Friday, November 25, 2011

Astraea Press Holiday Release Party Blog Hop

My release is actually a Halloween release and I'm happy to be part of the blog hop! Thank you all for stopping by. For a chance to win a PDF copy of my Halloween story Ghosts in the Graveyard, leave a comment below (don't forget to leave an email address).


While most kids can’t wait to dress up in costumes and go out trick or treating, Charlie, Jack, and Millie Foster dread Halloween. Even the promise of receiving a slew of candy doesn’t interest them. How could it when they know the truth about All Hallows Eve? That it’s really a day to fear, a day when the dead walk the earth again.

With their house sitting directly behind a graveyard, they are prime targets for the spirits to haunt.

Available now for $1.99: Astraea Press 

Now follow the link to my very good friend and awesome author Kay Springsteen's blog for her portion of the hop!

Thank you for stopping by, and happy holidays!

Kim Bowman


Monday, October 31, 2011

Seven Days of Spooks–Day 3

GhostGraveyard-500x750[1]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I’m sorry I didn’t have a post yesterday, technical difficulties. I’ll post Day 4 a little later! Right now I’d like to share a story from Jennifer Smith. She shared it on my blog during the Spook-A-Licious Blog Hop and agreed to let me post it! Thank you, Jennifer!

scary3I definitely believe in ghosts! When my hubby and I were dating we pulled into a little clearing in some woods we knew about. It was the perfect little hidey hole. We were sitting out there one night in the car and I looked out the windshield and saw a man walking toward us. I freaked! There was woods in front of us, nowhere from him to be coming from, so I automatically assumed he was some crazed killer coming to get us. I will never forget what he looked like. He had on a flannel shirt, overalls and one of those railroad looking caps.

scary8 Mike cracked his window to call out to him and turned on the headlights and there wasn't anyone there. He was convinced we were both just seeing things when he turned the lights back off there the man was again. He never got very close to the car. There was nothing for someone to hide behind or conceal himself so I truly believe it was a ghost. We didn't stick around to see what he wanted or if he was friendly and to this day we haven't gone back.

OOOOOOO! Great story, Jennifer! I have goose bumps running up and down my spine. I’d love to hear some stories from others who’ve had similar things happen!

Remember to leave a comment for a chance to win a PDF of my new release Ghosts in the Graveyard.

Blurb:

While most kids can’t wait to dress up in costumes and go out trick or treating, Charlie, Jack, and Millie Foster dread Halloween. Even the promise of receiving a slew of candy doesn’t interest them. How could it when they know the truth about All Hallows Eve? That it’s really a day to fear, a day when the dead walk the earth again.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Seven Days of Spooks–Day 2

GhostGraveyard-500x750[1]I’m happy to have fellow Astraea Press author Sherry Gloag on my blog sharing her ghost story with us! Thank you Sherry.

I was around 7 or eight years old at the time and away at boarding school. The dormitory door opened toward my bed so anyone entering the room had to be right inside the room before I saw them. There were eight beds in that room, four on my side and four on the other. It was winter term -can't remember exact month but Oct/Nov probably. The door did NOT open but a woman stood beside my bed. She wore a tight-bodiced floor-length dress and pointed head gear. She stood beside my bed for what seemed like an age. No I was not frightened, I sensed no menace, only sadness.

sherryEventually she walked to the end of my bed, round the end of it toward the full-length windows at the other end of the room (we were three floor up from the ground outside on this side of the building.)
She walked THROUGH the closed windows and vanished. After a couple of minutes I *quietly* asked if anyone else was awake. One girl named Sheila Balfour answered me. We shared our experiences and discovered we'd both seen the same thing.
There’d been no ghostly stories anywhere the day/evening before, so not preconceived apparition.

The next morning we told our 'house mistress' about the night-time visit.
There was another adult in the room and we both saw their shared glances and knew what we'd seen was a real and known phenomenon even though the adults dismissed it as a bad dream.
That too simply confirmed to me what we'd seen was real, because neither of us described the event as 'bad' because neither of us were scared by it. A little in awe and uncertain, sure, but not scared.

scaryWe later learned that poor Lady Jane Grey stayed there on a visit before traveling south to England for her marriage.
This event took place in a house/school called Semour Lodge, in Crief, Perthsire Scotland. More decades ago than I can to remember!

OOOOO! Thank you so much for sharing. What a great story. I’d love to hear similar stories from anyone willing to share.

Remember to leave a comment for a chance to win a PDF of my new release Ghosts in the Graveyard.

Blurb:

While most kids can’t wait to dress up in costumes and go out trick or treating, Charlie, Jack, and Millie Foster dread Halloween. Even the promise of receiving a slew of candy doesn’t interest them. How could it when they know the truth about All Hallows Eve? That it’s really a day to fear, a day when the dead walk the earth again.

With their house sitting directly behind a graveyard, they are prime targets for the spirits to haunt.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Seven Days of Spooks–Day One

