In the Writing Cave

Sorry for the silence this week, but I've been working hard on a series of short stories for the Princess of Valendria series. There are six tales, told from each of the Main Characters' Points of View. Except, I opted to show a scene from Devlin's POV, rather than Arabella's, so you could get to know him better. Each story takes place before the beginning of the series. The collection, titled Valendrian Nights (a play on Arabian Nights), will be a free release.

Here are there tentative titles and a short blurb about each story (and yes, the blurbs still need work):

Duty, Honor, and Love
Prince Devlin reacts to learning he has an arranged marriage to a princess from an enemy kingdom.

Beginnings
Princess Kaylee travels to Breneira to meet her husband-to-be and discovers she has more in common with her enemy than she expected.

Love Letters
Follow the exchange of letters between Prince Trevor and Princess Elsbeth.

The Woodland Guide
Lady Bri leaves her family in Faldaera to interview for a position in the kingdom of Palindore hoping to find the answers to her past.

Becoming First Knight
Princess Gabrielle is supposed to become the King's First Knight. But will all the other knights approve?

Stolen Moments in Time
Prince Brody and Princess Gabrielle have a chance meeting under the stars.



If you have read the series, these books should flesh out some scenes mentioned in the books and give you more background on the characters. If you are new to the series, I hope these intrigue you enough to read the rest of the books.

As soon as the book is available, I will let you know where you can get it! (Fingers crossed I will get them edited and off to the publisher by the end of next week)

Have a great weekend!!

#TBR Thursday: The Antique Love

Do you enjoy sweet romance? Then today's book recommendation is perfect for you. And...it's free on Kindle for a short time. So, what is the book?

A heartwarming, feel-good romance. Voted "Most Romantic Love Scene Ever" by readers of Love, Romances, and More 

One rainy day in London, Wyoming man Kurt Bold walks into an antique shop off the King’s Road and straight into the dreams of its owner, Penny Rosas. Kurt certainly looks every inch the cowboy hero…but he soon brings Penny’s dreams to earth with a thump. His job is in the logical world of finance – and as far as Kurt is concerned, romance is just for dreamers.
But when Kurt hires Penny to help refurbish his Victorian house near Richmond Park, it’s not long before the logical heart he has guarded so carefully is opening up to new emotions, in a most disturbing way…

If you enjoy The Antique Love, be sure to check out Helena's other books. 

Reviews

As an author, I understand the importance of reviews. If nothing else, they let you know if the reader enjoyed what you wrote (and some tell you why they didn't so you can make changes if needed,)

Knowing all that, I still have a hard time writing reviews. Why? Because for me reading is very subjective. I will read almost anything, and rarely have DNF's (did not finish). In fact, the only book I know I've never finished is The Hobbit. And I've started it twice. Not sure why I can't get in to that book :-)

Back to reviews. When I read on my Kindle, I'm offer an opportunity to star books when I get to the end, and sometimes I do, and other times I don't. Why? Because I also feel compelled to leave a written review, and I don't always have the time to leave those for every book I read. (There are times I read at least one book a day, sometimes more.)

When I do review, I give my opinion and tell who I think will like the book. I don't do spoilers, and I rarely recap the story line. That's how I review. When I read reviews (which I don't always. I'm a cool cover and hooked by a book blurb kind of book buyer), I like the ones that warn me that the book is part of a series and ends on a cliff hanger, or that the characters weren't well developed. Do these reviews always deter me? Nope. Sometimes I buy a book because I can't believe it was just that bad :-)

I understand if you don't leave a review when you read, but if you've truly enjoyed a book, try to at least talk it up to your friends. Word of mouth is another great way to help an author. And we appreciate all the help we can get!! Just remember:  ALWAYS BE HONEST in your review.

Thank you to all who have left reviews for each of my books. I do read them/watch them and appreciate the feedback.

***

Looking for a light, summer read? See why Meg Gray recommends The Boyfriend Project in this video review. 

Exciting News!!

This week is a mixed up week. Seeing I did book recommendations on Monday, I thought I'd share some new and exciting news today.

First up, The Boyfriend Novella series has a new page on my website. This page will be updated every couple of weeks (or so) with fun and interesting facts about the characters from the series and news on upcoming books. You can find the page HERE.


The other exciting news is that I'm forming a street team-Waibel's Legionaires. If you, or someone you know, might be interested in helping spread the word about my books (with some freebies and exciting things for members only) take a few minutes click HERE .

Thank you for signing up and for sharing the news!!!

#Inkripples-Patriotism

Welcome to this month's #inkripples post. Every month, Katie L. Carroll, Kai Strand and I use the second Monday of the month to write on a theme. This month's theme: Patriotism.

I can't think of a better month for this theme than July. With Canada Day on the 2nd, Independence Day on the 4th, and Bastille Day on the 14th, this month is filled with reasons to feel patriotic. And what better way to celebrate than with a book filled with the alpha men and women of the military?

Here are some of my favorite reads with military heroes:

Accidental Seal by Sharon Hamilton. I read this as part of the "Wrong Guy" box set. Ms. Hamilton did a great job with her Seal, and had some amazing military quotes in there.

The Hostile Operation Team Military Romance Boxed set 1-3 by Lynn Raye Harris. While the first book in this set was my favorite, the others certainly held enough heat, danger, and romance to satisfy.

Next up are three series of books by Tonya Burrows. I highly recommend each of these books. Tonya does an incredible job of writing these alpha males and the women in their lives. No whiny girls here, folks. Not for these hot guys.

