 Who I am a middle-aged woman who decided eight years ago to get serious about my writing. I had been dabbling since my final year of university, but hadn’t actually completed a book. In 2012 I wrote “the end” on my first book and I haven’t looked back. I persisted – taking courses, attending conferences, learning about both the craft and the business of writing. 2020 was my year as I’ve published three books. Interests I know it’s a cop-out, but I really do spend most of my spare time writing, editing, or doing other business-related things. I guess if I were to choose one interest, it would be Outlander. I have met Diana Gabaldon several times – a very gracious lady – and I have listened to her series through from beginning to end three times. That’s roughly an investment of 365 hours for the “Big Books” and another 74 hours for the “in-Between” books and the Outlandish Guides. Needless to say, I’m waiting for baited breath for Book 9. I recently had the honor of listening to Ms. Gabaldon read a chapter. Can’t wait. Network I have a great support network. I belong to the Greater Vancouver Writer’s Association and pre-pandemic, looked forward to their monthly meetings. We still have meetings online, but it’s not quite the same thing. In March I joined The Creative Academy for Writers and have found a true home. The women who run the Academy have created a welcoming place where writers from every genre can meet and share craft tips and business ideas. We even share our work and I did my first ZOOM reading from my current book. Desk My desk? Well, a bit eclectic. I was working from home before the pandemic, so I have my two monitors, keyboard and mouse. I push those back when I’m not working and pull out my laptop for anything non-work related. Also, I have my cat’s food. Lady Arabella de Bergerac (better known as Bella) is a purebred Himalayan, seventeen, and blind. I found it easiest to put her food on the desk. My recliner butts up against it, so she can eat when she’s hungry, and hunker down on the recliner when she’s full. This arrangement has the added bonus that my five-year-old ChinPoo doesn’t have access to the cat food. Ally and Bella get along well, but Ally would do just about anything to get a hold of Bella’s wet food. Outrageous I’m struggling to come up with some outrageous talent. Something I’m good at. So I’ll talk about my dog. Ally was a rescue, and the first thing I did was take her for training. We did four rounds of training in her first two years, culminating in therapy dog training, which she passed with flying colors. She’s not a service dog, but she is dedicated to making people happy. In pre-pandemic times, we would hang out at the local coffee shop. I would write novels, and she would hang out at my feet. Regulars would come to visit, and often children would venture over. Ally is incredibly patient with everyone, but especially children. I think she misses the human interactions as her world is now just me and my roommate. I can’t wait until the world returns to normal, and she can get back out into the world to make people happy. As the honorary mascot of my writing group, I know she’s been missed. That being said, she has been known to ZOOM bomb meetings. Window In my old home, I looked through my window and out over a forest. The trees were beautiful and soothing. Recently I’ve moved to the city and my window looks out over a street. I can see my neighbors – something very new. The view isn’t what it used to be, but Ally is thrilled. The window is floor-to-ceiling, so she sits at my feet and looks out over her dominion. She has to say ‘hello’ to all her buddies in the neighborhood so there’s plenty of barking. I’ve grown accustomed to my new view, and my biggest regret is the beautiful colorful leaves have all fallen and we’re now headed into the dreaded Pacific Northwest rainy winter. At least I have my dog at my feet and my cat nearby.
