Free Books - This Weekend Only!

Hi y'all! I just wanted to give you a heads up and let you know that not 1, not 2, but 3 of Kari Gregg's are being offered free tomorrow through the 10th. And on top of that, one of the free books is an absolute favorite of mine, In the Red. I highly recommend giving this M/M romance a read as it is such a great book. The other two books are I Don't: A Christmas Wish (it's not too late to start getting your holiday reads ready) and Lovely Wicked. Have a great weekend and to anyone else in the path of Hurricane Matthew, stay safe.

Birthday Celebration Day 4

Today is all about sharing. I love getting to share my thoughts and opinions with others, plus I love getting to share awesome stuff with my readers, like…FREE BOOKS! That’s right, today is all about the freebies! I have a wide range of genres here, from LGBT and paranormal, to cowboys and historicals, so there's something for everyone!

Here’s a list of the freebies I’ve got to share (like I didn’t already have far too many books on my TBR, but what can I say?):

An Unexpected Diversion by Vella Day

Champagne and Bullets by Olivia Jaymes

Cowboy Command by Olivia Jaymes

Escaping in Oz by Aria Grace

Fashionably Dead by Robyn Peterman

Going Home by Kris Ripper

Pandora’s Box by Gracen Miller

Rose by Kirsten Osbourne

Waiting for Clark by Annabeth Albert

To go with all the free books and sharing, to enter to win a $5 Amazon GC, share this birthday celebration on your social media. That’s all you have to do. First, come up with a way to share on any of your social media platforms. Then email your links to me at tiger-chick-1 (at)hotmail(dot)com and leave a comment here saying you emailed your links to me. Easy peasy!

The more links you share on, the more entries you receive. You have until May 7th to share as many times as you want and depending on how many shares there are, I may add more prizes, so share away!

Free books for Earth Day

Photo courtesy of Clipart

Earth Day is coming up on April 22, which means that it’s also time for AllRomanceEbooks’s Earth Day Series Showcase. I love this event, as it helps introduce a bunch of awesome books. Plus, who doesn’t love free books, especially 21 days of free ebooks. Each book is available for free for two days, and you can find out which books are free either by subscribing to their newsletter or visiting their site and viewing the banner near the top.

To get you started, the first two books free are Promises by Marie Sexton and Monica’s Secret by Saskia Walker. Now if you happen to miss one or more of the days, don’t fret. On Earth Day, I will be giving away copies of the books offered during the event. So don’t forget to come back on Earth Day to enter that giveaway. Anyways, enjoy the free books!

Home from Coastal Magic Convention...

I just got home from Coastal Magic Convention, where I had an awesome time this weekend. I have a lot of homework to catch up on, so I will keep this post short for now. I am going to be writing a longer post and doing a giveaway of some awesome swag I brought home with me. However, I want to share some of the con love with you, my wonderful followers. Several of the authors from the convention have books on sale either for free or for 99 cents and I want to share those books with y’all. So here are the books, the dates they are on sale, and where to buy them. Enjoy!

Free:

Feb. 5 - 9:

Dark Hope by HD Smith
Nightshade by Evelyn Lederman

Feb. 6 - 8:

The Ryn by Serena Chase

  

Feb. 22:

The Seahorse Legacy by Serena Chase -- (Amazon, B&N, or Smashwords)

Unspecified length of time:

Shadow Sight by E.J. Stevens

Game Changer by Rene Folsom

Shuttered Affections by Rene Folsom

Voices of the Soul by Rene Folsom

For 99 cents:

Feb. 5 - 12:
Dark Forsaken by HD Smith

Dark Awakened by HD Smith

Unspecified length of time:
A Titan for Christmas by Aria Kane -- (Amazon and Smashwords)

Holiday Party - Christmas Eve

It’s Christmas Eve! Only one day left to go until Christmas! I can’t wait for the holiday to be here (both for the celebrations and so that the holiday stress can pass). Today is a big day in my house, as I’m doing the holiday baking AND finishing decorating. Today’s going to be a busy day here, so I’m going to keep this short. I might update (or at least post photos on Facebook or Instagram) with my adventures, as well as share my recipes and such, so don’t forget to check back in at the end of the day (or tomorrow). For all those celebrating, good luck with all the last minute Christmas preparations. And for those who don’t celebrate…you only need to wait two more days for the holiday craziness to begin to die down. Cheers everyone!

