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Lily's Reviews is hosting an excerpt of One Tough Cowboy by Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick!

Excerpt:

Always the gentleman.

He hadn’t changed much. He seemed bigger, his shoulders broader. His signature thick, black hair was cut in a shorter style. As he got closer, Samantha noticed his face had changed quite a bit. Any boyish softness he’d once had was all gone and had been replaced with hard planes and angles, except for his full, well-defined lips. There were fine laugh lines fanning out from the corners of his steel gray eyes. Those eyes were more intense, hard. The easy laughter that lit them when he was younger seemed to be gone.

“Ms. Bell.” He nodded in greeting to the diminutive lady.

“Good of you to come by, Sheriff. Little Samantha is handlin’ all this by herself.” She winked and patted his arm. “She could use a little help, I’m thinkin’.”

Samantha wanted to walk away. She also wanted to throw her arms around Hunter and hold on for dear life. Not just because he still made her heart pound, but because he was a part of her life she thought she’d lost. She wanted to hold on to a stable, warm part of her past where she was happy and safe. Seeing him again brought those memories and emotions all rushing back.

“Hey, Sam.” The smooth, deep bass of his voice was quiet and soothing.

“Hey, Hunter.” His name left her lips with more composure than she felt.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the funeral, but I wanted to come by to extend my condolences, and to see how you’re doin’.” He stepped closer and rubbed her bare upper arm. “You holdin’ up okay?” His hand, a bit rough and callused from real work, was warm, reassuring.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m okay, Hunter, thank you.” She cleared her throat. “Everyone brought food. The dining room table is overflowing. Help yourself.”

He followed her through the living room to the dining room. She turned and almost jumped back. He was standing inches away, looking down at her. His brows furrowed, his gaze sharply assessing her. He smelled incredible, and he stood so close she could feel the heat from his body.

She opened her mouth to say something but forgot what she wanted to say. She must look completely ignorant gaping up at him like that.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Sympathy and concern shadowed his expression, softening the harsher lines of his face.

“It’s been a long day. I’m fine, really.” She was a basket case, and not just because of her aunt’s death.

Hunter gave her a gentle smile and pulled out a chair. “No doubt. Sit and talk to me for a while. I haven’t seen you in what? Ten years?”

Samantha welcomed the chance to get off her feet and get away from the crowd for a bit. “Yeah, about ten years, I think.”

He pulled out the chair beside her, turned it toward her, and sat, staring at her solemnly. “I’m real sorry about Dottie.”

“Me too.” She looked into his eyes, assessing whether she could or should continue. “I really didn’t get enough time with her. I’ll always regret that.”

Hunter shook his head. “Sam, you know Dottie thought the world of you. She knew you loved her and she loved you.”

Had she? Samantha couldn’t help but question the observation. School, her career, and far too many emotions had seemed to always get in the way of returning to Deerhaven.

“Yes, I know, but I look around at these people and think of how some of them probably knew her even better than I did, her own niece.” Samantha frowned and gestured toward a blue-haired woman sitting on the couch sobbing, clutching another woman’s hand. “Mrs. Holt is devastated.”

She obviously had not talked to her aunt on the phone enough either, because Dottie had never mentioned the other woman.

A small smile touched Hunter’s far-too-sensual lips as he lowered his head and leaned closer. “Sam, Irene Holt never even met Dottie. She attends any and all funerals and wails and carries on like that at every one of ’em.” Amusement touching his gaze.

Samantha looked at him incredulously until he raised his hand and said, “Hand to God. Every one of ’em.”

“Wow.” No wonder her aunt Dottie had never mentioned the other woman.

“Yep.” Hunter’s smile broadened. “As for the rest of them, they’re just being neighborly or nosy. Most of ’em still remember your family and you. You were pretty hard to forget . . . Pixie Pest.” His brows lifted playfully. Teasingly.

Samantha narrowed her eyes. “Ugh. That nickname. I don’t know which is worse, that or Sami Jo.”

She protested it. Just as she always had. That flare of warmth she felt whenever it passed his lips was still there, though.

“You earned it.”

“Psh, whatever.” She’d actually worked at it at the time.

Hunter chuckled and she nearly sighed. Lord, she’d missed his laugh, his smile, even the way he’d tease her. She’d missed him.

“Aw, you know I was always fond of you, Pixie. You were a great kid, even if you were a pest that was constantly following me around and giving my girlfriends hell.”

She had been such a tomboy with wild, young girl fantasies of being swept off her feet by the cutest boy in Deerhaven, or the whole wide world, for that matter. He’d called her his Pixie Pest whenever he’d seen her and tugged at her long, tangled hair.

“I’m not a kid anymore.” She held his gaze and couldn’t imagine how she’d gotten so bold.

Hunter’s gaze traveled over her body, a single black brow arching slowly in acknowledgment. “I’ve noticed. I’m trying really hard to remember what a pain in the ass you used to be.”

