It's Spooky Time for This Author! by Kathryn Hills #RomanceGems

It may be the heart of summer, but it sure feels like Halloween to me! Great, since I LOVE all things mysterious and spooky. This year I’m getting back to my paranormal romance roots with two new releases.

First up GHOSTS OF NEW ENGLAND: SKULLERY BAY - Releasing August 16, 2021

An anthology unlike any other, it features...

4 Different Centuries

4 To-Die-For Romances

The Same 2 Ghosts! 

Widow’s Walk (1737)

RITA nominee & Best Selling Author, Lisa A. Olech

He’s the infamous pirate, Captain John Jacob Wilder.

She’s the daughter of his fiercest enemy.

Their love is the beginning of the legend.

Cast to the Wind and Waves (1837)

Best Selling & Award-Winning Author, Kathryn Hills

She’s the heiress determined to restore Fairwinds to its former glory.

He’s the solicitor working as a caretaker because of the deadly curse.

Their love will rebuild the legend.

The Bootlegger’s Daughter (1924)

Best Selling & Award Winning Author, Nancy Fraser

She’s the daughter of one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals.

He’s her bodyguard, and not at all what he seems.

Their love will return dignity to the legend.

Jilly’s Dilemma (Present Day)

Best Selling & Award-Winning Author, Nancy Fraser

She’s the new owner of Fairwinds, a flaky artist who talks to ghosts. Repeatedly.

He’s the staid, young professor there to document Fairwinds' history.

Their love will make you believe in the legend.

Watch the Trailer for Ghosts of New England: Skullery Bay

Next, I'm headed back to the beach with SAND, SALT, AND SPIRITS - A LAST CHANCE BEACH ROMANCE - Releasing November 2, 2021

Can a weekend visit to Last Chance Beach undo decades of brokenhearted memories? Conjuring up some island magic might just be the trick. Or treat!

Kyle Worthington hasn’t returned to Last Chance Beach in years. He’s worked hard to prove himself to his overbearing father and the rest of the world. Now it’s October, and the vacation island paradise is celebrating the season with an island-wide Fall Festival. Family obligation demands he participate. Everyone will be there, including the ghost that haunts his grandparents’ B&B.

The running joke that Kyle never sticks with anything—not a career or a woman—will continue to plague him. Unless he brings a knockout of a date to the weekend-long event. Cassandra Corwin fits the bill perfectly. Kyle’s had his eye on his brilliant, beautiful coworker since day one. But Cassie is an enigma, a loner. There’s no room in her life for anyone except Odin, her goofball of a Great Dane.

Will this woman of mystery agree to Kyle’s scheme to impress his family? Can two near strangers from opposite worlds survive family gatherings and back-to-back Halloween events while pretending to be a couple? Kyle’s father seems hell-bent on derailing everything before they even shout “Boo!”

Or will the island’s magic prove too powerful for them to resist?

***

I hope you'll join me for some sexy, spooky fun later this summer and autumn. You can find all my book news at the links below!

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub

THANK YOU for reading!

~ Kathryn

Writing Spaces and the Writing Journey by @Karen Whiddon

I first started trying to write a book when I was pregnant with my daughter, nearly 40 years ago.  Handwritten in a lined spiral notebook, I had about 70 pages in a romance story when my now ex-husband found it and set it on fire, burning it into ash. That's another story for another time and I won't go into it here, but suffice to stay I didn't try again for years.  8 or 9 years, to be exact.

I'd always wanted to try writing a novel again so when I had six-eight weeks off work due to a hysterectomy, I knew that would be my time.  By then I had an electric typewriter (no computers yet,) and I sat at my kitchen table and typed.  I completed that book, single spaced (not knowing any better,) and roughly 140 pages.  So proud, I sent it in to Harlequin Books and went back to my insurance job.

That book didn't sell, in fact it would be five more books and another 8-9 years before I finally sold a book.  By now it was 1996 and Kensington Books (Precious Gems) purchased a book.  My first sale!  By now I had a computer and I used the advance to purchase a laptop.  My own laptop, an open box IBM clunky thing that I was so happy to have!

I'd graduated from the kitchen table to a desk in our guest bedroom.  I shared the space with a bed and dresser, but that was ok.  When my daughter graduated high school in 1998 and went on to college, I turned her bedroom into a real office and I use that room today still.  I collect stuffed dogs and books (obviously,) though I have really thinned out my paperback collection (and I still have more bookshelves full of books in another room!)

