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Saturday, November 24, 2018

#WeWriWa - ONE RED SHOE: Copying Russian Mafia Files

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors where authors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here.

I apologize for missing last week. No excuse. I just spaced. I'm back to sharing a snippet from my romantic suspense, ONE RED SHOE. We leave Daria on her way to NYC and catch up with Sam in Smolensk, Russia.

Please excuse the creative punctuation, necessary to keep this within the guidelines. It's also edited some from the original.

Sam Jozwiak slid open the door to Korioff’s inner sanctum. It had been blissfully easy to get in—one guard, now sleeping quietly along with the rest of the compound; locks a rookie could open; the computer password taped under the mouse pad—even a minor kingpin in the Russian Mafia should have better security.
Hold on--no modem, no cable, DSL, broadband, not even dial-up—no way to transmit data back to headquarters. Okay, on to Plan B.
In the dark, with only the glow from the computer screen, Sam copied files onto a tiny memory chip. The financial records and client lists would make for fascinating reading back home. As the personal files were being copied, a name caught his attention. Why the hell did the Russian Mafia have a file on a U.S. senator, especially, that senator? Sam opened the file. Holy shit!



It Happened One Night meets Knight and Day.

Daria Mason’s life is too predictable. Nothing ever happens in her small Iowa town where everybody knows everybody else. But when she travels to New York City looking for a little excitement, she never expects to bring home a wounded spy.

From the moment agent Sam Jozwiak steals intel vital to US security from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist.

Sam and Daria flee cross country with the assassins right behind them. Sharing danger and excitement—and a few kisses—with Sam soon has Daria convinced he’s the man for her. He thinks she’ll be better off once he’s out of her life for good. With their lives on the line, can she convince him they belong together?

ONE RED SHOE is now available:



Tuesday, November 20, 2018

GUEST Linda Carroll-Brad #NewRelease DULCINA

My friend Linda Carroll-Brad is back with a new release. Please welcome her.



Title:  Dulcina
Author:  Linda Carroll-Bradd
Publisher:  Inked Figments
Series: The Widows of Wildcat Ridge, book 5
Release Date:  November 15, 2018

Tagline:  Will bringing an old friend to town provide the help Dulcina needs or a new kind of trouble?

Blurb:
Left widowed following a Utah mining disaster, Dulcina Crass faces running a saloon on her own when her previous contribution was solely as the singer. She struggles to learn the necessary tasks but her heart isn’t in being a saloon keeper. All she ever wanted was to be a famous singer. Will asking Gabriel Magnus, a neighbor from her New Mexico hometown, bring the help she needs or a new kind of trouble?

Gabriel Magnus isn’t fulfilled by his role as ranch hand on the family’s New Mexico sheep ranch. What he wants is the chance to prove his boot making skills are good enough to start his own business. When he receives a letter from recent widow Dulcina offering a partnership in the Last Chance Saloon, he recognizes the chance to come to the rescue of the vivacious girl he wanted to court a decade earlier. Upon his arrival, he presents her with a demand--her answer could decide both of their fates.

Purchase Links:

