MY GIFT TO MY READERS

TO ALL MY WONDERFUL READERS,

I posted this a couple years ago, but it so important, that I hope you don't mind reading it one more time. There is a giveaway at the end of this post. 

~~~

I have been asked a lot in the last few days is what I want for Christmas. Well, it's not a simple answer, but it should be. What I want isn't expensive, out of stock, nor hard to deliver. 

In this most magical, mysterious, spiritual season, I want one thing...

FOR ALL OF US TO START TREATING OURSELVES AND EACH OTHER BETTER.

We are all very unique, with our own special talents, our own unique points of view---our own unique way of understanding this life we are all trying to live. 

We are all special, wonderful, amazing, individuals. So why are we so hard on ourselves and others? Why do we try to tear down what isn't exactly like us? 

Maybe if we could see how wonderful we really are, accept it, and revel in the glory of who we are, then maybe we would be able to appreciate and value the uniqueness in others. 

My mother use to tell me that there is no way you can love others until you learn love yourself. She was an amazing woman. Listen to her! 

Maybe the eleventh commandment should have read: Love yourself as I have loved you--- so you can love another. Take a good look in a mirror and find something to love.  

It's a simple gift but it has the power to change our world. 

~~~

I always sign off my blog with the wish that you find a moment to relax and read a good book. With that in mind, I'm giving away 5 digital books, [first come first serve and reader's choice] from my book list. If you haven't had a chance to read one of my books or would like to pass a copy to a friend, please send me an email HERE. I wish you all a wonderful holiday season filled with love and laughter. See in 2017! 

Hugs to all,

Nancy C. Weeks

WELCOME BACK BECKY LOWER, AUTHOR OF DANCE WITH DESTINY

Their worlds collide and sparks fly–but forbidden love burns.

Giveaway Alert

Hello Everyone!

I hope you are all having a great week. Today, I'm thrilled to have back on my blog wonderful author, Becky Lower. Becky is here to tell us what inspired her new American historical romance, Dance With Destiny.

  

Becky, I love having you back with us. Before we get to your post, I can't help but brag a little on your behalf. I came across this amazing review about Dance With Destiny and hope you don't mind me sharing it with my readers.

Dance With Destiny is #1 on Goodreads Listopia for Interracial Historical Romance.

Early Praise for Dance With Destiny: This romance novel takes some risks and pulls them off beautifully. In Outlander fashion, Susannah is married when she falls in love with Lone Wolf, and we see her--in love--with both men, which adds a special tension to the conflict. In my opinion, this is Lower's best work.

William Myers feels it’s his duty to answer the call to fight for the Union Army—but his wife, Susannah, doesn’t agree. How does he expect her to survive with four small children in the cold Ohio winter during the three-month enlistment period? Angry and abandoned, Susannah learns soon after William leaves that she is also pregnant again. 

Raoul Lafontaine is a half-Ojibwa, half-French-Canadian drifter who is more Indian than white. Also known as Lone Wolf, he has recently left the Ojibwa village in search of a fair-haired woman both he and his grandfather have seen in visions. She is important to him—but how? He will never allow himself to care for another—not after losing the wife he loved so much. 

But Raoul could not have planned for the sizzling emotions that surface when he comes near Susannah, nor the love he feels for her children. When he realizes that Susannah returns his feelings, he knows he must leave—for how can he stay close by knowing she can never be his? William will return to his homestead, and they’ll once again be a family. One in which Raoul has no place. Or does he?

Will Fate relent and grant the love between Susannah and Raoul in this DANCE WITH DESTINY?

AMAZON

Becky Lower ...

What makes Dance With Destiny so special to me is that it’s a branch off my family tree.

When I became a teenager, my dad told me the dirty little secret about his grandmother. She was half-Indian, and until the day she died, she had the strong, chiseled features that bespoke of her heritage, and long coal black hair that fell to her knees.

Rather than being appalled by this knowledge, I was thrilled. Times were changing, and being a part of the culture that was America before the Europeans came to our shores was exciting. I began to wear feathers in my hair, and to this day I wear moccasins around the house. So imagine my surprise when I began doing research on the family tree some twenty years ago, with the help of the internet and could find no link to my Indian past. I contacted the Myers branch of the family, some of them unknown to me until then, and they graciously shared what information they had. They, too, had heard the rumor, and how my great-grandmother and her siblings had been harassed in school because of their tainted blood line, but could never figure out how an Indian came into the family.

When it became possible, I underwent the Ancestry.com DNA test. Imagine my disappointment when the DNA test disproved a blood connection!  But since multiple branches of the family had been told the same story for years, there had to be a grain of truth in it.

