon’s Curse – it did not disappoint! 5 Stars on Goodreads

Honestly, if there were more than 5 stars, I would give them to Caedmon's Curse and the whole Golden Key Chronicles. So well written, the story flows seamlessly from one danger to the next. The romance between Caedmon and Rowena is sexy, honest, and fresh. 5 Stars on Goodreads

AJ is a multi-published, award-winning author who lives in the middle of a cornfield in NW Indiana. Her loving husband, two beautiful children and a bevy of spoiled pets have agreed to stay and, in exchange for three rations per day and laundry service, tolerate her lunacy. While she spend most days happily ensconced in crafting romance across a multitude of genres, an underground coup has been percolating. The dogs just informed her the cat is secretly vying for dictatorship.

/ / 

AJ Nuest WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ GOODREADS ~ AMAZON ~ PINTEREST THE GOLDEN KEY CHRONICLES OUT NOW! Rowena's Key, Candra's Freedom, Caedmon's Curse, Braedric's Bane Click here to purchase: She's Got Dibs, Jezebel's Wish

Today December 4th is the day that Catherine's novel Binding Vows is released in digital format.
Catherine got so excited she jumped on the coffee table and well, do I have to say it
Catherine kept dancing, but she needs a new coffee table.
What's that Catherine, you want me to dance with you. Well I'm not very good at it.
Catherine grabs Mary's hand and pulls her up onto the new heavy duty, coffee table.
Hey, this is kinda fun. See you all later. Oh, read what Catherine wrote earlier! Dance, buggy woogy, I'm gonna break my neck Catherine...

This is my first stop on my virtual tour for Binding Vows, so thanks Fuzzy Slipper Ladies for having me.

First, a little bit about Binding Vows and how it ties into a short story about me.

Tara McAllister is a lovely, virginal twenty five year old woman who knows exactly what she wants in her life. She also knows exactly what she doesn’t want. After watching her older sister struggle with an unexpected teenage pregnancy, Tara vows to hold on to her virginity until the right man comes along. She isn’t willing to give away her one-time gift to just anyone.

How does this tie into my life? I had a friend in high school that ended up with an unplanned pregnancy and my older sister had a quick marriage after the rabbit died. The difference with Tara McAllister’s history and mine is the response of her parents. Tara’s parents were less than supportive, where in both the above cases, I saw loving, helpful parents who were there for their children.

I am the mother of sons and not daughters. But if I had a daughter I’d be quick to remind them that loosing their virginity can only happen once. I’d say this: “Make sure your feelings for your partner are solid and backed up with time, because this first time will be remembered for the rest of your life.”

Tara lives her life like this. She isn’t willing to give away her gift, isn’t willing to fall into a man’s bed for only one night no matter how sexy he might be, or how much his Scottish accent reaches out a licks her skin.

Excerpt:

“Did you bring me out here to seduce me?” Now why

had she asked that? She regretted the question

almost immediately.

When Duncan’s answer didn’t come quickly she

glanced up again. He was measuring her question

and deciding on an answer.

“I believe ’twas part of my intent.”

“Well, I have to give you points for honesty.”

Tara busied her hands to cover up her nerves. Hands

shaking, she attempted to cut off some of the cheese.

Duncan placed a hand over hers and removed

the dagger from her fingers. He sliced the cheese

and handed her a bite.

Tara felt a spark when their fingers touched.

“I have made you uncomfortable. I am sorry.”

His voice was as polished as his moves.

“It’s okay. I really do applaud your honesty. It’s

refreshing in this day and age. So many people lie to

get what they want.”

“Truth is important to you?” Duncan looked

away.

“Yes. I’ll be honest with you.” Tara took a longsuffering

breath and slowly explained what she

needed to say. “Having sex with someone I barely

know isn’t on my list of things to do today.” The air

thickened while she awaited his reply. Her shoulders

tensed.

With a straight face he asked, “What about

tomorrow?”

The second book in the MacCoinnich trilogy is under contract and edits. Myra MacCoinnich’s story will hopefully come to you in 2010.

Thanks again for having me, Fuzzy Ladies.

Thanks for the great blog Catherine. Keep dancing!

Enjoy the good things.

Play by FoxSaver®

Play by FoxSaver®

Emma Lai is proud to announce the release of her newest novel, His Ship, Her Fantasy, by The Wild Rose Press.
This is Emma's first release and I hope that it impresses you as much as it does me. She has also contracted, His Hope, Her Salvation, with The Wild Rose Press to be released at a later date.

His Ship, Her Fantasy is coming from The Wild Rose Press on August 12^th! It is a sci-fi romantic short.

Blurb:

Ellie Woods is in love…with a ship. When an argument with the ship results in a bump on the head, she finds herself in the strong arms of Alastair. But who is he and where did he come from?

Alastair has loved Ellie from afar for years, but duty has kept him from revealing himself to her. When a grave threat reveals his true identity, he hopes that Ellie will choose reality over fantasy.

