If you’re snowbound today, you might be looking for ways to while away your time. Do you love puzzles? Well, I had that gorgeous photograph on my blog yesterday and thought what a lovely jigsaw puzzle it would make…

If you’re game to play, just start moving the pieces!

And if you’re still looking for something fun to do later today, come join me at 2 PM Central Time for the Romance Readers Author Takeover. Again, just click on the picture, click on “Going”—and you’re there! You’ll be entertained, get free stuff, enter contests for more free stuff… Hope to see you there!

UPDATE: The winner of the pretty shell necklace is Debi Mueller!

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Hi Delilah, thank you for inviting me on your blog today. Hope you and everyone had a happy New Year.

I’m here today to talk about my latest release: Alien Heart (Chronicles of Arcon book one). It’s a science fiction romance. Aliens need love too.

~*~

Here’s the Blurb:

Divorcee and single mom, hardworking Audrey Westberry is the host of a cable TV show called Miz Fixit.
Romance was the last thing on Audrey’s mind when two handsome extraterrestrials join the audience of her show.
Soon Audrey finds out a single word “mated” has different meaning when you are born a galaxy away. After a wonderful night of passion, Audrey finds herself far from home, impregnated and her life turned upside down.
Will she ever be able to leave the alien compound, see her son again, or get home in time to film the fall season of her Miz Fixit show?
But what’s a girl to do with two aliens that smell like candy, and their kisses taste like it, too?

~*~

Before we get to the excerpt, I want to explain…I didn’t intend to write a series. I planned on one book and that’s it. But then, Saki the Goth girl in Alien Heart kept asking for her own book about how she got her mates. So, I wrote Alien Desire.

And then, one of my critique partners mentioned enjoying reading about space and space travel, and just like that, a story came to me about a reluctant intergalactic gladiator named Chase. And Alien Enslaved was born.

Look for both this coming year.

I only meant to write one… but Chase has his friends and…well… they need love too.

There are also three free reads that will be release on Amazon soon, which will be the start of the Chronicles of Arcon and introduce my aliens: Keefe, and Blade. And so on.

Oh dear, how did that happen? I have twelve books not counting the free reads.

And did I mention a book trailer? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGPOad55gdA

It all starts with my aliens who are from Planet Arcon. They came across the solar reaches of space to reach Earth, leaving their unstable sun, and their planet on the verge of being vaporized, and then tragedy struck.

Maybe it’ll be better if I let Keefe explain…

Excerpt from Alien Heart:

“This is what I did on my planet,” Keefe explained. “When I wooed my mate.”

“Okay.”

“I wooed my Aziza, for a long time. She worked for our government and was busy with her career. She was my heart, my soul, my mate.” He looked down, blinking rapidly. “She only had me. I enjoyed being alone with her.”

“Sounds wonderful, so where is she?”

“Something happened to her, which happened to all the females.” Again the dreadful emptiness filled his heart as he thought of his Aziza. I’m betraying her as I attempt to woo another. He wiped his eyes.

Audrey joined him on the couch, setting her hand on his back. “Can you tell me?”

He laced his fingers together, squeezing them tight. “We fled our world just in time, a massive solar event washed over our planet from our unstable sun. It ripped off the remaining ozone before burning our world to a cinder. As we raced out of our solar system, a solar storm caught up with our colony ships…,” he trailed off realizing he was leaking, but it couldn’t be helped. This happened every time he got overly emotional.

Audrey sniffed loudly. “Do you smell something?”

“Uh?” Keefe swallowed in a dry throat. Does she smell my pheromones?

“It smells like burnt vanilla.” She sniffed again, but then glanced at him. “Oh, I’m sorry. Please, continue with your story.”

Goddess, she does. Keefe took a deep calming breath. “All right.” He had to think back to where he stopped. “Our females by their nature were vulnerable to the radiation. Their place on the ships had the thickest shields our engineers knew how to make. Unfortunately, the radiation from the solar storm was stronger than our scientists had calculated, and our females were the hardest hit. While they died, their special built shielded compartment protected the rest of us, and we slept on unaware.”