Susannah Myers was my great-great grandmother, and Missouria Belle was my great-grandmother. William Myers did indeed go off to fight the Civil War, leaving Susannah alone on a mountaintop in southern Ohio with her children. This is my version of what may have happened. I hope you enjoy it.

Dance With Destiny Excerpt:

Ohio Hill Country, April, 1861

 "You can't leave me! Leave us! How will we ever survive? We are only good if we can face our hardships together.” Susannah Myers pummeled her husband's shoulders as her lips pressed together in a tight line. “Running off to war and leaving me alone to care for our four little ones is not right. I can’t do this on my own."

William took hold of her hands and stilled them. He kissed her callused fingers and then grazed her lips. She stopped fighting him and laid her head on her husband’s broad shoulder, letting her hot tears fall.

"It'll only be for a few months, Susannah. Summer’s coming on, so it won’t be so hard for you to get by. There are plenty of chickens for food and eggs, I’ve stocked the smoke house with deer, and Jacob can start on the planting, so you’ll have potatoes and fresh vegetables. I have no choice in the matter as to whether I stay or go. I have to volunteer. Every able-bodied man in southern Ohio is being asked to do his part. Daniel was out here just the other day to make sure I'd sign up."

Susannah straightened up and took a deep breath. She moved away from him, trying to distance herself from her feelings of abandonment. "Four children, William, and the oldest of them only nine years old. Is volunteering for service worth it when, by leaving, you’re putting the lives of your children in jeopardy?”

He spread his hands wide. "Of course, if I had any say in the matter, I’d want to be right here, with my woman and my babies. But, it's my duty to serve. And I swear it will only be for a couple months. I've only signed on for ninety days. After that, I'll be home. Don't worry. I'll just be gone for the summer. All we're doing is guarding the nation's capital until the southerners are subdued. We won't be anywhere near the battle zone. I'll be home before you know I'm gone."

Susannah faced him again, trying once more to make him see reason. "I’ll miss you the minute you leave, William. The ache in my heart is already there. What I don’t understand is why you feel this need to serve. We don't even own any slaves. Why must you fight these battles? It doesn't affect us."

"The government is trying to keep the country from splitting into two parts. We must prevent that at all costs. Our ancestors came from Germany to southern Ohio to find a new way of life in this great country, and so far, it’s worked well for us, even though it’s a hard struggle each year. But if the nation splits into two, it will never be the mighty force it should be."

Susannah sighed, fully aware her protests were falling on deaf ears. "Promise me, then. By the time the first snow comes, and you know it comes early here in the hills, you'll be home."

~~~

Where you can more information about Becky Lower

Amazon best-selling author Becky Lower has traveled the country looking for great settings for her novels. She loves to write about two people finding each other and falling in love, amid the backdrop of a great setting, be it on a covered wagon headed west or in present day small town America.  Historical and contemporary romances are her specialty. Becky is a PAN member of RWA and is a member of the Historic and Contemporary RWA chapters. She has a degree in English and Journalism from Bowling Green State University, and lives in an eclectic college town in Ohio with her puppy-mill rescue dog, Mary. She loves to hear from her readers at beckylowerauthor@gmail.com. Visit her website at www.beckylowerauthor.com

Website   Facebook  Twitter  Pinterest   Blog  Goodreads   Google +  Amazon page 

~~~

Becky, what a wonderful excerpt. I can almost taste Susannah's panic. I would have felt the same way. This is going to be a fun book to read. 

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and sharing Dance With Destiny with my readers. If anyone has any questions for Becky Lower, please don't be shy. You can post your questions in the comment section below. It that doesn't work for you, send me an email HERE and I'll pass it along to Becky. If you would like to receive a FREE e-book copy, please contact Becky.

Have a wonderful weekend. Please take a moment to yourself and read a great book.

Hugs to all,

Nancy C. Weeks

WELCOME BACK SHARON BUCHBINDER, AUTHOR OF THE HAUNTING OF HOTEL LABELLE

GIVEAWAY ALERT AT THE END OF THE POST

Hello Everyone!

Today, I'm delighted to turn my blog over to friend and fellow author, Sharon Buchbinder. She has dropped in to tell us about what inspired her to write about a hotel inspector in The Haunting of Hotel LaBelle.  

Before I go, here is Sharon's wonderful cover, short blurb and book trailer for The Haunting of Hotel LaBelle.  My blog is all yours. Enjoy!

