Category Archives: Book Sale!

Our New Baby Has Arrived…Get Your Copy Today!

Christmas In Garland Creek is available for purchase in ebook today!  This is Volume 4 of the Butterscotch Martini Shots Series, and we are excited to say that this set has four brand-spanking-new Christmas stories that will warm your heart on a cold winter night.  So get your e-copy today!

A print version should be available on Amazon by early next week, and we will let you know when that is up for order.

Remember, books in any format make great Christmas presents, and this one will set the tone for a warm, snuggly holiday.  Add this book to your Christmas list NOW.

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SOUND BITES…

WALKING AWAY WITH CHRISTMAS

by Tina Swayzee McCright

Carter stepped away from the holiday cheer. And away from the ghosts of Christmas past.

***

“I’ve got you!” The voice belonged to a man standing behind her, who managed to sweep in and catch her before her derriere, or her camera, could hit the tile floor.

***

“Coffee is always good.” This had better not be a game he’s playing to get me in the sack. For the sake of her fledgling business, she needed to find out. “I can meet you in the cafe in an hour.”

“An hour it is.” A Cheshire cat smile brightened his eyes.

***

“Another valuable piece of jewelry was stolen. This time a two-karat ring.” The angry voice projecting a sense of urgency belonged to the manager. Joe had an easygoing reputation as long as no one pressured him. A threat to the resort’s reputation qualified as volcanic-sized pressure.

***

“I don’t want to keep you.” Her voice softened with concern.

“You’re not. I’m finished.” He shot her a smile. “You can relax. I gave up on trying to date you.”

She blinked as if confused. “You did?”

“Yes. It’s too much work,” he stated matter-of-factly.

She laughed. “Well, that’s a relief. So, why are you sitting with me if you don’t want to date me?”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to date you. I said I’m not going to pursue it.”

EXCERPT… 

Garland Creek Cowboy

by Kayce Lassiter

Myca slipped by the pair. “Come on, Colleen, it appears the bar is now open. “Let’s give it a whirl.”

Colleen followed her to the bar, where Myca ordered, “Two butterscotch martinis, please.”

The silver-haired bartender in starched Wranglers, a black jacket, and a red vest with a bolo tie, smiled. “Okay, ladies, but I’m just a volunteer. I don’t do this for a living.”

Myca smiled. “Seriously, Ben Monroe? We’ve known you since we were all kids together. We know who you are and what you do for a living.”

He winked. “Then you know I have no clue how to make a butterscotch martini. But tell me what’s in it,” he leaned forward flirtatiously, “and I’ll try anything for you, Myca.”

She froze and cut her gaze to the side to stare at him, then to Colleen, who gawked at Ben like he’d just pissed on the floor.

Myca put one hand on her hip. “Are you flirting with me?” She’d discovered a long time ago that the direct approach either made a guy back off, or made him even more determined. She wasn’t sure which option she hoped Ben would take. She’d decide how she felt about it after she saw which way he jumped.

Ben straightened and held her gaze as he announced, “I’ve been flirting with you since you were sixteen years old. It’s about time you noticed.”

Huh, really didn’t expect him to jump that way.

The only thing she could think to say was, “Well, let’s see how good you are at bartending. That might make up my mind.”

Then she turned to Colleen and growled, “You can close your mouth now.”

Colleen snapped her jaw shut, but continued to stare.

He picked up the drink shaker. “Shoot.”

Myca stepped forward and leaned on the bar. “Okay, four jiggers of Buttershots, four jiggers of Bailey’s, and two jiggers of vanilla vodka.”

He tipped his head to the side. “That’s ten shots of booze.  How many martinis am I making.”

Myca scowled at him. “You are making two martinis.” She extended her hand across the bar and pointed to the shelf below. “And you’re going to use the two large martini glasses I put down there earlier.”

He raised a brow, but said nothing, simply reaching for the martini glasses, which were much larger than the glasses the resort had provided.

Ben smiled. “Maybe I should join you,” he teased as he poured the shots.

Myca glanced up at him. “If you’re going to join us, you’d better put more booze in the shaker.”

