Tag Archives: romance

Hope Breaks by Alice Bello @AliceBello72 #debut #spotlight

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Hope Breaks
by Alice Bello
Hope Jones has two problems: one is new, the other is depressingly old.

The new problem: the bestselling author the publisher she shoots romance novel covers for hates her newest batch of covers. She has until the end of the week to come up with a breathtaking shot or she’ll be replaced. And there’s a sudden model shortage; they’re out of season.

The old, depressing problem: she hasn’t had a date, sex or a relationship in over two years.

She also has one hell of a headache.

Hope finds the cures for her two problems during a search through Wal-Mart for a painkiller to kill her headache.

Turns out the aisles of the retail giant are rampant with hot young model worthy specimens. And when her trusty Ford Taurus breaks down in the parking lot, a hunky mechanic in the Tire and Lube Express department fixes more than just her car.

Seemingly her troubles are good as gone…but then her new, fabulous cover is rejected, and in a desperate moment she has to choose between keeping her job and keeping the man she’s just starting to fall in love with.

 

About the Author: 
 
Alice Bello
 
“Let me introduce myself. I’m forty–which isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I live to read and love to write. I love romance, comedy, brooding and sparkly vampires, and I love pizza. I have a dog named Jack, and I work somewhere I have to wear a blue top and brown pants (you can probably guess).
I’ve just written my first romance. Erotic, funny, about 35,000 words, so it’s a novella, and hopefully a good one. I’m working to get it reviewed while I write the second part. I’m planning on having three 30,000 words novellas in the series.
Hope Breaks
Hope Entangles
Hope Rises
Contact:
 
 
 
 
 

March by Sunni Overend @SunniOverend #debut #review

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March official book trailer

What is in a title? Apple March, hence the title March. I loved the cover. I really enjoy seeing something so professionally done that it looks very visually appealing. Sometimes you can judge the book by the cover. In this case it was true. The book was a great debut. This book is written by an Aussie. So for us American people, the grammar and the punctuation are not the same. I hate when I read a review and people turn into the grammar police without knowing that they don’t “quote” the way we do. So for the narratives, get that rule before you jump in.

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Apple went to the country’s most prestigious fashion school. It is like saying I am working for Anna Wintour, or I am pulling for Harper’s Bazaar. That is the primo kind of school Apple went to. For now she is behind the register at a retail store. At 29 that is nothing to be happy about, but she is content. Why? OMG you know I want to squeal. Now there is a reveal that gets the spark back in Apple. Something happens to make her realize her dream,s. Her best friend Jackson has some of the BEST one liners and I must create another post for her. There is a secret, that has been holding her back and so is the threat of her past.

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Take a journey from Melbourne to New York and Paris with Apple. If you are a fashion lover and have ever read Vogue, this is your cup of tea. When you are at a style house the creative flow is really minimal, it is about the line and the designers view. Apple wants her own vision and of course what else, but the one man to share it with.

anna wintour
A really great example of the fashion world from a design standpoint. I think the author wrote a genre appealing book. It is a pleasure to read such a fine example with such a fine future ahead of her. I can not wait to see what she will write next. A debut like this, you don’t want to miss.

4 stars

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/sunnioverend
website http://www.sunnioverend.com
twitter @sunnioverend

About this author 

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Sunni Overend grew up in Victorian wine country, studied design at RMIT University and opened her own designer clothing store. While running her store, Sunni gave in to her love for stories and her first novel, March, came to life.
She currently lives in Melbourne with her architect husband, where she writes, grows flowers on her balcony and pretends she’s too busy and important to browse recipes, dog breeds, cashmere and country houses online.