 Amber Eyes
School principal Gage Clayton is still grieving the death of his wife and submissive, yet he can't ignore his Dominant needs. As he enters Club Kink, he's inexplicably drawn to a newly released sub with an intriguing proposition and the most captivating amber eyes. But she has disturbing baggage and her expectations prove quite a challenge, one that would necessitate a commitment he's not ready for. Rielle Reid needs a Dom while she waits for her former Master to return. When she invites a handsome stranger to her home dungeon for a night of play, she's surprised at his gentle dominance—and her response to it. But in the light of day, his demand for equal footing confounds her. After living four years as a twenty-four/seven slave, she has no concept of how to be anything other than property. Gage must find a way to master Rielle to free them both from the shackles of the past. Excerpt She released his hand, rose, and stretched. Leaning down, she placed a kiss to his cheek. “Come to bed soon. You’re looking as tired as I’m feeling.” Then she was gone. In her wake, however, a wave of desire swept over him. Come to bed soon, she said. As in come to our bed soon? There had been no talk of sleeping arrangements, and the room she’d used the previous weekend had been cleaned, sheets laundered, everything put to rights. Sex was out of the question, but sleeping with someone? For the whole night? That held almost as much appeal. Almost. Cleanup was simple, and within a few minutes, he headed to the bathroom. The steam from her earlier shower had dissipated, but her scent lingered. He’d yet to put his finger on the exact scent of body spray she used, but he liked trying to guess. He loved the mystery and allure that came with the not knowing. When he stepped into his bedroom, one of the bedside lamps was on, casting the room in shadows. She was already in bed, covers pulled up. He stripped out of his clothes and slid in beside her, cradling her against him, spoon-style. She extended a hand to switch off the light, and he stopped her. “I don’t mind sleeping with the light on.” “With you next to me, I don’t need the light.” He was moved almost to the point beyond words. “I’ll always protect you. You know that, right?” Instead of responding, she cuddled closer to him, burrowing herself under the blankets. It wasn’t long before her breath evened out and even less time after that before his did. Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3jf4oJd Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2CasIeT Banes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amber-eyes-gabbi-black/1137343876 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gabbi_Black_Amber_Eyes?id=g-33DwAAQBAJ KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/amber-eyes-11 iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/amber-eyes/id1526064524? Publisher: https://www.thewildrosepress.com/books/amber-eyes Add it to GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54920296-amber-eyes Personal links:Website: http://gabbiblack.com/ Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/2763198834 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbiblack/ Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/Author-Gabbi-Black-106666354460589/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/authorgabbiblack/boards/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabbiAuthor More about Gabbi Even though Gabbi Black is a firm believer in happy endings, she makes her characters work for it in every romance she writes, no matter what the genre. From contemporary to BDSM, they are penned early in the morning in her home in beautiful British Columbia while she is kept company by her trusty ChinPoo dog and her cantankerous Himalayan cat. She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey.  Who: I am optimistic, a trait I share with my heroines no matter how tough the times, strong willed like my heroines to the point of never giving up, and love animals especially dogs. My heroines each have a pet whether a cat or a dog. I was born in New Jersey to two very loving and wonderful parents. My father, an Italian immigrant, taught Latin and Italian at a small local college. He left to start his own business, an independent print shop. My mother loved to help people and volunteered at our church and with charitable groups. She was a talented lace maker and loved to crochet and knit; her father, also from Italy, was a custom furrier and tailor for some of the most affluent residents of our community. Unfortunately I didn’t inherit those wonderful talents since I am barely able to sew on a button. As for my father’s ability to read, speak, and write foreign languages, that went by the wayside as well. But one trait I did inherit from my father was his love of a good story and he often told me stories about his childhood. I remember one that especially aroused my curiosity. He said that growing up in Naples, his family was divided by their economic status - rich or poor. His immediate family was not rich and those that were wanted nothing to do with them. He went on to tell me that his family was related to the Prince of Naples who became the last King of