​When I was a little girl, my dad got lost, a lot. Since we took a lot of road trips, this was a source of frustration for my mom. Finally, when I was about eight, she decided to teach me how to read a map. While she rode herd on my four brothers and sisters in the back seat of the car, it was my job to sit in front and provide directions to our next destination. I always managed to get us there. Until one day, my aunt invited me and my older sister for an overnighter at her new home in a town about 60 miles away. Before we left, my mom handed me written instructions. However, when we got to the town, we got lost. It was past dinner time and we couldn’t find any open gas stations or pay phones. So we drove around and around. Finally, I said, “Daddy, Mommy always says that “sometimes you just have to follow the moon.” I pointed at the moon in the sky. “Follow it.” He did and to our amazement, we found my aunt’s house. To this day, when anyone in my family gets lost, they get the same response. “Just follow the moon!” 

​“You think I’m Sally Jane Powell?”
 
“I can’t confirm that, not without a DNA test, but…” Lisa pulled out two driver’s licenses from the envelope. “I found these in that shoebox you gave me, the one with your parents’ personal effects and your photos and stuff. Your parents were first issued driver’s licenses in Wisconsin in nineteen ninety-four, five years after you were born, also the year Sally was kidnapped.”
Lisa tapped the photos on the licenses. “Look at your parents, Slee. You look nothing like them. Do you know the chances of two brown-eyed adults, both with dark hair, having a blonde, blue-eyed child? It’s exceptionally rare. It’s possible one of your grandparents had blue eyes, but I couldn’t find any photos to confirm.”
 
“Maybe I was adopted. I always wondered…”
 
Lisa shook her head. “I’m sorry, Slee. I couldn’t find a record of that either.” She pulled out two more news clippings. “Slee, this is a photo of you when you were seven. When you won a spelling bee? It was in your box.” She handed the other clipping to Sarah. “Compare that photo to the one of Sally. The one the police distributed when she was taken.”
 
Sarah studied both photos. Then she shook her head. “There are some similarities, sure. Same eyes. Same color hair. But there are also some differences. My face is thinner. My hair is long and straight. Hers is curly. It could just be a coincidence.” She looked up at Lisa and her eyes filled. “No way I was kidnapped. My parents loved me too much. Besides, don’t people kidnap for money?”
 
Lisa shook her head. “Not always. Sometimes, they just want a child.” She patted Sarah’s hand. “Slee, I know this is disturbing, but let’s not put the cart before the horse. And no matter what we find, that doesn’t make your parents any less your parents. Sure, there’s a chance that you don’t share their blood, but they loved you. Hold on to that.”
 
Buy links:
 
Publisher--http://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2032-1-the-presidents-daughter
Amazon:  coming soon
 
Smashwords: coming soon

​Seelie Kay is a nom de plume for a writer, editor, and author with more than 30 years of experience in law, journalism, marketing, and public relations. When she writes about love and lust in the legal world, something kinky is bound to happen!  In possession of a wicked pen and an overly inquisitive mind, Ms. Kay is the author of multiple works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, and The President’s Wife.
 
When not spinning her kinky tales, Ms. Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. She resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.
 
Ms. Kay is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS:  Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!
 
Author links:
 
www.seeliekay.com
www.seeliekay.blogspot.com
Twitter: @SeelieKay https://twitter.com/SeelieKay
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seelie.kay.77
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Seelie-Kay/e/B074RDRWNZ/

​Thank you for having me, Connie!
 
In high school, I had the best job a teenage social butterfly growing up in a small Texas town in the early 90s could want. I worked at the town video store. It was great because this little video store sat on a very active corner of the town square. And, being that this was BC (before cellphones) the social network was the square, so I had the good fortune to make $5.15 an hour while hanging out with my friends. Oh yeah, and occasionally ringing up customers.
 
While there were plenty of hilarious stories to go around (like the time my boss thought it would be fun if I were the “Rollerblading Rentender,” but the store sat on a slant and I wiped out half of the shelves), it was the reflection of this now bygone era that fueled my Christmas novella, The Crazy Yates.
 
In this story, twentysomething Callie Yates is forced to be the breadwinner in her family. Her mother left when she was twelve, and her dad developed agoraphobia. Now, just days away from Christmas, she faces the reality that the town video store where she works is closing. But rather than dampen the holiday spirit, Callie is determined to give her teenage siblings a memorable Christmas. 

Callie Yates grew up the day her mother left. It was never easy caring for her agoraphobic father and trying to give her three teenage siblings the childhood she never had. But when she learns the store where she works is closing after the holidays, Callie is forced to make a decision. Will she be honest with her family, or give them one final Merry Christmas?

​Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Yates-Kimberly-Packard-ebook/dp/B01N2KAHZ8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1544997308&sr=8-4&keywords=Kimberly+packard
Kobo:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-crazy-yates
Barnes & Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-crazy-yates-kimberly-packard/1125191796?ean=2940156792306
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-crazy-yates/id1179114236?mt=11
 