GhostGraveyard-500x750[1]
I’m very excited to be releasing a new Halloween story! YIPPEE!! Check out my awesome cover! Okay, I’ll quit with the exclamation points. I’m just happy dancing!!!!!
To celebrate, I thought I’d do seven days of true ghost stories. I shared mine for the Spook-A-Licious Blog Hop so I’ve requested some volunteers to share their stories. For the first post, I thought I’d share some of the inspiration for Ghosts in the Graveyard (Available now for $1.99 at Astraea Press and soon on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com).
First, a little history (don’t worry, VERY little history) about Halloween. The word Halloween is first mentioned in the 16th century and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows-Even. See, told you the history part would be minimal. One thing I found interesting when I was researching Halloween (besides how far back it dated – 1556) for my book, is some of the cool games. We all know bobbing for apples, dressing up in costumes and going trick-or-treating, but I was fascinated by some of the otherscary5 games I read about.involved forms of divination. A traditional Scottish form of divining one's future spouse is to carve an apple in one long strip then toss the peel over one's shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouse's name. Unmarried women were told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to die before marriage, a skull would appear. This was so popular, it was commemorated on a greeting card.
And the most popular tradition for Halloween is the telling of ghost stories and viewing of horror films, which leads me to how a real-life experience inspired a scene in Ghosts in the Graveyard.
A little back story, when my sister and I were about nine and ten respectively, we became obsessed with horror movies. At the time, one of the local television stations played scary movies all night on Friday and Saturday. She and I would sneak into the living room after our parents were asleep and watch the horror movie marathon until we couldn’t take it anymore. On one such night, one of the movies really freaked us out. Neither of us can remember the name of the show, but we both remember when this woman—this DEAD woman—got up off a gurney and I swear it looked like she was going to run through the TV and get us. I will NEVER forget the way that woman’s eyes looked.
scary2Well, my sister and ran screaming to our parents’ room, burst through the door, and dove on the bed. Did I mention we were screaming the whole time. I think Mom and Dad were more frightened than we were. Did we ever get lectured to. For at least an hour.
We were sent to bed. Our parents grudgingly allowed us to leave the light on and told to stay there for the rest of the night.
This next part is what I added in the book. I’m not sure how long it took us to fall asleep, but my sister woke me in the middle of the night because she had to go to the restroom, couldn’t wait, and was too afraid to go alone. So, I went with her. I think that walk to the restroom was the longest of my life. We made it and then we were too afraid to leave. We were closer to my parents’ room than ours and talked about going in there and sleeping on the floor, but we didn’t want to get into trouble. We sat in the bathroom all night, too scared to go to back to our room. Believe me when I tell you that cured me and my sister of those late night horror movies.
scary6Okay, so it mostly cured me. What really cured me was a movie I watched with my husband after he had to have major hernia surgery. They ended up having to cut him open from his belly button to his side and ha was off work for eight weeks. I rented us some movies. I’m a huge Kevin Bacon fan and there was a new movie out called Stir of Echoes. I honestly didn’t realize it was that much of a scary show. I mean the description said after a guy’s hypnotized he starts seeing visions. I’m thinking he’s psychic and seeing visions of how the girl died.
Yeah right!
If you want to jump out of your skin, that’s the movie to make you do it! My husband had his blanket pulled up to his chin, white-knuckling it, eyes wide. Scared the crap out of both of us. I was cured! Even thinking about that movie gives me the heebie jeebies!
But I still love true tales of the supernatural and I had a lot of fun writing this book. I hope all of you enjoy it to. I’m going to offer a PDF of Ghosts in the Graveyard to TWO lucky commenters each day of my Seven Days of Spooks blog posts! Just leave a comment with your email and if you have a ghost story, I’d love to hear it!

Happy Reading!

~Kim

*Disclaimer: Greeting card picture and Halloween information obtained from wikipedia.com

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Spook-A-Licious: Where the Boo-ks Devour You Blog Hop Winners

 

spook

I’m soooo sorry this is late! I had a deadline to meet in getting my latest short story finished and ready to publish for Halloween. First, thank you all for stopping by. This hop was so much fun. Second, for my tardiness, I’m throwing in my newest Halloween short story as part of your prize! Third, let’s get to the winners!

Using randomizer.org, the first place winner is:

Becky C. cherringtonmb(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

The five 2nd place winners are:

Geschumann geschumann at live dot com

Pam M.  kydirtgirl68 AT gmail DOT com

Laura H. BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Krystalkat Morganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com

Eva evitap67(at)gmail(dot)com

Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. Please email me at kimbowman2008(at)yahoo(dot)com and let me know the PDF you’d like!

Happy Reading!

~Kim

Monday, October 17, 2011

Spook-A-Licious: Where the Boo-ks Devour You Blog Hop

halloween

Happy Halloween all! Ghosts and goblins and spooks, OH MY! Well, and wonderful, delicious candy. I’m so glad you came by to visit me! First, let’s cover a few rules for the hop and then we’ll have some fun!

THE RULES:
1) HAVE FUN!!!
2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, October 17, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, October 24, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
Winners will be drawn and posted October 25th! ***
4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS & BOOK PAGES! EXPERIENCE A NEW DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!
5) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR & BOOK PAGE IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW THEM SOME LOVE!
6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!***Authors & Book Pages have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules**

ghostbook3Halloween is full of myths and legends that either originate with the holiday or are just fun to tell. The headless horseman, Bloody Mary, Resurrection Mary…the list is endless. Some of my favorite true ghosts stories can be found in Leslie Rule’s Coast to Coast Ghosts and Ghosts among us. I’ve read these books over and over and if you like ghost stories, I highly recommend them!

For the blog hop, I thought I’d share my own personal experience with spooks. Several years ago, our neighbor, Joe, died very unexpectedly. He was like a father to me and I took his death very hard. A couple weeks after Joe’s death, strange things started happening in our home. We had our air conditioning on, set to about seventy, but it would get so cold in our bedroom you could see your breath. I started feeling like I was being watched while I slept and I HATED being in our bedroom. Our precious dog Derby even refused to go in our room and would stand at the door and growl. But surprisingly, our dog Tess LOVED our room and would whine if the door was shut and she couldn’t go in there.

ghostBut that wasn’t the strangest thing. First, I started hearing this screaming in my head very clearly in our deceased friends voice. Joe was angry and not afraid to express it. “I’m not dead! Would you people stop saying I’m dead! I’M. NOT. DEAD.!” This mantra plagued me for the better part of a month every time I closed my eyes. I was a mess and couldn’t sleep. I truly thought I was going crazy. More afraid everyone else would think it! So I didn’t tell a soul.

Then, the phone calls started. Our caller ID would read Joe and Liz’s name and number, but when we picked the phone up, no one was there, not even a dial tone. Even my unbelieving husband was a little freaked by that, but not as much as what happened next.

