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Archive for 'Guest Blogger'
Thursday, March 8th, 2018
When I am not writing, I bake. Quite simply, baking relaxes me and helps clear my mind. I have charted many a character’s path while separating eggs and creaming butter!
Taught to bake at the knee of my Slovak grandmother, I began taking formal cooking classes at age 10. Since then, no one and nothing has managed to keep me out of my kitchen! (If I had not begun writing at a much earlier age, I may have become a pastry chef rather than a writer.)
My two favorite recipes are turtle brownies, basically your standard fudge brownie recipe with a swirl of caramel, pecans, and mini-semi-sweet chocolate chips, and three chocolate mousse cake, which is a luscious four-layer devil’s food cake with white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate mousse in between the layers. When feeling particular ambitious, I might even encase this chocolatey confection in whipped cream!
And when I want the sweet smell of fall, I make an apple-pie-in-a-bag, a local favorite in southeast Wisconsin, or a no-knead bread, made with good old Wisconsin beer!
While I bake everything from scratch, I have learned a few short cuts over the years. For example, when pressed for time, I may substitute a box mix for the brownies or cake, and simply add the extras. And sometimes, I may even make the mousse from store-bought faux whipped cream and mix it with pudding rather than melted chocolate. And I make apple pies two at a time, so I always have one in the freezer. Of course, when I am feeling the need to cut back on the sugar and/or fat, I may utilize natural sugar substitutes or pureed fruits. (Who knew Gerber’s pureed prunes worked so well as a fat substitute in brownies?)
When I am in a reading mood, I am likely to brew some cinnamon hazelnut coffee and bake one of the most mouth-watering coffee cakes I have ever eaten. It’s a recipe passed on to me by a librarian from the Missouri Court of Appeals when I was a law clerk. She spoiled us by bringing in baked goods at least once a week, and the recipe we loved most was her Cinnamon Coffee Cake. When you have the urge to curl up with a good book and a hot cuppa, this sweet treat will provide a nice little slice of heaven!
CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE
1/2 cup margarine 1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar 2 eggs
1 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour, sifted 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream margarine, shortening and eggs. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Spread it in 9 x 13 pan. In a separate bowl, mix:
1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine 2 cups chopped nuts
Layer on top of cake batter, swirl in slightly with a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
KINKY BRIEFS, QUATRO
(released 2/9/18)
Take another kinky voyage through Lawyerland!
Indulge in a walk on the wild side with these sizzling short stories about lawyers in love, with a dash of kink. From painting well-hung nudes at a networking event or thwarting terrorists intent on harm to finding love despite a chronic illness or exploring kink on a train, these lawyers pursue love with a vengeance. And while affairs of the heart may come in all shapes and sizes—a law school ménage a trois, a middle-aged A.G. and a law firm associate, and a new marriage suddenly threatened by a spouse long believed dead—these relationships thrive despite the odds. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and yes, the resultant loin heating might even make you blush, but in the end, you’ll run out and buy a set of handcuffs. Because that’s the only way to defuse the sizzle created by these hot, sexy stories.
Buy Links:
Extasy Books: https://goo.gl/t6cCm8
Amazon: https://goo.gl/qtz4er
Barnes and Noble: https://goo.gl/s3svp2
Kobo: https://goo.gl/CtKrZE
Smashwords: https://goo.gl/rA8N7h
Tagged: anthology, contemporary romance, Guest Blogger, recipe, short story Posted in General | Comments Off on Seelie Kay: A little bit of this, a tiny pinch of that… (Recipe) | Link
Monday, March 5th, 2018
I’m an author. I sure hope this doesn’t happen to me!
Without Warning! (Vigilance #2)
Now up for preorder!
Releases March 20!
Leave me a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of Book #1, Hide and Seek.