Excerpt:
“Ceremony?” Her eyes shot wide. “You intend us to be married today?”
“I do, and I’ll not marry a woman wearing mourning black.” The drab color did nothing to highlight her natural beauty. “You look fit to join the circle of viudas in the Questa marketplace.”
Lips pinched, she glanced around the immediate area. “But, Gabriel, I have been in mourning for Stuart since the mine disaster.”
He bristled at the mention of that man’s name but kept his expression calm. “A status that ends now. Stuart is gone, never to return in this lifetime.” When he spotted her lower lip quiver, he braced himself. The way their life would be structured moving forward had to be laid out. “Today will be the first day of our marriage, yours and mine, and he will not come between us. I will proclaim my vows next to a woman who looks to the future, not one who still clutches the past.” He stepped back to gather his luggage then carried it to where she stood. “Please show me to the saloon, where I assume you also live.”
“Oh.” She dropped her gaze and pulled at the strings on her reticule. “I thought you’d book a room in the hotel while we get reacquainted.”
If she thought she was the one making decisions, she’d been on her own too long. Maybe her late husband allowed that behavior. She might as well learn that he would not. He narrowed his eyes. “We will get reacquainted while living under the same roof.” The words “and in the same bed” remained unspoken. He didn’t think she was ready to hear his opinion of how the arrangement would play out.
“But Wildcat Ridge has no minister. Poor Reverend Bainum was lost in—”
“I know.” His voice snapped sharper than he intended. He held up a hand. “The mine collapse. The town can only be saved if you stop looking at what you lost and focus on what can be gained.” Realizing other people paid too close attention to their conversation, he clasped her hand and guided her to a nearby bench. “I am sorry, Dulcina. I do understand you have been through a loss. But that tragedy is not my experience. I see new opportunities, and I aim to grab them.” He smiled. “The best one is you.”
Her eyes shot wide. “I’d planned for us to take a day trip to Curdy’s Crossing on Saturday after the horse-related business is concluded. The church there is run by Minister Stone, and other widows have had him perform their wedding ceremonies. I thought we could marry after services on Sunday.” She ducked her head. “The marriage that is supposed to be only a formality.”

Bio:
As a young girl, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about fascinating characters having exciting adventures in places far away and in other time periods. In later years, she read and then started writing romances and achieved her first publication--a confession story. Married with four adult children and two granddaughters, Linda now writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from her home in the southern California mountains.


Linda’s Links:
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/linda.carrollbradd
Amazon Author Page  https://www.amazon.com/author/lindacarroll-bradd
BookBub page  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-carroll-bradd
Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1806413.Linda_Carroll_Bradd
Newsletter signup  http://eepurl.com/bjKueH
Link for Dulcina on Goodreads:




Saturday, November 10, 2018

#WeWriWa: ONE RED SHOE - NYC, Here She Comes

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors where authors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here.

I'm sharing a snippet from my romantic suspense, ONE RED SHOE. This snippet continues from last week after her brother, Jimmy, gives her a new cell phone.

Please excuse the creative punctuation, necessary to keep this within the guidelines. It's also edited some from the original.

“Call every night,” Jimmy ordered—he just had to spoil the moment, “So, we know you’re okay.” The others nodded, they meant well, she reminded herself.
She put the key in the ignition. Oh, God. this was it. She was going after her dream, a mixture of fear and excitement shot through her. She hadn’t felt like this since. . . since leaving for summer camp when she was ten. How pathetic was that. When she got back, things were going to change. First, she was going on a real adventure.
New York City, here I come.


Blurb:

It Happened One Night meets Knight and Day.

Daria Mason’s life is too predictable. Nothing ever happens in her small Iowa town where everybody knows everybody else. But when she travels to New York City looking for a little excitement, she never expects to bring home a wounded spy.

From the moment agent Sam Jozwiak steals intel vital to US security from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist.

Sam and Daria flee cross country with the assassins right behind them. Sharing danger and excitement—and a few kisses—with Sam soon has Daria convinced he’s the man for her. He thinks she’ll be better off once he’s out of her life for good. With their lives on the line, can she convince him they belong together?

ONE RED SHOE is now available:

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. 


Tuesday, November 6, 2018

#IWSG: Creativity


Happy Insecure Writers Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. 

Thanks to this month's awesome hosts:   Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor,Ann V. Friend, JQ Rose, and Elizabeth Seckman!

Question: How has your creativity in life evolved since you began writing?

I've been writing for twenty-five years. Prior to that, I did a lot of needlework: counted cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, embroidery. Music has always been a part of my life. Even though I never played an instrument as a child, one of my first purchases as a new homeowner was a piano, and I took lessons. Trying to learn to play at twenty-nine was difficult, which is why I "made" my kids take piano lessons when they were young. Despite my lack of talent, I've always loved listening to music. Just not when I'm writing.

