What You Didn't Know About @TheKariNichols #AmReading #Fantasy #Historical

 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Kari Nichols

My name is Kari Nichols, and here are ten think about me that you probably didn’t know!

1. I’m a massive sports fan. Even though I spend the majority of my time reading, writing, taking photos, and creating art, I absolutely love sports. Whether it’s NFL, NBA, NHL, or the Olympics, I’m a huge fan. My favorite sports to watch are NFL and NBA. And I’m actually in a fantasy football league with my husband every fall!
2. I was homeschooled for ten years. From first grade all the way through tenth grade, I was a homeschooler. Now, I wasn’t the kind of homeschooler that has zero social interactions and can’t function in society. My parents were very proactive about getting us involved in lots of activities. We were a part of a co-op, an athletic league, and various groups to make sure we were exposed to all kinds of social interactions.
3. I’ve traveled to sixteen countries. Traveling is one of my passions, and I have a list of about two hundred places I desperately want to visit over the course of my life. My favorite countries so far are Italy, France, Ireland, Swaziland and Thailand. Hopefully I’ll be able to add more countries to my list soon!
4. I’m obsessed with lists. It’s a little over-the-top at times. I’m so addicted to crossing things off my to-do list that sometimes, at the end of the day, I’ll make a list of all the things I’ve done that day just so I can cross them off. Yeah. Obsessed.
5. I can read a good book six or eight times. I don’t know what to tell you, but if I really enjoy the book, I’ll read it over and over again until I’m sick of it. I think I’ve read Catch-22 four times, and it never gets old. I’m currently reading the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead for the fifth time. It’s just that good.
6. I grew up in the South and have worked very hard to get rid of my southern accent. You can still hear it when I say certain words, but I try my hardest to speak without an accent. I love to imitate other accents (and was recently told by a man from London that my British accent was better than his best friend’s!). But in everyday life, I try to keep the accents to a minimum.
7. I’m a professional wedding photographer. My husband and I opened Cottonwood Studios in 2007 and have photographed over one hundred fifty weddings since.
8. I’m the youngest of three sisters. This means I grew up with an actual mother and two sisters who also acted like mothers. We’re all great friends now, but let’s just say I had authority issues for a large part of my life. It’s a wonder that I work for myself now …
9. I love love love scavenger hunts. The greatest gifts I’ve ever received were gifts I had to find using clues. I don’t know why, but adore them.
10. I have two tattoos. I have a tattoo of orchids on my right shoulder blade and one of swallows flying on my right collar bone. And I have plans for many, many more.

“We stand united, Family of Immortals. Plagued by life. Cursed by the hand of God …”

Rogue was born into an immortal family whose wealth is marked by a trail of blood. But when he meets the unnervingly familiar assistant of his next target, an unexpected rush of emotions begins to unravel his carefully laid plans.

Lissie lives a mundane life filled with work … and little else. She hasn’t taken a risk since she moved to New York City after college—seven years ago. But when the mysterious Matthew McCloud walks through the door of her office, she finds herself diving head-first into a whirlwind romance she never saw coming.

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Genre - Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance

Rating – PG-13

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Connect with Kari Nichols on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://karinichols.com/

Sandy James Takes on Life's Road Blocks @sandyjamesbooks #Lupus #AmWriting #WriteTip

Let me start out this post with some rather personal information.

I have lupus.

For those of you who don’t know about lupus, it’s an auto-immune disease that causes antibodies to go a little wonky and start attacking my own body. Suffice to say, it’s a bitch.

So what does my disease have to do with writing romance novels? It’s one of those roadblocks that every author has to face. And there are plenty of them out there!

In my case, the lupus plagues me two major symptoms—pain in my joints and muscles and something called “toxic fatigue.” Imagine having the aches and exhaustion of a bad case of flu on pretty much a daily basis. That’s what it’s like to have this damned disease.

Now, please don’t think I’m blogging about this just to whine or elicit your sympathy. Far from it! I have faced lupus the same way other authors face myriad things that keep us from writing. I work around it.

There will be so many different things that keep a writer away from her craft. We all know that. What a writer has to do is find ways to go over, under, around, through those roadblocks and keep churning out words.

One thing that helps me tremendously is that I love the craft so very much. Writing, from my perspective, allows me an outlet for the voices in my head that never want to shut up. I love creating new people and places. I love designing my own “worlds.” It’s like playing a literary version of The Sims.