“The agents of Vigilance return to protect another high-profile target and capture hearts in the process. The stakes are somewhat higher when the history between the bodyguard and client dates back to high school. Clearing the air of past misunderstandings is almost as important as keeping the client safe. This is a fast-paced page-turner that makes for a quick and entertaining read.”– RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

When you don’t know how the story will end . . .
After years of hard work honing his craft, Blake Edwards is now an international bestselling author. But one thing he never imagined was that his fictional world would become all too real. When a stalker turns Blake’s latest book tour into a treacherous and nearly deadly trap, it’s time for Blake to hire protection. But the body assigned to keep an eye on him is someone he never wants out of his sight . . .
As a bodyguard for Vigilance, the private security agency in Blake’s hometown of Arrowhead Bay, Samantha Quenel has found the perfect outlet for her military experience. But her latest client is also a former high school flame, which might explain her willingness to protect Blake at all costs—even if that means staying in the same room with him, on the same bed, under the same torrid sheets . . .
***check out this picture of where Blake Morgan lives in Tampa, Florida.

Excerpt:
Blake Morgan parked his car behind Slater’s Books and took a minute to gather himself together. Another note had shown up today, this one under his windshield wiper when he retrieved his car in the parking garage at the hotel. No one would have paid any attention to someone leave a note under his windshield. Why would they? He wondered, though, how whoever this was had known the car was his? It was a rental.
Crap.
Three weeks. That’s how long ago this started. In the beginning he’d thought it was a joke. Or maybe even a case of mistaken identity. But after it happened so many times he got the message someone was definitely on his case. And he had no idea who or why? Was it his sudden celebrity? He’d heard war stories about obsessed fans stalking authors, but usually they left love notes.
After slogging in the trenches with his first three books, he’d finally hit the best seller lists with Number Four and Number Five. This one, Deep Cover, had been in the Top Ten for five straight weeks. Apparently someone was determined not to let him enjoy it. Today’s incident was another in a long string that rattled his cage, despite his best efforts to ignore them.
It started with one note, sent to him in the mail. One sentence on a plain sheet of paper, typed on someone’s computer
I know what you did.
He had no idea who it was from. The postmark was Boston, but he was pretty sure none of the people he knew in that city would be sending him a message like this. He had a lot of readers from that area but he never gave out his address to them.
I know what you did.
What he did? What in hell had he done? He couldn’t think of anything so terrible someone would attack him this way.
That note was the beginning. In the past three weeks he found notes left every place for him. When he checked in at one of his hotels they had one waiting for him that had been left there at the front desk for him in an envelope. No, no one could remember who left it. In a restaurant he went to the rest room and when he came back there was a note at his place setting. And of course no one had noticed anyone leaving it. Then came two emails. When he tried to reply to them they bounced back.
This week he twice received a text on his cell phone. On his publisher’s advice he had two cell phone, one for business and one for personal. This came in on the personal one. How the fuck had anyone gotten that number? But again, when he tried to reply to see who this was came back undeliverable.
They all carried the same message: I know what you did.
He wasn’t a man easily intimidated but too many incidents in such a short time could sure make a person uneasy. Who the hell was doing this to him and why? Sure, he’d made his share of mistakes in life. Pissed some people off. But he didn’t think anything he’d done was bad enough to provoke this kind of stuff. And he realized someone was going to a lot of trouble to find out his schedule so they could do this.
He picked up the crumpled piece of paper he’d stuck in the console cup holder earlier, smoothed it out and looked at it again. None of the notes were hand written. They were either printed with marking pen or typed on a computer like this one.
I know what you did.
*~*~*
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Tagged: contemporary romance, excerpt, Guest Blogger, romantic suspense Posted in Contests!, General | 5 People Said | Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Shirley Long - DebraG - Tamara Kasyan - Mary McCoy - Desiree Holt -
Sunday, March 4th, 2018
Character Interview – Lady Elizabeth Blayneton

1. If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?
I’d visit all the sights in London that I’ve heard about but never seen. I’m not allowed out the house, you see. My Uncle August keeps me isolated in the hope that I’ll marry his son Frederick. The man stinks of hounds and gapes like a fish. I’d rather die a spinster than marry him.