The Crazy Yates excerpt:
Callie Yates always thought families were a lot like lottery tickets. You won’t really know if you’ve got a winner until you scratch away the silver fillings to match up the magic numbers.
            Same with families. You won’t know if you’ve been lucky enough to be born into money, power, good looks or smarts until after you’ve hurtled through the birth canal screaming into the light.
            Some people match up only one or two of the numbers. Money and looks. Power and intelligence. A few hit the jackpot, three of a kind.
            But, not the Yates family. They’ve been scratching off duds longer than there’s been lottery tickets in the dusty west Texas town of Keane.
            Callie rolled over and her alarm clock came into focus. 5:59. She even got shorted that last minute of sleep. A mountain of quilts tumbled to the floor. One stretched-out sock dangled from her foot, the other absent, the latest sacrifice to the Laundry Gods.
            “Good morning, west Texas.” A deejay howled through her clock radio. Some mornings she greeted him with a cordial ‘Good morning, Mr. Deejay’ and other mornings she cursed at him as if he were the Devil incarnate. “If you’re not done with your Christmas shopping, get at it. Only two days left and, folks, looks like we’ve got some snow and ice moving into the Panhandle.”
            She sighed and fell on her back, pulling her pillow over her head. This morning she wanted to punch him. Two days until Christmas. Two days to explain to her family why the only gifts under the tree were the wrapped empty boxes they’ve used for decorations. Two days to fess up that she’s known for some time that when the calendar flipped over to January, she’d be out of a job.
            In a town as small as Keane, jobs were as rare as blue diamonds and were as heavily guarded.
            Callie threw the pillow off her head. Make it through the holiday. Save that conversation for the 26th. Give them one last joyful Christmas. She cringed as her unsocked toe touched the floor. She’d already started preparing for January by closing off the vents in her room. It probably didn’t make much difference in the gas bill, but telling herself that her brother, sisters and dad deserved the heat more assuaged some guilt.
            Emerging from her upstairs room was like crossing from a realm of peace into the bloodiest battle history has seen: her fifteen-year-old brother and seventeen-year-old sister were fighting to the death over the bathroom.
Laila won the looks lottery in the family. Long, thick auburn hair that belonged in a shampoo ad, not on the head of a poor west Texas teen, was Laila’s strength and the family’s curse, especially when it came to shower time.
The beleaguered it-takes-so-much-work-to-be-pretty whining amplified by don’t-hate-me-because-I’m-beautiful moaning usually ended with no-one-gets-me desperation. On a weekly basis Callie was hiding the scissors to prevent someone from cutting off Laila’s hair. Sometimes even hiding them from herself.
            Blake’s recent growth spurt gave him a four-inch advantage over Laila, but his sister fought dirty.
            “Laila, I’ll be out in three minutes,” he said, his bony arms trying to elbow her out of the doorframe. “After that it’s all yours.”
            “You go in there and I’ll tell the entire school that I caught you with my aerobics DVDs.”
            Callie cringed. It would have been so much easier if he’d been using those videos for working out.

​Kimberly Packard is an award-winning author of edgy women’s fiction. She began visiting her spot on the shelves at libraries and bookstores at a young age, gazing between the Os and the Qs. Kimberly received a degree in journalism from the University of North Texas, and has worked in public relations and communications for nearly 20 years.
When she isn’t writing, she can be found running, doing a poor imitation of yoga or curled up with a book. She resides in Texas with her husband Colby, a clever cat named Oliver and a yellow lab named Charlie. 
Her debut novel, Phoenix, was awarded as Best General Fiction of 2013 by the Texas Association of Authors. Other published works by Kimberly includes a Christmas novella, The Crazy Yates, and the sequels to Phoenix, Pardon Falls and Prospera Pass. Her latest novel, Vortex, will be released in early 2019.
Follow Kimberly online at www.kimberlypackard.com, Twitter or Instagram @kimberlypackard, or Facebook, www.facebook.com/kimberlypackardauthor. 

​Hi Connie! I’m delighted to be here today! My story has a dash of humor, since I called it a ‘tug-of-war’ with a certain character. She was definitely not my first pick for my current story, even though she was a major secondary character in the previous two books of the series, Legends of the Fenian Warriors. Let me explain further…
 
I have never had a story developed so quickly as Trial of a Warrior. Princess Abela stunned me one cold winter morning when she stepped forth within my thoughts and Liam’s prison. Uncertainty filled me as I fought against her choice for the heroine. Yet, she refused to leave, and I yielded to her demands. After all, she is royalty.
 
In the end, it was a perfect match.
 
Liam and Abela took me on an amazing adventure. I allowed these characters to involve me—the writer—on their epic journey. We also learned that the greatest Fenian Warrior, Aidan Kerrigan, had his own secret. Did I know this important fact? No. The warrior chose not to reveal this particular information until I was almost finished writing the story.
 
And this is what happens in the life of a writer. Some elements of a story unfold immediately before we hit the first keystroke. However, there are times when you have nothing, and when you sit down to begin, the characters reveal the story to you.

​"You met them in the Order of the Dragon Knights. Now, journey to the realm of the Fae and witness their legends!”
 
A warrior sentenced to die.
 
On trial for breaking a supreme Fae law, Fenian Warrior, Liam MacGregor has no regrets. He is prepared to accept his sentence—even if it means his death. However, freedom comes in an unexpected manner, and brings with it certain dangers as he travels through the Veil of Ages. 
 
A princess honor-bound to remain hidden.
 
Princess Abela might be a priestess and the daughter of royalty, but that doesn’t prevent her from doing the unimaginable. She sacrifices duty and honor to set free the man who captured her heart so many years ago. No matter the severity of his crimes, she cannot let Liam die.
 
A rescue that will bring about a war and divide a kingdom!   
 
In their quest to secure a treaty to forestall Liam’s death sentence, they must fight their desires for one another, as well as the Fenian Warriors sent to capture them.

