​Thank you, D.V., for having me on your blog today! 
I’m excited this is Wild Crime’s one-year anniversary. The release of this mystery/domestic suspense wrapped up a three-book series that follows the story of Meredith Lowe, an abused wife and mother, who fantasizes about killing her husband. When he is found murdered, she becomes the likely suspect. In this third book, Meredith discovers a shocking letter from her late mother, one that reads: I’m a murderer. She must discover the truth behind those words.
There is much more to this series, however: Quirky characters in a small town, a search for the truth about her past, and yes, a fair bit of romance.

Who: I was a journalist for years and have always loved writing stories. People are fascinating, aren’t they? When I left my career, I eagerly turned to fiction writing. The idea for the Wild Crime series began with my earlier move from California to Idaho; the idea had been brewing in my mind for a long time. Talk about feeling like a fish out of water. Idaho is a mostly rural state, with vast and rugged wilderness areas. At first, I was a bit overwhelmed. Pretty quickly, though, I was bowled over by the stunning beauty of the mountains and lakes, and the kindness of people here. Now, it’s been my home for twenty years and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Interests: Like many writers, I’m an introvert and love to read. As a child, I spent soooo many hours in the library. But I also was a bit of a tomboy. I loved to ride horses and play softball. My softball days are behind me, but I still love the outdoors. This past year I bought a kayak and spent wonderful days paddling some of Idaho’s beautiful lakes. I enjoy traveling the world and look forward to a time when those travels can begin once more. My favorite interest is my family – two kids and two grandkids. I am so lucky!

Network: One of the best things I’ve done is create and join writer groups. I surround myself with others who feel the same way I do about writing. While we don’t meet in person at the moment, we do still meet online. I find a great deal of support and inspiration, as well as advice, from fellow authors – and I enjoy helping them too.

Desk: These days, I’ve set up shop in my formal dining room. I have an upstairs office, but with so much quarantining, I need to have some bustle around me. From my dining table, I have a view of the front sidewalk and can watch neighbors out on walks or with their dogs. I also can see the delivery trucks arrive – online shopping in my household certainly increased this year.

Outrageous: I’m not afraid of failing at things. I’m willing to try most activities at least once, from rock climbing to ziplining to windsurfing. Many people tell me they’ve always wanted to write a book but weren’t sure they could. How would they know if they hadn’t tried? I certainly didn’t know if I could do it, but worked hard at the process. The worst thing that could happen was my ego getting bruised, but after a career as a journalist, I’ve developed a thick skin.

Window: Out my window is my raised planter garden where I love growing vegetables and flowers. Spring through autumn, I have more than a dozen types of veggies under cultivation, from cucumbers to tomatoes to eggplant. This time of year the beds lay under a layer of snow. We all deserve a rest, don’t we? My garden works very hard the rest of the year.

Wild Crime by Julie Howard
"I'm a murderer. I'm a murderer. I'm a murderer." 
Those three repeated words discovered in an old letter propel Meredith Lowe in a cross-country pursuit to unveil her mother's murky past. Danger stalks Meredith back to Hay City, Idaho as she peels apart the mystery: who is her father, and did her mother kill him? In finding the answer, will a growing love slip through her fingers?

Past merges with the present as the story races to its stunning conclusion.

Excerpt from Wild Crime:

Her hair fell below her waist, ripped free of its ties and weighed down by the warm, lashing rain. The sky-blue dress, so carefully chosen for this night and tried on so many times in her bedroom, was ruined. One strap had torn from her shoulder and dangled down her back. Mud splattered the hem. Sweet Cantaloupe lipstick, a lovely coral that heightened the green in her eyes, was smeared like a bruise on one cheek. She ran.
The high school gym behind her, decorated in crepe paper and curtains, vibrated with electric guitars and teen-aged hormones. Couples gyrated on the dance floor and then disappeared into dark corners. It was late and the Spring Dance was in full throttle. No one would miss her for hours.
Before her, trees dripped moss, barely visible in the darkness. She envisioned the moss brushing her shoulders, low branches snagging in her hair, the possibility of snakes both at her feet and above; this made her hesitate. It would take one scream, one gasp, and he would find her.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2W8j0Pt
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/wild-crime/id1482591716
Barnes andNoble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-crime-julie-howard/1134112545?ean=9781509228638
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Julie_Howard_Wild_Crime?id=xjzADwAAQBAJ
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wild-crime