P.S. Don't forget, today is the second to last day to get 6 free books from Forbidden Fiction and two free books from ARe.

Holiday Party - Free Books

Thank you to all the people who emailed me and let me know that my posts weren't going live. I don't know why the scheduler wasn't working, but it should be all good now. I left an entry for y'all on the grand prize giveaway as thanks for helping me out. :)

I'm here today to spread some Christmas cheer to y'all! And what better way to do that then to let y'all know about free books!

As of yesterday, ARe has started their Twelve Days of Christmas event. Each day up until Christmas, a new book will be available for free on their website. Missed a day? Don’t worry, because each book is available for free for two days, so if you miss a day, just make sure to download both the previous day’s free book and the current day’s free book. The first two books available are:

- Delicate Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan

- Circe’s Recruits by Marie Harte

Also, for even more free books, stop by Forbidden Fiction every day leading up to the 21st for a free book (several of which are holiday stories). The free book is only available on the day stated, so don’t miss out! Plus, check back on the 24th and 25th to get 6 free books! Awesome, right? You can get started today with Spidermilk by Konrad Hartmann.

Free Books - Circling Back and Trust Me

I wanted to let you all know about a free M/M/F book I just got. It’s available for free until November 8, so make sure to go and pick up your copy by then!

Circling Back 

By Amanda Young

A second chance is only the beginning…

Stella fled home at seventeen with a broken heart, an unplanned pregnancy, and a vow never to look back. Twenty years later, she has a career she enjoys and a solid relationship with the child she placed for open adoption. When that child goes in search of her birth father and calls for assistance, Stella is forced to return to her hometown and face the men who broke her heart, one of whom fathered her child.

Gavin and Holden raised a lot of hell as teenagers. They broke the law, broke their mothers’ hearts, and almost broke each other before they finally got their act together. Through all the ups and downs, they stuck by each other and managed to build a happy life together. The one thing they couldn’t do was forget the woman they’d loved and lost.

Forced to face the past and each other after so many years is no small feat. The trio does their best to make amends and put the past behind them while forging new bonds. Old feelings are rekindled and new emotions emerge from the ashes of their youthful indiscretions. Something remarkable could be on the horizon if they’re strong enough to navigate the pitfalls of a triad relationship and stand strong against the outside forces conspiring to bring them to their knees.

I also just found this M/M romance for free as well. I'm not sure how long it's free for, so grab it while you can!

Trust Me

By L.A. Witt

On the scene of a multiple murder that’s grisly even for a veteran homicide detective, Brian Clifton is stunned when one of the victims bears an uncanny resemblance to his boyfriend, James. As the similarities keep piling up, so do the bodies… and the evidence pointing to James as the killer.

Since long before the shooting, James has been dishonest. He’s been evasive. Oh, and there’s that minor detail he withheld from Brian about being a gambling-addicted drug dealer.

James may not be the best boyfriend in the world, but he begs Brian to believe he’s no killer. In fact, whoever did pull the trigger undoubtedly wants to finish what they started, and Brian is the only one James trusts to keep him safe.

But how much is Brian willing to risk to protect a man he may not even know?

Free Weekend LGBT Reads

Since I love y’all so much, here are some free weekend LGBT reads I found for your enjoyment.

Somebody Nice by Raine O’Tierney

Milo and Danny's relationship is just starting to heat up, but Milo's not quite ready to be introduced as "the boyfriend" to Danny's adopted daughter, Melissa. So what happens when precocious Melissa takes it upon herself to find Danny a girlfriend and enlists the help of her school librarian, Milo, along the way? An adorable story about family and romance. 

Learning to Feel by N.R. Walker

Resigned to living a sexless, loveless life, Doctor Nathan Tierney knows something is missing. In a rash decision, he leaves his life-consuming job at Mass General Hospital, Boston, to be the small-town doctor in Belfast, Maine.