But no matter how much I love writing, there are days I have to make myself sit down and write. I have to force myself past my roadblocks. The pain. Being tired. Wanting to just surf the internet. Wanting to watch the latest episode of The Walking Dead. It’s up to me to resist all those temptations. I have to get down to business and remember my goals.

Knowing how easy it is to make excuses, I’ve made it a goal in 2014 to write every single day. Even if I only get down a few hundred words, I strive to write something. The only way I can achieve that goal is to make writing one of the highest priorities in my life. That’s the only way I’ll keep my career moving forward.

What roadblocks keep you from writing? Have you found any tips to help other writers get around those roadblocks?

For the fans of Jennifer Probst, Ruth Cardello and Jill Shalvis, comes a series about love, friendship, and lunch!

When life gets tough and love is hard to find, four friends take their troubles to lunch. High school teacher Juliana Kelley tells the Ladies Who Lunch that her life needs an overhaul . . . and gets a whole lot more than she wished for.

Juliana has spent thirteen years in the same teaching job. She’s ready to dive into a new career with both feet . . . when a run-in with the hottest man she’s ever seen knocks her head over heels. But with her failed marriage to a fellow teacher fresh on her mind, Jules can’t afford to lose herself in a relationship-no matter how perfect it may seem.

Connor Wilson has hit rock bottom when he loses his career as a top-notch Realtor because of a large gambling debt. Now, in a small town he finds a fresh start-and a gorgeous redhead who sparks new life into him. Together they start a successful real estate company, but when pleasure sneaks into the business, they’ll have to decide what they can let go . . . and what they can’t live without.

Word count: 75,000-85,000

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Genre - Contemporary Romance

Rating – PG-13

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Connect with Sandy James through Facebook & Twitter

The Forgotten Child by Lorhainne Eckhart @LEckhart #Romance #Contemporary #AmReading

“Please sit down, Emily.” He extended out the flat of his hand, very much in control.

“Ah, thank you.” She perched on the edge of the soft leather seat across from a man who was too damn good to look at—a man obviously comfortable in his own skin.

Hardness set his jaw as he studied her. The tick of the wall clock seemed to echo in the silence, and Emily squirmed in her seat. Why was he looking at her like that? Maybe it was her outrageous entrance and he was wondering what kind of kook she was, whether he could entrust her with his child. Yes, that had to be it.

She swallowed hard. “I’m Emily Nelson; I talked to you yesterday on the phone about the job.”
He blinked before closing those exquisite eyes, as if he’d forgotten the reason she was here. When he opened them again, his hard judgmental expression seemed to have softened a bit.

Again he extended his large hand, taking hers in a firm grip. Just the touch of his solid calloused hand and the secure squeeze was enough to teeter her nerves back to that awkward woman at the door. She wondered what it would be like to have a man like this run his hands over you. She snatched her hand back before her face burned any brighter. Finally, he introduced himself. “The name’s Brad Friessen.” Emily kept quiet. He didn’t run on with his words. He must be a deep thinker, a doer. She could relate to that… but not to him. Her sly eyes glanced down at his left hand: no gold band, no white line, no wife or significant other. Or maybe he was one of those arrogant guys who wouldn’t wear a ring, a lady’s man. He had the looks and the attitude. Now was the time to ask about the woman who answered the phone when she called. Who was she?

“This is a working ranch I run, and I need a woman to look after my son. I’m old fashioned in my values. Children should be at home, not stuck in daycare. I’m looking for someone who’s comfortable in a kitchen and looking after children: a role that should come natural to a woman. I don’t want someone who’s got the phone stuck to their ear half the day. It’s a decent job and good pay; $500 a week, room and board, and includes all your meals.”

Her heart sank about the same time the bottom dropped out of her stomach. It was too good to be true. She wanted to cry. “But I… I have a little girl, I didn’t realize–”

His face hardened and he looked away. For some reason he was angry with her… no, furious. Emily didn’t know what to say when he let out a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes, rubbing his hand over the light brown shadow that appeared over his jaw. Then he faced her again, with those deep brown eyes now turned to steel. Emily saw that he could be a hard man.

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Genre – Contemporary Western Romance

Rating – PG

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TO LOVE A CAT by Billi Tiner @TinerBooks #AmReading #Romance #Contemporary

“Let me show you to your room,” Cat said as she stepped back into the kitchen after saying good-bye to Stacy.

Ethan stood and followed her up the stairs and down a short hallway.