2. What impression do you make on people when they first meet you? How about after they’ve known you for a while?
I don’t make an impression. I’m invisible, little more than a servant in a household that exists because of my fortune. I only have threadbare gray gowns. When visitors call on my cousins I’m banished to either my room or my stillroom. What with my silver blonde hair and my hideous gowns, I sometimes think my whole life is gray
3. What’s your idea of a good marriage? Do you think that’ll happen in your life?
I can’t marry without my uncle’s permission or until I turn thirty. Since I won’t marry Cousin Frederick, I’ll be an old maid before I can wed. If I ever find the opportunity, I’ll gladly give up virginity while I’m young enough to enjoy it.
4. What are you most proud of about your life?
My herbal skills. Before my parents were killed in a carriage accident, mama and I studied plants and their uses. Even my cousins want my potions. The good thing about that is I’m allowed out at dawn to collect herbs.
5. What about on a personal level?
Some people think my stubborn streak’s a bad thing – Uncle Augustus and my cousins among them. I don’t. I keep refusing to wed Frederick. Nothing could make me take him into my bed.
6. Do you think you’ve turned out the way your parents expected?
No. Papa made his will when my aunt was alive. She’d never have let Uncle Augustus treat me the way he does. Mamma and I were planning my come out when their carriage overturned and killed them. They wanted me to enjoy a couple of London Seasons, but obviously that never happened.
7. What would you like it to say on your tombstone?
She lived well, had fun, and helped those in need. It hurts that I can’t do any of that until I turn thirty and inherit my fortune. The only men who will want me then are fortune hunters. I want to live now, not in seven years’ time.
8. Describe your ideal mate.
I’d like a husband who sees me as I am and loves me for it. I don’t want my fortune to matter. I’d like him to be tall and dark-haired. Someone unafraid to stand up to Uncle Augustus. A dashing soldier maybe.
9. What are you most afraid of?
Dying a virgin – unloved and unwanted by anyone.
10. Are you lying to yourself about something? What is it?
I keep telling myself everything will work out find. Only deep down, I know it won’t. My solace is my herbs. If I concentrate on them and ways to heal people, then I can get through each day as it comes.
Wickedly Used

While he is no stranger to pleasurable company from ladies of the night, Major Richard Rothbury of the royal dragoons is not the kind of man who will stand idly by as a woman is taken against her will, and when he witnesses a disreputable cad attempting to force himself on a girl in a back alley, he does not hesitate to intervene.
But after the grateful young woman offers herself to Rothbury, he is shocked to discover that not only was she no harlot, she was a maiden and he has deflowered her. Furious at the girl’s scandalous behavior and her carelessness with her own safety, Rothbury chastises her soundly.
Though she is due to inherit one of the largest fortunes in England, the fact that she cannot touch the money until she marries or turns thirty has kept Elizabeth completely at the mercy of her cruel uncle, and for years she has been treated as if she were a servant. Her encounter with Lord Rothbury is by far the most exciting thing that has ever happened to her, but while he shows great concern for her safety, he refuses to believe that she is anything more than a serving girl.
Despite having made it clear that he doesn’t consider a match between them to be possible, when Elizabeth disobeys him Rothbury proves more than ready to strip her bare, punish her harshly, and then enjoy her beautiful body in the most shameful of ways. But can she dare to hope that he will one day make her his wife, or is she destined to spend her life being wickedly used?
Get your copy here!
Tagged: BDSM, Guest Blogger, historical, regency romance Posted in General | Comments Off on Kryssie Fortune: Character Interview – Lady Elizabeth Blayneton from Wickedly Used | Link
Friday, March 2nd, 2018

When was the last time you went to a library? And for what purpose?
