Please Vote for A TOUCH OF TEXAS IRISH for the RONE award.

Here I am asking for votes AGAIN! 

I am elated that A TOUCH OF TEXAS IRISH is in the running for a RONE AWARD in the Historical Fiction section.  Voting on Historical Fiction began today and will continue through the 29th. Please go to http://www.indtale.com/

You must register to vote and verify your email address by clicking a verification link sent to your email address.

To locate the awards, go to the top right hand side of the page and click on IND'SCRIBE/RONES. Select RONES and then week two Historical Fiction.

"Aileen Lynch is devastated the day her mother dies of cancer. When the last will and testament is read, dark family secrets are revealed. Already stricken with grief, Aileen is shocked to learn of her father’s insurmountable gambling debts. Before she can be handed over in marriage to a sinister man her Da owes money to, Aileen flees Ireland for Boston, where she stays with the family of her Ma’s attorney. There she meets the handsome widower Dr. Samuel Walker, a visiting guest from Texas, who has lost his wife and baby in childbirth. He marries Aileen to get her out of the pickle she is in, and takes her to his home in west Texas. The town and culture is very different from Aileen’s Irish homeland, but she adapts beautifully. Once she meets Sam’s young son Tad, the two become fast friends.  Da and his dastardly debtor eventually find Aileen and do the unthinkable in an attempt to destroy Sam and Aileen. 

With several surprises and some suspense, this is a well-written page-turner.  There is the just right amount of angst as Sam fights his growing feelings for Aileen. It was refreshing to read the tastefully written, clean romance scenes. Would Sam and Aileen finally admit their love for each other? The author did a wonderful job with character development and description of life in the late 1800’s. A highly recommended five star read!"
 Layne Lancaster

Sometime this summer I have a new book, The Art Appraiser and The Lawman coming out. 

      "Good grief, Abby. You've been reading too many romance novels."

Abby Devry, a Fort Worth art appraiser meets Roark Espinoza, a Texas State Trooper at a party on a ranch in West Texas. Attraction is instant, but Abby hasn't had much experience with men, and she's worried he'll be hurt on the job. Roark knows what he wants in a woman and is determined to marry Abby, but wounds from a past relationship haunt him.

Hired to inventory and appraise items in a beautiful historical home in downtown Fort Worth, Abby is surprised to learn the owner is Roark's maternal grandmother, and he'll be there to help. As they work together, their relationship blooms. It isn't until they travel to the Espinoza family ranch that Abby learns to trust her heart and have faith that if Roark is hurt in the line of duty, she'll be woman enough to cope.

Thank you for stopping by and please vote!

Happy Reading and Writing,

Linda

www.lindalaroque.com

Contest for A Touch of Texas Irish—James Avery prize

A Touch of Texas Irish will be released on March 8, 2017. The ebook is available for preorder now on Amazon.

Details on how to win this beautiful bracelet and shamrock hearts charm will be posted soon.

I'll also be giving away 5 E-books.

Please watch my blog for details.


Heiress Aileen Lynch has just lost her mother to cancer, but her spendthrift stepfather insists she must cancel his gambling debts by marrying his disreputable associate. Fleeing Ireland with the help of her mother’s lawyer, she lands in Boston to stay with friends and is attracted to one of their visitors.

Doctor Samuel Walker is in town to attend a medical conference. When he meets the lovely young Irishwoman he is quite taken with her and, at his colleague's entreaty, marries her and takes her home to Texas with him to keep her safe. Sam rationalizes that he doesn’t need a wife but he does need a mother for his son.

While Aileen strives to earn Sam’s affection, he vows never to risk Aileen’s safety or his heart—he’ll not father a child and watch Aileen die in childbirth as his first wife did. And falling in love is not in his plans.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Reading and Writing,

Linda
www.lindalaroque.com

Investment of the Heart—a blurb and excerpt.

This novel, Investment o the Heart, was first published back in 2008. It's just now been re-released with a few minor changes and a new cover. Thank you Diana Carlile of Designs by Diana.

Widow Hallie Barron wants her daughter happily married to the young rancher she loves. When Simon Cole enters Hallie's life she's reminded she's a woman with needs and desires. She yearns for a love like the one she had, but fears risking her heart.

Rancher Simon Cole doesn't feel that city women belong on a ranch. He's set to prove his nephew's fiancée is a mistake. Yet when he meets her mother, he finds himself wishing there was a place for Hallie in his life.

