Guest: PAMELA S THIBODEAUX My Heart Weeps #giveaway

 I'm happy to welcome Pam Thibodeaux to my blog today as she celebrates a new release. Be sure to check out Pam's giveaway at the end of the blog. Now, here's Pam to tell you about My Heart Weeps. 

Thank you so much, Diane for having me on your blog today with my new book, My Heart Weeps….

 

Blurb: After thirty years married to the man of her dreams, Melena Rhyker is devastated by her husband's death. Relief comes in the form of an artist's retreat at the Crossed Penn ranch in Utopia, TX. She rediscovers a forgotten dream as her artistic talent flourishes into that of a gallery-worthy artist. Will she have the courage to follow the path she was destined to travel?

 

Garrett Saunders has been on the run most of his life. Abused and abandoned as a child, he escapes the clutches of a past filled with pain and shame, and hides from his calling as a Native American healer. His years as a CIA agent aid in overcoming his childhood and honing his talent and skill as a fine art photographer. 

 

Follow their journey as two people who come from totally different backgrounds, but share gifts of gigantic proportions, find meaning and purpose in the Texas Hill Country.

 

Excerpt (one of my favorite scenes!):  She arrived back at the ranch just as guests started to gather around the wagon for the evening hayride and bonfire. Garrett waved her down.

“Coming on the hayride?”

Melena shook her head.

“Ever been on the hayride with us?”

“Not yet.”

“Then come on. I’ll wait for you.”

She sighed. “I’m really kind of tired.”

A frown creased his brow. Garrett raked a hand through his hair and adjusted his hat. “Won’t take no for an answer. Park your truck and come on.”

“Maybe next time.” She started to ease away.

He slapped a hand on the door to halt her escape. “Melena, don’t make me come after you.”

She looked at him wide-eyed, then narrowed her gaze. “What did you say to me?”

His eyes lit up. That darn dimple danced in his cheek.

“It’s my duty as a cowboy and a gentleman to never let a lady cry for long. You’ve done enough of that for one day.”

How could she refuse?

 

Fun (and not so fun) facts about My Heart Weeps:

My Heart Weeps parallels my journey through grief after my husband’s death in 2009. This book actually took about eight (8!) years to complete – it was just too up-close and personal to get through all at once. However, finishing this project seems to have broken the damn on my creativity. I’ve finished another long-awaited project since and am steadily working on another.

Yes, there really is a Utopia, TX! About 30 miles North/West of Bandera and as Melena works at the Crossed Penn Ranch in Utopia, I lived and worked at the Silver Spur Ranch in Bandera.

The descriptions of the area are pretty accurate and drawn from memory. I’ve actually hiked in the Lost Maples Natural Area.

Deer are prominent in the Hill Country, especially rural areas like Bandera and Utopia. It is not unusual to see a huge herd in your yard. I’ve even seen children playing chase with them!

Horseback riding is one of my favorite things to do when possible. There really is nothing more soothing than the clip-clop of hooves on rock. Try it sometime!

 

My Heart Weeps is on sale for a limited time @ 99cents and FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Purchase Link: https://bit.ly/MyHeartWeeps

 

Author bio: Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Sign up to receive Pam’s newsletter and get a FREE short story!

 

Links:

Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/psthibnewsletter

 

Face Book: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux

https://www.facebook.com/pamelasthibodeauxauthor

 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pamelasthibodea/

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1jUVcdU

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pamela-s-thibodeaux

Instagram: https://instagram.com/pamelasthibodeauxauthor

Pam is giving away 1 Ebook, 1 Autographed Print Book, 1 Audio Book, a $15 Amazon Gift Card, a 1-month Audible membership and a SURPRISE Giftpack to 6 lucky people! (1 prize per winner) Names will be collected throughout the tour which ends Sept. 30th. Winners will be notified, and prizes awarded by October 10^th so be sure to leave your EMAIL Address!

