via Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – New Book on the Shelves – #Romance – Skating on Thin Ice by Jacquie Biggar
A selection of other books by Jacquie Biggar
The Night Docket Michele Lang
Praise for author Michele Lang:
“Lang is a writer to watch and is sure to have wide appeal to fans of Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, and other urban fantasy A-listers.” -Booklist
“A groundbreaking, rich, enthralling series….stakes that couldn’t be higher. A tour de force!” – Rachel Caine, NYT best-selling author of the Morganville Vampire series (for the Lady Lazarus series)
“Michele Lang is a talented writer and gifted storyteller…one of the leading voices in historical urban fantasy.” — D.B. Jackson, author of THIEFTAKER
When you do your part to kill a necromancer, death isn’t the final goodbye.
No, it’s not the end.
Instead, it’s more like pouring gasoline on a dumpster fire…
By day, solo street lawyer Nicole Farmer represents the down and out in the tough town of Amistad, Connecticut. Bankruptcies, divorces, criminal defense, foreclosures…Nicole’s clients are the hardest-luck cases in a hard-luck rustbelt city.
Fighting the good fight, Nicole has to hustle just to make a living. And by night, unquiet spirits call to her on the dream plane, seeking revenge and healing…and demanding that she solve the coldest cases of all.
Powered by coffee and a sparkly pink cell phone with uncanny mojo, Nicole was made for trouble and badassery. But even she can’t go 24/7 without a break. Sooner or later, she knows she will crack.
Everything changes when Evangeline, the spirit of a murdered young woman, invades Nicole’s dreams. Her killer, a power-hungry and psychopathic warlock, wants to strike again.
Nicole commits to hunting Evangeline’s killer…and opening the Night Docket means all hell breaks loose in Amistad.
Attacked by enemies living and undead, Nicole must face her own past, call in all her favors, and find a way to achieve cosmic justice — without losing her own life and soul…
You will love Michele’s new contemporary urban fantasy series! Read it now, and instantly disappear into the otherworldly, dangerous landscape of Amistad and the Afterworld.
—
EXCERPT:
Beware of the dead.
When you have the so-called “gift” of speaking through the veil, you open yourself up to a world of hurt when you dare to listen instead of talk.
I was listening to the girl apologizing to me in the groovy bedroom of death. And she was leading me down the rabbit hole to my own destruction.
The fact she felt bad about it didn’t make the danger any less.
I was a street lawyer, Nicole Farmer, Esq., no-holds-barred fighter for the down and out. That didn’t mean I was a shill for my clients. It just meant I was willing to listen to them.
Even the dead ones.
I took another look around. The room didn’t evaporate under my scrutiny…just like in waking life, the details got sharper the more I focused on them. The bloody handprints on the walls glowed in the weird light of the lava lamp, still erupting by the wrecked murder-scene of a bed. The sickly-sweet smell of death lingered in the air, like a satanic perfume.
“Forget it,” I told her. “You don’t have to apologize.”
The girl visibly relaxed.
“What’s your name?” I asked. “And how old are you, and where is this place? You’re obviously a grown woman, but I keep thinking you’re a girl. And that’s just freaking weird.”
“Well, I am a girl. I’m only, like, twenty-three years old.” She hesitated, for effect. “And my name is Evangeline.”
Evangeline.
The name didn’t sound real, it sounded like a dream name. I wanted to believe all of this was nothing more than a sliver in my brain, a crazy dream. Because if she was real, I was going to be chasing her problems in my dreams for months.
Her voice carried a slight Southern drawl, which surprised me, because I knew I was still in the shithole town of Amistad, Connecticut. I just knew it.
“This apartment is near my office, right?” I asked. “This place must be just down the street…the slant of the light through the window…”
I suddenly realized that it was daylight on the dream plane, and sunshine was streaming from behind the cracked venetian blinds. When it was day in the dream plane, it was night back in my ordinary world.
