Serena Zane's Blog
December 25, 2015
May 4, 2015
Fabulous Spring Giveaway
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The Fabulous Spring Giveaway is open worldwide. 1 winner will win the Prize Pack. You can enter via the Rafflecopter below. Please visit the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog and the Main Giveaway Post HERE to see the full prize list, participating shops and daily features during the giveaway.
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Since Summer is right around the corner the giveaway theme is Vacation Memories. Each of our participating shops, and many of our blog sponsors, will be sharing some of their favorite vacation photos with you.
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Giveaway runs May 4th - 18th. Laughing Vixen Lounge is responsible for all giveaway details. See full details here: http://laughingvixenlounge.blogspot.se/2015/05/1st-annual-fabulous-spring-giveaway.html
Rafflecopter: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b2981ff870/
April 30, 2015
Claudia Burgoa Spotlight
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Synopsis
AJ
The lies between my parents and I came to light and now I’m working on a new life for myself. Along the way, I have my trusty superhero, Mason, to lean on when I have a hard time standing or when my crazy ex-boyfriend continues to feel he has a claim on me.
Porter has trouble understanding that there hasn’t been an ‘us’ for more than three years plus all the issues he had brought upon himself. My father was right, drugs do kill. My other confern is the growing feelings I am having regarding Mason. There’s something between us I want to explore but I keep getting mixed signals. Here, I thought that after telling my parents about my lies and having their full support, things wouldn’t be as complicated as they are.
Mason
My parents divorced before I even made my entrance into this world. My father has been obsessed with that love for years while my mother searches for love in all the wrong places. I don’t want a place to call home or a girl I can claim as mine. Except… Ainsley Janine — better known as ‘Nine’ — has some special power that makes me question my preferences. The more I try to stay away from her, the more she pulls me closer.
Exploring the possibilities of having something steady in my life isn’t a problem; it’s the long term that worries me. In addition to that, the scumbag she dated years ago keeps popping up everywhere we go. If I could use my license to kill, maybe I can stop worrying about one thing and concentrate on what to do with the green eyed girl who keeps me awake most nights.
Buy Links
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/unsurprisingly-complicated
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unsurprisingly-complicated-claudia-burgoa/1121794490?ean=2940151882811
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/262614169/Unsurprisingly-Complicated
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/unsurprisingly-complicated/id988026143?mt=11
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About the Author
Claudia Burgoa was born on the mystical day of October 30th in the not so mystical lands of Mexico City, Claudia grew up with a childhood that resembled a caffeine-injected soap opera. Seventeen years ago she ventured to the lands of her techie husband--a.k.a. the U.S.--with their offspring to start a new adventure.
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She now lives in Colorado working as a CFO for a small IT company, managing her household filled with three confused dogs, said nerd husband, two daughters wrought with fandoms and a son who thinks he's the boss of the house. To survive she works continually to find purpose for the voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high quantities of chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact. To find more about Claudia follow her:
Social links
http://www.claudiayburgoa.com/
https://twitter.com/yuribeans
http://cyburg.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ClaudiaYBurgoa
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ClaudiaBurgoa
http://www.bloglovin.com/claudia92
http://www.pinterest.com/yuribeans
April 23, 2015
Spotlight Amber Daulton
Lightning over Bennett Ranch
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Publisher: Books to Go Now
Release Date: June 9th, 2014
ASIN: B00KWEFP9K
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 16k
Sexual Rating: Sweet
Synopsis:
Melody Bennett’s parents trampled on her teenage romance with a drifter ten years ago. He disappeared without a word of goodbyes on the night they had planned to run away together. Since then, she cast aside her foolish notions of happily ever after and worked hard alongside the hired help to care for the majestic horses on her family’s beloved ranch. She refused to give love another chance and resigned to live her life alone.
Max Fortaine returned with a heart guarded by secrets and a sizable bank account that took blood, prayers and tears to fund. The cowboy disrupted Melody’s peaceful existence with stolen kisses and a promise for more. After a lifetime of running, mistakes and regrets, he vowed to reclaim the only woman he ever loved… if only her overprotective father didn’t stand in his way.
Excerpt:
“Did you ever love me? At least tell me the truth on that.”
Surprise overshadowed the anger that burned in his eyes. “Yes, I did. I’m sorry I made you doubt that.”
Her tight control slipped and a tear slid down her face. Melody dug her nails into her palms to regain control. “You owe me the truth.”
Max tunneled his fingers through his spiky, dark blond hair. “I do, but I don’t want you to hate me more than you already do.”