Ben Monroe laughed as he dumped in some ice, shook the container, and poured two very full martinis. He slid them across the bar. “Enjoy, ladies.” Then he leaned close and lowered his voice as he addressed Myca. “And be sure you come back and see me when you’ve finished that drink.”

She could feel her face heat, as she shot back a snappy retort. “Of course, we’ll be back. This is only our first drink.”

* * *

Devin watched as his grandmother and Melayna’s turned away from the bar. “You suppose those two will stay sober tonight?”

Melayna laughed. “Not a chance.” She pointed at them. “Those glasses are way full.”

He groaned, then met her gaze. “I recognize those drinks. They’re butterscotch martinis, and they are all alcohol.” He shifted his gaze back to the grandmothers. “And it would appear they have brought their own glasses, which are twice the size of the martini glasses the hotel provided.”

Melayna snorted. She covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry. I’m just picturing the two of them fighting over a toilet to puke in.”

“Oh, let’s don’t go there. I don’t even want to think about that.”

EXCERPT… 

her christmas wish

by Tia Dani

The area around the gazebo buzzed with activity. People milled about. The massive tree decorated with lights and ornaments glittered and danced. The band playing Christmas music had an energizing effect throughout the square. Minutes later, Sam joined them.

“Wow, this place got crowded.”

“Yep. Isn’t it wonderful?”

“Wonderful for Garland Creek, that’s for certain.”

The long blast of the train’s whistle broke through the sound of music. Sam turned to her. “Hey, the train’s coming. Let’s go take a ride.”

Kandee smiled. “I’d love to. If the line isn’t too long.”

“Won’t be if we hurry.” He grabbed her arm. “Come on.”

Kandee, Sam, and with Essy between their legs fell into line. While other passengers in front of them boarded, Kandee glanced down at Essy. “You know, I’d swear this dog intends to go on the ride with us.”

Essy, with a twist of his head, gave her a look as if he understood and agreed.

Sam shook his head. “If you ask me, I’d swear you and Essy communicate.”

“Of course, we do,” Kandee laughed.

It was almost their time to board the train when Kandee heard the familiar “Ho! Ho! Ho!”

Santa, the very realistic Santa with rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes, appeared beside them. “Merry Christmas, you two. Having fun?”

“Absolutely, Santa.” Kandee couldn’t contain her smile. She undoubtedly looked like a grinning fool.

“I second that,” Sam offered.

Santa beamed and reached into a felt pouch attached to his black, wide belt and retrieved two candy canes. He held them out. “These should make your evening even sweeter.”

“Oh.” Kandee accepted the candy and handed the second one to Sam. “Thank you.”

“Ho! Ho! Ho! I see you’re in good company.” Santa bent and petted Essy on the head. “How you doing, Eishund? Find some new friends? Good thing Harald is over in Pinetop today. No worries, eh? Well, good for you. Stick close to them, okay?”

Kandee studied Santa with bemusement. He apparently knew a lot about the dog. She opened her mouth to ask more but stopped by Sam hollering over his shoulder. “Let’s go, Kandee. We’re next. Or maybe I should say we’re last.” He handed their tickets to the trainmaster. “We’ve got the caboose.”

“Bye, Santa.” Kandee turned to board the caboose with Sam. To her surprise, Essy bounded into the front seat, forcing Sam and her to take the back one.

Santa walked up to the caboose. With another hearty laugh, he leaned forward and whispered in Kandee’s ear, “Don’t worry. You’ll get your Christmas wish.”

AMAZON     |     BARNES & NOBLE     |     IBOOKS     |     KOBO

Tina Gerow Special Edition @TinaGerow

Tina Gerow Special EditionTina Gerow Special Edition

Tina Gerow Special Edition published by Books We Love contains three complete novels.

Into A Dangerous Mind (Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Small Press Contemporary Paranormal)

What happens when saucy, independent musician, Cassidy James, finds herself with newly discovered psychic powers and must rely on handsome, maverick FBI agent Zach Hatcher to keep from becoming a psychic serial killer’s next victim? Cassidy must learn to control her powers to help stop the killer while learning that relationships between people with psychic powers are just as confusing, but much more steamy than normal ones. Zach fights to control his growing attraction for the killer’s intended victim, while overcoming his past, which has caused him to be leery of relationships with women who possess psychic gifts.