The Bow Wow Club by Nicola May @NicolaMay1 #review

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As per my usual starting sentence, I love me some chick lit. Yes I love the style in which Nicola May writes. Mostly I enjoy the “real” aspect. Because it is sad, humerus and sexy, but not over the top. The people in her books are not wealthy, millionaires who flaunt or voluptuous woman. They are very relate-able to me. The main character is Ruby and she is at a turning point in her life. Tragedy strikes and it is a great exploration of loss. I feel so bad for her losing her husband! He was the love of her life in such a way that it hurts to read that part. smiles angel

The sub characters like Fiona (Fi) are just the remedy for what ales poor Ruby. It is a VERY touching story. After Ruby is at her lowest who comes charging in? Fiona, strong, loving,  and demanding. She surely gets Ruby out of the slump and back into the game. Ruby goes to a group Bow Wow Club (Boyfriends of Widows, Wives of Widowers). Therapy and a HUGE reveal change Ruby’s future forever. When Ruby meets Michael I was hopeful. I thought maybe it was too soon but he was good medicine. (gushing here at the racy scenes) It goes up and down and then you gasp out loud at the reveal.happy jumping smiley5

Overall I think this has been her best book so far. I see the difference in emotions and character development. She keeps you guessing about a few things and that is the build up I like in a book. I enjoyed this book more than The School Gates and Better Together. I did not think that was possible. Better Together was equally as sexy as this one.

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Meet the author Nicola May
Nicola May

Buy it on Amazon

website twitter nicolamay1

My new novel The Bow Wow Club is OUT NOW!

My fourth novel The School Gates won an award for best author read at Festival of Romance.

My other bestselling novels are Working it Out, Star Fish & Better Together. Details can be found at http://www.nicolamay.com

I look forward to sharing my heartfelt and fun books with you.

Better Together by Nicola May @nicolamay1 #review

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Better Together

Jess is nearly 40 when she meets Dan Harris at a party. She is single, sorted, happy – with a great job and a buzzy social and sex-life. All of this is threatened when she falls deeply in love with Dan, who is only 23. 

Jess, being older, recognises this as the real, precious thing – but in his immaturity, Dan does not. Unable to cope with the stigma of being with an older woman, he eventually leaves her. 

Ten years pass…

Jess, who is still gorgeous at 50, is married now, with a child of her own.They meet again. The years fall away.
This time, Dan understands – but is it too late?

My review: 

Well I really enjoyed this one. There were parts that made me so sad and parts that I yelled at the book. sometimes walking away from someone is the hardest thing to do and Jess killed me when she did that. I think the love of her life was there, and so what he was younger! I was filled with angst!

I was being a little selfish thinking that I wanted more. I think the book could have been longer. One of my favorite quotes was “Being honest with you, Jess, I actually arranged to see Dave later as I knew that we’d be at it like rabbits if not. And as I am officially on the rebound, that wouldn’t be acceptable, now would it?

I think I hit a little jackpot meeting this author. Now I set out to read the rest of the books and plan a bundle giveaway! She needs to get some press from the states ladies read on!!

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My Quotes and Notes 

‘Being honest with you, Jess, I actually arranged to see Dave later as I knew that we’d be at it like rabbits if not. And as I am officially on the rebound, that wouldn’t be acceptable, now would it?’

She wanted to taunt this man, who had so readily dismissed her, the minute she had told him she was pregnant with his child. She was so lucky to have met Dan when she did, and was so easily able to pass Evie off as his. ‘Of course I haven’t told him. I’m not that stupid.

‘I don’t care.’ Jess said her voice beginning to crack. ‘I love being with you. It’s the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. You make me…’ She was lost for words. ‘We’re better together that’s all.’ She couldn’t contain her tears any longer.

Sam waved his beautiful wife and daughter off of the drive. Tears stung his eyes at the nature of his betrayal. What on earth was he thinking? How could he possibly even think of leaving this wonderful woman, adorable child and settled life behind for what?

It was incomprehensible; Sam was the father of Dan’s child! How could that be?

At least now, with him gone from their lives, she and Freya could move on, with no deceit hanging over them. Just pure honesty, trust and love.

The author:

Website

Goodreads

Twitter 

Amazon Author page 

Other titles:

Working It Out
Star Fish
The School Gates

Nicola May

About this author

Hello, I’m Nicola May, author of romantic comedy.