With the job comes a house, and with the house comes a handyman-painter. Trent Jamieson, a nomadic artist, and his dog Bentley, are offered free accommodation for the few weeks he fixes up the hospital-owned house.

Nathan is transfixed by this free-spirited, undeniably gorgeous man. Confused but amazed to feel any kind of attraction - much less to a man - Nathan convinces himself to put aside any preconceived ideas, and allows himself to just feel.

As their attraction for each other grows, one man learns to live, the other learns to love. But just who is teaching who?

** Second Edition. First Edition released in 2012. No additional content has been added.

Entangled by Lex Valentine

Daren has been in love with his best friend Taylor for five years. One rainy night, Taylor turns up soaking wet on Daren’s doorstep with a confession hovering on his lips. The confession changes both their lives.

Dinner for Two KDP Select Days Tour

NOTE: THIS BOOK BLAST IS TO PROMOTE THE BOOKS FREE KDP DAYS

Blurb:

Sean and Darby love food - but is their relationship a recipe for disaster - Or a chance to make kitchen magic?

Find out in Dinner for Two, Book 1 in The Queensbay contemporary romance series

Sean Callahan was a hot shot big city chef whose high handed ways got him into trouble one too many times. Now he's in a small town hoping for another shot at the big leagues.

Darby Reese is a big city lawyer who can bake like an angel. Unfortunately, a life lived according to the law has left her burned out. So when the chance comes to run her family's deli in the small town of Queensbay, Darby's happy to take it.

But when Sean, the former chef du jour walks into her kitchen, she's definitely not prepared for sparks to fly. Will the two of them be able to find the recipe for happily ever after?

Book one in the Queensbay Series, a contemporary romance series.

Excerpt:

“I’m Sean Callahan.” He stuck out his hand.

She looked at it, shrugged and said. “We met already, remember?”

He did his best to keep smiling, but her hostility was wearing him down. “Yeah, about that.”

“I assume your mushrooms worked out for you?” Her tone was frostily polite as she turned and began to walk.

Surprised, he had to move quickly to keep up with her. “You know, I have plenty more,” he said, “if you need some. I didn’t mean to send you back to the store.” Friendly. If you were friendly, then someone else was supposed to be friendly back, right? Apparently, this one wasn’t going to give him an inch.

She looked at him, and he noticed that she had a small smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. “I managed to improvise.” Her tone was clipped, and it didn’t take a genius to deduce that she was pissed at him.

He ran a hand through his hair. Usually he didn’t have to work this hard to get a girl to like him. Women seemed to find him charming, at least at first. Until they got pissed off when he decided it was time to move on. Unfortunately, Darby seemed to have moved straight on to the pissed stage, without even giving him a chance. Okay, so he’d not been on his best behavior that morning, at least until he’d gotten a good look at her.

He turned on his high-wattage smile, the one that always worked, and tried his best bad-boy-turned-sorry look. “Sorry, sugar, it was a bit of a crazy morning. I hadn’t had my coffee yet. You know how that goes, right?”

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 29:
1: Bunny's Review
2: Room With Books
3: Cynthia Gail
4: Unabridged Andra's
5: Books N Pearls
6: Book 'Em North Carolina
7: Queen of All She Reads
8: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
9: The Certifiable Wenches
10: My Devotional Thoughts
11: Deal Sharing Aunt
12: Dena Garson - Real... Hot... Romance
13: Brooke Blogs
14: Tina Donahue Presents
15: Books to Light Your Fire
16: Books and Other Spells
17: Underneath the Covers
18: A Cup Of Tea and A Big Book
19: Welcome to My World of Dreams
20: It's Raining Books

September 30:
1: Read Your Writes Book Reviews
2: Nickie's Views and Interviews
3: Sharing Links and Wisdom
4: Undercover Book Reviews
5: Writer Wonderland
6: The Book Review
7: You Gotta Read Reviews
8: Full Moon Dreaming
9: Tamaria Soana
10: Reading, Writing and Roses
11: Straight from the Library
12: Long and Short Reviews
13: Beyond My Writing Space

 Author Bio and Links:

Drea Stein is the author of the Queensbay contemporary romance series. She lives in rural New Jersey – yup, there really is such a thing – with her family and writes in an old barn. Visit her at www.dreastein.com or on Facebook.

