Surprises Can Be Good

Imagine my surprise this morning when I turned on my computer to discover that all five of my former Avalon Books had been released by Montlake, a division of Amazon. I knew they were coming...just not when.  These books all have interesting storylines and I'm proud of every one.  Here they are:

The Shell Game
   Rebecca Lambert returns to her childhood home after the passing of her grandmother and comes face-to-face with her high-school sweetheart, Mitch Burton. Their encounter recalls the painful memory of Mitch s unexplained disappearance before the night of their final school dance.

   After Rebecca leaves for college and career, Mitch returns and begins living at Rebecca s grandmother s bed-and-breakfast, fixing boats for the guests. When Rebecca returns many years later and discovers her grandmother left half of her business to both Rebecca and Mitch, she is forced to come to terms with painful memories and struggle with re-awakened feelings for Mitch.

   Eventually, Rebecca discovers that much like the Shell Game at the local carnival the truth is rarely what it seems.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Shell-Game-ebook/dp/B00A2FTIQK/

The Reluctant Rockstar
   An experienced television journalist, Skye Cameron needs a big interview to propel her from weather person back into investigative reporting at her new television station. She's determined to get there and will do anything to reach her goal.
   Jason Williams, a world-renowned paleontologist, rarely does television interviews. When Skye has a chance to attend a field expedition led by Jason, she jumps at the chance, hoping to gain his confidence before approaching him about an interview. But when the two come face to face she's torn between her desire to further her career and her growing attraction to the reclusive scientist.

   Join Skye and Jason in the Canadian badlands as they learn to be true to each other, but more importantly, to themselves.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Reluctant-Rockstar-ebook/dp/B00A2NHMDS/

But Not For Me
Erin Delaney, a skilled and respected chef, is in demand in her profession, but her personal life is in shambles. Determined to get away from it all and get a fresh start, she accepts a position as chef at an exclusive fishing lodge on the west coast of British Columbia. Traveling to her new job via supply boat, she enjoys the company of the other two passengers but clashes with Graydon, the young captain. When an electrical fire causes all the passengers to abandon ship, Erin does what she's always done--take care of everyone else. She quickly takes control of the situation, earning the admiration and respect of Gray. By the time Gray and Erin get to the lodge, their chemistry is palpable, though Gray's strained relationship with his father, the owner of the lodge, and Erin's issues with her sister threaten to jeopardize this fledgling relationship. When her rescue story is splashed about in the media, self-conscious Erin tries to retreat from the spotlight. However, with the help of her new friends, especially Gray, Erin discovers that perhaps she deserves to be the center of attention for once.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A9T5W50/

Brush With Destiny
Shattered by the death of her young daughter, Ashley Stewart moves to one of the many islands off the coast of British Columbia. Struggling to come to terms with the dramatic changes in her life, the renowned artist has lost the desire to paint but is hopeful that the tranquility of island life will renew her battered soul. Recently divorced, the last thing Ashley is looking for is another emotional attachment. But her good intentions are swept aside when she meets Matt, a widower with a lovely young daughter named Caitlin. Initially frightened at the thought of becoming too involved with Caitlin, she is slowly won over by the child. When Ashley returns to the mainland for an art show, she is surprised to find Matt. And the surprises don’t end there.

http://www.amazon.com/Brush-with-Destiny-ebook/dp/B00A9SCZO2/

The Gift
   Julie Chapman is content with her life, thank you very much. As a single mother, she owns and runs a houseboat rental company in Sicamous, British Columbia.

   Quentin Callahan, a friend of Julie's brother, lives in Vancouver and has become a successful business consultant. Many years ago, on her graduation night, he rescued Julie when her date had too much to drink and now he's back. The attraction between Julie and Quentin is immediate, but his visit to his hometown is prompted by more than a longing to get away from the stress of business. His largest client has unsuccessfully tried to buy Julie's property. The ruthless company indicates to Quentin that if he does not talk her into selling, they’ll drive her out of business. The ultimatum is an overwhelming burden on Quentin.

   Can the growing affection between Julie and Quentin survive the pressures of a harsh outside world?

http://www.amazon.com/The-Gift-ebook/dp/B00A9TOWJC/

Free E-book November 8, 9, 10

Grab this one while it's free. One of my favourites!

Stuck in an unhappy marriage, Amanda Reimer grabs the opportunity to go on a short holiday by herself. Jackson Galloway is an undercover cop. A member of the RCMP Green Team, he’s in the interior of British Columbia to find a marijuana grow-op and take it down. Jackson gives Amanda a lift to Loon Lake Resort and is intrigued by the gentle woman. The chemistry between the two is immediate and powerful, but Amanda is determined to stick to her marriage vows...besides, she’s afraid of her husband. Jackson is just as determined...to see Amanda again when the drug bust is over. But will the growing love between Amanda and Jackson survive the pressures of finding the grow-op? Join Amanda and Jackson in a journey of discovery, where the ultimate destination is love.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0080SDHWC

Then Came Love

  One of my favourite things about writing is that I get to design my own covers. I try to wait until I'm about two thirds of the way through before I search for the right image. It's my treat to myself, but sometimes I can't wait.
  I don't always get it right. This is the third cover for Then Came Love, but this time, to quote Henry Higgins, "I think she's got it!"
  I hope you agree.

