Author Colleen Story knows the frustrations of being a struggling writer because she once was one. She found her niche by focusing on writing and wellness, and now she's sharing how she did it in her latest book, "Writer Get Noticed! A Strengths-Based Approach to Creating a Standout Author Platform."

This very readable book is like having a conversation with Colleen as she guides the reader through various effective journaling exercises to help writers understand their motivations, identify and build on their strengths, discover their heroes, create their author theme, and build their platform. Colleen acts as part psychologist/part coach to help writers refine and realize their goals. 

If you're a writer who's feeling discouraged, demoralized, and on the verge of giving up, this book is an answer to an SOS. I've tuned in to various free webinars that purport to show authors the way to achieve success, and much of the time the suggestions are too broad and the whole purpose is to sell a product that purports to be "the answer." Colleen provides common-sense, specific, and real-world advice, and it's authentic because she's lived it. 

If you're willing to put in the work of reading the book and completing the exercises, Colleen will help you figure out your path to having a writing career. It may not be the one you've fantasized about, but it's certain to be a more realistic one that suits your needs, your lifestyle, your talents, and your abilities.

Q. What was your inspiration to sit down and write your first book?
A. I was dared to write by a friend; she was in a chat and heard the plot of a book that had her scratching her head and saying, “I bet you could write better.”  I was resistant at first, but she kept sending me publishers that were looking for submissions.
One of my favorite TV shows is the reality show Big Brother.  I’ve watched every season, and I watch the live feeds. I always had this idea, what if someone comes to audition and instead of the network version they ended up at the adult cable version?
I never admitted that I had story ideas running in my head. I had this fear of being locked in my own writer’s closet. LOL

Q. What prompted you to write a superhero story?
A. One of the stories that I had in my head was that of a superhero. I’d started it somewhat but didn’t get more than a couple of pages written. One day while at work, there was a huge cell phone outage in Texas, and we were slammed with calls. People were freaking out. It turned out that a fiber-optic line or something like that had been cut.
It gave me the idea, what if someone deliberately did it? At the same time, Bobbi Romans, Candi Fox and I were planning an anthology idea. We’d decided to do superheroes and super villains, and Artemis was born.
I swear the hardest part of writing Artemis was trying to find superhero names that hadn’t been used yet.

Q. What are you working on now?
A. I have a problem working on just one project at a time. I really wish I was one of those who can just write one at a time.
Right now, I’m writing Bella and the Beast, which I hope to finish soon. The story can’t decide how it is going to end.
Bobbi, Candi and I are doing another anthology together. This time it’s going to be “hot summer nights.” Mine is going to be FF and is based on the song by the Four Seasons, Oh What a Night.

Q. Have you ever had a plot wake you up in the middle of the night and you just had to write it now?
A. Yes, it happens a lot.  Usually about 3 a.m.

Q. Are your characters ever inspired by someone you've met?
A. A few. In Artemis I “killed” a customer. She was rude and obnoxious, and I was in the middle of writing the book. I originally was going to kill only two, but this one begged for it.

Q. When you aren’t busy writing, what do you like to do?
A. I like to watch movies, play with dog. Read.

Q. Do you have a favorite background noise you like to have going while you write (TV, music, kids playing)?
A.  I have Amazon Prime, and they have these awesome channels that let you listen to thunderstorms or sounds of the beach. I love listening to the thunderstorm ones. Some even have a crackling fireplace.

Amazon buy link  http://amzn.to/2nAFqKe
Available on Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt

“People have been mentioning Artemis,” Calypso said. “You wouldn’t have heard anything?”

They knew, Amy thought. Somehow they knew. “No, Artemis isn’t here anymore. At least from what I heard.”

“Damn shame, too,” complained one of the customers in the shop. “Not the Artemis that is playing with the lights and stuff. But the Artemis who liked to help people with their problems.”