Samantha lifted a brow. “I can still be a pain in the ass.”

“I bet you can.” The look in his eyes was making her feel way too hot, way too needy.

She didn’t want to go there. Not now. After Tom Novak, the very last thing she needed was another relationship. Besides all that, she was here to get answers, not to get laid.

Clearing her throat again, she changed the subject to the one on which she had to keep her focus. “Hunter, what really happened to Aunt Dottie?”

His smile faded and his gaze sharpened. “What do you mean?”

“Aunt Dottie had a sharp mind. She didn’t overdose accidently, no way in hell would she overdose on purpose. What happened?”

Hunter never broke eye contact. “We’re in a cornfield, Sam.”

It took her a minute to realize he meant there were too many ears around.

“Fine. I’ll ask you this question again later. But, just so you know, I’m not leaving Deerhaven until I get the answer.”

Hunter nodded. “Understood.”

Samantha stood. “I’m being rude sitting here. I better go mingle. Please, get yourself something to eat and fix a plate to take home.”

His lopsided smile gave her pause as he stood and took a plate from the stack. “There’s iced tea in the kitchen. Make yourself at home,” she added warily.

With a deep breath, she turned away and walked into the living room. There stood William Henderson, shaking hands with everyone, his practiced smile in place. He wore expensive suits and kept his hair slicked back and combed over to hide his bald spot. He thought himself attractive and carried himself like he was the king of everything.

ABOUT ONE TOUGH COWBOY:



First in a brand-new series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick about one man’s pursuit of justice—and unbridled desire.

LAW AND ORDER.

For as long as Samantha can remember, Hunter—a man as strong as steel, with a heart of gold—has been her hero. It came as no surprise to Samantha when she found out that the ranch-hardened cowboy who always protected her from bullies went on to become the town’s sheriff. What does surprise her is how incredibly hot he still is. And how much she still wants him…

PRIDE AND PASSION

And, lo and behold, Hunter still has feelings for Samantha. The long-smoldering heat of their innocent flirtation has grown into a full-raging fire. But when tragedy strikes, and their small-town community is shattered, Hunter vows to do everything he can to keep his childhood sweetheart safe. But can Samantha trust that Hunter has her best interests at heart…and that, after all these years, his love is true?

To buy One Tough Cowboy

About the Authors:
Lora Leigh
#1 New York Times bestseller Lora Leigh is the author of the Navy SEALS, the Breeds, the Elite Ops, the Callahans, the Bound Hearts, and the Nauti series.
Website
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Veronica Chadwick
Veronica Chadwick started storytelling when she was a little girl. She was first published in 2004. She lives in Tennessee with three cats, a very spoiled Shih Tzu and two grand dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s hanging out with friends, reading or badly playing video games.
Facebook
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Today, Lily's Reviews is hosting an excerpt from Olivia Drake's The Duke I Once Knew.

First, a little bit about the book:



Award-winning author Olivia Drake begins her new Unlikely Duchesses series with THE DUKE I ONCE KNEW (St. Martin’s Paperbacks; December 31, 2018). With compelling characters and skillful plot twists, Drake’s latest novel will take your breath away.

First love is always the sweetest…

For years, Abigail Linton devoted herself to caring for her parents and her siblings’ children. Now, eager to create a life of her own, Abby seizes upon a position as a governess on a neighboring estate. Unfortunately, her absentee employer is Maxwell Bryce, the Duke of Rothwell, the notorious rake who once broke her youthful heart. But since he hasn’t set foot on his estate for fifteen years, Abby assumes she’ll never have to lay eyes on him ever again.

Then, from out of nowhere, Max appears. He is stunned to come face to face with the girl next door he fell for years ago—before he went away, and she stopped writing to him … even though Abby swears that he is the one who left her without a word. Could it be that this spirited, witty spinster has won Max’s heart all over again—and that they may have a second chance at love?

About the Author:
Olivia Drake is the author of the Cinderella Sisterhood series (Seducing the Heiress, Never Trust a Rogue, Scandal of the Year, If the Slipper Fits, Stroke of Midnight, Abducted by the Prince, Bella and the Beast, His Wicked Wish, and The Scandalous Flirt). She has been a member of Romance Writers of America since 1981, and her novels have won the Golden Heart Award, Best Historical Romantic Suspense and Best Regency Historical from Romantic Times. She has also won the prestigious RITA award. She currently resides in Houston, TX.

You can purchase this book here.

Author Website
Author Twitter: @OliviaDrake1
Author Facebook: Olivia Drake

SMP Romance Twitter: @SMPRomance or @heroesnhearts
SMP Romance Website: Heroes & Heartbreakers

And, now, for the excerpt:

The sounds of cooing and kissing mortified her. Good heavens, would they never stop? Anyone might walk into
the library! They ought to have the decency to take their amorous activities upstairs to a bedchamber.

