SPRING FOR LOVE BLOG HOP

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you having a great Friday and enjoying the first signs of Spring. Here in Indiana, the birds are out and the grass is slowly turning green.

I love Spring but what I love even more is bringing you great authors and new books! So, stay with me for the next three days and follow the links I provide and you can meet so many new authors and have a chance to win lots of prizes.

The first author I want to introduce you to is, ANNA B. COLE. and her new book, SOULS ENTWINED which is of the fantasy/ paranormal genre.

Cursed by a heirloom ring, her spirit time travels to a treasure’s origin—where pirates, danger, and love converge.

BLURB

A tree crashes upon two strangers. Time stands still. A cursed family heirloom catapults eighteen-year-old Gretta Dobbs back in time with Sam Daggett, who reluctantly agrees to help despite an instant infatuation with her. Their souls entwine within the bodies of young lovers on a Greek island in 1829, where they collect information on the mysteries behind Gretta's ring all while avoiding revenge-seeking pirates. Can Gretta and Sam find the secrets needed to save her from an afterlife in purgatory? Or will they become trapped in the past, continuing the evil cycle of the ring's curse?

Author Bio

Anne B. Cole

Souls Entwined is Anne B. Cole’s debut release combining sweet romantic suspense, time travel, and paranormal elements in a novel attractive to a wide range of readers.  In addition to writing, Anne teaches preschool and is raising three very active teenagers with her husband of twenty-two years. With an Education degree from Penn State University, Anne began her teaching in elementary schools. A move to Indiana and becoming a mom of three kids in three and a half years sparked her interest in teaching preschool where she has been for the last eleven years. Anne began writing in 2010 when she realized she didn't have a book to read during her kids’ swim meet. With over ten hours of sitting in the stands, she decided to make the best of it and flipped over the heat sheet. Ideas for a book were jotted down and the outline of Souls Entwined was born. Anne's writing hobby turned into an addiction! The Souls Trilogy continues July 2015 with Souls Estranged. Anne is currently writing the final book in the trilogy, Souls Endure with a tentative release date of 2016.

Spring is my favorite time of the year because I love watching daffodils, tulips, and irises burst from the ground and color my flower beds.

URL links

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/n73rur5

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1DUtkuc

Your website: 

www.annebcole.com

Your website blog (if your home page isn’t your blog):  www.annebcole.com/blog

 

Facebook: Anne B. Cole Author     www.facebook.com/pages/Anne-B-Cole/576718832392205

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/AnneBCole

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22157266-souls-entwined

Amazon Author Central:  http://www.amazon.com/Anne-B.-Cole/e/B00K0Z8RDC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Amazon buy link (only Amazon):

http://tinyurl.com/n73rur5

For your chance to win, click here!  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/153622a63

HOST BLOG- http://cynthiagail.com/spring-for-love-blog-hop/

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR     Dawn Marie Hamilton                          

Today I’m interviewing Dawn Marie Hamilton. Her book, Sea Panther is a paranormal romance and was released on March 18.

Thank you, Sarah, for the interview and inviting me to your blog today.

Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.  

Sea Panther is a vampire shifter story, where Robert, the 300 year old hero, is tortured by the two beasts living within—vampire and Florida panther--yet strives to maintain honor above all else. Kimberly, the heroine, has lost everything that defines her life. She takes a crew position on Robert’s sailing yacht to escape a hit man. The attraction between the two is immediate but heartbreaking when Robert’s past stalks them both. Much to overcome, including a trip through the Bermuda triangle to the past, before they can find their happily-ever-after.

Describe the genre of this particular title, and is it the only genre you write in?

I write Scottish inspired fantasy and paranormal romance. Sea Panther is the first book in the Crimson Storm series of genre-bending paranormal romances with vampires and shifters and a wee bit of time travel just for fun. My other series, Highland Gardens, are Scottish historical time travel romances with faeries. I like to stretch genre lines.

How did this story come to be?  

