An Accomplished Woman by Susan Lauder Guest Post!

 

Cecilia’s Mismatches, Book 1

Audra Hales is a lady of many perfect accomplishments—at least she believes so. It is no wonder: she has mirrored her great friend Cecilia, the newly minted Lady Hoxley, so how could her talents not be worthy of the highest praise? A self-described matchmaker, Cecilia has brought Audra to Bath—where balls and excursions abound—with the intention of matching her with the gregarious Lord Garner Tremaine. Though he seems an affable and talented gentleman, his brother, the marquess, is quite the opposite. 

As head of his family, Everett Tremaine, the Marquess of Vernon acts on behalf of his father, the duke, who remains secluded from Lady Hoxley’s guests. With his obligations, Everett has no time for foolish temptations such as Miss Hales…so why does he constantly find her thrown into his path? 

Meanwhile, Audra has conjured all sorts of wild imaginings concerning the frustrating marquess, and every time she encounters him, he leaves her breathless rather than answering her questions! After all, what is ailing the mysterious duke? Could the marquess be a villain masquerading as the savior of his family? And most importantly: should she marry Lord Garner, the safe suitor, or follow her heart?

Book One of the Cecilia’s Mismatches series is a stand-alone novel.

Cecilia’s Mismatches Series Blurb

Who is Cecilia? She’s Lady Hoxley, a recently married young lady whose husband is old enough to be her father. Theirs is a love match. She loves his money and title, and he loves her youth and vivacity. Cecilia is so gratified with her own match that she is determined to match her friends with worthy gentlemen—but what happens when all her grand schemes seem to go awry?

An Accomplished Woman by Suzan Lauder Excerpt #2 Chapter 4 Page 26-27

For once, Cecilia had not droned on concerning herself and Hoxley for longer or mentioned them first. Ever so impressed with her own importance since she’d married a viscount, Cecilia tended to mention her and her husband often and with great enthusiasm. But as kind as Hoxley was, and as dedicated to Cecilia’s happiness, those favourable aspects did not overcome the fact that he was old enough to be her father. Thank goodness Cecilia had matched Audra to a man closer her own age. Her sister Lexie had her curtsey to the Queen last year and had found herself an object of interest to younger gentlemen in London. In any case, Lexie had not found any that suited her well enough to entertain a courtship. Audra would also have a Season in town next year. It would be fun to dance and flirt the evening away with young men. That is, if this scheme of Cecilia’s did not work.

Her thoughts returned to the drawing room when Her Grace joined them. She grinned inside when the wives and daughters of peers did not speak on a higher level as expected: the ladies spoke of typical banal topics as they drank their tea, asked after family members not present, and spoke of the weather and the latest fashions. Audra could join them in regard to these areas of discussion, as she had already mentioned her family to the gentlemen nearby at dinner, and the other two topics were easy enough to engage in. It was best to demonstrate that she possessed good breeding and kept up with the fashion periodicals.

When the doors to the withdrawing room opened, it was not difficult to become distracted by the entrance of the gentlemen, and it seemed her conversation mates thought so too by their lack of attendance to anyone other than the newcomers. The men entered in pairs as she supposed they must have situated themselves whilst enjoying their port and cigars. Lord Garner enjoyed merry chatter with Hoxley, but what struck Audra was the way Lord Vernon leaned in to listen to his awkward cousin with a furrow on his brow. Both stopped just within the doors and stepped aside from the others to continue what seemed a private discourse. Lord Vernon leaned up against the wall, chin in hand, while Mr. Tremaine gesticulated in a wild manner to him. What could keep them so wrapped up in conversation? They eschewed the others’ company rather than wait and discuss it after the social gathering, so whatever the topic, it must be important. Yet why was Mr. Tremaine’s brow drawn low?

“How are you faring with my family, Miss Hales?” asked a deep voice. Lord Garner! Somehow during her disapproval of his eldest brother, he had sidled up to the group who stood with her and taken his place behind her. Her head whirled.

“I find them to be as amiable as you, my lord.” Did her compliment resemble Cecilia’s manners? She hoped so. Her dearest friend had been an excellent teacher in that regard.

“I am pleased to hear you say so. You have not met everyone yet, and since there are a great many of us, you may be overwhelmed even hearing of us.”

“You do have one large and happy family,” Audra replied.

“Do you look forward to our trip tomorrow?”

“Indeed, I do. I do enjoy painting, so that will be my distraction whilst the others are riding.”

“Do you not favour riding?” asked Lord Garner.

Her heart almost stopped. Cecilia had mentioned his fondness of painting and her suspicion that he would not ride, which is why she had chosen this specific pastime. She had been agitated for a while regarding the other activity planned for the day: what if he preferred riding and expected her alongside him? With no idea what to say, she settled for honesty. “Yes, I do. Why do you ask? Would you prefer me to ride?”