 

Blog Tour Dates/Stops:

8/11 Gail Pallotta’s Peering Through Life’s Window

8/13 Liz Flaherty’ Word Wranglers Blog

8/15 Clare Revell’s The Word Can Wait Blog

8/18 Southern Writers Suite T Blog

8/18 Alina K Field’s Simply Romance Blog

8/20 Penelope Marzec’s Bookish Thoughts Blog

8/25 Jana Richards’ Romance Story Board Blog

8/27 Beverly Bateman’s BLOG

9/1 Valarie Goree’s Facebook Page

9/5 D. V. Stone’s Campfire Blog

9/9 Jacqueline Seewald’s BLOG

9/11 Linda Rondeau’s Snark & Sensibility Blog

9/14 Patricia Kioyno’s Four Foxes, One Hound Blog

9/18 Diane Burton’s BLOG

9/22 Alicia Dean’s BLOG

9/25 Jeny Hickman’s BLOG

9/30 Linda Nightingale’s Author…Musings Blog

 

Guest: Pamela S. Thibodeaux's TEMPERED HEARTS Goes Audio

Pam will give away 1 audio copy, so be sure to leave a comment.

Blurb: Rancher Craig Harris and veterinarian Tamera Collins clash from the moment they meet.  Innocence is pitted against arrogance as tempers rise and passions ignite to form a love as pure as the finest gold, fresh from the crucible and as strong as steel.  Thrown together amid tragedy and unsated passion, Tamera and Craig share a strong attraction that neither accepts as the first stages of love.  Torn between desire and dislike, they must make peace with their pasts and God in order to open up to the love blossoming between them.  It is a love that nothing can destroy when they come to understand that only when hearts are tempered, minds are opened and wills are softened can man discern the will of God for his life.

Excerpt:

Taking advantage of the luxurious facilities, Tamera stood a long time in the shower washing away the grit and grime from traveling, as well as her other activities, then settled in the tub for a hot bath. She saturated her thick locks with conditioner, wrapped a moist, hot towel around her head and relaxed in scented, frothy water. Her vision blurred as exhaustion numbed her senses and she sank lower in the tub. She awoke with a start an hour later, shivering. She rose,drained the water from the tub and rinsed the conditioner out of her hair. Patting herself dry with a thick, soft towel, she reached for the robe that hung on the door.

Wrapped in the warm terry cloth, she sat at the vanity and combed the tangles out of her mass of blonde hair.She retrieved the blow dryer from her overnight bag, and ran her fingers through the thick tresses while applying heat. When the chore was nearly complete,she sprayed her hair with leave-in conditioner and brushed it. Tamera closed her eyes and mentally counted the strokes as a memory emerged in her mind…he in his favorite chair, she sitting at her father’s feet while he brushed and counted one hundred strokes.She heard his voice in her mind as she completed the task.

An everyday routine she once thought of as soothing, a time of bonding, she now considered a chore. Tamera blinked back tears, swallowed the lump in her throat, put down the brush, and seriously considered getting it all cut off.

Purchase Links:

Audible: http://bit.ly/TemHrtAudio

Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/1Elwhpx

Kindlehttp://amzn.to/1rdBRzW

B&N Print: http://bit.ly/1WpcBIp

Nook: http://bit.ly/1OdQyhT

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/16sLHL9

Bio: Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Sign up to receive Pam’s newsletter and get a FREE short story!

Links:

Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/psthibnewsletter

Face Book: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux

https://www.facebook.com/pamelasthibodeauxauthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pamelasthibodea/

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1jUVcdU

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pamela-s-thibodeaux

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:

https://www.amazon.com/Force-Brothers-Blue-Book-ebook/dp/B07H9PVLT6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538044857&sr=8-1&keywords=On+The+Force+by+Margo+Hoornstra

http://a.co/d/cwJkGQP

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. 

GUEST Maris Soule, author of LYON'S PRIDE

Today's guest is my friend and fellow author. I've always enjoyed her stories.  Back in 2010, Maris suggested I self-published my first book to which I'd gotten the rights. It took scaredy-cat me almost a year to do it. What an adventure I've had--all because of Maris. Here she is.

Thank you, Diane, for inviting me to your blog. I still remember when we first met. You were writing a book and took one of my community-ed classes on “How to Get Published.” You’ve come a long way since those days: you’re now multi-published in both scifi-romance and mystery, with many more books to come.

I was writing romances back then. During the ‘80s and ‘90s I wrote sexy romances (at least they were considered sexy then), sweet romances (sexual tension but no bedroom scenes), and romantic suspense. It wasn’t until the turn of the century that I switched to mystery and suspense.