“I don’t hate you. I did a long time ago but I forgave you.” She stepped back to give both of them breathing room. As it was, all she could breathe in was his scent. She felt suffocated and strangely at peace by it. “I’m happy, Max. My life is good. I missed you for a while but I moved on. To answer your earlier question, no, I don’t have a boyfriend. I’ve dated men after you, of course, but I’m single now. That’s my choice.” She refused to tell him about her list of must-haves, her criterion for potential love interests. Melody didn’t want him to know how much his betrayal had affected her view on men and love. “Besides, I’m sure you moved on to other women. I doubt a handsome man like you would have trouble finding a new bedmate.”
He glanced away and shifted his feet which confirmed her suspicion. She wrapped her arms around her queasy stomach and walked toward a window. She peered through the slats of the blinds but she didn’t see much of anything. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to feel not good enough? Tell me why you left Willow Creek without me. I don’t care what the answer is. I just want to know. I won’t hate you for it.”
Where to Find:
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KWEFP9K
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22460410-lightning-over-bennett-ranch
About the Author:
Writing is the fruit to happiness.
Amber Daulton lives her life by that one belief even though she normally isn't so Zen.
Author of four novellas—Forever Winter,A Hero's Heart, Lightning over Bennett Ranchand Mistletoe in the City—she published her first book in 2012 and hopes to publish countless more in the future. [image error]
She lives in the beautiful foothills of North Carolina with her punk-rocker husband and their five crazy kitties. Writing takes up most of her time, aside from her day job in the retail industry. As a fan of contemporary, paranormal and historical novels alike, she can't get enough of feisty heroines and alpha heroes. Her mind is a wonderland of romance and adventure, laughter and awesome ways of kicking a guy when he's down. She probably wouldn't be too sane without her computer and notebooks. After all, what's a girl to do when there are people jabbering away in her head and it's hard to shut them up?Write!Nothing else works.
Social Media Links:
Blogsite – http://amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com/
Facebook Author Page – www.facebook.com/amber.daulton.author
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AmberDaulton1
Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/amberdaulton5/
Goodreads – www.goodreads.com/author/show/6624921.Amber_Daulton
Amazon AuthorPage–http://amzn.to/14JoZff
LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/pub/amber-daulton/87/538/368
Google Plus–plus.google.com/u/0/110099048961325762869/about/p/pub
Books to Go Now –http://bookstogonow.com/tb-author/amber-daulton/
Amber Daulton´s Gardening Post
It’s that time of year again!
Spring is here and what better way to welcome the warm weather than to get your hands dirty.
Flower gardens and decorative plants add color to your yard and vegetable, fruit and herb gardens are a great way to feed your family and keep down grocery costs.
Flowers can be planted directly into the soil for a more natural look or can be sown in a flowerbed for a more striking, formal look. Mixing various flowering plants like tulips and roses is a great way to add variety to your garden while bushes produce beautiful blooms or delicious berries for an extra flare. Flowering plants need to be planted about one to two inches in the ground, depending on what you’re growing. Flowers need plenty of sunlight and lots of water, especially for the first two weeks after planting.
The possibilities are almost endless when growing produce. Options include a raised bed—usually with a wooden frame and plenty of soil to sow outdoors—or sowing seeds indoors in containers. You’ll have to transplant them into fresh soil a few weeks later once they have germinated. When planting, most crops can be sown at one-quarter inch into the soil or sometimes one-half inch. Seed spacing is usually between 1 and 3 inches apart.
Methods for gardening depend on many factors, including soil strength, the climate and what you’re planting. However, the most important factor in gardening is fertility of the soil. There are many ways to make your soil fertile. Composting and store bought fertilizer are the most popular options. Ph levels of soil need to be between 6 and 6.5 or 7 for maximum yields and growth rates. When planting fruits and vegetables, it is also important to not plant too many crops in a single garden since this can degenerate your soil and cause it to lose nutrients. Another concern for any gardener is plant yield, whether it be rose bushes or bell peppers. To get the most out of your garden, don’t overplant seeds or germinated plants in a small area.
If you are in warmer climates, warm weather fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and squash are great additions to any garden. For colder climates, various types of onions, cabbage, kale and sprouts are ideal.
Whether gardening for beauty or for food, it’s important to have fun and know what you are doing. For beginners, books and the Internet can teach you important tips and tricks for growing the best plants, but the truth is gardening is a process that can take decades to master.
Good luck and may you have a successful yield!
April 2, 2015
Taken By Love Blog Tour
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1 st
Melinda Dozier
Angela Ford
The Book Hording Reader's Corner
2nd
Sweet And Sassy Bookaholics
Rosanna Leo
Michele Matthews
Amber Daulton
Serenea Zade
3rd
In The Pages Of A Good Book
Vision And Verse
Padme’s Library
Danisha Wade
Reader's Heaven
4th
Bookaholic’s Fix
Triple A
Sollux Serket Blogworx
Willow's Author Love
5th
Read Our Thoughts Book Blog
Obsessed By Books
Tia Miller
6th
Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog
Jess Clark
Joanne Jaytanie
7th
Not Another Damn Blog
Girl With Pen
Paranormally Yours
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Blurb:
Book one of the exciting Taken Series will slip you into the world of drug cartels, DEA operations, and the never-waiving love between Arden and Lucy.