But, of course, Rothwell did not possess a shred of decency. It made her cringe to recall that she herself had once fallen prey to his allure.

She risked another look over the edge of the table. Her eyes goggled.

The duke was delving beneath the hem of his paramour’s gown, sliding his hand up her ankle and out of
sight. The ladybird squirmed and squealed in a frisky attempt at evasion. He leaned down and silenced her playful protests with a masterful kiss.

Abby sank back down again. Her pulse pounded and a blush heated her inside and out. She oughtn’t be so scandalized. Rothwell had a reputation as a notorious rake. Over the years, she had heard many a tale whispered among the neighbors of his disgraceful doings. Yet it was one thing to listen to idle gossip and quite another to actually witness him in the throes of depravity.

And here she was, trapped. What was she to do?

If she made her presence known, the duke would find out that Miss Abigail Linton was the new governess. She
could not be absolutely certain that he had forgotten her. And if he did remember, he surely would dismiss her on the spot, for he wanted nothing to do with her.

Her spirits fell into a fit of the dismals. That would mark the end of her little adventure out into the world. Oh, she could apply for a position elsewhere, but who would hire her if she’d been summarily discharged from her previous post? She would be forced to return to her brother’s house and resume her predictable life as the maiden aunt, growing withered and gray, shuttled between relatives, with no
real say in her future.

The very thought was suffocating.

Nevertheless, she could not continue to crouch here while the two lovers were smooching and whispering.
What if their intimate activities escalated? What if they did the deed right here, right now?

The horrid prospect spurred Abby to action. She must try to sneak out of the library unobserved. It was her only hope.

Dropping to her hands and knees, she crept along the carpet, weaving a path between the tables. Her long skirts hampered her progress, forcing her to inch along at a snail’s pace. Rothwell’s black boots were visible through a forest of chair legs. At least he was too distracted to notice her, judging by the amorous sounds emanating from across the room. To be safe,she made a wide berth around the couple.

Feverish plans raced through her head. If only she could reach the door and slip out, then all might be well. Perhaps she could convince Lady Gwendolyn not to mention the new governess to her brother. And what of Lady Hester? Was there a chance that she could be persuaded to bide her tongue, too? Should Abby confess the truth and enlist her help? Was it possible to stay out of sight until he departed the Court?

Sweet heaven, how long did he intend to stay?

In the midst of her meditations, she couldn’t help overhearing the syrupy drivel of their tête-à-tête.

“Your Grace, you are too bold! Such a naughty boy you are!”

“I left boyhood behind long ago. Shall I demonstrate?”

“Mm, no. You mustn’t . . . ah, yes. Yes!”

Abby grimaced under a tide of acute embarrassment. As she crawled closer to the door, she glared in the direction of the lovers. She could just see Rothwell’s legs pressed against a froth of cream skirts. Blast him and his debauchery! He was the worst of rogues, the king of scoundrels. A more wicked man had never been born—!

Too caught up in remonstrations to watch where she was going, Abby bumped her hip hard against a mahogany pedestal. A little squeak escaped before she could clap her hand to her mouth. At the same instant, a faint clanking noise drew her attention upward.

The globe atop the pedestal wobbled precariously. As she watched in horror, the sphere toppled from its perch and clunked onto the floor, where it rolled straight past the chairs and tables to land at Rothwell’s heels.

“What the devil—!”

Frozen in concealment, Abby watched wide-eyed through the maze of table legs as his boots shifted around.
A large male hand flashed down to stop the spinning of the globe. Any faint hope that he might assume it had
fallen of its own accord vanished in a millisecond.

Rothwell strode forward, his footfalls sharp and decisive. He came straight to her. To her great consternation, she found herself gazing at the polished black leather of his boots only a few inches away.

“Who are you?” he demanded. “What are you doing in here?”

Abby raised her chin only slightly, keeping her face averted. It was best that he didn’t gaze fully at her—or hear the normal pitch of her voice lest it trigger his memory. “I’m just a servant,” she whispered, “tending to my duties.”

“Speak up!Why did you not make your presence known at once?”

His dictatorial tone shredded her better judgment. “I was trying to leave discreetly,” she flared. “It didn’t strike me as wise to interrupt your tryst.” She paused, then added in a more servile tone, “I do beg your pardon, Your Grace.”

She felt his gaze boring down like a physical force that threatened to smother her. She wanted badly to look up, to glare into his face and tell him in no uncertain terms exactly what she thought of him.

But that would be highly imprudent.

With lightning swiftness, he clamped his hands around her upper arms and hauled Abby to her feet. She found
herself staring up into a pair of wintry gray eyes set in a face of unabashed masculinity. Although a dissipated life had hardened his expression and etched faint lines on either side of his mouth, he was more disturbingly handsome than ever. He also seemed taller and tougher, his chest broader and his shoulders wider.

