Good News in my Inbox!- Em Petrova

I had to get this off my chest right away, so I can shout out about my new release, which is Encompassed-Book 4 of the Immortal Series.

QUATRE gets 5 flames, 5 hearts and a rare award! Go see!

http://readingromances.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/quatre-by-em-petrova/

QUATRE- Book Three of The French Kiss Chronicles is available now from Breathless Press

BLURB:

After months spent in the arms of the loving Jane and Ethan Miller, Margot feels she’s finally finding herself. She’s battled self-doubt and low self-esteem after her divorce and having both a man and woman’s attentions has given her completion.

Or so she thinks.

When the dashing war hero Danny MacIntyre walks into her life, she’s thrown into a tailspin. While her heart slips into his hands, she knows part of it firmly remains with the Millers. As she devises a plan to unite them all, fear threatens to control her. Can she have two pieces of cake and eat her pie too?

EXCERPT RATED PG:

Margot sat at her kitchen table, a steaming mug of coffee on the distressed wooden top at her elbow, and her head in her hands.

She'd just bundled her twin girls into their grandmother's car, off for a day at the zoo while she prepared for her day. Another eight-hour shift at the hospital, then dinner with Danny. The handsome vet hadn't wasted any time asking her out again after their long, talkative date last night. And she was looking forward to it.

But she missed Jane and Ethan to the extreme. This morning, she'd awakened to two text messages from Jane asking her to call as soon as she got up. But it was 10:00 a.m., and she still hadn't called.

You're avoiding her.

Her heart rolled with uneasiness. She wasn't exactly avoiding her. She didn't know how to explain her reason for canceling their plans for last night.

And how to explain the strange new feelings in her heart for Danny.

After work yesterday, she'd run home, grabbed a hasty shower, and threw on a light cotton sundress. Jane had helped her choose it during their last shopping trip together. She'd told Margot how much she loved the coral color against her bronzed skin, which was so different from Jane's paler tone.

And then Jane had pressed her against the wall of the dressing room and kissed the hell out of her.

When Margot had approached the park bench last night, he'd looked up with a stunned expression. Quickly, he'd gained his feet, favoring his injured leg and bearing his weight on his other foot.

He'd captured her hands as a grin stretched across his face. His smile could have parted the clouds after a month of rain.

"I can't believe you came."

She'd given a small laugh and went on tiptoe to brush his cheek with her lips. An action that had startled him and set her blushing. "Why wouldn't I come?"

He'd shrugged, and keeping her hand in his, seated her beside him on the metal bench. The evening air had been balmy compared to the icy conditions of the hospital.

QUATRE- Book Three of The French Kiss Chronicles is available now from Breathless Press

The French Kiss Chronicles

Deux: http://www.breathlesspress.org/Book/305

Trois: http://www.breathlesspress.org/Book/290

Quatre: http://www.breathlesspress.com/content/quatre http://www.breathlesspress.com/content/quatre

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Quatre-French-Kiss-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B005WCUM0E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318841086&sr=8-1

ARE: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-quatre-615548-144.html

Em Petrova

~where words mean so much more~

www.empetrova.com

Puppies, Puppies, Puppies!

Did I get your attention? Nothing like the word "puppies" to raise your interest, right? On Wednesday, November 23rd, I got my first puppy. He's an all black German Shepherd. This is him.

His name is Anubis after the Egyptian guardian of the underworld who is portrayed as having the head of a jackal which looks very similar to a full grown German Shepherd. He's 11 weeks old and already understands the commands "sit," "stay," "come," and we're working on "shake." He loves to play games in our backyard. His favorite is chasing a tennis ball knotted onto a rope that we swing in a circle. He'll chase it until his legs no longer work!

I've always considered myself a "cat person." I have two, whom you'll meet in subsequent posts today. I got more interested in dogs after writing my book, ALASKA HEART.

In this tale, the hero, Dale Ramsden Jr. is the youngest Iditarod winner. He has eighteen Siberian huskies that he uses as sled dogs. I had so much fun researching the features and care of this magnificent breed. Giving the main dogs, Gyspy and Zynk, their own personalities also allowed me to think like a dog for some of the book.

When giving a character a pet, or in this case, a whole team of pets, you get the rare opportunity to say something about the character without having to spell it all out. The way Dale interacts with his dogs speaks volumes about the kind of man he is. It also says a little something about how he'd treat the woman of his dreams, nature reporter, Alanna Cormac. A man who can successfully manage eighteen full grown dogs in an organized fashion also lets readers know Dale can multitask, a very sexy skill in my opinion. Right up there with six pack abs and the whisper of a stubbly beard. Now that's a MAN!

While my pooch, Anubis, has a great deal to learn about how things work in my family, I know he'll be whipped into shape just like Dale's dogs in no time. 

Here's an excerpt from ALASKA HEART:

He closed the door behind him, and I stood in

the kitchen for a long moment. I turned toward the

window over the sink when barking erupted from

the backyard. Dale had entered the dogs’ enclosure,

and every one of the dogs was on its feet, crowding

around him. Gesturing, Dale got all the dogs under

control in seconds. Each one sat on its haunches in

front of its own doghouse as he went into the shed.

