Sunday, December 8, 2013
A SHADOW ON MERRIMACK RIVER
A Shadow on Merrimack River is an involving thriller that in its Italian edition has had very good reviews from literary critics. The story of this book is very particular, because I decided to translate it in English after I got in touch with my school friends I didn't hear for more than 40 years. They told me that Brown Avenue
buildings, including the church of St. Francis as well as the school of St. Francis where we studied, had been demolished to enlarge the airport area. So I thought it would be nice for who had loved that place like I did to read a book set there, full of descriptions of how the place was before and of natural landscapes. Last november two of my friends came to Italy and ours was the longest hug you could ever imagine. I'll try to download a video where I explain the book story as well as my literary career. I hope you'll enjoy. If you want to get in touch with me you can write to daniela.alibrandi@gmail.com
Wind River Refuge Preview....
One print copy of Fateful Waters will be
awarded to a randomly drawn commenter from this post and the 1/5/14 Pavilion
Party. Names from all Party posts, including 2/2/14, will be eligible for a
$25. Gift Certificate from Barnes & Noble.
Excerpt 2:
She gazed
up at him and asked; “Is that the plane?”
“Yep.” He grinned at
her.
She
looked at him skeptically, surveyed the plane again, her complexion turned more
pale, though Garrett was not sure how that was even possible. She shook her
head in the negative, turned, and started back the way they had just come. He
caught her by the upper arm. “Whoa.” To his utter amazement she looked at his
hand like it was a rattler. He quickly removed it, but stepped in front of her.
“Please
move.” She requested in a weak voice that scared the hell out of him.
“Where
are you going?”
“To rent
a car and drive home.”
“NO!”
“What do
you mean, no?” She demanded in a belligerent tone.
He
wondered if this was what Maggie meant when she warned him the girl could be
testy. “No” He repeated. “You aren’t driving anywhere, in your condition. I
promised Maggie I would get you back to her safely, and in one piece.”
“Stop,
shouting at me!” She yelled at him.
He hadn’t
really shouted at her. He’d just enunciated every syllable, in a commanding
voice.
“I am not
going over the mountains in that, that, that puddle jumper!”
Garrett exercised considerable self-control to avoid laughing at her obvious skepticism regarding the flight worthiness of his plane. “I thought you’d flown, with Dexter?”
“Why do
you think I want to drive?”
For the
second time in a matter of seconds he suppressed the long forgotten urge to
laugh. His mirth was brought on by the disgust in her voice, and he made an
attempt to reassure her. “I’m not Dexter.”
“No shit,
Sherlock. That still doesn’t mean you’re any better of a pilot.”
“Why don’t we find out, Jax?” He relieved her of the carry on placing it under his left arm, and picked up the piece of luggage she’d been towing behind her. Then he placed his right hand on her upper arm, and guided her to the plane. Garrett assisted her into the passenger seat. Once she was seated he continued to load and secure the luggage while keeping an eye on her, in case she decided to make another run for it.
Jax was not able to stage an escape should her very life depend on it. She was exhausted and could barely keep her eyes open. However, they flipped up, like and old fashioned roller shade wound to tightly, when he got into the plane filling the small cockpit with the overwhelming aura of a self-assured, dominate male. Ingrained mistrust and self-preservation welled up threatening to break through the fragile barriers she’d painstakingly erected to hold them at bay. She kept a suspicious eye on him while he went through the preflight requirements with the controllers in the tower. Now, he was waiting for further instructions. She was entranced by his dark good looks, even though his powerful build and equally powerful presence unnerved her. She’d noticed when first locating him in the terminal that his eyes were so dark they appeared black. A trick of the lighting she’d figured and wondered what color they really were. Now that he’d replaced the wide brimmed hat he’d been wearing, tipped low on his brow, with the headset she could see his hair was pitch black and wavy. His beard was just as black, close cropped and neat. It flitted through her foggy mind that he sure didn’t look like any of the McBride clan that she knew. A strange out of body experience overtook her; head buzzing, she was finding it difficult to concentrate. Then she felt him touch her and panicked! Jax slapped at his hands with what strength she could gather.
