Stacey Joy Netzel's Blog

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www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com

Now available for Pre-Order!
Special price of $2.99
(regular price after release week $4.99)
Delivered to your ereader May 19th, 2015


     One year after being shot in Italy, Rachel Sanders returns in search of the jeweled cross that triggered a heartbreaking family betrayal. Determined to keep the treasure from her mother’s greedy hands, she’s caught off guard by the interference of an irresistibly charming rival. His unexpected offer to help might be self serving, but she’s thrown into a precarious situation where she can’t refuse...and finds she doesn’t want to anyway.
     Nick Marshall has a family legacy to recover and a score to settle. Anyone with the last name Sanders is fair game—until he meets Rachel. She’s gorgeous, smart, sexy, and doesn’t buy one word of his cover story. When their attraction combusts, each kiss makes his deception burn like acid, and he begins to question his end goal.
     But they’re not the only ones after the cross. Ruthless players willing to do anything to recover the treasure first put Nick and Rachel’s lives on the line. Despite all the secrets and lies, lines quickly blur between the con and the real deal. Can love survive a double-cross when the mystery is unlocked?
Pre-order here for delivery May 19th!
$2.99 (regular price after release week $4.99)

Amazon      iBooks
Kobo      BN

Want to win prizes just for telling your friends about Vanished in Venice ? I'm running a Rafflecopter 'contest' through May 29th.
You get 5 entries for buying your copy of Vanished in Venice , but no purchase is necessary to win.
Here are the 5 prizes: 
(Qty 1)$25 Gift Card
(Qty 1) Signed print copies of books 1 & 2


(Qty 3) Italy Intrigue Series tote bag


Here's what you can do for your chance to win:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you, and happy reading. 
~Stacey~

GRAND PRIZE: $55 Gift Card
(Please visit each Blog Hop stop to qualify~see below for details)MY INDIVIDUAL Blog prize: $10 Gift Card(answer question in Rafflecopter after excerpt to enter)
There's nothing quite like the excitement of new love and first kisses...

The initial flush of attraction,
the flutter in your stomach,
the heady increase of your heartbeat as eyes meet,
breath shortens,
and awareness triggers the spread of delicious heat from head to toe.


Here is an excerpt of the first kiss between Halli and Trent in my romantic suspense LOST IN ITALY . While you get the kiss from Trent's point of view, and he obviously gets lost in the moment, you can also spot the moment Halli's wall of reservation crumbles (though she's quick to rebuild it).