“Yeah, I think if someone is behind it, it’s someone pretending to be Artemis, or trying to shift the blame on her,” said another customer. “She may have done some things, but she’d never deliberately set out to get people hurt.”

Amy smiled at the person who made the comment. “I’ve been here all day. But it’s more than the traffic lights. Didn’t I hear that the other day the Financial District was shut down because the money showed at zero?”

“That is something that Artemis had fun with,” Dark Master commented. “Or had in the past.”

“I’m sure that whatever has been happening in Quail City has nothing to do with Artemis,” Amy replied.

“Hope for Artemis’ sake it’s true,” Calypso said. “Williams is ranting and raving in Commissioner James’ office asking for her to be arrested.”

Just bet he is, thought Amy. “Is there anything else I can get you?” she asked them. Amy saw that it was almost six and the last bus going toward her apartment would be there any minute.
 
“You in our bed,” Calypso said in her ear. “Your blue hair will look glorious on our pillows.” Then out loud stated, “That’s all for now.”

Author info 
 
New York Times best-selling author Izzy Szyn was born in May 2014 when a friend dared her to write. Born and raised in Detroit, Izzy now lives in Oklahoma City with her furchild, Misty, the friendliest Chihuahua/terrier you will ever meet. Izzy currently works in a call center, where she writes between phone calls. Izzy loves to keep in touch with her readers. E-mail her at izzyszyn@gmail.com.
 
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/Izzy-Szyn-379714942215154/timeline/
Twitter  https://twitter.com/izzySzyn
Blog  https://izzyszyn.wordpress.com/
Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13836241.Izzy_Szyn
Google Plus  https://plus.google.com/100905614042668276073
 
Rafflecopter giveaway
To participate in Izzy's giveaway, click on this link:
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​Adventures enrich the soul, especially when they rank high on your "really want to do" list. For longer than I can remember, I've wanted to swim with the "sea cows" in Crystal River, Florida.

During the winter, the river and the springs there are a haven for West Indian manatees seeking a respite from the chilly waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Manatees are big, bulky aquatic mammals, some weighing as much as 1,800 pounds. You'd think a creature that large would have plenty of blubber to keep it warm. But manatees actually have less cold-weather protection than a bottlenose dolphin, so the sea cows are at risk of health-endangering cold stun when the water temperature drops below 70 degrees.

A couple of weeks ago, boat captains Mike and Stacy Dunn of Manatees in Paradise took me and two other members of Clearwater Marine Aquarium's rescue team on a snorkeling tour of manatee hot spots at Crystal River. The Dunns are ardent conservationists who are very concerned about the well-being of the area's wintering manatees, which have become a popular tourist attraction. 

Satisfying travelers who come from all over the world to see these endearing animals must be balanced with the needs of this endangered species. As a result, there are numerous rules to follow when swimming with the gentle giants, and refuges have been set aside that are off-limits to swimmers. The manatees know just where they are and head there when they want to rest undisturbed.

Air bubbles bother manatees, so scuba diving with them isn't permitted. Swimmers must stay on the surface -- masks and snorkels are recommended -- and practice "passive" observation. That means no diving to the bottom, no chasing the manatees and no touching them.

Following these rules is the least we can do in return for the privilege of sharing their space. The calves (babies) are quite curious about people and, much to our delight, one swam right up to the pontoon boat I was riding on and stuck its nose out of the water to check us out.

Here's something I didn't know until I went swimming with them: Manatee mamas make the cutest squeaking sound to call to their calves. We heard one mother do just that when her baby wandered too far from her for her comfort.
 

The water temperature in the river and springs is a constant 72 degrees, which on this day turned out to be a wonderful thing because the air temperature was in the low 50s. Despite wearing wet suits, we were shivering while on the boat and only warmed up when we slipped as quietly as possible into the water so as not to stir up the bottom or scare away any nearby manatees.

We were pretty frigid by the time the three-hour tour was finished, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. The scenery in the river is worth the trip alone, although the water quality has degraded over the years in some areas because of saltwater intrusion.