Stone Maiden
In Stone Maiden, Ariel Knight, a nine-hundred year old gargoyle and ex-warrior for God opens a present-day bodyguard agency with her three sisters. At the request of the Angel Gabriel, they take on protecting Logan McAllister, playboy country music songwriter, who has suddenly become a prime target for all of the evil supernatural beings in the area. While Ariel tries to unravel who is behind the mysterious attacks, she is also battling a growing affection and attraction for him. To make matters worse, Logan’s business manager turns out to be a master vampire who broke her heart two centuries ago and still seems to have feelings for her. Nothing like finding out your lover is a soulless bloodsucker to ruin a relationship.
(eCataRomance Reviewer’s Choice Award; Desert Rose Golden Quill Finalist)

Fire Maiden
Prophecy is a fickle thing. Kefira Knight and her three Gargoyle sisters had hoped they were done with prophecy after Ariel’s pregnancy with the son of the blood (see STONE MAIDEN). But it seems that Kefira is to play a part in the prophecy as well. . .

Kefira’s sharp temper ignites when her former lover, Paladin Dagan Grayson, shows up on the doorstep of the ranch she and her sisters are sharing with Ariel’s new husband. Kefira still bears deep emotional scars from the loss of their child when she turned to stone for healing. Meanwhile, Jeslyn, Queen of the Succubus clan, has a nefarious plot afoot to halt the rise of Good. Kefira must choose a path- will she choose Good or Evil?

“Tina Gerow surpasses all expectations with FIRE MAIDEN. In fact, this book may even be better than the fabulous STONE MAIDEN. Tina Gerow demonstrates with FIRE MAIDEN that she is definitely an author to look out for in the paranormal genre. ~ CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Buy it now!

Déjà vu or Premonition? – by Tia Dani

Lately we have been experiencing déjà vu concerning one of our books.

If you have been following the news this past year there’s been a particular issue covered which was of interest to us (yes, there has been a ton of events happening but we wanted to discuss only one).

We’re talking about the outbreak of undrinkable water around the United States. For example, in January 2014, West Virginia was forced to deal with contamination of one of their rivers. Nine counties’ drinking water began to smell like licorice. Investigation eventually discovered a potential toxicity of Crude HCHM primarily composed of a chemical name 4-methylcyclohexand methanol had leaked from a coal company’s old storage tank into West Virginia’s Elk River, rolling down to many towns drinking systems.

Symptoms of ingesting this chemical through water soon gave way to various ailments such as stomachs, rashes, and other ailments. In time over 300,000 people were forced to go without tap water for three days.

Now, in August, we hear of cities around Lake Erie experiencing a water pollution problem as well. This time a major city, Toledo, Ohio, and parts of SE Michigan (over 500,000 people) were affected. Not only from their drinking water, but for bathing and cooking. The suspected cause…a blue-green algae growing in the usually warm Lake Erie and fed by high amounts of microcystin, a cyanotoxin. It came from excess farming runoff (nitrogen and phosphorus) and eventually drained into the lake.

When the incident happened in West Virginia, we thought…Oh, wow! How ironic…but now with Michigan and Ohio having problems, it really brought home how poignant our book Color of Dreams was turning out to be. One of the major themes in the book is about water pollution and how, if not checked, could affect people downriver who relied on waterways supplying their drinking water.

Color of Dreams revolves a young woman who is determined to stop a corporation from secretly dumping a pollutant into a river that feeds into a major water source. One stumbling block is the hero (and a former sweetheart) who recently came to work for the corporation.

Though the story also involves the premises of spiritual protection of our earth, the message to our readers was to show how important we as humans must protect our planet.

There is also another reason as to why we are so intrigued over this incident. More and more we are discovering that often our stories are premonition driven. We can’t say why or how it happens but we now believe it will eventually become clear.

Right now Color of Dreams is on sale at Breathless Press for $2.50. (50% off)

http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=13&products_id=417

Tia Dani

http://www.tiadani.com

Woo Hoo…books and martinis this weekend!!!