When hotel inspector, Tallulah Thompson, is called in along with her pug, Franny, to investigate renovation delays, she meets an extremely annoyed and dapper turn-of-the-century innkeeper. The only problem is he’s in limbo, neither dead nor alive, and Tallulah and the pug are the first to see him in a hundred years. Cursed by a medicine woman, “Love ‘em and Leave ‘em Lucius” Stewart is stuck between worlds until he finds his true love and gives her his heart. When he first sees Tallulah, he doesn’t know what he’s feeling. Yet, her stunning beauty, and feisty attitude pull him in. With the fate of Hotel LaBelle on the line, Tallulah with the help of a powerful medicine woman turns Lucius back into a flesh and blood man. She and Lucius team up to save the hotel, but Tallulah can't help but wonder if he will ever let go of his past love and learn to love again.

Book Trailer

BUY: The Wild Rose Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance | iBooks | Kobo | Bookstrand 

Hotel LaBelle and the Making of Tallulah Thompson

After sharing numerous travel horror stories with a writing friend, she said, “You should write a book about this!” Ta-dah!! I drew from these experiences to create Tallulah Thompson, Hotel Inspector and her partner and pug, Franny. 

My husband and I travel a lot for business and pleasure. Over the forty years of our marriage, we have stayed at everything from a stunning boutique hotels to fabulous bed and breakfasts to corporate chains. We even stayed at a Motel 6 in a blizzard in Davenport, Iowa in the late 1970s. It was so cold, my husband had to keep going out and starting the car every two hours so it wouldn’t freeze and we had to put towels at the door to keep snow from blowing in (you may see a theme here). 

I will share Good, Bad and Ugly hotel experiences we have had and ask your readers if they have good, bad or ugly hotel experiences they’d like to share. I will give away three (3) Kindle e-copies of the Haunting of Hotel Labelle to three random commenters.

The Good is Really Awesome

Here are the reasons why this stay with a family run bed and breakfast, the Foster Harris House is always a slice of heaven. 

The rooms Elegant and cozy, each spotless room has its own unique personality. We prefer the Mountain View Room which has a sitting area and a shower with about six showerheads, maybe more. I lost count. When you arrive, a covered dish with homemade cookies await you.

Here are the reasons why this stay with a family run bed and breakfast, the Foster Harris House  is always a slice of heaven. 

The rooms Elegant and cozy, each spotless room has its own unique personality. We prefer the Mountain View Room which has a sitting area and a shower with about six shower heads, maybe more. I lost count. When you arrive, a covered dish with homemade cookies await you. 

The owners: Ten years ago, John and Diane MacPherson gave up jobs in corporate America to pursue a dream. A self-taught chef and avid bicyclist, John’s talents in the kitchen are up there with the finest. As you can see from the photos, breakfast alone is worth the trip, with creative and exciting combinations of taste and visual delight. Dinners are a lovely, leisurely affair. This is not fast food. This is divine food.

The area: Washington, Virginia was George Washington’s (yes, that one) first planned city. Now, not to be too critical, but the town is pretty small and boasts about two stop signs. Don’t let it’s petite stature fool you. It is filled with artists, great cuisine, and is nestled at the base of the Shenandoah Mountain range, right outside the National Park. It is also a short distance to Luray Caverns if you want to see how our earth began. Breathtaking on both counts!

The Bad was Pretty Bad

Here are the reasons why this stay with a large corporate chain was a bad experience (no name because after I launched a letter writing campaign to the corporate customer service department, we did receive a refund).

The room: One of the basic things a human needs in a home, car, or hotel room is heat. When we arrived in Chicago on a windy day in the perpetually windy city, it was overcast and chilly. We were put into a room on the 41st floor that had a sloooooooow flushing toilet and no heat. The next day, we complained and were moved to a newly renovated room on the 45th floor. Soon we discovered the new room (furnished by IKEA, without even dresser for your clothes) also had no heat.

We called and were told by "at your service" (not) that there would be no heat forthcoming, and that “you are the only ones complaining.” They would turn the heat on only after receiving sufficient complaints from the entire hotel. What that magic tipping point was for a majority vote, I do not know, however, the entire hotel system it seems had two settings: hot and cold. And all we got was cold and colder. The thermostat in the room was a fake for show, as it did not work. 

In shades of Motel 6, we obtained extra towels to block the draft coming under the door and while in the room had to wear overcoat and blanket to work at the computer. I had no gloves sans fingertips, so to keep writing I had to get up and warm my hands under the hot water in the bathroom. 