You had to know our neighbor. Joe was a character and he loved to shock people. For the longest time he had a very offensive message on their answering machine. Liz had finally had it with the message and people complaining, so she disconnected the answering machine and got voicemail, and she left the message (the answering machine had been unplugged for at least three years when he died).

ghost5Fast forward to roughly two months after his death. I picked the phone up to call and check on Liz. To my shock and horror, Joe’s old offensive message greeted me after four rings. I push the end call button and threw the phone and started to cry. My husband was looking at me like I was a crazy woman. When I told him what happened, he rolled his eyes and called himself. You should have seen how pasty white Tony’s face got. His hands were trembling and he let loose a few explicitives. We were both quiet for a few minutes, then Tony the nonbeliever decided someone had hooked up the answering machine again was all. I sighed in relief, glad to have a logical answer. Then I jumped up. “Liz! We can’t let Liz or their kids hear that. It freaked us out.”

halloween1Tony agreed so we jumped in the car and drove to their house. We walked inside and I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I knew where the old answering machine was and I didn’t want to alarm Liz. so I went to the room to unplug it without saying anything, only to find it wasn’t plugged in! I ran back to where Tony and Liz stood crying and hyperventilating. When I finally got out what had happened, Tony thought I’d lost it and goes to unplug it himself. Liz and I follow him and sure enough, the answering machine is unplugged.

We can tell Liz is shaken and we apologize for freaking her out and tell her what happened. Liz’s eyes got really huge and she started to cry. She then does plug in the answering machine…and it doesn’t work!

Still, I don’t say anything about Joe haunting me.

The following weekend, I went with Liz to a psychic party. I went for one reason and one reason only-Joe. I never said a word to the psychic. I sat down and he told me he was a psychic medium and asked me if I’d recently lost anyone that I wanted him to try and contact. I said yes.

halloween4The medium jumped back nearly knocking his chair over. “Whoa! Man, we just ticked someone off. Honey, I’m sorry, but alls I’m hearing is someone repeating over and over ‘I’m not dead’. Wow! Now he’s cussing at me. Honey, this person, wait…” The medium closed his eyes, then started shaking his head and opened them again. “Yeah, the only thing he’ll say is to stop saying he’s dead. He won’t even give me his name. Honey you have to help him cross over.”

Needless to say, I’m a mess. Liz, on the other hand, is annoyed and furious after her reading and is ready to go. On the way home, she tells me what a fake the psychic was that he couldn’t even tell her husband had been dead less than three months. Never even mentioned Joe to her. I become so upset she has to pull over. There are other people with us, so I don’t want to tell her what has happened, what’s BEEN happening. So I tell her I’m fine and asked her to come to my house after Tony goes to work.

Our readings were tape recorded, so instead of telling Liz what happened, I let her hear the tape and then I tell her what’s been happening. That I hear that same thing—I’m not dead—every night and it’s scaring me. I also tell her that I think the medium didn’t pick up on Joe being dead for her because Joe doesn’t think he’s dead.

It took some convincing, but with a lot of sage, praying, and telling Joe he needed to let go, he finally listened and I had peace again. Although I still miss him every day.

So, that’s my encounter with ghosts. Any of you have a story you’d like to share? Or a scary book you’d like to recommend? I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment for a chance to win some great books.

For one lucky poster, I’m giving you your choice of THREE PDF’s from the list below. And for five other commenters, you get your choice of ONE PDF from the list!

  1. Matrimonial Mayhem Anthology (contemporary romance)
  2. Heartsight by Kay Springsteen (contemporary romance)
  3. Lifeline Echoes by Kay Springsteen (contemporary romance)
  4. Elusive Echoes by Kay Springsteen (contemporary romance)
  5. The Picture by Stephanie Taylor (contemporary romance)
  6. Lucky for Her by Stephanie Taylor (contemporary romance)
  7. Double Crossing by Meg Mims (historical fiction)
  8. The Last Wizard of Yden by S.G. Rogers (fantasy)
  9. Wayward Soul by Kim Bowman (paranormal)
  10. Ghosts in the Graveyard by Kim Bowman (Halloween paranormal) upon release
  11. Emily Dahil CID Part I by Lindsay Downs (YA, mystery)
  12. Trophies by J. Gunnar Grey (mystery)
  13. Blackbird Flies by Chynna Laird (YA)
  14. Legend of the Oceana Dragon by J.F. Jenkins (paranormal)
  15. Vala: Agendas by J.F. Jenkins (paranormal)
  16. Scent of a Witch by Bri Clark (Halloween paranormal)
  17. Glazier by Bri Clark (paranormal)
  18. Shawnee’s Creek by Stephy Smith (contemporary romance)
  19. Rescued From the River by Stephy Smith (historical romance)
  20. Lizzie and the Rebel by Stephy Smith (historical romance)

The blurbs for all of the above titles can be found on Amazon.com.

Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the rest of the hop. Just follow this link Spook-A-Licious back to the list.