Decades ago, I went scuba diving in Kings Bay Springs at Crystal River, and it truly was a crystal river then. It was also one of the top scuba destinations around. Now, the underwater visibility in Kings Bay and other parts of the river is limited to just a few feet. As a result, the manatees can be swimming close by -- but you might not see them until they're nearly on top of you.

If you ever get a chance to visit this beautiful part of my home state, I urge you to do so. This is the real Florida, and we must do all we can to preserve it for future generations to enjoy, but also for the sake of the many animal and plant species that live there.

​For more information, please visit the official site of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge by clicking here. For more on Mike and Stacy Dunn's Manatees in Paradise tours, click here.

Christa Maurice has a rocking promotion to tell you about. Her book Satellite of Love, Drawn to the Rhythm #1, is on sale for 99 cents through March 5. Here's what it's about.

Blurb

Reluctantly on her way to a blind date, second grade teacher Maureen detours into her mechanic's garage because her brakes are squeaking. Her regular mechanic isn't there but his very intriguing brother Michael is. Michael tells her that he can't let her drive home with her brakes in that condition and offers to take her out to dinner in his 1972 Plymouth Satellite. Maureen can't believe how instantly and powerfully she's attracted to this grease monkey and neither can any of her friends, but since he's only going to be in town for a week, she doesn't want to waste an instant.
​
Except that grease monkey, is no grease monkey. He's Bear D'Amato, rock 'n roll drummer and in a week he's headed back to get ready for a world tour with his band, Touchstone. When he first meets Maureen, he just wants to go out with her a few times like a normal guy, but as the relationship deepens, he realizes he wants more than just a couple of dates. He wants a lifetime.

Maureen is shocked by his revelation, but she realizes she wants a lifetime, too.
Now all they have to do is convince the rest of the world.

Excerpt

“Did you have sex with that girl?”

Michael glanced over his shoulder and frowned. “Maybe. I think so.”

Maureen tried to draw a deep breath, but it caught on the steel bands around her lungs. She didn't expect him to have been a saint, but to not remember? Another steel band tightened around her head and the room went a little flat and sideways.

“Listen baby, those girls don't mean anything. When you're out on the road they're everywhere. It's like exercise.” He flushed.

“You weren't jogging with her.”

“No.” Michael slouched.

“And you're going to be out on the road soon.” Maureen folded her arms to keep her body from flying apart. How had she gotten mixed up in this?

“Yeah, but it's different now. Why go out for hamburger when I've got steak at home?” He stroked her cheek.

“What if you get hungry while you're out?”

“Baby, I'm not going to.” He put his hands on her neck and leaned his forehead against hers. Her view shrank to just him. Just his eyes. “I love you, Maureen. Ever since I met you, everything's been different. You're all I need.”

“What if the hamburger is particularly insistent?” Cyndy looked like the type to take no as a challenge. And there were thousands of girls like her. Maureen bet there were a dozen in the building right now. None of them would think twice about having sex with him. They might not even think of it as cheating. He might not think of it as cheating. “If I'm going to marry you, I need to know you're going to be faithful.”

“I promise you I will give new meaning to the word faithful.”

“That's what I'm afraid of.” Maureen bit her lip. If he cheated on her all of these people were going to know. They would be laughing about how naïve she'd been, believing he wouldn't be with another woman when so many willing ones were available.

All she could see was his eyes and eyes never lie.

“You have nothing to fear. I am forever yours. Faithfully.”
 