Like most readers, I love libraries, but at one point began to worry that the institution of libraries would become extinct, what with the advent of ebooks and news and information literally at our fingertips via computers. News stories also hinted at the likelihood of libraries closing their doors, limiting their hours or becoming obsolete. But, with great ingenuity, the libraries in my area have reinvented themselves.
Libraries of earlier centuries may have provided access to newspapers and books but these institutions were only accessible to paid subscribers. Then public libraries started popping up in cities, followed by more rural areas. In my neck of the woods, librarians carted books in saddlebags and rode mountain trails to deliver books to families in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Then, as roads became more widespread and reliable, book mobiles started their routes, bringing books to people who might not be able to make it to town and the local library.
Nowadays, libraries offer so many programs, including literacy programs, crafts and afterschool activities, as well as computer time and, of course, books and news through papers and magazines. Most of this is a result of industrious librarians finding out what the public needed and wanted from them and finding ways, including funding, to provide.
As a writer, I obviously hope that readers will buy my books, but to be honest, one of the greatest thrills I had when I first started publishing was finding my book in a public library. So, even while I purchase my books and ebooks, as well as audio, I will continue going to the library on occasion, whether it’s to research a topic, try out a new author or to simply smell the aroma of books!
About the Author
Kate McKeever was born and raised in the south and spent her childhood rambling in the woods and reading, often at the same time. She spent a lot of time in libraries as a volunteer and reader, then as a perennial student, so her mother thought. She tried several careers before settling down on her current one. Writing is a passion and joy. Kate loves to write sweet contemporary and paranormal romances. Check out her books at Amazon!
Tagged: contemporary romance, Guest Blogger Posted in General | 2 People Said | Link
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Thursday, March 1st, 2018

Damien Morgan and Serenity Hanscom were asked a few questions before I wrote Secret Tryst so these are their answers when I was getting to know these characters and why they were going to be perfect for each other.
1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Serenity: To be left alone. Growing up it was my favorite time when my parents or sister were so self involved that no one cared what I did. As a spa owner, I teach people how to be alone in their thoughts and to let perfect happiness in. We don’t need anything in life and expectations are often what hurts. I wish more people understood this.
Damien: Being with my family, winning the game against my brother or anyone who thinks they can challenge me. Life is about winning in all things. I hated my father but he knew how to win, and perfect happiness comes from proving yourself the best.
2. What is your greatest extravagance?
Serenity: It’s probably my pretty pocketbooks. A friend of mine designs shoes for fun but when she makes me a pair, I just need to find the perfect compliment. Most of my clothes are single color but the pop of life my pocketbook and shoes brings always helps me feel fashionable. My mother wanted me to be a debutante so this is my ode to her I guess.
Damien: Let’s see. I own a plane, multiple properties around the world, but at least four times I year I still crave to be in Paris so I fly back.
3. What is your current state of mind?
Serenity: I don’t want to own it but I am stressed. My father was arrested for crimes he absolutely committed. My sister chose to follow in his path and she’s in jail, awaiting trial. She tried to kill a woman named Alice Collins because she had some vendetta against the Morgans. My mother is in the hospital and I’ve been invited to a Morgan wedding. I probably shouldn’t go, but my spa could use the publicity.
Damien: Current? I’m good. I moved to Miami to stay close to my family. I bought a mansion near my old man’s old place to show him that even the boys from the wrong side of the bed deserve the best. I have everything I want. Nothing could go wrong.
4. What is the quality you most like in a man or woman of the opposite sex?
Serenity: Reliability and honesty. My partner in life if I ever find him doesn’t have to be handsome or rich. He needs to have a job and respect that I own my business without being jealous, but honestly I’d like to just come home to some guy and be in his arms and know he’s there for me, no matter what happens.
Damien: The perfect woman would of course be beautiful on the outside but she’ll accept my family and get along with my mother. I don’t believe love exists or that there is one man for every woman. I’m not a fool. But I guess if there is one quality I’d like besides beauty it’s compatibility. She’ll need to accept my life style.
