Your story sounds like a movie or a book. You should write one. The gazzillionth time I heard those words when first meeting someone was when I decided to take that advice. So began a nine year passage to learning and self-discovery; almost a decade dedicated to writing a story inspired by a chance encounter with a Venetian gondolier that brought me to leave my life in the U.S.A. and make Venice, Italy, home.

Yet in my developing writer’s mind, it wasn’t a memoire nor a simple love story that I wanted to write. So, I used the knowledge I had gained through my inability to speak Italian—a deficit that for years forced me to listen, and observe my surroundings like a child. I used privilege, too. My life choices had made me an insider to the gondolier trade, a world where few locals, let alone foreigners, are permitted. My enchantment with this trade, its traditions and limits—rare and contradictory—handed me inspiration to develop charming characters, including a principle player, the city of Venice.

By writing this story, I faced and, I think, overcame the loneliness that comes from leaving everything you know, especially one’s career and dear friends. Starting over in a place where you have no history, where who you were before doesn’t much interest others or seem to matter, can be difficult, and daunting.

Longing to be accepted in a town and country that is as foreign to her as she is to it, Victoria, my main character, finds she’s more easily, and respectfully, accepted by the local men than by the women. The ladies want no part of this outsider who, after all, has taken one of their own. Enter Ivana, Venice’s only female gondolier. A fictional character I enjoyed creating. Based on the centuries-old mold of ‘being a gondolier is a man’s job’, which women in Venice have faced until recent years, Victoria sees that Ivana, like her, is battling as an outsider in her own city. Might she not understand Victoria’s sense of being a fish out of water?

Still, writing my debut novel was the easier part. Through highs and lows, a myriad of revisions, twists and turns in a story that was my own, and then wasn’t. Near acceptance from a Hollywood producer who was so mercurial that over a 3-year period he was going to make a movie out of my unfinished manuscript, and then he wasn’t. Twice. Professional edits. More revisions. Querying, waiting, hoping. Agents who ignored my emails while others wrote back, “You write well, but I just don’t know where to send it.” Then the final rejection, and my acceptance that the time had come for this book-child to become an adult. It was time for me, the writer, to move onto something else.

They say write what you know, what you experience. So I did, and in doing so I wrapped my arms tighter and opened my imagination wider around a city I have come to love, deeply. I’ve told a story that goes beyond falling in love. Beneath the Lion’s Wings speaks about making choices, taking chances, and stepping into the unknown.

It is with gratitude that I share my women’s contemporary fiction, Beneath the Lion’s Wings, with you on Delilah Devlin’s Blog.

Beneath the Lion’s Wings

“…Good escape reading in this tale of love and tough decisions in Venice… In her well-researched debut novel, Nardin does a fine job evoking Venice’s atmosphere, culture, and history. The particular practices and customs of gondoliering, along with women’s efforts to enter the profession, make for absorbing reading.” – Kirkus Reviews

After years of focusing on her career and neglecting her love life, Victoria meets a handsome gondolier while vacationing in Venice and decides to take another chance on romance.

Victoria Greco has given up on finding love. A thirtysomething single woman who works as an executive assistant for a prominent Hollywood talent agent, she’s fully focused on building her career. But then, while she’s vacationing in Venice, a handsome fourth-generation gondolier rows alongside her water taxi.

When Alvise invites her to dinner, Victoria is hesitant. But their chemistry is too strong to ignore, and it would be a shame to pass up a date while in one of the most romantic cities in the world. Hoping she’s not making a big mistake, Victoria goes out with Alvise and then happily spends the night in his arms.

When Victoria returns home to Southern California, she’s surprised to discover she can’t get the charming Italian boatman out of her mind. She’s thrilled when he e-mails her, confessing he can’t stop thinking about her either. Daringly, Victoria invites him to visit.

Once reunited, they fall completely in love. But when Alvise starts talking about settling down and starting a family, Victoria is torn. She’s always put her career first. Should she continue down the current path? Or should she follow her heart to Venice?

