#TuesdayTreasure with Alicia Dean & Leah StJames

Good Morning Friends,

I'm pleased to bring you special guests Leah St. James & Alicia Dean. Both have stories in Mysteries of the Macabre: An Anthology of 6 Short Stories by 6 Authors. I'll share their blurbs with you but for now, let's see what each treasures.....

Leah St. James:
Like many, when I think of the treasures in my life, my family comes to mind, then friends. The “old” ones first—those who know all my deepest and most embarrassing secrets, and will take them to the grave. Then I think of my new friends, those I wouldn’t have met without a certain twist or turn in my life.  And then there are those new friends whose introduction into my life was the driving force behind those twists and turns.

Alicia Dean is one such treasure.

I met her in 2009...if you can “meet” someone via email. I had submitted my first novel, Surrender to Sanctuary, to The Wild Rose Press (on the recommendation of another friend). I didn’t expect it to be contracted – there were some “twists and turns” in the story that I suspected wouldn’t fly. Alicia was assigned to review my story, and when she accepted it (with a few much-needed revision), my life took one of those turns I never thought I’d take.

In fact, I wouldn’t be writing this blog if she hadn’t stepped into my life. By the time she contracted the book, I was in a new (very demanding) full-time job, and  writing fiction was about as far from my thoughts as bungee jumping (which is still, by the way, far from my thoughts). :-)

Since then I’ve continued to write (albeit slowly) and have joined Alicia in a number of projects to help us meet readers. She has become my editor for my other writing (and I say “my” with more than a hint of the proprietary!) :-)  I have been blessed.

Bio: Leah is a worrier, a self-described neurotic who tends to imagine the worst-case scenario in response to brewing troubles. She hasn’t decided if this leaning toward the dark side is what draws her to write edgy, gritty stories, or if the suspenseful mysteries and Gothic romances that filled her childhood bookshelves somehow imprinted their shadows on her psyche.  Despite (or maybe because of) this propensity for infusing her fiction with murder and mayhem, she still craves those happily-ever-after endings and the romance of everlasting love.

You can read more about Leah at www.leahstjames.com

Connect with Leah on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Alicia Dean:
While I deeply treasure my face to face friends, I equally treasure my virtual friends. It’s strange how connected you can feel to someone you only know online. The authors I have ‘met’ since I began editing and pursuing my writing dream are some of the most supportive, kind people I know. Leah St. James is one of those authors. When I read her submission to The Wild Rose Press in 2009, I was blown away by her story and her writing. The manuscript needed some changes before I could offer a contract, and I was afraid she wouldn’t want to work with me. But, fortunately, she was open to my suggestions and we published her amazing book together. (Part of the suggestions had to do with the BDSM lifestyle of some of the characters. While it was not an erotic story, those elements were present. I’ll let you in on a little secret, Leah did such an excellent job with the research and writing, I wondered if SHE was into BDSM. It turns out, she wasn’t. J)

As the years went by, we stayed in touch. Leah has been a godsend in so many ways. In spite of her busy, high pressure job, she has always found time to help me out with anything I’ve needed, whether it’s providing a review or author quote, judging a contest, helping with a blurb, promo, etc. And, ironically, we’ve more or less done a 180. She owns a publishing company and I submitted to her. Thankfully, she accepted, and now, she’s MY publisher/editor.

Regardless of the dynamics of our relationship, I am truly, truly blessed to have met Leah. I just hope she finds a way to churn out more of those fabulous stories she writes. They are indeed a treasure.

I live in Edmond, Oklahoma. I have three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family. I write mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but have also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals.

Other than reading and writing, my passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (I usually work in a mention of one or all three into my stories) and watching my favorite televisions shows like Vampire Diaries, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Haven, New Girl, The Mindy Project, and Dexter (Yes, I know some have ended, but I will forever be a fan). Some of my favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Sharon Sala, Jordan Dane, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.

Find me here:

Website: http://aliciadean.com/

Blog: http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008364070487

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Alicia_Dean_

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468339.Alicia_Dean

**********

Wow, sounds like the mutual admiration society LOL! Seriously though,  I know both of these ladies and they are terrific human beings! It is amazing the way a working relationship can flourish into a wonderful friendship and how God can bring people together through writing and stories who might never meet otherwise.

Now about Leah & Alicia's stories and this anthology....