5. When and where were you happiest?
Serenity: Opening my first spa on my own. I worked and saved every dime I ever made. Fortunately I was able to do that because when the Feds came after my father, I kept my spa free and clear of any of his criminal activities. No one thought a spa would ever be a good investment but I’ve proven that very wrong.
Damien: I guess as a boy in Paris, before my sister was kidnapped. I remember a few Christmas’ where I believed in family and that life was beautiful.
6. Where would you most like to live?
Serenity: I don’t know. I’ve lived in 10 cities in 3 years opening spas. I would like to settle down and not travel so much, but I don’t want to just move home to Georgia either. So I’d just like to be somewhere where I can have my feet up and not stress.
Damien: Near my brothers and mother. Right now that’s Miami and I bought my new home. They are the only people I’ve ever been able to ever have my back, and I can go to Paris anytime I wish.
7. What do you most value in your friends?
Serenity: Their integrity and honesty. Kiwi, my best friend, is super talented and smart as a whip. But it’s her belief that we need to be honest even with ourselves and everyone we meet that I really admire.
Damien: My best friend is probably my brother Galen. He’s cynical I suppose, but he’s also the most trustworthy person I ever met.
8. Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Serenity: I guess off the top of my head it would be Florence Nightingale. She helped people physically and I hope my spas help people relax mentally. I don’t know if I’d be a very good nurse during a war, but she was smart enough to see how to help people and to keep things sanitary. So I admire her.
Damien: John D. Rockefeller. He was a self made man, believed 100% in himself and proved he was capable of anything. He was smart enough to own every piece of the oil processing field, though my father would say we were somehow related to JP Morgan. Perosnally though, Rockerfeller’s strong belief in himself really tugs at my heart.
9. What is your greatest regret?
Serenity: I guess letting my parents control my life when I was younger. I wanted to please them when I should have focused more on pleasing myself.
Damien: That I didn’t have a chance to murder my father myself. We now know he was the one that kidnapped my baby sister and took her away from us. If he wasn’t already dead, he’d absolutely be now.
10. What is your motto?
Serenity: My motto? If you are peaceful within, you are peaceful in life.
Damien: Strange question. Winners prove themselves successful without talking about it. So just do it.
And this character interview really helped me understand my two characters. They had commonalities but they had a lot of differences. ~VP
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Tagged: contemporary romance, Guest Blogger, royal Posted in Contests!, General | Comments Off on Victoria Pinder: Character Interview from Secret Tryst (Contest) | Link
Tuesday, February 27th, 2018
Hi Everybody,
I’m Melanie Jayne, Romance writer, lover of fun, and wonderer. Now I’m not going to try to tell you that when a question enters my brain that I rush to ask Alexa or Google for help, nor do I pour over research books. I tend to be lazy. I usually make a cup of coffee, eat some chocolate, and make up different scenarios in my mind.
In my latest book, A Change of Plan, the heroine, Ramsay Kent, is complex, difficult, and a diva. When I was planning this series I didn’t intend for her to have a book. However, the badass Osi was a hit and he is the type of man who can easily have a woman anytime, but he wants Ramsay.
So I needed to figure out how this driven, successful fashionista was unable to put down roots and commit to a man who cared about her. When writing, sometimes things fall into place easily and because Ramsay never chooses the smooth path, nothing felt right. So I did what I always do when I hit a rough patch in my storytelling, I watch daytime TV, the treasure chest of dysfunction and ideas. My favorites are Divorce Court and Dr. Phil, sometimes it can be the major topic or a simple sentence that helps. On that particular day, Judge Lynn Toler counseled the wife not to let a label she acquired as a teen define her life.
Jackpot!
How many times have I used the term, “Only Child,” to explain my selfishness? Or I have pegged someone as a cheerleader, prom queen, or jock? I remember my mother reminding me to be neat and orderly with my belongings every time I packed for camp, and before I left for my freshman year at college, she worried that I would be a sloppy roommate (I wasn’t). However, to this day, I worry about it whenever I travel and share a room. I don’t want to be the slob.