“Oh, that’s terrible.” She rubbed his back.

“We didn’t know…” He wiped his face with a shaking hand. “Until we got to your galaxy and the hibernation cycle ended. The wakeup crew was the first to find them. They kept the rest of us out of their section.”

Keefe looked at Audrey, surprised by her sympathetic expression. “I wasn’t allowed to see my mate. I was told it was better if I didn’t.”

“Did you have a funeral at least?” Audrey ran her hand down his ponytail.

Keefe shivered at her touch. It was marvelous. A female hadn’t touched him in a long time. “We had a memorial service to release the bodies one at a time into space. Near the planet, you call Saturn. My podlings had to hold me up when they came to my Aziza. Then they kept me from flinging myself out the airlock after her.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. It’s terrible to lose someone you love so much.”

“I lost a piece of my heart along with her.” Overwhelmed with gratitude that she sat there, hearing him go on about his tragic past, he kissed her forehead. “Thank you for listening.”

Audrey lifted her face, so he kissed her again. When her tongue touched his, it was softer than he expected. It was different, but he didn’t mind. As he deepened the kiss, an overwhelming need filled him. Mine, I want her to be mine.

His three erections throbbed. A slight sheen of sweat covered his body as his pheromones released in full.

Audrey moaned against his mouth, clutching his shirt.

Keefe’s hand slipped into the low top, touching her breast and teased a nipple. He shoved Audrey back on the couch to continue to touch and kiss her.

A car horn sounded outside. Startled, Keefe broke the kiss and jerked his hand away.

“My apologies, I was forward.” Goddess, what am I doing?

“Don’t be.” She grinned. “It was nice.”

~*~*~*~*~

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Alien-Heart-Chronicles-Arcon-Book-ebook/dp/B01N0N73OF/

Janice’s Website: janice-seagraves.org/

Contest

Comment for a chance to win this pretty conch shell necklace!

First of all, huge thanks to Delilah for having me again.  I always have a great time here.

I’ve been working for a while now on my goals for the next year (if you’re a writer and haven’t participated in Delilah’s Write 50 Books workshop, you should put it on your list now for next December!), and now am hoping that by the time you all read this, I will have finished fine-tuning them.

Before I could look ahead to what I want to accomplish in the next year, I had to go back to my plans for 2016 and see what I accomplished from last year’s goals list.  2016’s list was doable.  I had built-in time for adjustments to the timeline, because something always crops up to mess with your plans, doesn’t it?  Turns out even that wasn’t enough to make up for the things that cropped up in my world this past year.  Nothing that other people don’t also have to deal with.  Nothing that will change anyone else’s world but my own.  But enough to really throw a wrench into my own aims for the year.  So for the next year’s goals list, I built in a lot more time to handle the things I’ve been handling for more than half of this year, because they’re not going away any time soon.

Kinda makes me want to take it easier on my characters in the book I’m working on now.  But I can’t do that.  Their problems are different from my own, and sometimes life-threatening, so they don’t always get to look as far forward as I do.  Sometimes they only get to look as far as how they’re going to get past the current obstacle or danger they’re facing.  They might want to look farther into their futures, but life (or the villains!) keep throwing monkey wrenches into their plans.  They usually reach a point where they can’t imagine making it past their current problem, let alone imagine a happy ending.

So.  How many of you set goals or make resolutions for yourself for the new year?  Anything you want to share?  Or maybe just your method of setting achievable goals (or at least goals that don’t make you feel like a complete failure if you don’t quite make it)?  Maybe the rest of us can pick up some pointers.  And everyone who answers that by midnight on Dec. 31, 2016 will have their name entered into a drawing for an e-book of Hunting Medusa.

Hunting Medusa

One murderous mission. One killer case of PMS. Who said “the curse” was a myth?

Ever since the original Medusa ticked off Athena, her cursed daughters have been paying for that mistake. To this day, successive Medusas play cat and mouse with the Harvesters.