She hated that he still had the power to make the breath catch in her throat. Worse, she hated that he had the authority to dismiss her with a snap of his arrogant fingers. As she racked her beleaguered brain for a way to convince him not to do so, something flickered in those icy eyes.

“Abby?”

End of excerpt

Hope you enjoyed reading the excerpt from The Duke I Once Knew and I hope you will check the book out!
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Today, Lily's Reviews welcomes Lexi Post. Take it away, Ms. Post!

Lexi has a $25 Gift Card to giveaway during the tour. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember you may enter every day for your chance to win. You may find the tour locations here https://goo.gl/sPP5CV.

About One of a Kind Christmas:



For her to love him, he must face a spirit, an archangel…and himself.

The spirit of Cameron Douglas has totally screwed-up…again. Now, he has to fix his mess in one night with the help of his best friend and somehow encourage his widow to move on.

Holly Douglas is anguished that this is the last Christmas she’ll be visited by her late husband, Cameron. For three years he’s sent her the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, and they‘ve helped her cope with her loss. But now all that ends, and she doesn’t understand why he must push her away.

Ethan Stewart has been in love with Holly since Cameron’s death, but she isolated herself from everyone, including him. Then something changed, and he was welcomed back as her friend. But he wants more— to love her openly, and most of all to make her happy again. Though he loved his best friend like a brother and will do anything for Holly, as he’s pulled into the spirit world, he discovers the price they must pay for their chance at forever…and it just might be too high.


Release Day: December 5, 2018

Buy Links for One of a Kind Christmas:

Amazon
B&N
iBooks
Kobo
Amazon UK
Amazon AU
Amazon CA

Excerpt:



He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. “I miss Cam. It was as if we were two parts of the same soul. I lived vicariously through him even while I worried constantly about him. It was one of the reasons I was constantly warning him to be careful. I was afraid to lose him.”

Ethan looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. “And then I did.”

She felt as if her heart were breaking all over again, not for her but for Ethan. He was so good to her. He even loved her. And she… “Ethan, I understand.”

His gaze returned to hers. Though she couldn’t see his face clearly, the limited light reflected off the sheen in his eyes.

She placed her hand on his cheek and rising on her toes brushed her lips across his in a feather-light kiss. She only meant to give comfort, but a spark of something else hit her heart.

She remained there, her lips close to his but not touching, wanting more but afraid to ask.

Ethan remained absolutely still, his breath mixing with her own.

He loved her but would never push her. It wasn’t his nature. She could walk away right now, but to what?

Nothing.

She stared at his mouth in the dim light. She wanted to live again. She wanted to feel again. Tilting her head, she pressed her lips more firmly against his, moving her hand down his stubbled jaw and behind his neck to pull him closer.

Ethan’s lips opened, and she slipped her tongue between them.

As his arms came around her, it was like waking from a dream. A slow burn flowed through her veins as he took control of the kiss and explored her mouth with his tongue. It was an unhurried exploration and heat built in her belly. When he pulled back to lick the underside of her top lip, she took her first deep breath. As she exhaled, tingles spread throughout her body.

He kissed the corners of her mouth before leaning his forehead against her own. “Ye catch my blood on fire, lass.”

Other Books in the Series:

A Christmas Carol Book 1, Pleasures of Christmas Past is on sale for only $.99!

Pleasures of Christmas Past (A Christmas Carol Book 1) by Post, Lexi

Jessica is assigned a hot, Scottish mentor who confuses her heart. But will he protect her soul?


Buy Links for Pleasures of Christmas Past:
Amazon
B&N
iBooks
Kobo
Amazon AU
Amazon CA
Amazon UK

Desires of Christmas Present (A Christmas Carol Book 2) by Lexi Post
Sometimes not knowing is better…for everyone.

Desires of Christmas Present Buy Link: Amazon


Temptations of Christmas Future (A Christmas Carol Book 3) by Lexi Post
He set out to prove the future was far worse than she imagined. Now he wished it wasn’t.

Temptations of Christmas Future Buy Link: Amazon


About the Author:

Lexi Post is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of romance inspired by the classics. She spent years in higher education taking and teaching courses about the classical literature she loved. From Edgar Allan Poe's short story “The Masque of the Red Death” to Tolstoy’s War and Peace, she's read, studied, and taught wonderful classics.

But Lexi's first love is romance novels so she married her two first loves, romance and the classics. From hot paranormals to sizzling cowboys to hunks from out of this world, Lexi provides a sensuous experience with a “whole lotta story.”

Lexi is living her own happily ever after with her husband and her cat in Florida. She makes her own ice cream every weekend, loves bright colors, and you will never see her without a hat.

Lexi's Social Links:

Website
Lexi Post Updates
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Amazon Author Page
Bookbub
D2D
Goodreads
Instagram
Blog
Pinterest
lexi@lexipostbooks.com

Thank you Ms. Post for stopping by Lily's Reviews!