She still didn't trust him. After he'd saved her butt twice already. What the hell would it take?About ten minutes later, he put a hand on her arm as they reached an intersection. “The station is down that way about two blocks. I’m parked on the other side a couple streets away, so we'll have to go around.”She remained silent, following his lead without resistance or comment. Finally. When he looked down and caught a look of exhaustion on her face, he was reminded of the fact that she wouldn’t have had any sleep since landing in the country.A twinge of sympathy increased his step. The poor girl still had a long night ahead of her once she reached the consulate. And God knew she had to be worried sick about her brother and sister.He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his car a few minutes later. “This is it,” he said as he dug his keys from his pocket.She slumped against the passenger side of the Mercedes while he unlocked the door and opened it for her. She straightened, then stepped back with a soft gasp, staring over his shoulder. A quick glance located the reason for her alarm and gave him his own jolt.Three intersections away, a police car turned onto their street and slowly drove toward them. They had no time to run. Nowhere to hide.Trent stepped closer to Halli, grasped both her arms and hauled her against him. He brought his mouth down on hers, betting the cop would ignore a passionate kiss and keep on driving. A hell of a gamble, but their only option.Wide blue eyes staring into his, Halli made a sound of protest deep in her throat. She fought against his tight embrace, but Trentknew it had to look authentic. He moved his lips over hers, trying to communicate his intentions with his eyes. If she'd just relax—Her foot jammed into his shin.“Stop it.”“Let me go!”“Just kiss me.”“No way—”“Kiss me before I get arrested for assault,” he growled against her mouth. “Or have you forgotten about the damn cops?”She stopped struggling and her eyes closed. Finally, the little idiot had figured it out.Trent felt her body relax by degrees, enough that he loosened his arms and rubbed his hands over her back for full visual effect. Her head tilted a little to the right. Her lips softened. Her arms stole up around his neck.Going into the kiss, he had every intention of keeping it an act. No tongue, all show. Keep his eyes open and once the cop passed, they'd be on their way. But her lips parted ever so slightly with a soft little sigh, and details began to register in his adrenaline-high brain. Her curves molded along his body, soft breasts crushed to his chest, slim hips snug against his.His peripheral vision recorded the police vehicle gliding by. The officer didn't even give them a second glance. When the car continued down the street and turned a corner, relief tightened his arms around Halli.God, her lips were so soft. He closed his eyes, savoring the sensation of a lipstick-free kiss. Compared to the women he usually dated, it was a rare, welcome treat. She smelled great, too, after her shower; all fresh with a hint of flowers. No cloying perfume to choke his lungs.One hand slid up to cup the back of her head, and he discovered her hair was indeed as soft as it looked. He ran the tip of his tongue along her lower lip as a test, uncharacteristically cautious with this mistrusting woman who'd resisted him at every turn. Something else he wasn’t accustomed to. Because, as she’d guessed, often all it took was a crook of his finger. A wink. A smile.Her hold around his neck tightened, pulling him closer as she opened to him without reservation. Trent forgot the cop; forgot their dire situation; forgot that earlier he’d claimed she wasn’t his type. He deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue inside her mouth. His taste buds registered a hint of espresso, but underneath, she was sweeter than he'd have imagined. Her tongue slid against his, advancing and retreating, teasing and seducing until his body responded to the rising passion.Trent spun to lean back against his car, pulling Halli with him. A groan rumbled in his chest. He slid both hands down her back and kept going until her butt filled his palms. Perfect. One swift move lifted her to ride his thigh.  Desire pulsed harder and faster. His arms closed around her, pressing her body tight to his. It’d been forever since he’d enjoyed the simple act of kissing so much.Directly following that thought he became aware of the fact she no longer clung tight to his shoulders. In fact, she'd stopped participating altogether. He was kissing her now, just like at the beginning, but add tongue and minus the resistance. Before he could more than withdraw his tongue, Halli spoke against his tingling lips.“Is he gone?”Trent opened his eyes to find her watching him, her expression calm, cool and collected. Heat flooded his face. He looked in the direction the cop had disappeared and practically dropped her as he straightened.“Yeah.” He cleared his throat and put some space between them. “He's gone.”She smoothed her hair back from her face and squared her shoulders. “Then let's go.”Let's go? That's it? What the hell just happened?~~~ Lost in Italy is available at all major ebook retailers, as well as book two, Run to Rome .
 
Lost in Italy: Amazon US  UK  CA  iBooks  BN  ARe  Kobo Run to Rome : Amazon US  UK  CA  iBooks  BN  ARe  Kobo~~~AND...Book 3 is available for Pre-Order now:

Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  BN
To enter my individual blog hop prize of a $10.00 gift card, please answer the question in the Rafflecopter (click on one of the pre-order links to find the answer): 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter to win the GRAND PRIZE of a $55.00 gift card, make sure you visit each stop on the blog hop, and then enter the grand prize Rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you so much for visiting! Have a great day and happy reading!
~ Stacey 


Please Visit The Blog Hop Blogs! 
http://ptmacias.blogspot.com/
http://catibbitts.blogspot.com/
http://havenovelwilledit.blogspot.com/
http://jamibrumfield.blogspot.com/
http://www.dianamariedubois.com/
http://danadelamar.blogspot.com/
http://staceyjoynetzel.blogspot.com/
https://jsackblog.wordpress.com/
http://dinagiven.com/
http://lindsayavalon.blogspot.com/
http://smstryker.wix.com/smstryker