When Kallan Tassos tracks down the current Medusa, he expects to find a monster. Instead he finds a wary, beautiful woman, shielded by a complicated web of spells that foils his plans for a quick kill and retrieval of her protective amulet.

Andrea Rosakis expects the handsome Harvester to go for the kill. Instead, his attempt to take the amulet imprinted on her skin without harming her takes her completely by surprise. And ends with the two of them in a magical bind—together.

Though their attraction is combustible, her impending PMS (Pre Magical-Curse Syndrome) puts a real damper on any chance of a relationship. But Kallan isn’t the only Harvester tracking Andi, and they must cooperate to stay one step ahead of a ruthless killer before they can have any future, together or apart.

Get your copy here!

About the Author

Elizabeth Andrews has been a book lover since she was old enough to read. She read her copies of Little Women and the Little House series so many times, the books fell apart. As an adult, her book habit continues. She has a room overflowing with her literary collection right now, and still more spreading into other rooms.  Almost as long as she’s been reading great stories, she’s been attempting to write her own.  Thanks to a fifth grade teacher who started the class on creative writing, Elizabeth went from writing creative sentences to short stories and eventually full-length novels. Her father saved her poor, callused fingers from permanent damage when he brought home a used typewriter for her.

Elizabeth found her mother’s stash of romance novels as a teenager, and-though she loves horror-romance became her very favorite genre, making writing romances a natural progression. There are more than just a few manuscripts, however, tucked away in a filing cabinet that will never see the light of day.

Along with her enormous book stash, Elizabeth lives with her husband of more than  twenty years and two young adult sons, though no one else in the house reads nearly as much as she does. When she’s not at work or buried in books or writing, there is a garden outside full of herbs, flowers and vegetables that requires occasional attention.

www.ElizabethAndrewsWrites.com

Like most writers, I get asked regularly where I get my ideas. If the questioner is referring to one of my more steamy stories, the question is often accompanied by either an embarrassed chuckle, or a bold wink.

I find it difficult to say where the plot comes from but I can say exactly where the idea for the location comes from. My own town has served as the model for the location, as has a nearby city, and the village where my mum was raised. I’ve also invented cities and entire countries.

For my most recent release (If Wishes Were Earls, available for pre-order) I knew I wanted my Victorian-set historical romance to take place in Cornwall. The idea of Cornwall has intrigued me from the time I first read Daphne du Maurier. And again whilst watching Poldark on TV – both the original and the more recent version. And in a more light-hearted vein, Doc Martin (BBC TV program).

Cornwall is a large county though, so I had to narrow it down. I turned to a favorite research source – maps. I needed a small village, but it had to be fairly near a larger town that would have rail service, a necessary feature in the plot that was developing in my notebook. I chose St. Erth as my village, the nearest train station is in Hayle, and my heroine and her BFF live in Camborne, just a few stops up the line.

Now, here’s the funny/spooky part. Eons ago I worked as a nanny for a family in London. On my most recent trip to that city last month I had dinner with the mum, dad and little boy, who is now in his early 30’s! (I did say it was eons ago.) We were talking about my writing and when I mentioned the village of St. Erth there was a gasp of amazement. They own a summer cottage a stone’s throw away, and have been to St. Erth and Hayle.

The universe is strange and wondrous.

Where is your favorite village, town or city? Either somewhere you’ve been, or somewhere you are dreaming of going. I really, really want to visit Scotland, the land of my forefathers. One lucky commenter will win a prize pack of autographed books and fun conference swag.  (Sorry, this contest is open to residents of USA and Canada only.)

If Wishes Were Earls

A mysterious letter and an enchanted keepsake promise to lead Miranda to her heart’s desire. Or does her heart secretly yearn for more than a sexy earl?

When a mysterious note directs Miss Miranda Large to a tiny village in Cornwall to find her heart’s desire, she has no choice but to go. An enchanted keepsake heightens her curiosity. A snowstorm forces her to accept the hospitality of a sullen, albeit sexy and handsome, earl and Miranda’s wish doesn’t seem so out of reach.