“Calm
down. I’m only checking to make sure you’re fastened in correctly.” He turned
away from her, said something into the radio, then they were moving. Eyes
scrunched closed, she began to recite a string of Hail Marys.
“You can
open your eyes now, we’re up.”
She
looked over at him, alarm in her eves, “Do you supply barf bags on this
flight?”
Author Links:
Website: http://talesbyjackie.com
Wind River Refuge book teaser: http://youtu.be/ig3jvBzFKsE
Email: talesbyjackie@gmail.com
Here is a
direct link to Wind River Refuge, and a free coupon for checkout. (RW22M) : http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/328170
“Wind River
Refuge” is only
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Note: This
coupon is only being promoted on this site, and it expires on December 10, 2013.
Good afternoon, let me introduce myself. I am an Italian author and I'm writing from Rome, with the Italian time, six hours ahead of eastern one. I published books and short stories and won several literary award. Just today I had a great literary event in Rome's Books Fair. I lived in United States during my adolescence, in Manchester, New Hampshire. I wrote a thriller set in Geff's Falls, during the 60ties and the english edition was published in Amazon.com, Barnes& Noble and Amazon. ca. This book is a touring one in this month.The synopsis of the book is the following:
A year in the United States, a fantastic opportunity to forget the events of the past. Then Diana will return to Rome, but if the experiment of life in New Hampshire will be a positive experience, she will be able to return to live in Manchester. And Diana strongly hopes to come back. In an evening of early spring, however, while with her friend Jenny, an obese girl, she is enjoying to skate on the still frozen Merrimack River, she doesn’t realize she has reached a point where the ice is breaking. In the fierce struggle that she engages against the power of the river waters that, with the beginning of the thaw are moving, Diana finds out that the too thin ice plate may not hold up. And below, after hearing a thud, Diana realizes that glides silently a human body, a corpse from which she could be sucked down to the river’s deep darkness. That’s the beginning of a real nightmare in which Diana will live during the months that remain until the departure from what she considered a quiet and peaceful American little town. Until the solution of the mystery, which will take place with a stunning end.
The events take place in a small town in the Northeast of the United States in 1965, when America was in the midst of the conflict in Vietnam. There are many descriptions of the places related to the amazing nature and to the complexity of American society. There is no lack of historical references.https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Shadow-on-Merrimack-River/1424294097784048?fref=ts
A year in the United States, a fantastic opportunity to forget the events of the past. Then Diana will return to Rome, but if the experiment of life in New Hampshire will be a positive experience, she will be able to return to live in Manchester. And Diana strongly hopes to come back. In an evening of early spring, however, while with her friend Jenny, an obese girl, she is enjoying to skate on the still frozen Merrimack River, she doesn’t realize she has reached a point where the ice is breaking. In the fierce struggle that she engages against the power of the river waters that, with the beginning of the thaw are moving, Diana finds out that the too thin ice plate may not hold up. And below, after hearing a thud, Diana realizes that glides silently a human body, a corpse from which she could be sucked down to the river’s deep darkness. That’s the beginning of a real nightmare in which Diana will live during the months that remain until the departure from what she considered a quiet and peaceful American little town. Until the solution of the mystery, which will take place with a stunning end.
The events take place in a small town in the Northeast of the United States in 1965, when America was in the midst of the conflict in Vietnam. There are many descriptions of the places related to the amazing nature and to the complexity of American society. There is no lack of historical references.https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Shadow-on-Merrimack-River/1424294097784048?fref=ts
Rock and Roll and Romance Meets the Holidays AND a Giveaway !!
Welcome back for the final installment of my Rock and
Roll Holiday posts. As I mentioned earlier, I'm a lover of old time rock and
roll, specifically the 1950s and 1960s, a time period that inspired my series, The Golden Decade of Rock and Roll,
from The Wild Rose Press.