Sea Panther was supposed to be a vampire pirate romance. The hero, Robert, balked. He didn’t want to be a pirate. While researching a Scottish connection for the story, I stumbled across a bit of history about Lord Archibald Hamilton, governor of Jamaica (1711-1716), having Jacobite sympathies and gathering a group of warships and captains to create a Jacobite navy to help put James Stuart on the British throne. So Robert became a privateer, later cursed by a Voodoo priestess to become a vampire. Then while vacationing in Florida, I saw a panther crossing sign, and thought, wouldn’t it be cool if Robert was a vampire that shifted into a Florida panther. The story was on a roll after that.

What is your writing routine like?

I don’t really have a set routine. I write whenever the muse has something to say and I can squeeze in writing time. Although I would like to be more disciplined, I’m not real good with structure. Sometimes, I get up in the middle of the night and write because the muse won’t be quiet. Other times, I write early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped?

I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, From the Heart Romance Writers, Fantasy Futuristic and Paranormal, and the Golden Network. Belonging to these wonderful organizations is invaluable.

What character is most like you or least like you?

Hmmm. I imagine a little bit of me is in all my characters, but I can’t say that any one in particular is like me. Thus, they are equally least like me.

What most inspires you in life?

People with positive attitudes, no matter what.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently writing the third novel and a holiday novella for the Highland Gardens series. When those are complete, I will begin work on Raven’s Revenge, the second novel in the Crimson Storm series.

BOOK BLURB

Can love mend a fractured soul?

After evading arrest for Jacobite activities, Scottish nobleman Robert MacLachlan turns privateer. A Caribbean Voodoo priestess curses him to an eternal existence as a vampire shifter torn between the dual natures of a Florida panther and an immortal blood-thirsting man. For centuries, he seeks to reverse the black magic whilst maintaining his honor. Cruising the twenty-first century Atlantic, he becomes shorthanded to sail his 90-foot yacht, Sea Panther. The last thing he wants is a female crewmember and the call of her blood.

Although she swore never to sail again after her father died in a sailing accident, Kimberly Scot answers the captain's crew wanted ad to escape a hit man. She's lost everything, her fiancé, her job, and most of her money, along with money belonging to her ex-clients. A taste of Kimberly's blood convinces Robert she is the one woman who can claim the panther's heart. To break the curse, they travel back in time to where it all began—Jamaica 1715.

A little bit about the author 

Dawn Marie Hamilton dares you to dream. She is a 2013 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist who pens Scottish-inspired fantasy and paranormal romance. Some of her tales are rife with mischief-making faeries, brownies, and other fae creatures. More tormented souls—shape shifters, vampires, and maybe a zombie or two—stalk across the pages of other stories. She is a member of The Golden Network, Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal, Celtic Hearts, and From the Heart chapters of RWA. When not writing, she’s cooking, gardening, or paddling the local creeks of Southern Maryland with her husband.

Excerpt

A drunk banged into the table and broke the steamy spell holding Kimberly and Robert enthralled. She choked on a flat laugh. He cleared his throat.

The awkward moment thickened the air. Made it hard to breathe.

Kimberly twitched her nose. Now would be a good time to find a hidey-hole to crawl into. Perspiration glazed the skin between her breasts. God, her face must be the color of a ripe strawberry.

“I overheard you,” Robert said.

“Did you?” Just great.

“Aye.” His gaze dropped to the tabletop. He picked up a drink stirrer and fiddled with it.

Mesmerized, she watched large fingers nimbly tie the thin strip of plastic into a bowline knot. The naughty image of him using the same knot to tie a silk scarf around her wrists flashed in her mind. Where had that idea come from?

“What the rest of the crew has been trying hard not to tell you is I have a rare blood disease.” Her wayward thought splintered at the unemotional statement of fact.

She gazed into his eyes, searching for something empathetic to say.

“I have to take it easy until my doctors can find a donor with the right DNA makeup to help me. That is why I sleep a lot.”

“I’m sorry.” Oh, that sounded lame. Worse yet, she’d been thinking about sex. Kinky sex. My God, what had come over her lately? She’d never thought of having that kind of sex with Jason. Heat rose from toes to face. Thank God Robert couldn’t read minds. She reached for her mug, but it was empty.

“Dance with me?” He grasped her hand.

She nodded, and followed him onto the dance floor. “When they find a donor, will they be able to make you well?”