Get your copy here: Amazon | IndieBound

Read an excerpt

They came to a smooth halt before the bridge. The boat engine rumbled to a purr, gliding under the lyrical sound of an accordion serenading a group of gondolas exiting a small canal. The taxi driver performed a series of sweet maneuvers to keep the boat steady and waited until the last stripe-shirted gondolier motioned that all was clear. Then he turned the boat down the narrow canal, proceeding with caution. He came within centimeters of docked boats, algae-lined walls, and footbridges, never once endangering the health of his boat. Regardless of his issues with maintaining fidelity, Victoria had to admit to herself that he had meticulous navigating abilities.

The taxi took them through a labyrinth of waterways until once again the driver limited his speed so as not to disrupt the delicate balance of a gondola heading in their same direction. The water taxi crept up beside the gondola. The sleeves of the young gondolier’s red-and-white-striped shirt, rolled up to his shoulders, exposed a pair of taut, tan arms and matched a red bandana tied through waves of golden hair. He turned, and locked eyes with Victoria—his were as green as the water beneath them. They gave each other a smile only fate could have arranged.

Victoria’s heart danced, and her face flushed and glistened. The gorgeous gondolier’s smile made her eyes sparkle, and brought about that nervousness she tried to hide whenever a handsome movie star arrived unannounced in the office. Unexpected, his good looks attracted her like no man had in a long time. She blushed and fumbled with the camera, and then hid her embarrassment by snapping a photo of the attractive young man. She turned and watched as their water taxi slipped by and left him, and his shiny black gondola behind. The corners of her mouth still turned up, she leaned back against Jackie, and said, “I think I’m going to like Venice.”

*~*~*~*

Enter Goodreads Give Away until March 1st

About the Author

Marie Ohanesian Nardin, born in Los Angeles, California, has always loved to travel. That passion brought her to Italy where she fell for a man and his city; a serendipitous occurrence that changed her life, and inspired her to write her debut novel Beneath the Lion’s Wings.

Since her move to Italy, the former banker has restored a two hundred year old rustic barn that became the home where she raised her two children, and where she learned to appreciate a good glass of red wine and cook delicious risotto, homemade soups and pasta, and the Nardin family’s secret tiramisu recipe, which she says “…never comes out quite as good as my mother-in-law’s”.

Marie writes for various news outlets and travel media magazines, teaches English, and is currently working on a short story collection, and her next book. When Marie is not writing or traveling around Italy and Europe, she returns to her beloved California to visit family and friends, watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean, and stop by her favorite Mexican “mom and pop” eateries.

Marie lives in the Venetian countryside with her husband, their daughters, and their dog, Bacco.

Contact her at www.MarieOhanesianNardinAuthor.com
On Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17638105.Marie_Ohanesian_Nardin
And on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarieohanesiannardin/

In case you haven’t already pre-ordered this brand-new volume, here’s a reminder! The eBook comes out this Tuesday. The print version will be a little longer and is over 300 pages of naughty goodness! Love pirates of old? How about space pirates or captains of flying dirigibles? There’s something for everyone inside this book! And best part? You’ll read stories by authors you already love, and you’ll discover new authors with fresh “voices” you’ve never read! And it’s just $0.99!

Twisted Page Inc • February 27, 2018
ISBN-13: TBD

Order Trade Paperback
Coming Soon

Order Ebook
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Sail on the high seas or into uncharted galaxies! When it comes to love…pirates risk all!

Delilah’s next delectable anthology is filled with roguish pirates! Readers who crave adventures set on the high seas—or in deep space—will find plenty of sexy bad boys, naughty alpha males unafraid to risk life and limb for treasure—or a lucky lover’s heart!

Just a few of the titillating stories inside…

In “The Treasure of Devil’s Crag” by Lisa Fox, two rival pirate captains seeking the same treasure, discover the competition isn’t the only thing that heats up between them. A modern-day pirate boards a yacht seeking revenge and captures a runaway bride who tempts him in ways he’s never experienced in January George’s “Captive Desire.” In T.D. Rudolph’s “Lust in Space”, a space criminal teams up with a fearless vamp to steal a cache of titanium—from the dark side of the moon. In “Full Fathom Five” by Rhidian Brenig Jones, a pirate captain, forced to give a disgraced young surgeon a berth, discovers a rich treasure in the other man’s arms. And this is just a hint at the sexy stories inside this satisfying volume.

These pirates will pillage and plunder their way into your hearts!