Hello, and Happy Valentine's Day!
The romance authors of Addictive Reads are sharing the love...our idea of great gifts, Gift Cards, and lots of books! 
My individual blog hop prize is a $10 Gift Card(winner's choice: iBooks, Amazon, BN, or other ebook retailer)See below for the Blog Hop GRAND PRIZE LIST
My list of 5 'perfect' gifts:
Anything that gives me time with my husband. A weekend getaway would be great, but we haven't had one in 22+ years, so I'm not holding my breath. LOL Seriously, with 2 of the 3 kids still at home, an evening out is great, too. Someone to clean my house. That would be heaven. I'd have listed that first, but in case the hubby reads this--Look Honey, I listed you first! Someone to cook me dinner. Having to figure out what to make each night gets old fast. I love it when I don't have to do the cooking.Flowers are nice, but it kills me to know how much they cost around Valentine's Day. My solution is a massage on the actual day, then the flowers a week after would work wonderfully.A walk in the woods on a warm, sunny day, or a canoe ride around the lake at sunset (with mosquito spray in tow). Hard to do on Valentine's Day in Wisconsin, but to me that's relaxing and romantic, so there it is. 
For your chance to win my individual prize, please leave a comment as to which of my five perfect gifts best fit you. I'll choose a winner using Random.org at the end of the event. 
Follow this link to see the list of prizes and how to enter to win in the: ADDICTIVE READS VALENTINE Giveaway Event The Grand Prize is a $50 gift card to winner’s choice of restaurant (Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Applebee’s–US Residents); PayPal Cash prize for non-US winners.Two lucky readers will win a $25 gift card for ebook store (Amazon, iTunes, Nook, or Google Play — winner’s choice)One Winner will receive an Addictive Reads Event Digital Book Giveaway Package, 10 Romance eBooks with value of approximately $35
And make sure you visit the rest of the Addictive Reads Romance Authors who are participating in the blog hop to see who's offering individual prizes as well:
');


Thanks so much for stopping by! Wishing you a weekend full of love with a special someone, family, and/or friends.
~ Stacey ~

***See below for Prize details***
A few of my favorite things...
1. As I wrote this, I was a week into a stubborn cold, so one of my very favorite things are TISSUES WITH LOTION!
2. Another favorite thing of mine would be toads. And I'm adding squirrels. Just because I think they're so cute.
3. romantic movies and books
4. Thunderstorms
5. Cinnabons - ooohh, the gooey, cinnamony heaven that they are
6.  the glorious Rocky Mountains
7. All those are great, but my most important favorite thing is Giving Back in December
This year, my Giving Back in December sales drive benefits Wounded Warrior Project.
Mallory can't wait to get out of town~until she meets the one man who tempts her to stay. Still she fears if she stays, she'll lose herself forever. Army veteran Levi can't leave~but then Mallory steals his heart and takes it with her when she goes. Will they learn to compromise, or is a Happily Ever After doomed from the start?

Grab a copy of AUTUMN BLISS, and 100% of my author profits benefit the brave men and women who've been wounded while serving in the US Armed forces.


 Amazon US UK CA AU BN  iBooks  ARe  Kobo  Google
"As a Wife of a U.S.Marine veteran I highly recommend this book. LOVE LOVED IT." ~ Marine'sGirl, Amazon reviewer 

And now for the prize details!
For my individual Blog Prize:$15 gift card (winner's choice)
To Enter: leave a comment with your #1 favorite thing AND your email address!Earn 5 EXTRA entries by buying a copy of Autumn Bliss and emailing the receipt to staceyjoynetzel@gmail.com 
For the EVENT PRIZES which include:Grand Prize: Kindle Fire HD 7 w/30 preloaded books from AR authors1st prize: $50 gift certificate2nd prize: $20 gift certificate3rd prize: $15 gift certificate

To Enter: Visit the Addictive Reads Holiday Giveaway event page by clicking HERE, and enter via the Rafflecopter
Additional prizes??? YES
Visit the rest of the Addictive Reads authors to see who else is offering individual blog prizes of books and gift cards!


An InLinkz Link-up



***
Thanks for stopping by,best of luck with the prizes, and


Stacey's First in Series ebooks that are FREE at most retailers:1. Evidence of Trust, Colorado Trust Series    (full length romantic suspense)2. A Fair to Remember, Welcome to Redemption Series    (small town romance)3. Mistletoe Mischief, Romancing Wisconsin Series    (small town romance)

Thanks to my awesome readers (YOU), my donation total is now at $8300.00

This December 2014, 100% of my author royalties for the Romancing Wisconsin book  AUTUMN BLISS  will be donated to  Wounded Warrior Project . I've chosen  WWP  again, in honor of my son in the Army, my veteran husband, father, and father-in-law...not to mention all the other brave men and women who serve or have served in the US Armed Forces. I am grateful for their service, their sacrifices, and the sacrifices of their families every day.
I can't help the veterans without you, so how can you help?
Buy the book for just $2.99To put it in perspective, that's less than the cost of a greeting card at Hallmark or a fancy cup of coffee at Starbucks.