Italy. I always wanted to trace my family history to see if that was true. I have no reason to doubt him but it would be fun to verify and would make good fodder for a story … maybe a royal romance? Interests: I love to travel whether in the U.S. to our amazing national parks or abroad. I walked on The Great Wall of China, visited the pyramids, went to a pachinko parlor in Tokyo, saw the giant statues on Easter Island, and traveled the ring road in Iceland to name a few. Of course Italy has always been included in my travel plans and found my father’s church in Naples. Two years ago, we traced my husband’s heritage visiting Armenia. Having owned a video store on our island for twenty years, I love movies. I watch them at home now and try to find ones I haven’t seen which at times can be a little tough. Network: My husband is my best cheerleader and support to talk over my creative dilemmas as are my friends in my local RWA chapter. Desk: Eclectic. I guess you can say it’s like me. My desk is very small and built into the wall in our family room near the lanai door to the pool. It’s usually a mess with notebooks filled with future writing plans, calendar reminders, and books on writing stacked to one side. But I also keep fun stuff like colorful Mardi Gras beads I caught in the parade hanging from my bulletin board, a framed hand carved book mark made from very thin wood with “AUTHOR” inscribed on it along with the caricature of a god that my husband bought for me in Indonesia, a Troll from the movie of the same name, and a photo of my husband and dog Max. On the wall over my desk is a large water color of a manatee swimming beneath the water. It was done by one of our local island artists. Outrageous talent: This was a tough one for me since I couldn’t think of one so I had to ask my husband what he thought. It took him mere seconds to respond. He looked straight at me and smiled. “You are a people magnet. We could be standing in a crowd of thirty people and anyone looking for conversation or to get advice about a current life problem always seeks you out.” I thought about that and remembered that when I had my video store (when video and DVD’s were popular) that happened all the time. It happened so much I stopped asking “How are you?” It was hard to take a lot of time away from other customers so I asked what kind of movie they were looking for instead. I do genuinely care about people and my husband says that sincere empathy seeps onto my face whether in the grocery store or after meeting someone for the first time. I have listened to many interesting stories about romance, divorce, moving, and other life dilemmas. Some of the happier ones, I have stored in my mind. After changing the names, locations, and time line of the story teller, I have integrated many as backstories in my novels. Window: I consider myself very fortunate to have such a beautiful view. There are many days I’d rather look out my window than watch TV. We live on a Gulf Coast island in Southwest Florida. My window faces a sleepy lagoon that flows off the Back Bay where dolphin frolic and manatees swim. Never mind all the gorgeous birds! I watch anhingas dive for fish while the pelicans dive bomb after them, and the osprey or sea eagles circle and fly down to grab an unsuspecting fish. Ibises, blue herons, white egrets walk across my back yard while in winter we have vacationing Blue Jays and cardinals. There are owls at night, hummingbirds, and majestic eagles. Mangroves fill the other side of the lagoon while the flowering bushes like hibiscus and oleander in our yard add bright colors to my view.  It’s the Holidays and Jessica Munroe seems destined for misery. Nonetheless she is trying to make the best of it. Her fiancé Jake, an emergency room doctor, dumped her for his nurse and just two weeks prior, she had to put her dog, her best friend, Mazy to sleep.
The pain of losing both the man she loved and her best friend has taken her to a new low. Jessica, determined not to stay down, is now hard at work trying to push through the holiday season by doubling up on Christmas lights and decorations she’s putting up outside her residence. As Jessica works, a big brown scruffy dog appears in her yard and refuses to leave when she tries to shoo him away. He’s filthy, looks hungry, and seems like he needs help. A dog lover, Jessica takes him to her vet who discovers a metal bone shaped tag buried in his matted fur. The tag reveals his name, Sam, and a phone number to call if he is lost or injured. Sam’s owner Trey Musgrove is in the hospital the victim of a head-on collision. Now Jessica’s life is about to change forever thanks to Sam, this big brown scruffy lovable dog. Side effects of reading PAWS FOR CHRISTMAS are a happy heart, an uplifted spirit, new confidence in the future, and a smile on your face! Excerpt: I arrived at Healthwell, picked up my pre-arranged visitor’s badge, and headed directly to the sixth floor. I was so curious about him I couldn’t get there fast enough. Starra was on duty at the nurse’s station. Her face lit up like the shooting stars that influenced her name when she saw me. She called out, “Jess, please hurry. I told Trey you were coming. He’s anxious to meet