​With blood the color of red, white and blue running through his veins, Adrian Reilly has dedicated his life to the Army and the brotherhood forged in the heat of Special Forces. But when his third Black Ops mission goes wrong, no one believes his accusation that he and his team were set up by none other than the man running counterintelligence operations at CIA, Charlie O’Donnell. Wrongfully discharged for his failure to lead, Reilly is secretly recalled after his Army brother is murdered and tasked with outing the puppet master and his minions. To clear his name and avenge the deaths of operations officers and soldiers alike, Reilly must bring hard evidence that will put O’Donnell away for life. But O’Donnell’s hand is far reaching and four years pass with Reilly no closer to the truth until a rogue sniper in O’Donnell’s nest of vipers, Trent Mariner, upends the game board and Reilly finds himself blindsided not only by the assassin's plans but by O’Donnell’s assistant, Daniella St. Sauveur, who is more than she appears to be. The discovery of O’Donnell’s ultimate plot comes at the greatest of prices and Reilly is left with the hardest choice of his life: stay with the woman he loves and be haunted by the guilt of forsaking his brothers, or leave her behind to finish his mission and stop Mariner before the world is thrown into political and religious chaos.

​WHO – I’m Helen C. Johannes, author of fantasy romance for The Wild Rose Press: THE PRINCE OF VAL-FEYRIDGE and LORD OF DRUEMARWIN in the Crown of Tolem series; and BLOODSTONE, inspired by Beauty and the Beast. Upcoming is a children’s fantasy chapter book shortly to be self-published: FREDERICK FLY-CATCHER.
INTERESTS – A former English teacher, I love all things medieval, having traveled multiple times to the UK and Germany to soak up history and legends. My favorite reading material is a romantic suspense in any time period or fantasy world, but I’m also a fan of Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson, and Harry Potter, or any such excellent adventure with a band of intrepid friends out to save the world.
NETWORK – I belong to WisRWA and RWA and Wild Rose Press Authors group. Within WisRWA my best buddies are my small area group who connect online almost daily to critique and share.
DESK – I work at the kitchen table most often; that’s where the snacks, tea, and best light are. That means I share space with whatever else is on the table, usually whichever book I’m reading, plus the newspaper, day’s mail, tissue box, and hand sanitizer. My regular companion is a little yellow plastic ‘man’ with open arms meant to hold a cell phone, but I use him to prop up my book or Kindle as I read. I thank author Jade Lee for handing them out at a readers’ convention.
OUTRAGEOUS – My friends and family would probably say my dry humor; I do have a tendency to drop a one-liner and break up a room. Others might say I’m a brainstorming machine; I can easily provide all sorts of ideas to unstick anyone but myself.
WINDOW – My kitchen window looks out to a weathered basswood tree and our bird feeder, which is attracting woodpeckers, nuthatches, goldfinches, purple finches, etc. Geese are flying overhead and I can hear them. Through the leafless trees, I can see and hear the trains passing a few blocks away. Most of the snow is gone, and everything looks dingy, but our rhubarb is coming up, a sure sign of spring.
Thank you for hosting me on this creative blog.

​LORD OF DRUEMARWIN - PAGES FROM THE HEART Winner in Fantasy Romance, #2 Crown of Tolem series

 In a world of lies and betrayal, can they trust each other?
 
Lady Raell can fight, ride, and argue politics as well as her brothers. Only being mistress of her father's household keeps her in skirts. In Naed, the new Lord of Druemarwin, she has found devotion, a kindred spirit, and a marriage promise. But when a forgotten and unwanted betrothal comes to light, she has no choice but to run.
Amidst sweeping revolution, Naed must rally his people, fend off assassination attempts, and fight against claims he's a traitor. Then he discovers everything about his lineage and family is a lie. And his beloved belongs to another.With lives and a kingdom at stake, Raell and Naed must find a way to protect the innocent and save their love.
 