His eyes clouded. “I hope so.”

So did she.

He tucked her close, held her tight, smooth cheek against the rasp of whiskers, as they swayed with the other couples to the sweet melody of an Irish love song. She embraced hard muscle as she wrapped her arms around him.

How could a virile man like Robert be critically ill?

How can my readers buy your book?  

Readers can go to Amazon at http://amzn.to/1eu6v6f or Barnes and Noble at http://bit.ly/1la3j42

You can find more information about Dawn Marie Hamilton and my book, Sea Panther by visiting my blog at http://dawnmariehamilton.blogspot.com .

Just a few fun questions to answer if you don’t mind.

1)      Hotel room or Tent? Tent

2)      What is your favorite thing to eat? Salmon, it’s a feline thing.

3)      What is your favorite New Year tradition? Hiking with husband on New Year’s day.

4)      Who is your favorite author to read? J R Ward

5)      What’s your favorite movie? Somewhere in Time

6)      If you were given only one Christmas present but it could be anything in the world, what would you choose? A month in Scotland.

7)      What’s your favorite color? Peridot

8)      Mountains or Beach? Mountains

9)      What’s your favorite flavor of Starburst? Lemon

10)  What is your favorite thing to drink? Pinot Noir

Thank you for allowing me to interview you here at Heart of Romance. Good luck to you in your future!!!

**Dawn will be giving away an e-book copy to one lucky commenter.**

Interview with Author GINA DANNA!

Once upon a time, this vampire ran into this pirate….

Ah, the love of pirates! Okay, of Captain Jack Sparrow…The Pirates of the Caribbean holds the attraction of many fans across the world. And vampires…the following of The Vampire Diaries and True Blood still continues to this day. But what if these worlds collided?

Three years ago, I began my historical romance novel about a pirate in the West Indies (Caribbean) and set it during one of the eras I love to read about – Regency (c. 1800). But the story needed a twist, a different approach. I liked the above vampire stories and many more so why not make my hero Alexander, not only a pirate captain but also a vampire pirate?

The make that one elementary change plunged the tale into a new sphere. Sailors of that era and before and even later, believed the seas were home to many monsters and evil spots that lay waiting to devour them and their ships. The kraken was one of the well-known creatures, known to seep up and take everything down into the inky depths of the sea. Mermaids were sirens, also leading men to the deaths. In the Caribbean, voodoo was born during the European occupation as a way to strike fear into the white oppressors. Plus the tales of vampiric creatures prevailed in Europe for centuries since the Black Death. Therefore, why not make the superstitious sailors of the sea, who feared these evils along with the scourge of the seas, pirates, come to face their own evil – a vampire pirate?

Her Eternal Rogue is a historical fiction steeped in romance of Alexander and Lavinia, based on historic research of pirates and vampires in the structure of Regency England. Step into the depths of the period in the West Indies where Alexander ruled the seas as the infamous pirate, Captain Sword, his rescue of Lady Lavinia and their return to her home in London in a tale of the unexpected!

Her Eternal Rogue –

Excerpt:

Alexander sat at the table and finished another glass of rum, mentally assessing the damage to his ship. And his unwanted guest. Though attempting to drown himself in three-fourths of a bottle of rum, he wasn’t nearly inebriated enough to dampen his growing desire for her.

Ian sat across the table from him, staring. Alexander knew the Scotsman too well to believe he’d stay silent much longer.

“So,” the Scotsman began. “When will ye tell the lassie she’s gonnae home?”

Alexander looked at him hard and poured himself another glass. “I’ll not be goin’ close to any British port with a damaged ship...”

“Ach, I see,” the Scotsman speculated. “So, you thinkin’ about keepin’ her fer yerself, then?”

“No,” Alexander answered too quickly, downing a gulp. An absurd thought, he knew, but so tempting.

“Well,” Ian continued. “Wi’ her stayin’ here, that’ll leave many tae believe we’re cursed wi’ a woman onboard and no charges lifted.”