halloween3

Friday, September 2, 2011

Trying To Move On

cage and derbyI want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone for their thoughts and prayers following the loss of our beloved Derby. Life at the Bowman house is slowly getting back to normal. S-L-O-W-L-Y. And by that I mean I’ve stopped crying every day. We still have times when Tony and I just sit and talk about how amazing our boy was and how cheated we feel, but mostly about how blessed we were to own such an amazing dog. He truly brought joy to us.
I know I’ve pretty much been MIA for several weeks, and probably stillderby and tess would be if a couple of things hadn’t occurred to prompt me to share my feelings and seek advice from all of you. And to asked for you help for another family and their much-loved dog.
The first thing is, we got a puppy a couple weeks ago. Tony came home from work, tears swimming in his eyes, and said, “I just can’t stand it, Kim. For almost eight years there hasn’t been a day when I wasn’t met at the door by Derby. Even after almost two weeks of him not being here, I still expect him to be the first thing I see when I get home.”
My heart broke for him. This was his baby. Derby loved us all, but he was definitely Tony’s dog and best friend. So, I asked him if he thought it would get better if we had another dog. He didn’t come back with the answer I expected. Instead, he hugged Cage and said, “No, not really. Nothing will make it better. But Derby protected us. I felt better knowing he was here with guys while I was at work, so I think we need to get another dog.”
I was still on the fence and didn’t want to rush into getting a dog just to fill the void Derby’s death had left. We were still in mourning. And honestly, I didn’t want to grow attached to another pet just to lose it. I’m still grieving over losing my Tessie and now Derby was gone too. I NEVER wanted to go through that torture again.
But then I looked at Cage playing with his kitty and thought, Is it fair to cheat him because I’m afraid?
puppyThere happened to be an ad in the paper for pit bull puppies a few days after we found and buried Derby. I got up, called the lady with the puppies, and told her we were on our way. We walked in, and what did we see? This little girl was looking at us like, “Where’ve you been? I’ve been waiting for you.” It was like we’d been handed back a piece of Derby and Tess. Tony and I looked at each other and said, “We’ll take that one!”
puppy2OH BOY! We haven’t had a puppy in eight years! To say we’re rusty is an understatement. Lex definitely keeps us on our toes! Between her, the kitty (Possum), and Cage, our house is like a three-ring circus. And now for the part where I need advice. How do we not feel guilty for loving this bundle of fur? How do we stop feeling like we’re somehow “cheating” Derby by getting Lex so soon after his death? I’d love to hear from you guys about losing a beloved pet and how you dealt with moving on with another one. It would really help me.
The second thing that happened is my friend, the wonderful author, Kay Springsteen, posted a story on Facebook about this family who has had their dog Smokey taken from them. (For more details and the whole story, please follow the two links and read this family’s story). With the sting of Derby’s death still heavy on my heart, this hit close to home, and my mission is to make damn sure to do all I can to help this family get their Smokey back so that they have a much happier ending than we did. I’m HORRIFIED by what I’m learning about these so-called “chip-in” groups. I won’t elaborate on that, follow the link above and then do an Internet search and you’ll be as appalled as I am.
smokey3This family is now in a legal battle to have their beloved Smokey returned. I donated to their Chip-in account. Even $1 will help. Can you find it in your hearts to help Smokey. We are his voice! If you can’t spare a $1, will you follow the link above to the Facebook page for Smokey and share it and then do the same with the Chip-in link so we can spread the word and reach as many people as possible. Who knows, maybe even FIND Smokey for this family. Then can you take a few minutes and send a complaint to Kim Alboum, the State Director of the North Carolina Humane Society asking that these groups not be allowed to pass judgment and keep families and their beloved pets apart. Now, let me make it clear that we worked with an awesome rescue group when we adopted at pit bull years ago. They were amazing, and most of them are working to save these poor animals. But some of these “chip-in” rescue groups are giving a bad name to legitimate organizations who want to help these animals.
Let’s do all we can to help this family. Keep in mind, this could be you. Trust me, I never thought I’d be burying Derby until he was old and gray. I know you guys are all awesome and will whatever is in your power to help this family. After having to explain to my son that his dog was dead, nothing would make me happier than to see this little girl reunited with hers.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Goodbye to the BEST Furry Friend

derbyI never knew I’d miss having a 70 pound dog sleep on my legs every night, but since Derby disappeared on July 27, 2011, I’ve taken to wearing socks to bed to keep my feet warm. I still haven’t found anything to fill the huge hole in my heart and soul.

Long story short, our son went horseback riding and Derby went with him. They were 1/2 mile from home when Derby wouldn’t go any further. By the time Todd got home and we went back with a truck to get Derby, he had disappeared. Our search ended today. We found him at the end of our pasture on the opposite side of the road about 50 rows in the cornfield. Poor boy almost made it home. Sadly, the heat was too much, and his journey in this life is over.

derby and tess I can tell you that there’s a huge void in the Bowman family. We’ve had Derby since he was four weeks old. He would have been eight this September. And what a character he was! He and Tess became inseparable from day one. (Sadly, we lost Tess four years ago and I still can’t say her name or think of her without tearing up).

derby2Derby growled all the time. It was very intimidating, but that was his personality. He did it when he was a few days old. Yes, we were there from the time he was born and while all the other puppies made whining sounds, Derby decided to be heard he had to growl! The day he was born we said we were bringing him home.

derby and tyeHe earned a special place with all of us for his crazy antics like pulling the dog bed with Tess on it around the living room when she wouldn’t play with him or they would both grab a tug of war rope and Derby would pull her around with that, hating our son Tye’s dinosaur that growled and attacking it furiously, giving the FedEx and UPS drivers a heart attack when they pulled up by diving in their trucks for treats (hey, they started it! They decided it was good idea to give him dog biscuits!), when Tye showed him in 4-H and during obedience he’d growl and bark and get so excited he couldn’t even sit when he was supposed to (although, check out the picture, he kicked ass at agility), and mostly when someone dumped off a ten pound Chihuahua and the big bad pit bull stood in the hall while she ate his food!

tess and derby3Derby had fun, but he took his job of protecting our family very seriously (as did Tess and that ended up causing her to get hit by a car). He even saved not only Tony’s life but Cage’s as well. Tony went to feed the horses and he didn’t realize that two of them were fighting outside the door. When he walked outside, one of the horses kicked him in the head and knocked him unconscious. When he came to, Derby was throwing a fit and snapping and biting anything that came close to Tony. He actually wore a path in the dirt from going back and forth in front of Tony keeping the horses away.

cage and derbyFrom the day we brought Cage home, you didn’t dare get between Derby and his baby. Then when Cage wasn’t quite one (about five weeks after this picture was taken), he was with Tony at the barn. Tony was replacing a broken water hydrant by the fence. He turned around to pick up the new hydrant and he said, “Derby let out the most vicious growl and bark I’ve ever heard and one of the horses squealed.” Tony dropped the hydrant and whipped around to see Cage sitting INSIDE the pasture with three horses trying to get to him and see what he was all about. Derby was actually grabbing the horses’ noses shaking as hard as he could, his hair was standing up, and he meant business. Tony said he was slobbering he was so mad. Tony said the five feet from where he sat to where Cage sat seemed like five thousand. He pulled Cage under the fence and before he could pick the little guy up, Derby jumped on top of Cage and sniffed him, licked him, and made sure he was ok, then he looked at Tony like “He’s fine, you can have him now.”

This raised him to king status in our eyes and he pretty much got whatever he wanted. In the end, the only thing he wanted was to come home, I’m glad we at least got to do that for him. Rest in peace, our baby, and know you were loved more than anything. Run and play with Tess and give her a big kiss from mom and dad and know we’ll miss you both every day.tess and derby2

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Blogfest Winners

I’m so very sorry. As I was posting the winners for the Treasure Quest Blog Hop, I realized I never chose winners for the Blogfest Blog Hop. Please forgive me.