Gift copies to friends
Share with other readers on social media
I make approximately $2* off of each book sale, and every penny will be donated to WWP. Last December I rounded up to send Wounded Warrior Project an even $1000. I'd love to increase that donation this year, but I can't do it without YOU.

If you already have a copy of  AUTUMN BLISS , then consider gifting a copy to all your friends who enjoy reading. Every sale will help!
AUTUMN BLISS
 Amazon US UK CA AU BN  iBooks  ARe  Kobo
After a string of bad luck, Mallory Parker is convinced her future lies way beyond the streets of the small home town that stole her mother’s hopes and dreams. As soon as she saves enough money at her new job, she’s going to get out and get a life, and no one can tempt her to stay—until she meets the man who does.

Army veteran Levi Jenkins is still dealing with the aftermath of his last tour of duty. Working in the background as a maintenance man at Whispering Pines Lodge gives him the peace his soul craves. The last thing he wants is the distraction of a woman who charms his heart while teaching him to smile again. Or maybe, that’s exactly what he needs.

Levi fears loving her and losing her would be too much to endure—and yet, asking Mallory to stay could destroy the very essence that makes her so special. If either of them are to be happy, he must find the courage to set her free.
I picked Autumn Bliss this year because Levi Jenkins is a Army veteran who works at Whispering Pines Resort. Whispering Pines is owned by Major Mark Riley (Mistletoe Magic, book 2), who operates the resort half as a business, and the other half as a donation funded retreat location for veterans, military members, and their families. His wife, Janelle, also runs a non-profit no-kill animal rescue on the same property. (See my Dec. 2012 charity drive  HERE .)

Mallory teaches Levi how to smile again, and he helps her see that home is where the heart is.

Grab a copy for yourself, or gift one to a friend (or both) and help me help the veterans
 Amazon US UK CA AU  
BN  iBooks  ARe  Kobo
"As the wife of a Vietnam Vet it is great to see books that go into some of the wounds these Vets from all wars suffer that are not all physical. I also love the setting of a place where Vet family's can come to help heal. Not all people who need to heal their soul are vets and it is wonderful to see two damaged souls come together and help each other find happiness. I loved this book and all of the books in the Romancing Wisconsin Series." ~ Darlene, Amazon Reviewer
"As a Wife of a U.S.Marine veteran I highly recommend this book. LOVE LOVED IT." ~ Marine'sGirl, Amazon reviewer
"I have now read all the Romancing Wisconsin series to date, & have to say I've loved them all, but Autumn Bliss is my favorite." ~ Jaqueline, Amazon Reviewer.
Sharing this post with friends on FB, Twitter, Google Plus and all your other social sites would be a big help as well.
Thank you very much ~
May you have a safe and healthyMerry Christmas!
(*sales in some countries only receive 35% royalty -vs- 70%, in which case the amount is $1 per book)

Proceeds for this book during the month of November 2014 will benefit the Humane Society of the United States to help in the protection of all animals, including the fight to protect horses from being slaughtered.

As an author myself, I don't write reviews for business reasons, but as a horse owner myself, this one is special, and for a great cause.

My thoughts: Anna did an awesome job with The Auction . I was instantly drawn into the characters' lives, and felt like I was right alongside Rosie as she struggled to keep her life from falling apart, and then also the lives of the adorable, Pippa, and her father, Adam. The book is long, but Anna's writing style had me settling in to read with pure, relaxing enjoyment instead of paging forward to see when I'd get to the good stuff. It's ALL good. The courtroom scene is especially well crafted. Great job, Anna!

I loved the whole book and highly recommend buying a copy to enjoy while helping out a great cause. 


The Auctionby Anna Erishkigal
Dumped at the altar and left without a home, Rosie Xalbadora takes a job as a governess at the edge of the Australian outback. There she meets Pippa Bristow, a sensitive child who copes with her parent's bitter divorce by escaping into a magical world of fairy queens and unicorns. Pippa's enigmatic father, Adam Bristow, is willing to endure whatever he must to keep his daughter safe from his oil heiress ex-wife.