Looked like noontime here at the murder scene…I guessed it was something like midnight back in my own bed. The girl in black was flooded in light, backlit, and it was hard for me to make out her features.
“I better explain,” Evangeline said. “It’s the least I can do. Yes, this is Amistad, Connecticut. This is my place. The blood is mine. I mean…I didn’t splash it around or anything. I mean…”
I squinted, trying to look into her eyes. Trying to get to the bottom of her little speech.
“You were murdered in this room,” I said. “In 1973.”
She hesitated. “Well, it was almost 1973—really it was late 1972. But close.”
I sighed. Here I went again. “This is one of my serial killer dreams, isn’t it, Evangeline?”
“Well, yeah. But your dreams aren’t dreams.”
Author Bio:
Michele Lang writes fantasy, science fiction, crime, and romance, as well as non-fiction. Her Lady Lazarus WWII historical fantasy series was published by Tor Books, and her short fiction has been published by DAW, PM Press, and WMG Press, among others. Her story “Sucker’s Game” was included in the Anthony Award-nominated anthology, Jewish Noir.
Michele is a recovering lawyer who has practiced the unholy craft of litigation in both New York and Connecticut. She returned to her native New York shortly before 9/11, and now lives in a small town on the North Shore of Long Island with her husband, her sons, and a rotating menagerie of cats, hermit crabs, and butterflies.
GIVEAWAY!
Break Up! With Your Rental: The Professional Woman’s Guide to Building Wealth Through Real Estate
Break Up! With Your Rental is the go-to primer for the professional woman who flirts with buying real estate, but doesn’t know where to start. Whether your taste is in investment, flipping, or buying to occupy, Break Up! With Your Rental will break down what to consider, how to plan your financing, and how to get over searching for THE ONE when there are so many fish in the sea! Read inspiring stories of women who started from scratch and built their wealth through creative real estate buying and selling, and imagine that is time for YOU to consider your next move! Break UP!
“COURTNEY POULOS, expert real estate broker, skillfully shows how linking the buying of real estate to dating can liberate you from culturally entrenched beliefs. Not only will you overcome all of these mental blocks by the end of this masterful book, but you will also learn a set of practical and applicable tools for your own journey into the world of real estate, whether you are interested in buying a place to live, rent out, or renovate and sell for a profit. You will also read the stories of numerous women, from a variety of different backgrounds, who have used real estate to improve their lives. This book, which I highly recommend, essentially shows how you can own a home all by yourself, build equity, and leverage it to create financial independence.” -J.J. Hebert, #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
BOOK HIGHLIGHTS
Break Up! With Your Rental: The Professional Woman’s Guide to Building Wealth Through Real Estate features real life examples of women who have taken control of their financial future.
The author 
Courtney J.E. Poulos is the broker/owner of ACME Real Estate, a design-savvy boutique brokerage focusing on brand marketing and real estate sales. She is a member of Forbes Real Estate Council, a repeat panelist at Inman Connect and Awesome Females in Real Estate, and is a panelist and emcee for the California Association of Realtors WomanUp!® Initiative. She recently was the host of FYI Network’s “My City’s Just Not That Into Me,” where she played real estate matchmaker with buyers and sellers nationwide. She has been selling real estate since 2005.
Courtney’s stated mission is to help women achieve financial independence through real estate investment. Her latest book, Break Up! With Your Rental: The Professional Woman’s Guide to Building Wealth through Real Estate, will be available nationwide in November 2018.
As co-founder of the Northeast Los Angeles Business Culture, Courtney brought together over 50 small business owners in a transforming neighborhood to create community and cross-promotional opportunities, applying social media marketing and outreach.
Courtney hails from the East Coast, graduated from University of Maryland at College Park’s esteemed Phillip Merrill College of Journalism with a degree in Journalism/Public Relations, and spent 9 years working in arts and entertainment public relations prior to entering real estate.