On a ranch in the Hill Country of Texas, love is recognized, lost, and found.

Excerpt:

Draining his first beer, he scanned the gaudy room, taking in the familiar dark red, flocked wallpaper, white tablecloths, and heavy gold drapes pulled back with black tassels. The red velvet swing suspended from the stage was empty. He grinned. Damned if the place wasn’t decked out like an old west bordello, an expensive one. The décor notwithstanding, they served superb steaks.

He ordered another beer and glanced around the room. His gaze stopped at the attractive blonde sitting two tables away. Dressed in a wrinkled type skirt and a silky close-fitting knit top, she sat with her chin propped on her right hand. With her left, she drummed trimmed bare fingernails on the white linen tablecloth that ended almost at her lap. She sipped her iced tea as she surveyed the room, her attention returning to the maître d’ near the entrance as if expecting him to walk someone to her table.

Yeah, yeah, I know how you feel, honey. It’s hell waiting on someone when you’ve better things to do.

Hell. He had business in town this afternoon. If the woman didn’t hurry up, he’d end up stuck in the city instead of returning to the ranch near Granite Springs. Not a pleasant prospect since he hated the beds in motels. He could call his cousin, Jo Beth. She’d be glad to see him, but her matchmaking was an aggravation he didn’t want to deal with tonight.

A flash of color jerked his attention back to the nearby table. The woman swiveled, swinging her arm over the back of the chair, pulling her silky top tight across lush curves. He caught his breath and almost choked on a mouthful of beer. Jaw length blond hair teased her cheek. Straight white teeth worried her rosy bottom lip. Oh, man. What a fine looking woman. Scanning the area behind her, she appeared to check the people at each table before moving on to the next. When she turned back around, her gaze locked on his.

The pretty blonde blinked as he studied her. Heat flushed her face. She didn’t back down, and inspected him in return. His eyes crinkled with mischief, and his shoulders shook as he gave in to silent laughter. He held his beer bottle with both hand, thumbs stroking the neck as if it were a woman’s neck. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped as she observed his movements. When her gaze returned to his face, he grinned and winked. She gasped at his arrogance then she bit her lip to keep from laughing.

        He watched as she picked up the napkin she’d dropped when she’d turned. For a minute he thought she’d use it for a fan to cool her still red face. But she stopped in mid motion and laid it across her lap.

If you enjoyed this excerpt, I hope you'll pick up at an copy at Amazon. Print will be out soon.

Thanks for Reading and Writing!

Linda

Meet Debut Author Colleen S. Myers

Welcome Colleen S. Myers. Today she'll be giving us a preview of her new release Must Remember. You
Sci-Fi folks are going to love this.

Bio:

Colleen plays many roles. Not only is she a veteran, a mother, and a practicing physician, but she is a writer of science fiction and contemporary romances. Colleen’s dreams include surviving her son’s teenage years, exploring every continent on this planet, except Antartica, cause that’s way too cold, and winning the Nobel peace prize. Dream BIG! Currently she is getting ready to publish her first novel, MUST REMEMBER in November of this year (cover reveal soon.)  Until then look for her at Three Rivers Romance Writers, at Facebook  Colleen Myers, and at @ColleenSMyers. 

Blurb:

Nineteen-year-old Elizabeth ‘Beta’ Camden is a survivor.

 

When the E’mani—those pale alien freaks—destroy Earth with a plague of madness and scoop up the remains, Beta is one of the ‘lucky’ ones. For years, she endures their tortures, experiments and games. Then one day, she manages to escape their ship with her life, and no memory of her time with them.

 

Stranded on their world, Beta wanders the mountains, looking for a way home. She stumbles onto the Fost—the E’mani’s ancient enemy.  Their war with the E’mani is old and rooted in magic that the Fost once had and the E’mani crave. Magic Beta soon discovers she’s developing along with strange tattoos and disturbing glimpses of her past. The Fost take her in and train her in their ways. As she spends more time with them, she falls in love with their culture and with Marin—he of the hot hands and slit eyes.

 

But the E’mani took her for a reason and they want her back—dead or alive. If Beta doesn’t remember that reason soon, they’re all going to die.

Excerpt:

Oy. No more weekday frat parties for me, no matter how

noble the cause, especially when I have a test the next day. What was I thinking? And last minute cramming with a headache was not a good idea either. Forget it. My eyes drifted to the clock.