Winter Has Arrived

I woke up yesterday morning to a fine dusting of snow creeping down the hills across the lake. Does this mean no more shorts? Jack would be bereft; he hated to put his shorts away for the season.
   For some reason, when winter comes adults tend to talk about times gone by. I'm no different. At the sight of the snow, I started thinking about winter on the small acreage in Ontario where our family lived until I was twelve.
   In those days farmers didn't mind if you went across their fields to get to the tobogganing hill. We had a long toboggan; eight feet if I recall correctly. It was Dad's job to pull it up the hill, and then sit in the front to steer, but his real role was snowcatcher. By the time we came to rest at the bottom of the hill, his face would be covered with snow.  Always goodnatured, he'd shake it off and trudge up again.
  Some years the creek would flood just before the temperature dipped. Those were great times for skating. The ice would freeze, and then the water level would go down a bit, creating shallow dishes of ice suspended from clumps of grasses. It was like skating in a fun-house where everything is distorted. The grasses gave us something to skate around.
  We lived in an old two-story farmhouse that Dad worked hard to modernize. A bathing tub upstairs! What luxury!
  As dinner hour approached, our mother would call us. Normally we could hear her clearly, but some days when we were having a particularly good time her voice didn't carry. She solved that by hanging a rug over the railing on the top floor, but sometimes we simply didn't see it.
  I suppose we got scolded for those times we were mysteriously struck deaf and blind. If so, it was worth it. Those winter days are some of my most treasured memories.

I still miss hockey

Having said that, I hear there are rumblings that something might be happening to get hockey back on before the season passes us by completely.

Blogging From The Heart is free October 24, 25, 26. it's a light romance that combines the issue of violence in hockey with blogging.

It's a short read, so if you if you like a gentle romance, try this one. The price is right for three days... FREE!  Only at Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009LAHAQ2

 

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada

  I went for a drive this morning. I often grab a breakfast item from McDonald’s and go down to one of the many provincial parks along the shore of Okanagan Lake.

  It was still this morning. No breeze at all. Temperature in the low 20s. (That’s low 70s for my American friends). The only disturbance on the water was the occasional duck, or seagull. As I sat there enjoying my coffee and reading my Kindle a few more people came to sit down. A family settled nearby and I couldn’t help but wonder if they were celebrating Thanksgiving by having the last picnic of the season.

  On the way back home I noticed several men in their gardens, cleaning up the last of this year’s growth. They weren’t working hard. After all, it’s Sunday, but in spite of the balmy weather we all know there could be a cold snap any day now, and that it will stay cold. My neighbour is getting his snow tires put on this week.

  Seeing those men in the gardens reminded me of the gardens that occupied the space around our family home in Ontario. Dad laughingly referred to the property out back as “the back forty”. Later on I learned that this expression wasn’t unique to him, but it always delighted me when he said it.

  We had an amazing variety of food, but my memories are mainly of:

Raspberries:   We had red raspberries and black raspberries. I liked the black ones best. They were hard to find until my father showed me how they hid under the leaves.

Strawberries:   I remember these well. My sister and I were required to weed the rows, but we were also allowed to pick and sell strawberries to earn money for camp.

Potatoes:    Dad made a game out of digging potatoes. “How many in this shovelful?” he’d ask and we’d all guess. I don’t remember if we picked them out of the soil, but if we didn’t, he missed out on six eager hands. The potatoes would go down in the basement on a raised platform. It was dark down there in the corner, and by the time spring came around the roots on the potatoes were longer than what was left of them.

Cantaloupe:    Muskmelon, actually. We always had far too many. Like today’s zucchinis, they were hard to give away; everyone grew their own.

Corn:   Fresh and sweet. One year my sister had a corn roast. That must have been shortly before we came out to British Columbia, because in my memory it was an adult occasion. I still love corn.

Asparagus:   I’m not sure if Mom sold it on the side of the road or not. There was so much.

And lastly: Wild strawberries. Somewhere out in the ‘back forty’ was my secret patch of wild strawberries. The rest of the family pretended that they didn’t know where it was...or maybe they didn’t, but I always felt special when I brought a handful to my mother, who made a fuss over them. Even now, the taste lingers in my mouth.

We didn’t have the latest Nikes, cell phones, or computer games back then, but we had lots to eat; we had family. Life was good...and it still is. Happy Thanksgiving.

  

   

Thank You, FKBT

One thing that has surprised me since publishing my books with Amazon is the number of people willing to help each other with information and support. Free Kindle Books and Tips is one of these and this weekend they have assisted me by featuring Full Circle on their site, and posting it to over 375,000 active readers of their blog.
   They offer an ongoing selection of free books. Check them out at http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/

Thanks again!

Laura MacLeod doesn’t need an intervention to know she’s in trouble. A paediatric nurse on an oncology ward, she has seen her share of suffering. But when tragedy touches her personally, she falls apart and accepts help in the form of pain killers. She becomes rapidly addicted, and her downward spiral is humiliating as well as life-changing. Fresh from rehab, she travels to the Okanagan Valley, where she has agreed to perform menial work at a winery for several months. F-18 fighter pilot Bradley Jamieson has witnessed the horrors of war in Afghanistan, resulting in the loss of his ability to speak. Weary from the aftermath of war, he accepts his friend’s invitation to visit his winery. Unable to understand how a beautiful woman like Laura could throw away her life by taking drugs, he is determined to avoid her. But the more he sees of this gentle woman, the more he’s attracted to her. The summer sun isn’t the only thing generating heat in the valley. Laura and Bradley battle their their growing attraction for one another while fighting their inner demons. Can these two troubled souls find the peace they desire, or will reality bring them crashing back down to earth?

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006GEQ1AC