In her free time, she enjoys being a mama, maintains the brokerage website for design and real estate, www.acme-re.com, military-style workouts, singing karaoke at dive bars, and enjoying a nice glass of Malbec under twinkle lights.
Enter to win a paperback
QUEEN TO ASHES by Mallory McCartney
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Amazon Canada
“You lived your entire life feeling like half of you was missing. Fight for the missing part. Fight for this.”
Emory Fae has abandoned everything she thought she knew about her previous life on Earth. Stepping up to her role as Queen of Kiero she makes a startling sacrifice- feigning her allegiances to Adair Stratton, the man who murdered her parents and casted Kiero into ruin. Emory’s memories slowly piece together, and she soon realizes the Mad King may not be all he seems— and the man who was once best friend, may be fighting beneath the surface.
With the King’s attention on her, can she buy Black Dawn Rebellion enough time to recuperate their forces? And when the times comes, will she be able to kill Adair, ending his tyranny and rising herself as the rightful Queen? Fighting to hide her secret, Emory navigates the brutal trials of the Mad King, trying not to lose herself in the process.
Sequel to Black Dawn, now a bestselling series, the sparks are ignited, as Emory learns the cost of freedom, and her title. Will the rebels unite in time? A sinister force has spread across the land, stripping everyone bare- their betrayals, their secrets, their intentions. But above all, what will their decisions cost? By refusing to give in to the darkness, will Emory rise as Queen?
Grab book 1 and the prequel!
Mystery Mondays Review: “Horsing Around with Murder” by Maureen Fisher
I’m delighted to review Maureen Fisher ‘s latest crime novel, “Horsing Around with Murder”
This is a wonderfully warm, witty, cosy and gripping mystery. Three sisters fight for the survival of their equine farm. Just as the equine conference is about to start, which the sisters have high hopes for, an accident occurs that the ladies don’t think was just that, but murder.
The banter between the sisters, the fragile and strong sides to their characters makes the amateur sleuths lovable, relatable and very entertaining.
They encounter a lot of quirly characters at the equine symposium as you can imagine, making this an often hilarious and hugely entertaining read. There’s horses, secrets, romance, murder and weight loss devices. Fisher’s humour is brilliant and if you like a good laugh then this murder mystery is for you.
Enjoy! 
Abby, Dodie, and Clara Foster, three 60-something sisters, are astonished to learn they’ve…
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~ Book Blitz ~ Caro M, by Mari.Reiza Psychological / Romance / Contemporary
About the Book:
Portraits of unyielding love. A woman, mostly alone in her world but for her dog, shares memories through letters to her old ‘tesoro’; a wife trusts her sweetheart psychiatrist blindly through her divorce; a young girl lands a fairy tale wedding soon to turn into a nightmare her cousin yearns to fix. Immersive, witty, tender,
Caro M, explores the hurricane-like devastation love is capable of.
Book Links:
Read a Snippet:
‘Mimi says that I’m sick,’ I say. ‘That I don’t know what I’m doing. That it’s the pills. The menopause. Jerk! He says it will be the final blow to his mum and that Anna is already struggling at school and she is at a difficult stage. He has asked me to think things over, and I’ve insisted, I’ve insisted that my mind is made, that I need to take control. It was exhausting, as Peter said it would be.’
Zeno chokes at the mention of a Peter. ‘Is Peter your new boyfriend?’
‘Father Peter,’ I clarify. ‘I’ve asked him to mediate between me and Mimi because I don’t want to argue anymore.’
‘You’re using a priest?’ Now Zeno sounds plainly pissed off. He has been working with me for years. How many pills? How many Kleenexes? He wants to claim complete glory. He’s pouting as he comes to sit back on the couch next to me, looking so over-cerebral, far from pleasing – erotic-aesthetically speaking – as if he were calculating what would be the correct reward for frying a brain: 2,444 euros, one hundred and one times the reward for a toe. He should work in insurance, with me, we would make such a great team. ‘Double fizz this morning?’ I would tempt him at every breakfast. Zeno would surely end up building an all-day gin habit after a short time, but he would be happier; he would be a better man. As things stand, his career is destined to dwindle into nothing, and he may end up begging for an even more pitiful job than he already has, in an even more depressing industry (is there anything more depressing than psychiatry?). Without me, Zeno will always lack pressure and dignity and look like a bored, middle-aged perv.