Struggling to shield Pippa from her mother's games, Rosie must face the ghosts of her own painful past while fighting a growing attraction to her handsome, emotionally unavailable employer. When Rosie and Pippa save a small, white pony from slaughter, their ill-timed compassion puts Adam's custody dispute, Pippa's fantasies, and Rosie's worst fears all up for bid in an epic showdown.

The Auction is a sweet, contemporary romance styled with the heart-wrenching, Gothic undertones of Jane Eyre and just a hint of the supernatural.

Here's what Anna had to say when I asked her why she wrote this book:

Beginning last year, one of my Australian friends became involved in a legal case to rescue horses from an owner who had essentially turned their horses out into a field to starve.  Because most unwanted horses go to a slaughterhouse, the government is put in the untenable position that intervention is often worse than the neglect itself.

Now nobody wants to read a story about horse slaughter.  So as I was daydreaming about how to cast this difficult social issue in a palatable, hopeful light, I asked my daughters about what kinds of human characters I should set into this story.  My 10-year-old wanted a little girl who got a pony, so thus Pippa was born.  My 12-year-old, on the other hand, is into 'dark' young adult novels, so she suggested a girl whose mother didn't like her.  Since it's infeasible for a 10 and 12 year old to go to an auction to buy a horse, I made Rosamond older, and made her a teacher/governess because, if she was Pippa's mother, she could simply buy the horse for Pippa.

That, of course, got into the issue of Pippa's parents, who they were and why they needed to hire a governess who had enough leeway to sneak the little girl to an auction in the first place, so thus was born Adam Bristow.  At that point, I had three characters (one of them a governess) and a horse, all living on a cattle station in drought-ridden Australia, so they took over.  I claim no responsibility for my characters actions!!!  Once they start whispering to me, they take me down some strange rabbit-holes of fascinating research, hijack my life and won't shut up until I write down all the sordid details!

I set the story in Australia because that was where the horse rescue case which initially caught my imagination happened and I was under the impression that here, in the United States, horse slaughter was illegal.  Boy, was I wrong!  As I researched real-life horse auctions, I discovered we (in the USA) ship 200,000 horses a year to Mexican and Canadian slaughterhouses in horrifically inhumane conditions. The worse thing is that most American's are blissfully unaware they have just condemned their family pet to a horrific death.

Since I live in the USA, I will donate any royalties I earn during the month of November to the Humane Society of the United States so that 100% of the royalties can go to help the horses (when you donate internationally, the tax-man takes 30%).

You can donate to the Humane Society of the USA and learn more HERE:

There are many wonderful organizations worldwide, ranging from national RSPCA organizations to tiny rescue organizations that peruse the auctions and save one horse's life at a time.  They are all worthy of your support.  It's my hope, by writing an entertaining love story with a horse rescue hidden in the middle that more people will become aware this problem exists.

Sincerely,
Anna


You can grab your copy of The Auction at any of the following links:


Kindle (Amazon)
Australia     Brazil     Canada     France     Germany     Italy     India     Mexico    Netherlands     Japan     Spain  United Kingdom 
United States
Nook / B&N
B&N    Nook.UK    
 Apple iBooks
Australia     Austria    Belgium    Bolivia    Brazil    Bulgaria    Canada    Chile   Columbia    Costa Rica    Cypress     Czech Republic     Denmark     Dominican Republic     Ecuador     El Salvador     Estonia     Finland   France     Germany     Greece     Guatemala    Honduras     Hungary    Ireland     Italy     Japan     Latvia    Liechtenstein     Lithuania    Luxembourg     Malta     Mexico     Netherlands    New Zealand     Nicaragua    Norway     Panama    Paraguay     Peru     Poland     Portugal     Romania     Slovakia     Slovenia     Spain    Sweden     Switzerland     United Kingdom     United States      Venezuela 

 Flipkart
India
GooglePlay
 .epub & .pdf / All Countries
KOBO  
Kobo International (WorldWide)       Angus & Robertson/Australia     BookWorld/Australia        Livraria Cultura / Brazil        LaFeltrinelli / Italy       Rakuten Kobo / Japan       Bol.com/Netherlands      National Bookstore / Philippines
Smashwords
All platforms / All Countries

Thank you, Anna!