Buy Link

Molly Harper/Duets Super Book Blast

Emelle will award a signed paperback of MOLLY HARPER with bonus novella DUETS included (US ONLY) to THREE randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Please click the tour banner at the top to see other stops on this tour.

Movie star Molly Harper has it all, beauty, success in her field, and a loving family and marriage to actor Ben Delmonico. Norma Wintz, Molly’s mother, has it all, a lovely life style and two children who adore her, and a respite from the battle against cancer she’s been fighting. Anne Sullivan, at age fifty, is optimistic that her move to sunny Santa Barbara, California, will allow her to be closer to her youngest son and his family, and help her start her life anew after the death of her beloved husband.

But all three of these women, despite their considerable blessings, are plunged into turmoil when the most intimate of secrets that ties their lives together is revealed. At this same time, Molly Harper is confronted with the news that her marriage to actor Ben Delmonico is over. As she navigates this heartbreak and tries to keep the personal details of the drama off the front pages of the newspapers, Molly must also find a way to once and forever negotiate a way forward with her ex- lover and best friend, the volatile and compelling Cruz Morales.

How each of these characters handles the resulting upheaval in their own life, and in their relationships with one another, forms the compelling story of family, secrets and trust in the romantic women’s fiction novel, Molly Harper.



DUETS offers alternating looks into the lives of two women who would seem to have little or nothing in common.

Screen star Molly Harper has it all…beauty, success in her profession, a loving family and an upcoming marriage to actor Ben Delmonico. But as Molly is on the verge of marrying the man who has swept her off her feet, she still wonders if he hasn’t swept all her feelings for her first love away, Cruz Morales.

A handsome and cerebral college professor, Molly and Cruz have an on-again, off-again history stretching back to Molly’s early teen years. He’s not a man who a girl can ever forget about, and his feelings for Molly are equally conflicted.

Anne Sullivan, happily married for twenty-five years, is fighting to hold onto the man she loves, and hold off a confrontation that could shatter her family’s image of what they are. It involves the beautiful screen star and her mother, upper crust matron Norma Wintz, who Anne has traveled to California to meet under the most dramatic of circumstances.

Duets confronts the most intimate type of family secret that ties these two women’s lives together, just as chance events turn Molly and Anne’s worlds upside down.

NOTE: Both books are FREE on Amazon September 27 - October 1, 2014. Links at end of post.

Enjoy an excerpt from DUETS:
Anne Sullivan looked down at her watch.

One twenty-one p.m. Norma Wintz was twenty minutes late.

Anne leaned back against the banquette and avoided making eye contact with the hovering waitress. She folded her hands together and wondered if her face looked tight as cellophane stretched over a bowl of tuna salad. That’s how it felt.

I shouldn’t have come. She glanced around the unfamiliar restaurant. It was all glass and mirrors; chock full of shockingly glamorous Californians surely leading shockingly exciting lives. People who wouldn’t understand why a widow from Potomac, Maryland was breaking into sobs and intruding on their lunch experience.

Which is probably what I’m going to do once Norma arrives, she thought. She had tried to prepare herself for meeting the woman, face-to-face, who had adopted her baby thirty-five years ago, but Anne wasn’t sure she was going to be able to handle it as she hoped.

Calmly. Dispassionately. In control.

Anne’s chest suddenly ached, as if all the emotion she’d suppressed for decades gathered into a knot under her ribs.

I should call the number for Norma Wintz and tell her not to come. Which was a great idea, except she’d left her cell phone in the car. And if she went to her car to get it, she might not have the emotional courage to come back.

To say nothing of the fact that if she walked the two long blocks to where she was parked, there was a good chance she would miss Norma Wintz altogether, and the woman would probably think she was a crack pot.

Anne took another peek at her watch.

One twenty-two.

That’s impossible. It felt as if an hour had passed since she’d last looked at the time.