Thank you all so much for stopping by. Now I have a TON of books to add to my tbr pile.

Using randomizer.org, here are the winners of the contest.

First place: Commenter #51 #Erin

Second place: Commenter #43 @Ellen Elizabeth

Third place; Commenter #27 @Nikki

Fourth place: Commenter #21 @Krystal Larson

Again, I’m very sorry for not posting earlier. Check your emails:)

Happy reading

Kim

Treasure Quest Blog Hop Winners

Thank you all so much for visiting and sharing your personal stories with me. I loved reading all of your comments. This was a lot of fun.

And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for – the winners! And, yes, even international commenters are entered:)

Using randomizer.org, here are the winners:

First place: Commenter #42 @shadow_kohler

Second place: Commenter #16 @Lisa Vaughn

Third place: Commenter #5 Sherry Gloag

Fourth place: Commenter #12 @iluvkimi220

Congratulations everyone and I hope you’ll come back and visit!

Happy Reading

Kim

Monday, July 18, 2011

Ednah Walters Book Tour!

Please help me welcome the talented Ednah Walters and her new release Betrayed. This book sounds amazing! Here’s the blurb:
betrayedLil has come to terms with her life as a Guardian/demon hunter and the wielder of the Nephilim most powerful weapon-the Kris Dagger. She trains everyday to master her growing powers, gets along with her Guardian trainee friends, most of the time, and cherishes the time she spends with her human friends.
Just when she feels she belongs, her nature-bender father contacts her and warns her about a betrayal by someone close to her. Then Bran, the boy she loves, starts to act strange and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability. While Lil struggles find a connection between these three things, she begins to realize that someone is manipulating her and will stop at nothing, including hurting those she loves, to lure her to the dark side.
She’s also provided her awesome BOOK TRAILER!
This book sounds amazing, Ednah. Thank you for sharing. Now, some fun questions!
What’s your favorite Disney Movie?
Mulan—I love kick-ass heroines.
Oh, good one! Who’s your favorite villain either from a book or a movie?
Megamind—how could anyone not love him?
You got me there! So true. Where’s the one place you’d love to visit?
Italy
What genre do you love to read but would never write?
Steampunk-the research would be mind-boggling.
Yes it would, but so worth it. Name one thing on your bucket list that would surprise people. Why?
Go parasailing. I have pathological fear of heights, so that would be a major feat for me.
I think I’ll keep my fear of heights. Where’s the one place you’d love to live?
France
Who’s the one person you’d love to meet?
Nelson Mandela
What book do you read over and over again?
Whitney my Love, by Judith McNaught
ME TOO!!! I’ve read it at least 50 times! Twice this year. I LOVE Clayton. Do you prefer to read a book written in first person or third person?
First person
Do you prefer to read stand alone books or a series?
A series—I always love to catch up with my characters.
Thank you for sharing, Ednah. Congrats on the book, it sounds awesome. Ednah has brought along an excerpt for us.
Instead of heading toward the entrance, Bran stopped. “I’m taking you home so I can search for Remy and the others.”
“Why?” Scowling, I faced him. I hated when he used that arrogant tone, like he knew what was better for me.
He pointed back at the alley. “Remember that? Demons are after you, Lil. I had no idea how badly until tonight. Soon, Valafar won’t have Dante on the sidelines watching over you. He’ll send Dante to come for you, and there’s no way I’m letting that happen.”
“You? But you saw what I can do. What we can do together. I’m stronger and keep getting better at controlling my powers every day. The demons don’t know that. Even Valafar’s people don’t. That’s why they keep acting like I’m helpless, like I’m someone who needs to be protected all the time. I don’t expect that from you, too,” I griped in an uneven tone, so annoyed I could zap him. He needed to stop treating me like a helpless person.
Bran took a deep breath and winced. “Forgive me for seeing you as the girl I love first and the Chosen One second.”
He didn’t fight fair. When he winced again, I reached for his arm. “You’re hurt.”
“I’m fine.”
“The dagger is healing me, Bran. Maybe if we blended our energies, just this once, we can share its healing power.”
He took a step away from me and shook his head. “No. We can’t.”
I blinked, throat thickening at the rejection. “Why can’t we link or blend our energies. What’s going on?”
He just forked his fingers though his hair and grimaced. “I can’t make you understand.”
“Try me,” I retorted.
“Not now, Lil,” he said impatiently, glancing around.
I took a deep breath, anger churning inside of me. Why couldn’t he tell me what was going on? Blending energies was the purest form of connection, especially for him and me because our energies matched. It was more intimate than kissing or anything we’d ever done. I clamped down on the anger and the pain.
“You know what, Bran? Fine,” I snapped. “Keep your stupid secrets.”
“Thank you,” he answered flippantly.
I can tell you, this is one you don’t want to miss! Purchase now at Amazon ~ Smashwords and Ednah is hold the official release party HERE on July 31 where she’ll have great giveaways and a great time!
Ednah has graciously offered one lucky poster an arc (paperback) copy of Betrayed so leave a comment below as well as an email address to be entered to win.
Also, Ednah would love to hear from you. You can visit her at her Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
And as an added bonus this week, Ednah is part of the Treasure Quest Blog hop so visit her  Blog as well as the others for a chance to win some other great prizes.
About the author:
I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries, before I graduated to Mills & Boons (starting with Janet Daily's Shutter the Sky) and the rest is history.
I enjoy good love stories, tingly mysteries and wondrous adventures. When I finished my college and decided to be a stay-at-home mother, I devoured books, until reading just wasn't enough. So I started to write.
I've written picture books, contemporary and romantic suspense, biracial/multicultural books, and finally YA fantasy. AWAKENED is the first YA book in The Guardian Legacy series. It was released in September 2010. BETRAYED, book 2 in the series, will be out August 1st 2011. I also write adult contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, book 1 of the Fitzgeralds, was out May 1st 2011, MINE UNIL DAWN is due July 1st. Book 3, KISS ME CRAZY, a contemporary romance, is with my editor. I'm presently working on book 4, Faith Fitzgerald’s story and book 3 of my YA Guardian Legacy series.
When I'm not writing, I do things with my family, five children or my darling husband of 19 years. I live in a picturesque valley in Utah, the setting for my YA series.
 