Readers, again, I encourage you to enjoy this book and help out.

~Stacey

To everything there is a season...
Love finds a way during the four seasons in the Romancing Wisconsin Series. Starting with the Christmas holiday/Winter, then moving on to Autumn, check out the first six books in this bestselling, heartwarming series set in small town Wisconsin. Meet the Rileys, the Walshes, and best of all, Butch...a.k.a. Santa Butch. The mischievous matchmaker makes a cameo in each story—adding a touch of magic to the lives of everyone he loves, and even those he's just met.

AUTUMN KISSRELEASE DATE OCTOBER 21, 2014
Pre-order available nowAmazon US UK CA AU Apple Kobo
For eight years, Josie Sullivan has managed to keep memories of Nash Riley buried in the past. When he moves into the apartment above her bakery, she doesn’t know how the hell she can keep her distance when she runs into him every time she turns around. Especially when she realizes her traitorous heart never let him go.
Nash made the mistake of leaving Josie behind, and now she won’t give him the time of day. Buying the building that houses her business seemed like a good plan to win her back, but Josie refuses to believe he’ll stick around. Seeing her every day becomes pure torture as she stubbornly maintains the defensive walls she built when he left. Somehow he must find a way to make her believe this time is forever.
EXCERPT:
Ignoring the surprise in the older sister’s eyes, he moved around to the side entrance so he could speak more privately with Josie.
Tessa moved with him and blocked his way into the booth. “Leave her alone.”
Nash spoke around her. “Can we talk?”
“No,” Tessa snapped.
Josie laughed without facing him. “Oh, now you want to talk?”
She picked up a knife and slit a pumpkin pie in half with one sure stroke. Probably wished it was his gut. Or lower. Judging by Tessa’s glare, she wouldn’t stop her, either. Lora had returned her attention to their paying customers after depositing his hundred in the cash box.
Tessa crossed her arms over her chest. “You need to leave.”
His stubborn streak took a defensive stand. “I’m waiting on my pie.”
“I got this,” Josie tossed over her shoulder.
“But I thought you were going to—”
Tessa broke off when Josie whipped her head around to meet her gaze. With obvious reluctance, the second oldest Sullivan moved back to the counter to help take orders.
He stepped inside the booth as Josie’s attention returned to the table in front of her. She spun the pie a quarter turn and sliced again as she accused, “You’re only eight years too late, Nash.”
“You’re right.”
Her hand wavered, then continued its motion with a swift jerk. He heard the cringe-inducing screech of aluminum on steel as the knife powered straight through the pie tin.
“Well, good for me. You’re one hell of a selfish sonofabitch, you know that?”
He didn’t deny it. Even though he knew he’d made the right decision back then, he’d screwed up the execution. “I was hoping we could sort this out like adults.”
She finished cutting the pie, then turned toward him, knife raised between them. Her smile was cold and nasty as she stepped closer. He took an involuntary step back and felt the side wall of the booth against his shoulder blades.
“As opposed to the coward you used to be?”
She was right about that, too, but that six inch knife in her hand was making him more nervous than the conversation they needed to have. “I, ah, had my reasons.”
“Too bad you couldn’t explain them in person back when it actually mattered. Or even over the phone the one time you bothered to call.”
She shortened the distance between them to less than a foot, putting the tip of that knife about three inches from the underside of his chin.
Sonofabitch, she’d changed all right. Feisty. Unforgiving.
A deep inhale slammed his senses with the sweet scent of her that he’d never quite forgotten.He swallowed hard and flicked his glance past her, to the wide eyes of an older woman watching from the other side of the booth. Others were starting to pay attention, too—even though Lora and Tessa seemed to have no problem ignoring the very credible threat to his life.
Then he noticed Shane Parker headed their way. In his police officer’s uniform. Shit.
In one swift motion, Nash lifted his hand to encircle Josie’s wrist. His firm grip forced her arm down to their sides while his other arm wrapped around her and pulled her against his body.
She stiffened, outrage flashing in her blue eyes a second before he dipped his head, whispered a heartfelt, “Sorry,” for more than what was to come, and covered her mouth with his.
~~~


Get your copy here:Amazon US UK CA AU Apple Kobo

Thank you and Happy Reading!
~ Stacey

To everything there is a season...
Love finds a way during the four seasons in the Romancing Wisconsin Series. Starting with Christmas/Winter, then moving on to Autumn, check out the first six books in this bestselling, heartwarming series set in small town Wisconsin. Meet the Rileys, the Walshes, and best of all, Butch...a.k.a. Santa Butch. The mischievous matchmaker makes a cameo in each story—adding a touch of magic to the lives of everyone he loves, and even those he's just met.

 AUTUMN BLISS
 Amazon US UK CA AU BN  iBooks  ARe  Kobo
After a string of bad luck, Mallory Parker is convinced her future lies way beyond the streets of the small home town that stole her mother’s hopes and dreams. As soon as she saves enough money at her new job, she’s going to get out and get a life, and no one can tempt her to stay—until she meets the man who does.

Army veteran Levi Jenkins is still dealing with the aftermath of his last tour of duty. Working in the background as a maintenance man at Whispering Pines Lodge gives him the peace his soul craves. The last thing he wants is the distraction of a woman who charms his heart while teaching him to smile again. Or maybe, that’s exactly what he needs.

Levi fears loving her and losing her would be too much to endure—and yet, asking Mallory to stay could destroy the very essence that makes her so special. If either of them are to be happy, he must find the courage to set her free.
EXCERPT:
Splintered pieces of her favorite mug lay drowning in the mess. Might as well be her life. The weight of the past couple months pressed down. Years wasted with Doug. Losing her job. People looking at her as if she’d done something wrong. Her car. Her pathetic savings account.
So far, she’d managed to hold it all together with a smile. But now that smile was becoming too brittle to contain her swelling fury.