Taking the end of her braid, Liam wove the soft hair around his finger. Black as ebony, the lock glistened in the soft glow of the fire. She’d tempted him beyond reason. Once, he thought there might have been a destiny, but her words of rejection slammed the door on any possibility. If she had no desire to claim him, why did Abela come to his initiation?
 
“Why witness my ceremony?” He let out a frustrated breath and brought the braid to his lips.
 
“Because I never said goodbye,” she uttered softly. Lifting her head, her eyes sought his and her cheeks colored from the heat of his gaze.
 
Liam was unable to look away from her beauty. “No. I recall harsh words and tears.”
 
“We were young--naïve.”
 
“Stubborn and set on a path of adventure,” he added.
 
“But our roads have led us to this fork, so to speak.”
 
Liam cupped her chin. “Was it destined?” He felt her tremble from his touch.
 
“I am not a seer,” she replied, darting her tongue out along her bottom lip. 
 
His mind screamed at him to move away. She was a princess—a priestess. But the temptation to taste her lips once more seeped into his being. Liam bent his head and placed a feather-like kiss on the corner of her mouth.
 
A small breathless whisper escaped her lips, “More.”
 
Her invitation sparked a desire that had remained sealed. Cupping the back of her head, he continued to kiss her tenderly on the eyes, nose, and forehead. As he shifted his position, Liam brought his arms around her and dared to feast on something that was forbidden. If death was his future, he wanted one more kiss to take with him.
 
 
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JGMH8XS/
 
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trial-of-a-warrior-mary-morgan/1129784209?ean=2940161545003
 
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/trial-of-a-warrior/id1441254175?mt=11
​

Award-winning Celtic paranormal and fantasy romance author, Mary Morgan, resides in Northern California, with her own knight in shining armor. However, during her travels to Scotland, England, and Ireland, she left a part of her soul in one of these countries and vows to return.
 
Mary's passion for books started at an early age along with an overactive imagination. She spent far too much time daydreaming and was told quite often to remove her head from the clouds. It wasn't until the closure of Borders Books where Mary worked that she found her true calling--writing romance. Now, the worlds she created in her mind are coming to life within her stories.
 
If you enjoy history, tortured heroes, and a wee bit of magic, then time-travel within the pages of her books.

Social Media Links:
 
WEBSITE:  http://www.marymorganauthor.com
BLOG:  http://www.marymorganauthor.com/blog
TWITTER:  http://twitter.com/m_morganauthor
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/MaryMorganAuthor/
GOODREADS:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8271002.Mary_Morgan
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:  http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Morgan/e/B00KPE3NWI/
PINTEREST:  www.pinterest.com/marymorgan50/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/marymorgan2/
BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-morgan

​Thank you, Connie, for hosting me on your blog today! I know you like to share humorous stories with your readers, so I have an amusing experience to share. When I was nineteen or twenty, I got called to jury duty. I was selected for a trial and after much deliberation, it ended up being a hung jury.
My husband and I moved to California a few years later, and even though we only lived there for a little over a year, my name was picked for jury duty (the defendant was found guilty). A couple years after moving back to Milwaukee County, I was again summoned to jury duty (the defendant was found not guilty).
A year and a half later, we moved to a different county in Wisconsin and no joke… I was summoned to jury duty for the fourth time before the age of thirty. That time, I wasn’t picked for the actual trial. Maybe they were intimidated by all my experience? Ha! I’m now 38 and have been summoned one additional time but not selected for the actual trial.
My husband and I moved back to Milwaukee County last year, so I’m expecting another summons any day now, lol. Although my uncanny experience inside a courtroom could provide some good material, none of my books have involved jury duty of any kind 😊
My latest book is Christmas in Meadow Creek, a contemporary Christian romance novella. This is my second published book, with Blast from Her Past being my first. Both are available for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback on Amazon.

​Sarah Laughlin left her big-city life and dead-end relationship behind for a fresh start as a fourth-grade teacher in the small, Wisconsin town of Meadow Creek. And it feels like home, too, despite the persistent troublemaker in her class and the lack of familiar faces. But the holidays are going to be lonely this year. Until she meets firefighter Lincoln Thompson. Suddenly, the hope of spending Christmas with someone she cares about is within reach.

Lincoln loves his home town of Meadow Creek, but ever since his long-time girlfriend left him for a better life in the city, he wonders if he’ll ever find love in this small town where everyone knows everyone. Then he meets Sarah during her class's field trip to his firehouse, and a spark is lit. But when they discover that Sarah's troublemaking student is none other than Lincoln's beloved nephew, their newfound relationship is put to the test. Can they navigate through the complexities of family dynamics to find a love that will last?

“Y’know, it’s kind of funny how we keep running into each other.” Lincoln leaned his elbow on the table with his head resting on his hand, as if blocking out anyone behind him, and focused solely on Sarah’s face.
 
She was suddenly ultra-conscious of her breathing, her blinking, her every move. And was it just her, or was it getting hot in here? “Yeah,” she finally managed to say. “Three days in a row now.”
 
Lincoln’s lips formed a slanted smile, and for the first time she noticed a dimple on his handsomely rugged cheek. He leaned in before speaking again, his voice extra low. “I was wondering if you wanted to make sure we saw each other again? Maybe tonight—for dinner?”
 
She prayed he didn’t notice how hard she swallowed upon hearing his question. And what was that noise—was that her heart beating? She hoped he couldn’t hear it. Why was it so hard to think straight all of a sudden? This was the first request for a date she’d received since moving. Well, since Todd had broken up with her, really. Thankfully, her brain was finally able to send her mouth the message to smile. “Sure. Yeah, I’d like that.”
 