About the author:
Julie Howard is the author of the Wild Crime series, and Spirited Quest. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. She is a member of the Idaho Writers Guild, editor of the Potato Soup Journal, and founder of the Boise chapter of Shut Up & Write. Learn more at juliemhoward.com.
Website: http://juliemhoward.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/juliemhowardauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116047.Julie_Howard 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Julie-Howard/e/B07D6CS4NQ/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/julie-howard?list=author_books

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JulieMHoward

Friends Who Move Couches 
www.amazon.com/Friends-Who-Move-Couches-Zahner-ebook/dp/B0874BNHG7/
Nikki Grey's idea of living dangerously is not wearing a seatbelt, yet calamity always seems to find her. 
Married to a workaholic, mothering three rebellious kids, and feuding with neighborhood friends, Nikki forgets her problems one afternoon by smoking marijuana. That blunder ignites a lifelong yet dormant medical condition, and she loses her driver’s license. Suddenly stranded in her home, she’s forced to stare out the window at women who have ostracized her. 
Her true friends encourage her to concentrate on her health, but Nikki is her own nemesis. She embarks on a scheme to win back neighborhood friends and plunges into efforts that only end in muddying her reputation. She becomes the butt of neighborhood jokes.  
Foolishly, her ache to mend her broken relationships escalates. Not until her two-timing husband asks her a question that catapults her frivolous suburban life into a tailspin is she forced to stop reaching for others and stand on her own. 
If you like novels about family struggles, friendship wars, quieting your inner critic, and surviving rejection, you’ll love Friends Who Move Couches, a laugh-out-loud yet insightful story every woman can relate to in some way. 

Exerpt
“I can’t drive.” 
“Oh, c’mon, it’s six blocks. It’s not like you’re going to run someone over.” 
“I could, you know.” I remove my keys from a hook in the kitchen and stomp toward the front door. “There are a lot of kids in this neighborhood.” 
“You’re such a pansy. Have you ever done anything wrong in your entire life?” 
“In case you forgot, I smoked dope the other day, Hux.” What am I doing? Trying to impress my kid? I’ve lost more than my license. I’ve lost my mind.
“Yeah and that’s what got you into this mess. It’s not my fault you lost your license. Bring me my lunch. It will take less than three minutes.” 
He’s right. This isn’t his fault, and I am cowardly. I’m a law-abiding pansy. My idea of breaking the law is jaywalking. “Just because you break the law all the time—” 
“You’re such a prude,” he interrupts.
“What did you call me? I’m your mother, for God’s sake.” 
“Mom, you’ve driven to school thousands of times. What do you think is going to happen this one time?” 
He’s attempting to guilt me into this. I know. But it’s working because I never do anything I’m not supposed to, and I’m sick and tired of the dull-and-boring Nikki I’ve aged into. That’s probably Mark’s annoyance with me, too. “There’s no excitement in our life,” he complains, relentlessly. 
“Is that Hux’s lunch? I can drop it off,” Evy says. 
Hux hears him. “There, if you’re chicken shit, have Evy bring it.”  
“What?” 
My blood boils. I head out the front door and hurry toward my SUV. 
“You little s--t.” I’ll be mortified later that I swore at one of my kids, but he’s being such a spoiled brat right now I don’t care. I pull my mouth away from the phone. “Evy, can you please keep an eye on the girls for a minute?” Then I holler into the phone again. “I’m getting you out of bed tomorrow at seven-thirty, you hear me?” 
“You’re not supposed to drive,” Evy scolds as I get in the car and turn on the ignition. 
“Seven-thirty? I start at eight-thirty. It takes less than ten minutes to walk here. I don’t know why you won’t let me take your car, anyway. It’s not like you’re driving it.” 
“Naggy,” Evy hollers. “You’re not allowed to drive.” 
“You wrecked my car, Hux. That’s why your father had to buy me a new one.” 
I turn around and gaze out the back window because my old car didn’t have a camera, and I forget my new one does. I step on the gas, giving it more than expected. I feel a jolting motion and hear a crunch. 
My first thought is, my God, I’ve run over a kid. 
I shove the car into park and run to the back. Evy beats me there. 
“Oh, darling, please tell me that’s D-Amy Everglade’s bike and not Gianna’s. It would be sweet justice in so many ways.” 
I glance at the mangled bike lodged beneath my back bumper. 
The front door opens, and Amy Everglade lets out a scream that sends our dog, Furgy, scurrying out the door and down the street. 
Evy opens the car door and grabs Hux’s lunch. 
“I’ll drop this off and find the dog. You might want to call in the pit crew, Mario.” 
My plan to win more friends might not be working as well as once thought. 