Six short stories -- some sweet romance, some steamy romance, some suspense. Throw in teen angst, adults behaving badly, and ghostly appearances. What could be more fun?

Celebrate Halloween this year with MYSTERIES OF THE MACABRE, six brand-new stories by authors who know how to get the pulses racing, one way or another.

Leah St. James – Blood Moon

Suspense/Paranormal

One Halloween night, a killer terrorized a strip of Virginia beachfront, murdering a dozen young women whose only crime was walking the beach with a boyfriend. Now, fifty years later, book reviewer Ronnie can’t shake the feeling that another has come to take his place. 

Is it nothing more than her vivid imagination running wild, or are the spirits stirring, warning of approaching danger?

Alicia Dean ~ Scarred

Gothic Romance

Sometimes, the most haunting scars are the ones beneath the skin. 

When Natalie Jayne moved away from her home town ten years earlier, she left behind painful memories, along with Simon, the man she loved. Now, she's back on Halloween night to attend a memorial marking the one-year anniversary of the tragic passing of her childhood friend, Jessica. Rumors that Simon was responsible for Jessica's death unnerve her. Even more disturbing is her unsettling attraction to a masked stranger she meets at the event. Her gift may be the key to unlocking the truth, but will it also lead to heartbreak? 

MYSTERIES OF THE MACABRE can be found at Amazon in paperback and on Kindle

Hope you enjoyed today's treasures as much as I do!

Until next time take care, be blessed and remember to....Ask(in trust)~Believe(with faith & passion)~Receive(with gratitude)~Share the blessing

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight: Tory Richards & Kiss Me!

Good Morning and Welcome to the First Saturday Spotlight in November! Today I have a special guest but I must warn you, Tory Richards writes Erotic Romance & this scene is hot, hot, hot!

But first here's a little story from Tory .....

Chills

In celebration of Halloween I wanted to share a true story. I come from a small town in Maine named China. My dad lived on a country road that for many years was nothing but dirt. He and my step-mom had a nice home on a small hill, back from the road and secluded by trees and flowering plants. My dad worked for and retired from the railroad in Waterville, and for as long as I knew him he always wore the same thing, a dark blue pair of pants and matching shirt that all the railroad workers wore. Even when he retired he still wore the same clothes every day. Every morning my dad would walk his greyhound, Buster. He loved that dog and when dad passed away Buster went a month later.

Now, on the country road my dad walked Buster the homes were far and few between. My step-sister lived just a little down the way from him, and across the street from her was a small house shared by two women. One day my step-sister and her neighbor across the street happened to go out for their mail at the same time. Mail boxes were at the edge of their driveways. So they got to talking.

The neighbor woman asked my step-sister, “Who’s that man I see walk by here every morning with his dog?”

My step-sister thought for a minute and said, “Gee, I don’t know, my step-father used to walk by here every day with his dog but he passed away. What does he look like?”

The neighbor described him saying, “He wears dark blue clothes and he’s walking a big greyhound.”

Chills.

The women didn’t know my dad and had never met him, she moved into that house after he passed away. When my step-sister told me the story I got chills. My step-sister and I knew that woman was seeing my dad walking Buster. How? A lot of people don’t believe but I’ve always believed that anything is possible. And knowing that dad and Buster were together and doing what they loved best made me feel good.

I haven’t written any Halloween stories. I do have a couple short erotic paranormals, The Mating Ritual and Scent of a Wolf’s Mate, and a contemporary romance with a brief Halloween party scene in it, Kiss Me! That one is a full length romance that I’m offering FREE to anyone interested, until the end of November. Below are more information, and a coupon to claim the book.

Kiss Me!

Blurb - Two years after Emma’s divorce she’s looking forward to settling into a quiet life in her new condo at the lake. But thanks to her match making sister she’s running into Stratton’s sexy small town detective at every turn. The last thing Mike’s looking for is a relationship to complicate his busy life, and tells Emma as much. So, if that’s the case, why can’t keep his hands off her?  Previously released at Whiskey Creek Press.