‘How many times have you met with this priest, then?’ he builds up the nerve to enquire further, worried my new confidante could take away his dinner. Out of the blue he may need to battle for a compromise.
I hum. I should not make it too easy for him.
Quotes:
Your hand was trembling and you passed the note to me quickly like in a Soviet spy movie. I crunched it in my hand and walked away. I could tell you were staring at the back of my golden dress.
‘Stay where you fit in,’ my uncle had rightly advised me before the wedding, but I hadn’t taken his advice. Where exactly did I fit in, other than in the psych ward?
All his money seemed to light Laura up like a beauty pageant; not that she wasn’t beauty-pageant material even without it.
Was I a commodity for you at an acquisitive time? Were you a collector? Should I fret about the value placed on me perhaps as an exotic object? Because I was French? I didn’t think of French as exotic but then I was it, and you cannot be foreign to yourself, although perhaps I was exactly that.
We had known so little about this man yet had let Laura wed him. And at her own wedding she was crying.
‘My husband fucked the woman who delivered our baby!’ I clamour again, full of honesty. It’s good to peak twice, to extend the peak for as long as possible.
I will never forget the sweetness with which you dried their hair. It made me think the world of you; it made me think how life is to be based purely on emotion. After that, I was lost.
Was I guilty of puffing up a dream which could grow expectations larger than Albatross wings? Yes. But then I remembered how I was in violation mode, and that the only purpose of a dream was perhaps not to come true but to break all cages, breach all rules and run around fiercely free.
About the Author:
Mari.Reiza was born in Madrid in 1973. She studied at Oxford University and worked as an investment research writer and management consultant for twenty years in London, before becoming an indie fiction writer. Also by her, Inconceivable Tales, Death in Pisa, Sour Pricks, A Pack of Wolves, STUP, Mum, Watch Me Have Fun!, Marmotte’s Journey, West bEgg, PHYSICAL, Room 11, Triple Bagger, Opera and the Retreat, all available on Amazon.
Author Links:
KELLI WILKINS award wining ROMANCE AUTHOR
Hi everyone,
Today I’m sharing a look at my latest contemporary romance releases, Cupid’s Schemes – Volumes 1 & 2.
As many readers know, I write romances in all genres (historical, fantasy, gay, paranormal, and contemporary) at all heat levels, but these novellas are something new for me. Instead of full-length romances, each book is a collection of flash-fiction stories.
As many readers know, I write romances in all genres (historical, fantasy, gay, paranormal, and contemporary) at all heat levels, but these novellas are something new for me. Instead of full-length romances, each book is a collection of flash-fiction stories.
Both volumes contain a dozen or more sweet romances where the characters meet under unusual circumstances and develop an intense connection. And that’s where I leave them—at the start of their
relationship. Why? I wanted to show how two people meet, feel a spark of romance, and then leave the rest of the story up to the reader’s imagination. What happens next is up to you. I end each story with the
characters in good places and the potential to have a happy-ever-after ending with their new love interest. These feel-good stories are perfect for a boost of romance whenever or wherever you need it.
relationship. Why? I wanted to show how two people meet, feel a spark of romance, and then leave the rest of the story up to the reader’s imagination. What happens next is up to you. I end each story with the
characters in good places and the potential to have a happy-ever-after ending with their new love interest. These feel-good stories are perfect for a boost of romance whenever or wherever you need it.
The settings vary from New Year’s Eve parties to snowstorms, summer picnics, and even a haunted corn maze. I grouped the stories by season, so as you read through each book, you’ll be following the calendar year. And believe it or not, some of these settings and “first meets” were inspired by true stories people have told me over the years.