Please be sure to check out the Rafflecopter giveaway to be found HERE
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Today, Lily's Reviews welcomes author Cathy Clamp offering a sneak peak into how Forbidden was created.

Welcome Ms. Clamp!





One of the things I’ve always loved best about the creation process is how a story can change during the writing. A lot of times when I’m writing, I’ll cut out text that I’ve written . . . not because it’s bad text, but I changed my mind about a direction to go. In FORBIDDEN, I completely changed the first three chapters after writing about half of the book. It just sort of wandered, instead of getting right to the action. So I thought I’d give readers a little bit of what wound up on the cutting room floor. When you read the book (and I hope you’ll follow along), this scene is set in the nurse’s office, and originally happened BEFORE Alek and Claire meet the Sheriff and Mayor, just before Alek races to the post office. Enjoy!

******************

Alek was moving with quiet efficiency around the room, grabbing gauze, new cotton swabs, sterile stitch thread and scissors. When he was done, everything was lined up in an exact line on the rolling tray, in the order they’d be needed. It seemed in keeping with the personality she’d already noticed. His mind was quick and organized. It was the sign of a good cop . . . or a proficient serial killer. She’d met both, and had learned that the difference between the two was very small.

The woman Alek had identified as Marilyn returned to the room. Her long dark hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, showing a face with strong angular lines. Her high cheek bones and dusky skin told her she was Native American, so it was likely the feathers she smelled under the skin was a golden eagle. Maybe even a bald eagle. She didn’t know enough eagles to smell the difference between the two. “Golden or bald?” Sometimes it was just easier to ask.

She smiled, showing white, even teeth. “Golden. Not many balds in the world. I think one of the few is down in your neck of the woods.” She pulled a padded stool close to the table and patted it. “How about you sit here? I need to see the top of your head.”

Oh. Yeah, that made sense. Claire nodded as she hopped down off the table and sat on the stool. “Will Kerchee is part of our pack. He’s a good man.”

Marilyn chuckled. “Well, hardly part of your pack. You’re a wolf. But I have heard good things about him.”

Claire felt her smile tighten. It wasn’t really worth arguing. She knew that most people didn’t understand how the Tedford pack worked. But Will, Wolven agent, Texas Ranger, and celebrated seer, was most definitely part of their pack. There were wolves, birds and a few cats in the pack—all mentally connected into one stronger whole. It wasn’t normal, but then they didn’t have a normal alpha female. She was all about family, familia she called it. Nothing was more important, so when she’d heard about children disappearing up here, she had to act. “Definitely.” She’d let the other woman guess which comment she was responding to.

**********************

Interested? Go pick up the book and find out more about the characters. You’ll enjoy it. I promise!

LR: Thank you for stopping by and for the insight!
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Blurb: As childhood sweethearts growing up in a small Texas town, Jordan and Cassie were the golden couple of their generation—the epitome of the All-American couple one only saw portrayed in movies. But after high school ended, and with the promise that nothing could break their relationship, Jordan moved to California to play football in college, leaving Cassie with a broken heart while residing in their sleepy little town.

Six years later, Jordan is now the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins. At the peak of his career, he returns home following his father’s health scare, and in the process, learns he fathered a child with his former flame.

While Cassie may have had her reasons for concealing her son from his father for five years, Jordan is determined to be a part of his child’s life—despite being worlds apart from each other.

Unions will be tested as two worlds collide once more in an attempt to restore a former spark, but will it be enough to make a family whole again? Will Jordan believe home really is where the heart is?

Review: I found the book to be an enjoyable read - especially the characters. I enjoyed how the characters, well, 'danced' around each other and worked things out. I liked how Jordan and Cassie worked things out.

What caught my attention, though, is the possible relationship between Nick and Gabby. Maybe a look at a future book in the making? :)

Very nice debut read from Ms. Mack and I look forward to seeing more from her in the future.
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Today, Lily's Reviews welcomes Brandy L. Rivers with a guest post.

Dreamwalkers

Devlin O’Shea is a Dreamwalker. It’s a rare gift. There aren’t many left.

He can find people in their dreams. Sometimes it’s random, but usually he needs a connection to them. In Jamie’s case, it was fate. He stumbled into her dream and has a hard time resisting her.

Imagine the kind of power you would have if you could really alter other people’s dreams, or visit them there. Most people wouldn’t believe it. They would think it’s a dream, or a nightmare even. How much trouble could you cause in someone else’s head? This is why I think the majority of Dreamwalkers wind up bad, or at least corrupted.

Of course there are exceptions, like Devlin. He’s a healer by nature. Harming someone, even those who deserve it, is the last thing on his mind.

I have always loved the idea of shared dreams. I’m a lucid dreamer and can manipulate my own dreams, but I always thought it would be cool to visit someone else, so I played with that idea in this book. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of this ability later on down the line.
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Today, Lily's Reviews is hosting S.L. Scott on a stop here as part of her blog tour for Naturally, Charlie.