Lincoln’s crooked smile turned into an all-out beam. “Great. Can I pick you up at seven? If you don’t mind giving me your address.”
 
Quickly nodding, Sarah got out her phone. “I can text it to you. What’s your number?”
 
She sent the text to the number he recited and put her phone away.
 
Lincoln’s eyes crinkled as he spoke. “Well, I better get back to serving.” He stood to leave, touching Sarah’s arm gently. “I’m glad I ran into you again. I’ll see you at seven.”
 
Sarah nodded. “Looking forward to it.”
 
As she watched Lincoln walk away, her heart raced. Did that just happen? She peered at the faces around her table and locked in on Jessica’s gaze. She was flashing Sarah an excited grin, and Sarah blushed. I know, she mouthed, making Jessica laugh. Thank goodness she’d changed her mind about coming to the breakfast. The excitement gurgling around in her stomach was more than she could ask for. She now had something to look forward to this holiday season after all.

Buy links:
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Meadow-Anaiah-Romance-Novella-ebook/dp/B07K6XLK8B

​Author Bio and Contact Links
Katy Eeten is the wife of a youth pastor and mother of two school-age boys. She lives with her family in southeast Wisconsin, despite her dislike of cold weather. She works full time in the business world, but her true passion is writing. Katy’s newest release is her holiday novella, Christmas in Meadow Creek. She’s also published Contemporary Christian Romance Blast From Her Past and has another novel, A Heart Held Captive, due out next spring. When she’s not working or writing, she can be found taking walks, baking goodies, dining out, or spending time with her family.
 
To connect with Katy, find her on social media at the below links.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatyEeten/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KatyEeten
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KatyEeten/
Website: https://katyeeten.wordpress.com/
 

​2018 was a hard year. We lost wonderful relatives, jobs, and at the worst of it- hope. Still, we always try to look on the bright side and find ways to bring joy into our lives. So this past Thanksgiving we wanted nothing more than to be thankful for everything and everyone in our lives and to make it a cheerful event. We had all the traditional food and added in some Sangria which those that didn’t drive guzzled up. With Sangria in hand we all talked about funny things that happened during the past year and one topic that came up was chicken butts. Now, you may think- what!? Backstory- we raise chickens and this past summer we added four new hens to the flock. Well, these hens are different from our other hens in that they are so fluffy especially around their belly and butt. Believe me, you feel it when you pick them up. I never felt anything so fluffy in my life. I felt like Agnes from Despicable me when she talks about the unicorn and how it’s so fluffy she could die. Except in this case it’s a chicken not a unicorn.
Of course no one in the family believed us so it had to be proven. So we went to the coop and picked one out and brought her inside. Everyone took turns rubbing her belly and cute fluffy butt. She was confused as to what was going on but she was okay with it since we handle all of the hens a lot (helps a lot when they are sick or injured because they are not afraid of us). Everyone agreed that chicken butts are very fluffy and the term “Pass the chicken” took on a whole new meaning.
 
This story didn’t make it to any of my books...yet but our rooster Twitter is mentioned in my story ‘Gargoyle’s Sky’ in the ‘Heart of a Hunk’ boxed set. 

Romance doesn’t take time off for the holidays, and neither should you. 
Amidst all the chaos of the upcoming holiday season, be sure to snatch up your copy of this compilation. Hunky heroes from all walks of life will fill your eReader. From blue collar to white, from the quiet to the demanding. Allow yourself the treat of sinking into these mouth-watering delights. 
Regardless of your favorite romance trope, this set has something for everyone and will warm up your winter nights.
 
Excerpt from Gargoyle’s Sky, one of the stories in Heart of a Hunk
"I need a glass of wine. Do you want a glass?" Kenzie's hushed voice asked him. He twisted around and felt all the breath leave his lungs.
She had just finished taking a shower, so her hair was damp and hung loosely around her shoulders. He itched to touch her, feel that silky skin of hers. He had a few flings after she left, but they were all just to blow off some sexual energy. None of them really meant anything to him, not like Kenzie did.
"I'd like to check your wounds first."
She shook her head and wrapped the terry cloth robe tighter around her. "You really don't need to, Nathan. They are healing."
"Did you put fresh dressings on them?"
"No, I was going to let them air dry overnight."
"But Wiley said..."
"I'm fine, Nathan," she told him gently. Her eyes captivated him so much he could barely listen to her words.
He stalked up to her, wanting to grab her and throw her over his knee for a good spanking. It might make her listen to him for once, but he knew that would probably arouse her... and him. "You'll be fine when you listen to doctor's orders."
"Wiley's over-reacting."
He moved to tower over her and reached out to touch her porcelain  skin. He instantly regretted the action as a jolt of electricity traveled down his arm and hit him in the groin, causing an instant erection. "Why do you fight me?" His voice was hoarse, laced with desire.
"I...." Her eyes began to darken.
His fingers threaded into the wet strands of her golden hair. The liquid covered his hands and dripped down into his sleeve sending shivers through his body. How many times had he made love to her in the shower? The water would roll down her body and he would lick it away and make her thrust herself against his aroused body.
He leaned in, his lips a mere inch away from her ear. "I would never hurt you, Kenzie."
 
Buy Links:
#Books2read - https://books2read.com/b/Heart-of-a-Hunk
#Amazon - http://a.co/d/0RSzwpB
#Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/heart-of-a-hunk
#Nook – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-a-hunk-nicole-morgan/1129837843?ean=294016193900

D. Anne Paris began conjuring up stories even before she could put words on paper. When other kids in her class submitted stories about their vacations and puppies, she submitted ones that had to be blessed by a priest.
 