you. Please follow me.” Starra walked briskly. I followed her pace into his room. Since I studied that photo online so many times, I felt like I already knew him. My heart pounded when I noticed the curtain surrounding his hospital bed was half closed. Starra walked us around to where he could see us, and we could see him before introducing me. “Trey Musgrove, this is Jessica Munroe. She’s the young woman who sent you the note about Sam.” Trey’s gaze was turned away from me as he drank water from a straw held by another nurse. When he turned to face me, his blue eyes took mine hostage. My body trembled from his stare. It was as if we had known each other for a long time. He looked a bit paler and thinner than in that photo but still incredibly handsome. There should be a law against being that handsome. His kind blue eyes looked tired and he appeared weak like Jake said because he might have “atrophied muscles.” I remained quiet to let him speak first. He looked at me, well, really stared at me. I wondered if my holiday outfit was over the top. He spoke as I held up my holiday cookie bag. “Jessica, I appreciate your visit and for taking such good care of my Sam. I can’t tell you how relieved I felt after reading your note since I feared the worst after no one found him near the accident scene. I can tell by looking at you that he’s a very lucky dog.” Amazon Books & Audiobooks https://www.amazon.com/Mariah-Lynne/e/B00AYH099G?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000 Apple Books & Audiobooks https://books.apple.com/us/author/mariah-lynne/id543077728 Rakuten-Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Mariah+Lynne Mariah Lynne Website http;//www.MariahLynne.com Twitter @MariahLynne1 www.facebook.com/MariahLynneAuthor https://www.pinterest.com/mariahlynneauthor https://mariahlynneauthor.blogspot.com/  Who- Hey, kids. I’m Peggy Jaeger and I write romcoms, small town romances, and contemporary romances about strong women, the families who support them and the men who can’t live without them. I’ve recently dipped my writing toe into the romantic suspense genre, too. My latest book is a Holidary Romance Anthology titled CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS. I’m one of 10 authors who each have a story in the collection, all centered around the fictional New England town of DICKENS during the weeks leading up to Christmas. My story is titled ANGEL KISSES AND HOLIDAY WISHES. Interests- People watching (in a purely nosy, not creepy way); restoring old steamer trunks by decoupaging them; hand-painting note cards for gifts and craft fairs; all things aging-skin care related – from dermal peels, to laser lights, to the newest in top of the line skin products. Hey, I’m 60. I gotta be proactive in the aging department, and knowledge = power, plus good skin! Network- I’m a member of RWA, NHRWA (my local chapter), I’m a Wild Rose Press author, have written for LIMITLESS and KENSINGTON, and I’m also now officially an indie author. I’m also a retired Registered Nurse, I have a masters degree in geriatric psychology and I’m a practicing Catholic (and I say practicing because I’m never gonna be an expert! Hee hee) Desk- When I’m working on a new book it looks like a cyclone blew through the area. Reference books tossed all over it, my three daily calendars stocked on top of one another, various pens and markers scattered about, and I’ll always have an empty glass or cup (or 3 or 4) from forgotten soda, tea, and water. Outrageous- For my 58th birthday, my daughter and I took trapeze lessons at Chelsea Piers in NYC. Can I just tell you how scared I was – but also wickedly exhilarated??!! Window- Outside my attic office window I can see the seasons change in my woodland paradise. I live in the woods and I see – daily – turkeys, deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and birds scurrying about below me. Since I live in New England and the weather has been schizophrenic lately, I had the view of 3 inches of snow last week, that has now all melted with the three days of 60 degree temps we’ve had.   Universal link: Christmas Comes to Dickens UBL Link: https://books2read.com/DickensChristmas BLurb for ANGEL KISSES AND HOLIDAY WISHES Can a first love be rekindled when the past is filled with heartache? After a personal tragedy, Sage Hamilton left the town she’d grown up in and boy she’d given her heart to. With a vow never to return, Sage forged on with her life in order to forget the sadness of her past. Keith Mills loved Sage from the first moment he spotted her ambling down the hallway of their middle school. And she’d felt the same about him. Or so he’d thought until she’d walked away from everything they’d meant to one another with a tearful and rushed goodbye. But now, eighteen years later, she’s back and, as the town’s new doctor, it looks like she’s staying. Can Keith put the hurt of Sage’s dismissal to bed for good? And will she want to rekindle the love that had burnt so bright all those years ago? Find more about Peggy at these links https://peggyjaeger.com/ https://www.facebook.com/PeggyJaeger.Author https://twitter.com/@peggy_jaeger https://www.instagram.com/peggyjaeger_author https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/   