“Excuse me, are you Mrs. Sullivan?” A waiter, his eyes jade green against his tan skin, smiled at Anne. His name tag read ‘Taj’.

“Yes, I’m Anne Sullivan."

“There’s a call for you.” Taj held out a phone.

Anne pressed it against her head. “This is Anne Sullivan.”

Taj clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at her as if she was a small child on the first day of school.

“Hello, this is Norma Wintz calling,” a voice said in Anne’s ear. “I’m on my way but there was an accident and traffic is wretched. I got no answer on the number you gave me, but I wanted to let you know I wasn’t standing you up.”

“Oh, that’s no problem.” Anne nodded at Taj and repositioned the phone an inch higher on her ear. “I don’t have other plans for this afternoon.”

“Fine. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.” The phone went dead.

“Okay. Thank you!” Anne met the waiter’s eyes and wondered how Taj had known to bring it to her.

Norma Wintz must have described me to him. But what could she have said, since we’ve never met? Look for a woman who seems the sort to give up her first-born child for adoption?


Author Bio:

Emelle Gamble was a writer at an early age, bursting with the requisite childhood stories of introspection. These evolved into bad teen poetry and worse short stories. She took her first stab at full length fiction in an adult education writing class when her kids were in bed. As M.L. Gamble, she published several romantic suspense novels with Harlequin. She contracted with Soul Mate Publishing for Secret Sister, published in the summer of 2013, and Dating Cary Grant, an April 2014 release.

Once and Forever, an anthology which includes the novella Duets, came out on November 1st. Molly Harper, a full length novel starring the characters from Duets 3 years later was released by Posh Publishing in January, 2014. Duets is now available as a standalone novella. Emelle lives in suburban Washington D.C. with her husband, ‘Phil-the-fist’, her hero of thirty years, and two orange cats, Lucy and Bella. These girls, like all good villains, have their reasons for misbehaving.

Her daughter, Olivia, and son, Allen, are happily launched on their own and contributing great things to society, their mother’s fondest wish.


Review Quotes:
Praise for SECRET SISTER…

“Along with being a very unique and captivating plot, SECRET SISTER offers a shocking turn of the paranormal kind… This is a story of friendship, family, and most of all, true love and what those things can mean. I cannot recommend SECRET SISTER strongly enough… “ Fresh Fiction, Fresh Reviews

DUETS…
"I'll admit I grabbed this book for review more because Emelle Gamble had a story in there - I've loved her significant touch brought to family relationships in a previous book of hers that I've read, and I wanted to confirm if this sort of embroiled-relationships type of tale is really her niche or not. Turns out, it is!" Zee Monodee's Author's Corner reviews 

MOLLY HARPER…
"MOLLY HARPER ...is the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be my last! Ms. Gamble does a wonderful job of drawing these characters and making them just leap off the page." Long and Short Reviews

DATING CARY GRANT…
"Fantasy and reality blend together in this mesmerizing tale from Emelle Gamble…It's not your typical romance, making it a breath of fresh air in a market currently inundated with new adult contemporary romances (which I do love, but need a break once in a while!). I continue to be a fan of this author..." Andi's Book Reviews

Links:
Email: emellegamble@aol.com
Website     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Goodreads

Emelle Gamble BOOKS:
DATING CARY GRANT book of the month at Long & Short Reviews. eBook exclusively at Amazon.com

SECRET SISTER… RONE Award Honorable Mention for BEST CONTEMPORARY NOVEL of 2013 - available in audio, paperback and eBook at Amazon.

DUETS, a prequel novella to MOLLY HARPER.

MOLLY HARPER, available in paperback and eBook.

MOLLY HARPER and DUETS now available in one Paperback volume! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free LGBT Reads

Pray the Gay Away by Sara York

Book 1 of A Southern Thing series. 

Star football player, Jack Miller, had it all. The perfect family, looks, girls hanging on his every word, and the respect of most people in his town. But one thing was missing--a man to be his own.

When Andrew Collins showed up in small town, conservative Sweet, Georgia, he looked more scrawny mutt than high school senior. Andrew's plan was to keep his head down and graduate high school, leaving his family behind to start his real life.