 

And now I was late. Damn it. With a sigh, I threw down my
pencil and scrambled up, my head throbbing. I traded my Eeyore
jammies for skinny jeans and a fitted white t-shirt. Shoes, where
were my shoes? Gah. I ducked and rooted around in the deep, dark
spaces under my bed. Hmm, the green dress I borrowed from Sarah. Mental note: I need to return that. English book, various dust bunnies of uncertain lineage…there.

 

Sketchers on, I grabbed my backpack, turned up my iPod,
and ran out the door. No time to primp.

 

Good thing the campus I lived on was small. There was a big
central courtyard—the quad—filled with towering oak trees and
wide-open spaces surrounded by squat school buildings and
classrooms. If I hurried, I’d make it…

 

I raced into the quad out of breath and slowed, turning in a
complete circle.

 

Huh.

 

No one around. Unease skittered through me on soft paws.
The courtyard was always busy. I pulled my headphones out of my
ears. Was there some sort of event I didn’t know about going on?
The unnatural silence pressed in on me for a second as the
echoes of my steps faded.

 

Then screams—men’s and women’s—poured from Main
Street. I broke into a run and shot between the buildings toward the
sound.

 

Cars littered the intersection. Some guy rear-ended someone
else, causing a chain reaction down the road. A horn blared nearby
and a faint breeze blew the smell of gasoline, smoke, and copper my
way. Clusters of people stood among the wreckage.

Buy Links:

http://tinyurl.com/must-remember

 Barnes and Nobles - http://tinyurl.com/BN-must-remember

 Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/must-remember

 All Romance/ARE café - http://preview.tinyurl.com/AREmustremember

 Ibooks – It is there! My links is messed up.

 Champagne books -  http://preview.tinyurl.com/champagneMR

 It should be everywhere in ebook format

 

Sounds fantastic, Colleen. Thank you for sharing with us today. I hope you have loads of sales.

Readers, please leave Colleen a comment and thanks for stopping by.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda

www.lindalaroque.com

Welcome Amy McKinley and her new release HIDDEN

Welcome, Amy! It's great to have you here and I look forward to hearing about your new release, Hidden. The name evokes mystery and perhaps a touch of the unknown. 

Amy's Bio:

Amy McKinley is a freelance writer and author. She lives in Illinois with her husband, their four talented teenagers, and three mischievous cats. Hidden is her first novel in the Five Fates Series with Taken, the second, due to release in the spring of 2016. She is excited to finish the series and begin the next that’s already demanding attention. 

Share with us how you celebrate the holidays.

Thank you Linda LaRoque for having me here today. I’m excited to share a peek into a few of my family’s favorite holidays and traditions with her readers and friends.

Out of the many holidays throughout the year, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are the biggest for my family. Among the three, each of us has a favorite. With a house full of four growing teens, times are changing. Not quite empty nesters yet, we do see less chaotic times looming ahead with one already in college. This years Halloween was different than past ones.

My oldest teen loves Halloween with all the spooky decorations and costumes. She turns the holiday into a month of festivity. She rallies her siblings and Dad into decorating the house with the scariest design possible, which always includes, shudder, spiders. (She is my go to girl when there is a spider in the house and is on the “no kill” capture and release team. Our house is evenly split down the middle where spiders are concerned.)

Not only do they decorate outside, but inside as well. Cupcakes were made with her youngest sister—our resident baker—truly evil creations, as they were chocolate with buttercream frosting. Seriously, why!

Thanksgiving centers around family, giving thanks, and…yep, food. Now, who doesn’t love a holiday like that? I do, I do! But, I have a slight problem.

I HAVE A PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS

AND IT'S NOT COOKING!

Fortunately, my husband cooks a fabulous turkey. My job: mashed potatoes. I even get help with peeling the potatoes since my skills do not measure up to the superior ones of the teens in my family. I welcome their aid as the job is done in record time.

We always have turkey, salmon, and mashed potatoes. There are several other staples that are at the table, but those are the main ones. And for desert: French Silk Pie. It’s expertly made by teen three, our resident baker. It is the most incredible pie ever eaten. What’s at your table?

My absolutely favorite holiday of the three is Christmas. Let the shopping begin! Which is so funny because I’m not a shopper. I leave that to teen two and three. They can shop. Teen three really should be the star in the movie Shopaholic; I see the resemblance quite clearly.