Bio

Christa Maurice spends a lot of time lost in imagination. When not writing, she loves to travel and has spent several years living overseas. She spent four years living in Abu Dhabi where the temperature was always hot, the sunrise and sunset were pretty stable year 'round and she could go weeks without speaking to a man who wasn’t selling her groceries. You know shat happens to a woman living in what amounts to a harem situation? She spends a lot of time talking about shoes and thinking about men. Which brings us right back to being lost in imagination…
 
Book links
Amazon www.amazon.com/Satellite-Love-Drawn-Rhythm-Book-ebook/dp/B00IPQWZ8G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=chrismauri-20&linkId=2a142b34d7291e5a90b991a1ada7bffa
 
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/satellite-of-love-christa-maurice/1118903122?ean=9781616504892
 
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/satellite-of-love/id963024265?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
 
GooglePlay https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Christa_Maurice_Satellite_of_Love?id=ImD0AgAAQBAJ&hl=en
 
Kobo    https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/satellite-of-love-1

​Author links

​Website  https://christamaurice.com/
 
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/ChristaMauriceWriter?ref=hl
 
Twitter  @ChristaMaurice
 
Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8050672
 
Amazon  page  www.amazon.com/Christa-Maurice/e/B00N82BJFC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1426607489&sr=1-2-ent
 
Mailing list   http://eepurl.com/4VZuD
 
Crew  https://www.facebook.com/groups/705305729633725/
 

Welcome, Rosanna Leo, to my blog. Please tell us more about your latest release, Book 3 in the Orkney Selkies Series.
​
Blurb

Amy Woods, one of TV’s famed Beast Seekers, has come to Orkney, Scotland, to hunt sirens. One of them killed her sister and she has sworn revenge. Most people think she’s crazy for believing in monsters. She knows the truth. But while patrolling one of Orkney’s cold beaches, she runs into a naked selkie man rather than a siren, and he proves to be an alluring distraction.

Edan Kirk is a selkie, one of an ancient race of seal shape-shifters. When he hears of Amy’s intention to hunt sirens, tragic memories overwhelm him. He knows he must get rid of the pesky human. As much as he tries to convince her she’s on a fool’s errand, he can’t resist trying to protect her. After all, he has heard the enticing song of the sirens and he knows its deadly power.

As Amy and Edan engage in a battle of wits and wills, other emotions rush to the fore. Their connection is intense, the sort to come along only once in a lifetime. Edan recognizes her as his mate. However, another woman has set her sights on him as well, one whose powers of seduction are legendary. One whose voice has driven men to madness and devastation. 

Can Amy accept Edan as her mate, making her home in the world of the supernatural? And can they save each other from a beast that cannot be destroyed?
 
Excerpt
 
After patrolling the shore for the better part of an hour, Edan began to feel the call of his bed. He might possess more stamina than a human man but it had been a long day. Resolved to catch a couple hours of sleep before morning, he swam toward the shore. Relinquishing his pelt, letting it slide from his body, he stood up straight.

A man appeared before him.

No. A woman.

Because she wore fatigues, he was momentarily confused, but there was no mistaking her buxom figure. She was certainly doing her best to look like an army man, right down to her combat boots.

The lass smiled and aimed a camera phone at him. “Hello, sailor. Did you fall off your boat?”

Fuck. What sort of woman walked on the beach at four in the morning? “Something like that.”

Despite the obvious threat posed by her camera, he couldn’t help noticing she was a beauty. Perhaps not in the Hollywood starlet sense, but her imperfections intrigued him. She’d pulled her chestnut hair back into a tight ponytail. There was an asymmetry to her face that gave an edge to delicate features. Her nose was slightly crooked near the tip and one eyebrow arched higher than the other. Her generous mouth was compressed but it looked capable of wide smiles.

And her scent. It hit him hard and made him see stars, like that time his younger brother Calan lobbed a dictionary at his head. She smelled like strawberries, juicy and ripe from the bush. Interesting, considering she was dressed like Rambo.

His gut turned, as if skewered on a rotisserie. As his innards roiled, he couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to wind her ponytail around his fingers, draw her close and...

“Well?” Her eyebrow quirked even higher.

How much had she seen?

He stepped toward her but when she snapped several photos in quick succession, he stopped moving. “It’s not polite to take photos of a man in his birthday suit.”