Many computers (and books) later, I now have both a desktop and a laptop.  I do my writing business in the office (email, blogs, proofreading, line edits, etc.) but all my actual writing is done in my recliner in the den on my laptop.  I usually share the seat with one of my dogs.  If it's winter, I have a fire in the fireplace and a mug of hot tea or cocoa.

Sometimes if the weather is nice, I'll sit outside on a swing in the backyard and write, but more often than not, allergies and insects drive me inside.  Writing makes me happy, and so do my writing spaces.

Recently, I put several more of my backlist books up on Amazon.  Free in you're in Kindle Unlimited, and $3.99 otherwise.

Check out The Wolf Whisperer.  I love the cover.  Buy Here on Amazon

November is the month for Gratitude, Appreciation, and counting your Blessings if you are religious and/or philosophical. Grateful, Thankful, Blessed—that's what we Romance Gems Authors feel. Join us this month in celebrating the Life Lessons we all learn. Enter our November Rafflecopter now for a chance to win 1 of 5 Amazon Gift Cards.   

Enter Here

You can also enter by going to the Monthly Giveaway Page (https://romancegems.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_28.html )

Timeless: A Ghostly Adventure by Jan Scarbrough #RomanceGems

With Halloween approaching, I thought I’d tell you about my one and only ghost story. It started with a cover for inspiration. The original cover showed a man and a woman, probably in love, and a little girl in the background. Of course, I thought, the child must be a ghost!

I needed a character who could communicate with my little girl ghost. Enter Jeff Halstead, the hero and my reluctant medium. I call him reluctant because he’s not sure of his spiritual gifts.

When Beth Abbott receives a surprise inheritance from her birth mother, she travels to the family’s nineteenth century mansion in Old Louisville, now a bed and breakfast and run by Jeff. And guess what? They have a history together that they know nothing about, but our ghost does!

Writing the story was an adventure, because I needed to do a bunch of research to make it all come together.

I pulled out a couple of books from my library: Haunts of Old Louisville by David Domine, and The Great Louisville Tornado of 1890 by Keven McQueen. I wanted to use information from both books as inspiration and background for my story.

I went to the Internet for other research. It’s strange what a novelist needs when writing, and the Internet is a handy place to find that information. Some of the things I researched were Baxter Square Park (Louisville’s first park), a party game called Flip Cup, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the events of September 11, 2001. I also researched a hill in Louisville’s Cherokee Park where people sled in the winter. It is called “dog hill.” I investigated carriages from the 1890’s and period clothing.

After all that, I put the book together, making it a Gothic romance with ghostly elements!

Dale Epley, my friend who is also a medium, said this about my book: Timeless is a beautiful love story that intertwines two different lifetimes, and Jan has done an incredible job of introducing reincarnation and numerous other “Spiritual gifts” that we all possess in a clear and concise way that will help you to understand the possibilities, even if they are not in your reality yet.

So, if you want a non-scary ghost story for Halloween, take a look at Timeless!

Amazon Kindle

Apple Books

Kobo

B&N Nook

*****

Every Day is Treat Day in October. To be entered in the random drawing for Timeless leave a comment with your email address written out (not as a hot link). The deadline for doing this is 2 days from now. I’ll draw the winners name on October 24, 2019 and notify the winner by email and by leaving a comment on this post.

By the way, in case you wonder why Authors give away books, it’s simple. We give away books to introduce new Readers to our writing. The best way to thank an Author who gives you a book is to post a review of the book. Just a few sentences saying why you liked the book is all that is needed! Do this, and we’ll adore you!

Click here to enter our No Tricks—Just Treats Rafflecopter today for a chance to win Amazon Gift Cards. Enter often and tell your friends! (You can also click Monthly Giveaways on the Menu Bar of the blog to see details of the current month’s Rafflecopter and to enter it.)

Speaking of Ghosts...by Karen Kelley #RomanceGems

We bought an artificial Christmas tree yesterday. Maybe I'm wishful thinking that cooler weather is on the horizon. It was 92 for a high. Good news, I think fall is around the corner, or maybe winter. I'm not sure. Texas has crazy weather this time of year.

I love Christmas, though. We put the tree up so we could check the lights since it was pre-lit. I wanted to leave it up. Hubby said it was too soon. I finally caved and we put it back in the box. I'm thinking November 1st. Why not enjoy it a little longer. One month is too short.

I'm thinking about turning the ac down really low, then snuggling under a warm blanket and pretending it's cold outside. Do you think that would work?