When I began seriously writing with the intention of being published, I let those other forms of creativity fall by the wayside. All my focus has been on the writing. I guess we all need a release for that creativity. Writing is mine. 

Because so many of you are participating in NaNo, my post is short. Good luck to you. Write on.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.



It Happened One Night meets Knight and Day

When elementary teacher Daria Mason left Iowa for a writers’ conference in New York City, she didn’t expect to come home with a wounded spy. Sam Jozwiak works for a shadow agency that gathers intel vital to U.S. security. From the moment he steals digital files from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist. Thus, begins a road trip that takes Sam and Daria cross country with the assassins right behind them. 

Saturday, November 3, 2018

#WeWriWa: Eager to Get on the Road


Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors where authors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here.

I'm sharing a snippet from my romantic suspense, ONE RED SHOE. This snippet continues from last week when her brother, Jimmy, tries to keep her from leaving for NYC.

Please excuse the creative punctuation, necessary to keep this within the guidelines. It's also edited some from the original.

“I hoped you’d get this foolishness out of your system.” Jimmy blew out a breath and thrust a small item at her, “Since you’re determined to go, this is a top-of-the-line cell phone. It has GPS tracking so if you have car trouble and call for help, they’ll know exactly where you are.”
Daria ignored the first part of his rant, she’d heard it before but was surprised at his thoughtfulness with the phone. She gave him a hug then the others. Standing back, she looked at the four of them, and tears threatened. She blinked rapidly. For goodness sake, it wasn’t like she was leaving forever--a week away from home, that’s all. She got into her car, eager to get started.


Blurb:

It Happened One Night meets Knight and Day.

Daria Mason’s life is too predictable. Nothing ever happens in her small Iowa town where everybody knows everybody else. But when she travels to New York City looking for a little excitement, she never expects to bring home a wounded spy.

From the moment agent Sam Jozwiak steals intel vital to US security from a Russian Mafia kingpin, Murphy’s Law takes over. No matter how he covers his tracks, the kingpin’s assassins find him. What’s worse than getting shot in the butt? Accepting help from an Iowa tourist.

Sam and Daria flee cross country with the assassins right behind them. Sharing danger and excitement—and a few kisses—with Sam soon has Daria convinced he’s the man for her. He thinks she’ll be better off once he’s out of her life for good. With their lives on the line, can she convince him they belong together?

ONE RED SHOE is now available:


Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. 




Friday, November 2, 2018

GUEST: @MargoHoornstra #NewRelease

My friend and fellow Rose (the Roses of Prose blog) and Mid-Michigan RWA chaptermate, Margo Hoornstra is visiting with news about her newest release. Here's Margo to tell you about On The Force

Hello Everyone,

Thank you, Diane for hosting me to help get the word out about my latest romantic suspense release from the Crimson Rose line of The Wild Rose Press.

ON THE FORCE, Brothers in Blue Book 2 officially launched on October 29, 2018. I’m thrilled to be able to share some things here today such as where this book fits in the scheme of my writing feats, what this book is about and an introduction to the characters who are in it, and a little bit of insight into how this book came to be.

The Series:
Brothers in Blue. Four heroes who met at the police academy and became lifelong friends. The dropout, the straight arrow, the movie star and the maverick. All share a passion to serve and protect, each in their own unique way.

This Book:
ON THE FORCE, Brothers in Blue Book 2, highlights straight arrow Detective Vince Miller and recently unemployed CFO Sydney Raines.
Losing her job and reputation is nothing compared to the prospect of losing her life

The Blurb:
Top notch CFO Sydney Raines is devastated when her coveted job working for a high profile conglomerate is yanked out from under her. Determined to restore a mangled reputation, she finds her second chance when the owner of an upscale art gallery hires her as his personal assistant. Straight arrow cop Vince Miller is assigned to crack an international art theft ring. Working undercover, he never counted on meeting Sydney Raines, let alone falling in love with her. Then an unexpected twist in the case reveals the identity of a serial killer, along with the shattering realization that Sydney could be the psycho’s next victim.