Hi y’all…how’s everyone doing this good Friday morning?  Hope everyone is wonderful, fabulous, and outrageous and that you all have a big, fun weekend planned!  What am I doing?  Ooooohhh, so glad you asked!

Picture2

Link to Expo Website for more details:  http://azwomensexpo.com/home

This is what I’m doing…I’m signing my books at the Arizona’s Ultimate Women’s EXPO, which is being held at the Phoenix Convention Center in downtown Phoenix this Saturday and Sunday.  They have some fabulous products and services that will be on display, in addition to an all-star cast of keynote speakers.

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So run….don’t walk…ride a bike, ride a bus, ride a donkey…but get there!

Shhhhh….it’s a secret…rumor has it there will be a MARTINI BOOTH!  Now, that’s something I can really get behind!!!

And…if that’s not enough…I will be signing there right alongside our very own H.D.Thomson and 5 other fabulous authors:  Lizzie Bella, Carolyn Hughey/K.T.Roberts, Taylor Michaels, Arabella Thorne, and Tami Vinson.

So pack the kiddies off to the babysitter, grab your car keys (or your donkey bridle), and come join us for some super fun.  Now where is that map…I have to know the exact location of that martini booth!

That’s my story, fun and fabulous, and I’m stickin’ to it!  So hang on real tight now, ‘cuz we’re gonna go real, real fast!

Love ya,

Kayce 

For 99¢ Tina Gerow goes EROTIC!

SleepingWithShadowsEbook_Medium

As I mentioned in my last blog, I’ve received feedback that Sleeping With Shadows is erotic and not just sensual as I had thought when I put it out under my Tina Gerow name, so in light of my relaunch under its more accurate category, Sleeping With Shadows is on sale in its Kindle edition for only 99¢ for a limited time!

Here’s an excerpt of the book from my earlier blog:

WARNING:  We usually keep the material on the BMG blog a bit PG13, this excerpt is NOT.

Hope you enjoy it!

Tina

Sleeping With Shadows is on sale for only 99¢ #erotica

SleepingWithShadowsEbook_Medium

For a limited time, Sleeping With Shadows is only 99¢. That’s a full-length paranormal romantic suspense novel for only 99¢!

Grab it while the sale lasts!

Can soul mates meet in a dream? Until their past-life karmic cycles are balanced, Matt Martin and Sarah Ryan are on a collision course pushing the world toward a disastrous end.

Will they allow their intense past-life connection to cause them even more missed opportunities in this lifetime? Everyone’s karmic tapestry is in jeopardy because of Matt and Sarah. Together they form the thread that threatens to unravel universal karmic harmony.

To make matters worse, a third person brings more difficulty for the duo. When Sarah’s spurned ex-lover threatens to destroy her to keep her to himself, he unwittingly dooms millions. Can Sarah and Matt work through this dangerous reincarnation with a twist?

Click here to read an excerpt:

BUY EBOOK!

BUY PRINT BOOK!

Newbies Guide to Conference…

Most of the Butterscotch Martini Girls are gearing up for a very busy April.  There are two upcoming conferences—the Desert Dreams conference, here in sunny, Arizona April 4-6th and the Romantic Times Booklover’s Convention the week of the 14th of April in Pittsburgh.

This year will be my fourth RT (Romantic Times) and my third Desert Dreams, since that conference only happens every other year.  They are both excellent conferences and the emails and loops are all abuzz with pre-activities and questions—especially from newbies.

Now, this in and of itself isn’t anything different from any other year.  I remember very clearly BEING one of the newbies and asking all kinds of questions–being worried about everything from what I should wear, how to act around the agents and editors, should I bring my manuscript (this is a big NO, if you’re wondering what the answer is…),  to what types of things I should NOT do to totally tank my writing career before it got started.  LOL.  That all seems like a long time ago now, even though it was only just back in 2003, and I’ve learned a lot since then.