I guess I'll at least wait until after Halloween. Speaking of ghosts, well sort of, Double Dating With The Dead is on sale for 99 cents, but only for today, then the price goes back up to $2.99.

Back Cover:

Skeptic and author Trent Sanders will make so-called psychic Selena James pay for challenging him to stay two weeks in the supposedly haunted, vacant hotel of Garvey County. By the end of their two weeks he’ll expose her for the fraud she is. But when he sees her in person, it might just be possible she can raise the dead.

Selena James is really pissed at Trent Sanders for publicly proclaiming her delusional. She doesn’t care how hot the guy is, he’ll be eating his words before the two weeks are up! She’ll prove ghosts exist. At least, she hopes she can. Ghosts can be very stubborn, obstinate, manipulative…. This may be a very long two weeks.

 

                                                        

                                                          Purchase now for .99 cents

                                                            or read for free in KU

 

 

Do us a favor and tell your friends about the monthly contest and our great blog!
https://romancegems.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_28.html 

 

 

Best Wishes,
Karen Kelley
www.authorkarenkelley.com

 

 

 

Inspiration Strikes! by Laura Hunsaker

As an author, the most common question I'm ever asked is, "Where do you get your ideas?"
I don't really have one answer to that, and every author is different. In my last post Good Vibrations, I talked about music. That's a big source of inspiration for so many people, in all aspects of life, let alone writing. But every now and then something happens that just...works.

I take my dogs out for a run almost every morning and I hate running. I really hate it. It's about 108 out and I'm hot and tired and I'm doing something I don't like. Because I run in the desert, I can't always listen to music, since I'm keeping an ear out for rattlesnakes. So, how do I distract myself from the fact that I'm jogging in the desert? I daydream.

And what do I daydream about? Well I'm glad you asked!

I have a new neighbor. He's young and fit, and about a dozen young and strong guys helped move in, and all I could think of was...wolf pack. Because isn't that where most of our minds would go? ;) Werewolf is the obvious answer here. My new neighbor is a werewolf.

Maybe that's what I should title my next book?

So, while I'm not saying he's a werewolf,  I am saying that if I found out he was...I wouldn't be surprised.

He's kind of grumpy. He's strong. He runs fast, like way too fast for any mortal. Remember how I said I jog out in the desert? He blasts by me at super speed...supernatural speed, if you catch my drift.I keep finding dead animals in his yard. I mean sure we have coyotes, but...really, what's more reasonable here? Obviously that he's a werewolf.

So, what can I do with a werewolf? I mean besides give him some space, obviously. What if he helps me, a widowed kindergarten teacher hang some new curtains? What if I bake him some cookies as a thank you? What if he's only grumpy because he's been up all night hunting a rogue wolf who's now after me? Maybe my new neighbor has to keep me safe...and close. (eyebrow waggle)

So the next time you're reading your favorite author's book, just remember that our ideas may start farfetched, or even silly, but by the time we work them into a story, you've now got a werewolf who hunts bad guys at night and still finds time to help his neighbor hang her new curtains.

While My New Neighbor is a Werewolf is still just a daydream, Icing the Puck isn't. It's book 2 in the New York Empires, a slightly paranormal hockey team. I write as Kenzie MacLir in this anthology, and keep your eyes peeled for the next installment where my hero is a werewolf...a hockey playing werewolf whose brother asks him to babysit the pack while he's out of the country. Just think of all the hijinks that can ensue when the alpha's twin brother is in charge?

And don't forget to enter the giveaways found under the GIVEAWAYS tab!

Kids are back to school. Now it’s time to pamper yourself a little. September’s Giveaway features Winner’s Choice of Amazon Gift Cards or Gifts for Reading and Pampering.

Dates: Sept. 4 through 27th. Winner chooses from gift item or Amazon Gift Card.

Grand Prize: $25.00 AMZ Gift Card OR Echo Dot. Alexa can read your audio books from Audible and most of the ebooks on your Kindle too. Listen as you cook, do housework, or just relax. Hundreds of apps to help you work out, organize your life, research ideas, and entertain you.

2nd Prize: $15.00 AMZ GC or Reader's Journal. Keep track of the books you read and your thoughts about the stories.

3rd Prize: $5.00 AMZ GC or Lavender Bath Bomb. Pamper yourself with a fizzy lavender bath bomb.