Excerpt - Emma caught her breath, recognizing Mike the second she heard the deep timbre of his sexy voice. He made a hunky Zorro, dressed all in black in a costume that fit his tall, powerful body like it was tailored especially for him. She’d seen him watching her while she crossed the room, ignoring him on purpose because she hadn’t wanted to encourage any unwelcome attention. Now that she knew who he was, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

He was what dreams were made of, the handsome hero disguised in a black mask, his steely eyes doing all his talking for him as he leaned insolently against the table with that wolfish grin. The bad boy every woman secretly yearns for. He had to know how he affected women with his mysterious presence. Goodness, she all but placed her hand over her pounding heart. What was wrong with her? It took effort to remind herself he was married.

She was about to step away when a dancer bumped into her backside, causing her to fly directly into Mike’s arms. “Oh!” she gasped, throwing her head back to meet his eyes just as his strong hands curled around the fleshy part of her arms, catching her against him. Their bodies were flush, and suddenly it seemed like they were sharing every breath, every heart beat as they stared intently into each other’s eyes. 

Emma felt warm heat spread throughout her body, a heat that had nothing to do with the hot disco lights glaring overhead. Time seemed to stand still. She couldn’t pull her gaze away from his, too caught up in the spell of the moment and feeling way too much in his strong arms, experiencing way too much sensation against his hard body. She was old enough to realize the flow of heat pooling in the lower half of her body was the result of sharp and instant arousal. She tried to ignore the tingling in her nipples as they tightened against his chest, wetting her lips to issue an apology. However, the only thing that came out was a noise that sounded very much like a purr of surrender, a sound of betrayal if she ever heard one.

“Mike,” she began, in a breathless tone that revealed her emotions. She was unable to finish, her body trembling on a sudden wave of weakness. Certain her knees were going to give way, she struggled to put the brakes on the obvious signs of what being in his arms was doing to her. “Please…” she began, intending to ask him to let her go, but there was no denying the invitation she heard in her own voice.

Mike’s eyes darkened with desire; he didn’t want to let Emma go. He’d known he was attracted to her from the start, but he wasn’t prepared for the instant results she produced every time she touched him in some way. Even innocently, only this was hardly innocent. He felt every inch of her. His hands tightened around her arms, a low groan locking in his throat. 

The very air around them seemed electrified. He didn’t want to feel the attraction, yet he was powerless to push her away. Instead, he was acting like an adolescent discovering what sex was all about for the first time. Hell, he was breaking out in a sweat! Her sweet scent and softness was more than any mortal could bear.

Glancing down was his undoing. Her lovely breasts, crushed against him, were all but spilling out of their scant covering. The breath hissed from his lungs, lust shooting a direct path for his aching groin. Releasing a low growl of denial, he felt himself turning hard, and realized he should set her away from him at once. But she felt too damn good right where she was. As if she belonged there.

I want to thank Pamela for hosting me today.

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/407682

Promotional price: $0.00
Coupon Code: DH44Y
Expires: November 30, 2014

Tory Richards Website - http://www.toryrichards.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ToryRichards

Face book - https://www.facebook.com/authortoryrichards

#TuesdayTreasure: Halloween Memories by Alicia Dean @Alicia_Dean_

Good Morning friends and welcome to the last edition of Tuesday Treasure for November 2014!

Y'know I always heard time flies when you're having fun (and when you get older) but seriously?! Where has this year gone?!

Today I have a special guest for you and she is sharing some of her Halloween memories with us....

I met Alicia at a TWRP retreat at the Silver Spur Guest Ranch and it is my pleasure to introduce her to you all!

Alicia Dean lives in Edmond, Oklahoma. She writes mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but has also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals.


Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (she usually works in a mention of one or all three into her stories) and watching her favorite televisions shows like Vampire Diaries, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Haven, The Mindy Project, and Dexter (even though it has sadly ended, she will forever be a fan). Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Sharon Sala, Jordan Dane, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.
Find out more about Alicia by visiting her Website and/or blog and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter,@Alicia_Dean_  Pinterest and Goodreads

My three children are grown, but fortunately, they live nearby and we spend a lot of time together. Of course, it’s not the same as when they were small. Halloween was one of our favorite times of year, and I treasure the memories that we made. We loved trick or treating, dressing in costumes, going to haunted houses, and watching scary movies. My children might have been slightly twisted in that, even when they were very small, they loved scary movies. I don’t mean scary-for-kids movies like Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas. I mean full on horror flicks.