I once had this dream where Jeff Probst released a lion with no teeth from its cage. It ran straight for me. I turned and ran towards this really hot…

Oh wait, you meant for me to talk about my dreams as in accomplishing lifelong dreams. Oops.  Sorry about that. I’ll save that other little story for Facebook since that dream gets a little steamy.

Naturally, Charlie being published is absolutely a lifelong dream come true. Too dramatic? I don’t mean it to be, but it’s the truth. When I was little, I would write little stories and color the pictures inside, fold the papers in half, add a construction paper cover to it and staple the seam to hold it all together. I have a book of Christmas carols with that kid-centric cover on it from when I was twelve, but we can’t seem to find any of the little stories I wrote.

Really though, my point is, I’ve always wanted to be an author. I was in my own head, but finally having a real book out is like winning the jackpot. Even though I don’t really know what that feels like, I can imagine it’s like publishing your first book. And that feels amazing.

I feel so fortunate that my first book is a story with characters I love. I really do miss spending time with them and sharing their experiences. I miss being inside their heads and their hearts and them being inside of mine. But the reward I get from holding a copy of their story—my story—,in my hands is like a proud parent. *Whispers* I’ve actually snuggled the book to my chest.

It’s good to have goals. It’s great to achieve them and mark them off of your bucket list. It’s even better if that dream is your passion. I’m a writer. I write all of the time. Some of what I write I keep and some I don’t, but I can’t not write. It makes my hand itchy and I become impatient. My characters force me to release them beyond the confines of my mind. It feels magical to have an idea that evolves into something that you treasure and want to spend time doing. Writing is not an escape but a way of life for me.

Writing is my calling. I write because I love to and now to see that begin a new career for me is rewarding on a much bigger level. From penning stories in crayon as a child to being a published author, this opportunity means the world to me and even more that I get to share that passion with others.

I hope when reading this story the readers will feel the emotion I poured into the book and enjoy the journey as much as I did creating it. By pursuing my dreams (and not the Probst one), I find myself very much like the two Charlies in this story. This is my new beginning and I’m creating my own destiny and happy ending.

Thank you for hosting me today.

Naturally, Charlie is released on November 1st.

About Naturally, Charlie:  Twenty-five year old Charlotte “Charlie” Barrow is caught between her old life and the one she is beginning to build when she crosses paths with a handsome stranger on the subway. Not looking for romance, she closes her heart off to the possibilities of love. With a knack for mishaps, Charlie maintains her sense of humor while befriending the kind stranger who seems to be there at all the right times.

New York freelance writer, Charlie Adams, is forging his own path beyond the expectations of the society circles of his childhood. Rejecting family money, and fast-lane friends, he is snubbed by his family as he follows his own compass to a life more extraordinary.

Through a coincidence of events, they come to rely on each other for comfort. This is the tale of two Charlies learning to trust again while fighting their fates to create their own destiny.

About S.L. Scott: S.L. Scott is a former high-tech account manager with a journalism degree pursuing her passion for telling stories. She spends her days escaping into her characters and letting them lead her on their adventures.

Live music shows, harvesting jalapenos and eating homemade guacamole are her obsessions she calls hobbies.

Scott lives in the beautiful Texas hill country of Austin with her husband, two young sons, two Papillons and a bowl full of Sea Monkeys.

Naturally, Charlie is Scott's debut novel.

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As part of a virtual blog tour, Lily's Reviews welcomes David Ebenbach with a guest post.

Failure
David Ebenbach

My new book, Into the Wilderness, was born out of a failure. In 2006, a new father, I started writing a novel about a new single mother. I was interested in exploring the really massive experience of parenthood, which was bigger than I ever could have imagined. Well, after a couple of years I finished the book, and started sending it around to agents. The responses started to come in pretty quickly; unfortunately, they were all rejections.

One agent was nice enough, however, to include a personal note, and what she said really clarified things for me. The agent wasn’t able to sympathize with the narrator at all, because the character’s reaction to parenthood was so extreme. Well, that was true. Because it was a novel, I’d felt the need to add lots of drama to keep the reader interested. This mother was so overwhelmed that she was going out, night after night, leaving the baby entirely alone in the apartment. Now, I’ve known some parents who have had guilty thoughts about doing that kind of thing, but I don’t know anyone who’s actually done it. So I had taken something real and blown it out of proportion, distorted it completely, in order to turn it into a novel.

At that point I backed away from the novel and spent some time writing short stories, my first love in fiction. After a while I found I had accumulated a good handful of new stories, and all of them were about parenthood. Interesting. I also took another look at the novel and saw that there were sections without all that extra melodrama, sections that might be able to stand alone as stories. I pulled those parts out and messed with them until I felt they worked. And suddenly there it was: enough material for a book. I still had to arrange the stories, but I was undoubtedly on my way to writing a book of fiction about parenthood. Not a novel, but something else—something truer to who I am as a writer.