Table of Contents

The Treasure of Devil’s Crag by Lisa Fox – Two rival pirate captains…one treasure…the competition isn’t the only thing that heats up between them

Rough Seas by Alicia Aringdale – A British commander finds himself at the mercy of a roguish pirate who asks him for the one thing he shouldn’t give—his heart

Captive Desire by January George – A modern-day pirate boards a yacht seeking revenge and captures a runaway bride who tempts him in ways he’s never experienced

Stealing the Crimson Witch by Downey Greene – Crash landing on an 18th-century pirate ship, a 21st-century thief experiences déjà vu as he steals the greatest treasure of all—the pirate queen

The Corsair’s Tempest by C. Marie Bowen – A French corsair, cursed with immortality, stands in open mutiny after rescuing his greatest treasure—the woman he’s bound to love for eternity, a Spanish siren unaware of their infinite bond

Cargo by Genevive Chamblee – An environmentalist-pirate, contracted to heist high-priced art from a merchant vessel, is deceived into stealing a human trafficking ship with a captive who exposes his dark desires

Prophesies by Augustina Van Hoven – Following a tempting lead, a space pirate hunts down an alien ship only to find the cargo is a beautiful seer whose gifts promise to satisfy more than his lust for gold

A Lady’s Bargain by Alyssa Drake – A pirate captain gets more than he bargained for when he agrees to a beautiful hostage’s proposition to make her a ruined woman

Plunder by Jayce Ellis – A hardened mercenary, contracted to kill the heir-apparent of an international corporation, hesitates due to his attraction, then joins with the heir to investigate who wants him dead

Commanding Neptune’s Mistress by M. Marie – A pirate surrenders control to her handsome quartermaster for just one night of pleasure

My Pirate Love by Joyce Palmer – Barely dressed as a chamber maid, a sexually-deprived military wife attends a costume party where she finds herself shamefully aroused by the hungry gaze of a Jack Sparrow look-alike

Captain’s Cabin by Moxie Marcus – When the captain of a merchant ship is captured by a pirate queen, he quickly discovers she’s fully in charge of the sexy negotiations

Perinacht by Lana Sloan – When a spice merchant’s son is captured by the pirate who killed his beloved, his need for vengeance is overtaken by an unexpected desire for his captor

An Adventure for Burgess by Lizzie Ashworth – As a sleek sloop noses into Seraphine Bay, a tourist resolves to discover if the man at the helm is the pirate of her dreams

Lust in Space by T.D. Rudolph – A roguish space criminal teams up with a fearless vamp to steal a cache of titanium—from the dark side of the moon

To Kiss a Pirate by Tricia Schneider – Searching for treasure on a lush Caribbean island, a woman disguising herself as a cabin boy is confronted by her sexy and suspicious pirate captain

Bountiful Skies by Winter Blair – The captain of an airship and her lover prepare to be boarded by a pirate who isn’t human, hoping he’ll give them mercy…and pleasure

Full Fathom Five by Rhidian Brenig Jones – A pirate captain, forced to give a disgraced young surgeon a berth, discovers a rich treasure in the other man’s arm

Last fall, with only a few months left on my deadline for Cold and Hottie, my second-chance romance set in Jamaica, my characters stopped cooperating. They were still doing interesting things but I had no freaking idea why, because they wouldn’t talk to me.

That was a big problem. As a writing friend says, romance readers are all about the feels. If you fail to give them an emotional journey you can count on receiving hostile reviews.

Fortunately, I had been down this route before and had a solution: I would write upcoming scenes in first-person, replacing “she said” with “I said,” for instance, so as to get deeper in my characters’ heads. Then I’d take what I learned and convert it back to third-person, making it match the 30,000 already written words.

At first it looked like the plan would work. The story was progressing in delightful ways and I suddenly had characters emoting all over the place. Then I discovered two giant flies in the suntan lotion.

First, I couldn’t figure out a way to keep all the lovely emotionality during the conversion.

Second, my hero and heroine had started speaking in present tense. (i.e. “When the knock comes at the door” rather than “when the knock came at the door.”) Now, while I will read virtually anything in any point of view or tense, provided it’s a good story, I’m aware some readers have much stronger preferences. In fact, some downright hate books written in first-person present-tense, so why would I cooperate in earning their wrath?

I doubled-down on my shoe-horning efforts.

And I got precisely nowhere.