“That’s my room,” Cat commented, pointing to a closed door on the right side of the hall. “This is your bathroom,” she added, stopping at the next room. “I stocked it with some supplies; toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, that kind of stuff. Let me know if there’s anything I missed.” Turning to the room across the hall, she said. “And this is your room.” She pushed open the door and stepped back.

Ethan moved past her and stopped a few feet inside the room. His back was to her, so Cat couldn’t see his expression. She hovered at the entrance unsure of what to do next.

The room contained a double bed, nightstand, chest of drawers, desk, and computer. She’d also hung a small flat screen TV on the wall opposite his bed.

After a long moment of silence, she said, “I’ll give you some time to look around. If there’s anything you need, let me know, and we can go pick it up. I’ll be downstairs in the office doing some work. Feel free to come down, whenever you get settled.”

Cat waited a moment for Ethan to respond. Last night, she’d spent several hours picking out the stuff for his room. She’d wanted it to be decorated before he arrived, so he wouldn’t feel like he was a guest. She’d even taken the time to hang a few posters the clerk at the store had assured her a teenage boy would find cool. Cat felt a pang of disappointment when he didn’t make any comment about the room. Giving up, she pulled the door closed and left.Don’t expect too much too soon, she reminded herself.

Several hours later, her stomach growled. Glancing at her watch, she was surprised to see that it was after noon. Ethan still had not made an appearance downstairs. Cat leaned back in the leather office chair and stared out into the empty living room. She’d left it up to him to come down when he was ready. She wasn’t sure if she should go get him for lunch or leave him alone. Sighing, she rose and went to the kitchen to make him a sandwich. Taking a guess, she went with bologna, cheese, and mayonnaise. She added a bag of Doritos and a Coke and carried the food up to his room.

The sound of the TV filtered under the door. She paused to take a deep breath, then knocked. “Ethan,” she called softly. “May I come in?”

“It’s your house,” came the muffled reply.

Cat pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Ethan was sprawled out on the bed, staring at the television. He didn’t bother to look her way.

“I brought lunch,” Cat said. “Bologna and cheese sandwich. I wasn’t sure what you liked. I hope it’s okay.”

Ethan glanced over. He rolled off the bed and walked to her. Taking the food from her hands, he mumbled, “Thanks.” Then he went back to the bed, his attention returning to the movie he was watching.

“Okay, well, I’ll be downstairs if you need anything else,” Cat said as she backed out of the room and closed the door.

I guess I don’t have to worry about him talking my ear off, she thought.

Later that evening, Cat sat bent over her desk working through some figures. She glanced up when she heard the muffled sound of footsteps approaching. She watched Ethan walk across the living room and stop in the doorway.

He leaned against the door jam and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m hungry.”

Cat looked at her watch. It was after 6:00p.m. “Is there anything in particular you’d like?” she asked.

He shrugged.

“How about pizza?” she suggested.

“Okay.” Another one-word reply.

“What do you want on it?”

“I don’t know,” he answered.

“Well, what do you like? Hamburger? Pepperoni? Cheese?”

She patiently waited for him to answer. Finally, he shrugged and said, “Hamburger, I guess.”

She grinned. “Great, hamburger it is.”

Cat stood and walked toward him. As she drew close, he flinched slightly. She caught the look of wariness that flashed into his eyes. As someone who’d received unsolicited beatings herself, she recognized the automatic response. Her heart constricted with sympathy. Knowing the last thing he would want from her was pity, she didn’t acknowledge that she’d noticed his reaction.

“I’m just going to grab my cell phone,” she said softly.

He nodded and took a step back. Not wanting to make him feel any more uncomfortable, she made sure not to pass by him too closely.

As she placed the call to order the pizza, Ethan returned to his room. When she disconnected the call, Cat sank down onto the sofa. This is going to be tough, she thought. How am I going to build any kind of relationship with him, if he refuses to stay in the same room with me?

Several minutes later, she was jerked out of her thoughts when the doorbell rang. “Pizza’s here!” she called, reaching for her wallet. After paying the delivery man, she turned back into the house to see Ethan standing at the foot of the stairs.

“Let’s eat it in the kitchen,” Cat suggested. She was determined to have a conversation with the boy.

He reluctantly followed her to the kitchen and sank down into one of the chairs at the dining table. Cat placed the pizza box in the middle of the table and went to get them some plates. When she returned, she took the chair directly opposite Ethan.

Within seconds, he’d already eaten his first piece and started on the second.

“I guess you like it,” she commented dryly.

He glanced up. A blush crept into his cheeks. He dropped the piece he held in his hand. “It’s good. I’ve never had it before,” he mumbled.