So as I wrote Ramsay’s story, it became clear that she believed herself to be responsible for a terrible chain of events. She’d never discussed those feelings with a professional and they were allowed to dig in and fester. She wants to atone but worries about people finding out. She’s caught in a vicious cycle of blaming herself, wanting to make up for her sins, worrying that she can never do enough, falling short, and then blaming herself even more.
For 2018, I decided that I would try to work on my bad habits. Make better food choices, focus less on the negativity, set long-term career goals, and then list paths to achieve. I was amazed by the number of times that the words “I can’t” or “this won’t work” popped into my head based upon crap I was told in high school. Have I allowed those opinions to hold me back for thir…, er too many years?
Did my algebra teacher’s summation that I lacked focus and commitment stick with me all of these years? I do have a history of career hopping? Mr. Jewell spent one hour a day with me and somehow he knew me? I rarely spoke in class because I knew that I wasn’t getting the math. Did this virtual stranger shape my life’s decisions?
Today, I wonder how much those labels have shaped my choices? I’m not going to give Mr. Jewell that much power. He was a lousy teacher and I doubt that he was that good at summing up a teen that he barely knew. I attribute my career hopping to my interest in different fields, great opportunities, and life changes. Sure I know a little about a lot of things, but that makes me a fun dinner companion.
For 2018, because of this book and Ramsay’s influence, I added to my list of changes that when a negative thought occurs, I would ask myself three questions:
1. Where did this come from?
2. Why would I think that?
3. Am I doing this to please myself or somebody else?
I like myself, the good and the bad but I ultimately know that I’m good because I’m always working to be better.
A Change of Plan

Chapter One
Osi
“Five, four, three, two, one, Happy New Year!” The party guests counted down in unison.
I already had one arm draped around Ramsay’s slender waist. She allowed me to roll her into my body so that we were touching from chest to pelvis as I kissed her long and hard. “Better than last year’s.” I grinned.
She pulled away from me and gave me a haughty look, raising one eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I didn’t loosen my hold. God, she’d lost weight working so hard on, first, Tye and Billie’s wedding, then Cress and Brian’s, and finally this annual extravaganza. I could feel the knobby bones along her spine. “Last year, I had to track you down for my kiss. This year, you’re by my side.” Where you belong, I added silently. Ramsay Kent was an elusive woman. Although we’d been involved to some degree for over a year, we’d yet to make our relationship official. But I’m a patient man. One of the reasons I’m good at what I do. With Ramsay, I could settle in and wait a while longer.
“Well, I suppose kissing you is better than making out with some random guy.” She turned her head to look around at the other party guests, her green eyes narrowing as though to assess their kissability.
I gave her a hot glare. “Not going to work, Ramses.”
“What?” She drew her eyebrows together in confusion, as if she didn’t know what she was doing.
“You aren’t going to push me away or make me mad. Not tonight,” I said, resolution ringing in my words.
A hint of something like panic entered her gaze. “I’m working… I don’t know what time I’ll get out of here tonight, er, this morning.”
I shrugged, pretending I didn’t see her fear. “It’s not a problem. You know I like to watch you work.”
One side of her mouth hitched upward in consternation. I could almost see her plotting a way to make me go. Before she could blurt out something I didn’t want to hear, I bent toward her. “If I get bored, I’ll head back to my place and send a car to bring you home.” Of course, I wouldn’t get bored. I got off on watching her run the show. Ramsay in command was a thing of beauty. She could multi-task as well as any military strategist—make that better. Handling the rest of this party would be a breeze for her, just like breaking down and reassembling my rifle was second nature to me.
A faint line appeared between her eyebrows. “Are you sure?”
I placed a light kiss on her vibrant red lips, not caring if I now wore the same color. “Go make someone miserable.”
“Asshole.” She snorted as she fought a smile.