This was when I reached out to a cadre of savvy writing friends. To a person, their advice was to go where the story was leading, no matter how odd I might seem to the marketplace.

But was a first-person romance really that weird? I was starting to wonder if my fears matched reality.

To gain objectivity I went to Amazon, which is undisputedly the biggest site for romance sales in North America. I pulled up their bestseller lists and…I learned that I had underestimated romance readers’ flexibility. Books written in first-person were far from being the exception, as I believed, but were close to forming the majority of books in the Top Twenty lists. Even better, readers were embracing present-tense.

Thus freed up, I put my efforts into finishing the back end of the book, rewrote the front end, and managed to make my deadline. And while I’m not sure I’ll deliberately choose to go this route again on purpose, I won’t be nearly as afraid to do it, if required.

Did it work? Preliminary feedback would say it has, but I’ve included an excerpt from the first chapter below, so you can decide for yourself. And in the comment section, I hope you’ll let me know your feelings about first-person present-tense stories. Are they alien to you, a deal-breaker, or intriguing new ground?

Cold and Hottie

She’s being sent to Jamaica for a team-building exercise. It will be led by a crazed psychologist, and the man she done wrong…who is now her boss. Oops.

A decade ago, in a messy breakup with the only man she has ever loved, Olivia Prosser behaved badly. Since, she has lived with the consequences.

Then bad news comes in rapid succession: the company she works for has been purchased; her ex, Finn, is her new employer; and she’ll be reconnecting with him during a mandatory retreat in Jamaica. Five days filled with forced emotional intimacy and corporate-speak, not to mention memories better left in the past.

A white knight’s armor will rust in salt water.

For years, Finn Wakefield has known who to blame for his breakup with Liv. Then new information comes to light. Liv might be innocent, and the party who framed her might be lodged within Finn’s company, continuing their acts of sabotage.

But Liv shows no interest in righting the wrongs of the past. Is that for ominous reasons or because she is over Finn? Either way, for the sake of his company, Finn must push for the truth – even if the cost is a twice-broken heart.

Cold and Hottie was previously published as part of the Tropical Tryst box set, which became a #1 international bestselling ebook anthology (Aug. 1/17). See why readers call it “…a delicious page-turner set in an exotic setting.

Excerpt:

At 4:37 p.m. on Friday, after weeks of dread and just when I’ve convinced myself I’ve been spared, a dossier bearing the title Jamaica lands on my desk. Tucker had probably been aiming for my in-basket, but since he’s standing in my doorway and the basket is overflowing, the folder tips over the edge and continues its horizontal motion. It comes to rest on the refinery drawings I’ve been marking up, the right lower edge touching a pump that needs modernization.

When I find my voice I say, “You’re kidding me.”

Tucker’s smile is his signature blend of cynicism and amusement. “If you pull yourself together and need to talk, I’ll be in my office for another five minutes.” He pivots on a well-shod foot and vanishes from sight.

I turn the pencil in my hand and use the eraser to tease out the top sheaf of paper, willing this to be one of his practical jokes. Easy enough to put a label on a folder and pack it with documents destined for the shredder. Then to stand in the hall just out of sight, ready to pop in with a, Haha, Liv, got you good this time.

Alas, this evening brings no such luck. For there in black and white, issued in the name of one Olivia Prosser, is an e-ticket for this coming Monday morning. I’m flying from Columbus to Kingston, via Atlanta.

I use the pencil to extract the next sheaf. Apparently the resort and I have corresponded, most recently when I confirmed an ocean-facing, non-smoking room with a king-sized bed.

At least I was smart enough to avoid having a roommate.

I close my eyes and bend forward to clunk my head repeatedly on my desk. Having seen fellow staffers open their envelopes, I don’t need to examine the rest of the paperwork to know what it contains. There will be a shiny brochure on the all-inclusive resort’s amenities. (Seven pools! Six restaurants featuring international cuisine! Unlimited soft drinks and booze in your room’s mini-fridge!) There will be a listing of optional paid activities, both inside the resort and on the island. Finally, there will be the handout delineating the source of my dry mouth and blossoming headache.

I don’t need to look at the handout but…I stop banging my head and do it anyway, because some masochistic impulses can’t be resisted.