Ellie’s character is the primary driving force behind the story. Her difficulties in being the only female space engineer lead to the story.

But, how did I get inside her head?

I pursued my Electrical Engineering degree with a handful of other women. When I started looking for a job, I went where the money was. When you live in Houston, TX, this means oil and gas, specifically a large service company.

The industry has always been male dominated with a healthy dose of chauvinism. My first day at work I had one engineer ask me if my daddy put me up to this…meaning a career in engineering. For the entire five years I was with the company, one engineer outright refused to speak to me…even if we were supposed to work together. However, as with the bad, there is good as well. My manager did an excellent job of helping me grow professionally.

I took the remembered frustrations, grouchy characters, and silent support of the few and used them in His Ship, Her Fantasy. My hope is the reader will see Ellie’s strength and understand her quiet determination. She is a part of me.

As for the question, did my daddy put me up to this?

We’re all influenced by people in our lives, and my dad was a huge reason I went into engineering, but he was still surprised when I told him what I wanted to study. I’m not sure why. After all, he helped me put together my science project on series and parallel circuits, let me take apart his radio to see how it worked, and bought me my first computer, which I promptly used to write a program in BASIC, all when I was eight.

What comes next?

His Ship, Her Fantasy inspired a whole series of shorts that cross over into multiple genres to include sci-fi, fantasy, and time travel. The second story, His Hope, Her Salvation, of the Mates of the Guardians series has been contracted with The Wild Rose Press. It is the story of Judith and Donovan. However, as with all strong, determined women, Ellie has decided her story isn’t done. I’m working on polishing her new story and hope it will become contracted as the third story in the Mates of the Guardians series.

Thank you so much Emma, you are a sweetheart, for joining the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers today. We expect to see big things from you in the future. The best of luck with sales, the best of health for you and your family, and the best is yet to come!!

by Pamela Roller


Today I’m interviewing Kathleen Mix, author of Secret Stranger and a fellow Virginia Romance Writers member.

When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing non-fiction about twelve years ago while living aboard a sailboat and cruising the islands of the Bahamas and the Caribbean. It seemed like a good way to earn traveling money, plus I could choose when and where to work. For several years, I wrote articles sharing my experiences and offering advice to fellow sailors, and many were published in national and regional sailing and travel magazines. And in 2001, I was thrilled to have one of my articles selected to be included in the book The Best of SAIL: Commonsense Cruising published by Sheridan House.

What inspired you to write your first book?
I got the idea for my first novel one winter during an extended stay in the Virgin Islands. Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas is one of my all-time favorite places. It is also home to a thriving charter fleet. From there luxurious yachts whisk tourists between the U. S. and British islands and visit some of the most beautiful dive sites and beaches of the world. I started imagining a landlubber chef taking a job aboard one of those yachts and fighting her attraction to the salty captain who loved only the sea and his boat, and I had to write their story. That book, A Trade Wind Season, was written aboard my boat and published by Avalon Books. Writing that first story got me hooked on fiction, and in particular, romance.

Tell us your latest news.
My latest news is the release this month of my romantic suspense, Secret Stranger, by The Wild Rose Press. The story is set on a remote island in the Bahamas and is about a peace-loving resort owner and a suspicious stranger with amnesia who washes up on her beach. They’re as different as day and night, but they must put aside their differences if they’re going to stay alive. Just like my first book, Secret Stranger was written aboard a boat.

What is your daily writing routine?
I write mornings between 9:30 and 12:30 most days of the week. Weekends are often devoted to writings other than my work-in-progress, for example, jotting down ideas for future stories, updating my website, or putting together proposals to send to editors and agents.
I’m very strict with myself and produce something every day. I do extensive editing and multiple drafts, so my progress on a book is usually slow.

Who and what has influenced your writing?
Belonging to Romance Writers of America has had a tremendous influence. I discovered the organization while living in Florida and joined my local chapter, Tampa Area Romance Authors. Later, I also joined Central Florida Romance Writers. The wonderful workshops and speakers presented by both groups helped me learn the craft of fiction writing and demystified the publishing industry. The camaraderie of the members kept my spirits up in the aftermath of Hurricanes Francis and Jean when the roof was ripped off my house and my life was thrown into chaos.
Now that I’ve relocated, I’m trying to give back to the organization by serving as President of Virginia Romance Writers. And I’m still learning something new at every monthly meeting.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about his/her work?
That’s a hard question to answer, because I have several favorites.
I’ve read every book in Nevada Barr’s mystery series about park ranger Anna Pigeon. Ms. Barr’s world building is fantastic, and her character’s emotions are intense and real. The mysteries are complex, and I can never guess who-dun-it before the very end.
But I also love anything by Tess Gerrisen, the master of the thriller. She scares me, tricks me, keeps me turning pages until the last one.
Then there’s science fiction and the fabulous Catherine Asaro. She can transport her readers into the future or to other solar systems better than any writer I know.
Romance? I always fall in love with the characters in books by Stephanie Bond and Roxanne St. Claire.
Do you see what I mean? I could go on and on.

