Frances O. Thomas's Blog
January 20, 2020
New book by a favorite author
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ABOUT ALMOST JUST FRIENDS ( a standalone Wildstone novel)
Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free.
When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.
Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.
EXCERPT:
“I was very clear,” she said when the alcohol burn cleared her throat, eyeing the whole group, most of whom were also first responders and worked with her at the station or hospital in one form or another. “We weren’t going to mention my birthday, much less sing to me about it. Twice.”
Not a single one of them looked guilty. “To Piper,” Ryland said, and everyone raised a glass. “For gathering and keeping all us misfits together and sane.”
“To Piper,” everyone cheered, then, thankfully, conversations started up all around her so that she was finally no longer the center of attention. Everyone was well versed in her ways, which meant they got that while she was touched that they cared, she didn’t want any more attention. Easily accepting that, they were happy to enjoy the night and leave her alone.
“So, did that hurt?” Jenna asked, amused.
“What?”
“Being loved?”
In tune to the sounds of the bar around them—someone singing off-key to “Sweet Home Alabama,” rambunctious laughter from a nearby table, the clink of pool balls—Piper rolled her eyes.
“You know one day those eyeballs are going to fall right out of your head, right?”
Ignoring this, Piper went back to what she’d been doing before being so rudely interrupted by all the love. Making a list. She was big on bullet journaling. She’d had to be. Making notes and lists had saved her life more than once. And yes, she knew she could do it all on a notes app on her phone instead, but her brain wasn’t wired that way. Nope, she had to do everything the hard way and write that shit down by hand like in the Dark Ages. She flipped through some of her pages: Calendars, Grocery Lists, Future Baby Names (even though she didn’t plan on having babies), Passwords (okay, password, singular, since she always used the same one—CookiesAreLife123!).
And then there were some random entries:
Life Rules
Occasionally maybe make an effort to look nice.
Don’t cut your own bangs no matter how sad you are.
Never ever, EVER, under any circumstances fall in love.
She also had a bucket list of wishes. Oh, and a secret secret bucket list of wishes . . .
Yeah, she clearly needed help. Or a little pill.
“New journal?” Jenna asked.
“Maybe.” Piper’s vices were simple. Basically, she was an office supply ho—a never-ending source of amusement to Jenna, because Piper was also a bit of a hot mess when it came to organization and neatness. Her purse, her car, her office, and also her kitchen always looked like a a disaster had just hit. But her journals . . . those were pristine.
“How many journals have you started and either lost or misplaced since I’ve known you—a million?”
Piper didn’t answer this on the grounds that she might incriminate herself.
Jenna pulled out the pack of stickers that were tucked into the journal. They were cute little thought bubbles with reminders like doc appointment, empty dishwasher, and caffeinate.
“I feel like stickers are cheating,” Jenna said.
“Bite your tongue, woman. Stickers are everything.” So were pens. And cute paper clips. And sticky notes . . .
“Come on. There’re far more important things than stickers.”
“Like?” Piper asked.
“Like food.”
“Okay, you’ve got me there.”
“And sex,” Jenna said. “And that should go above food, actually.”
“I’m going to take your word on that since it’s been a while.”
“Well, whose fault is that?” Jenna leaned in, trying to get a peek. “What’s today’s entry?”
“A list for figuring out what’s next on fixing up the property.” Piper and her siblings had inherited from their grandparents a house and some cottages on Rainbow Lake. “It still needs a lot of work. I’m in way over my head.”
“I know.” Jenna’s smile faded. “I hate that you’re going to sell and move away from Wildstone.”
Wildstone, California, was Piper’s hometown. Sort of. She’d moved here at age thirteen with her two younger siblings, Gavin and Winnie, to be raised by their grandparents. But in the end, Piper had done all the raising. It’d taken forever, but now, finally, her brother and sister were off living their own lives.
And hers could finally start.
From Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis, published by William Morrow. Copyright © 2020 by Jill Shalvis. Reprinted courtesy of HarperCollinsPublishers https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062897800/almost-just-friends/
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ABOUT JILL SHALVIS
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.