The staff: With few notable exceptions, the staff were indifferent and condescending. Where ever we went in the hotel, the lobby, the elevator, the Concierge Lounge, the gym, people complained bitterly about how cold their room was. When I asked for a heater, the same person who said I was the only one complaining said they were all “checked out to guests.”

Housekeeping: The Housekeeping staff were on the floor, bright and early at 8 am, shouting down the hall to each other, music BLARING (not in earphones), and slamming carts into walls and doors. About a quarter of the rooms had PRIVACY signs on them. My guess is those people wanted to SLEEP. With the cacophony in the hallway, I doubt they could. I know I tried, but the noise woke me up.

The area: Downtown Chicago, IL, a great WINDY city. We lived there for over a decade. I recommend visiting only during summer and early fall, as the weather is either HOT or COLD, just like the hotel thermostat.

The Ugly is Hideous

A business trip to St Louis took us to yet another corporate hotel which boasts a low price, free WIFI and complimentary breakfast (powdered eggs, but we won’t go there). When we arrived, my husband dropped me off with the luggage and took off. He did this so I could take a desperately needed nap—and I checked in to Hotel Hell.

The hotel was under construction. Not just a minor renovation, we’re talking jack hammers on every floor, going from 9 am to 7 pm. When I approached the desk, I gave my name, received room key and a bag of goodies: ear plugs, a water bottle and a granola bar. The clerks at the desk found it amusing when I said I really needed a nap. They LAUGHED at me and suggested I put a pillow over my head to go with the ear plugs.

But wait, there’s more….

The room: Had heat and a comfy bed, which was all I really wanted at that point in time. I put on my leopard pajamas, put ear plugs in my ears, eye mask on my face, played my white noise app and dozed off—only to be awoken by the claxon of a FIRE ALARM, lights flashing and instructions to exit the building via the stairs. I leaped out of bed, into my boots, threw my down coat over my leopard pajamas and raced down the stairs of the closest exit, which was somewhere in EAST NOWHERE behind the hotel. I wandered about a half-mile to get to the front entrance, searching for signs of fire engines, smoke, or any other hotel guests outside. There were NONE.

The staff: Remember being in high school when the girls in the clique made fun of you and laughed at you? No? I do. I found out who employs these teenagers: Hotel Hell. Exhausted and upset, I went to the front desk AGAIN and asked what happened to the fire. Fire? What fire? They LAUGHED at me. Again. The Fire Marshall was there and because of the renovations, they had to TEST the fire alarms. When I asked why they hadn’t called guests to alert them it was only a test, they said, “Well, there weren’t that many guests in the rooms, so it really wasn’t a big deal.” To THEM.

Out of my mind with fatigue and anger, I went back to my room to discover my room key had been DEPROGRAMMED with the drill. I could not get into my room! If it hadn’t been for a sweet maid who let me into my room with her pass key (she was also not told about the fire drill!) I think I would still be in jail on homicide charges. No jury in the world would have convicted me.

Not only did I complain, the company we came out to do business with complained and I also posted a one star review on Trip Advisor. Many apologies later, a refund was offered, but no one could refund me my sleep or anxiety or frustration.

The area: St. Louis is not one of my favorite parts of the country for this and other reasons. So, please, don’t ask me to give you tips on travel there!

Excerpt from The Haunting of Hotel LaBelle:

A book flew at his head—and sailed through him, bouncing off the wall and landing on the floor.

      Mouth agape, the woman stared from him to the book and back to him again. “You’re a ghost.”

      “Not exactly. Shall we start over?” He leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. “After a hundred years of being invisible to everyone except you, I’d like to know who you are and what you’re doing here.”

      “Of course. Why not? Could today get any weirder?” She sank into the desk chair, shook her head, and sighed. “My name is Tallulah Thompson. I’m a hotel inspector, hired by the current owner as a consultant to find out why the renovations are delayed and what he needs to do to fix it. He’s teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.”

      “What tribe are you?”

      She jerked her head up and those doggone lapis lazuli eyes of hers sparked as if she’d strike him with lightning and kill him with one look. “No one asks that. It’s not politically correct.”

      “Well, I guess you haven’t been talking to the right people. And I don’t know what you mean by that last part. I’ve never been involved in politics.”