Three months ago, the company I work for, HMZ Consulting, was purchased by Wakefield Enterprises. When I say “purchased,” I really mean “swallowed whole.” We were the krill to Wakefield’s blue whale. Now the time has come for us to “harmonize our corporate cultures.” Accordingly, for the past several months, select employees within my office have been receiving invitations to the upcoming retreat in Jamaica. Once trained in the ways of the mothership, they—and I guess that includes me now—will return as ambassadors to the home office, where we will spread the ways of enlightenment.

Most of the five-day retreat will be run by Wakefield’s second-in-command, Yolanda Perez. The brochure photo shows a woman in her early forties with tight black braids and a confident smile. She’s a psychologist, reportedly half-crazy in her own right, and the rumors about her outdoor group exercises are downright intimidating.

Then there’s the CEO, Finnegan Wakefield. I don’t know if his photo has been retouched, but thirty-four looks good on him. Even better than twenty-four did, if that’s possible.

Finn is giving the Tuesday noon keynote—one hour is his full commitment for the entire program. Depending upon how he receives me, that one hour could be all it takes to upend my life.

Sales links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  Kobo | iBooks

Author bio and contact links:

A former family physician and academic, Jan O’Hara left the world of medicine behind to follow her dream of becoming a writer. These days she confines her healing tendencies to paper—after making her characters undergo a period of delicious torture, naturally.

Jan lives in Alberta, Canada and is a columnist for the popular blog Writer Unboxed.

Join Jan’s mailing list for updates on her forthcoming books, exclusive content, and access to reader giveaways: http://janohara.net/newsletter
Website:  www.janohara.net
Facebook: https://facebook.com/janoharabooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JanOHara

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Jan-OHara/e/B01M1C7HUT/
Email: jan@janohara.net

Hello, everyone! Thank you for stopping by. And Delilah, thank you for having me as a guest.

They say, “Write what you know.” I didn’t for my first four novels and a Kindle World novella, which are medieval. But I really enjoyed extensive research on topics as diverse as the last battle of the Hundred Years War (my first book), stained-glass painting (second book) and tournaments (third book) so I could include appropriate descriptions of actual events and daily life.

I decided to take that advice for my fifth novel MY LIFE AS AN EXTRA (humorous women’s fiction). Why? I’ve accumulated quite a bit of knowledge about the film industry while working as an extra on more than 80 films and TV shows.

My first was Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (parade scene, you can’t see me), and one of my last was the ABC TV show Betrayal (as a juror, you can see me). I’m pursuing principal roles now, and you usually can’t audition for speaking roles on a film/show if you’ve been an extra on it.

I set the book in Chicago, where I live and the vast majority of projects I’ve worked on have filmed. And, since I’m over 40, I decided the heroine should be, too. I did my best to incorporate accurate details, but even in a city I know well, things change, such as beer prices at Cubs games.

A challenge was figuring out how much to incorporate that’s actually true, how much to base on truth and how much to create from scratch. Only my hairdresser knows for sure what the final blend is. Another challenge was finding the balance between making a day on set seem believable and real vs. overloading the reader with information. Finally, though I’ve been in scenes with and worked with many famous directors and stars, since it’s a novel and not a memoir, I wanted to be careful about how many I mention and for what purpose. Bonuses included not having to look up many words to see if they were in use at the time and not needing to double check historical details.

The sequel, coming later in 2018, is MY LIFE AS A STAR (romantic comedy). I had to do some research, because that hasn’t happened…yet?

MLaaE and MLaaS are about pursing your dreams because someday is now. What have you been wanting to do that you’ve put off, and how can you make room in your life for it?

About MY LIFE AS AN EXTRA

After an unexpected divorce, Marla Goldberg yearns to believe “someday is now” and pursue her dream of being an actress in Chicago. But how can she quit her frustrating radio station account executive job when she’s only booking work as an extra?

When she dips her toes into the daunting dating pool, her first “date” wants to meet in a pet store parking lot. Other forays yield equally unfortunate results that make her friends laugh out loud. As she seeks a talent agent and speaking roles, it’s one step forward, one step back. When told to eat a muffin at a commercial audition, her mouth is so dry she can’t spit it out in time to say her line.

Dealing with overachiever siblings, judgmental parents and longing to make her dreams come true, she struggles to learn the hardest lesson of all: how to feel special when you’re not the star.