Here's the direct Rafflecopter link

Don't forget to enter our September Rafflecopter Giveaway – Back to School ... Back to You!
The prizes are listed on our GIVEAWAY TAB above, along with the entry form. You can also click HERE to go straight to the entry form!

Tangled Memories on sale in July at #Smashwords #RomanceGems

The 11th Annual Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale, takes place Monday July 1, 2019, through Wednesday July 31, 2019.

My book Tangled Memories is on sale during this time at a 50% discount only at Smashwords.

Tangled Memories is a special book to me because it was one of the first books I wrote, and because it became a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest in 1994.

It then had a strange route to publication. I “sold” it to one of the first ebook publishers in 1999 before the advent of decent e-readers. That didn’t go so well, because technology hadn’t advanced enough for ebooks. Later I contracted with ImaJinn Books for a paperback version. Once I had my rights back again, ebooks were now gaining popularity, and I contracted with two ebook publishers for a while.

Today Tangled Memories has been revised and gone through another edit, and I publish it myself.

Tangled Memories is a gothic romance. Wikipedia has a big description of the history of this genre that goes back to 1764 and English author Horace Walpole’s novel The Castle of Otranto. Wikipedia calls my kind of gothic romance “new.”

Gothic Romances of this description became popular during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, with authors such as Phyllis A. Whitney, Joan Aiken, Dorothy Eden, Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels, Mary Stewart, and Jill Tattersall. Many featured covers depicting a terror-stricken woman in diaphanous attire in front of a gloomy castle, often with a single lit window.

These novels usually concern spirited young women, either governesses or new brides, who go to live in large gloomy mansions populated by peculiar servants and precocious children and presided over by darkly handsome men with mysterious pasts.

This is exactly what happens to my heroine Mary in Tangled Memories.

After losing his wife, Dr. Alexander Dominican is determined his infant daughter will not grow up motherless as he did. Offering sensible, kind kindergarten teacher Mary Adams a marriage of convenience seems like the perfect solution. The widow’s husband left her with a mountain of debt. For Alex, paying it off is a small price to pay for his daughter’s happiness. Until his sensible new wife begins to lose her mind.

On the day of their marriage, Mary starts having frightening hallucinations of medieval England—visions that feel more like the memories of woman who lived centuries before. More terrifying, someone—or some thing—is stalking the new mistress of Marchbrook Manor. Could it be one of the sinister servants? Or Alex himself? Alex is reawakening hidden desires and longings in Mary, but until she can untangle the web of nightmares and secrets, she can trust no one. Not even Alex.

Alex has no idea he’s unleashing a destiny that’s taken him seven hundred years to fulfill.

If Alex and Mary are to salvage their future, they must first unravel centuries of…Tangled Memories.

So, if this description sounds interesting to you, snag a copy of Tangled Memories at Smashwords for a 50% discount.

BIRTHDAY WISHES

Before I leave, I need to say happy birthday to my favorite Beatle! Ringo Starr born today in 1940. And yes inquiring minds, I saw the Beatles twice as a teenager. Tickets were $5.50. I screamed and cried.

Photo credit http://dailyman40.com/

BEACHES & BOOK BOYFRIENDS

Don't forget to enter our July Giveaway. Visit our Monthly Giveaway Page to see the prizes.

Romance Gems July Rafflecopter Giveaway

Till Death Do Us Part – Halloween I Do’s by Kathryn Hills #RomanceGems

Halloween-themed table decorations by Julie & Albert Cook
Photo Credit: David Dougwillo

It’s YOUR big day! Aside from the date, the theme is likely your next big decision. Will it be casual or formal? Vintage or modern? Traditional or somewhere out-there? Local, destination? Humm… What if it falls on a holiday? And what if that holiday is HALLOWEEN?!! Oh, be still, my heart, now we’re talking fun! Yet, it can be so much more.

Here in New England—where Salem is considered the epicenter of Halloween—the question for some becomes, what better way to spend our special day than hosting a killer costume party with frightfully fun food and decorations? From light-hearted entertainment to downright freaky, couples are embracing Halloween and Gothic weddings with drop-dead gorgeous results.

According to many bridal publications, autumn is considered prime wedding season. Colorful leaves, cooler temps, dramatic sunsets—great stuff! (A bride very near and dear to my heart is planning a fall wedding for 2020, and it promises to be stunning) Yet some specifically choose to marry on October 31st. Here’s why…

Julie & Albert Cook's wedding dance
Photo Credit: David Dougwillo

Meet Julie and Albert Cook! They own and operate Raven Wolf Enchantments, an online Metaphysical shop, selling Gemstones, Jewelry, Tarot/Oracle readings, and various other magical curios.