STOP PRESS: The School Gates has just WON Best Author Published Read at Festival of Romance!!

My fourth novel The School Gates is out now on both Kindle and in paperback. It follows the lives of 4 very different mums and one gay dad and how their lives intertwine at the school gates. Chick Lit with a kick I call it as deals with some pretty tough issues. It has just been shortlisted for best self published novel. Winners to be announced at Festival of Romance on November 16th.

My other bestselling novels are Working it Out, Star Fish & Better Together. Deatils can be found at www.nicolamay.com

I look forward to sharing my heartfelt and fun books with you.

Becoming Bryn by Angela Carling @angelacarling #review

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For months, Jesse has been envious of her twin sister Bryn and even has a crush on Bryn’s gorgeous, popular boyfriend, Quinton. When Jesse awakens from a coma to learn that everyone thinks she IS Bryn, the option of actually taking over her sister’s life is beyond tempting, but there’s a downside. She’d have to give up Ethan, her best friend and the only person she trusts. Could she actually live as Bryn for the rest of her life? And if her family and friends found out, would they ever forgive her?

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Amazon 

B & N 

 

Author Angela Carling

angela
Raised in Palm Springs California. A desert rat that writes Young Adult novels and loves all kitties and her family. Can be bribed with chocolate. Published books, Unbreakable Love, Shackled and Becoming Bryn.

 

Author Link: 

Twitter @angelacarling

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My Review:

I think I liked it because it had a lesson and left me happy, not longing for the next book to come out. I think as I was growing up, having 2 sisters, at one time or another you wanted to switch places. Now all of us resembled each other, but could never be a twin.  I will say that there is an alternating POV and usually I hate those, but this was real time, not past versus present. So for that reason I was cool with it. I will say that Bryn passes away. I guess it is no secret that this is the premise of the book.

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Now when confronted with the choice of becoming Bryn and stating the truth, well that is hard. It is choice Jesse has to carefully choose. The fact that I liked the characters, Quentin and Bryn were perfect. I really enjoyed the personal war Jesse starts to have. She sort of goes with it and doesn’t justify her choice or lack of a choice. That is something I liked and the reason why I feel, she was likable.

I won’t say that this is a light book, it is not. The overall writing is great, the characters are too, the message is there. I really liked how the high school drama plays out. The teenage mind is a mystical thing. The way Jesse chooses her path is great.The redeeming qualities of her character were my favorite part. The other was the young adult part was pretty pg and for that I am thankful, no need to tarnish the book with a lot of smut. I like smut, but this didn’t call for it. I say read it now!

  4 half star blog book

 

INTERVIEW with LOVELAND author Andrea Downing @andidowning

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INTERVIEW with LOVELAND author Andrea Downing

 

 

•          How did someone who has spent most of her life living in the U.K. come to write a western historical novel?

I have spent most of my life in the U.K., but I grew up in the states on a diet of westerns on television.  I tell some people that when I decided to move to England to do my MA I made a wrong turn and went east instead of west!  But my love of the west never faded; almost all our family vacations while my daughter was growing up were spent on ranches out west.  I think at last count we notched up 17.  Loveland is a combination of both worlds, Britain and the American west.  The story came to me when I was reading histories of the west and discovered how many of the large cattle companies were run by ‘remittance men’—second sons of the aristocracy.

•          How much research did you have to do for Loveland?

Quite a bit.  I had to read a number of memoirs of the period to be sure to get the words and voices correct.  I don’t know if I always succeeded but I certainly tried.  And, of course, I went out to Loveland, Colorado, to see the land, see the prairie, and also drove up to Cheyenne, Wyoming, which gets a mention in the book.  In actual fact, at one stage, Cheyenne was the hub of the British aristocracy in the west and it was the wealthiest city in the world on a per capita basis.

•          What inspires you? 

