VICTORIA

 

Victoria, by Joyce Brennan has a little of everything; suspense, romance, mystery and a bit of ESP. Follow Victoria as she loses everything only to discover her ‘new self.’ She evolves from a selfish, self-centered rich deb to being homeless. A half sister she didn’t know she had, takes her in and the adjustment is painful.

VICTORIA is available on amazon.com  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Victoria+by+Joyce+brennan

VICTORIA is part of the Rexford series. VICTORIA, OLIVIA  and soon to be released, JADE  all take place in the fictional town of Rexford, Ohio. Although the books have some of the same characters, they are all stand alone. I know you’ll enjoy reading small town romantic suspense and I hope you follow the women of Rexford.

Do you want to take advantage of coupon sales on Smashwords? Here’s how.

Add my books: THE HIDDEN JOURNAL, MISPLACED, OLIVIA, and VICTORIA. All are also available on Smashwords at 1/2 price.

Chatting with Kathleen Rowland

How do I purchase a book on Smashwords? 
First, register for a free account. This allows Smashwords to create a permanent online library where you can access your purchased books in any format. At the top right of every book page is a shopping cart logo. Simply click on it to purchase the book and then enter your credit card information and follow the simple instructions.

How do I access my shopping cart? 
When you purchase a book, you click the shopping cart icon on the upper right side of the page and it takes you to your shopping cart.   

How do I download books to my Kindle or Kindle Fire?
You’ll find links to all your purchased books in your Smashwords Library. There are two options for loading Smashwords ebook content to your Kindle or Kindle Fire:

1.  USB Connection.  Plug your Kindle into the USB slot…

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“Always True to Her (Emerson Book 2)” by Maureen Driscoll #Spotlight

Writer with a deep-set plot. Don’t expect wine and roses, instead a truth in writing.

Do you enjoy books with an underlying theme?

Those who have money for the best representation often win although they are guilty. The new TV show is an example of how money can sway the jury. So sad.

Chatting with Kathleen Rowland

Characters in my books have jobs that matter to them. In Unholy Alliance the lawyer hero, Grady Donahue Fletcher, appeals cases of the poor and wrongly accused.  In this romantic thriller he is a tough, formidable protagonist who believes an advanced society should not be comfortable with the way a country punishes crime.  In the book Grady Fletcher represents a different marginalized person, a mobsters daughter accused of murder.

What about all the people in prison who don’t have enough money to hire top defense attorneys?

The US locks up too many people for too long, and often treats them poorly. I’m glad to see improvement which comes from the Koch brothers, the American Civil Liberties Union, and others in between. Here is an eye-popping fact: the US makes up 5% of the world’s population but houses 25% of the prison population.  Harsh sentences are handed out for non-violent drug…

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SHORT STORY “INVESTMENTS”

INVESTMENTS

 

“Do you want Italian or Chinese?”

“Oh, let’s have Chinese,” Harry said.

I pulled the menu from the drawer and sat on the edge of the sofa. I read off the selections.

“Number five,” he said. “I liked that the last time you ordered it.”

“You want soup with that?”

“No. Just number five.”

I scanned the menu, decided on my selection, and phoned in the order.

“Are you going to be okay while I pick up our dinner?”

“Yeah, fine. I’ll lean back and turn on the vibrator.”

I smiled as I went to the car. Harry loved that vibrating chair. It’s the first thing we purchased when we moved into our apartment. Harry, twenty-seven years my senior, and I entered a platonic marriage two years ago. I agreed to take care of him and if he died, I was the sole heir to his estate. It worked out for both of us since I was left with no job skills after twenty-two years of marriage to a man who cheated, left me homeless, and with little options. I took a housekeeping job at the home for minimum wage and lived in a rented a room. My future looked bleak until I met Harry.

His kids stuck him in the home because none of them wanted to care for him. While he was mobile, he couldn’t do household chores. We hit it off right away. He liked to play chess, rummy, and any other game I chose. I read to him, we watched news on TV, and I helped him track his investments on the computer.