Who- Hey there, I’m Birdie Song, an Asian-Australian sweet romance author. I write both for fun as well as for a living. And yes, it’s true… I do love a bit of pineapple on my pizza (and with sweet and sour pork, and in fried rice). Interests- My passions include food, nature and travel, especially combining all three within my home state of Western Australia. I live a pretty active life too, and am often nursing one or two sports injuries at any given time. All of these interests give me plenty of inspiration for things to write about. Network- Even though everybody in my family lives in different cities these days, I still think of them as my network. We have this strange relationship where we’re a lot closer and get along much better when we’re far apart. Perhaps it’s because when we talk now, we have to make an effort to focus on each other, rather than just spending time by the by. As an introvert who’s better at email and texting than talking, this is totally fine by me! Desk- For health reasons, I have three “dedicated” workspaces set up around the home — two seated desk setups and one standing setup. It ensures I don’t stay in one position for too long, as that tends to wreak havoc on my posture. My home is very small, so it’s kind of magical that this was even possible! Outrageous talent- I rock a mean microphone at karaoke. At least, I used to before microphone hygiene became a thing to worry about. Now I just sing very loudly in the shower, in the car, at my cat, and only slightly less loudly when I’m working in the garden. Window- Ah, outside my window is a view of a street that’s very busy for half the day and very quiet for the other half. We live between a hill and a body of water, which I think someone once told me is good feng shui. I have a feeling the way we’ve arranged the furniture around our window isn’t quite as auspicious as it could be, but — touch wood — we’ve felt reasonably safe and comfortable since our last redecorating effort.  The Guy From The Internet
A sweet romance with a touch of family drama. Holly Chee does not have her life together. She's flip-flopped on uni courses and career choices, and somehow scared off her long-term fiancée-to-be, much to the chagrin of her immigrant parents. But she does have her streaming channel, where she broadcasts her art from her one-bedroom Mount Lawley apartment. And she has that guy from France... assuming he's even who he says he is. "The Guy From The Internet" is a sweet #OwnVoices Asian-Australian romance novella, set in the world of Somerville Downs. * Contains mild swearing, multicultural language, alcohol use, and references to workplace harassment and infidelity. Available now on Amazon Excerpt Afterwards, when Jed asks to see my phone, I know exactly what she’s looking for. I mangle my quiche while pulling up the latest photo from Florian saved in my gallery. I’ve looked at that photo at least seventy-four times since he sent it, and it still makes my heart flutter. His steely eyes, soft features, light brown skin and a splash of freckles across his nose—my boyfriend is crush material. His hair’s shorter than usual in this photo. It’s a recent change, one of many he says he’s ready to make. A fresh look and a fresh start away from Paris is only the beginning. Jedda gives a long hum of approval. “My girl, he is a looker. Is he mixed?” “Both his parents are. On his dad’s side, his granddad is Scottish, and his grandma’s from Mali. His mum’s dad’s from South America, and her mum is from the same place in China as my mum’s family. Not that it’d make much difference to my folks.” “Oh yeah? Are they a bit…” She gesticulates with a grimace. “You know?” “Maybe. I don’t know; we’ve never really talked about it. But they loved Nick so much and kept going on about how he’s such a good Chinese boy. I think they’d definitely have a problem with me bringing home anyone who wasn’t exactly like him—looks and all.” We’re interrupted by a ruckus starting in the middle of the dance floor. “Great. There’s a nope.” Jed hands back my phone. “Sounds like it’s all kicking off over there.” “What do you mean? They’re just dancing.” “No, not there. Over there.” She points my chin at the other end of the room. Not far from the Christmas tree, a small group of new call centre recruits are reluctantly entertaining a familiar, unwelcome face. Their polite smiles, nervous sipping and uncomfortable glances around the room say plenty. I feel sick. “You coming, Hol? Actually…” She puts a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I got this.” My heart pounds as I watch Jeds walk their way. My stomach does a huge flip. I try telling myself it’s the champagne and canapés, but I know deep down it’s not. Once she disappears into the crowd, I slip my shoes back on and get out of there as fast as I can. A Bit More About Birdie Song Birdie Song is an Asian-Australian romantic who writes sweet stories about people falling in love. She believes love is more important than labels, integrity is our most attractive quality, and that no one should be judged for putting pineapple on a pizza. Find out more here ●Newsletter ●Website ●Blog |
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