Connect with Jill
Website: http://jillshalvis.com/
Facebook: @JillShalvis
Twitter: @JillShalvis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillshalvis/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/
Tumblr: http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22370.Jill_Shalvis?from_search=true
BUY LINKS for ALMOST JUST FRIENDS:
November 20, 2019
New release by Jennifer Wilck
Today, I’m welcoming guest author Jennifer Wilck. Isn’t this the cutest cover?
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Benjamin Cohen, widowed father of six-year-old Jessie, is doing his best to hold it together through order and routine. The last thing he needs is his matchmaker mother to set him up with her next door neighbor, no matter how attractive she is.
Rachel Schaecter’s dream of becoming a foster mother is right within her grasp, until her meddlesome neighbor tries to set her up with her handsome son. What’s worse? He’s the father of her favorite kindergarten student! She can’t afford to let anything come between her and her dream, no matter how gorgeous he may be.
Can these two determined people trust in the miracle of Hanukkah to let love and light into their lives?
Excerpt
Six-year-old bodies were good at many things— bouncing, hugging, and racing. Rachel was thankful they were also good at hiding her surprise. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine her favorite student, and her student’s father, would be at her neighbor’s house the same night she was invited to celebrate Hanukkah.
She met the hard gaze of Jessie’s father across the room. Eyes narrowed as if he suspected her reasons for being here. His broad shoulders were stiff. His jean-clad muscular legs were spread apart in a solid stance. Square hands fisted at his sides, and one of them held a menorah. Did he plan to throw it or club someone with it?
Giving Jessie a last pat, she rose. With an arm around Jessie, she extended her other hand to her father. “Happy Hanukkah.”
“Ms. Schaecter.”
“Mr. Cohen.”
“Oh, please,” Harriet said, “Such formality between you two. Rachel, this is my son Benny. I mean Benjamin.”
Benny. Rachel filed the information away for later, along with his flushed skin at the nickname. Interesting.
“And Benjamin, this is my neighbor, Rachel. We’re not at a school event. You can call each other by your first names.” Harriet pointed at Jessie, who gripped Rachel’s hand so hard, Rachel’s fingers lost their circulation. “Except for you,” Harriet added. “You have to call her Ms. Schaecter.”
Jessie giggled. “Yes, Grandma.”
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZMQ2BWZ
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/waiting-for-a-miracle-jennifer-wilck/1134117349?ean=2940161018385
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/waiting-for-a-miracle/id1484912207
Author Links:
Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Wilck-201342863240160/
Facebook Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2055470311366345/
Newsletter: https://www.jenniferwilck.com/contact.html#newsletter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjenniferwilck/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jennifer-wilck
Author Bio
Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.
In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.
She writes contemporary romance, some of which are mainstream and some of which involve Jewish characters. She’s published with The Wild Rose Press and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
November 13, 2019
Guest author Mary K. Tilghman
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WHAT IS LOVE? Sensible Angela and romantic Patsy have very different points of view in LOVE LETTERS & GINGERBREAD, a historical romance set during Christmas 1831 in Annapolis. For Patsy, it’s the passion burning in her heart for faithless Vincent who fails to write after he goes away. For practical Angela, love is made up of the tasks that fill her day taking care of her mother and little sister.
Eighteen-year-old Patsy prefers pining for Vincent over paying attention to a new neighbor, William, who showers her with kindnesses. Angela considers herself too busy for suitors, until she makes the acquaintance of handsome Gordon.
Christmas will never be the same for these sisters or the men who love them.
And an excerpt–
Since this is a Christmas story, this is a scene that takes place after the disastrous Winter Ball. It’s Christmas Eve and the family is getting ready for the evening’s festivities:
Chapter 16
Christmas Eve
“I really don’t want to talk about it.” Mother’s tone was sharp. She and Ella were in the parlor setting up the table for the Tannenbaum.