      “Nowadays, it’s considered rude to ask about another person’s national origins.” She threw her hands up. “Why am I giving a ghost an etiquette lesson? What am I thinking?”

~~~

So, dear readers, if you’ve made it this far (!) tell us about your hotel experiences, Good, Bad, and Ugly to be eligible to win one Kindle e-copy of my new release, The Haunting of Hotel LaBelle.

Sharon Buchbinder has been writing fiction since middle school and has the rejection slips to prove it. An RN, she provided health care delivery, became a researcher, association executive, and obtained a PhD in Public Health. When not teaching or writing, she can be found fishing, walking her dogs, or breaking bread and laughing with family and friends in Baltimore, MD and Punta Gorda, FL.

Author Links

Facebook: Sharon Buchbinder Romance Author https://www.facebook.com/sharon.buchbinder.romanceauthor

Twitter ID @sbuchbinder https://twitter.com/sbuchbinder

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sharon_buchbinder/

Blog http://sharonbuchbinder.blogspot.com/

Website http://www.sharonbuchbinder.com/index.html

Link to sign up for Newsletter http://www.sharonbuchbinder.com/contact.html#newsletter

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR STICKING WITH ME AS I CONTINUE TO REACH FOR MY DREAMS. I WISH YOU ALL LOVE AND HAPPINESS. 

MY THANKSGIVING QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough. 

~Oprah Winfrey~

HUGS TO ALL!!

Nancy C. Weeks

BOOK SIGNING 11/12/2012

HI ALL!!!

BOOK SIGNING!!!

Hey everyone!

If you are in the area, I'm going to be signing all my books at the OVFC Ladies Auxiliary Craft and Vendor show this Saturday 11/12/2016. Great event and a wonderful cause. Drop by and get a few Christmas items crossed off your list. 

CRAFT AND VENDOR SHOW
NOVEMBER 12, 2016
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
ODENTON VOLUNTER FIRE COMPANY
1425 ANNAPOLIS ROAD

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE – COME LOOK SEE

Avon Artwork Household Items
It Works Global Baby Items Jewelry
LuLaRoe Book Signings Knitted Items
Mary Kay Calligraphy Quilting
Origami Owl Ceramics Rada Knives
Pampered Chef Christmas Items Scarves
Park Lane Jewelry Crocheted Items Walking Sticks
Plexus Decoys Wreaths
Scentsy Dog Treats Lots and lots of miscellaneous crafts
Stella and Dot Jewelry Embroidery
Tastefully Simple Fabric Items Bake Table
Tupperware Hair Accessories Food for sale

NOTE:

IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN THE AREA AND WOULD LIKE A SIGNED BOOK, PLEASE CONTACT ME HERE. I WILL BE HAPPY TO WORK SOMETHING OUT.

That's all for now. Have a great weekend.

Hugs to all,

Nancy C. Weeks

THE JOYS OF EDITING--SLASHING, BURNING, CRYING...

Hi Everyone,

I hope your week is going well. Today, I'm working on the editing my next novel.  The book is finally finished, The End sitting proudly on the last page. Now the fun begins. Re-writes.

Rewrites are grueling and I have to be very honest with myself. As I cut and burn the horrid words, sentences, paragraphs and pages, my Doubt Monster becomes very loud. It's hard tearing your work to pieces. I can't add doubting myself into the mix. I wish I had a tool to keep the doubt lid shut tight, but the best I can do is shake those negative thoughts out of my head and move on.

I thought I would share my editing process. Since I'm a very visual person, I read over every paragraph with the computer's highlight pen. 
My key:

Orange=I don't like this
Red: UCK! What was I thinking. Delete or fix. 
Blue: Not sure how to fix this. [Most likely, the blue will wait for the next review.]

“Em, get out. Now.” His voice echoed with pain.     

[Echo is my favorite word in this story. I have to find another way to say this.] 

“I’m not leaving you.” She scanned the warehouse. “I brought the journals, you deranged prick. Now let him go.”

“Damn it, Em. Go.”

Before she could respond, a deafening blast ricocheted off the walls and a bullet sliced through the links of the chain on Alec’s right hand. She spread her arms out to protect him. “What the hell do you want?”

“Duck.” 

The high pitch male voice over the intercom system held a hint of laughter. YUK. RW Three earsplitting rifle shots took out the remaining chains and Alec fell forward into her arms. 

Three orange blocks in two sentences is common. Remember, slow, gueling...

His weight knocked her backward, but she steadied her stance, wrapping both arms around him until he found his balance.

Emersyn eased back so the wool of her coat didn’t scratch his burns. She needed him close, ached to feel his heartbeat. He shivered to the bone, but he was alive.

With one arm holding her tight, Alec lifted her chin. “Why don’t you ever listen?”

 “Because you ask the impossible.” Her lips brushed the soft skin at his neck right below his left ear.

~~~ 

So... this is how it now reads.

“Em, get out. Now.” 