Alexander laughed. Cursed by having a woman onboard? He’d tell them about curses…

“Fine, put her in the aft cabin till we’re through with…”

“Capt’n, ye cannae be placin’ her there,” Ian scolded, sounding like a father reprimanding his son. “Be pirates on this ship, sair, and puttin’ her there is more or less tellin’ the boys she’s fer sharin’.”

            “What would you have me do?” Alexander barked. When Ian didn’t respond, Alexander downed another gulp. “Keep her where she is?”

“Aye.”

“Fine, then I’ll sleep in the aft cabin.”

“Capt’n,” Ian said quietly. “Ye cannae be doin’ that either.”

            Alexander glared at the glass in front of him. Damn, the man was right. Pirate ships had no assigned quarters. Sleeping areas were open to all. But on The Lily, Alexander’s curse and the pirates’ fear of it, enabled him to claim the larger cabin exclusively. But he was furious at having to house the English aristocrat there. Too far below her station when he’d lived in England, he would have been denied access to her but here… He shook his head. He and his crew had a reward for her safe return, and he had to remember that. Ah yes, the reward. A clean slate—for the moment. A few months with no law in pursuit, leaving them open to rob whomever they wanted. A laugh but one both sides held for the British navy remained heavily occupied across the ocean with the French, too busy to chase every pirate on the seas.

Sharing quarters with her, being so close to her, was too dangerous for them both. Her body was designed to entice any man to wanton desires. A temptation he couldn’t ignore since he’d kissed her the first time he saw her. Truly decadent on his part, but piracy did allow deviations to any plan. He’d wanted to kiss those ruby lips, to invade her mouth and, as he’d plunged his tongue into her, she’d tasted sweet, like strawberries and cream. Everything about her made him want to bury himself deep inside her. He downed another mouthful of rum. He feared if he was alone with her for too long, he’d lose all his control. He’d never love her. The idea of him ever loving a woman had been squashed that night years ago. But lust remained…

No, he thought, she had to go and soon.

Furious at the situation and how the rum had failed to diminish his desires, Alexander slammed his glass down and left the galley.

When he opened his cabin door, he readied himself for her demand that he release her. Prepared for her verbal assault, he sighed with relief when he saw Lavinia curled up tight in the wingback chair, asleep. She did not even move at the sound of the door. The moonlight gave her an angelic glow. So young and full of life. Asleep, her blond hair tumbling over her shoulders and her bare ankles and dainty feet bent partway beneath her. His cock twitched with longing. A fairy asleep in the devil’s den. There’d be no arguments, no demands nor screams of protest coming from her tonight. But he could make her scream in ecstasy. He closed his eyes, burying his thoughts.

The boat swayed slightly, and he stumbled. Leaning against the doorframe, he felt his tension drain. His eyes shut, and he allowed the rum to overtake him, sliding to the floor and into the arms of oblivion.

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/19NmEQ7

Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/17NluHb

iBook:  http://bit.ly/14HnLyL

Author Gina Danna

Interview with Author, LOREEN AUGERI

Today I’m interviewing Loreen Augeri. Her book, Lost Honor, is a historical romance and was released on March 8, 2013.




Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.

First, I want to thank you for having me on your blog today. Lost Honor is set in 1818 and in the beginning takes place on a brig in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. As the hero, a sea captain, attempts to find his brother kidnapped by pirates, he discovers a female stowaway on his ship. She wants to become a member of his crew. He refuses. Even though he is betrothed, feelings for her blossom and grow.




Describe the genre of this particular title, and is it the only genre you write in?

Lost Honor is a historical romance. Yes, it is the only genre I write in. I love reading and writing about various time periods in history. Life was simpler and slower. Since historical romances take place before World War II, the plot can be set in the fifteenth century for one book and the eighteenth century for the next. While researching, I enjoy learning about the customs, food, dress, and way of life of the people that came before us.



How did this story come to be?

I have always enjoyed reading about pirates, so I decided to write a book with the pirate as the hero. When I took a workshop, I discovered certain aspects of pirate life I thought were true were myths. The truth didn’t fit into the plot I envisioned, so I made the hero the captain of the ship and the pirate a villain.



What is your writing routine like?