When I returned with our order, I called his name. Harry didn’t answer. I sat the bags on the kitchen table and went to check on him. The chair was still vibrating, but Harry was pasty white. I shook him lightly. His head fell to the side. Harry was dead.

Harry made arrangements to be cremated, and the burial company left instructions to call them first. They would send their ambulance to pick up the body, therefore avoiding the hubbub of EMT’s, hospitals, etc.

I was in shock. We had taken a trip to the park earlier and Harry seemed fine.

My neighbor, Ellen, came over and sat with me that evening. We shared the Chinese dinners and talked about the future.

“First I’ll call his kids and then his lawyer,” I stammered.

Ellen took my hand. “I’d reverse that if I were you. The entire two years you and Harry lived next to me, I never heard you mention that his children visited.”

I nodded. “None of them have been here. While they didn’t approve of me, they were relieved that they didn’t have to care for their father. Harry always sent them money for their birthdays and holidays.”

“That is so sad,” she said.

“It will be even sadder when the children learn of Harry’s net worth. He made good investments the two years we lived together and I’ll never have to work another day of my life.

 

 

THE HIDDEN JOURNAL

THE HIDDEN JOURNAL is packed with surprises. Jenna relocates from Chicago to Kentucky to escape from her past. All she is looking for is a place where she can work at her home business in peace.

Life happens.

She is blessed with busy neighbors, an intruder who turns out to have lived in her cottage in the past, and a community that is slow to accept a stranger.

When her home business collapses, she has the opportunity to work in and later purchase an antique store. When she discovers a journal crammed in an old Doctor’s desk. The secrets of the town’s residents explode off the pages. Jenna never wanted anyone to see what she read, but an emergency caused her to leave the cottage in a hurry and leave the open book in her office. She never expected her new love to find the old journal, and to discover unknown information about his own family.

I’ve probably given you too much information, but I loved writing this book. I lived in Kentucky and added bits and pieces of my life there. I named the towns in the area and some of the old roads I used to drive on.

Kentucky is a beautiful state, filled with green grasses, horse farms, Fort Knox, small communities, and areas that are far removed from the nearest towns. My father was born in Kentucky, but never lived there as his family moved to Ohio. When I was doing research, I stumbled upon familiar family names.

THE HIDDEN JOURNAL is available on amazon.com http://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+Hidden+Journal+by+Joyce

If you like romance with a real story, you’ll love the twists and adventure I wrote in this novel. Read the first two chapters and the reviews on amazon.com

 

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

JOYCE BRENNAN

 

I love chocolate, puppies, and writing Romantic Suspense novels. I’m an avid reader and I am obsessed with watching crime stories on TV.

 

My husband and our family have traveled and lived in eight cities during his career. I spent those years raising our children and volunteering for dozens of different charities. When we settled in Las Vegas, I began writing seriously. I started with short stories and that eventually turned into romance novels. I found my past journeys gave me numerous plots for my fiction.

 

I belong to three writing clubs, led critique groups, and have given many presentations on writing. I also write articles for the community newspaper, and write two blogs.

 

I write for Tirgearr Publishing and have four Romantic Suspense Novels on their site and on amazon.com/

 

THE HIDDEN JOURNAL is a sweet roomance with a zest, and a surprise twist.

 

MISPLACED, is definitely a Romantic Suspense novel. I know it will keep the readers on the edge of their seats.

 

OLIVIA, is the first of a series but also a stand-alone book. Olivia is in for many surprises when she relocates from the city to a small town. I created this character so readers will easily identify with her.

 

VICTORIA, is the second of the series, but also a stand-alone novel. Wherever Victoria goes, trouble is sure to follow, and her curiosity almost leads to murder.

 

All of my novels are set in small towns, where gossip and rumors rule the day.