I’d have to start with my daughter—she’s the most inspirational person I know.  But if I put motherly pride aside, just being out west inspires me.  Those wide open spaces where you feel you can really breathe and be yourself, the towering mountains standing like guardians—the whole geography of it just fascinates and inspires me.  To think of the people who first went there, not knowing what lay ahead, turning open prairie into tilled fields and cattle range and making a new life for themselves away from everyone and everything they knew—that’s truly inspirational.

•          How long have you been writing?

Since about age 6.  I think my first novel was written in one of those speckled black and white notebooks—and it was probably a western!  I worked in publishing for a time and later edited a poetry magazine and have been writing on and off for years, but am rather shy about showing my work. Some years ago, while I was still living in Britain, I wrote a 600 page book I intended to try to have published.  It got rejected by about 3 agents so I gave up—which, when you think about it, is pretty laughable.  Anyway, all my friends sort of ‘yelled’ at me, told me how foolish that was, as did my daughter.  They’ve all been my cheerleaders until I finally decided I had nothing to lose.

•          Can you talk about what you are working on now?

    I have a short story, Lawless Love, coming out Sept. 4 fro The Wild Rose Press as well as a full length contemporary in front of an editor.  Tentatively titled Dances of the Heart, it’s about four people with very different lives, very different conflicts who come together and relationships blossom while they all undergo some interior change.  There’s a mother who is a successful writer but has a deep fear of growing old and letting a man, who might reject her, into her life; her daughter, meanwhile, has just suffered the death of her fiancé, quit law school and now lacks direction to get her life back on track.  Then there is a hard drinking father who blames himself for having sent his oldest son off to Afghanistan, where he died, while his younger son carries a secret which affects them all in the end.

•          What drew you to write romance?

I don’t know that I was specifically drawn to write romance but they are definitely the stories I imagine.  I like having happy endings, I like having a beginning, middle and an end, and I don’t particularly go for this modern thing of leaving a story hanging inconclusively.  And, of course, I like to think of people overcoming the odds to be together and fall in love. I mean, who doesn’t like a good love story?

 

•          What’s the most challenging part of the writing process for you?

I call it ‘the tyranny of the clean white page.’  Usually I have the beginning and the end figured out, can even write the last scene prior to anything else.  But that middle bit, that getting from A to Z, is difficult.  I’m a pantser and my characters write the story themselves so I never really know what’s going to happen and at times that white page just looms and torments me.

ANDREA DOWNING

Andrea Downing has spent most of her life in the UK where she developed a penchant for tea-drinking, a tolerance for rainy days, and a deep knowledge of the London Underground system.  She received an M.A. from the University of Keele in Staffordshire and stayed on to teach and write, living in the Derbyshire Peak District, the English Lake District and the Chiltern Hills before finally moving into London. During this time, family vacations were often on guest ranches in the American West, where she and her daughter have clocked up some 17 ranches to date. In addition, she has traveled widely throughout Europe, South America, and Africa, living briefly in Nigeria. In 2008 she returned to the city of her birth, NYC, but frequently exchanges the canyons of city streets for the wide open spaces of the West.  Her love of horses, ranches, rodeo and just about anything else western is reflected in her writing.  Loveland, a western historical romance published by The Wild Rose Press, is her first book.  She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Women Writing the West.

Twitter  @andidowning

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After Math by Denise Grover Swank @DeniseMSwank @tale_of_reviews

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After Math (Off the Subject, #1)

The title of the book is GREAT! Why? It is a play on words After Math like after math class or aftermath like after the big reveal! WOW I loved it and I cried, then loved it more! Scarlett Goodwin’s world is divided into Before and After. This was one of the MOST accurate portrayals of anxiety and panic disorders I have read. This girl had her entire life turned upside down. The only thing that ruled her world was fear and panic. She wanted the math center to get a special grant, so she agrees to tutor Tucker price, also known as man whore.

Scarlett is a loner, and has a close friend Caroline who is her room mate. Caroline understands Scarlett and is the only one who she can turn to. The triggers are not clear but one thing that she uses to sooth her is math. She thinks in absolute equations, any problem has an answer and it has a calming effect.