Q. "Albert, you and Julie were married on Halloween?"

A. “Yes, Halloween 2015! In a little ceremony with our closest family and friends. It was small-scale, and we did it all ourselves in a few weeks, but it was everything we wanted in a wedding. Our theme stemmed from a mutual love of Halloween and Love. From the invitations, to the favors, decorations, cake, and guests (who all came in costume) it was a day we will never forget. Sharing it with my love made it the best day of my life.”

Q. "What was the reaction of friends and family to your plans?"

A. "They LOVED it! Some may have felt a little weird at first, but once they were there and having a great time… Everyone dressed up in costumes, some more elaborate than others. They knew ours wasn’t going to be a traditional ceremony, and I think they liked the fact that it was not the 'same old thing.' I mean, it was on Halloween, after all."

Julie & Albert Cook's lovely attendants
Photo Credit: David Dougwillo

Q. "Julie, you’ve shared some amazing photos and ceremony details with me. Yours was a very romantic event, something that might surprise those who think it’s all about the spooky."

A. "Aside from Halloween, Timeless Love played a big part. The poem ‘Key to Love’ was central. Our favors were little antique keys with tags and quotes. The poem was written in China by an anonymous writer during the first century. To us the words represent how true love transcends differences in time and culture to speak to the souls of humans. We were making the most sacred of promises to one another.”

Q. "What was your favorite part of that day?"

A. From Julie: "The 'reveal moment' at our home in Rockport, MA. Everyone had left to go to the hall. Al waited in the front yard for me to walk out of the house. The only other person there was our photographer. I got to see his expression, seeing me in my dress for the first time. It was magic!”

The Cook's Halloween-themed cake
Photo Credit: David Dougwillo

Albert and Julie’s special day was intimate and came together rather quickly, but some Halloween-themed weddings, engagements, and vow renewals require significant preparation. Get an early start, especially if you want a popular date or destination, and search for tips and inspiration online. If you'd like to learn more about weddings in Salem, MA (Anytime of the year is lovely!) visit Things to do in Salem. It's a fun site for planning any visit to one of my favorite cities.

So, by now I’m guessing you know I LOVE HALLOWEEN! The holiday even plays a role in my Time Traveler’s Journey Series. Sometimes during modern days, other times it's the late Victorian era, but it's always in New England. Visit my website to learn more.

Thanks for reading!

~ Kathryn ~

Don't forget our Monthly Giveaway!

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED to the ROMANCE GEMS June Wedding celebration. Enter our RAFFLECOPTER for a chance to win jewelry designed for Readers, or Amazon Gift Cards, or romance ebooks about love & weddings.

Hint, hint... My book, Hellfire and Handbaskets, is one of many you can win.
But HURRY - This giveaway ends soon.

Good luck, and thank you for visiting #RomanceGems!

Book Covers by Karen Whiddon #RomanceGems

As part of my journey into the oft-perplexing waters of self-publishing, I've been trying to learn Photoshop Elements.  But, because I'm impatient, and I have a lot of back list books I wanted to get up, I purchased three covers from different sources.

I've learned that cover prices - and quality - vary greatly.  However, I do know what I love in a cover and once I found what I was looking for, I jumped on it.

The first cover I purchased was for Secrets of the Wolf. I like this cover a lot.  It fits the mood of the story and makes me happy.    The second cover I purchased (from a different artist) was for Touch of the Wolf.  Similar theme, different colors.  I still love it.

And the third cover - for Cry of the Wolf - I was looking for something different.  I wanted a female shape-shifter, since the story belongs to my heroine.  I found the perfect cover and purchased it.

What do you think?  Which cover do you like best?  What draws you to a book cover?  I'd love to hear the answers, as I have more books for which I need to purchase covers.

Purchase Secrets of the Wolf on Amazon here          Purchase Touch of the Wolf Here

Purchase Cry of the Wolf here

Remember the Comment & Win and Rafflecopter Contests!

To be entered in Comment & Win, all you have to do is read the post of the day—or any post you may have missed.

Then leave a comment with your email address written out. That means like Mary at yahoo dot com. (Don't leave your email as a "hot link" or web crawlers will harvest it and flood your Inbox.)

The more comments you make; the greater your chance of winning.

Grand Opening Rafflecopter

Be sure and enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire and Ebook Gift Bundles.