The paranormal has always called out to her and she’s usually the one that’s running into haunted houses and graveyards. She strongly believes Halloween should be a national holiday and everyone should have a favorite paranormal hero or heroine.
 
When not in the writing cave D.Anne can be found in the garage working on her first love- her Trans Am, or working on her blueberry farm.  She is the wife of one hot Silver Fox and the mom of one mini salesman who tries to convince his friend's mothers to buy her books.  
 
You can find connect with her through these channels.
 
FB Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/authordanneparis
Email: author@danneparis.com
Website:http://www.danneparis.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15108261.D_Anne_Paris
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danneparis
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/authordanneparis/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/d-anne-paris
Triberr: https://triberr.com/DAnneParis
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/D.-Anne-Paris/e/B01DB8C2TE
 
Social Media:
Not sure how to share Facebook posts but here is my Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/authordanneparis/

​When I began the Bringer of Chaos series, it was a given that the immortal hero, Pietas, and his twin sister mistrusted one another. As I wrote, the reason came to me, and I made the most of their mutual dislike in writing the first book. But in the second, they reconciled. Their relationship changed. That didn't mean their argumentative spirits went away. Arguing with a sibling is different from arguing with a friend. You have a kind of shorthand with siblings. You've known them all your life. You know which buttons to push and just when to push them. Some of those arguments become memorable exchanges. "Remember that time..." I drew on that experience to write the following scene between Pietas and Dessy in Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire.
Pietas and his twin sister have just reconciled after more than 1500 years of misunderstandings and mistrust. He is eager to share an opinion with her but needs them to be alone to do it.

After grasping Dessy's hand, Pietas set off into the forest with her in tow. Low branches slapped wet leaves in his face. Moisture dripped. Insects buzzed. The stink of wood rot made him sneeze.
"Tas, where are we going?"
"Nowhere. I have to think."
"We need to get back. The others are--"
"Hang the others! I need to think and I want you with me." He darted around slender trees and through breaks in the undergrowth, tugging his sister along behind him. In a small clearing, he slowed and then halted.
Birds fluttered among the branches. The rain-washed forest gave up the scent of spores mixed with flowers and damp wood.
"There's something out there." Dessy released his hand and turned outward, scanning the forest. "I can't hear it or smell it, but I sense it. One of those black cats is stalking us. We need to go back."
"Watching."
"What? What is it?" She looked up and around. "I don't see anything but trees."
"Not me. It's that panther I told you about yesterday." It had tracked him halfway across the planet. "It's not stalking us. It's watching. Guarding."
"Tas, you've been through a lot. You're overtired and overwrought, but I promise you, no animal talked to you. Not yesterday and not today."

​"Dess, I didn't talk to it! It communicated, but not with speech. Telepathic. Like Joss. She can tell you in words, but also concepts. You know what she wants from you."
"Okay. Let's say for the sake of argument there's a big kitty cat out there and it's guarding us. Why? Is it guarding us from other cats so it can eat us itself?"
"Don't be absurd."
She gestured to herself. "I'm absurd? You're the one talking to cats."
"I am not--" He stopped, reining in the impatience his sister always fostered. He took a deep breath, let it out, did it again for good measure. "I'm not talking to cats and I'm not talking to you about talking to cats. Is that clear?"
"Fine." She cast a pleading look toward the heavens. "Let's agree the kitty cat's guarding us. Why are we out here in the forest?"
"If it's true that Father wanted us to be exiled, then there has to be a good reason. It's not the kind of thing he'd decide on a whim. When has he ever done anything without a plan?"
"I'll admit, never. Then what is he planning?"
"When native people sign a treaty and are driven from their land, they don't get a better deal. They get less. They get the discards no one wants. Vast grasslands with no cattle and no crops. Barren deserts. Endless mountains covered in eternal snow. Here we are, stuck on Sempervia, the last planet on the rim of the galaxy. Not even fully terraformed. They gave up on it. This is where they shunt the outcasts. Us. Sempervia's what we get in exchange for a treaty."
"Treaty? We didn't sign a treaty."
"You're right. We didn't."

About Bringer of Chaos: Forged in FireWhen the immortal Pietas is marooned on a barren world with no food and few survival tools, he knows it could be worse. He could be alone. But that's the problem. He's not.
Half a million of his people sleep in cryostasis, trapped inside their pods and it's up to Pietas to free them. He can't release one at a time. It's all or nothing. He's facing over five hundred thousand hungry, thirsty, homeless immortals who will call on him for rescue and he has no way to answer.
It's not all bad. The beautiful telepathic warrior he's loved for lifetimes is at his side. He's bonded with a sentient panther. He hates humans but the one dumped on this planet with him has become a trusted friend.
Before Pietas can build shelter, figure out how to grow food, or set up a government, he must take back command from a ruthless enemy he's fought for centuries. His brutal, merciless father.
Immortals may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever...
Amazon and in print. Free on Kindle Unlimited
http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI
​
Kayelle Allen writes Sci Fi with misbehaving robots, mythic heroes, role playing immortal gamers, and warriors who purr. She's a US Navy veteran who's been married so long she's tenured.
Website https://kayelleallen.com
Sci Fi /or/ Sci Fi Romance Reader Groups http://kayelleallen.com/reader-groups/
Twitter http://twitter.com/kayelleallen
Facebook http://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/kayelleallen/
Amazon Author page http://amazon.com/author/kayelleallen
​

​Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog today, Connie.
Years ago, we had a yellow lab named Cheyenne. When my kids were young, we would all head over to the elementary school when it snowed because they had a nice hill that was perfect for sledding.
One day, we took Cheyenne with us. In her mind, the kids were her pups, so she was frantic for their safety when they started sledding away from her, screaming in glee.
She yanked the leash out of my hand and bounded down the hill after my son. When she got to him, she knocked him off the saucer he was riding and accidentally landed on it herself.
Some dog’s faces are very expressive and you could usually tell what Cheyenne was thinking. As the saucer rotated with the weight of her impact, the look in her eyes was priceless. She totally understood why the kids were enjoying the ride. Instead of jumping off, she hunched down and rode the saucer to the bottom of the hill, then grabbed the edge with her teeth and tried to haul it up the hill again. My son didn’t get to ride much that day because Cheyenne kept knocking him off the saucer and trying to take his place!
Labs are great dogs. The Santa Bargain is a contemporary holiday romance that features a tiny, black puppy named Elf. I was thinking of our sweet Cheyenne when I wrote his character.
Before you meet Elf, though, you’ll meet Maria - a relationship-phobic single mom. She pleads with Joe, an equally commitment-shy guy, to help her out and play Santa in their small town’s holiday parade. In order to get him to agree, Maria has to strike a bargain that promises to heat up the holidays.
The Santa Bargain is just 99 cents through 12/20/2018 or FREE to read on Kindle Unlimited.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a merry and bright holiday season!

​Santa’s gifts can be both nice…and naughty.
Coffeehouse entrepreneur, Maria Thompson, has sworn off men ever since her young son’s father walked out of their lives. But, when she literally runs into sexy carpenter, Joe Sinclair, she wonders if it’s time to rethink her plan.
Joe Sinclair doesn’t need or want romance or a family. He was raised in the foster care system and learned long ago not to get attached to anyone. Now, if he could just remember that, he could put the sensual owner of Copper River, Colorado’s new coffee shop out of his mind.
After Maria and Joe volunteer to work together on the town’s first Christmas festival, their attraction lights up brighter than a new a string of holiday lights. When Santa comes to town, will they finally find everything they’ve ever wished for under the tree? 

​Every warning she'd ever heard about texting and not paying attention hurtled through Maria Thompson's mind in the seconds after she buried her face in the man's muscular pecs. Her phone catapulted from her grasp but she barely registered that fact. She also didn’t catch the sound it made when it hit the concrete because her hearing was muffled by the sinewy arm that shot out and wrapped around her head, pressing her even harder against the guy’s decidedly powerful chest.
Instinctively, she reached out to brace herself, then felt a blaze of heat course through her body when her hands splayed against his muscular thighs.
Best. Day. Ever.
A flash of desire spiked along her nerve endings. Even though she really should back away, she couldn't stop herself from inhaling a deep breath. His masculine scent – wood shavings with a hint of spicy aftershave – nearly made her moan.
"Wow," she heard herself say. So, apparently her mouth still worked even though her brain had momentarily gone off line. Still, it would have been nice to have said something a little more intelligent.
"”Wow” about sums it up," Sexy Pecs agreed. He let go of her head, allowing her to back away before the rest of her body melted into a puddle at his feet.
"Sorry…I'm really sorry," Maria sputtered, her face burning. "I was checking my texts and—"
His gorgeous blue eyes glinted mischievously as he grinned down at her from two rungs up on the step ladder. "No problem. I probably wouldn't object if you wanted to run into me again."
Well, she wouldn’t object much either. Okay, not at all.
 
Buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077996MP2.

Robin Michaela writes heartfelt, small town contemporary romances in all levels of heat, from sweet to steamy. Her stories combine family, pets, hope and friendship – all the elements that bring her readers emotional and enduring love stories.
By day, she’s a dental hygienist. By night, Robin can be found crafting her next novel - often while trying to type around her black cat, Boo. She's a runner and breast cancer survivor and happily married to her own Handsome Prince.
Website: robinmichaela.com
Facebook: /RobinMichaelaRomances
Twitter: https://twitter.com/robinsromances​

​Mom was a cautious driver, good in forward gear, who could barely back up well enough to get out of our driveway.  She and I went to visit Mom’s sister, brother, and mother, who lived near one another in a rural area about thirty miles from our home in Lubbock, Texas. Recently, there’d been heavy rains but that day was sunny.
First, we stopped at the home of Mom’s sister. To reach my grandmother’s, Mom took our usual short cut on a back road.  But—she’d never driven it after a heavy rain.
The dirt road was deeply rutted from previous traffic. Halfway there, we turned a corner and encountered what looked like a shallow lake across the road. Mom stopped. She couldn’t back up well enough to risk slipping into the bar ditch. She decided to continue and slowly drove into the water. In the middle of the lake, the car stopped. What should we do? What would Dad say?
Her brother saw us stranded and pulled our car out of the lake/playa with his pickup truck. He teased mother but was actually very nice about having to wade into the muddy water to hook a chain to our car. He explained that she should have driven faster so the car wouldn’t stall. The incident was embarrassing for her. Later we laughed about it—much later. I used this in HOME, SWEET TEXAS HOME, with the heroine driving and the hero rescuing her, with mishaps.