The Why and the How:
What do you do with a husband who keeps coming up with interesting plotlines for books? Just when I was at the end of my writing rope one day, he came up with this. A recently unemployed woman, down on her luck. And a law enforcement officer who needs to run surveillance on some bad actors. Turns out her apartment is the perfect vantage point for him and he figures out a way to make good use of it. In doing so, he inadvertently puts her, an innocent civilian, in danger. Then, of course, he must do whatever it takes to save the day, all the while falling in love with the her.
And I was off…

Not that I’m about to give my husband all the credit. At the time, I had a simple short story turned sweet novella, turned full length romantic suspense in the works. What became ON THE SURFACE, Brothers in Blue Book 1 features, Brad Collins, a police officer turned bounty hunter. Originally, that book was a single title stand alone. Or so I thought. But, then again, what do I really know?

A character in ON THE SURFACE, Brad’s mentor, the aforementioned Vince Miller, was just itching for a book of his own.

Who was I to argue?

Except, my version turned out slightly different from my husband’s original vision. In my version, Sydney doesn’t know Vince is working undercover. She thinks he’s your everyday, harmless freelance writer looking for his latest breakout article. And she isn’t at all please with him when she eventually discovers the truth.

All of which takes place, of course, just before she lands smack dab in the middle of a serial killer’s crosshairs.

The Excerpt:
Vince pressed his foot down harder on the gas pedal as he fought to block out everything but the highway in front of him. A simple survival tactic as blind faith propelled him on. If he let his mind go where it wanted, all thoughts of Sydney would be front and center. He didn’t want to deal with that much pain just now. To focus on the road was his best option. Straight, flat, predictable.
Until they got to the turn off to the hospital, more specifically, the morgue.
Terror and sadness, rage and impotence stabbed at him from all directions, tearing him up and threatening to destroy his heart.
Beside him, Andy Raines wasn’t faring much better. “It’s not supposed to be like this.” He blew his nose then used the same handkerchief to wipe the tears from red rimmed eyes.
“It’s a hazy connection at best, but right now it’s the only connection we’ve got.” Vince didn’t share the details of the other victims. Not yet anyway. “I just hope to hell I’m wrong.”
“Children bury their parents. Not the other way around.” He coughed into one elbow then dabbed at his eyes again.
Vince kept his lips tight and jaw clenched. The right thing to do was respond. Offer some words of…what? Wisdom? Sympathy? Commiseration?
Pity he had nothing to give as they traveled to possibly identify a Jane Doe dead body as someone they each loved more than life.

ON THE FORCE and ON THE SURFACE are now available in both print and e-book format, to be joined in the future by ON THE MAKE and ON THE MOVE. And, though each is one segment of a four-part series, each one can be read as a stand-alone book in its own right.




ON THE FORCE

Losing her job was nothing compared to the prospect of losing her life…

BROTHERS IN BLUE, BOOK 2

To serve and protect was never more personal

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

Release Date: October 29, 2018

ASIN: B07H9PVLT6

Amazon Buy Links:




About Margo Hoornstra

Website Blog Twitter Facebook Google+ | Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Like many writers, it’s hard to determine exactly when my fiction writing career began. I remember composing a short story in grade school (I have no idea about what) which was chosen for publication in an all school anthology. A journalism class taken in junior high school led to a job on the school newspaper and a weekly column.

I always loved reading. I loved writing too. Someday, I thought, maybe when I grew up and received the right training, I could actually write a book. After all, I was often told, laughingly most times, I had an extremely vivid imagination.

Through the years, the desire to write was always there. I had so many ideas and characters roaming around in my head, so many stories. But the business of living—going to college, getting married then raising a family—took precedence over something as frivolous as writing a book.
Then one day out of the blue I was downsized—effective immediately—from a job I’d held for over thirty years. What seemed so unfair at the time, I now recognize the tremendous gift I was given that day. As I’m now able to spend more and more time doing what I love—writing romantic fiction—I find I really do have an abundance of stories to share.