The dogs waited patiently while he prepared their

food. When he came back outside and placed bowls

in front of each dog, they dove into the food on his

signal.

Dale was impressive to watch. He leaned

against the shed, waiting for the dogs to finish. As

his head turned skyward, the sun illuminated his

chiseled features. He fished a pair of sunglasses

from his jacket pocket and popped them on, which

made him look more like a famous athlete somehow.

Dale patted his chest, and Gypsy rose on her

hind legs until her front paws rested below his

shoulders. He closed his arms around the dog and

stroked her furry back. His lips were moving. What

secrets was he telling Gypsy? She licked his chin,

and he laughed as he wiped off her slobber. He

pointed to the ground, and Gypsy dropped to all

fours next to him.

I was about to end my Dale-watching and hunt

down my laptop when he turned toward the window

and waved.

“Now how did he know I was still here?” I said to

Zynk, who had come to sit almost on top of my feet.

I waved back and forced myself to leave the

kitchen. “I’ve got to get this article done, Zynk,

because ninety-nine percent of my brain wants to be

focused on that man ninety-nine percent of the

time.”

Zynk let out a bark.

“Okay, okay. You’re right. It’s one hundred

percent of the time.”

 

To order your copy of ALASKA HEART in print or e-book, visit me at http://www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com/.

Toodles,

Christine DePetrillo





Patriot: At Any Cost : new WWII Historical

Will desperate danger ever wash ashore on Maine's craggy coastline? It hardly seems likely... the War is so terribly far away.

Lillian wants nothing more than to join the war effort, especially since her childhood sweetheart is headed to war: but what can she do?

Discover how one determined woman and her clever fella change a world...

Excerpt:

The white of the picket fence gate stood out in the darkness. It marked the top of the bluff. Lill thought of the cliff’s edge. Time stood still as she paused there, one hand on the gate, her mind spinning desperately against the unimaginable fate before her.

The cliff seemed the only way; the jagged rocks, far below, her only escape. She would simply run...

Is this a: A World War II historical? A romance -an adventure - what?
Yes.
'Patriot: At Any Cost' is all that - with just a bit of local humor too. It's set on the coast of Maine - the real 'Downeast' area including Phippsburg, Popham Beach, Bath, and the fictional village of Smalls, set along the Kennebec River.

The area itself is dramatic, and so is the era. There were heroic exploits and feats in battle, but it was also a time for ordinary folks - those who didn't or couldn't go off to war - to join the common cause.

Heroism took center stage. Battles were featured in the newspapers. Yet, all around the edges of the 'big events' - the stuff that made history - are these other, half-hidden, amazing stories.

Patriot: At Any cost, conjures up the heartfelt atmosphere of that era. There were home-guards on coastlines, there were transport pilots that didn't fly in battle but delivered goods, there were ladies PAINTING a bit of color on their legs so they could donate their nylons to make parachutes. It was a trying time and people,not just heroes, but everyday people, rose to the occasion.

'Patriot: At Any Cost' is about one determined young woman, and a few friends in Maine who try to support the common cause and make a difference.

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Patriot-At-Any-Cost-ebook/dp/B005TKZUBU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319128525&sr=8-1

In Time for Christmas: Right to Bragg...Book Four. Hearts Crossing Ranch and

One of my favorite Christmas songs has long been Amy Grant’s “Grown up Christmas List.” Well, I get weepy easily, but it’s one of those songs that really starts the waterworks.  Mostly—because I have some really wing-nut relatives, I like to change a couple of words so that the lyrics can easily pertain to a family in need.

Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies.

Well, I'm all grown-up now
And still need help somehow.
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream.

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself
But for a family (world) in need

[Chorus:]
No more lives torn apart,
That fights (wars) would never start
And time would heal all hearts.
Everyone would have a friend,
And right would always win,
And love would never end.
This is my grown-up Christmas list.

When I started my latest release Right to Bragg, the fourth book in my Hearts Crossing Ranch series, I knew the heroine Tiffany Vickers is a woman alone, abandoned, dealing with wing-nuts of her own and trying to find her way. Cowboy Bragg Martin uses his own faith to help guide her…even as he struggles with guilt of his own. Then somehow, as the story took off and I plotted all the why’s and wherefore’s, the setting ended up being Christmastime. The time of hope and healing, reunion and peace.

I hope you enjoy Tiffany’s falling both in faith and love during a picture-perfect Christmas on that fictional little ranch, Hearts Crossing, where everybody loves to come home.

BLURB:

Disowned by her family, Tiffany Vickers faces a lonely Christmas and takes great comfort in the baby boy in her care. Her faith in tatters, she guards her heart against the baby's uncle, handsome cowboy Bragg Martin, a man with baggage of his own. While Bragg longs to open his heart and family to the lovely nanny, he doesn't understand her interest in his arch enemy. Saving a man's life and saving Tiffany's faith bring the couple together…and home to Hearts Crossing Ranch. 

EXCERPT:

     Tiffany got up for another cup of coffee, Matty’s eyes watching her every move.

