Monday, March 30, 2020

Alana Lorens Latest Book


Alana Lorens has been a published writer for more than forty years. Currently a resident of Asheville, North Carolina, she loves her time in the smoky Blue Ridge mountains. One of her novellas, THAT GIRL’S THE ONE I LOVE, is set in the city of Asheville during the old Bele Chere festival. She lives with her daughter, who is the youngest of her seven children, two crotchety old cats, and five kittens of various ages.

Character Interview

Beverley: What’s your name? 
Levi: Levi Bradshaw
Beverley: Where did you grow up?
Levi: Northwestern Montana, just outside Whitefish
Beverley: During what time period does your story take place?
Levi: Modern day.
Beverley: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a story about you?
Levi: Ha! I never thought I would be important enough for a story. I love the forest where I grew up, and it hurts my heart to see commercial logging companies come through and wipe them out in a matter of days. That’s why I became an eco-terrorist.
Beverley: What’s your goal in this story?
Levi: I start out thinking I’ve got my life and monkeywrenching activities under control. But as the supremacist cult infiltrates my organization and I am nearly shot by local Bureau of Land Management agent Caryn Orlane, things quickly spin out of my hands.
Beverley: What conflicts are you facing?
Levi: My “friends’ object to my more peaceful methods and threaten my safety. When Caryn Orlane wants to arrest me, and we really talk, I see what a wonderful woman she is and fall in love with her. Can you really love your enemy?
Beverley: Do you have a plan for resolving them? 
Levi: Honestly, things unfold so fast, I tend to be on the defensive—no time to make a good plan. Maybe that’s why things keep going wrong!
Beverley: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you? 
Levi: I’m convinced Caryn and I should end up together, and so is she. Hopefully if we stand together against all these obstacles, we’ll come out and find peace on the other side.

Book Blurb for Tender Misdemeanors:

Caryn Orlane has law enforcement in her blood; her father was a cop, and his father, too. She's a federal agent in northwest Montana, protecting the old forests and keeping the peace.
Levi Bradshaw also believes in protecting the forests, but has a very different MO. He's the leader of a group of eco-warriors, determined to save the trees of the Bitterroot by legal—and illegal—means.

When they meet in the woods at gunpoint, their encounter ignites a spark of interest, despite operating on opposite sides of the law. When their worlds turn on them, they only grow closer. If they don’t work together, can either survive?

Buy Links for Tender Misdemeanors

You can find Alana at:

Friday, March 27, 2020

April Jones and Her Latest The Curse Breaker


April Jones has read, written, or edited her way through numerous fictional worlds. When she's not teaching or writing, she spends her time trying to learn other languages or keeping her mischievous cat from eating the pet fish. She received her bachelor's in English and her M.F.A. in creative writing.
A Tennessee native, April currently lives in Michigan with her husband and three children. You can find her poems and short stories published in various literary magazines across the internet and in print. You can also check out her debut novel, The Curse Breaker. For more information visit her website thepathtostory.com

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?
April: I’m one of those writers who simply can’t seem settle down with a particular genre. Right now, I’m really into a YA Fantasy, but you’ll also find plenty of poems and literary short stories with my name on them as well. I find that what I love most is telling a good story, but because I like to read across the genres, I also like to write across them as well.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
April: When I was in the 5th grade, I came across R.L. Stein’s Fearstreet series and I could not get enough. I loved the mystery, the characters, the imagination. I wanted to tell stories like that. The ones that capture you from the first page, and keep you reading well past your bedtime. As These days, I’ve been particularly drawn to writers who do retellings. There’s a lot of fun to be had by combining story elements that don’t seemingly go together. For this reason, I find myself reading a lot of Jessica Day George and Alethea Kontis.  
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
April: A good song. I’m not particular on language, so my writing playlist has Kpop, Spanish ballads, Scandinavian EDM, and plenty of indie American bands.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
April: Absolutely. There’s a WebToon character named Yumi. She’s ordinary, but in all the ways that make a person special. Check it out! It’s called Yumi’s Cells.
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
April: I would love to meet my favorite screenplay writers the Hong Sisters (Jung-eun Hong and Mi-ran Hong). Every screenplay they write is so amazingly good. I would love to chat with them about their writing process and inspirations.
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
April: I would go for a long run with my favorite playlist, and then take a long nap.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
April: I’m working on the second novel in The Curse Breaker series, so I hope you all love dragons because there’s a lot of them in the second book.