“Yes, but you’re not quite a man, are you?”

She’d seen everything, then. He’d simply have to persuade her not to trust her senses. He’d talked himself out of worse scrapes. Edan waved his hand in the direction of his crotch. “I’m all man, lass, as you can see.”

She indulged in a quick glance. Her eyes widened in clear wonder, as if she’d never seen anything quite like him before. “Something more, then.” She nodded toward his pelt. “I’ll take that, please.”

“I don’t think so.” He hedged his bets he could convince her to give up whatever mischief she’d planned. How had he missed her on the beach? Too distracted by the thought of Breena, perhaps. “You’ve seen enough to understand I’m a selkie. If you know that, you know I need this pelt. If you’re looking for a lover, you need to be wily and steal the skin. I won’t just hand it over, unless of course you can prove to me you’d be worth a tussle.”

“I’m not looking for a lover and I don’t want to tussle with you.”

“I’d say that was a shame, you know, if you didn’t look as if you were out to blackmail me.”

Two men, also dressed in camouflage, emerged from behind a sand dune. One of them looked as if his sole hobby was frequenting the gym. Although the other man was smaller in stature, he presented more of a threat and it had everything to do with his professional-looking video camera.

“I’d give her the pelt if I were you,” the bigger man said.

“Who the hell are you people?” Edan demanded as he slowly handed the skin over to the woman.

She took it but didn’t lower her phone. “We’re the Beast Seekers. You’re our first selkie. Smile for the cameras.”
 
Buy the book
​Selkie’s Lure will be available for purchase firstly at Liquid Silver Publishing: http://liquidsilverpublishing.com/
During release week, it will be available at Amazon, iTunes, B&N, Kobo and Google Play.
Goodreads link: www.goodreads.com/book/show/33264951-selkie-s-lure-orkney-selkies3
 
Author bio
 
Rosanna Leo is a multipublished, erotic romance author. Several of her books about Greek gods, selkies and shape shifters have been named Top Picks at Night Owl Romance and The Romance Reviews.

From Toronto, Canada, Rosanna occupies a house in the suburbs with her long-suffering husband, their two hungry sons and a tabby cat named Sweetie. When not writing, she can be found haunting dusty library stacks or planning her next star-crossed love affair.
A library employee by day, she is honored to be a member of the league of naughty librarians who also happen to write romance. Rosanna blogs at www.rosannaleoauthor.wordpress.com
 
Author links
 
Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/Rosanna-Leo/e/B007X5P4I8
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rleoauthor/
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826852.Rosanna_Leo
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/rosannaleo/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rleoauthor1
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LeoRosanna

Author Bella J has a hot new romance for sale at a special "book birthday" price. She guests on my blog to give you the details.

Rules. I’m starting to think I have the natural talent to break them. I hate rules. Always have. Especially since I had them shoved in my face my entire life.

I didn’t ask to be a part of all this. I didn’t ask to be a Valenti. And I sure as hell didn’t ask to be bound by all their goddamn rules. Their rules are exactly that—theirs. Not mine.

It’s been years since I broke one of my family’s most cardinal laws. It was a mistake, I know that now. But that’s the thing about mistakes, you never know you’re about to make one until it’s too late.

Unfortunately every transgression, every wrong decision has a way to demand atonement. No matter if it’s hours, days or years after. You might think your indiscretion is long forgotten and buried, but it’s not. You’ll never be free of it, not until you’ve paid in full.

I’m still waiting for my past mistakes to exact payment. It’ll come. I know it will. 

But now, while I’m sitting in the interrogation room staring at the sinfully gorgeous Detective Lorik Stone, I can’t help but think about all my family rules…

…and that I’m about to break another one.

Buy links  
Amazon USA: amzn.to/2g6vvZc
Amazon UK: amzn.to/2fb9xQo

Add to your to-be-read list
Goodreads    www.goodreads.com/book/show/33005859-mafia-princess

​Follow Bella J online
Web site        Twitter      Facebook

Happy book birthday to fellow Liquid Silver Publishing author Susan Behon. The sixth book in her popular Madison Falls series is available Monday, December 5,  and she's here to tell us about it.