My romances were all paperbacks, on the shelf for 30 days then stripped and gone forever, unless you found a copy at a used book store or garage sale. It seemed a shame those stories had such a short life. Thank goodness e-books have given us a chance to revive some of those stories.

LYON’S PRIDE is one I wanted to give a new life. It was published in 1993 by Silhouette Romance, and is classified as a sweet romance, though if Greg Lyon and Doc Amy hadn’t had Amy’s house guest, Peggy, sleeping in the next room, there might have been a bedroom scene.

But let me explain:

For years the syndicated cartoon, Lyon’s Pride, made people laugh, but when its creator, Greg Lyon, starts lampooning doctors, newspapers threaten to stop publishing the cartoon. Greg decides he needs a break, never expecting his walk from New York to California will land him in a small town in southern Indiana. Rescued from a rain storm, his ankle broken from a fall, he’s taken to Dr. Amy Fraser’s home office clinic and ends up staying in her house. Greg knows he can’t reveal he’s the creator of the cartoons she finds so offensive, so he tells her his last name is Lyman, but from the start he’s confused by his attraction to this physically scarred country doctor. Is she for real?

Amy Fraser cares more about people than money, and her patients love her and want to protect her from this stranger she’s allowing to stay in her home/clinic. It isn’t long before her neighbor Peggy (whom Amy had told could stay at the clinic while Peggy’s house was being renovated) recognizes the sparks between Greg and Amy and decides this is the time to be there.

And Amy finds it difficult to believe this man can really be attracted to her; after all, she walks with a limp and has a scarred face. But how can she think of him simply as a patient when her heart skips a beat every time she sees him?

The question is, what will she do when she discovers who he really is?

Excerpt:

Trying not to get her hands muddy, but failing, she pulled off the one shoe he wore. Next came his sock. Both smelled as bad as the rest of him. They joined the growing pile of clothes in the corner. Grinning, she looked back at Greg. “The shorts have to go, too.”

“My shorts?” His eyebrows rose.

“Yes. Then after I get your ankle taken care of, I’ll wash your things.”

“Laundry services as well as medical. Now, I’ve heard it all.” He studied her face, and she knew this time he was truly looking at her, seeing the uneven bridge of her nose, the reconstructed cheekbones, and the scars. With some people, when they looked at her, she saw pity in their eyes. Suspicion better described the look in Greg’s eyes. Finally he shook his head. “You don’t need to wash my clothes. I’ve got more shorts and T-shirts. At least I think I do.” Greg glanced Mel’s way. “My pack still in the back of your truck?”

“Dag-gone it, I forgot all about it. That and your sleepin’ bag.” Mel started for the door. “Must be getting’ addled in my old age. I’ll go get it ‘fore it’s soaked clean through.”

Greg watched Mel leave and sighed. “I should have set up camp when I first saw that storm front.”

Amy moved from the end of the table to his side. “Have you been living in a tent for long?”

“Since the end of March.”

“That’s a long time.” She patted the section of blanket covering his hips. “I still want those shorts off.”

“Oh yeah?” He grinned rakishly. “You saying you want me to take off my pants?”

Something in his tone made her heart skip a beat, but she ignored it. The only flirting men did with her was in a teasing, playful way. She’d learned a long time ago not to take it seriously, to counter with teasing of her own. “That’s what I want.”

“And do you always personally undress your patients, Doctor?”

“Only when they’re turning blue and my nurse has gone home for the night.” Not that he was blue anymore.

Still watching her, he reached under the blankets. From the movement of the material, she guessed he was unbuttoning his shorts, then she heard the sound of a zipper. She smiled at his modesty. After four years of medical school, two years of internship, and three years of practice, she’d seen too many men without their clothes on to count. She was nearly thirty years old. No trembling virgin.

Well, maybe she was still a virgin, though she hated to admit that. And there was a strange, trembling sensation in the pit of her stomach and a warm glow in her cheeks, which she couldn’t explain. She glanced at his face and found him watching her.

“Are you blushing?” he asked.

“Of course not,” she lied. “Why would I blush? I’m not the one undressing under a blanket.”

“It is kind of silly, isn’t it,” he admitted. Still watching her, he pushed back the blankets, exposing his shorts.