Brief excerpt from the middle of Chapter 1 when Marla is on a film set as an extra…

After another rehearsal, my hand and feet warmers have already failed and are bean bags weighing down my mittens and crowding my boots. How much more freezing can I take?

Adam Markham gets off his high canvas chair with the movie logo embroidered on the back in bright yellow and his name on the front and comes over to us.

My surprise is real, because usually the director talks to the assistant directors, or ADs, not extras. The second AD, or sometimes the first, passes on what we’re supposed to do. Almost everyone wears earphones and microphones, so you don’t always know who’s telling what to whom.

His furry hood covers most of his narrow face, but I glimpse light blue eyes as he looks at me.

My heart starts to race. A famous, award-winning director has noticed me. Will he pluck me from obscurity? Will I be upgraded to a slightly better role and higher pay, or will he even give me a line, a boon bestowed on rare occasion?

“I don’t like the way her scarf is blowing.” The director walks down the row of extras and borrows a dark green, fringed wool one from some guy. For a second the guy’s face perks up. I know he thinks he’s going to be moved to a better place in the shot, my place, but Adam, if I may be so bold, just wants his scarf. I put it on and a wardrobe person safety pins it to my coat.

“Rolling….” a voice calls.

“Rolling!” several people echo.

“Picture’s up.”

“Background action!”

Leaning over the wind machines as the train rolls by, I and the others brave icy blasts. My hair and the borrowed scarf blow straight up. The cold has pierced my coat and layers, so I’m shivering harder. I know my nose is bright red. The woman beside me jumps up and down.

We endure a few more takes.

Adam comes toward me again. My heart starts pounding again. Why an intelligent person such as myself gets nervous because a famous movie director approaches is beyond me, but I can’t seem to help it. I hope I’ll get to do something good and fear I did something wrong at the same time.

“Will you step out of the shot, please?” he asks.

Buy Links:
Amazon- Available in print, e-book and in Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/My-Life-Extra-Ruth-Kaufman-ebook/dp/B06Y1XPVFL

Audio book (Ruth voiced the female characters and hired a colleague to voice the males)- https://www.amazon.com/My-Life-as-an-Extra/dp/B076FGKFQC

About Ruth

Ruth Kaufman is the author five novels including MY LIFE AS AN EXTRA (humorous women’s fiction) and the Wars of the Roses Brides trilogy (medievals), AT HIS COMMAND, FOLLOW YOUR HEART and THE BRIDE TOURNAMENT. Accolades include winner of 2016 Booksellers’ Best Historical and Best First Book and Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® awards.

An actor and speaker with an M.S. and J.D, Ruth has had roles in independent feature films, web series, pilots, national TV commercials and hundreds of voiceover projects. She enjoys chocolate peanut butter milkshakes and singing in a symphony chorus.

Learn more or join Ruth online at:
Website: www.ruthkaufman.com
Acting website: www.ruthtalks.com
Twitter: @RuthKaufman https://twitter.com/RuthKaufman
Facebook: Ruth Kaufman Author & Actor https://www.facebook.com/ruthtalks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7454412.Ruth_Kaufman
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Ruth-Kaufman/e/B00JH7Z40S
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ruth.kaufman

The logo for the Rain City Tales includes a couple embracing under an umbrella for a reason. Except for three months out of the year when the sky is blue, the days and nights are warm, and the tourists are lulled into thinking Seattle is always beautiful, most of the year is a torrent of drizzle, wind, rain, and bone-chilling cold no amount of fleece can keep out. Not one-hundred percent of the days between late September and July 6^th (seriously, like clockwork most years) is dismal. In fact, most of these days are schizophrenic. As I write this post, the sky is blue with fast moving puffy clouds. Only an hour earlier the dark and stormy day had been dumping rain. The storm clouds on the horizon are quickly approaching, pushed along by a chilly and constant wind.

I’m Yours starts out on just one of those blustery days. Toby Hayden battles the wind and the rain of downtown Seattle on his way to a job interview only to have a gust destroy his umbrella and soak his slacks. Meeting Merrick Hamilton, and his lucky handshake, definitely brightens Toby’s day. The weather doesn’t deter Toby and Merrick from a Valentine’s Day date. Merrick even declines a ride home, opting for the bus after getting rained out from their walk in the park. The storm raging at Toby’s work gives the weather a run for its money, and, unlike true Seattle weather, doesn’t appear to be abating. Though a Seattleite, Toby may not be able to weather this storm. It all depends on his former partner’s reappearance and whether the swirling chaos intensifies, or the controversy blows over and the sun comes out again.