The latest release in the series is 1958's April
Love, inspired by Pat Boone's beautiful song.
Eleanor
Martin is every company's dream employee. She arrives early, stays late and
never misses a day. If it weren't for Eleanor's skill as a private secretary,
her architect boss would never make a deadline. Not only does she keep him on
track, she runs interference between him and his over-bearing mother, his
deadbeat brother, and the half dozen or so women who want to bed him and/or wed
him.
When Jess
Norton acquires a new client who asks him to build a palatial hideaway on Grand
Cayman Island, Jess is certain he'll never be able to complete the multi-million
dollar job without the help of his efficient secretary. Despite her
reservations, he convinces Eleanor to accompany him on the assignment of a
lifetime.
The sun and the sand cast the perfect spell for romance. But will the
tides turn in the opposite direction?
Excerpt:
Jess
sat at the breakfast table the next morning, his back to the wall, his gaze set
on the entrance way to the café. Eight-thirty, their set meeting time and still
Eleanor had not arrived. She’d never, ever been late before and, not for the
first time since last night he cursed himself for his moment of weakness.
He’d
watched her as she’d left the cabin on her way to the beach, startled to
realize that under those stuffy suits she wore, Eleanor possessed a body most
women would envy. Long legs, adequately definable hips, a small waist, and
breasts lush enough to fill a man’s hands. Her charmingly unruly hair had
glistened like a shiny cloud of curls in the dying sun. He’d told himself right
then and there to turn back to his work and away from the window. And he had,
for all of five minutes.
Then,
like the idiot he was, he’d donned his own suit and followed her into the
ocean. He
certainly hadn’t intended to kiss her, at least not consciously. Yet, there
she’d been, wrapped in his arms, her violet gaze locked on his, her body
trembling from fright and he’d taken advantage of the situation, advantage of
her. He’d been, in his own estimation, a Class
A jerk.
Drawn
from his self-deprecation by the sound of voices near the hostess’ desk, Jess
looked up. Eleanor was winding her way through the maze of tables, her expression
almost stoic, her professional armor fully in place. Gone was the flirty
sundress, replaced by a navy skirt, starched white blouse, string of pearls and
her standard-issue, granny tight bun at the back of her head.
Gone
was the beautiful woman he’d kissed in the moonlight, replaced by his
ever-efficient secretary.
“Good
morning,” she said, taking a seat opposite his.
“Good
morning.”
The
waitress came to pour coffee and deliver menus and Jess welcomed the diversion.
He’d not yet decided how to broach his inexcusable behavior, no matter how many
times he’d played the evening over in his head. Unfortunately, in place of an
acceptable excuse, he’d only found the memory of her kiss, the taste of her
lips, and the feel of her body pressed against his own.
“What
time are we due at Mr. MacKenzie’s?” she asked.
“Ten-thirty.”
She
was offering him a way out, he realized, by jumping right into business. Thankfully,
he accepted her unspoken offer. For the time being at least. Eventually, he
realized, they would have to address the issue of the kiss.
****
My Social Links: (I'd love a follow or a like!)
Website: www.nancyfraser.ca
Twitter:
@nfraserauthor
Amazon
Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004AOL61Y
And, more of my favorite holiday songs:
1961: Santa Claus Is Watching You by Ray Stevens (as always, a laugh and a half from Mr. Stevens)
1962: Monster's Holiday by Bobby "Boris" Pickett (a take off on his hilarious Monster's Mash)
1963: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams (while not technically R&R, still an amazingly beautiful song)
1964: The Man With All The Toys by The Beach Boys (and not a surfboard in sight)
Don't
forget to leave a comment (including your email) for a chance to win having
your name used as a character in book 5 of the series, as well as a digital
copy of the book you're named in and a digital copy of the first three books in
the series, 1955's Love Is A Many
Splendored Thing, 1956's Love Me Tender and 1957's Wake Up Little Susie.
This is it for me today. Please drink, drive and read responsibly!
Happy Holidays!