Blurb from The Curse Breaker
Eris's sister is missing, and Magic is definitely to blame! Eris knows only Magic can bring her back, but even as a Light Magic born, is she strong enough to save her sister?
Knox is cursed to spend his days as a corpse and his nights trying to find the prophesized girl who can break the curse. If he can't find her by his 20th birthday, he'll stay dead forever.
Eris and Knox will discover there are scarier things in their path other than curses and half-truths. If the Queen of the Underworld has her way, everything and everyone will die. The only thing standing in her way is the curse breaker, and Eris will have to choose between saving herself or everyone she loves.

Excerpt from The Curse Breaker
The Queen paced in front of her blood-red throne. After so many years, she was finally going to meet the thief who had stolen her amulet. And when she did, she was going to slowly sever every one of their limbs, one by one, before feeding their soul to Madame. The thought made her smile a wicked smile. That would teach them to steal from the Queen of the Underworld. Stupid humans were always trying to prolong their lives in the most feeble ways. Tonics, magic, deals. Death was something that could never be avoided entirely, but they didn’t seem to think that universal rule applied to any of them.
Three more months and her amulet would call to her like it always did when she could get free of this place, and then she would have her revenge. Whoever they were, they had been granted twenty years that did not belong to them, and she would make sure they paid for that stolen time. That was part of her job, after all, not that she was complaining.
“I apologize for being late, your Majesty.” Madame hurried in, a little out of breath.
The Queen turned and stared at a slightly disheveled Madame. Normally her long hair was braided and wrapped elaborately around her head, causing her to look like a long-lost ancient queen from the human world.
“We can discuss that in a moment. I called you here because I have a proposition for you.”
“I am but your humble servant, your Majesty.” Madame feigned humility they both knew she did not possess.
The Queen rolled her eyes and continued. “If you can find the insect that stole my amulet before three months are up, I will give you a special treat.”
“I will find the human. I will make it suffer.” Madame smiled.
“No. You will not touch a hair on its head. Bring it to me, and I will deal with it.” Madame looked disappointed but nodded.
The body of a girl suddenly appeared in the air in front of them, along with one of her servants. Madame examined the girl for a moment, but then seemed to lose interest once she realized the girl was neither alive nor dead. The Queen walked over and swept the girl’s long black hair back enough to see her face. She scrunched up her nose at the young girl’s beauty.
Snapping her fingers again brought new servants running. 
“Take her and put her with the rest of the cursed.”
The women gently plucked the girl from the air. The Queen wondered how many bodies lay waiting in the limbo between life and death. Not that she would forgive the vermin that had stolen her amulet, but she would enjoy watching the human be tortured by all the souls it had trapped prematurely in the Underworld. Eternity would not be long enough for all the lives that heartless human had taken trying to break the curse that came with stealing something born from the Underworld’s power. Since the human had not been able to break it thus far, she continued to collect bodies stuck in the in-between, their lives connected to the cursed one’s. When that insect finally died, so would all of those souls, and she would have a lovely new collection of pets.
The Queen smiled to herself as she watched one of the servants wrap her arms around the girl’s legs while the other wove her arms around the girl’s back. Slowly they carried her out, leaving the Queen to her thoughts again

Buy Link for The Curse Breaker

You can find April at:
Facebook: Facebook.com/editorapril
Twitter: @akejones
Instagram: aprilkelleyjones
Website: 
thepathtostory.com

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Augustina Van Hoven and The Hidden


Augustina Van Hoven was born in The Netherlands and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, dog and two cats.   She is an avid reader of romance, science fiction and fantasy.  When she’s not writing she likes to work in her garden or in the winter months crochet and knit on her knitting machines.
Beverley: What’s your name?
Valerian: I am Valerian DuCharme, enforcer for House Tenshire.  House Tenshire is one of the three vampire houses that rule over the Community.
Beverley: Where did you grow up?
Valerian: I grew up on my father’s small vineyard in the Loire Valley in France.
Beverley: During what time period does your story take place?
Valerian: This story takes place in real time.
Beverley: What’s your story/back story? 
Valerian: I was born in 1778 in the Loire Valley in France.  I lived there until I enlisted in Emperor Napoleon Buonaparte’s army. I was turned into a vampire at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805.  I am currently the enforcer for House Tenshire, one of the three vampire houses that rule of the Community.  The Community is made up of the mythical creature that humans don’t believe in.
Beverley: What’s your goal in this story?
Valerian: I am trying to keep the members of my house safe. I have been assigned to kidnap a horror story writer and question her concerning something that she has written.
Beverley: What conflicts are you facing?
Valerian: The greatest law in the Community is to remain hidden from the humans.  There is information being leaked that is putting all of us in danger.  I have to find the leak and stop it.
Beverley: Do you have a plan for resolving them?
Valerian: The plan to resolve the problem is very simple…find the leak and eliminate it.  I have found out things are not what I thought they were.  It will take all everyone working together to solve the crisis we are facing.
Beverley: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Valerian: Being turned into a vampire was the last thing I ever wanted.  It destroyed my old life and forced me to make a new one.  I will never forgive the creature who did this to me.