What I remember most about my first set of conferences—especially the local one, was that so many people were willing to answer my questions and help put me at ease.  After all, this can be a cutthroat business, but here there were best selling authors as well as many other authors whose books I loved giving me tips and encouraging words every step of the way!  My appreciation for that helping hand back when I was in the newbie seat has always stayed with me.  So, watching the posts go by for our local Desert Dreams conference over the last week was a little bit nostalgic.  And as time has permitted, I tried to make sure to chime in with encouraging words or help where I could.  And I don’t want to make that sound like a big sacrifice—I really enjoy helping and mentoring new writers.

But since it was my day to blog here in BMG land, I thought I could start a list of good tips for the conference, and then you can all chime in and help me expand this list – sort of a newbie’s guide to going to conference.  I really wish I would’ve had one back then, but since I had all my fellow Butterscotch Martini Girls, I was in good hands! 🙂  (Although that was back before we had that name and we were a lot smaller group…LOL)

These are in no particular order:

–    Dress nicely, but for comfort.  Desert Dreams and RT are fine with nice jeans and a top, or something more formal, but make sure you’re comfy!!  RWA is a bit more dressy.

–    If you are concerned about what other people think of you—you wouldn’t be so worried about it if you knew how often they didn’t.  Aka-most people are thinking about themselves and what they have to get done/do at conference.  No one but you is going to stress over the fact that you put on 10 pounds, or that your makeup isn’t perfect or that you’re wearing the same jacket two days in a row.  Smile and look confident – and that’s half the battle 🙂

–    Take two sets of business cards—one without your phone number (but with your email and website) for readers and one set with your number and all other info for agents/editors and friends.

–    Carry your business cards at ALL times!

–    When you receive a business card from someone else, write who they are and how you met them on the back of the card.  Believe me, by the time you get home and go through these, you’ll be glad you did!

–    If there are tapes available for the workshops – BUY it!  Those are tax deductible (talk to your tax person) and you won’t stress if you end up networking and miss some.

–    Networking is the true gold of these conventions!!  Spending time in the bar chatting with an agent/editor or another writer is where valuable friendships are made and where you learn a lot from others.  Don’t get me wrong, the workshops are great, and I hope you come to mine 🙂 but don’t come to mine at the expense of making some face to face contacts with others.

–    Don’t judge people upon meeting them.  This may sound stupid, but it’s a great life-skill, especially in this business.  I remember my first Desert Dreams, another newbie pointed out a woman in jeans and said she HAD to be new because she didn’t know enough to dress well for the conventions.  Her comments were on the loud side and several people heard her (which did NOT put her in a good light.)  The woman she was pointing out was a best selling author and is published under a gazillion pen names and is one of the best writers I know.  Oops!  Don’t forget—one of the perks of our jobs is we aren’t expected to wear panty hose and etc.  So, not to be trite, but don’t judge a book or a writer by their cover 🙂

–    Act professionally at all times.  This doesn’t mean you can’t have fun—I know I certainly do—but just remember you are representing your writing business (and your chapter for us locals) with every action.  There is a lot of drinking at these conventions, but getting drunk and dancing on the table half naked will NOT make a good impression on the editors/agents or other writers.  And news does travel fast in this business, so remember where you are, and act appropriately.

–    Here’s my favorite urban legend.  I mentioned not bringing your manuscript above, and I meant it.  The agents and editors won’t want to lug those home in their suitcases, they will ask you to mail them later.  The urban legend is (although I’ve heard this really did happen) that someone tried to slip their manuscript under a bathroom stall to an editor!  ACK!  Please don’t do this—this won’t win you any brownie points, but it will make sure everyone knows your name—just not in a good way.