Nancy
UNLIKELY ANGELS PLAY CHILDREN'S GAMES AND ANSWER QUESTIONS… (+ $10 GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY)
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! from Genie Gabriel
At the end of this party,
I'll be drawing the name of one commenter to receive
a $10 gift card from Amazon.com.
UNLIKELY ANGELS PLAY CHILDREN'S GAMES AND ANSWER QUESTIONS…
***EXCERPT from UNLIKELY ANGEL***
When Mitch returned from his run the next morning, Angelina and Abraham were waiting for him. Actually, they were hiding behind the curtains in the dining room watching him. After his shower, they lurked behind the suit of armor in the hallway. As he descended the stairs and strode to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, they followed, a few steps and a giggle behind. They searched the floor all around him, whispering to each other.
Their game, whatever it was, seemed harmless enough, so Mitch went about his routine check of the security system.
As Mitch settled in the parlor with another cup of coffee, Angelina approached him. “Wanna play Go Fish?”
Why not? Mitch thought. Soon he discovered the twins had their own rules, such as the dog and the cat could be a match because one of the dog cards was missing.
After Mitch lost four rounds because he couldn’t keep up with the changing rules, he suggested they play something else, like checkers. Once again, it became apparent the twins had their own ideas about how to play. As a team, they took the black checkers against Mitch’s red. They each insisted on a turn, which meant the black moved twice for each single time Mitch moved. When Mitch teasingly protested, Abraham almost dissolved into tears because he didn’t want to be left out. Angelina resolved that issue by insisting the fuzzy blue bear could be Mitch’s partner.
Happy once again, the twins chattered more than any other four-year-olds Mitch had heard, mostly about angels.
“Do angels watch television?” Abraham asked.
Mitch realized the little boy’s question was directed to him. “Um, I’m sure they have more channels than cable.”
“Mommy only lets us watch ‘Sesame Street’,” Angelina stated.
Looking into the children’s eyes, Mitch realized they were testing him, and he wasn’t sure he knew the answers. “Oscar the Grouch is my favorite character.”
“He’s okay.” Angelina continued to stare at Mitch. “I’d rather be Big Bird.”
“Oscar doesn’t have big muscles like you do,” Abraham said. “Do you beat up bad guys?”
Mitch paused in moving a checker. Where had they gotten that idea? Could they see into his past? “Not unless I have to.”
“Would you beat up our dad?” Abraham asked.
“He’s not nice,” Angelina added.
A loaded question, Mitch thought. Beating the crap out of their old man was just what he had in mind. But however much these kids might be afraid of their father now, they could grow to hate a man who hurt him. Mitch didn’t like the turn of this conversation. Children shouldn’t worry about violent parents or beating people up.
He glanced around for Julia, hoping for guidance to this tricky question. Unfortunately, she had answered the telephone. He was on his own with this one. “I don’t beat anyone up unless there’s no other choice. Now, whose turn is it?”
***
You can buy UNLIKELY ANGEL from Amazon.com, where the ebook version (under the title, THE BODYGUARD) is also on sale for just 99 cents! For more excerpts, information about this book and others I've written, as well as buy links, please visit my web site at <www.GenieGabriel.com>.
An affair in Italy...true romance
As a romance reader
for many years, I loved revisiting characters in connected novels. Essie
Summers, one of my early favourites, was particularly delightful to read as she
slipped in characters from her earlier books and you could see the satisfying
lives the characters lived after the final kiss in their own story.
Contemporary romances are so short, writing a series allows you to develop
layered stories and deeper characterization of secondary characters as well.
So you've seen Book 3 Outback Affair...here is a little bit about Book 2 Italian Affair.
Holiday Affair, the first book in the Affair series, started its life as
a standalone book. My lifelong dream of writing a contemporary romance came to
fruition with this book, and I hadn’t really given any thought to the other
characters. I am a panster through and through (although my editor is slowly
beating that out of me!) so my characters lead me along.