Ella was quick with a response. “I don’t like to repeat gossip. But I thought you might want to be prepared. I was thinking of the girls.”
Angela could hear the argument all the way in the kitchen where she and Patricia were stringing popcorn to wind around the tree. Her curiosity got the best of her and she left her sister to stroll as nonchalantly as she could into the parlor. After all, they could be talking about her or Gordon.
She strolled in, trying to effect a cool demeanor. “What gossip?”
Angela didn’t like the troubled look on her mother’s face.
“I better get the nuts and apples.” Ella rushed away, her lips pursed.
Angela picked up a cookie to hang on a limb. “Has something happened, Mother?”
Her mother waved away the question with her hand. “It’s probably nothing.”
“Let me decide if it’s nothing. It has you bothered.”
Mother turned to look at Angela, though she did not reply.
“Has something happened?” Angela disliked repeating the question but all she could think of was what the town wags might be saying after that scene at the ball. And she knew the news of Vincent’s impending marriage must be racing through parlors all over Annapolis. She hated the idea of either her sister or her being the topic of local gossip.
Her mother took a chair by the fireplace. “Sit down, dear.”
Buy on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y17ZGR4?pf_rd_p=183f5289-9dc0-416f-942e-e8f213ef368b&pf_rd_r=MEGNGKG7VY88S225XPC6
Buy on B&N BN.com https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-letters-gingerbread-mary-k-tilghman/1132465058?ean=9781733879217
November 11, 2019
Guest author Barbara White Daille
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I’m very happy to be invited back to Rusticating in the Tropics! This time I’m sharing a holiday story, One Week to Win Her Boss. This sweet contemporary romance is set in Snowflake Valley, a town dedicated to Christmas 365 days a year.
From the back cover:
Single mom Amber Barnett loves family, kids, Christmas…and unfortunately, her boss, confirmed bachelor Michael DeFranco. It’s a crush she really needs to get over. Except, when she’s temporarily forced from her apartment, her only option is to stay at Michael’s private ski lodge, where she’s the housekeeper. No problem. Her handsome boss rarely visits Snowflake Valley unexpectedly, plus he’s spending the holidays with his family. Or so she thinks…
A stormy Christmas Eve reunion leaves Michael seeking the solitude of his lodge, where he finds Amber in residence—and in trouble. Attempting to save her from her matchmaking family, he announces they’re a couple. His good deed backfires when they’re instantly included in each and every holiday event in town. So much for solitude.
Only the more time he spends with the beautiful, cheery brunette, the more he yearns to make things real between them. But he and Amber want different things, and Michael could never be the family man she’s looking for.
An excerpt from One Week to Win Her Boss:
“I need a place to stay, just for a few days,” Amber said truthfully. “And I don’t want my family to find out.”
“Interesting.” He tilted his head, studying her, making her heart skip a beat. “Do you do this often?”
“No! I’ve never stayed here before. Except when you’ve asked me to. When you’ve come here with guests, I mean.” Get a grip. Falling apart won’t impress your boss any more than the bunny slippers did. Taking a tip from her birthing class, she inhaled and exhaled a deep, calming breath and tried again. “Michael, I’ve never stayed here on my own before. And I wouldn’t have done it without asking you this time. But I knew you had plans for the holidays, and I didn’t want to bother you while you were with your family.”
“Believe me, I’d have welcomed the bother.” His scowl sent her curiosity skyrocketing. “I don’t mind that you didn’t ask. It’s good to have the house occupied once in a while. I just didn’t expect company.”
“I’ll keep out of your way,” she promised.
One dark eyebrow rose as he stared her down. “Somehow, I don’t see that leading to the peace and quiet—and solitude—I was looking for.”
“No worries. Hand to heart. I’ll stay far away,” she promised again. “You won’t hear a peep out of me.”
At that moment, as if on cue, Penny let out her usual I’m-ready-to-eat screech. Michael’s suddenly blank expression proved he had heard the baby, too, and wasn’t pleased. But wait—there’s more. Penny’s hunger cries were loud enough. How would he handle her being colicky?