     “He sure notices you,” Bragg remarked as the baby drained the bottle.

     “Yeah. We bonded right off. I’m so glad about it.” As she’d made a snap decision just then, she rushed on. “I left behind my precious nephew. I guess in my psyche somewhere I figured maybe nanny to Matty might help ease that hole in my heart.”  Gently she rubbed her hand over Matty’s head, the edge of her hand tugging at Bragg’s shirt and causing a funny havoc. Mostly though he listened to her pain.

     She sank back down into a kitchen chair, resting her cheek in her hand. “I was with Connor from the moment he was born. Paul and Diana wanted me there. Then things went haywire. It was my fault. You talk about forgiveness, but there isn’t any in this case. And I miss that little boy. Oh, I miss him so. I need him. His love was unconditional, you know. He’s three now. I can’t let him forget me.”

     Bragg’s heart tugged at the agony on her face, and Matty’s little hand flailed. Tiffany took it at once. “It can’t be that bad, can it?”

     “I’ve been disowned, so, yeah, Bragg. It’s that bad.” 


For a chance to win a PDF copy. please comment and leave your e-mail address at any of my posts today. I'll draw one winning name at the end of the party. Thanks so much. 

Mom's Build-a-Man

Have you ever seen those build-a-bear workshops? You take your child in to this store that promises to let your kid “build” a new friend. After selecting  the “friend” they want, the sales rep attaches the limp, empty animal body onto the fluff machine and proceeds to fill up the animal with stuffing. After picking out a nifty new outfit and dressing their animal, your son or daughter now has a new friend and you’re out about $50. Anyway, the point to this story is that recently I was charged with coming up with a gag cake after my sister and I decided that our mom needed a man for her birthday.

It was mom’s 60^th birthday, and we were going to throw her a surprise party. Since neither my sister nor I have a supply of extra men lying around to give mom, we figured we build her a man. We’d considered a stripper, but expected having a buff dude in a speedo shaking his stuff in mom’s face would probably give her a heart attack—that and she’d probably kill us afterward.

Being that one of my hobbies is cake decorating, my sister came up with the bright idea to make a man for mom. Needless to say, when you google man-cakes, you get a variety of very inappropriate pictures of the male anatomy depicted in cake. Okay, so when someone says birthday cake, I think about three layers; chocolate, yellow, or white; covered in fondant or buttercream. Maybe a few flowers to pretty it up. Boobs and penises don’t typically come to mind. But hey, I’m up for a challenge.

My husband had a creative suggestion. He thought I should make a male torso with a large penis, stick a candle in the end of the cake-man’s rod, then make mom grab it to blow out the candle. Um, yeah. Mom would NOT do that, and I’m sure some of her church friends wouldn’t appreciate it. Since I had no idea who was coming to this party, I figured I’d have to tone it down a bit. I like the torso idea, but how to make it sexy and not raunchy was a whole other matter.

After quite a bit of googling, you-tubing, Amazoning, and flickring, I finally found what I was looking for. Well, at least I had an idea to start with, anyway. Combining mom’s love for yellow roses and chest hair (not that the two have anything to do with each other, mind you), I think I came up with a super hot alternative to X-rated. My sister loved the 80’s chest hair. Hey, making all them little curls took some time!

Mom was embarrassed, but I think she like it. We made her cut the cake and everyone got to  eat a piece of mom’s man. She said she was saving the part under the fondant shroud for later, when she was by herself! Imagine that, my mom with a naughty sense of humor.

Merry Christmas, Merry Xmas, Seasons Greetings or Happy Holidays

Well, it's that time of year again and the holidays are in full swing. This time of year beginning with Thanksgiving, has always been my favorite time of year. When I was growing up, it was always a time for families getting together, visiting, sharing, laughing and just simply enjoying being around each other. Times were much simpler then. Maybe that's what made everything special. We were far from wealthy...and let me tell you I mean FAR. There were thirteen of us, so you know money was tight in my family. But when I reflect back, while we didn't have money, we had LOVE, a roof over our heads, warm beds to sleep in, food to eat, and the company of each other.

There are so many times I feel sorry for this generation of kids. Everything around this time of year is so commercialized. All you hear nowadays is I want...I want...I want...I truly feel sorry that our kids will never experience the good times of family like we did back then. A time of family getting together and enjoying each other's company, enjoying good food, helping, sharing and caring for one another. Kids today walk around like zombies, their heads hung low, their attention fully on the latest Techno gadget (ipod, ipad, smartphone). Do you realize kids don't talk much anymore. Texting is the new fad. With everything the technological advances have done for the world, the downside is it's replace plain old communications, i.e. talking.

That's why, this year, it's Merry CHRISTmas for me, not Happy Holidays or shortening the word Christmas to Xmas or Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings...I want to put the CHRIST back in Christmas. What are your thoughts on this matter? Is it Merry Christmas, Merry Xmas or Happy Holidays for you?

Congratulations to our Monthly Winner for December!

Every month we'll give away a $10 Amazon.com gift certificate to one of our Party Pavilion blog followers.

This month, http://www.random.org selected:

Thursday Next

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