Tom, the middle brother in Holiday Affair needed to find his happy ever
after and I mulled over his problem and what sort of woman he would need to
fall in love with, to complete his happiness.
Now, for those of you who have read Holiday Affair, you will remember
Tom as a bit of stuffy, stitched-up, list-making man, as one reviewer of
Italian Affair described him! Tom needed someone who was free-spirited, who
could tease him, but who would also fall in love with the wonderful man he is.
Inspiration came to me through a very dear friend and I have dedicated
Italian Affair to this friend, Melissa Lulham who she told me how she had
discovered her birth grandfather on Lipari Island. Brianna Ballantine was born
in that moment. Free spirited and with an urgent need to find a husband in four
days, she meets Tom on the plane on the way to Italy. And that is where their
story begins.
Annie loves to hear from readers at: annieseaton26@gmail.com
Breathing life into a hero ~ Giveaway
Molding a hero…
Giving a character life is one of my favorite parts of
writing. What will my hero look like? How will he act? For me, I need a name picked
out before I type my first word. I simply can’t stick a generic title on him
and build his personality. He needs an identity. Once I decide on a name, his
life can take shape. This is where his story comes in. He didn’t just appear in
the world I created. He lived in it, interacted with others, maybe loved and
lost. Those are the details I need to know to mold him.
In Unexpected Find,
my hero’s name is Rafe Alexander.
So let’s see, Rafe is a five hundred year old feline
shifter. He’s protective of his family and works with the human government’s
shifter division to locate and rescue kidnapped shifter children. After living
for centuries, he’s a gentleman at heart, but his animal instincts make him
dominant and possessive.
Hmm…so what does Rafe look like?
Tall, muscular and confident. Add in long blond hair, golden
feline eyes and Rafe is born.
My cover for Unexpected
Find matches him perfectly. Don’t you think?
Excerpt
Rafe waited for Josh to leave then stepped behind Jasmine
and slipped an arm around her waist, locking her to him. She molded against
him, softness to hardness, and was short enough to tuck under his arm. She
leaned into his embrace as if she’d done so for a lifetime, head tipped back to
rest against his chest. The easy way she accepted him pushed him to take more.
With a palm on her hip, he tugged her closer, pressed his engorged shaft to her
body. She stiffened and spun, blonde hair very similar in shade to his whipping
with the move. Wide-eyed, she stared at him. He loosened his grip but didn’t
release her.
Gods, she was beautiful. Gray eyes, dilated at the moment, a
few freckles on the tip of a slightly crooked nose and a mouth made for
kissing. Her rounded face with its finely sloped forehead lent her an angelic
quality, but the desire stamped on it ensured she’d be the wicked kind of
angel, given the proper encouragement. And he had every confidence in his
ability to bring out the vixen hidden behind her sweet exterior.
He thought about all the ways he could urge the siren out
and a grin spread. Oh, the unveiling would be fun.
She shoved at his chest, didn’t move him, and huffed. “Let
go, buddy. We’re done.”
Her husky voice wrapped around him and the bite of
irritation in it appealed to him as well. He enjoyed feisty females—in bed and
out.
“But you didn’t answer me,” he replied, enjoying the
confusion making her brows scrunch. Tiny crinkles appeared by the corner of her
almond-shaped eyes. He liked how they looked there.
“What did you ask?”
“Am I hot enough for you?”
Her jaw dropped, but the evidence of her desire drifted to
his nose.
“Good. I’m glad I fit your needs.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.” He took her hand, linking their
fingers, and led her away from her human friend and the other males’
appreciative glances. He wanted her alone…to talk.
She hesitated at the entrance to the employee hallway. “What
a sec, buddy. I am not going anywhere with you.”
He tipped her chin up, met those hypnotizing gray eyes.
“Name’s Rafe. Rafe Alexander.”
She licked her lips. “Rafe,” she said.
Damn, his name sounded good in her breathless voice.
“Jasmine.” He tried the name out. It rolled nicely on his
tongue. “Walk with me.”
Connect with me
Website: http://www.nancycorriganauthor.com
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