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Treasure Quest: Discovery Lies Between the Covers

It's that time again! YIPPEE. First, let's cover a few rules.
TOUR RULES:

1)  HAVE FUN!!!

2)  INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!

3)  THIS TOUR STARTS:  Monday, July 18, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
     THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, July 25, at Midnight (Arizona Time)

4)  MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS! EXPERIENCE A NEW DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!! YOU MUST LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE ENTERED IN CONTESTS. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS OR CHECK BACK May 24, to see if you were a winner.

5) PARTICIPATION AT EVERY BLOG IS RECOMMENDED. BUT REMEMBER: THE MORE YOU HOP, THE MORE CHANCES YOU HAVE TO WIN. EVERY AUTHOR IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERY AUTHOR SOME LOVE!
6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN?  WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!
THE QUEST FOR CAGE

I decided to make this Treasure Quest a bit personal and talk about a hunt for a priceless treasure that my husband and I spent years on.


When Tony and I got married in August of 1999, we embarked on a journey for the most precious treasure of all. Although we had three wonderful children from Tony's previous marriage, we desperately wanted a child together to complete our family.

This is definitely like finding a needle in a haystack. We were soon being treated for infertility and our excitement and joy at the prospect of becoming parents together started to fade.

Sadly, as weeks turned into months and months turned into years, our attempts were all in vain. It seemed our infertility was a mystery that no one could solve.

Tony and I decided that we had already been blessed and we were fortunate, so we got our two wonderful dogs, Tess and Derby, and together with Todd, Tye, and Jaci, we devoted our time to us.

A few years go by and our oldest son Todd graduated from high school, our beloved Tess was killed when she ran onto the road and was hit by a car, Tye was getting ready to graduate from high school and go to college, and Jaci was busy with her friends and planning on where she would be going to college in a year and a half. So...it was going to be just me and Tony.

I'm not going to tell you that we didn't get depressed and start talking about how we'd have a kid in elementary school still if we'd only been able to get pregnant. But, we didn't dwell on that. Instead, we focused on how great the kids were and how cool it was to watch them planning for their future and we decided to plan for ours as well.

We bought a Harley and started thinking about all the places we wanted to ride to.  We also planned on several vacations and visiting friends and family we hadn't seen in awhile.

THEN...

Well, I'll see if you can figure out what happened. Can you find our "Discovery between the covers" or stuffed animals as it is in this picture????



After almost 10 years, our Treasure Quest ended with the arrival of Cage Crit Bowman on November 20, 2008! He's amazing and he's the best gift in the world!

Hope you've enjoyed my journey. Have a similar story to share? I'd love to hear it.  What's the one treasure that means everything to you?

PRIZES!!

Speaking of treasure!! Here's the awesome treasure I'm offering! You have four changes to win on my blog. Here are the awesome prizes:

1st place: $10 coupon to use on the Astraea Press website plus a paperback copy of my novella Wayward Soul plus 2 awesome bookmarks

2nd place: a paperback copy of my novella Wayward Soul plus 2 awesome bookmarks

3rd and 4th places: a PDF copy of my novella Wayward Soul plus I'll mail you 2 awesome bookmarks

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed my Quest. Now head on over to the next blog for another exciting post with:




Friday, July 15, 2011

BLOGFEST GIVEAWAY 2011

Welcome to BLOGFEST 2011! And thank you A Journey of Books for hosting!

I LOVE books. Reading is my favorite past time, aside from writing and playing with my kidlet. Of course, I certainly have my favorites. I thought I'd list my top five for you guys, in no particular order.

I still get chills when I think of Jessie Burlingame being tied to that bed in Gerald's Game by Stephen King. Even more so when she realizes she hasn't been imagining that she's not alone...

I know when most people think of Audrey Niffenegger, they think of her debut novel The Time Traveller's Wife. I have to tell you, as much as I loved that book, it pales in comparison for me next to her novel Her Fearful Symmetry. I read it, read it again, and then read it again a month later.

I'm tempted to say all of Jodi Picoult's books, but since I said I'd list five, I'll pick one of hers. I will tell you one of the funniest scenes ever came from her book Keeping Faith when Faith's grandma is on the stand and she's looking for her death certificate in her purse. HA! I love that scene. But...my favorite of her books is Mercy. Not only is it a tear-jerker that reminds me a lot of my very good friend Kay Springsteen's books, you gotta love a woman who gets revenge on her husband by selling all his stuff in a garage sale. including his favorite chair.

A book that might surprise some people is christian novelist Ray Blackston's Flabbergasted. What a hoot! I loved every minute of it and loved the sequels just as much.

This last book is near and dear to my heart. Yes, I'm a little biast since I wrote the story that's helping it make my list, but, hey, it's a good story:) I had the awesome privilege of working with five other great Astraea Press authors on an anthology titled Matrimonial Mayhem. I got to honor two very special people with my contribution. My mom and dad. My story The Ballad of Brenda and Willard is funny as well as near and dear to my heart. I love it and I'm so glad I wrote it for them. The proceeds from the sale go to benefit the tornado victims, so hop over to Astraea Press and for $5 get a great book and help a wonderful cause.

So that's a few of my favorites. How about you? Leave a comment telling me what your favorite book is and why and I'll enter you in a contest to win a paperback copy of my novella Wayward Soul plus your pick of FIVE ebooks from the list below. I'll also have a second, third, and fourth place prize of an ebook copy of Wayward Soul. Winners will be randomly chosen using randomizer.org

~Jean (Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights)
~Bri Clark (Cafe Seduzione)
~Stephanie Taylor (Lucky For Her)
~Stephanie Taylor (The Picture)
~Kay Springsteen (Heartsight)
~Lisa Kumar (Through the Rabbit Hole)
~Stephanie Smith (Lizzie and the Rebel)
~Monique O’Connor James (The Keepers)
~J. Gunnar Grey (Deal with the Devil, part one)
~Felicia Rogers (The Perfect Rose)
~Kristine Cheney (Spartan Heart, part one)


Also, don't forget about the grand prize and make sure to stop at the other blogs in the fest! Here are links for other participants.