I didn’t need melodrama. I just needed to show—like a good short story always shows—that little things are actually a big deal. You can talk about parenthood, for example, the way it really unfolds—the mundane sleep deprivation, all the regular and miraculous development and growth of the baby, the unexpected changes in friendships and marital relationships—and show people how much quiet drama there is to be found there. That’s plenty. My novel—my failed novel—taught me that. And here’s the other thing I learned: writers shouldn’t be afraid of failure. When I hold my new book, Into the Wilderness, in my hands, it’s all very clear to me that failure is just an early part of success.

IntotheWilderness_bookcoverInto the Wilderness: “For the very real people in David Ebenbach’s vivid and emotional stories,” says author Jesse Lee Kercheval, “becoming a parent—as Judith, the single mother in four of the stories, says—is going ‘into the wilderness.’” The collection Into the Wilderness explores the theme of parenthood from many angles: an eager-to-connect divorced father takes his kids to a Jewish-themed baseball game; a lesbian couple tries to decide whether their toddler son needs a man in his life; one young couple debates the idea of parenthood while another struggles with infertility; a reserved father uses an all-you-can-eat buffet to comfort his heartbroken son. But the backbone of the collection is Judith, who we follow through her challenging first weeks of motherhood, culminating in an intense and redemptive baby-naming ceremony. Says author Joan Leegant, “Ebenbach takes us deep into the heart of the messy confusion and terror and unfathomable love that make up that shaky state we call parenthood. These stories are fearless, honest and true.”

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David Ebenbach was born and raised in the great city of Philadelphia, home of America’s first library, first art museum, first public school, and first zoo, along with his very first stories and poems – though those early efforts went on to become (deservedly) less famous than, for example, the zoo.

Since then David has lived in Ohio, Wisconsin, Philadelphia again, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, and Ohio again, picking up some education (formal and otherwise) and more than a few stories along the way. He has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

In addition to his short-story collection Into the Wilderness (October 2012, Washington Writers’ Publishing House), David is the author of another book of short stories entitled Between Camelots (October 2005, University of Pittsburgh Press), and a non-fiction guide to creativity called The Artist’s Torah (forthcoming, Cascade Books). His poetry has appeared in the Beloit Poetry Journal, Subtropics, and the Hayden's Ferry Review, among other places.

He has been awarded the Drue Heinz Literature Prize; fellowships to the MacDowell Colony, the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, and the Vermont Studio Center; and an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council.

David currently teaches at Georgetown University and very happily lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and son, both of whom are a marvel and an inspiration.

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Please welcome Sara Lunsford to Lily's Reviews on this stop in her blog tour:

Marriage and the Job



9781402270765-PR

And I know what that’s like because I was one too. We worked at the same prison.

I speak a lot about my husband and what life was like then in my memoir Sweet Hell on Fire, but I haven’t spoken about what it’s like to be married to him now—since he still does the Job and I don’t. It was a special kind of hell to be at a post where I couldn’t respond to an emergency alarm in the cell house my husband was working, but at least there I felt like I had some control. Being at home and out of the loop is another flavor of fear altogether.

Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss. Since I’m a writer, my fevered imagination can come up with more horrible scenarios than what’s actually possible in any given situation. Except this one. The things that happen behind the walls could rival any horror story with the sheer depravity of what human beings are capable of inflicting on each other.

Even though this knowledge sometimes feels like a burden, it’s worth it because it helps me to be a better wife. I can truly be his haven and his best friend because I understand what he’s dealing with and the pressure he’s under.

In the book, one of the first things I discuss is how they teach us that we have to be two different people. The person we are behind the walls and the person we show to the rest of the world, shrugging the other off like a cloak as we walk through the gates. But it’s not that simple.

How strong can a relationship be if there are some things that you just can’t share with each other? I think that’s a big reason why there’s such a high rate of substance abuse and divorce among law enforcement. The Job creeps into that separate life, spilling like an ink stain over everything we touch. Instead of trying to hold back the tide, my husband and I have chosen to embrace it, to work with the flow instead of against it. He can tell me anything.

Before he goes to work, I make sure I kiss him and tell him how much I love him because there’s always the chance that he might not come back out through those gates. Yet, still I say I got my Happily Ever After because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed to anyone no matter what career path they’ve chosen.

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Lily's Reviews welcomes Martha H. Fitzgerald on a stop during her blog tour for The Courtship of Two Doctors.  The contest portion of this blog tour can be found by clicking here.







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Daughter pours her heart into “Courtship”

By Martha H. Fitzgerald

Compiling “Courtship of Two Doctors,” a medical romance and history told in letters, wasn’t a matter of simply sifting through nearly two years of correspondence. It required, first of all, a resourceful transcriptionist to decipher the handwriting of two physicians-in-training, then months of research to verify names and dates, song and movie titles, medications and treatments. I traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, and Rochester, Minnesota, to peruse newspapers, medical archives, and other resources in person.