I asked my kids what some of their favorite Halloween memories were, and my girls (Lana and Lacey) chose the same memory. I’m afraid this particular event doesn’t paint me in a very good light. When the movie “I Know What you Did Last Summer” was released in October, 1997 I took the girls, (who were 11 and 13 at the time), to see it and let them miss school.  Uhm….but they had good grades and they didn’t miss much school and the truancy laws weren’t as strict back then…  AND, they remember that time fondly. It was a special memory that they cherish, even now. So…do I get a pass?   

My son, Presley, who is now 21, was a bit of an oddball. (I mean that in the most affectionate sense of the word). Very young, he stopped wanting to play with toys and really didn’t care that much about doing ‘kid’ things like trick or treating. But, he loved scary movies. His favorite Halloween memory is that, every year during Halloween, we would have Michael Myers marathons and watch as many of the Halloween movies as we could (other than Halloween 3, which had nothing to do with Michael). Even now, when we get a chance, we like to watch scary movies together. We loved Rob Zombie’s remake of the first Halloween, but the kids were severely disappointed in Halloween 2, so I didn’t even bother to watch it. This is a pic of my two youngest, Lacey and Presley, in front of ‘the’ Michael Myers home in Covington, Georgia (From the Rob Zombie version)

As much as I love the holiday and spooky things, it’s surprising that I hadn’t written a Halloween story until now. My latest release, Caster’s Unfriendly Ghost, is somewhat sweet and light-hearted, although our favorite Halloween villain, Michael Myers, does get a few mentions, as does Pennywise, the demented clown from the Stephen King story, IT.

A year after her husband’s death, Emily Tillman is ready to start dating again, and hopefully, find what she’s always wanted—marriage and children. But the man who broke her heart five years ago is back. And he’s anything but the marrying kind. 

Confirmed bachelor Reese Caster is perfectly content with his life—and he’s finally over Emily, the one woman who almost made him commit. Now, his world is rocked when her dead husband shows up, demanding that Reese pursue Emily to keep her out of the clutches of her latest suitor—a jerk who is only after her money. 

Being around Emily again has made Reese reconsider his bachelor life style. But now that the threat of the other man is gone, the pesky ghost wants Reese to break things off. Can he and Emily find the love they were denied, or will the ghost of her dead husband destroy their chances? 

EXCERPT 

With Caster, there was no way he’d ever commit to a woman. That’s why, as difficult as he was to resist, she’d made certain to keep their outings casual. Just a few dinners. She’d made a point to make comments like, “It’s great to spend time with an old friend of Joey’s” and “Being around you somehow makes me feel closer to Joey”—keeping the specter of her deceased husband between them. She had to put up some kind of barrier between her and his irresistibility. Being swept up into Caster’s sexual charms made a woman forget every other man she’d ever known.

She shook off thoughts of her love life and focused on the event at hand—opening night of the haunted forest. Tickets for the first few nights of the event had sold extremely well. Word of mouth would likely determine how the remaining nights went.

“Emily!” Pennywise the psycho clown—aka Bob Ferrell—rushed up to her. “Have you seen Megan? She’s not here and now, Destiny is saying she’ll be Michael’s victim instead of mine. I need a victim, asap.”

Emily rolled her eyes. No doubt the curvy, young blonde would love to trade out horror monsters—Michael aka Caster had it all over Pennywise aka Bob. “Destiny will be your victim, just like we rehearsed, if she wants to be a part of this at all.” Destiny was a switchboard operator at the hospital who was bucking for a promotion, so she’d likely do whatever the administrative assistant asked of her. “I’ll call Megan, and if she doesn’t show—”

“Then maybe you can be my victim?”

Emily turned at the sound of Caster’s voice. He wore the Michael Myers jumpsuit, but was holding the creepy mask beneath his arm, making it look even creepier.

“Uh, yeah…well, I’m sure Megan will show.” Granted, it was do-able. She wasn’t needed to actually run the haunted forest. A few of the nurses from the hospital were manning the ticket desk. Everything was in place, and everyone had their roles. She was just there for problems that might arise. But, being held in the dark so close to Caster…she shuddered. More dangerous than encountering the Michael Myers.

Caster's Unfriendly Ghost can be found at Amazon, B&N & The Wild Rose Press!

Well friends hope you enjoyed this Tuesday Treasure as much as I enjoyed bringing it to you! Stay tuned for this week's Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight!

Until later....take care, God Bless and remember.....things that go bump in the night are usually attached to your feet LOL! 

PamT