The third installment of the Rain City Tales, I’m Yours, is now available for download on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo today!

Stay tuned for Rain City Tales Book 4: The Wedding Weekend, out in May 2018.

You can order the first Rain City Tales story, The Officer’s Siren, here, and the second story, Past Secrets Present Danger, here. Checkout Brent’s website for more details on upcoming books.

Excerpt:

Surveying his suit, Toby Hayden frowned at the soaked slacks below the line of his pea coat. Hardly how he wanted to show up to an interview, but he didn’t have much choice. Though the job market had picked up, he hadn’t worked in two years. Each passing day made him less employable, and he was already starting at a disadvantage.

“Damn you, Mark,” he muttered. A cloud as dark and threatening as the ones in the sky descended on his mood and self-confidence.

The sidewalk lightened, and he marveled at the sudden change in the weather. Sunshine reflected off the glass, metal, and polished stone of the downtown skyscrapers. Fifteen minutes ago, a bone-chilling wind had blasted up the hill of University Street, sweeping a pelting rain sideways. Moments before the clouds parted, a strong gust ripped between the buildings and cracked the thin, metal arms of his umbrella. With a snap, the metal broke and punched a hole in the fabric covering. Now as the wind continued to whistle around the skyscrapers, blue sky promised at least a few minutes of respite from the February storm.

The new steel and glass building rose before him, and he did his best to shake off the excess water from his clothes. After depositing his wrecked umbrella into the trash can on the street corner and straightening his tie, he entered the lobby. A young man perched on a stool at the concierge desk — probably mid to late twenties and the most piercing ice-blue eyes — stared through a wavy lock of black hair. The badge on his grey suit jacket identified him as Merrick.

Their gazes locked, and Toby felt compelled by an immediate attraction to approach. Though he knew what floor his interview was on, he gave into the urge to speak to this young man. “Hi, I’m looking for Herrington, Fisher, and Scallione. Do you know what floor I need?”

Merrick’s face brightened into a professional smile. “Certainly, sir.” He stood, towering over Toby’s six-foot frame and sweeping his long arm toward the elevators. “Take the second bank to floor twenty, and it should be the third doorway along the hall on the left.”

“Great, uh, thanks.” Reluctant to leave, he lingered for a moment. “Are you having a good morning?”

The smile turned more genuine. “I am, thanks for asking. What brings you into the building today?”

“An interview. I’m pretty nervous.” He again glanced over his suit with a frown, though his mood had vastly improved being in the young man’s company. “And the wet pants won’t exactly give a good first impression.”

“My friends constantly tell me I’m the luckiest person they know.” Merrick stuck out his hand, a gleam in his blue eyes. “Maybe some will rub off.”

Deciding he didn’t have much to lose, Toby clasped the offered hand. Soft skin squeezed in a firm, but not competitive, grip. For an intense moment, all other sounds and movements disappeared in the bustling lobby. Toby’s focus narrowed to the contact between them and the deep blue gaze that held steady with his. Before releasing Merrick’s hand, he gave a quick squeeze. Their fingers drifted apart, and the sounds of the city returned. Both men slowly let their arms return to their sides.

Clearing his throat, Merrick, momentarily startled, resumed his seat. He quickly recovered his smile and gave a wink. “Up the elevator to twenty. You’ll do great. I’ll look forward to hearing how it went.”

Brent Archer began writing in 2011 at the nudging of his cousins. His first story sold, and he was hooked! Keep up with Brent Archer and his current releases at his website, and follow him on Twitter: @brentarcherwrit.

Olivia

UPDATE: The winner is Lisa B.!

* * * * *

Thank you, Delilah, for having me. Delilah is delightful to authors and runs an online critique group that’s pretty darn awesome. And today, she’s letting me take over her blog to talk about my upcoming release.