HORNET:
Seal of Honor- This was actually the second book of the series that I read. And I couldn't believe I'd waited so long to read it.
Reclaimed Honor- I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. As my introduction to the series, I was hooked.
Broken Honor- Another great story in the series. And, to show how wonderful Tonya is, proceeds from the purchases were sent to

Wilde Security:
Wilde Nights in Paradise- This book was my introduction to Tonya's writing. She hooked me with this one story.
Wilde for Her- This book is my favorite (so far) in this series. There's just something about Cam and Eva.

D.I.E. Squadron:
Vision of Darkness- This series mixed the alpha military male with paranormal experiences. While I enjoyed this read, and look forward to more in this series, I wasn't as connected with the hero and heroine in this one as in the other books I've read from Tonya. I still recommend you read this, though!

Now, the books I've recommended feature men and women from the US military. And, while I read a lot of US military books, it doesn't mean I won't read about military members from other countries. So, my outside the USA friends...recommend your favorite military reads in the comments so I can find some more soldiers to cheer for :-)


Ripples in the Inkwell is a themed meme hosted by Mary Waibel, Katie L. Carroll, and me, Kai Strand. We post on the second Monday of every month. If you would like to participate compose your own post regarding the theme of the month, include any of the images displayed on this page, and link back to our three blogs. Feel free to post whenever you want during the month, but be sure to include #inkripples when you promote so readers can find you. The idea is that we toss a word or idea into the inkwell and each post is a new ripple. There is no wrong interpretation.

Themes:
July: Patriotism
August: Dog days/Things that drag you down
September: Fall/School
October: Fears/Things That Go Bump in the Night
November: Remembrance /Thankfulness
December: Celebration /Gifts

#TBR Thursday-Meg Gray

I first discovered Meg Gray when Kai Strand formed the Lightning Quick Reads blog. (Don't miss out the stories on this monthly themed blog!)  Intrigued by the stories Meg was sharing, I searched her out and signed up for her newsletter.

As a subscriber, I received THE BRIDESMAID. Not a short story. Not a novella. Nope, it was an actual full length novel. And I loved it!

Since then, Meg and I have become internet friends, and I look forward to her emails in my inbox. Which is why it's hard for me to believe I either do long to read THE ROAD HOME. Last night I happily rectified that error.

If you love sweet romance, with lots of feels and great character development, then you don't want to miss out on Meg's books.

Kate Michaels is a down-on-her-luck bridesmaid waiting for her life to finally take a turn in the right direction. This country girl trying to make it in the city of Portland, Oregon covers up her shambled life with a web of lies. Her raging credit card debt, unemployed status, and deadbeat ex-boyfriend/tenant become minor league problems when she is cast in her friend Mary’s wedding.

In the days leading up to the nuptials, Kate ends up running interference to protect the bride-to-be from the pretentious maid-of-honor”"a.k.a. the sister of the groom”"and picking up the slack of the other self-absorbed bridesmaids. She almost forgets about the too-hot-to-handle groomsman fated to escort her at the wedding, except he keeps popping up when she least expects it.

In walks AJ, the dashing manager of Portland's newest dining hot spot. As the wedding craziness unfolds, Kate finds herself confiding in and slowly falling for the down to earth, hardworking manager. Life is looking good for once until the night before the wedding.

What will this truck-driving, boot-stomping, hammer-swinging country girl do when she finds out she’s not the only one leading a life of deception?

[Read my review HERE]

GET YOUR COPY (AND READ A SAMPLE) HERE

When Blake Anderson decides to sneak away from the limelight of his father's political career, he sets out to find an answer that has haunted him his whole life. He heads to the small town of River's Edge in the heart of Oregon's wine country along the Columbia River. In the small town, he gets his first taste of anonymity and it feels good. His trail quickly runs cold and instead of racing back to his family's mansion he decides to stay for a while, and makes a place for himself as Reg Wheeler's hired hand.

Maria Sandoval is recovering from a devastating loss and has sought refuge on her grandparents' prosperous estate, Ramirez Vines. Doing her best to outrun haunting memories from her college days, she takes great solitude in riding her horse along the edge of the vineyard property. One night she runs across a stranger who claims to work for her grandparents' old neighbor Reg Wheeler. Her mistrust and anxiety push her emotions to a new level as she tries to determine the stranger's real purpose for helping the cranky crippled old man.

Secrets, trust, and love all combine as Blake and Maria journey together toward finding answers and healing old wounds. But in one emotionally charged night it all starts to come undone. As one life hangs in the balance, questions are answered, but will it be too late…

[Read my review HERE]

GET YOUR COPY (AND READ A SAMPLE) HERE

2015 Realms Faire. Huzzah!!

Here ye, here ye! The amazing MPax is once again hosting the Realms Faire. Huzzah!!

Authors, please take a minute to stop by MPax's site and see if there is a game you would be interested in participating in. Reader, be sure to watch for links to the Faire in November. You won't want to miss out on the amazing word smithing going on, or the awesome prizes!

See you at the Faire!!!

Canada Day and the 4th of July

Happy Belated Canada Day to all my friends up north!!! Hope you had a wonderful holiday yesterday. And Happy 4th of July to all my friends in the states. Hope you have a great day with friends, family, cookouts, and, of course, fireworks!

I'm taking a break from my usual #TBR Thursday post and asking you to recommend your favorite author/book with a military hero/heroine or a patriotic theme.

I'll be sharing my favorites on July 13th in my #inkripples post, so be sure to come back to see who/what made my list.