“What was that?” he demanded.
“Uh…not what. Who. My daughter.” Michael had never met Penny. In fact, he hadn’t even known about Amber’s pregnancy until she was so far along he couldn’t miss the baby bump.
“Ah,” he said. “When it comes to not making a peep, it doesn’t look like you were speaking for your daughter.”
She smiled sheepishly. “Sometimes she likes to speak for herself.”
He shook his head, but his mouth curved up at one corner. He was fighting a smile. Even in the midst of this disaster, even with the recent reminder that she couldn’t and shouldn’t trust her judgment around men, that half-smile was enough to make her melt.
Find One Week to Win Her Boss (sale-priced at 99 cents through November 18th):
Entangled: http://bit.ly/owep2l85mN – includes links to various booksellers
Amazon: http://bit.ly/ow2l9Detp
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About Barbara
Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about those subjects, too! Sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest in her writing life: https://barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter.
Author Links:
Website https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Newsletter https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille
Twitter https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/barbara-white-daille
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/529361.Barbara_White_Daille
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-White-Daille/e/B002J6B0QQ
Harlequin https://www.harlequin.com/shop/authors/23759_barbara-white-daille.html
Entangled http://entangledpublishing.com/category/barbara-white-daille/
November 8, 2019
Guest author Cheryl St. John
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He’d had his own baby. Without her.
Dusty Cavanaugh has loved Kendra Price since she walked into the school cafeteria and captured a dozen boyish hearts with the sweep of her stormy gray-green gaze and the lift of her chin. College, marriage, and children had been the plan. But then Dusty made a mistake.
Kendra Price had never wanted to be rich, but she’d wanted to be comfortable, which she was. She’d never wanted to be famous, but to live her passion to the fullest and dance, which she did. She’d wanted to marry Dusty, have babies and live happily ever after. It would never happen.
She’d wanted to dance, get married and have babies…all she had left was dance.
He had everything a man could want–except her forgiveness…
There had been no road map for life apart. Will love be enough to guide them back?
Here is a universal link
https://books2read.com/dancinginthedark-aspengold
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Cheryl has always loved the exciting and diverse worlds available between the covers of books. As a child she wrote stories & drew covers, then stapled them into little books. She cut all the tiny images from the book club advertisements in the Sunday newspaper & glued them to bits of cardboard so Barbie® had a full library.
Cheryl is the married author of more than fifty books, both historical and contemporary. Her stories have earned numerous RITA nominations, Romantic Times awards & are published in over a dozen languages. One thing all reviewers & readers agree on regarding Cheryl’s work is the degree of emotion & believability. In describing her stories of second chances & redemption, readers & reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters & real-life situations.” Amazon & Goodreads reviews show her popularity with readers.
The author lives in the Midwest, USA. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she’s checking out garage sales, flea markets & antique malls. Among her collections are teacups & teapots, roosters, chicken kitchen timers, vintage spice tins, wooden recipe boxes, Barbies®, charm bracelets, vintage jewelry, Kokeshi dolls, white stoneware, Delftware, souvenir spoons, Goebel birds, Royal Copley planters, vintage hankies & BOOKS. Cheryl admits she’s a bargain hunter with the heart of a hoarder, trying to live as a minimalist. The struggle is real.
Cheryl is currently at work on an indie series called Aspen Gold with her critique partners of many years. She believes in paying it forward, and her some of her most rewarding experiences have been sharing in the successes of writers she has mentored over the years.
email Cheryl at: SaintJohn@aol.com
Visit her on the web: http://www.cherylstjohn.net/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cheryl-st-john
Like her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/CherylStJ
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_CherylStJohn_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylstjohn/
She’s a Pinterest junkie! https://www.pinterest.com/cheryl_stjohn/
November 5, 2019
Swoon Time
Better hurry. This promo ends Nov. 8. Thirty authors share romances available in Kindle Unlimited.