She spun around as the walls of the little cabin closed in on her. The emotions were too immense to be contained and if she didn’t get out, she would explode.
Outside, she turned the opposite direction of the lodge, and instead, marched along the trail that led toward Levi’s cabin. She’d never been this far before. The twin grooved tire tracks didn’t end at his place, but veered off, up into the woods, and she didn’t hesitate to follow them.
By the time she came across a small clearing that was clearly where Levi cut and chopped a lot of the lodge’s wood supply, she was one hundred percent officially pissed off.
There was a large ax propped up against a wide, flat stump. It looked like a sledge hammer with one end tapered to a sharpened point. Nearby lay a pile of larger chunks of wood that needed splitting. She walked over and grabbed the ax handle. It was heavy, but she didn’t care as she lifted it and swung it at the stump.
It missed by a couple inches and the weight of it threw her off balance. The side of the steel head banged into her ankle. She gasped as pain radiated up her leg, bringing instant tears.
“Mallory!”
She jumped about a foot, then spun around to see Levi striding up the trail toward her. Shit. She couldn’t deal with him right now. Didn’t want him to see her cry. Besides, the way he made her feel only added to her current frustrations.
“Go away,” she called out.
Adjusting her hands on the wooden handle, she turned back to the stump and swung again. This time she hit it, but the weight had rotated the handle in her hand mid-swing. Instead of the sharpened edge hitting the wood, the flat side of the ax bounced off the stump.
The force jarred her arms and shoulders, making her grit her teeth at the sting.
A moment later, Levi was beside her, his large hand reaching for the handle when she would’ve raised it again.
“Stop.”
She shook her head. “I said leave me alone.”
“No.” His tone brooked no argument. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”
Despite the fact her ankle still throbbed where the steel had hit, she ground out, “I’m fine.”
He pulled on the handle, but she grabbed and hung on with both hands. Right now, it was about the only thing keeping her grounded. His hands snugged up against hers as they faced off with the ax held horizontally between them. The warmth of his skin registered through the seething emotions whirling inside her.
“I talked to Mark,” he said quietly, concern and understanding clear in his eyes.
“Good for you,” she snapped.
His gaze narrowed. A small part of her felt bad for taking her anger out on him. The rest of her was humiliated to know that he knew she was the reason for Holden’s withdrawal of support for the veterans.
She needed to hit something. Hard.
Holding his gaze without backing down, she silently dared him to take the ax away by force. He could do it easy, and she actually wanted him to force the physical confrontation.
Instead, he gave a brief nod. “Okay. You want to work off some steam, I get it. I don’t want to have to rush you to the emergency room, so let me show you the right way to do it and it’s all yours.”
“Fine.” She shoved the handle toward him and let go at the same time.
Arms crossed over her chest, all her weight on one leg, she waited. He transferred the ax to one hand and let it swing down alongside his leg. Then he walked over for a hunk of wood and returned to set it on the stump, cut side up. Once he moved into position, he glanced back to where she stood.
“Hands like this, then swing back, and around, and bring it down so the sharp edge hits the wood in the center.”
In one fluid motion, he did exactly as he described and split the piece of wood clean in half. Facing her, he asked, “Got it?”
“Yeah. I got it.”
His eyebrow arched at her sarcasm, but she didn’t care. It felt good to not care for once. To not pretend like she was okay with the raw deal life had handed her lately. Felt great actually.
He extended the ax and she wrenched it from his grasp. Only he let go at the same time and she stumbled at the unexpected lack of resistance. His lightning fast steadying grip only annoyed her more.
She stepped into position as he placed a log on the stump for her, then stood back slightly, off to her left.
“No. Put your hands like I showed you.”
She’d seen his swing, and the subsequent play of muscles beneath his T-shirt, but prior to that, she’d been focused on him, not the instructions. She moved her hands closer together.
“This isn’t baseball.”
She moved them farther apart.
“I thought you said you got it?” he huffed as he stepped up behind her.
His arms closed around her, his hands sliding down to adjust her grip on the handle as the front of his body came into full contact with her back. She sucked in a surprised breath and smelled nothing but Levi.
From one heartbeat to the next, all her anger and frustration morphed into intense awareness that literally had her trembling in her boots.
He’d gone completely still. His heat seeped through her clothes. After a moment, he cleared his throat and moved her left hand up one inch. “There, try that.”
His rough voice in her ear sent all kinds of delicious tingles tripping along her nerve endings. Yet he didn’t let go or step away.
Heart pounding, she turned her head far enough to see his face. His gaze locked on hers, a gorgeous green full of the desire she’d desperately been trying to ignore.
She twisted in his arms at the same time his head lowered. His mouth took hers in a wild, possessive kiss that weakened her knees and made her grab on for dear life. His head tilted, his tongue stroking deep, setting off tremors inside her body that begged for release.
It’d been so long since she’d been with a man, and even longer still since she’d felt such unleashed passion. As if he were as desperate for her as she was for him.
As she pulled him closer, the handle of the forgotten ax between them bit into her rib-cage. The painful jab made her gasp against his mouth. It also reminded her of what had brought her to this point.
Kissing Levi didn’t change her situation—in fact, it made it worse. He was just the kind of man she’d stay in Pulaski for.
“No.”
A hard shove made him stumble back a step. Confusion and surprise and something else she couldn’t identify dulled the vibrant color of his eyes. She ignored the rush of guilt, and grabbed the ax handle with both hands.
~~~
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Thanks and Happy Reading!
~ Stacey