Arden Jones is a DEA agent and has seen and done it all. His transfer to a desk job is finally in reach. But, when his good friend is brutally murdered he must go after the cartel one more time while protecting the ones he loves.
Lucy Farris arranges flowers for a living, lives in a quaint house in the outskirts of Seattle, and has two adorable Siamese cats. The last thing she expects is to be kidnapped and used as bait to by the cartel to hunt the man she loves.
Excerpt:
Thirty-six hours later. Back in the U.S.
I halted my one-sided conversation with the foul cockroach wedged between the wall and the table and watched through half-closed eyes as Sergeant Tom Barnaby stepped into O'Neill's Bar and Grill. I reacted the same way when I stepped into the dimly lit bar. We both kept our backs against the door until our eyes adjusted. Barnaby walked toward me, loose-limbed, like he didn't have a care in the world.
I knew better. Years in law enforcement changed me, set me apart from everyone else. The average citizen couldn't imagine the atrocities we witnessed. We worked for different agencies, hunting down and arresting scum of the earth who lurked in the streets, businesses, and behind the doors of suburban homes.
When Barnaby reached the cracked, orange vinyl booth he shook his head at the mess left on the table from the previous patron.
“Jones,” Barnaby said, as he looked around the bar. “You couldn't have picked a classier place than this to meet?”
I didn't comment, just acknowledged him with a nod, and motioned for him to sit. Without a word, Barnaby sat down, grabbed a grease-stained napkin, brushed the large, winged bug off the table and stomped on it.
For the last hour, the roach’s large antennas moved from side-to-side and back-and-forth when I spoke nonsense to him. I hadn't gotten that much single-minded attention in days. Now, my short-lived friend was bug-guts on the bar floor.
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Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Taken-Love-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00UW7I6TI/
Rafflecopter Link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/58a3ac3628/
Taken By Love, 6 days of giveaways Facebook party:
https://www.facebook.com/takenbylovekleve
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Bio:
Sharon Kleve was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband.
Sharon is a multi-published author of paranormal and contemporary romance. She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. She gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other's arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve—with a few bumps and bruises along the way.
One of her favorite things to do is picking up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors have inspired her.
When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels.
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Contact me here:
Email: sharon.kleve@yahoo.com
Blog: http://authorsharonkleve.blogspot.com/
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/sharonrkleve
Facebook Timeline: https://www.facebook.com/#!/sharonkleve
TSU: https://www.tsu.co/SRKLEVE
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SharonKleve
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/srkleve/boards/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5399389.Sharon_Kleve
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sharon-kleve/56/ab/691/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Kleve/e/B006JAH14S
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/sharonkleve
Library Thing: http://www.librarything.com/profile/SRKLEVE
Publisher: http://bookstogonow.com/
YouTube trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSg5xNSTl9U
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Hosted By:
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December 2, 2014
Holiday Hop
This time of year, I am filled with feelings of joy, love, and melancholy. I know, they are contrary to each other, but have you ever had that feeling of ‘what if’? I certainly have. Many years ago, I experienced a Christmas not to be forgotten.
I walked along the snow-covered path hand-in-hand with my fiancé. We were in love. As we strode along, my eyes kept sliding to him. Dressing in his marine dress clothes, he cut a dashing figure and my young heart beat faster just being near.
I shivered. The coat that I wore was warm, but my velvet green dress did little to keep the chill of the night from my legs. I hardly noticed though, it was past dusk and the streetlamps had been turned on casting a warm golden glow on the snow. The nearby lake glistened with moonlight, and no sound other than the lapping of the water intruded on the moment.
Bill and I walked to the end of the pier, and he held me in his arms as we both faced the beautiful scene before us. He leaned down and brushed my neck with his lips, “This is perfect.”
“Yes.” I whispered.
“I don’t want this moment to end.”
“Me either.” My pulse sped up, and I felt his heat sink into me as he held me close.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Bill turned me in his arms, and lowered his lips to mine as snow started to fall about us.
I will never forget that Christmas. Much time has past, but each time I remember, feelings of love well up within me. When I write, moments like these are ones I draw on. Moments I know I will never forget. My first kiss, passionate all-encompassing love, desire, moments in time that will never be forgotten.
I like to take these moments and turn my ‘what if’s’ into tales that lead to happy endings. It’s both healing and fun. What could have happened if that young girl, so in love married her handsome solider? I may never know.