Other steps included a published research article on medical training of the late 1930s and a yearlong process of editing—that is, selecting excerpts from roughly 300 letters to tell the story, then polishing them for clarity and consistency. I edited with a light hand, to preserve the character of the writers and the vernacular of the times: Gee, everyone wishing me luck and
all—it’s a grand feeling.

What drove me was not just the training of a historian and the skill of a journalist, but the heart of a daughter. The subjects, Alice Baker of New Orleans and Joe Holoubek of Omaha, were my parents, who died in 2005 and 2007. My father, before his death, entrusted to me his private papers, including their courtship letters. We started on the book together, in the last months of his life, and he wrote the first draft of the prologue, describing how they met during a summer fellowship program in pathology at Mayo Clinic.

Quite honestly, I put the project aside for a couple of years, not certain how or if I should proceed. I recognized the immense historical and social value of the letters, recreating the medical era before antibiotics and illustrating the 1930s social barriers challenging women in professions. Eventually I realized this book could pay tribute not only to my parents, but to all members of healing professions. And I could benefit causes we shared: the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport, Louisiana, which my father co-founded, and a local marriage ministry.

In editing and researching these letters, I’ve had a rare privilege—getting to know my parents before they were parents, before they were even a couple. I like who they were as young people.

It was a great delight recognizing in the young Alice and Joe some of the character and personality traits I knew in my parents, Dr. Alice and Dr. Joe. Even as a young woman, my mother excelled in a man’s world with a surprising ease and self-confidence. She did not take offense easily at slights against women. My father was a young man less sure of himself, but
with high ideals and a gentle wit.

Why, even then, he named his cars. In 1938 he was driving a 1928 Studebaker. He called her Nancy. She was a great pal, but no longer young and beginning to suffer aches and pains. “Nancy is running, on occasion,” he wrote one night. “Very interesting case, her illness. Diagnosis—malfunction of the gears. Etiology—old age. Pathology—a few teeth broken out of
the flywheel.”

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Martha Holoubek Fitzgerald, an award-winning journalist of 27 years, served the Shreveport Times as columnist and associate editorial page editor. Now an independent editor, writer and publisher, the Louisiana native earned a B.A. in history and American studies from Loyola University-New Orleans and a master’s in history from Louisiana Tech University.

She’s the youngest child of the late Drs. Alice and Joe Holoubek, who met as senior medical students from New Orleans and Omaha and corresponded for two years before their marriage.  Fitzgerald drew on this collection of nearly 800 letters to create The Courtship of Two Doctors: A 1930s Love Story of Letters, Hope & Healing (Aug. 15, 2012). Proceeds from book sales benefit Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport, which her father co-founded, a local marriage ministry, and other causes she shares with her parents.

Fitzgerald owns Martha Fitzgerald Consulting (marthafitzgerald.com) and Little Dove Press (littledovepress.com/). She edited and published her father’s 2004 novel Letters to Luke (letterstoluke.com/), which won the Writers Digest Award for inspirational literature and the Independent Publisher Award for religious fiction.

Fitzgerald also writes a blog, “Catholics & Bible Study: Sharing Our Journey Through The Wilderness.” She serves on the board of Shreveport’s LSU Health Sciences Center Foundation.

She and her husband enjoy living on a quiet country road in a bend of the Red River in Louisiana. Like her parents, she has an adventuresome spirit and relishes far-flung travel.

Ms. Fitzgerald may be found at: marthafitzgerald.com and @MarthaHFitz (twitter)


TheCourtshipofTwoDoctors_bookcoverBOOK DETAILS

Synopsis

Hardcover, $29.95
ISBN: 978-0-9753766-3-8
Trade paper, $19.95
ISBN: 978-0-9753766-4-5
EBook, $9.95
ISBN: 978-0-9753766-5-2
Biography/Medical, 400 pages
Little Dove Press, Aug. 15, 2012

The Courtship of Two Doctors: A 1930s Love Story of Letters, Hope & Healing

Edited by Martha Holoubek Fitzgerald
Adapted from The Holoubek-Baker Letters, 1937-1939: An Annotated Collection

From a private collection of nearly 800 courtship letters, the daughter of two remarkable physicians has crafted a timeless valentine to long-lasting love and the healing profession.

Senior medical students from New Orleans and Omaha meet in 1937 and begin a two-year correspondence across 1,100 miles. They set their sights on a return to Mayo Clinic, the medical mecca where they found each other and danced to the haunting “Harbor Lights.” Grave illness and career setbacks shake their confidence, but the two decide to face an uncertain future together, trusting in each other and the relationship they built letter by letter.

The Courtship of Two Doctors recreates the medical era before antibiotics, when health workers were at risk of serious infection, and vividly illustrates the 1930s social barriers challenging two-career marriages.

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