“Shouldn’t they be putting out the food?” I asked innocently.
“Shit,” she hissed and spun around on her three-inch heels. “I’m seriously considering cutting the gratuity Tye left for them.” She took off in the direction of the kitchen. Perhaps it was the way her long legs ate up the ground or the red tint to her hair, the guests moved out of her way.
I was admiring the sway of her ass encased in some kind of silky material that was as sleek as her naked body, when I heard my name being called.
About the Author
Melanie Jayne has the best life. She spends her days chatting with feisty females, waking up to sexy men, eating chocolate and wearing pajamas. In March of 2015, she published her first book and never looked back. She currently has four series and will be adding to that number in 2019. Her books predominantly feature characters over the age of thirty-five, facing life head on. They are woman positive and advocate empowerment. She writes about the world that she lives in and collects many of her ideas from her friend’s lives and daytime TV.
She lives a quiet life on a grain farm in central Indiana with her very patient husband and their two mastiffs, Ginger and Duncan Keith. She has been employed in retail management, managed a federal courtroom, worked behind the scenes in a casino and closed home loans. By her own admission she was an inquisitive mind and gets bored easily.
She is an active member of the IRWA Chapter, an avid Reader/Author Conference Attendee, and avid Romance Reader. She is so grateful to the many authors and bloggers who have so generously supported her career and she in turn is giving back to new and aspiring writers.
Learn more about Melanie Jayne: www.ReadMelanieJayne.com, @1MelanieJayne, https://www.facebook.com/ReadMelanieJayne/.
Tagged: contemporary romance, excerpt, Guest Blogger Posted in General | Someone Said | Link
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Monday, February 26th, 2018
Bewitching Myself: Everything Old is Wonderful Again
Nearly a decade ago, I sat next to the swimming pool attached to my fitness gym in the faint shade offered by the umbrella on the table. My then-eight year old child splashed in the water, slid down the water slide, and called to me repeatedly to “Mom, watch!” It was next to this pool that I wrote the first of a trilogy, and that book would later be sold and published and as has a way of things—the rights reverted to me last year.
Reworking the Past
I debated what I wanted to do with the trilogy, it’s different from my current work and yet, it’s an old, familiar friend. I debated, then I went for it. It was so weird to read through the manuscript, to see where my writing faltered and the tips and tricks I used then versus now.
Weirder still…technology has changed so much in less than a decade, everything needed updating. Fortunately, my editor and I went line by line, we tweaked the technology, the pop culture, and the writing. When we were done, we had Hers to Bewitch and I gotta admit, it’s been one of my favorite pieces to work on.
Growing, Changing, Moving Forward
I have a 300-page manuscript written when I was 16. I have short stories and novels I wrote in my 20s. This book—this book I wrote in my 30s, and now in my 40s, I’ve polished it. Writing, like wine, gets better as we age. I believe it! Do you ever look back at what you’ve done before and realize where you went wrong and how you can do it better today? Take the challenge and may you discover the magic of you!
Hers to Bewitch

Available now!
All Buy Links: https://books2read.com/HerstoBewitch
A woman on the edge.
Cassandra Belle is about to break the story of the century, but one well-placed bomb devastates her plans. She’s on the run, in a fight for her life and her heart. Caught between wild allure and primal need, Cassie struggles to reclaim her life even as she’s torn by the desire to submit to the two handsome strangers invading her life.
Enemies on a mission.
The sexy Fae lord Helcyon wants to protect her, but his pleasure leaves her quaking at the loss of control. The dangerous Wizard, Jacob wants to save her, but his war with the Fae frightens her, even as he captivates her with passion.
With her enemies closing in, Jacob and Helcyon must challenge everything they’ve ever known to work together or risk losing her.
*Previously released as Cassandra’s Dilemma, Hers to Bewitch has undergone significant edits and a new cover to be re-released.
Check out more Heather Long:
Website: https://www.heatherlong.net
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HeathersPack/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthor
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HVLong
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