Here are my final totals for the year. The only way this would change is if Wayne gets a deer hunting, then I'll add canned venison to this list.Dill pickles            60 quartsGreen beans           70 pintsSalsa                      72 pintsDiced Tomatoes    15 pintsSpaghetti sauce     48 quartsSloppy Joe sauce   26 pintsPizza sauce              8 pints (new for me this year)Apple pie filling    24 quartsApplesauce            38 pints  13 quarts  (also new this year--but now a staple)Yep, I went a little crazy canning this year, but my shelves look AWESOME! *grin*




In addition to all this, I also wrote another book. Autumn Kiss , book #6 of the Romancing Wisconsin series. I'll tell you all about it in an upcoming post this week because it releases Oct. 21st.
Did you do any canning? If so, let me know what's different from my list - I might want to try it next year.
Oh, and I did grow the cucamelons I talked about in a previous post--my son liked them okay, but I wasn't too impressed, so I didn't really do anything with them. The taste was fine, but they reminded me of a cherry tomato-all squishy and seedy inside and that doesn't do it for me.

Also, last year I did 8 pints of pears off our tree, but this year the pears ripened much faster than I expected with the cooler weather we had, so the kids ate some fresh off the tree, but unfortunately, the rest rotted.

That's it from me. Have a wonderful day!
~ Stacey