His voice, hoarse, shaky broke her heart. 
“I’m not leaving you.” She scanned the warehouse. Where was he? “I have the journals, you deranged prick. Now let him go.”

“Damn it, Em. Go. Now!”

Before she could respond, a deafening blast ricocheted off the walls and a bullet sliced through the links a foot above Alec’s right hand. Emersyn spread her arms out, covering Alec's body. “What the hell do you want?”

“Duck.” The high pitched male voice over the intercom chuckled. 
Three earsplitting rifle shots took out the remaining chains and Alec stumbled into her arms. His weight knocked her backward, but she steadied her stance, wrapping both arms around him until he found his balance.

His right arm circled her waist as his free hand cupped her chin. “Why don’t you ever listen?”

 “Because you ask the impossible.” 

~~~

The first editing pass has me reading through each chapter at least three times. After I make the corrections, I listen to the whole chapter with NaturalReader. My ear catches typos or confusing phasing much better than my eyes. I won't send this novel off to my publisher without at least three complete rewrites. 
...AND then my wonderful editor rips it to shreds.

Well, that is how I spent my afternoon, one grueling paragraph at a time. If anyone has any questions for me, please ask away in the comment section below. If you can't get that to work, post a comment on CONTACT ME above or email me a nancy@nancycweeks.com. 
Back to editing...

Hugs to all,

Nancy C. Weeks

LIFE GOES ON ...

This has been a hard 12 months. There were times I wanted to shout to the world "What the hell did I do?" Through the cursed cellulitis and then the bone infection,[osteomyelitis], the one thing I hated letting go of was writing. I was in the middle of a project I loved and hated--that's a writer's thing--- when I was told inorder to live, I had to get off the infected area until everything healed. Not weeks, but months followed. I listened, followed every order, and today, I'm not only better, BUT wrote THE END on my seventh novel. 

I love this book's hero and heroine, Alec and Emersyn. They have been through hell, but I have had months to figure out how I was going to bring them together for their amazing, well deserved happy-ever-after. I'm so dang pleased with myself. I'll give the whole manuscript a third edit then send it off so I can start on the next book in this series. 

I didn't mention the title because I'm thinking of changing it. Titles are tough. It took me about two years to come up with the In the Shadow titles. I had lists of ideas until I finally hit on Shadows.  I promise this new series won't be that long. I'm giving myself a deadline--two weeks. 

Next week, I'll give you a little taste of my editing process. That's loads of fun. But one thing I love about editing my novel is I get to spend a little more with my beloved characters. And yes, beloved is the right word. I fall hard for my hero and heroine to the point it's hard to let them go. But I'm a writer, and I write so you can read. So, I'm going to cut those apron strings and let Alec and Emersyn out into the world. 

Well, that's it for now. I hope you are having a great week. If not, let me know so I can offer up a prayer. Please find some time to relax, put your feet up, and read a good book.

Isn't life wonderful?

Hugs to all,

Nancy C. Weeks

RELEASE DAY DOUBLE TROUBLE BUNDLE

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Today is the release day for another Crimson Romance bundle called Double Trouble: 8 Twin Romances by Robyn Neeley, Evan Purcell, Kathryn Brocato, Alicia Hunter Pace, Clarissa Ross, and Nancy C. Weeks.

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK 

You’re seeing double and enjoying trouble as these six sets of twins try to win your heart. It’s twice the fun of ordinary romances!

Holiday Wedding: After being dumped by his fiancée a year ago, Drew Cannon retreated to Tokyo to throw himself into the family toy-making business. Now he’s returned home for the holidays and is forced to team up with his ex to plan last-minute nuptials for his twin brother. Will working together mend and reunite their broken hearts?

Waking Up to Love: When Scott McInney’s mom gets a slight case of amnesia, he convinces Ramona, the identical twin sister of his runaway wife, to step into her heels. Ramona reluctantly agrees to help out, but when the pretending gets too real, will Scott figure out that he might have married the wrong BUY NOWtwin?

The Look-Alike Bride: Leonie Daniel leads a double life, often standing in for her glamorous older sister who works as a government agent. All Leonie has to do this time is spend a few weeks in Zara’s lakeside cabin, behave like Zara, and avoid Adam Silverthorne, the man her sister is interested in. But now Adam is falling for Leonie … or is he?

Redeeming Rafe: Bull riding, cliff diving, plane jumping—Rafe Beauford is the twin brother who embraces the adrenaline rush. But his wild lifestyle comes to a halt when he discovers he’s the father of toddlers. Taking his twin girls back to Beauford, he plans to leave them there with a nanny, but the woman he hires, widowed mom Abigail Whitman, is determined to show him the importance of family—and love.

Reforming Gabe: After NFL wide receiver Gabe Beauford’s team loses the Super Bowl, he heads back to Beauford to hide and brood, but crossing paths with independent jewelry maker Neyland MacKenzie puts a new gleam in his eye. She needs saving, and this twin needs a project. But will his not-so-deft touch ruin her dreams and their chance at real love?

Eternal Desire: Heiress Della Standish had been summoned to Rome to be reunited with her long-lost twin sister, Irma, and to share the great family fortune with her. But from the moment Della enters the opulent halls of the Sanzio Palace, she is encircled by mystery and dark suspicion, her life endangered by the satanic power of an Italian noble and her new-found love threatened in a gilt-edged world that hides evil in its secret heart.

In the Shadow of Evil: After ten years with Maryland’s Special Crime Unit, very little rattles Jared McNeil. He and his twin, Noah, have always handled their law enforcement jobs with skill. Then Jared’s nemesis resurfaces, with his sights set on the woman Jared is honor bound to protect. Will doing his duty cost Jared his love and his family?

In the Shadow of Vengeance: Elizabeth Merlot can’t afford to let handsome Detective Noah McNeil discover her secret past. But when trouble finds her son, Noah may be the only one who can save their lives.

Contemporary bundle
Sensuality Level: Sensual