Here are the summaries and links to each book, plus an excerpt from the first story in Volume 2.
Cupid’s Schemes –Volume 1
A Collection of
Sweet Romances
Sweet Romances
In these 16 flash fiction vignettes, Cupid’s arrow hits the mark and ignites a spark between two strangers—whether or not they’re looking for romance. Their unusual meetings lead to new beginnings and new chances at love. Sweet stories of couples falling under Cupid’s spell include:
* a Medieval knight courting a pretty lady
* two neighbors discover that romance can happen when you least expect it
* a dehydrated mermaid rescued by a handsome stranger
* two neighbors discover that romance can happen when you least expect it
* a dehydrated mermaid rescued by a handsome stranger
These lighthearted mini-romances are perfect reads for a
quick lunchtime escape or an after-work indulgence.
quick lunchtime escape or an after-work indulgence.
Order
your copy here:
your copy here:
All
other platforms: https://www.books2read.com/u/boZxkZ
other platforms: https://www.books2read.com/u/boZxkZ
And don’t miss Cupid’s
Schemes – Volume 2
Schemes – Volume 2
Another Collection of Sweet Romances
In these 12 mini-romances…
* a photographer falls for a sexy cowboy in a supposedly abandoned ghost town
* new neighbors discover that romance can happen when you least expect it
* a long-lost love returns in an unexpected setting
* new neighbors discover that romance can happen when you least expect it
* a long-lost love returns in an unexpected setting
Order
Cupid’s Schemes: Volume 2 here:
Cupid’s Schemes: Volume 2 here:
All
other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/mYrBBd
other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/mYrBBd
An Excerpt from… New Year, New Love
“This New Year’s Eve party is going to be fun. I’m glad you could come at the last
minute,” Sharon said to Diana as they stepped into the hotel lobby.
minute,” Sharon said to Diana as they stepped into the hotel lobby.
“Thanks for inviting me. I didn’t want to let your extra ticket go to waste,” Diana
replied. She hated to admit that she’d had no other plans for tonight other than to curl up on the couch and watch a movie. She turned as Sharon’s boyfriend, Matt, and another man strolled up to them.
replied. She hated to admit that she’d had no other plans for tonight other than to curl up on the couch and watch a movie. She turned as Sharon’s boyfriend, Matt, and another man strolled up to them.
“You remember my cousin Eric, don’t you?” Sharon asked.
Diana gazed up at the six-foot-three blond hunk. Eric looked absolutely adorable in
his dark gray suit, crisp white shirt, and blue and gray striped tie.
his dark gray suit, crisp white shirt, and blue and gray striped tie.
“Yes, of course.” How could she ever forget Eric? Even though she had only spent an
afternoon with him, meeting a dreamboat like Eric stayed with a girl for a long time.
afternoon with him, meeting a dreamboat like Eric stayed with a girl for a long time.
“Hi Eric. Happy New Year,” she said, then glanced at Sharon, confused. Why was Eric
here? Was he alone? Where was his girlfriend, Melissa?
here? Was he alone? Where was his girlfriend, Melissa?
Eric stepped to her side. “Hi Diana. It’s nice to see you again. Can I take your
coat?”
coat?”
“Sure. Thanks.” She let Eric help her out of her gray wool coat. She caught his eyes
roving down the front of her midnight-blue dress. She almost hadn’t worn the low-cut dress tonight, but then reconsidered. Why not? It was New Year’s Eve and she should dress up and look nice, even if she was single. One of her New Year’s resolutions was to jumpstart her boring life, starting tonight.
roving down the front of her midnight-blue dress. She almost hadn’t worn the low-cut dress tonight, but then reconsidered. Why not? It was New Year’s Eve and she should dress up and look nice, even if she was single. One of her New Year’s resolutions was to jumpstart her boring life, starting tonight.
They handed their coats to the coat check attendant and strolled into a grand ballroom decorated in silver and gold. Eric kept pace with her as they followed Sharon and Matt to a table.