Edward Penhallion, the 12^th Earl of Claverlock, is not in the mood to start his search for a new wife. He wants to be left alone with his books and his dreams of revenge. But the arrival of a headstrong, sharp-tongued spinster forces him to play the charming host. Not a difficult task, given her intelligence and beauty. Suddenly, he’s not terribly eager for her to leave.

But as the snow falls and the winds blow, Edward discovers there’s more to Miranda than a lively wit and a lovely face. And Miranda wonders if the trappings of wealth are enough for true happiness.

 

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0QJSHA/
Draft2Digital: https://www.draft2digital.com/book/209375

About the Author

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. As soon as she discovered her grandmother’s stash of romance novels, all plots had to lead to a happily-ever-after.

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Luanna now lives in Maine with her dear husband, two college boys, and two cats. When she’s not torturing her heroes and heroines, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious.

Writing under the pen name Grace Hood, she has two novellas published with The Wild Rose Press.

Website:  http://www.luannastewart.com/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Luanna_Stewart
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Luanna.Stewart.nau
Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/luannastewart/
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14104212.Luanna_Stewart
Amazon Author Page:  amazon.com/author/luanna_stewart

I have a secret. I have a BIG secret I’ve been keeping forever! And I finally get to spill it!

OMG I’m so excited! *bouncy* Okay, drum roll please……………………….

I have a new series.

A new kink series.

A series I’ve had plans to write for YEARS!

And I finally found time to write it, and I found the perfect publisher to send it out into the world to be devoured!

The publisher is Totally Bound Publishing, and they’re publishing the Hot Wife Series by me! The first book is Our Rules and the cover made me swoon. It’s dark and decadent and flirty, and I love it sooo much!

The series is all about the Hot Wife subset of kink. A wife gets to do all sorts of dirty and yummy things with other guys with the complete support of her husband. The RULES are different for each couple, and the needs and reasons behind why they need this are unique to each of them. Some come from having nothing. Some come from losing everything.

Our Rules is about Tabitha and her husband Michael and them finding their way back to each other and rediscovering what it means to be his hot wife.

I won’t lie. This is one of the most gut-wrenching books I’ve ever written. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud of a story or two characters. It comes out in March!

There are currently 3 more books planned in the series, and you meet almost everybody in the first book.

In honor of the above awesomeness, I’m going to have a HUGE giveaway! Two full book sets and lots and lots of other swag and kinky goodies!

**GIVEAWAY – US ONLY**

Look at all the awesomeness you could win!! So tell me some of your favorite kink series that you absolutely love? I haven’t had a chance to read in forever and am looking for something to jump back in on! I’ll pick a winner on Monday the 19^th!! Good Luck!!

Decadently Yours,
Jennifer Kacey

About the Author

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her miniman in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Website – Newsletter – The Decadent Divas– Amazon Page
Facebook – Facebook Author Page – Twitter – Goodreads – Pinterest

People react to a crisis in differing ways. Some freeze up. Others take action immediately. Still others wade out of the deep water and stand on the shore to glimpse the big picture—assuming they’re not bleeding to death.

In my most recent story, Caryn runs away to a remote safe place to lick her wounds. And figure out what to do next. Have you ever done that?

It’s a natural response. There’s no shame in tucking yourself into a secure or neutral zone, physically or mentally. There’s nothing stupid about hiding out until you make a plan to get what you need.

Revenge? Time to heal? Time to let go of what your past has been and start a new page?

The problem for many of us is the fear of the unknown. If we let go of what we know, this thing that hurts us and makes us hide, what if the unknown thing is worse? What if it hurts too much to let go? After all, our hopes and dreams have been invested in what we’ve known.

The problem is that if we don’t let go, we’ll never know what might have been. That’s the point Caryn reaches in the story—does she dare take the leap? Read Christmas Hideaway to find out.

Giveaway: Here’s a coupon code for Christmas Hideaway that’s good until Dec 18^th—four days from now—MR35W. Take this code to Smashwords and nab your copy of this holiday novelette. And may all your days be merry and bright!