Fire Chief Alex Ross is used to finding himself in dangerous situations. Rescuing a cat stuck up a tree isn’t one of them. He’s less than thrilled, especially when he finds out that the feline in question was used as a ruse by an amorous old lady on the make…again.

Alex needs a rescue and fate brings him Julie Hanlin, a former damsel in distress he saved the summer before. With a little persuading, Julie plays hero and untangles him from a sticky situation. The town is abuzz when they catch Alex and Julie on an impromptu date. He thinks it’s the local grapevine doing its thing until he notices the ladies are checking him out a little too closely and whispering a touch more than usual.

Julie is caught in her own predicament. Alex thinks her attraction is merely a case of hero worship. Little does he know that he’s the center of a secret she thought would never come to light.

Kiss by kiss, Alex wants her more than ever. Julie finally has his attention, but the whole town is watching and once he realizes why, a desire that finally catches flame might go up in smoke.
​
Buy links
iTunes  http://apple.co/2eMfYfL
Kobo  http://bit.ly/2fTj1Fx
Google Play   http://bit.ly/2fehnwi 
Barnes & Noble (Nook)  http://bit.ly/2gcGVIu
Books-a-million  http://bit.ly/2gzJEjc

It's my pleasure to welcome M.S. Kaye to my blog to tell you about her new release.

Once & Forever
book 3
by M.S. Kaye

​Who is the mysterious Santa who leaves toys on the convent steps?

After a twelve-year separation, Eden is finally reunited with her brother, Thomas, but why hadn’t she reached out to him in all those years? Eden, a nun, is constantly struggling against her dark past of living on the streets, and her attraction to Trace, an ex-convict farm worker. As Eden and Trace confess their pasts to each other and grow closer, will they be able to resist getting too close?
​
Amazon  |  Kobo  |  iBooks  |  Goodreads
 
Author bio
M.S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband, Corey, in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com.

To receive news on upcoming releases, sign up for e-mail updates on her Web site.

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Google+  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  TSU  |  
Pinterest  |  LinkedIn

Once, book 1

​Her first and also her once.

Jonathan and Rebecca’s paths cross at exactly the right moment, when each most needs to hear what the other has to say.

But Jonathan is three days from entering the priesthood, and Rebecca leaves him to his peace. But he is unable to find peace.

Without each other’s comfort and strength, they must each struggle to forge a new path, with only memories of the one day that changed everything.

But are they able to forget and let go?

​Amazon  |  Kobo  |  iBooks  |  B&N  |  ARe  |  Goodreads

Once & Again, book 2
​She was once his secret desire… Will she be again?

Father Aiden, an ex-marine and new priest, falls in love with Maylynn, but he struggles to stay away from her. He’s successful for many years, though he can’t keep her out of his dreams.

Then one day she shows up for a pre-marital counselling session with her fiancé, Davis.

Aiden soon realizes Davis isn’t who he says he is, but what does that mean for Maylynn, and for himself?

​Amazon  |  B&N  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |  ARe  |  Goodreads

Have you ever jokingly tossed out an idea … and it turned out to be just what you needed? That’s how Shore is Magical, my latest Gulf Shore novel and my first paranormal, was conceived.

I was doing an online chat with other authors when the subject turned to paranormal novels, particularly shape-shifters. Confession: I haven’t read too many of those books, usually preferring reality (or a reasonable facsimile of it) over fantasy.

The other authors were discussing the merits of the animals usually favored in shifter novels: tigers and other big cats, bears and wolves, primarily.

“How about a dolphin shifter?” I kiddingly suggested in full smart-aleck mode. Dolphins are one of my favorite animals and have been since I was a little girl who listed Flipper at the top of her must-see TV list.