“This is some change, huh?” Eric said as he pulled out a chair for her. “The last time I saw you it was ninety degrees outside and we were both in a pool.”
Diana felt a blush creep into her cheeks. “I know. Sharon’s Labor Day party seems like yesterday.” She sighed as she recalled seeing Eric’s lean, tan body in nothing but blue swim trunks. She and Eric had gotten along fabulously at the party and they had a lot in common. They had been having harmless fun playing volleyball when Melissa showed up and everything went to hell.
But Melissa wasn’t here tonight. Did that mean Eric was single?
She looked at Eric and felt her pulse surge. Now she was elated that she had accepted Sharon’s invitation. This was one New Year’s Eve she’d never forget.
***
I hope you enjoy these collections of sweet romances. I welcome comments and questions from readers
and other authors. Contact me via my site, blog, or social media pages.
and other authors. Contact me via my site, blog, or social media pages.
Happy Reading!
Kelli A. Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fiction Writing for Beginners, through Teachable. This course is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/ for more details. Kelli’s historical romance, Redemption from a Dark Past, was published in 2018. This full-length Gothic novel is set in the kingdom of Hungary in 1723 and blends a sensual romance with mystery and suspense.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 5 non-fiction books. Her romances span many genres and heat levels, and she’s also been known to scare readers with her horror stories. In January 2019 Kelli released the second half of her new flash fiction series, Cupid’s Schemes.
These two volumes of lighthearted mini-romances are perfect reads for a quick lunchtime escape or an after-work indulgence. She also authored her first online writing course,
Fiction Writing for Beginners, through Teachable. This course is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/ for more details. Kelli’s historical romance, Redemption from a Dark Past, was published in 2018. This full-length Gothic novel is set in the kingdom of Hungary in 1723 and blends a sensual romance with mystery and suspense.
If you like horror fiction, don’t miss her latest novella, Nightmare in the North.
Kelli posts on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins
and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor.
Visit her website www.KelliWilkins.com and blog http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/ to learn more about all of her writings. CATCH UP WITH KELLI’s BLOG .
It is award season, and whilst I may not be wearing a fancy designer dress with sparkles and borrowed jewelry from Tiffany’s (or crippling Jimmy Choo Shoes!), I have dabbed a little Chanel No 5 behind my ears and at the wrists. After all is not everyday you get nominated for a Sunshine Blogger Award. In this instance courtesy of author and poet, Mary Smith of Mary Smith’s Place to whom I am most grateful….
Before I embarrass myself answering Mary’s questions on my personal life…. here are the rules.
via Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – The Sunshine Blogger #Award and personal questions.
Delighted to welcome a new guest writer to the blog. Sarah Calfee is an editor specialising in Romance novels. In her first post, she is demystifying the various elements of book editing, so that you can select the service that is most beneficial to you and your book.
Demystifying the Levels of Fiction Editing (a bit) by Sarah Calfee
Seer by Hettie Ivers
Seer
Hettie Ivers
Publication date: April 7th 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Lauren is just like any other college student trying to juggle school and a social life.
While being bombarded by dead spirits vying for her time and attention.
And being stalked by hot werelocks with supernatural powers who keep showing up around campus.
It wouldn’t be so bad if the battleground wasn’t Lauren’s mind.
And if werelocks weren’t constantly erasing and altering her memories in order to hide their time in her head from their rivals.
But Lauren is no ordinary college student. She’s the seer the supernatural world has been waiting for.
As word spreads of her existence, powerful forces will hunt her.
The dead will unite to defend her.
And a century-long celibate werelock will risk unleashing the darkness he spent four centuries suppressing in order to claim her.
Author Bio:
Hettie Ivers is an accidental romance author who likes to escape the stress of her workweek with a good dirty book–preferably one that’s also funny.
GIVEAWAY!
M.C.V. EGAN ❧Defining Ways❧ 