Blurb for The Hidden:

The monsters are real

For most of her life, Lily Montgomery had thought the creatures that inhabited her dreams lived on only in the pages of the horror novels she wrote. Until she was kidnapped by a vampire and forced to go on the run from werewolves and other shapeshifters. And from her emotions. For, against all reason, her heart was also at risk of being captured by the vampire.

Valerian DuCharme had been turned into a vampire against his will. But in the turning, he did not lose his charisma or his caring. Now the enforcer for one of the princely houses of the Community, he tried to ensure the safety of anyone who came within range. And of many who didn’t. But it was all reflex, until he met Lily. And emotions he hadn’t felt for hundreds of years surfaced.

Excerpt from The Hidden

As soon as Valerian cleared the door frame, a large, gray wolf leapt toward them, jaws wide. Lily must have seen it because she screamed, tightened her grip around his waist, and buried her face in his back. A second wolf came around the corner of the house and went headlong after Valerian’s leg. He swerved the bike away from the wolf’s teeth and opened the throttle.
He raced the bike along the dark road. Another wolf ran across a field and joined the other two in pursuit. The road curved and continued under a line of coast live oaks.
Valerian glanced around. He couldn’t assume that the three wolves were the only ones pursuing them. He had no way of knowing the size of their pack and how many they had brought with them. He swerved around a pothole.
How are they tracking this woman?
He adjusted the speed of the bike against the conditions of the road, which was covered with debris from the rainstorm three nights ago. Branches had fallen, and a few larger stones had slid down the raised bank on the left side.
Valerian glanced along the tree line. Nothing yet. He had to get to a more populated area of Santa Barbara. He could lose the wolves there. They wouldn’t risk being spotted by humans. He swerved the bike to avoid a large branch.
With his sharp night vision, he noted a problem ahead. Gravel was strewn across the road, the remnants of a small mudslide. The bank was unstable, and he would need to slow the bike. A quick glance behind him confirmed the three wolves were still on the hunt. He turned around in time to see a fourth wolf break the tree line in front of him and lunge for the bike. The bike’s rear tire slid on the gravel, and Valerian turned the front tire into the slide.
Lily screamed.
The fourth wolf snapped at Lily, trying to latch on to her and drag her off the bike.
Valerian reached back and grabbed the front of Lily’s jacket while he struggled to keep control of the sliding bike. He let the back tire slide toward the wolf, and clipped it.
The wolf gave a blood-chilling cry, echoed by his pack members.
 The bike wobbled. Lily lost her balance and slipped to the right. Valerian swore and jerked her back into position. He shifted to a lower gear and again opened the throttle.
Buy Links for The Hidden

You can find Augustina at:

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Caroline Clemmons New Release


Through a crazy twist of fate, Caroline Clemmons was not born on a Texas ranch. To compensate for this illogical error, she writes about handsome cowboys, feisty ranch women, and scheming villains in a tiny office her family calls her pink cave. She and her Hero live in North Central Texas cowboy country where they ride herd on their two rescued indoor cats and dog as well as providing nourishment outdoors for squirrels, birds, and other critters.
The books she creates in her pink cave have made her a bestselling author and won awards. She writes sweet to sensual romances about the West, both historical and contemporary as well as time travel and mystery. Her series include the Kincaids, McClintocks, Stone Mountain Texas, Bride Brigade, Texas Time Travel, Texas Caprock Tales, Pearson Grove, and Loving A Rancher as well as numerous single titles and contributions to multi-author sets. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, reading her friends’ books, lunching with friends, browsing antique malls, checking Facebook, and taking the occasional nap.