–    Agents and editors are people just like you and me.  Yes, you may feel like they hold your future happiness in their hands—but really, they want your success just as much as you do.  If you pitch or submit an awesome book that they think can sell and make their company (and by extension, you) money, then they will want to buy it.  If it isn’t ready yet, they won’t.  That’s the simple statement of it.  They hold you no malice, they aren’t out to get you, and they aren’t demi-gods walking around with a glowing light around them.  They are people just like you and me.  They love good books, and they like the same things we like for the most part.  They hang out at the bar, they need to use the restroom (without being offered manuscripts instead of TP) and they get tired and have bad days.  When you see them, say hello, just like you would to anyone else.  You can introduce yourself and be polite, but don’t hang on them and beg for submissions!  A lot of times, a friendly chat with an agent or editor in the bar has resulted in them asking me what I write and sometimes even a request for a submission.  So be yourself, be nice and treat them like a person and not a means to an end and they will appreciate it and remember you in a good way 🙂

–    Rejections are a part of life.  I have 69 sitting in my file, and even now that I’m multi-published, I expect more to build up.  It’s a fact of life.  Don’t sweat it if you get some.  Think of it as sort of a badge of honor.  You’ve actually submitted!  Heck, Sherrilyn Kenyon was told by an editor to give up on writing, that she would never make it.  And look at her now!

–    If you have a question, don’t be afraid to ask.  There’s nothing you can think of that other writers haven’t already asked or wondered about when they were learning the ropes.  And what’s more—we never stop learning!

–    Don’t ask total strangers or new acquaintances to critique your manuscript.  This doesn’t mean we don’t all wish you well, but most of us have deadlines, our own critique groups and a thousand other things going on.  We just don’t have time.  Ask around and find your own critique group.  That’s how the BMG’s got started.  At my first RWA meeting, I asked Brit Blaise how I went about joining a critique group.  She asked where I lived and told me I was in the new one she was starting.  “Uh…okay.”  The rest is history!

–    If possible, arrive at the convention site early and scope out the place.  At RT, we always go a few days early to sight see (hey, future books could be based there!) and to scope out the hotel. Where are the best restaurants, bars, bathrooms, entrances, ballrooms, workshop halls, goodie rooms etc?  Same for Desert Dreams, by the time people arrive on Friday, I’ll have the lay of the land! 🙂

–    Even if you have nothing to pitch, don’t pass up a chance to meet an agent or editor.  At the last Desert Dreams, everything I had was contracted and I owed one more, but I knew I wanted to find an agent.  So, I took an agent appointment with Paige Wheeler.  I sat down and told her I had nothing to pitch, but as soon as I finished my current contracted commitments, I wanted to find an agent.  (And after much research, I knew I wanted her!)  I told her she had given me a great rejection on my first book back in 2004, and she remembered it since she doesn’t give many great rejections.  (Woo hoo – you bet I was excited she remembered!)  Anyway, we chatted and she said to give her a call when my contracted things were done and I could submit something else.  As fate would have it, Kensington called me about six months later, and I called Pagie to broker the deal, and she’s now my agent.  So, the moral is – don’t pass up that opportunity just because you don’t have anything right this second to pitch!  I almost did.  Remember what I said about face to face time being valuable!  Thanks to the BMG’s for convincing me to keep that appointment!

–    Never trash someone else’s book or someone else’s genre.  We all have our own personal likes or dislikes, that’s human nature.  I LOVE paranormal of almost any type.  Historical romances?  Fantasy?  Suspense?  Well-written erotic romances?  Yummy!  But are there some genres I don’t particularly care for – of course.  However, I won’t trash them.  I have tons of friends who write those, and I’m happy for their success.  Remember—we are all writers, but we are not what we write.

–    Take a sweater and layer!  Those conference rooms can get very cold or very warm – be prepared.

–    It’s always a good idea to take a bottle of water and some Tylenol or a cough drop wherever you go, so you’re always prepared.  A good pen/pencil or alpha smart for notes is good too.

–    Always be inclusive.  Do you see someone alone standing in the corner, who looks like they may want to join your group, but aren’t sure of their welcome?  Say hello!  I can’t tell you how many friends I’ve made this way.

–    Lost?  Confused?  Frustrated?  Afraid you’ve just trashed your writing career by accidentally spilling coffee on your favorite editor?  Take a deep breath, and find someone to ask for help, and apologize to the editor and smile.  Everyone spills stuff, and we all have our share of embarrassing moments—if you doubt me, read the BMG blog archives and search on “panties”…LOL.  Don’t sweat the small stuff!

I won’t bore you with a ton more, but does anyone else have some great advice to add?

See you all at conference!

Tina/Cassie