Forbidden Royal Links:
Amazon: http://hyperurl.co/i4oumu
Apple Books: http://hyperurl.co/z5dvet
Barnes and Noble: http://smarturl.it/qvk0ou
Google Play: http://smarturl.it/4uee6g
Kobo: http://smarturl.it/u9ujfj

I’m so excited. So, I decided to share all about Forbidden Royal, my new release this week and let you get to know the characters Amy and Lucio, the heroine and her handsome prince, where they meet and fall in love. These are questions I asked my characters BEFORE they re-met. Amy knew Lucio when she was a freshman in high school, but she didn’t dare talk to him then. So, these are their answers to some fun questions.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Amy: Living my life without parental pressure to be what they weren’t. I’d love to just get away, maybe sit on a beach, under an umbrella and do absolutely nothing for once. When I go to work, it’s often rainy or foggy. When I leave, it’s the same. I’d like to see the sun and breathe free air.

Lucio: To not have to get married before I turn 30. As a prince, I can do anything I want, but I can’t stop time.

What is your greatest fear?

Amy: That I’ll somehow transform into my mother or my sister and suddenly find myself caring about titles and bank accounts of a man I meet, instead of true issues, like politics, that can affect our lives.

Lucio: That I’ll get kicked out of my family because I refuse to marry a woman

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Amy: I always give in to my parents. I don’t know why or how, but they know how to apply the pressure and get me to do what they want. So I’m like their wind up toy still seeking affection when we all know I was the nerdy, backup to my sister’s perfection. I don’t know why this bothers me as an adult. I have a job. I pay my own bills. I shouldn’t care what my parents tell me anymore.

Lucio:  That I hide myself, perhaps too much. The tell all book of complete trash writing was total fiction, but millions of people believe I could be that much of a jerk because I don’t open up to people.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Amy: I earn enough money at my job writing my reports to pay for my flat and I don’t have to ask anyone for any money, ever. I love the freedom!

Lucio: Completing my training with the CIA, Interpol and British Intelligence where I am able to help discover subterfuge and lies before enemies attack my parent’s country.

Which living person do you most admire?

Amy: Living. This is hard, but I’m going to say the Dalai Lama. He seems to peaceful and honorable and trustworthy. I wish my own head was half as calm as the man seems, and that I could help bring peace to the world simply from prayer.

Lucio: Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos I guess. I was born a prince so I never had to prove my worth, but men like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos get to create their own image and company and build who they are from the beginning. I absolutely admire that in American businessman.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Amy: Drinking wine out with my mates on a weeknight and not worrying I don’t have money. I mean I don’t drink every night or anything, but just being with my friends, in a nice restaurant, and that I can buy my own bottle of wine… this means life is pretty good.

Lucio: I suppose I should count but I’ve dated countless women and never had issues. Reports say I’ve dated over a 1000 women but that’s clearly a miscount. It wasn’t that high and most people lie because they want to be associated with a prince.

What is the quality you most like in a man/woman?

Amy: Honesty and being comfortable in their own skin.

Lucio: I’d say honesty as well. In a woman it would be almost refreshing.

What is your most treasured possession?

Amy: My collection of photographs. I’ve been printing and creating photo books since I was a teenager. It’s so much fun to go through old photos. Most people my age are all digital but I have my printed out pictures and albums that I like to pull out and see.

Lucio: My mind. I always try to keep up on science and breakthroughs so I can find something of use and value to help my country.

On what occasion do you lie?

Amy: To my parents on why  I can’t come and visit them and that I’m happy to see my sister. The truth is I’d skip her wedding next year if I could, but that doesn’t make me sound very nice. Of course I’ll go, but I’ll do whatever I can to delay the inevitablility.

Lucio: I’ll do whatever I can to protect my country, including lie to get to the truth. I’ll infiltrate any organization and lie to really rout out the truth.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Amy: My thighs. I’m not heavy in most places but these thunder thighs actually jiggle if I’m not careful.

Lucio:  I’m a guy. I go to the gym daily because I need to work out. I dislike being flabby and work hard to ensure I stay in the best possible shape I can.

And you can read the first three chapters of Forbidden Royal now! Please go to https://dl.bookfunnel.com/802j3fwjj9 (Book Funnel) or https://instafreebie.com/free/qGimq (Instafreebie).

Contest

Also I’m running a giveaway this week if you’re interested in winning pearls just like Amy wears in the book.

a Rafflecopter giveaway