“We shall have other opportunities for riding, but I anticipate great pleasure from capturing the vista of the surrounding countryside.”

“Then we think alike since I have made painting my choice too.” She glanced towards Lord Vernon. Mr. Tremaine’s hands flew up once again, and he stalked off. The marquess wiped his face with his hand, and his shoulders heaved as if he had released an enormous exhalation of frustration. His eyes flitted around the room until they rested upon her, and he gave her another of those stares that discomfited her so. Instead of allowing herself to become flustered, she returned her attention to her group. They were far more accepting than Lord High-and-Mighty.

A lover of Jane Austen, Regency period research and costuming, yoga, fitness, home renovation, design, sustainability, and independent travel, cat mom Suzan Lauder keeps busy even when she’s not writing novels based on Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, all of which are published by Meryton Press.

She and Mr. Suze and their rescue tabby split their time between a loft condo overlooking the Salish Sea and a 150-year-old Spanish colonial casita in Mexico. Suzan’s lively prose can be found on her Facebook author page, www.facebook.com/SuzanLauder; on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest as @SuzanLauder; and on her Meryton Press blog, road trips with the redhead www.suzanlauder.merytonpress.com. Her Amazon author page is https://www.amazon.com/author/suzanlauder. 

Prior to publishing An Accomplished Woman of the Cecilia’s Mismatches series, Lauder had four novels, a novella, and a novelette published by Meryton Press and has short stories in two Austenesque anthologies. All are popular, most earning four-plus star ratings on Amazon and Goodreads. Accolades include Amazon bestseller for Letter from Ramsgate and The Barrister’s Bride, a Finalist for Sexy Scribbles for an excerpt from Alias Thomas Bennet, and several of her books were placed on top ten of the year lists by influential bloggers.

She even finds time to bake muffins!

Contact Info

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest 

Meryton Press blog, road trips with the redhead 

Buy Link

Amazon Universal Link

Blog Visit Information

The blog tour will start on April 10th, but Suzan has lots going on even before the blog tour and after.

April 3-7 Lady Catherine's Salon; Suzan Lauder guest hosts this Facebook group 

April 4 Celtic Lady's Reviews; Kathleen Kelly will be spotlighting An Accomplished Woman and Suzan.

April 7 Delighted Reader Facebook page; Sophia Rose will be spotlighting the book and author. 

Blog Tour Schedule

April 10 Musings from an Addicted Reader 

April 11 The Book Connection 

April 12 Elza Reads

April 13 From Pemberley to Milton 

April 14 My Vices & Weaknesses 

April 17 So little time…

After the blog tour, Meredith will host Suzan and her book. 

April 27 Austenesque Reviews 

Giveaway

Meryton Press will be giving away one eBook for each stop on the Blog Tour for any blogger who chooses to host a giveaway. If you host a one, please set your own ending date. When your giveaway is over, I would appreciate you sending me the winner for your blog stop. I will then send the winner an eBook of An Accomplished Woman. I have both the mobi and the ePub version. I will send whichever eBook the winner needs or wants. Thank you for your help with the giveaway. 

If you are hosting Suzan outside of the blog tour, Meryton Press will be happy to have a giveaway of one eBook for one of your readers. Set your ending date and let me know the winner and whether they want an ePub or a mobi. Thanks.

Thank you for participating! 

Janet Taylor

Beast’s Secret Baby by @grace_goodwin_author Book Blitz! #BeastsSecretBaby #gracegoodwin #XpressoTours⁣⁣⁣⁣ @XpressoTours⁣⁣⁣

 ⁣⁣#bookstagram #instabooks #bookish #booklover #greatreads #booknerd #nowavailable #fortheloveofreading #bookstagrammer

Beast’s Secret Baby
Grace Goodwin

(Interstellar Brides Program: The Beasts, #7)
Publication date: March 30th 2023
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction

Atlan Warlord Velik is hanging on to sanity by a thread. His mating fever rages. His beast fights him every moment. The beast needs to hunt. To kill. To find their mate or surrender to a glorious death in battle. He volunteers for a mission so dangerous, he knows he will not return.

Waiting to deploy, he is lost, keeping distance between himself and those his tormented beast could destroy. His fate is sealed…until his beast picks up her scent. Sees her face. In an instant, the beast knows this human woman belongs to him and no one else.

Until he sees the diamond ring on her finger and overhears a discussion about her wedding, the event mere weeks away.

He is honorable. He is desperate. He will stop at nothing to seduce her. Claim her. Steal her heart and keep her for himself.

When he disappears on a secret mission, she has a decision to make; play the fool and hope for a dead Atlan’s return, or marry another and ensure the security and safety of her true love’s unborn child.