When he meets Andrew, Jack thinks he's found heaven, but reality holds him in check until one night when his lips gently slide across Andrew's and fireworks go off.

As lust and something a little deeper brings them together, compelling them to take chances, people start to notice. Then the unthinkable happens, and Jack's parents find out he likes guys. The battle lines are drawn and they vow to pray the gay away.

Sunset by Arshad Ahsanuddin

Book One of the scifi vampire saga Pact Arcanum. Warning: contains strong language and non-explicit depictions of gay sexuality.

An unlikely savior emerges to prevent the advent of mass destruction and genocide descending on the world…

By Day

Los Angeles, 2040. When the terrorist known as Medusa threatens to kill millions with a stolen nuclear bomb, Nick Jameson makes a fateful decision. He reveals himself on global television as a Daywalker - a vampire with a soul. To save Los Angeles, Nick exposes not only his own gifts but three separate cultures based on millennia-old magic.

By Night

The three metahuman races exist in careful balance, working to maintain a fragile peace. Nick and his fellow Daywalkers successfully master their natural bloodlust. The Sentinels, armed with both magic and steel, repress their warlike instincts. And even some Nightwalkers, normally their natural enemies, have deserted the Court of Shadows to join the triple alliance. Nick Jameson is deeply involved with two such Nightwalkers - handsome Lorcan and powerful Rory. Both men love Nick. But neither can protect the new Ambassador to Humanity from the events he has set in motion.

By the Sword

Jeremy Harkness was lured into Medusa's service under false pretenses. A loner with no one and nothing to cling to, he was willing to die for his cause. But the night Medusa tried to obliterate Los Angeles, Jeremy met Nick Jameson, triggering the onset of his own psychic gifts. For Jeremy is the third race of metahuman, a Sentinel, born to kill the Nightwalkers with no quarter asked or offered. And neither Medusa nor the Court of Shadows will settle for peace when they can make war.

Betrayal and treachery lurk around every corner on the road to coexistence, and at every turn, Nick must question who to trust among his metahuman allies, friends, and lovers—before their civilization is plunged into the depths of darkness and bloodshed. With millennia-old magic, emerging romance, and ever-shifting allegiances, this inventive series unveils a scintillating, homoerotic world of Nightwalkers, Daywalkers, Sentinels, and Humans, who battle for world dominance in the not-too-distant future.

The Fall by David Dawson

The first book in The God Slayers Quartet, a science fiction post apocalyptic series for young adults and adults alike.  If you enjoyed The Hunger Games and The Stand, you will love this. 

The future of planet Earth is bleak.  Two warring gods have decimated the planet.  Fanatical religious cults, cannibals and cat/human hybrids are just some of the dangers out there.  A young boy called Ben Casper lives in a crumbling shopping mall called The Glass Palace with his family. He's just come back from a rites of passage into the brutal outside world that officially makes him an adult. Now he must get married and be trained to take over from his father as Mayor. Except he sees things differently now.  He doesn't want responsibility. The only things he truly wants is to go back out into the world and win the love of Brian, who happens to be his best friend's brother.  Only he might have responsibility thrust upon him when he becomes embroiled in a conspiracy to kill the gods and save the world; a plot that could lead everyone he loves into mortal danger... 

To Tempt an Angel SBB

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Patricia will be awarding a free eBook from Lachesis Publishing to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post during the tour.

NOTE: this book is FREE everywhere!  Buy links are at the end of this post -- why not download your own copy today?

Blurb:
Angelica Douglas has no idea that she’s the Countess of Melrose. What she does know is that she needs to support her family as a card shark, while finding a way to seek revenge on the men who ruined her father and sent her family spiralling down into poverty.

Robert Campbell, Marquess of Argyll, heir to the Duke of Inverary, has no idea who Angelica truly is. He just wants to watch over her and make her his mistress.

Angelica thinks Robert is simply a dashing rogue who is far too dangerous for her peace of mind. Robert thinks Angelica is an angel except when she’s being a pain in the behind.