Joyce lives in Las Vegas with her husband, Tom, and their long-haired Chihuahua.

WHY DO I WRITE

Recently, I spoke to a group of readers and was asked, “Why do you write?”

I had to think about it before I answered. I seem to have to write. Stories whiz through my brain and I must put it down on paper.

Another question: “Where do you get your ideas?”

When I wrote BROKEN PROMISES, I read a newspaper article about an older woman being bilked by her much younger fiance. I asked myself, what if this was a younger woman who had her hopes and dreams shattered by a boyfriend who emptied their joint bank account and absconded with the funds. What if she also lost her job due to downsizing and found herself near becoming homeless? Would she sit back and moan and groan or would she take action to find the thief. How would she go about finding him? Who would help her? I immediately had a story line and couldn’t wait to include twists and turns in the plot.

I like to write stories about women who find their strength after being in a unusual situation. MISPLACED tells the story of a young woman who has everything going for her until she walks in on her parents murder. The assassin, a mobster, also shoots her and leaves her for dead. Once she recovers, she is placed in the Witness Protection Program and is constantly looking over her shoulder. Who will save her?

How do you come up with a title?

This is a difficult one. Sometimes I make lists of titles and brainstorm with my critique group. MISPLACED was originally titled Shattered Life. I didn’t have problems with BROKEN PROMISES, because that was exactly the essence of the book. THE HIDDEN JOURNAL is a book about my heroine discovering a journal written by the small town’s country Doctor that cited all the secrets families kept hid for years. OLIVIA, and VICTORIA, was part of the WOMEN OF REXFORD series. Looking back, I might have added something to their names. DON’T DANCE ON MY HEART, came from a statement in the book.

Do I plot my story in advance?

Somewhat. I have an idea, decide on the location, develop a confrontation, and then let the story tell itself. I’m not always sure on the exact ending, but because I write Romance, I always write a happy or satisfactory ending.

Where and how do you write?

I have an office with two computers, a TV, and a stereo. I like noise in the background. When I’m in the midst of writing, I turn on Country Music. I keep notes on each chapter so I can revisit if I have a time-line problem.

What is the hardest part of writing a book?

Editing. When I first began to write, I told everything about everyone. I found myself writing 150,00 words, and half of them didn’t push the story forward. A dear friend pointed that out to me when he told me I wrote three stories in one book. Since then, I’ve tried to keep to a few points of view, and center the story around the hero and heroine. It’s difficult.

Where can we find your books?

My favorite question. All of my books are listed on amazon.com/books  You can read two chapters of each book and order them on line. All but DON’T DANCE ON MY HEART are available as an ebook.

 

INTERVIEW by Scott Mullins

 

Joining us today is mystery and romance author Joyce Brennan

 

Let’s get to know you better. Describe yourself in three sentences. Who is Joyce Brennan?

I’m a retired mother of four. When I’m not writing, I’m reading. I have an incredible imagination.

 

You’ve published Misplaced, a crime mystery/romance. What especially attracts you about this kind of story? The adventure. I imagined myself in Gilda’s situation and wondered how I’d handle the stress. If placed in the opposite circumstances of her present existence, would she thrive or fail?

 

Let’s talk a bit more about Misplaced. On the run from her parent’s killers, a wealthy big-city girl moves to a small town. Where did you get the inspiration for this interesting idea? I originally wrote small town romances. I wanted to add intrigue to my stories and remembered reading about the witness protection program. Then I began to think, what if? What would a woman do if taken out of her comfort zone and relocated to what she perceived as a hostile environment? Add her name to the Mob hit list and see where the chips fall.

 

Most writers include things from their surroundings, hobbies, or job experiences in their fiction. What influences your stories, other than your imagination? We were transferred eight times during my husband’s career with American Airlines. Each location offered a different set of circumstances and people to interact with. Also, I’ve volunteered for over 20 organizations during the years. That interaction provided more material for my books.