​A sweet western historical romance, first of the Pearson Grove series.
Moriah Singleton faced hardship to get from England to America but met more problems once she arrived. The only solution she could find was to become a mail-order bride in far away Texas. How will she ever save enough to bring her sister to America?
After a disastrous brief engagement ended badly, Scott Ferguson sent for a mail-order bride. He needs her help in his mercantile. He hopes his wife will also be his life’s helpmate.
Danger, family entanglements, and disaster await the couple. Will the problems bring them closer or drive them apart?

​Everyone stared at them, even more than the previous evening. Moriah thought they might as well be specimens on display at a museum. To make things more uncomfortable, Scott didn’t speak and she couldn’t think of anything to say either.
By the time their food arrived, she thought she would explode from tension. “Tomorrow I’d like to mail my parents a letter. Where’s the post office?”
His eyes held a glint of humor. “The store is the post office. I’ll give you a tour when we get home.”
“That will be helpful.”
“Do they know you’ve come west to be married?”
“I sent them a letter the evening before I left Massachusetts. In case they’d mailed me one before it reached them, I left postage, an envelope, and your address with my landlady at the boarding house where I stayed. She promised to forward my mail here.”
“You said you’re from Kent, but I don’t know how far that is from London.”
“The village where my family lives is about thirty miles south of London. My father grows hops. Where is your home?”
“If you mean my parents’ home, it’s about a hundred and fifty miles south-southwest near the Brazos River in McLennan County. My older brother helps our father farm.”
“Do they know you sent for a mail-order bride?”
Scott shifted on his chair. “I’d give anything if I hadn’t written them I was engaged. Now I don’t know how to explain what’s happened.”
His attitude annoyed her. “How hard could it be, Scott? You just write them and tell them the facts. Are they likely to visit?”
He rested his wrists on each side of his plate. “They plan to now that cold weather is here. Hard to leave the farm most of the year.”
“Don’t you think you should warn them?”
He toyed with his fork. “I thought maybe you could write them and explain.”
“Me? Is it a coward I’ve married? Are you afraid to tell your family the truth of your situation?”
He held up his hand. “No, that’s not the problem. My older brother Sean is always lording it over me about how much better he is at everything than I am. He’s one of the reasons I chose to buy a business away from where my folks live. Sean will lap up the news that I sent for a mail-order bride like it’s a gift from heaven.”
His eyes widened. “Not that there’s anything wrong with a mail-order bride, mind you. That’s not what I’m saying.”
She spoke very quietly. “Exactly what are you saying, Mr. Ferguson?” Her facial muscles ached from keeping a pleasant expression when she wanted to toss her coffee in his face and storm off.
“Look, all I’m saying is… well, you see… I might have bragged about my fiancée being from the wealthiest family in town and how she’d chosen me even though there were other eligible bachelors here.”
She met his gaze and arched an eyebrow. “And now you have to eat humble pie and it’s not going to taste good, is it?”
“You’re right. I don’t know how to go about wording the letter. I don’t want to seem ungentlemanly toward either you or Alexandra. I can’t explain why she broke the engagement without putting her in a bad light.”
“And you’re ashamed to admit to your family you have a mail-order bride.”
“No, no, I’m not ashamed of you or sending for you. All right, I admit I’m embarrassed in light of the bragging I did, but there’s nothing wrong with my having sent for you or your having come.”
She offered her sweetest smile. “I’m glad you feel that way, dear husband. When we get back to our rooms, we can both write letters to our parents. I’ll let you read mine. Do you dare let me read yours?”
Muscles clenched in his jaw. “You have a bargain, Mrs. Ferguson.” He scooped up the last bite of his apple pie then dabbed his mouth with the napkin.
She took her time dawdling over her dessert, more to annoy him than for any other reason. He was one of the best looking men she’d ever met and he had manners outwardly. Inside, she was afraid he had no spine. He’d soon learn she meant what she said.

​Through a crazy twist of fate, Caroline Clemmons was not born on a Texas ranch. To compensate for this illogical error, she writes about handsome cowboys, feisty ranch women, and scheming villains in a small office her family calls her pink cave. She and her Hero live in North Central Texas cowboy country where they ride herd on their rescued cats and dogs. The books she creates there have made her an Amazon bestselling author and won several awards. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and Pinterest.
Click on her Amazon Author Page for a complete list of her books and follow her there.
Follow her on BookBub.
Subscribe to Caroline’s newsletter here to receive a FREE novella of HAPPY IS THE BRIDE, a humorous historical wedding disaster that ends happily—but you knew it would, didn’t you?
She loves to hear from readers at caroline@carolineclemmons.com

​Years ago when I was a teenage and New York City was my playground, I went out to a club with my friends. While I danced the night away, I met a guy. He was handsome, well-dressed and could dance. Of course, we started talking. And I found I really liked talking to him. Well, we spent the night talking as we danced. Not an easy thing to do when the music is so loud that the floor jumps from the bass and the building shakes.
 
By 4 am when the club closed, I had taken his number. I never gave out my number because of an older brother, protective mother and a lot of male relatives that made dating a difficulty for me. With his number in my pocket, I went home.
 
The next day, I decided to call him. I picked up the phone and dialed. A woman answer who no doubt was his mother. I opened my mouth to ask for Charles (let’s call him that for his privacy). Instead of my normal high-pitched teenage girly voice, the voice of a forty-years-old man who smoked three packs of cigarettes a day came out.
 
I almost hung up the phone. I sounded like a dude. I didn’t want Charles to hear me like that. But his mother called out for him and said, “Some man is on the phone for you.”
 