In my newest release, Insidious Whispers, Beth Stark doesn’t let ‘what if’ get in her way. Do you have a ‘what if’? Maybe this year’s resolution will be to find out what might happen. Check out Beth as she struggles with her choices in the Hunter Diaries newest adventure.
Abducted from her quiet life as a New Age store owner, Beth Stark is thrown into a dangerous world of intrigue and magic. Beth’s legacy as Guardian of the Black Tome is to protect the book from those who would seek to use it for dark purposes.
Phoenix, enforcer of the Vampire world, is sent to destroy the Black Tome before Genevieve, Queen of the Fae, can use it to annihilate the vampire race. Phoenix comes face to face with the tome’s Guardian, but he doesn’t expect the feisty little spitfire to make his blood boil, and his passions rise.
A Hunter Diaries book
Fast-paced and steamy, the Hunter Diaries are based around the adventures of the Wills family, vampire hunters, and their friends.
You can find the other books in the series for sale on Amazon or available for Nook via BN.com
When you have dreams to escape your own life, you might wish for anything. It’s Christmas Eve, and Detective Stephanie Wills wants nothing more than someone who will love her, in spite of herfamily.
As she makes her New Year’s Resolution list, Stephanie sets out with good intentions that all seem to fall apart Christmas Day when she is called into work. Not wanting to, she must contact her family for help. The Christmas present hanging suspended from a beam at 5th Street Art Gallery was left by a vampire.
About Serena Zane 
Serena Zane is an eclectic author of paranormal romance, sweet romance, and action-adventure romance. She lives with her husband and her son in the Northwest. Balancing her time between writing, time with her family, and crossing swords on the battlefield Serena is never bored.
November 19, 2014
Rosemary Pork W/ Potatoes
Rosemary Pork with Potatoes
~2lbs boneless pork sirloin roast
3lbs red potatoes, cut into chunks
2 onions, quartered
olive oil
dried thyme
dried rosemary
salt
pepper
minced garlic
Preheat oven to 375. Place roast in center of rectangular pan and arrange potatoes and onions around it. Drizzle everything with olive oil and toss potatoes to coat. Add a generous amount of minced garlic, and add dried rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper to taste, toss potatoes again to coat. Cook for about one hour 20 minutes, stirring potatoes occasionally. (I then removed the roast and cooked the potatoes another 20 minutes, since they weren’t quite soft enough.)
Author: Rachel and mashupmom.com
thank you for an awesome recipe, Rachel!!!!
Phoebe
The Femme Fatale Friday pick for this week is:
Phoebe Halliwell of Charmed, played by Melissa Milano.
Phoebe Halliwell is one of the three sisters in the TV Series "Charmed". Of the Three, Phoebe developes visions, levitation, and empathy. She is the youngest sister until Prue dies, then she becomes the middle sister when they find Paige. Through out the series, she seems to be the one that is most concerned with finding true love. I'm sorry, but right now what is on my mind is, when you googled, 'Charmed", did ya happen to read the one about a "Reboot"? WooHoo!!!!
"The power of three will set you free!!!!!"
About Serena Zane
Serena Zane
Serena Zane is a best-selling eclectic author who writes Paranormal Romance, Action/adventure Romance, and Sweet Romance. She lives with her husband and son in the Northwest. She works hard at her full-time job, plays hard, and spends her time studying the Middle Ages, crossing swords on the battlefield in a re-creationist organization called the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc (SCA); and writing.
Zane broke into the writing scene with her best-selling short stories published through Books To Go Now. Her latest release, The Hunter Diaries anthology, is a compilation of four of her shorts and is out in both print and eBook.
Inspired by her mother, a strong independent woman who loves to help others, Zane writes strong female leads and hot alpha males with sizzling fast-paced plotlines.
In 2009, she became a member of Romance Writer’s of America, and is currently the secretary and web minister of the Olympia Chapter.
Zane won the Lucy Monroe Award in 2011 for her accomplishments as an author through her RWA chapter. Always an author, she laughs as she recalls her first story (written in kindergarten) entitled “My First Romance Novel” on construction paper in purple and pink. She fell in love with the idea of writing a contemporary action/adventure romance while she attended college to study Criminal Justice. After months of working on homework assignments late at night that made her want to turn on every light in the house, (They literally had warning labels on the bottom never to leave her information anywhere on the sites she researched) she combined both her knowledge of Criminal Justice and her love for all things paranormal. Since that time, Zane has released sixteen books, four of which are full length novels.
Her series include: The Hunter Diaries, The Dark Warrior series, & The Jewel series. Zane has also released three Sweet Romance shorts, which are based around her adventures in the SCA.
To check out what Serena is up to via Twitter or Facebook - friend her twitter@serenazane or facebook.com/serenazane - and check out her website where she maintains a blog & often participates in giveaways - www.serenazane.com