Return to A Journey of Books


<a href="http://kmnbooks.blogspot.com/">KMN Books Blogspot</a>
<a href="http://www.krittersramblings.com/">Kritters Ramblings</a>
<a href="http://littylady.blogspot.com/">Lady Lit Reviews</a>
<a href="thelifeoflale.blogspot.com">Lale on Lit</a>
<a href="http://laurakayeauthor.blogspot.com/">Laura Kaye</a>






Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Interview with Anna James

isabellasdilemma_original[1][1]Please help me welcome author Anna James with her new release Isabella’s Dilemma. The cover is absolutely beautiful and congratulations on your book. It sounds amazing.

BLURB: Isabella Sheridan has a big problem and his name is Jake McAllister! Jake is now Isabella’s business partner. To make matters worse he owns more of the Sheridan Advertising Agency than she does. He is difficult to work with, has a hostile attitude toward her and makes business decisions without consulting her. So why does she respond with so much passion when he kisses her?

Jake McAllister does not like Isabella Sheridan. As far as he’s concerned she’s shallow and without moral values, both in her personal and professional life. So why is he so attracted to her? You’d think he’d know better based on past experience. And why, after just one passionate kiss, is he ready to give her the benefit of the doubt and become involved?

Will Jake and Isabella resolve their differences and find love or will past perceptions be too much to overcome?

Like I said, it sounds amazing and I’m so glad you stopped by to share it with us. Now, it’s time to put you in the hot seat!

Where’s the one place you’d love to visit? Italy, Australia

Australia! I’m so there with you. What genre do you love to read but would never write? I have yet to write a futuristic romance novel by I love to read them. I can't say that I won't ever write one because I'd love to someday.

Hey, add it to your bucket list. Where’s the one place you’d love to live? I'm from New England and would love to be able to live in a warm climate during the winters.

January/February, I’m so with you. Right now, with heat index of 110, I’m thinking Antarctica sounds good. Do you prefer to read a book written in first person or third person? Third person. I guess I'm more used to that style. I have not read that many books that are written in the first person.

Do you prefer to read stand alone books or a series? I like both. Some of my favorite series books include: The Bride Quartet - Nora Roberts. Arcane Series - Jayne Ann Krentz, The Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling, Death Series - J.D. Robb, Troubleshooters Series - Suzanne Brockmann. The list goes on. I also enjoy stand alone books from these authors as well as many others.

You list and mine as well. I’m so glad you stopped by. Anna has brought along an excerpt so we can get a sneak peek!!

Amy glared at her and she glared back, a mutinous look on her face. You wouldn’t look at me that way if you knew what he thought of me, she told her cousin silently. He’s a lousy rat! How dare he think so badly of her? And she never would have known if she hadn’t overheard a conversation he was having in his office one day. As a matter of fact, it was that conversation that had made her finally decide to leave the agency altogether. Well, it hadn’t been her only reason for leaving, she conceded wryly, but it was the final straw as far as she was concerned. He actually thought she was sleeping with their clients! She still couldn’t believe it. Had he always thought so little of her?

Her mind drifted back to the first time she’d met him. It had been at a Christmas party. Her father threw one every year for his employees. In addition to the advertising agency, her father had numerous other business interests. Jake had been there as a representative from one of them. She’d been eighteen on that occasion and had just started her first year at college. He’d been introduced to her as one of her father’s protégés; a financial wizard with a reputation of a man that got the job done—no matter what. He was the person her father was counting on to turn around his latest acquisition. There had been something about him, even back then, that had affected her on the most basic level, she admitted now. But, to him, she’d meant nothing. She had been merely someone to be polite to if he wanted to get ahead in her father’s organization. She hadn’t seen much of him since then, until recently, as he had never been involved with the advertising agency in the past. He was now, though, and she still didn’t know why. Compared to his responsibilities within the rest of Sheridan Industries, running the advertising agency was small peanuts.

But they were business partners now it seemed. It was a shock finding out that Jake not only worked for her father, but, was actually his business partner; owning a significant chunk of stock in the agency as well as the rest of the business empire. Which was why he was able to force me out in the first place, she thought angrily. He didn’t force you out, a little voice inside her taunted. You left of your own accord. “He’s an extraordinary man,” her father used to say. “Not only in the business sense but personally as well.” Maybe you thought so, Dad, but I certainly don’t!

“Care to dance?”

Isabella looked up with a start. She had been so preoccupied with her memories that she hadn’t realized anyone was talking to her. “I’m sorry. What was that?” She looked around her nervously. “And where are Amy and Nick?”

“On the dance floor,” Jake replied dryly, his eyes leading hers to where their figures were swaying together in time to the music. “Which is why I asked if you’d like to dance.”

“With you?” she mocked. “Why don’t you ask your lady friend? I’m sure she’d be more than happy to join you.”

“Why Isabella, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were jealous.”

Her eyebrows arched. You’ve got to be kidding, she thought derisively, and was about to say just that when a thought occurred to her. Her lips curved mischievously. “Why, Jake, I’d love to dance. I thought you’d never ask,” she replied sweetly, and standing, led the way on to the dance floor.

If Jake was surprised he didn’t show it. He simply took her in his arms and they began to sway in time to the music. A tingling sensation ran down Isabella’s spine when his hand came in contact with her back. It felt—No! She dismissed that thought right from her head.

“Isabella, I’d like to talk to you about something,” he began. “It’s about Sheridans.”

The sensual sound of his voice washed over her and she leaned in closer to him. “I’m listening.”

If he noticed anything different about her behavior, he didn’t let on. “Yes, I’d like—”

She inhaled deeply and let her hand glide up his arm and come to rest on his shoulder, pressing her body against his lean frame. “What is that cologne you’re wearing?” she asked breathlessly. “It smells wonderful.” When her head came to rest on his chest, his whole body tightened in response.

“Isabella,” he grated through clenched teeth. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I’m warning you…”

She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide and luminous, and her lips parted and kissably soft. “Jake,” she whispered breathlessly.