Charles came on the phone and I told him it was me and that I had lost my voice. He laughed and told his mom that it was a girl. I heard her scream back, “That is the manliness girl I ever heard. Are you sure she’s a girl?”
 
Well, I ended up dating Charles for a few months and I even met his mother. He told her that I was the girl with the man voice. Yeah, that became how I was known. I sometimes wonder if he thinks of me and if he does, does he say something like “you remember the girl with the man voice.”
 
If he does, I’m doing good. 

How long does happily ever after take?
 
They call her banshee. The taunt has pursued strong-willed Rowen Mackenzie through the glorious Scottish highlands. One man sees beyond the superstition—Lachlan Gordon. This brave highlander is the man she loves but duty requires her to wed another.
 
Wickedly charming, Lachlan Gordon has loved Rowen Mackenzie since his first glimpse of the ethereal beauty. As bastard of Chief Gordon, Lachlan can never claim her as his own. When his father, Laird Gordon, is murdered, Lachlan becomes the clan chief…too late to marry the woman he loves.
 
Years later, Rowen is now a widow and mother and her son is in danger. She jeopardizes her life and most importantly, her heart to protect her son. Lachlan is the only man who can help her. For a second chance at love, he must risk all—his clan, his life and his love to win even as secrets threaten their happiness and their very lives.
 
Will Rowen and Lachlan have their own happily ever after? 

​Lachlan lingered in the courtyard. He refused to step inside. No doubt, he could find a widow to warm the night with. He just had to stay away from the Great Hall and Rowen. Damn, she was so beautiful sitting upon her horse. She was so near to him. He could have snatched her up and run away. He couldn’t go near her. He kicked at a rock. Why did MacLean have to permit the marriage here? MacKenzie Castle was fitting enough. But the lairdess had to be pregnant. Murray’s lands were just as fitting, but lacked a female touch. Och, weren’t there women in the clan? Such ruminations failed to matter. She was here.
He peered up at the tower. She was in there and tonight he would be also…unless there was an attack or a raid. He prayed for a raid.
Lachlan leaned against the wall. He straightened as Caelen took his spot beside him, as he had countless times before. They watched the castle people stroll by them.
“All is good?” Caelen asked.
“Aye. Your wife?”
“Fat with child again. She wishes for a daughter.” He crossed his bare arms.
“You wish for a son.”
“I know what men do with women.” Castle folk hurried on at Caelen’s scowl.
“This marriage should happen soon.”
“Aye, Father Murray is here. I heard about Father Sullivan.”
Lachlan chuckled. “A skeleton of a man. Why they sent that man—I do not know. He had been here for two days. He stuttered whenever Duncan laid his gaze on him. When he saw me, he looked like he smelled something most foul.”
“Women?”
“Sin, so I guess the daughters of Eve left a certain smell only priest can catch whiff of. He fled in the morning.”
“Did you really chase after him?”
“Aye, he said, ‘you are the devil’. Me and Duncan were standing like this, so I had to find out which one of us he spoke of.” Lachlan chuckled. “I ran beside his animal. He kicked his heels harder, but I stayed alongside him. When I asked him, that poor holy man paled and then reddened. He proclaimed we were both devils. I thanked him and told him I wouldn’t want to lose my reputation.”
Caelen laughed. Lachlan felt a lightness that had been missing since the wedding negotiations began. It was the damn hardest thing to make Caelen laugh.
His laughter cut off at the approaching riders. The Murrays arrived. Lachlan stared at Eacharn riding among his father’s men. Bile rose in his throat and its foul taste filled his mouth. He gulped back the burning spew.
He should hate that man. He was getting to spend the rest of his days with the woman Lachlan loved. But Eacharn, the plump bastard, was a good man. He was always in the center of a fight. He was sharp-minded and loved Lachlan’s humor. Hell, Lachlan admitted it—he liked him. Not that he’d say it to him.
One more thing denied Lachlan. Nay, he was not feeling pity for himself. Never. His temper roared like a hundred Highlanders on a charge. He pushed away from the wall, only realizing Caelen had left him. Halfway out of the courtyard, he turned back. His duty was to stand with MacLean.
 
Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Highland-Scandal-Mageela-Troche-ebook/dp/B07KQLLPQY/
 

An Air Force brat, Mageela Troche has lived throughout the world then landed in New York City. She wanted to leave the same day she arrived. Yet, with her stubbornness, Mageela learned to like the place and the libraries were the main reason. Since she was a little girl, Mageela wanted to be an author and an actress, however, once in college, she changed her life plan in the pursuit of money. After all, college loans must be repaid.
 
With life’s twists and turns, she returned to writing and focused on the romance genre. Mageela Troche’s first break came when she sold a short story to a magazine. She sold two more before the publication of her historical romance novel, The Marriage Alliance. She has gone on to write four more novels and a novella.
 
Mageela is currently writing in the cramped corner of her Big Apple apartment. She is the proud owner of a Black-masked lovebird named Boobula. She loves to hear from her readers and can be found online at MageelaTroche.com

Social Media Links
 
website: http://www.MageelaTroche.com
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blog: http://www.trocheauthor.wordpress.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Mageela-Troche/e/B00CHTIRFW/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7054733.Mageela_Troche

Please welcome Lexi Post to my blog today with her release, One of a Kind Christmas!

Welcome, Lexi!

Thank you, Lexi, for stopping by and sharing your new holiday release. 

Visitors, please leave us a message and let us know you stopped by. We love to hear from our readers.

Thanks
Connie