The first book in my Calusa Town Tales is included.
October 26, 2019
Charity Sunday blog hop
The charity I’d like to highlight this month is Beacon of Hope. The organization was formed here on the island where I live after Hurricane Charley made a direct hit here back in 2004. It has since grown to include many services to “Help Our People Excel” such as meal service, GED classes, veterans’ support, transportation to medical appointments, and the list goes on.
The Beacon is now affiliated with United Way, but much of the money to run the programs comes from its thrift store and the annual Holiday House event.
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Here I am at Holiday House selling my books.
I included both a hurricane and the formation of a social service agency in my book Southern Hospitality.
Here’s an excerpt:
The next afternoon, the sun had indeed come out in a cloudless sky. The humidity also co-operated making for a perfect day for an outdoor concert.
At noon, traffic was already backed from Calusa all the way across the drawbridge. Sheriff Biggs and Deputy Ramos along with a number of members of the Skippers directed car after car into parking spaces on the outskirts of Mr. Wibbertson’s property. After alighting, the passengers claimed spaces in the open area to set up folding chairs and throw down blankets. Before long, some began tossing beach balls and Frisbees through the air. Others partook of hotdogs, pulled pork sandwiches, and grouper tacos prepared by the food trucks lining the perimeter. A band of local teenagers served as the opening act and began to entertain the growing crowd.
Kate hovered in the wings checking and rechecking last minute details over a two way radio with Dave as he roamed the grounds. Behind the scenes, Geneva and Patsy welcomed Joey and his band mates when Seth delivered them from the hotel.
At three o’clock, Joey and the other musicians bounded onto the stage. With no original music of their own, they chose to perform up tempo oldies and trop rock favorites. Many in the audience either sang along or got up and began to dance. A party atmosphere prevailed for the full two hours that the band played. When they finally took their bows, the shouts of approval were deafening.
Afterwards, the traffic snaked its way off the island in a steady stream for a solid hour. Most of the cars had their windows down as the jubilant occupants continued to sing their way out of town.
The Skippers spread out over Mr. Wibbertson’s field as soon as the vehicles had departed. They soon gathered what little debris had been left behind restoring Mr. Wibbertson’s property to its former state. Weary but exultant, Kate and the others wended their way to their homes. On Sunday morning Pastor Jenkins and Father Mathias both held services of thanksgiving at their respective churches.
The next afternoon, Kate waited for her fellow committee members on the patio. Helen was the last to arrive. Grinning broadly, she all but skipped in, waving a paper over her head.
“I have the preliminary figures,” she announced. “We made nearly twenty-five thousand dollars over what we projected. The auction at the VIP party was a big success.” She paused long enough to blush. “And Joey himself made a hefty donation before he left town. He handed the check to me personally.”
“Who says prayers aren’t answered?” Father Mathias asked.
“Can I have an amen?” Pastor Jenkins raised his arms skyward.
After the rest of the group responded happily, Dave pulled out a sheaf of papers. “I have some good news too. We can get a preliminary approval of our nonprofit status. All we need is a name.”
“How about Funds for Calusa?” Helen suggested.
“Or Building a New Calusa,” Seth said.
Geneva raised an eyebrow. “Calusa Social Services?”
“I’ve been pondering this,” Kate said. “Everyone in town pulled together to help each other through this. I think our name should be Calusa Cares.”
Dave gazed into Kate’s eyes. “Perfect.”
What is a blog hop?
A blog hop is a linky list that is SHARED ON MULTIPLE BLOGS.
When several blogs put the same linky list code on their blog, the
exact same list appears on each blog.
Blog visitors can submit their entries on any blog that contains the list.
The entries will appear on each blog where the list resides.
Blog readers see the same list on each blog, and can “HOP” from blog
to blog seeing the same list of links to follow: BLOG HOP!
https://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=295126
October 24, 2019
World Opera Day
Opera Europa has declared today World Opera Day. It is also the birthday of Johann Strauss who composed Die Fledermaus, the opera the fictional opera company in my book performs.