 

Do you see any popular trends in mystery stories right now? Are there specific plots (such as unearthing a mystery about ancestors, for example) or characters that readers seem to find fascinating? I read a lot about hidden secrets and wrote a book called The Hidden Journal. Every family has secrets, some more outrageous than others. I notice more Time Travel and Fantasies published. I did a survey of my readers and the majority wanted a sound, well-plotted story, whether it was romance, or a mystery

 

Tell us about some of your upcoming projects! What are you writing right now? I’m working on a series about women and romance in a small Ohio town. Each character has her own set of circumstances but are brought together in the same setting. I also have a mystery plotted that takes placed in a retirement center.

 

Where can new readers connect with you and buy your books?

I’m on facebook, twitter, google+ LinkedIn, Wattpage and Tirgearr Publishing’s webpage. My blog is

https://joycebrennan.blogspot.com  Both of my latest eBooks, Misplaced and The Hidden Journal, by Joyce Brennan are available on Amazon

 

Now for some fun stuff:

 

1: Do you prefer movies or TV—or neither? TV. I need to move around, crochet, or read during the commercials.

 

2: If you could pick, what three places in the world would you visit? Ireland, Scotland and Australia.

 

3: What’s the fiction genre that you don’t currently like but is slowly, steadily growing on you? Witches, vampires and werewolves.

 

4: An oldest, youngest, middle or only child? Has your place in the family has affected your viewpoint?

I’m the youngest. Both my brother and sister are five and six years older. It was like being an only child.

 

5: Quality you most admire in other people and wish you had more of? Patience.

 

It’s been so nice meeting you, Joyce! And remember, readers, to check out Joyce’s books here!

Amazon Address for Hidden Journal

http://www.amazon.com/The-Hidden-Journal-Journal-Joyce-Brennan-ebook/dp/BOOHRGMZ8O

Misplaced Amazon Address

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords

THE COURIER, by Dorothy S. Macchio

About the Book

A STORY OF DEDICTION, CHANGE, AND BETRAYAL

 For over five hundred years the Bona Family Trust has been in the courier business with its couriers delivering secret documents between monarchs, heads of state, international businesses, international agencies and powerful individuals who control the world’s economics. It was contrived by two powerful sixteenth century women: Bona Sforza, Queen of Poland and Roxelana Hürrem Sultan, of the Ottoman Empire. Esther Handali, a Jewish agent for Roxelana made the triumvirate. Since royal couriers were frequently slaughtered on their travels, older women were selected as couriers because they, like most older women, were invisible in the world of men. Their journeys to visit relatives and other courts were a perfect cover. It worked well until the 21^st century.

 Beatrice Wheeler San Giacomo is a dedicated courier member of the Trust along with several other women who are also direct descendants of the founders. All agents are fifty to seventy years old. A few are older. She accepted what seems a routine assignment and immediately things are different. The operating protocols have changed and it becomes obvious that the Trust has developed new methods to keep adversaries from discovering the couriers. The ability of governments to hack into communications technology made these couriers more valuable, but the same technology also puts them at risk. Beatrice finds that she must adapt on the job or be kidnapped and perhaps killed. The changes by the Trust to become a modern international business leads to the betrayal of all she believes.

 

About the author:

Dorothy is a graduate of Fairfield University (CT) with a Masters Degree in Corporate and Political Communication. She has worked as a newspaper writer, college lecturer, and in California, as a volunteer museum curator for a California Mission.

Dorothy raised three children and has five grandchildren. She is an amateur historian, and is involved in many activities in her community.

You can purchase THE COURIER, on amazon.com @$3.99

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+courier+by+Dorothy+Macchio

THE HUNTED, by Shannan Albright

A druid sworn to protect and nurture.

Leigh Simon, a druidic healer, lives a peaceful existence among her nomadic tribe. She practices the healing arts and communes with the earth—until her estranged mother’s death turns Leigh’s life upside down. Leigh is now heir to her mother’s worldly possessions, including one dark, brooding demon.