~~~

SPECIAL NOTE:

Double Trouble features two of my books from my Shadow series, In the Shadow of Evil and In the Shadow of Vengeance. I have a couple hot, sexy identical twins, Jared McNeil and Noah McNeil who constantly buck heads but are always there for each other. If you haven't had a chance to read my series, this is a great place to start. If you have read Jared and Noah's happy-ever-after, then I hope you will give the other 6 twin romances a try. How can you beat the price of $0.75 CENTS! 

Check out my inspiration for each of these heroes and the women who tamed their hearts on my Pinterest Board. 

Have a wonderful week. I hope you find a moment to sit back, relax and read a great story.

Hugs to all,

Nancy C. Weeks

WELCOME BACK ELIZABETH MEYETTE AND BURIED SECRETS

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

I hope you are all having a great week. Today, I have one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Meyette taking over my blog. Elizabeth Meyette, author of The Cavanaugh House is here to tell us about Buried Secrets: Sequel to The Cavanaugh House. I'm reading Buried Secrets now and it is fantastic. 

Elizabeth welcome. My blog is all yours...

Thank you for inviting me to your blog today, Nancy. I’m so excited to share the news of my latest release, Buried Secrets: Sequel to The Cavanaugh House. 

Like The Cavanaugh House, Buried Secrets is set in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York in 1968. Many readers ask why I set the book in 1968 rather than today, and I have a couple of reasons.

1.      Write What You Know

I hate to reveal my age, but I was alive and living the life of a carefree teen in 1968. I was shaped and inspired by the music of that era: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, yes, even The Monkees. But also by protest music such as “War” (What is it good for? Absolutely nothin’) by Edwin Starr and “Abraham, Martin and John” by Dion. I loved that era of awakening and “give peace a chance.”

The Women’s Liberation Movement was waging its battle back then, and my protagonist, Jesse, is dedicated to the Woman’s Lib philosophy. I think we’ve lost sight of just how important that fight was to get women where we are today—though we still have a way to go. All of this informed my writing of both The Cavanaugh House and Buried Secrets.

2.      Technology

The main reason I set my books in 1968 rather than today was the lack of instant communication. When Jesse gets into dangerous situations, which this stubborn red-head does quite often, she can’t pull out her cell phone and call or text for help. I was able to build suspense and ratchet up the peril because she was stuck where she was, alone. She had to use her brains and critical thinking skills (yes, I was a teacher) in order to figure a way out with no help. I think that increased the odds against her and made her a stronger protagonist.

I hope readers will enjoy Jesse’s story. Oh, and then there’s Joe… 

Buried Secrets blurb

When Jesse Graham almost runs over a “body” in the road one night, she is plunged into a labyrinth of secrets, lies and murder. All Jesse wants is a simple life teaching at St. Bart’s… and a chance at love with Joe Riley. She realizes that plan has been thwarted when puzzling occurrences at St. Bartholomew Academy for Girls get increasingly dangerous. The danger doesn’t just spring from the ghost who haunts the grounds of St. Bart’s, but from a sinister presence that is not ghostly at all. As she digs into the mystery, threats on her life and the life of her student escalate.