They were unbuttoned, the zipper down, and Amy could clearly see a V-section of silky, black nylon. She hadn’t expected him to be wearing a pair of skintight briefs. Nor had she expected the trembling, skittish sensation in her stomach to turn into a full-fledged gastric attack. Or her skin to be feverishly hot. In the blink of an eyelid, she’d lost her professional distance. Quickly she looked up at the ceiling, her gaze catching the Lyon’s Pride cartoon. Leo the lion was doing cartwheels. The message in the balloon above the lion’s head was simple: “If thrown for a loop, just land on your feet.”

Maybe she didn’t like what Leo had been saying for the last year or so, but this was good advice. What she needed to do was land on her feet, get control of the situation. Taking a calming breath, she looked back at Greg. “Can you get your shorts off by yourself, or do you need help?”

“I can do it,” he insisted and began to pull and wiggle at the same time.

But he didn’t get very far. With a gasp of pain, Greg stopped, his shorts still solidly around his hips. “My ankle,” he groaned through clenched teeth. “Moved it. Damn! Give me a minute.”

Beads of perspiration formed on his forehead, and Amy patted his leg. “Let’s try another way. Roll to your side.”

Without argument, he did as she’d asked, rolling away from her, over onto his left side and good ankle. His body was tensed, and she automatically began to massage his shoulders and back. Slowly she worked her hands over rock hard muscles, down toward his hips. He said nothing, but she could feel him relax. Finally she knew she could move his leg without putting him in agony and began to work his shorts down over his right hip. Inch by inch, she exposed more of his black, nylon bikini briefs. The man definitely had sexy taste in underwear.

She hated herself for what she kept thinking, yet the wayward thoughts continued to slip into her head. Lightly she brushed her fingertips over his hip. She told herself it was to make certain his briefs weren’t wet, nothing more. She found the material only slightly damp and wasn’t sure if she was pleased or disappointed. She could leave his underwear on.

“Now roll over to your other side,” she ordered.

He obeyed, slowly and carefully rolling toward her.

As she pulled down on his khaki shorts, she tried to keep her gaze on the pale hairs that covered his legs and not let her eyes stray to the bulge beneath the silky-smooth, black nylon. She wasn’t successful.

What she saw surprised her. Considering the cold and the pain he was in, an arousal was the last thing he should have had.

Her gaze darted to his eyes, and once again she found him looking at her, directly at her face . . . at her scars.

Thinking what? She wondered. Being aroused by what?

Certainly not her. She was too realistic to imagine that.

It took me over a year to retype the book and find a cover I liked better than the one Silhouette used, but now LYON’S PRIDE is available as an e-book through Kindle, Nook, iBooks, and all the other readers. I didn’t try to update it, so the story is set in 1993 (before smart phones and the ease of Internet searches) but I fell in love with Greg all over again, and I hope others will enjoy how two scarred people (one internally and one physically) discover real love.

Available at:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lyons-Pride-Maris-Soule-ebook/dp/B07FMBSBZN/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1532969887&sr=8-3&keywords=Lyon%27s+Pride

Barnes&Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lyons-pride-maris-soule/1000121185?ean=2940155675532

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lyons-pride/id1413340967?mt=11

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/879360

Maris Soule started her career writing romances (25 published, of which 2 were RITA finalists), before switching to mysteries. (The Crows, As the Crow Flies, Eat Crow and Die, A Killer Past, and Echoes of Terror (winner of FWA’s 2017 RPLC thriller category.) Soule has been self-publishing several of her early romances as e-books, and recently got the paperback rights back for A Killer Past. She hopes to release that book in trade paperback form this fall.  Originally from California, Soule and her husband moved to southwest Michigan in the early ‘70s. They now divide their year between Michigan and Florida.

You can find out more about Soule at:

Her web site: http://www.marissoule.com

Her Blog: http://blog.marissoule.com/blog/

FB Author’s Page: https://www.facebook.com/MarisSouleAuthor/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/marissoule

Twitter: http://twitter.com/marisSouthHaven

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/305476.Maris_Soule

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/marissoule/

Diane here: I'm so happy Maris is republishing her earlier works. I remember how much I enjoyed Lyon's Pride when it first came out. Maris doesn't have internet service today until this evening or tomorrow morning when she'll reply to comments. She didn't want you to think she was ignoring you.