“Isabella,” he warned again.

This really was quite intoxicating, she acknowledged somewhere in the far reaches of her brain. She could easily… Don’t blow it now, she told herself sternly. In a few seconds you can toss him a dirty look and tell him exactly what you think of him!

Without warning his lips crushed hers in a passionate kiss. It took her totally by surprise and shocked her to her very core. Which is why she began kissing him back with a hunger that not only matched his—it surpassed it! My God! I’ve never been kissed like this in my whole life, she thought dazedly. Had never responded to a man like this, ever. She could feel the blood as it raced through her veins; hear it roaring in her ears. Her heart beat wildly. She was on fire with desire. Helplessly she clung to him. She couldn’t think; didn’t want to think, only feel…

Reality set in. This isn’t supposed to be happening, she thought frantically. She’d just wanted to teach him a lesson, for goodness sakes. Yet here she was practically devouring the man. Oh God! She didn’t even like Jake McAllister. She couldn’t possibly want him…could she? No! She ripped herself free from his embrace. “What do you think you are doing?” she asked in an anguished voice. What had happened to her just now? She had lost complete control of the situation. Jake had kissed her, but her reaction to that kiss—to him— Panic set in and she turned and fled the dance floor without waiting for his response.

He raced after her and caught up with her on the street outside. Grasping her shoulder, he whirled her around to face him.

Oh, I can’t wait to see how this turns out! I’m sure you guys agree so head over to one of these buy links to get your copy!

 Amazon ~ Bookstrand ~ Sugar and Spice Press ~ All Romance ~ Omni Lit

About the author:

I was born in Connecticut and lived there until I was nine years old. My family and I spent the next eleven years living in Williamsville, a suburb just outside of Buffalo, NY. I returned to Connecticut after receiving my associates degree in Engineering Science and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. I continue to live in Connecticut with my husband and children. I am a romantic at heart and enjoy reading and writing romance novels.

Anna would love to hear from you. Stop by and visit her at her Website and on Facebook

Monday, July 11, 2011

Trivia Tuesday–Kay Springsteen

mayhem

I’m so pleased to have my wonderful friend and fellow Astraea Press author/anthology contributor Kay Springsteen in the hot seat today. I know she is as proud of Matrimonial Mayhem as I am. Kay’s contribution to this work is Camp Wedding, which features the cast of characters from Heartsight. The end of Heartsight finds Trish and Dan married and about to embark on their new life as husband and wife. Camp Wedding shows us that a bride’s best laid plans can mean only one thing – something will inevitably go wrong. Matrimonial Mayhem can be purchased at Amazon for $5.99 ~  Astraea Press for $5 ~ Barnes & Noble for $5.99 and all proceeds go to benefit the Governor of Alabama's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for the hardest storm-hit areas of the state.

Now, time to pick Kay’s brain with some questions.

Who’s your favorite villain either from a book or a movie? Silar from Heroes. I think he was less of a villain than he was portrayed, and really just misunderstood. Also, the Man In Black on Lost. After I learned his back story, I came to believe Jacob was the one in the wrong, although not out of any malicious reason; rather, he was misguided.

bear1Where’s the one place you’d love to visit? Well, it WAS the Yellowstone in the Rocky Mountains until the grizzly bear attack last week. That kind of made me re-think my bucket list goals of which states to hit.

You and me too!!  Who’s the one person you’d love to meet? Lori Karayianni – she’s ½ of the writing team that comprises Tori Carrington. She and I are Facebook friends and I’d love to meet her in person. She sounds like a lot of fun. Not to be outdone by meeting Kim Bowman in person, but I already KNOW that’s gonna happen. Same with J. Gunnar Grey. One day…

Oh, that’s a given! And soon, I hope! Do you prefer to read a book written in first person or third person? Third person all the way, baby.

What genre do you love to read but would never write? Techno-thrillers (e.g., Tom Clancy), or Science Fiction – the hard core kind (e.g., Herbert, Heinlein, etc.). I love reading and watching both of these genres, but there is so much research into pure science to do in order to write it correctly.

alienWOW! I wouldn’t have guessed that! Do you prefer to read stand alone books or a series? I love stand alone books that have other stand alone books as part of the series. I don’t mind an occasional trilogy with cliff hanger endings as long as I don’t have to wait too long between books. But it’s the revisiting of characters and catching glimpses of old favorites in new stories that really makes it great for me.

And you do a killer job with that in your books Lifeline Echoes and Elusive Echoes! And, of course, with Heartsight and Camp Wedding. I’m so glad you shared Dan and Trish’s story with us and I’m especially glad you offered to share and excerpt from Camp Wedding with us.

The organ began to play the one song Trish had insisted on, Pachelbel's Canon. They were only a couple of hours late. Guests had resettled themselves into pews as everyone waited for the bride to finish getting ready. Now the moment was here, and as he listened to the chorus of ʺAw, how cute," Dan knew Trish was making her way toward him.

Next to him, Jake cleared his throat and murmured softly, ʺYour bride has tethered your child to her with a very colorful ribbon attached to them both."

Dan stopped himself from laughing out loud, but only barely. His lips twitched as he picked up the tinkling sound of jingle bells in perfect rhythm with Trish’s footsteps, and from then on out, he had no trouble visualizing the woman he loved walking along the aisle in his direction.

As Trish stopped next to him and the organ music drifted to silence, her sweet flowery scent wafted in his direction . . . mingled with the definite fragrance of cotton candy. His mind drifted to the morning he’d met these two incredible females, and he acknowledged the countless ways his life had been changed since that day. He could no longer imagine himself living alone, hidden from the rest of the world, soaking in a vat of his own pity. Trish and Bella had brought love and joy to his life. He was, as his father had said, a very lucky man.

Dan barely heard the words. He must have said the right things at the right time. Jake didn’t poke him in the ribs once during the ceremony.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Kay has graciously offered one lucky commenter a PDF copy of either Heartsight or Lifeline Echoes. You can follow Kay on her writing adventures (pssst…she’s working on a killer story right now titled Heartsent) on her Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

You can also purchase her other books by following the links above.

kays books