Surprisingly—to me anyway—the other chat participants quickly and enthusiastically chorused their approval of dolphin shifters. So I thought, why not?

The challenge for me was fitting a paranormal story into a contemporary romance series that’s firmly rooted in real life. I spent more than thirty years working as a newspaper reporter and editor, pursuing a fair presentation of the facts as both sides saw them. Making things up doesn’t come as easily to me as to other authors.

I do a lot of research to ensure that my Gulf Shore novels stay within the realm of possibility. And I volunteer at a marine animal hospital, so I’ve seen firsthand how such operations conduct themselves.

So how do I justify a heroine whose very existence defies belief?

By making the details of her story as conceivable as possible. And by letting the other characters express their skepticism and at times outright rejection of the idea that a person can assume an animal shape, and then change back.

Despite her otherworldly ability and a lifestyle shrouded in secrecy, Marina Seaward, the leading lady of Shore is Magical, is not that different from other women. She squabbles with her sisters and takes family obligations seriously, but chafes at the strings that bind her to their restrictive traditions. Seeking true love, she’s beaten down by a jealous and controlling man but fights to preserve her identity and independence.

Marina isn’t looking for a savior or a prince charming. And that’s a good thing, because Kenshin Hamasaki is neither. He’s a good man but a flawed one, and he hasn’t fully recovered from the tragedies that nearly sucked him down a dark hole of despair.

Kenshin’s wounded heart and soul urges him to play it safe, but he’s inexplicably drawn to the mysterious stranger who risks everything in an effort to fit into his world in pursuit of her happily ever after.

Lurking in the background, however, is a dark presence from Marina’s past, who threatens to end this unlikely pairing before she and Kenshin can fully explore whether they’re destined to be together. 

Find out whether Marina and Kenshin find romance or ruin by snaring your digital copy of Shore is Magical, Gulf Shore book four, available Monday, November 28 from all major e-book retailers and from liquidsilverpublishing.com.
 
Excerpt
 
Here’s a snippet from one of my favorite scenes in the book, when Kenshin first encounters Marina in very enticing human form. This scene takes place in the marine animal hospital at Gulf Shore Aquarium, where Kenshin works. He thinks he’s helping to rehabilitate a rescued dolphin, but he gets the surprise of his life one night.
 
Looking up, Kenshin almost dropped his phone. He stared, eyes wide, mouth open, as a lithe form emerged from the pool, water cascading down her body. Where had she come from and, more importantly, why was she naked? Then he glanced behind her and received his second shock.

The rescued dolphin was—gone. Impossible. He gave his cheek a light smack to make sure he hadn’t succumbed to exhaustion and passed out. That was entirely possible, given he hadn’t slept more than two hours at a stretch since leaving Erica’s bed.

If this was a dream, it was incredibly realistic. Off the charts sexy, too.

The woman sauntering toward him was hotter than an egg yolk on Florida asphalt in August. Her shoulder-length brown hair framed a pair of turquoise eyes that shimmered like the sea. Her rosebud nipples all but begged for his touch, and he imagined himself at home between her long, supple legs, which were as toned as the rest of her.

The corners of her lips tipped up as if she’d read his mind. Kenshin’s gaze darted around the rehab unit, looking for backup if he needed it. But Kelsey had gone home early for a change, Flipper probably was loading up on caffeine and carbs, and Sitara was in her office catching up on paperwork.

Kenshin’s carnal fantasies dissolved amid concerns about a massive security breach.

“Who are you, and why are you here?” he demanded.

“You know who I am.” The woman’s voice was as smooth as spiced rum sliding over ice cubes. “You just don’t want to admit it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your friends brought me here from the beach, jostling me around in that canvas thing. What do you call it?”

“Are you talking about the sling?”

“It felt like they dragged me across a rocky sea bottom. Very bad for the delicate skin.” She pouted and pointed to a chafe mark on her elbow. “Get something softer, for Poseidon’s sake.”