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Who and what I spend time watching is important. I don't watch much television but when I do you can bet Bravo's Top Chef is in the mix. This is probably my favorite show.
Interesting and entertaining I also learn some tricks I use in my own kitchen. I'm certainly no Top Chef but if they had a regular person version of Chopped I might make the cut. I'm pretty good at seeing whats in the pantry and refrigerator then creating a dish. 
Now what you need is to have this properly stocked with basics. Things that when company shows up, or church calls and needs a meal for someone, you can riffle through and make something great. 
Don't know what the basics are? Well I always have meat and  veggies in the freezer. Usually I have homemade stock from boiling down the leftovers of a rotisserie chicken. Some canned tomatoes in the on the shelf along with soups and pasta or rice. Eggs, flour, kosher salt and assorted spices. My favorite is Montreal Steak Seasoning. Aromatics like onion, carrots, garlic, celery, and bell peppers. In my window I have herbs in pots. parsley, basil, rosemary, oregano. 
One pot meals are my favorite. I love building flavors.
What does all this have to do with the fellers in the window above. I was thinking about my character Aden House when I watched Top Chef last week. Any of these handsome men could be the character. Aden is a celebrity chef and restaurateur like these guys. Who wouldn't want to have any of them serve you a meal.

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​“Easy, you’re going to be okay.” A soft voice eased through the chaos around him. The owner of the voice grabbed his arms and held them in a firm but gentle grip. “I’m right here with you. You are not alone.” “Can hardly m-move.” His voice slurred. “C-can’t see anything.” “You’ve been in an accident. I’m an EMT with the ambulance squad,” the velvety voice calmly explained. “You can’t see well because we’re under a tarp. Hold still, okay?” “‘K.” A small light flickered at the edge of his vision. It shone into a bag next to him. Penlight. “You’re restrained to a board. It’s to keep your head from moving and causing more injury.” She continued to talk to him. The voice reached down somewhere inside him, calming and peaceful, so he focused on it. A glow from spotlights on the outside lit whatever covered them. The shadow gave the woman the appearance of a halo—like an angel.

Louise Archer boards a westbound train in St. Louis to find the Kansas homesteader who wooed and proposed to her by correspondence, then jilted her by telegram – Don't come, I can't marry you. Giving a false name to hide her humiliation, her lie backfires when a marshal interferes and offers her his seat.
Marshal Everett McCloud intends to verify the woman coming to marry his homesteading friend is suitable. At the St. Louis train station, his plan detours when he offers his seat to a captivating woman whose name thankfully isn't Louise Archer. 
Everett's plans thwart hers, until he begins to resemble the man she came west to find, and she the woman meant to marry his friend.

To find out more about Colleen please visit
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Who - My name is Darlene and I reside on the Atlantic Coast of Canada where the summers are too short and the winters are too long. An avid reader since childhood, I loved to develop the many stories coming to life in my head. I write contemporary romances with happy-ever-afters. 

Interests - When not working on my next book, I can be found with my husband, daughter, and yellow Labrador. My favourite pastime is taking summer day-trips to the Valley to soak in the small-town feel.

Network - I publish a digital magazine (writing and reading related), I’m a member of a four team beta group, and I host a Facebook author/writer/reader group: The Highway Cafe.

Desk - Always organized and neat. Everything in its place, unless I am busy with a magazine issue or a new book, then there will be a lot of papers and notes scattered about.

Outrageous – I believe in a possible past life (if they exist) that I may have been aboard the Titanic. I am obsessed with the history of this disaster and have probably watched every documentary, and of course the movie.

Window - Outside my window, there is currently snow falling. I thought it was spring, but then again, I do live where the winters are too long.

​Kissed By Winter By Darlene Fredette  A Redford Falls Novel Book 2
 It’s snowing in Redford Falls and nothing thaws the chill faster than a warm winter kiss.
A woman who knows what she wants and a man who knows what he needs.
She’s been on a flight from hell for over eight hours, lost four hours of daylight, and arrived in temperatures twenty degrees lower than accustomed to. Disliking winter for a reason she refuses to discuss, Danielle Lerato would rather be anywhere than in Redford Falls. She needs to get the job done and return home before getting caught up in the small town’s charm—and the arms of the handsome, brown-eyed restaurant owner. 
Andrew Bailey’s first encounter with the buttery blonde didn’t go so well, and he well-remembers the chill of the glass of water she dumped over his head. Now, nine months later, a raging storm drops Danielle back into his life. She’s determined to leave, but he’ll do whatever it takes to convince her to fall in love with Redford Falls…and him.
 
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