Soooo-I decided to make my book free today only.
If you pick it up, I’d really appreciate it if you could post an honest review on Amazon. We author folk live and die by those reviews.
Enjoy!
October 18, 2019
Guest author Kris Bock
Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café: A Furrever Friends Sweet #Romance
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What do you do when you meet the guy of your dreams? Set him up with your sister, of course.
Kari doesn’t have time for love when she’s opening her new cat café. Renovating an old restaurant, hiring employees, fighting with the health inspector – oh, and welcoming 16 shelter cats – keeps her plenty busy. She’s doing this for the cats, the community, and most of all her family. The café will give her sister, Marley, a job worthy of her baking skills.
Then a tattooed military vet wanders in claiming to be a master baker himself. The café doesn’t need another baker, but maybe Marley needs a man. Surely she’ll fall for a guy this sweet, this sexy, this tasty.
Colin has other ideas. It’s Kari who makes him want to pour on the sugar and turn up the heat. But he’s spent the last two years recovering from physical and psychological wounds. Is he really ready for a relationship? He’s not even sure he should commit to Samson, the fluffy marshmallow of a cat who steals his heart.
Get this sweet romance on Amazon, or free with Kindle Unlimited.
Excerpt
Kari smiled warmly. “So now you think making coffee sounds good? Or is it the cats that appeal to you?”
He returned her smile, and her knees went weak. He was not her type. She liked intellectual, career-focused men. She had never understood women who raved over a man in uniform. Not that he was in uniform now. She glanced down at his faded jeans and tried not to let her gaze linger on the snug black T-shirt as she looked up again. Now he looked like he should be jumping on a motorcycle without a helmet, not looking for work in a café that featured adoptable cats. Soldier or biker, he wasn’t her type – but she could see the appeal.
A clatter came from the kitchen, where her sister was organizing the supplies. On the other hand, this man might be Marley’s type. After all, Marley had gotten pregnant at eighteen from a tattooed soldier on leave. She’d hardly dated since, but if her ex hadn’t turned her off of the type permanently, she might find this one appealing. But was he a nice guy or a jerk?
“Both, actually.”
It took Kari a moment to realize he was responding to her question about coffee or cats.
About Kris Bock
Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats.
Kris also writes romantic suspense set in the Southwestern U.S. If you love Mary Stewart or Barbara Michaels, try Kris Bock’s stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue in the Southwest. Sign up for Kris Bock’s newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.
Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.
October 14, 2019
Guest author Barbara White Daile
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A big “thank you!” to Fran for inviting me to visit the blog!
I’m happy to be here and thrilled to share a peek at my latest release, The Rancher’s Family. This sweet/clean contemporary romance is part of the Hitching Post Hotel series and my first book from Harlequin Heartwarming.
From the back cover of The Rancher’s Family
“Are you my new mommy?”
She certainly hopes so…
After a devastating loss, Cara Leonetti’s dreams of a husband and children are on hold. But Cowboy Creek’s local matchmaker thinks otherwise! And Cara finds herself unexpectedly entangled in the day-to-day family chaos of widower Wes Daniels and his two small children. She’s falling hard, but the strong, silent rancher doesn’t trust in love. Can Cara put her own fears aside and show Wes that they’re stronger together?
An excerpt from The Rancher’s Family
Wes scuffed one foot on the floor, wanting to kick himself for blurting out that remark about charity. Why give the woman ideas?
“The Garlands are good friends. And I imagine Andi’s plans are on the level,” he admitted, “but I wouldn’t put it past Jed to… Never mind.” He would see Jed himself. From the time he was a child Mark’s age, he’d looked up to the man. That wouldn’t keep him from calling him out on his interference. Jed had a reputation for knowing everything that went on in Cowboy Creek. Not one-hundred-percent true. There were things his old friend didn’t—and would never—know about him.