Scarlett Goodwin, junior at Southern University, math major, coerced into tutoring Tucker

What happens when she agrees to tutor Tucker? She knows the lab needs the grant and being asked by the head of the math department makes the situation unavoidable. Can Scarlett find happiness with anyone? Will Tucker’s life and reputation turn her into a panic stricken shut in? Will she be caught in Tucker’s aftermath? 

Fashion Shot of a Young Man 

Tucker a soccer star? Maybe He might be better as a gym teacher or coach? What his dreams and life goals are will shock Scarlett. 

It is a very emotional and powerful book. I enjoyed it from beginning to end.


PLAYLIST

Coldplay, X&Y, Low (book’s theme song)
Matchbox Twenty, North (Deluxe Version), How Long?
Matchbox Twenty, North (Deluxe Version), Like Sugar
Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head, Warning Sign
Ingrid Michaelson, Be OK, Keep Breathing
Ingrid Michaelson, Be OK, The Chain
Missy Higgins, On a Clear Night, Where I Stood

Denise Grover Swank

 Twitter @DeniseMSwank

http://www.denisegroverswank.com

http://denisegroverswank.com/books/

http://denisegroverswank.com/blog/blog/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4921525.Denise_Grover_Swank

http://www.amazon.com/Denise-Grover-Swank/e/B005ANAB6K

Denise Grover Swank is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author. She writes urban fantasies without vampires and werewolves, romantic comedy mysteries set in the south, and sexy new adult contemporary romances. Denise has six children, three dogs, and an overactive imagination. She can be found dancing in her kitchen with her children, reading or writing her next book. You will rarely find her cleaning.

You can find out more about Denise at http://www.denisegroverswank.com or email her at DeniseGroverSwank@gmail.com

Kitchen Affairs (The Riverside Trilogy) by Brooke Cumberland @blcumberland

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Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 2013

Drake Staglinao is from a wealthy empire family who owns Riverside Hotel & Restaurant in downtown Chicago. He’s attractive, charming, witty, and will do whatever it takes to get the one he wants, Molly Woods. 

 Molly, a chef intern at his five-star restaurant, shows no interest in dating Drake, or dating at all for that matter since the death of her fiancé four years earlier. After several attempts, Drake goes to extreme measures to get some alone time with Molly, knowing that he just needs a few hours for her to realize their intense chemistry is too hot to ignore. Drake finds out why Molly is reserved and guarded – but that doesn’t stop him from getting who he wants.

 Molly gives in and lets her guard down in order to let Drake in. However, they need to keep their relationship private, but when a surveillance video goes viral of the two of them, they must overcome obstacles that most relationships don’t have to endure. 

Molly needs to let go of her past in order to let Drake in… but how far can she go without cracking? 

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About this author

Brooke is a midwestern gal, from the cheese state of Wisconsin! Go Packers! She’s a stay-at-home mom of three beautiful children (one daughter & two stepsons). She’s studied psychology in college, and counseling and education in graduate school where she found her love for writing. Most days you can find her reading or writing, or just hanging out with her family! She loves movies, cooking, and shopping! She loves talking and meeting new people. She loves Coach purses and wearing yoga pants.

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Heartstrings By Sara Walter Ellwood @sara_w_ellwood **Spotlight**

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 Heartstrings

 

 

 

Cover (1)

Blurb:

 

 He’s determined to set things right, no matter the cost.

 

 The last person Abby Crawford wants to face down is country music superstar Seth Kendall. Last time she did, she flat-out lied so he’d go to Nashville without her. She’s never understood why their mutual best friend proposed, but she went with it so her baby wouldn’t be fatherless. Now she’s a divorced mother of a teenager, and secretly Seth’s biggest fan. 

 

Seth is home in McAllister, Texas for his father’s funeral…and a chance to meet the daughter he’s never known. He’s willing to face the music of his own making and admit he’s known about his little girl all along. For fifteen years he’s kept his distance because Abby told him to follow his dreams without her, insisting she didn’t love him. But now he won’t leave until he knows his daughter and she knows him, even if it means facing the woman who broke his heart for good.