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?
Caroline: So far, I’ve written western historical romance, contemporary romance, time travel romance, and mystery. My favorite is western historical romance, but they usually have a mystery/adventure in them. I credit my dad and my freshman history professor for my love of western romance. My mother-in-law suggested I write romance and at the same time brought me a grocery bag of Harlequin romances to read.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Caroline: My dad and a journalism teacher names Mary Stewart (not the famous one).
Then, when I began trying to get published, writer friends in an RWA group shared their editor’s name and that she was looking for short romances for the ill-fated Precious Gems line at Kensington. But, I sold my book and became a published author and that opened a lot of doors.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Caroline: An article I read or a conversation I hear, or a television news story can spark an idea. Getting a book plotted out gets me enthused, too, and I can hardly wait to start writing.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Caroline: Bugs Bunny is my favorite because of the association I have of my dad teaching me to read when I was small. Every day when he came in from work, I’d be waiting to ask him to read the Bugs Bunny comic strip in the evening paper. I know he valued education, but I have said he taught me to read so he could look at his paper in peace.
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
Caroline: That’s a difficult question! I’d better not mention an American political figure, so I’ll say Queen Elizabeth II. I admire her and I love visiting Britain. Also, a few years ago she looked just like my late eldest sister who lived in California.
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
Caroline: Read! Writers never get enough time to read because we’re always writing. At least, it seems I am. When I get a chance to read, I take it. I take my Kindle in my purse and read anytime I have a few minutes to spare. I admit I never begrudge delay in a waiting room because I get to read.
Beverley: What are you working on now?

Caroline: I’ve just finished POLKA WITH PAULINE, The Matchmaker’s Ball, book 8 and it will be released March 28. Now I’ll be working on MAIL-ORDER VICTORIA, Widows, Brides, and Secret Babies Series, book 7, which releases on April. I love mail-order bride stories—to write and to read.

Blurb about STUART, Bachelors & Babies Series book 10
He is building for the future . . .
She is escaping the past . . .
Trouble could destroy their family

Stuart McGee needs the bounty from capturing the two men he’s trailing. That reward will allow him to buy the ranch of his dreams. When he encounters the men, he is forced to kill them or be killed. He learns they’ve killed a young couple. The big surprise is there’s a baby in their cabin. What is Stuart supposed to do with a baby girl?

Georgina Potter has to get away from home. Her family treats her as a screw-up. She is determined to prove them wrong. Starting over as a mail-order bride might not be the best way but it’s the only way she can get away from her family. When she arrives, she learns her groom has married someone else. What is she going to do with no money, no groom, and nowhere to stay?

When Georgina and Stuart marry, neither is convinced it’s the right choice. Baby Adeline captures the affection of both. Can working together as parents ignite romance for Georgina and Stuart? When trouble comes, will their fledgling relationship disintegrate or become stronger?

An Excerpt from STUART, Bachelors & Babies Series book 10
        “You’ve done well so far. If you have a rug or blanket Adeline can sit on while she plays, that would be all she needs.”
“Okay, there was a rug on the floor of the cabin. I don’t know if it was for her or the dog.”
He pressed a hand to his forehead. “No, I’m sure the dog’s blanket was the one I used to wrap the bodies for burial. I just laid the dog on top of them in one communal grave.” He scrubbed a hand across his face.
How horrible for him. She couldn’t imagine the scene he’d faced with two dead criminals, the dead young couple, and their dog. And to have to dig a grave large enough for the couple and their dog must have been exhausting physically and mentally.
“What a hard week you’ve had. Mine hasn’t been fun, either.” She turned to the child. “Addie, would you like to bring your baby to the kitchen?” She scooped up the little girl and her doll.
He smiled. “Yeah, we should call her Addie. That’s what her father called her. He said ‘see about Addie’ with his last breath. When she’s old enough to understand, I’ll tell her that.”
He wrapped an arm around Georgina’s shoulders. “No, don’t go sad again. We’re lucky to have this ranch paid for and have enough money to buy furniture and stock up on food.”
“Stuart, you risked your life for that cash. I’m lucky that awful Brick Larson jilted me.”
He chuckled. “We’ll see if you still feel that way after you taste what I rustle up for our supper.”
Buy Link for STUART, Bachelors & Babies Series book 10
Universal Amazon buy link http://mybook.to/Georgina

You can find Caroline on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest.
Join her and other readers at Caroline’s Cuties, a Facebook readers group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/277082053015947/ for special excerpts, exchanging ideas, contests, giveaways, recipes, and talking to like-minded people about books and other fun things.
Click on her Amazon Author Page for a complete list of her books and follow her there.
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To stay up-to-date with her releases and contests, subscribe to Caroline’s newsletter here and receive a FREE novella of HAPPY IS THE BRIDE, a humorous historical wedding disaster that ends happily—but you knew it would, didn’t you?