A demon sworn to revenge.

Taren’s rage against witches is all that keeps him going. Forced into the beholden vow, magically binding him to the witches’ Guild of Assassins, he bides his time until he can find a way to break the vow. The key to his freedom comes in the form of one curvaceous female who knows nothing about the violence, hatred, and fear his kind has lived through.

A hunt to the death.

Leigh’s shocked at the brutality Taren endures at the hand of the Isis Guild of Assassins. The only way to right the wrong is to enter an antiquated, lethal challenge called The Hunt. If they can evade a deadly squad of assassins for twenty-four hours, they’re home free—something no one has done for hundreds of years—and falling in love only makes the need to survive steeper. Now, they’re not just fighting for Taren’s freedom, they’re fighting for love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXCERPT

“She spoke of you, her child, and the hard choice to send you away from her and the guild she’d tied herself to. She’d wanted you to have a life free of blood and death. She spoke of sensing in you a strong magic, one which could be used for good or bad. She refused to have you used as a weapon, and she believed the Guild of Isis would have made you a weapon for their own gain. Instead, she chose someone who would train you in the ways of peace and nurturing. She instructed your Amaya to raise you as one of her own. To guide your mind and magic to their tenants and oppress the darker aspects of your power. I wanted to question her about you, for the first time seeing the real female and not the cold-blooded assassin. Sadly, it was not to be. She refused to say more about you, but the glimpse she gave me softened my wrath toward her. Anyone who could love and sacrifice for their child did have a soul worth salvaging.”

 

Tears ran unchecked down Leigh’s cheeks, and her throat tightened with the emotion rising from a deeply buried part of her soul. There was still that little child crying out for her mother. Always wondering what her mother found lacking in her which caused her to abandon her so easily. The knowledge worked like a healing balm, soothing the pain and giving her closure and peace. She held the truth close to her breast, absorbing it into her very essence.

Her mother had loved her and sacrificed to see her raised in a culture which cherished all life. The revelation was not lost on her.

With great care, Taren lightly brushed away the tears with his fingers before cupping her face and tilting her head up to meet his gaze head on. “So beautiful, tasa meela.” His deep voice held a husky note, sending a cascade of warmth through her, sweeping over her breasts and down to the juncture between her legs.

“What does that mean?” Her question came out in a breathless whisper as his heat caressed her, building a pulsing need hammering through her.

“The closest translation in your words is ‘bright spirit’.”

Taren drew nearer touching his forehead to hers and stroking her cheek with gentle fingers.

“Oh, I like that,” Leigh whispered, placing her hand over his.

Time froze for one perfect moment as they stood poised on the brink of a precipice she sensed there would be no coming back from.

“My mind tells me this is wrong, what is between us. Still, my soul cries out for you, your body a sweet siren’s song I must follow.”

Her breath caught on his words, her heart opening to him. She was dangerously close to falling in love with him, just as she knew she could trust him with her heart and soul, her very life.

Everything about him and her felt…right. Not wrong as he argued.

She drew away just enough to stare up into his beautiful dark eyes, missing the swirl of red she spied that morning in their dark depths.

“I am yours to take, Taren. I have never before felt such a pull. All that I am calls out for you too.” To lend power to her words, she reached out fingers sinking into thick golden strands of his hair. She marveled in the silkiness before lightly tracing his tightly curved horns.

On a shudder, his eyes closed, his breathing labored as she stroked them. Who knew a Demosian’s s horns could be so sensitive?

 

 

BUY LINK:

https://www.amazon.com/Hunted-Guild-Assassins-Book-ebook/dp/B01LBLVQOA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473385845&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Hunted+Shannan+Albright#nav-subnav

 

WEBSITE:

www.shannanalbright.com

FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/shannan.albright

BLOG

http://shannanalbright.blogspot.com/