Which danger threatens her life the most? The ghost haunting her student or the secrets buried in the school?

Buried Secrets excerpt: 

Labor Day, Monday, September 2, 1968

Jesse Graham squinted through the windshield wipers at the rain-swept road ahead of her. In her twenty-eight years, she had never liked being out in a thunderstorm, and this one was a doozy.

“NASA plans to put a man on the moon next year, but nobody can invent windshield wipers that work in a downpour,” she grumbled.

She hadn’t meant to work until after sunset, but she’d obsessed with putting up creative bulletin boards and adding final touches to the course guides to be ready for the first day of school tomorrow. Though she had taught in Rochester for five years, no doubt her obsession stemmed from the fact that she was the newest faculty member at St. Bartholomew Academy for Girls.

Adjusting to the late-summer darkness was hard enough, but add this thunderstorm and visibility was nil. At least upstate New York didn’t suffer through tornadoes or hurricanes. She gripped the wheel, concentrating on avoiding the deep ditch carved out along the shoulder.

A flash of lightning revealed a shape sprawled in the middle of the road ahead. She leaned forward, as if that would help her see if it was a deer someone hit and left to die. Another bolt of lightning illuminated the shape again, revealing blonde hair spread out on the wet pavement. In a moment of clarity—at least she could always count on that oddity in the midst of panic—she knew it was not a deer. Downshifting, she slammed on the brakes, her 1965 Volkswagen Beetle skidding sideways. She broke out in prickles of sweat as her car thudded against the form and halted.

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!” she cried out.
She was pinned to her seat. Her legs shook, then her whole body. She fumbled for the door handle, unable to find it at first. Finally, she grasped it, threw open the door, and scrambled out onto the road. The sky strobed as a lightning bolt slammed into a nearby tree. Her nose stung with the acrid smell of sulfur. Her knees buckled, but she recovered, stumbling toward the immobile form. Slowing her pace, she neared the cloth-draped figure, afraid it might leap up and attack her. Afraid it might not move at

all.

Trembling, she dropped to her knees beside the form. Bile rose in her throat at the sight of long, blonde hair streaming out from beneath the gray wool blanket that covered the shape. Pulling the blanket back, she gasped.

Have I just killed someone?

A blonde wig was perched atop a dummy fashioned from burlap stuffed with hay. What the...? Slowly, she realized what she was looking at. She breathed with relief. But her relief was short-lived.

Son of a bitch. This prank could have sent someone flipping end over end. Storms weren’t known to improve traction.

“Who the hell would pull a rotten trick like this?”

She looked around—was the perpetrator standing just off in the trees beside the road? Rain spattered against her hair. As she brushed the clinging ringlets from her eyes, she pulled up the hood of her nylon poncho. Heart pounding, she leaned back on her heels, inhaling deeply to still her trembling. Hot breath escaped through her flared nostrils. Grabbing the dummy, she wrapped the blanket around it and lugged it to the car.

~~~ 

About Elizabeth Meyette

Believer in dreams-come-true and self-confessed chocoholic, Elizabeth Meyette is the author of four novels. The Cavanaugh House and its sequel, Buried Secrets, are mysteries set in 1968 in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Love’s Destiny and Love’s Spirit, are historical romances set in colonial Virginia.

Elizabeth is an Amazon Best-selling author, a PAN (Published Authors Network) member of Romance Writers of America, a member of Sisters in Crime and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Before pursuing her writing career full time, Elizabeth taught English, Journalism, and Library Science/Technology in Midland, Michigan. After retiring from teaching, Elizabeth embarked on her writing career full-time and, in addition to her four novels, has published poetry, magazine articles and her blog site, Meyette’s Musings. A friend said of her, “You haven’t retired, you’ve refired!” She is currently working on her fifth and sixth novels and three picture books.

Elizabeth and her husband Richard live in west Michigan where they enjoy the beauty of the Great Lakes. They have an agreement that she cannot cook on writing days after he endured burnt broccoli and overcooked chicken.  Fortunately, Richard is an excellent cook.

Visit Elizabeth at her website www.elizabethmeyette.com

Elizabeth’s books are available on her Author Page at Amazon. com

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That's it for today. Elizabeth it is always a pleasure hosting you on my blog. I wish you the very best success. If anyone has any questions for Elizabeth Meyette please don't be shy. You can comment below in the comment section, or if that doesn't work for you, please leave your note HERE, my blog email, and I'll past it alone. 

Have a great weekend. I hope you find the time to read a wonderful book.

Hugs to all,

Nancy C. Weeks