Family traditions are wonderful, something that form special memories for everyone. We have a few around Christmas that we do every year that begin with a plate kit on Christmas Eve. Once the kids draw their design for the New Year, complete with their names and the year, they are sent out and used as the weekend waffle or pancake plates. When they are all grown it’ll be fun to see what they chose to draw each year and how their artistry progressed. 

Our pets are also included in Christmas and they are always very excited. They know they have presents coming and have been searching and actively participating in wrapping. Their main goals are to become the wrapped gift by lying on the paper, run off with the string, and locate their gifts by riffling through the bags. So they know which gifts are theirs on Christmas morning (we don’t put theirs out until that morning) we put a little bit of catnip in the wrapped present so they can find them. It’s super cute.

On Christmas morning we wake to a proof of reindeer visitation. Hoof marks litter the deck, lured by the reindeer food the kids scattered the night before. Several bells (four to be exact) are miraculously left behind from the sleigh. Inside, Santa enjoyed the cookies and milk left out and has left presents, which are opened, along with stockings before breakfast. After breakfast, the rest of the presents are opened and family and friends arrive for more of the same.

I polled my family and asked them what their favorite holiday was of the three and this was the result:

Husband: Christmas

Me: Christmas

Teen 1: Halloween

Teen 2: Thanksgiving

Teen 3: Christmas

Teen 4: Christmas

Excerpt:

Jade froze, her paintbrush hanging mid-air above her palette. The light streaming in diagonally through the bay window cast an eerie, surreal frame over the room.

Whispers seduced and coerced.

She scanned the painting. Buildings cast long, ominous shadows, stalking the pedestrians as they made their way to and fro, huddled against the misery of the evening. A man lay sprawled, his lifeblood staining the sidewalk crimson. Half in a deserted alley, he was yet to be discovered. This was the detail Jade concentrated on. She blended a burnt red and used careful brush strokes to complete the scene as the portrait fell prey to the darkness that burned inside her.

Without meaning to, her gaze was once again drawn to the slain man. She reached up and touched the blood seeping from his body, her fingers coming away wet. Bringing her hand to her nose she closed her eyes and inhaled.

Instead of the cloying scent of her oils, she inhaled the coppery twang of blood.

Stunned, her mouth parted on a silent scream. No! Darkness bubbled to the surface, invading her senses with a roar. Unable to fight the invasion, her heart beat an increasing crescendo. Part of her didn’t want to struggle, not with the temptation of death on her hand.

Deep inside, a macabre shadow stretched. Hungry for more, its long arms clawed for purchase with each breath. Changing her, as part of her argued for the better. The other part—the one that gloried in her fire-kissed hair and shimmering eyes—cried against this crime and screamed for redemption.

She crouched to welcome the demonic strength as the parasitic monster grew inside her. Evolving into a fierce predator, she was able to taste, weigh, and measure the souls who sifted through her fingers.

Still, she fought for space in her own body. For control.

But with the scent of blood, of death, of prey teasing the monster—she was losing fast. It’s happening. Unshed tears burned her eyes. Finally. The curse of the three Fates had begun. With her.

Slowly Jade stood, bit down on her lip and welcomed the pain. The distraction would help fight the transformation. Dipping the brush into the Caribbean blue, she swirled then began to paint a shimmering cove. The vision soothed the beast that lurked just beneath, but it was temporary, and Jade knew its evil would soon mutiny. The Fates’ curse would change her over time, unleashing an unstoppable power within her to annihilate the gods who created her and anyone who got in her path.

Including her family.

Succumbing to a surge of menace, Jade dropped the blue-tipped brush as her back snapped straight and her mouth opened on a silent scream as she lost control. Every cell stretched to accommodate the new presence. Shivering from the effects of her altered state, she briefly shut her eyes, adjusting. When she opened them, her painting was before her, and she viewed the scene anew. Cocking her head, she closely observed a woman who tightly clutched her rain slicker about her body.

This one will not make it home tonight.

Whew! I'm worn out, but feel the urge to run. This sounds like a gripping tale—just right for you paranormal/fantasy folks. Hidden is available TODAY. Copies are available at the following:

Champagne Book Group

Amazon

B&N Nook

Kobo

All Romance ebooks

To connect with Amy, you can visit these sites.

www.amymckinley.com

https://www.facebook.com/amymckinleyauthor

Goodreads

Amazon

Twitter

Please leave Amy a comment. She'd like to know your favorite holiday and why.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda

www.lindalaroque.com