“You’ve never had pizza?” she asked, dumbfounded.

He shook his head. “Dad didn’t like it, so we never had it.”

Cat was at a loss for words. She couldn’t believe Ethan was a teenager and had never tried pizza. No wonder he didn’t know what kind he wanted. She wondered what else he’d missed out on in his life. She suspected pizza was just the tip of the iceberg.

“Well, I’m glad you like it. We’ll have to try a different flavor next time, maybe something really crazy like Hawaiian.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Canadian bacon and pineapple. It’s delicious.”

They ate the rest of the meal in silence. When they finished, he excused himself and returned to his room. Cat was a little disappointed they didn’t talk more, but at least she’d learned something about him. It was a start.

From the author of “Dogs Aren’t Men” comes “To Love a Cat”, a contemporary romance novel.

Catherine “Cat” James’ life is simple and orderly, and she likes it that way. She loves her job as an accountant. Working with numbers is safe and routine, no surprises. Her childhood had been very abusive and unstable. She vowed not to live that way as an adult. She also made a promise to herself to become a foster parent. She wished someone had been there for her as a teenager, to let her know she wasn’t alone.

Cat agrees to foster Ethan Summers, a troubled teenage boy whose childhood closely resembles her own. Suddenly, her nice and orderly life is filled with chaos and uncertainty. Things really start to spin out of control when circumstances bring police detective Mitch Holt into the picture. He’s handsome, charming, and definitely not what Cat needs right now, or so she thinks.

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Genre – Contemporary Romance

Rating – PG

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Connect with Billi Tiner on Facebook & Twitter

Website www.tinerbooks.blogspot.com

For M.J. Kane Success is Seeing a Project from Inception to Completion #Romance #Contemporary #Fiction

What other jobs have you had in your life?
I’ve worked in banking operations as a mini-key operator, done dispatch for UPS, and Dispatch and Customer Service for Safelite Auto Glass. I also do floral design and worked for myself, as well as in the floral department of Hobby Lobby. I loved that job! I also work behind the scenes for my husband’s businesses as well. We’re a household full of entrepreneurs!

How do you write- lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?
It starts with pen and paper and ends on my laptop. I mostly work at my desk which is located in my bedroom.

Where do you get support from? Do you have friends in the industry?
I have a very close nit group of a few authors who I had the privilege to meet at the beginning of my writing journey. They are my mentors. I go to them with any questions I have and get wonderful feedback. 

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you?
Success to me is seeing a project from inception to completion. Whether or not it’s self-published, small press published, or traditionally published, learning the art of storytelling, the technical side of writing, and the tricks to marketing can make or break you. But if you can come up with a story and get it down on paper from page one to The End…you’ve done something many people dream about. To me, that is the beginning of working towards having a successful career.

It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing, tell us about your marketing campaign?
Book clubs and social networking are key. Becoming a member of a group of people who love reading allows you to tune in to what readers want. Taking their desires to heart and finding a way to work them into your writing builds a fan base that can last a life time. I have the most fun in my groups!

Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?
My latest release is, Lonely Heart (Book 3 of The Butterfly Memoirs). The story follows Kaitlyn Rodgers as she comes to term with the reality of her life. The ‘perfect life’ she thought she’d found changed the moment she found out she’s pregnant. Hard decisions have to be made, and the consequences of past decisions now dictate her future. But through it all, there’s a ray of hope…if she accepts it. In this story, Kaitlyn faces the reality of becoming a single parent. Like many women, it wasn’t what she expected to happen. My goal is to help women who can connect with her remember that though the relationship with their child’s father may have come to an end, love can still be found. 

When you are not writing? How do you like to relax?
There’s time for that???? LOL, I catch up on my favorite TV shows…Scandle, Revolution, Almost Human, S.H.I.E.L.D, Arrow, and Sleepy Hollow. Sunday’s are family night, which means cards, conversation, and movies. I’m really starting to love those nights! 

How often do you write? And when do you write?
It depends. My mind is always flushing out story lines, playing with dialogue and ‘what if’ scenarios whether I’m in the shower, driving, or cooking dinner. It also depends on what I’m working on. I’m blogging at least once a week. But when I’m working a deadline, I’m on it every day for as many hours as I can put in. 

Sometimes it’s so hard to keep at it- What keeps you going?
My family, for starters. They have faith in me and support me, so suddenly deciding to give it all up would affect them as much as me. Then there are my readers who have invested their money and time into supporting me. I’ve worked so hard to gain that support that every time I feel like putting down my pen, I think of the wonderful feedback I’ve received, and know I have to keep going. But most of all, my Muse won’t allow me to stop imagining stories and characters. So, I guess I’ll keep writing! 