“I’ll show you Patty’s craft stuff before I head out,” he told Cara. “We’ve got a spare bedroom. Patty converted it into her office and stored everything there. It’s at the far end of this hall.”
He hesitated at the office doorway. It had been more than a year since he’d set foot in here. If he had his choice, he wouldn’t enter it again. Coward.
As though someone had shoved him between the shoulder blades, he shot through the door and didn’t stop till he reached the center of the room.
When Cara followed, he gestured toward the multiple storage chests and dressers, the stacks of boxes, the closed but—as he well remembered—overflowing closet. “Everything’s packed full. But I don’t know much about what Patty stockpiled in here.”
Her eyes widened. “This is all inventory she’d planned to sell?”
He nodded. “As I said, she spent a lot of time on her crafts.”
“I can see that. Mind if I browse?”
“That’s why we’re here.” He leaned against the doorframe, watching her check out the contents of half a dozen boxes and bins.
“Amazing. If all the rest is like this, Andi should be thrilled to have it for her start-up stock, if you’re interested.”
“That’ll work.”
“Great. Then once I finish up in your bedroom, I’ll start making an inventory in here. It’s going to take time, though less of it if I can work from an existing list. I’d guess your wife made one.” She glanced around the room. “Do you have a computer?”
“Not me. Patty did. A laptop. I’ll get it out when you’re ready for it.”
“Since you said you’ll be gone most of the day, if you don’t mind, I’d like to take a look at it before you go. The sooner the better, don’t you think?”
“You read my mind,” he said truthfully. Just as he’d read the look in her steady gaze. Her eyes held the same sympathy they had the night before. He’d seen too much of that from too many people this year.
Somehow, last night, he’d imagined he could accept her help. That with her being a stranger, her sympathy wouldn’t bother him. Now he wished he’d never opened the door this morning.
Find The Rancher’s Family
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Ranchers-Family-Hitching-Post-Hotel-ebook/dp/B07MW7JZZ1/
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ranchers-family-barbara-white-daille/1130314948?ean=9781488039881
Books-A-Million https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Ranchers-Family/Barbara-White-Daille/Q30646677?id=7571848599780
Harlequin https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781488039881_the-ranchers-family.html
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-rancher-s-family
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About Barbara
Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about those subjects, too! Sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest in her writing life: https://barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter.
Q&A
Have you always written in your current genre?
I started writing when I was nine, and at that point, my stories were all in the mystery genre, because that’s what I loved to read. My favorite series were Nancy Drew, the Bobbsey Twins, and Encyclopedia Brown. But when I wrote my first novel—in eighth grade—both my female protagonists had major crushes. : ) Ever since then, I’ve written romance, usually sweet and what I call “sweeter” books, as even those with brief love scenes focus on the characters’ conflicts and emotions.
Do you get inspiration for your characters from real life?
I put characters together the way pieces fit into a jigsaw puzzle—a mannerism, a quirk, an occupation, and so on, all working together to form the whole picture. My characters are usually the sum of so many different pieces that, though they come to life for me and my readers, they’re no one I’ve ever met in my own life.
Who has been your most challenging character to write?
So far, that would be Lianne Ward, the heroine of Rancher at Risk, one of my Flagman’s Folly books. Lianne is deaf, and I wanted to show her as a woman like any other woman, who just happens to be deaf. I was thrilled when a fan wrote to tell me she has many deaf family members and that I “got it right.” Lianne makes her debut appearance in the first Flagman’s Folly story, A Rancher’s Pride, along with her four-year-old niece, Becky, who also is deaf.
What are you currently working on?
My next Harlequin Heartwarming and another book in my sweet/clean Snowflake Valley series from Entangled Books.
Author Links
Website https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Newsletter https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille
Twitter https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/barbara-white-daille
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/529361.Barbara_White_Daille
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-White-Daille/e/B002J6B0QQ
Harlequin https://www.harlequin.com/shop/authors/23759_barbara-white-daille.html
Entangled http://entangledpublishing.com/category/barbara-white-daille/