 

Confessing she’s lied about her daughter’s paternity all these years won’t be easy for Abby, especially with her ex blackmailing her to keep the secret. And Seth doesn’t know the hardest truth of all: Every love song he plays on his guitar still plucks her heartstrings.

 

CONTENT WARNING: Spicy sex.

 

 Excerpt:

 

Seth leaned in. His lips were close enough to kiss, and his scent of sandalwood and something exotic enveloped her, taking her back to that night on the beach. His eyes flashed with the dangerous fire of his temper. It was similar to the flame of the passion she’d once seen in the green depths. Abby didn’t expect or want the heat curling in her belly, and shivered with a sudden and fierce desire.

 

“I’m her father, Abigail. I wanted to be her father after she was born. It was you and Mike who insisted I had no business messing things up.”

 

“I never said any such thing. You never tried. You just left.”

 

He pounded a fist on the counter top so hard she jumped. “Yes, I left! I wasn’t welcome at home. Dad ran me off with a shotgun. Mike wouldn’t even let me see my daughter. He made it quite clear you and he were happily married, and I had no place in your life. I was under contract to be in Nashville to start recording my first album.”

 

What did he mean, Mike wouldn’t let him see Emily?

 

Before she had a chance to voice her question, his eyes darkened as the pupils dilated, obscuring the stormy green. “But I’m no longer nineteen and scared shitless. I could make things very rough for you and this fantasy you’ve got working.”

 

A cold lump quickly replaced the tangle of heat in her belly. “What-what do you mean?”

 

He backed off and tapped the countertop. “I’m talking a custody battle. I could have a judge order a paternity test. I think we both know the media hoopla the results would cause.”

 

Her heart slammed into her chest wall. “You wouldn’t do that.”

 

“Try me. Now that I’ve met Emily, I want to get to know her.” He walked over to look out the kitchen window. The hard line of his jaw melted, and he swallowed so hard his throat moved up and down. “I was a fool when I let Mike talk me out of being in her life after she was born.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

He glanced at her. “Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

 

The strings of guitar music provided a soft counterpoint to the hard tension in the kitchen. Emily was outside on the patio playing around with her guitar, waiting for them to finish with the dishes she and Seth had insisted on doing.

 

“All I want is to have some time with my daughter. That’s all I’m asking for.” When he looked over his shoulder at her, sadness replaced the anger in his eyes. “I’ll keep your little secret. I’ll just be her favorite singer. The family friend who made it big in Nashville. I don’t want to hurt her. As much as it galls the hell out of me, I see what Mike means to her.”

 

He moved toward her and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Besides, I don’t want to hurt Carolann or Frank any more than you do.” He glanced outside again, his voice husky as he spoke. “But I’ll sue you if I have to.”

 

A part of her wanted to give in to him, but a larger part wanted to punish him. Let him take her to court; she’d make sure the world knew what kind of jerk Seth Kendall really was.

 

She gritted her teeth and fisted her hands by her sides. “I’ll let you have tonight, Seth. But don’t ask for more.”

 

She turned away and strode through the French doors.

 

 

 

Bio:

 

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Sara Walter Ellwood is an award winning author whose novel Gambling On A Secret was named by bestselling author Carolyn Brown in the Happy Ever After Blog on USA Today as one of her favorite romances of 2012. Although Sara has long ago left the farm for the glamour of the big town, she draws on her experiences growing up on a small hobby farm in West Central Pennsylvania to write her stories. She’s been married to her college sweetheart for nearly 20 years, and they have two teenagers and one very spoiled rescue cat named Penny. She longs to visit the places she writes about and jokes she’s a cowgirl at heart stuck in Pennsylvania suburbia.

 

She also writes paranormal romantic suspense under the pen name of Cera duBois.

 

Buy Links:

 

Lyrical Press: http://lyricalpress.com/heartstrings/

 

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