I set a goal of how many pages I want to write or edit each week. My life is different every day so I accomplish more on certain days than I do on others, which is why I set a weekly goal. Sometimes I work on the manuscript in the morning and at other times in the afternoon. Some people like to listen to music while they write. I like complete quiet. I see the action taking place in my head like a movie.



Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?

I can think of three rewarding things, to see my name in print, creating lives for the characters in my books, and hopefully giving readers a few hours of pleasure.



What most inspires you in life?

Reading historical romance novels inspires me to write and attempt to become better at my craft.



What’s next for you?

I have a finished novel I would like to see published, and I just started writing another manuscript.



BOOK BLURB

Captain Morgan Danvers sets sail to rescue his brother, kidnapped by pirates. Fearing he will become like his father who abandoned him, he has cut himself off from his emotions. Then a willful stowaway crashes into his life, awakening dormant feelings and firing his lust. Soon he finds his all-important honor threatened, for even though he is betrothed to another, he is drawn to her against his will.

Arianna Pemberton hides in a barrel she thinks will be loaded on her brother's ship but lands on Morgan's brig. Her father has forbidden her to sail, and this is her only course of action. Unwilling to allow a man to control her, she is determined to make her way as a seaman, a profession she knows and loves. But when Captain Danvers discovers her deception, he refuses to permit her to prove herself. As she struggles to convince him, unwanted passion emerges, jeopardizing her plans for independence.





A little bit about the author. 

I started reading historical romances when my children were babies. When my youngest daughter started school, I decided I wanted to write a novel. At first, to see if I could, later as a hobby, and then seeking publication. Becoming a member of the Romance Writers of America, Hearts Through History, and my local chapter, New England Chapter helped in the process. I live in Massachusetts with my husband of 31 years and my two daughters. When I am not reading or writing, I enjoy walking, dancing, and spending time at the beach.



Excerpt

Shoved by powerful hands, she fell to her knees before booted feet. “Found her in the hold, Cap’n. Thought she was a boy at first, her wearin’ pants and a cap, but she has tits.”

“I can see that, Jurgens.”

Arianna followed the shiny boots up to tight-fitting, brown breeches hugging muscular thighs, and slim hips. A loose, white shirt covering broad shoulders next met her gaze, then a corded neck, square jaw, stern lips, crooked nose, and cold, dark eyes that stared down at her. “Where’s my brother? Who are you?”

“I will be asking the questions. Who are you, and why are you on my ship?” The deep voice thundered through the cabin.

Her stomach flip-flopped. Dizziness swamped her. Swallowing convulsively, she battled to contain the contents of her queasy stomach. Hiding in that empty molasses barrel hadn’t been the brightest idea of her twenty-one years. “I’m not talking to anyone but my brother.”

Jurgens’s forceful hands yanked her to a standing position. “You answer the cap’n.”

The abrupt movement snapped the fragile control she clung to. Spasms seized her throat. Arianna struggled to turn away, but the fingers digging into her arms held her in place. The contents of her stomach erupted.

All over Captain Danvers’s boots.

Her captor released her and jumped back in horror.




How can my readers buy your book?

The Wild Rose Press e-book

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_135&products_id=5133


The Wild Rose Press paperback

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=5144


Amazon e-book

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Honor-ebook/dp/B00AD99TSM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362433938&sr=1-1&keywords=lost+honor


Amazon paperback

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Honor-Loreen Augeri/dp/1612177298/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362434027&sr=1-1&keywords=lost+honor





You can find more information about Loreen Augeri and her book, Lost Honor, by
visiting her website www.loreenaugeri.com


Just a few fun questions to answer if you don’t mind.

1) What is your favorite color? pink

2) What is your favorite holiday? Easter

3) What is your favorite thing to eat? spaghetti

4) Who is your favorite author to read? At the moment, Monica McCarty

5) What’s your favorite vacation spot? the beach or the mountains

6) Movies- Drama or Comedy? drama

7) Coke or Pepsi? Coke

8) Ice Cream- Strawberry, Chocolate, or Vanilla? strawberry

9) Roses or Daisies? roses

10) Hotel room or tent in the woods? hotel room 

Thank you for allowing me to interview you here at Heart of Romance. Good luck to you in your future!!!