Any advice for other writers?
If you want to write, sit down and do it! Life is too short, and getting published can be a long process.

How can readers find out more about you?
They can visit my website: http://www.kathleenmix.com/. In addition to my bio, they’ll find photos of my sailboat, a brownie recipe from A Trade Wind Season, and reprints of some of my non-fiction articles. They can also email me at myth_writer@hotmail.com. I always love to hear from readers and other writers.

Note: You can catch up by clicking on the Underdead page excerpt links to the right (or catch up and get ahead on my website, http://www.lizjasper.com/, where I've recently posted all of chapter one.)

Here's Chapter One, page four:

“Really, Jo,” Carol said. “You shouldn’t let other people keep you from living your life. People are going to talk about you one way or another.” She twisted around in her chair to get a look at the mystery man for herself. Her eyes widened. “It might as well be for a good cause,” she said. Then she sighed. I stared at her. Carol? Happily married, motherly Carol, sighing over another man? Who was this guy? I looked doubtfully at the icy liquid in my glass and wondered sourly if they’d put something in the margaritas.

Then I caved.

Pretending I was checking out the band, I shifted around in my chair. “Hot” did not do the man justice. He was the most fabulous-looking man I’d ever seen, and that includes Johnny Depp as a pirate and Brad Pitt in Fight Club. He was leaning against a nearby wall, a still figure in black, as distinct as silence in a crowd. Most of the men in the place were dressed in black, but for them it was a statement, a uniform, a pick-up line. This man belonged in it.

Flickering lights from the dance floor slid over his chiseled features, briefly illuminating strong cheekbones before getting lost in the dark hollows below. He had one of those long, lean bodies, with just the right amount of muscle, and dark, slightly wavy hair that hung to his shoulders in a way that made my stomach lurch.

As if sensing my regard, he suddenly turned his head from the shadows and looked directly at me. I did an embarrassing deer-in-the-headlights thing and our eyes locked. His eyes were the most gorgeous blue I’d ever seen. I mean piercingly blue. Meltingly blue. A sharp desire to be closer to him slammed me like a wave.

With an effort, I turned back around, but I could feel his eyes burning into mine as acutely as if he were still in front of me.

Carol didn’t say anything. She just stared at him with a goofy smile on her face, her glasses misting softly. Becky had stopped fanning herself and had settled in for the night of viewing too, planting her elbow on the table and resting her head in her palm. I pushed her elbow out from under her chin and she nearly smacked her chin on the tabletop. She blinked her kohl-lined eyes a few times and grinned sheepishly at me. “Not bad, eh?”I didn’t respond. I couldn’t—I hadn’t yet regained proper speaking powers.

“You should go talk to him,” Becky said, giving me a nudge.

“In front of everyone?” I said. “You’ve got to be joking.” My legs felt like jelly. I gave myself a shake. I was being ridiculous, overreacting. Becky was right. If this was my response to the first good-looking man I saw, I really did need to get out more.

“Please. There’s smart, and then there’s stupid,” Carol said, coming up for air. “You’re going to let Roger and a bunch of old gossipy biddies keep you from a man like that?”

Carol was right. It was time I showed a little backbone. “Not when you put it that way,” I said. I risked a glance back in his direction. He was watching the band, giving me a good look at his profile. It was gorgeous too.

Too gorgeous, actually. Sanity returned. I turned around more firmly in my chair.
“Go on.” Becky gave me another little push.

I didn’t budge. “No way,” I said. “There’s something wrong with him.”

“What? What is wrong with him?” Carol demanded.

“He’s boring, he’s vain, he has six wives in various countries, he lives in a yurt with fifteen Chihuahuas, he sells deodorant for a living—I don’t know, but I stand by my theory. No one can be that good-looking and have a personality.”

“Oh, for goodness sake!” Carol said. “What a load of crap!”

Becky gave her a stunned look at this unexpected reversal of argument. Carol never backed off something that had been written up in Scientific American.

Carol continued, on a roll now. “Stop inventing reasons to avoid talking to him. If you want to forgo meeting fabulous men to sit here with the likes of us for the rest of your life, be my guest.” Her glasses had slid down her nose and she glared over the top of them at me.

“What she said,” Becky said. “Though I don’t know why you’d even care if he has thirty wives and eats deodorant for a living. You don’t need to have him around for scintillating conversation—look at him! He’s so hot he doesn’t need a personality. What do you want to talk to him for anyway?”

“Gotta love liberated women,” I muttered. “Equal opportunity chauvinism.”

***

UNDERDEAD is available now as an ebook at http://www.cerridwenpress.com/. If you're like me and like to read reviews, you can read the ones of UNDERDEAD at http://www.lizjasper.com/.