To find out more about CJ here's the links
www.cjzahner.com  
https://www.instagram.com/cjzahner/
https://twitter.com/TweetyZ
http://bit.ly/FBcjzahner 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyndiezahner/
http://bit.ly/gProjectDream 
http://bit.ly/BBProjectDream

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.

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
●Facebook

BLURB FROM BY PROMISE MADE

Hugh Cullane, accused of murder and sentenced to hang, is forced to deliver a message of betrothal to four-year-old Queen Mary of Scotland. He faces death yet again when, in rejecting the proposal, the queen's guardian orders his severed head sent back to England in a jar.
Trained to protect her queen at all costs, Katherine Payne can show no mercy to the handsome messenger, despite the way his stolen kiss unsettles her single-minded sense of duty. Trapped between the English and Scottish armies, she must escape with Mary. Hugh joins her as they are chased by men determined to murder the young queen in their own quest for power.

EXCERPT  
Musselburgh, east of Edinburgh on the Firth of Forth, 1547 
Death circled him like a vulture. 
Hugh Cullane, on his knees in chains and surrounded by her guards, gaped at the queen’s guardian in disbelief. 
How could this be happening to him? All he wanted was to get back to his family home at Makgullane in the southern Highlands. All he had intended was to stop here at Fawside Castle, deliver his message from the duke, and head for home. He’d already wasted five years of his life, gambling and carousing in London. It was time to go home. 
“Why?” he beseeched her. 
“Ye will be beheaded in the morning,” she repeated calmly as if she were ordering porridge for her morning meal, “because the Duke of Somerset abuses his power as regent for the young English king Edward, and because he thinks our babe, Queen Mary, has no one to protect her. He will soon find out how wrong he is.” 
Hugh’s breath came in quick gasps. “I was sent from London to offer a proposal of marriage between Queen Mary of Scotland and King Edward VI of England. Surely ye can see the advantage of joining the two countries peacefully.” 
She spit out the words. “Peacefully? Ha! Somerset thinks he can marry off four-year-old Mary to a nineyear-old child they call king. ’Tis obscene! He doesna want a marriage. He wants Scotland to fall at his feet. He’s a loon! Yer head will send a message that his ruthlessness will be returned with equal ruthlessness.” 
“But I didna come to conquer Scotland,” he implored her. “Can ye no’ hear my brogue? I am a Scot, same as ye.” 
“After all these years of invasion by old King Henry, why would Somerset send only a single messenger? And a Scot to boot? Do ye think me an amadan?” 
“Nay, mistress!” He was the amadan for leaving Makgullane and the adopted father he loved. 
The woman continued to rant at him. “Our land has been ravaged by war over a tiny babe, and still, even after Henry’s death, ye want to slaughter us. The Duke of Somerset is a brutal man who will get the same in kind. Yer head in a jar will show him exactly that!” 
“Please, mistress, I merely came as ordered on the demand of wee King Edward. I had no choice but to come.” 
“Then ye will have no choice but to die. Take him away.” 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S3Q1FK6
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/steadfast-will-i-be-susan-leigh-furlong/1131669297?ean=2940161211540

https://www.susanlfurlong.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SusanLeighFurlong/
https://twitter.com/FurlongLeigh