When Robert finds out that his own father may have been one of the men who ruined Angelica’s family, he vows to keep a careful eye on her. When Angelica finds out that Robert’s father may have been one of the men responsible, she vows to stay as far away from Robert as possible. But when danger threatens, both Robert and Angelica must face the truth and let fate take the upper hand.


Enjoy an excerpt:
London, 1812

He knew she was cheating.

Angelica read the suspicion in the man's alcohol-glazed eyes. She was confident of her talent, so being caught didn't worry her, but drunks almost always proved dangerous. With the exception of her own father, of course.

Eighteen-year-old Angelica Douglas wet her lips, gone dry from nervousness, and felt a droplet of perspiration roll slowly down the valley between her breasts. Reaching up, she brushed a wisp of golden hair away from her face and adjusted the wreath of fresh-cut flowers she wore like a crown on her head.

Angelica gave her intended victim a sunny smile and flicked a glance at the group of fairgoers gathered in front of her table. Seated on a stool, she began moving the thimbles around and around on the makeshift table that consisted of a board resting on top of a trestle.

“Stop,” the man growled.

Angelica looked at him expectantly.

He pointed at the middle thimble. Angelica lifted it to reveal nothing and laughed with delight.

“Yer cheatin',” he accused her, his foul breath making her stomach queasy.

Seemingly unruffled, Angelica looked him straight in the eye. “Sir, you are a poor loser,” she told him in an affronted tone. “Would you care to throw dice instead?”

“I ain’t throwin’ dice with no girl,” the man snapped, and turned to go.

“Afraid?” Angelica challenged him, making her audience laugh with approval. When the man kept walking, she shifted her blue-eyed gaze to those watching and asked, “Would anyone care to throw dice with me?”

“I would love to throw with you,” answered a voice in a tone suggesting intimacy.

The crowd parted for the handsomest man Angelica had ever seen. Older than she by ten years at least, the black-haired and dark-eyed English Adonis carried his tall, well-built frame with athletic grace. Though commonly dressed in black breeches and white shirt, the man had the bearing of an aristocrat.

Sacred sevens, Angelica thought, his devilishly good looks startling her. She felt as if Old Clootie, in all his sinful perfection, had stepped out of the crowd to lead her astray.

Author Bio:
I'm a dog person. Who lives with 10 cats. Get the picture?

My first brush with the romance genre happened in my high school junior year. I discovered Gone With the Wind and hid it behind my American history book to read during class. (The Civil War is American history.) The ambiguous ending left me dissatisfied, though. Rhett and Scarlet needed a happily-ever-after. Believing in happily-ever-afters positively screams romantic-at-heart.

On the other hand, I love murder and mayhem as much as happily-ever-after. My usual television fare is fiction and nonfiction crime shows, not love stories. Which accounts for the mysteries I sneaked into my historical romances. Now I'm trying my hand at writing a humorous mystery, sans historical and sans emphasis on the love interest. I even prepared for my mystery-in-progress by attending the local NRA's Pistol School. Shooting pistols is great fun. I adore the .22 semiautomatics.

After graduating from high school without distinction, I earned both Bachelor and Master degrees at a state college. Again, without distinction. I held several part-time jobs during my college days: file clerk in an insurance company, long-distance telephone operator, kimono-wearing waitress in a Japanese restaurant.

And then I began my teaching career, eighteen years in the eighth grade and thirteen years at the high school. Weary with the same old routine, I decided I needed a creative outlet. So I decided to write a romance novel but only managed to talk about writing one. After five years of listening to me, a friend said to stop talking and start writing.

So I did.

I made every mistake known to man. Blunder would be a more appropriate word, but I did learn using the trial and error method. As well as studying the works of authors I admired.

After five years of writing for nothing but love, I sold my first novel. Since then, I've sold eighteen novels and won several awards--- National Readers' Choice Award New England Readers' Choice Award, Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice and KISS Awards, B. Dalton and Bookrak Awards for best-selling author. My novels have been translated into fifteen languages and sold in twenty countries.

If I had my life over, would I become a writer? Nope. I would enjoy being a Victoria Secret model. Perhaps in my next incarnation I won't be too old, too short, or too unphotogenic.

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