How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?
YES! Nobody would know who I was if it weren’t for the ability to get online and shout it out. For three years, I was on Facebook, Twitter, and blogging about my desire to write and what my story was about. I gained followers and possible readers before I knew it. My new found friends were just as excited as me to learn I’d been accepted by a publisher and the story I talked about was about to be published. They are still with me now. I don’t know what I’d do without them!

The consequences of past decisions can ruin your future.

Instead of planning her wedding, Kaitlyn Rodgers is facing motherhood alone, the pressures of a new job, and caring for her rebellious younger sister. What should have been the happiest time of her life turns into one stressful event after another.

After watching his father struggle to raise a family by himself, auto mechanic Antonio Rodriguez refuses to follow his father’s footsteps…even if it means a lifetime of loneliness.

When Kaitlyn’s car breaks down, though, Antonio goes beyond auto repairs to take care of her needs. An unexpected friendship begins, allowing them a glimpse of happiness…until the father of Kaitlyn’s child returns, ready to offer her marriage and a future. But at what cost?

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Genre - Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction, Interracial Romance

Rating – R

More details about the author

Connect with M.J. Kane through Facebook & Twitter

Website http://mjkanemedia.com/

Choosing A Setting With Maris Morton #Romance #Thriller #AmReading

When I read novels I like to get a taste of what life is like somewhere else—reading is cheaper than travel and far less fraught with anxiety!  After reading Dana Stabenow’s novels, for example, I have an inkling of what life in Alaska is like; Donna Leon paints a vivid picture of life in Venice, as distinct from going there as one of the throngs of tourists that infest the place even in the chill winter. Lee Child offers the experience of being in many different parts of the US, while Robert B Parker brings Boston to life.

The physical setting for a story makes a powerful contribution to its effectiveness, often playing an important part in the unfolding of the narrative. Michael Connelly’s crime stories could happen nowhere else but LA, while James Lee Burke creates atmosphere through his descriptions of the landscape and culture of rural America. Peter Corris’s Cliff Hardy inhabits Sydney, with its crime and congestion.

As writers such as Fleur McDonald, Rachael Treasure and Nicole Alexander know well, country people are not the same as city people. Their stories are different; their priorities, values and inhibitions often diverge from what many Australians consider to be normal. Their opportunities are different, too, with a more physical lifestyle and a greater degree of independence and self-reliance than many of their city counterparts have.

My novels so far are all set in Western Australia, where I lived for two decades. After growing up in suburban Melbourne, WA was like being in another country, and one where I flourished. My first novel, Portrait of the Artist as a Dead Man is set in suburban Perth, but the rest belong to the agricultural heartland, with A Darker Music set on a remote merino stud near the south coast, The Sea Bird’s Egg hatching near the stunning town of Esperance on the south coast, while The Herb Gardener has her home on a farm in the heart of the Great Southern. Each of these locations is separate and unique, and each lends particular values and rhythm to the story that unfolds there. Leaving aside such dramatic (and often overworked) events as storms, floods and bushfires, the physical surroundings of one’s characters have an impact on the emotional tone of the story.

It’s important, when describing a character’s environment, to consider the input from all the senses—not that it would be useful to use all of them at once, but because one or more can often provide the key to the way the character feels at that moment in the story. It’s also useful to have a character, not necessarily the main one, coming to the place as a stranger, seeing (and sensing) the location with few preconceptions; this invites the reader to share in the experience and begin to identify with the characters, and imagine the place.

A sense that is often overlooked is the sense of history. The countryside wears its history in full view, if one has eyes to see it, lending timelessness to the actions of one’s characters and letting them be seen as part of a continuum. Human nature, with all its virtues and defects, hasn’t changed over the centuries, and bad behaviour is still as destructive as it ever was.

Still hurting after a painful divorce, Joanna leaves the city, moving with her six-year-old daughter Mia to a country town. She’s looking for a better, happier life, and when she meets farmer Chris Youngman, she discovers the possibility of a future as a farmer’s wife.

Joanna is at first dismayed by the unexpected isolation of the farm, but Chris’s affection helps her to adjust. Then the unexplained death of a young farm worker brings complications she could never have imagined, and Joanna has to fight for her happiness, her family, and even her own life.

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Genre - Contemporary Romance, Thriller

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Website http://www.marismorton.com