“This is...insane. Why aren’t you wearing clothes?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t bring any.” Cocking her head, she studied him for a moment before her expression turned playful. “Don’t you like me as I am? I thought the males of your species enjoyed seeing females without garments.”
What an odd way to say that guys lust after naked women. “You’re beautiful, and I think you know that, but it’s beside the point.”

“Is it?”

She’d come close enough for Kenshin to stroke a hand down all that lush, bare flesh, and he almost did so to make sure she was real. Common sense kicked in before he acted on the impulse. Besides being a stranger, she was, well, strange.

“Listen, lady, I don’t know what your game is but--”

“Game? There is no game. Your people rescued me, and now I’m your responsibility. Isn’t that how this works?”

Kenshin glanced around again, convinced that any minute Flipper or someone would leap out and scream, “Gotcha!” This had to be a prank. Stuff like this didn’t happen otherwise, at least not to him. But after that dolphin encounter at the reef, anything seemed possible.

Kenshin felt her warm breath on his face. It smelled...fishy? When he wrinkled his nose, she clapped her hand over her mouth. Now she was self-conscious? He looked into her eyes, an inviting shade matched only by a secluded tropical lagoon.

“What’s your name?”

“Marina.”

“Marina what?”
​
“Just Marina.”
 
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I'm pleased to welcome M.S. Kaye to my blog to tell you about her new novel, Born from Death Book 2, set for release October 15 by Inkspell Publishing.  Here's a taste of what the novel is about:

Will they discover the truth of their ancient connection before it destroys them both?

Ilona continues to struggle with loss, as well as trying to find where she fits in with other people, if she ever really will. She starts taking dangerous risks. Archer is desperate to protect Illona and discovers more about himself in the progress. When Ilona is in danger of being mauled by a dog, he desperately tries something that shouldn’t be possible. And yet he succeeds. This is just the beginning of his discovery of who—what—he truly is.

Excerpt
The blond boy didn’t walk up to a urinal or into one of the stalls, or even up to the mirror.

He stood in the middle of the room.

Invisible, Lettie watched curiously.

​Something moved backward away from him. Out of him.

She recognized Archer’s shiny black hair and strong frame even before she could see his face.

She gasped. But ghosts can’t inhabit people.

The blond boy shook his head and looked around. “Fuck.”

“I’m sorry,” Archer murmured so the boy wouldn’t hear.

Lettie stared at both of them.

The blond boy turned, leaned his hands on the counter, and looked at himself in the mirror…not the way people usually looked at themselves. It was more like he was trying to see something more than was in the reflection.

Archer watched him, as if waiting for him to see something.

Then Lettie understood. Archer hadn’t merely inhabited the boy—he’d possessed him.

But there were only a couple ways that’d be possible—if he were half ghost, or if he…

A memory struck Lettie like a horse galloping across a battlefield. An ancient memory. Lettie had been around since the beginning of time on Earth, but most of those thousands of years she let slink around the crevices of her mind. It was mostly just walking the bridge with the newly deceased. There were a few memories, though, that burned into her every time she let herself pull them forward. And burned was precisely the right word.

She knew—or rather, remembered—why Archer would never leave Ilona.

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Strong as Death, Born From Death Book 1

Ilona discovers what it means to have a mother who is a modern woman and a father who is a 19th-century gentleman ghost.

After being hit by a car and taken to the hospital, Ilona starts to realize she’s different from other people, and that her mother has hidden the truth from her. She sneaks out of the hospital in order to discover the truth.

A mysterious boy named Archer guides her through Brooklyn and introduces her to Hendrick, the man who claims to be her father—though he died in 1890.

Ilona must discover not only what she must do to rid the city of Soll, a sadistic and powerful spirit, but also what it means to be half ghost. She proves what her mother told her—love is stronger than death.

Author bio

M.S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband Corey in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com.

To receive news on upcoming releases, sign up for email updates on her website.
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