Amazon

Stefani Davis, Biscayne Bay, Florida

I leaned back, bracing my weight on stiff upper arms as the sailboat cut through the waves. At least once a month I made time, with my friends Carmen and Greg, to spend an afternoon on the water. Now that both my mom and my twin sister had mated Atlan Warlords and moved to another planet, I spent a lot of time alone. Too much time.

A twin without a twin was a sad, pathetic thing. Out on the water was the only time I felt alive anymore. And free.

Lifting my face to the sun, I let out a loud whoop. “I love sailing!”

Sitting right next to me on the bow of the forty-footer, Carmen laughed. “Me, too.”

Greg handed us both another margarita and settled on a folded towel next to Carmen as the sail snapped and waves crashed around us. “And this, lovely ladies, is why you will never convince me to leave Florida.”

I was about to agree when Carmen smacked my leg. Hard. “Effing-A Stef. Look at that guy on the beach. Total hunk.”

I turned my head to follow her gaze and almost dropped a frozen margarita in my lap.

Oh, god. Oh shit. That was an Atlan. Had to be. He was too big, too gorgeous with his shirt off. Jeez, he was showing too much…muscle. “He should put on a shirt.”

“Are you insane?” Carmen leaned forward and pulled a pair of small binoculars from where they rested around her neck. She lifted them so she could spy on the man. “He’s way too hot to cover up.”

With a knowing grin, I met Greg’s gaze. Carmen was a wild woman. We both knew that. Greg nudged her with his shoulder. “You going to try to find him when we get back to shore? We’re getting close.”

I checked my watch and sighed. He was right. About ten minutes and we’d be walking off the boat. Damn it.

“He’s running.” Carmen giggled. “Oh my god. Stef, I think that guy is chasing the boat.”

“What?”

Carmen handed me her binoculars and I looked for myself.

I shouldn’t have looked. Now my peaceful day on the water was instantly ruined by a throbbing, horny vajayjay and a bit too much tequila. Seriously? I licked my lips. Could this guy be any more perfect? He ran like he could run at top speed for hours. The sun made his skin look like he was glowing, from sweat or the water splashing beneath his feet, I wasn’t sure. Didn’t matter. All it did was define every muscle in his chest and across his back. His thighs and legs stretched and contracted as he ran, every muscle popping out to say hello. His dark hair was just long enough to flow back from a face that looked carved from granite. “What the hell is he doing all the way out here?”

Carmen grabbed the binoculars from my hands, held them up to her eyes. “I wouldn’t kick him out of bed. I can tell you that.” She practically purred. “You know him?”

I sighed. “No, but I’ve met enough Atlans to know one when I see one.”

“He’s one of those aliens? What do they call them?” Greg took the binoculars from Carmen.

“Warlords.”

“Fuck me, that guy is ripped.” Greg whistled and even from this distance I saw the Atlan turn his head in our direction. “And fast.”

“I told you, he’s following us.” Carmen sipped at her margarita and stared at the Atlan as he picked up speed. “Stef, I swear he is following us. Why is he following us?”

“I don’t know.” I didn’t. Not for sure. Carmen was right, it did look like he was pacing the boat, keeping us in sight. Which could only mean one thing—he thought his mate was on this sailboat. We were going to hit the docks and an eight foot tall alien was going to walk up to one of the handful of women on this boat—mostly tourists— and say the one word I dreaded hearing…mine.

Grace Goodwin is a USA Today and international bestselling author of Sci-Fi and Paranormal romance with nearly one million books sold. Grace's titles are available worldwide in multiple languages in ebook, print and audio formats. Two best friends, one left-brained, the other right-brained, make up the award-winning writing duo that is Grace Goodwin. They are both mothers, escape room enthusiasts, avid readers and intrepid defenders of their preferred beverages. (There may or may not be an ongoing tea vs. coffee war occurring during their daily communications.) Grace loves to hear from readers.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter

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$20 Amazon gift card

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Fan Mail by Joseph Lewis Blog Tour!

 

Fan Mail

Fan Mail is a multi-layered coming-of-age story about a family of adopted brothers, embedded in a gripping thriller that will keep the reader guessing who is behind the letters and the car bomb, and fearing one or more of the boys may die before the culprit is found.

A barrage of threatening letters, a car bomb, and a heart attack rip apart what was once a close-knit family of adopted brothers. Randy and Bobby, along with fellow band member and best friend, Danny, receive fan mail that turns menacing. They ignore it, but to their detriment. The sender turns up the heat. Violence upends their world. It rocks the relationship between the boys and ripples through their family, nearly killing their dad. As these boys turn on each other, adopted brother Brian flashes back to that event in Arizona where he nearly lost his life saving his brothers. The scars on his face and arms healed, but not his heart. Would he once again have to put himself in harm's way to save them? And if faced with that choice, will he?

UK 

US 

When I wrote this Fan Mail, like any author, I had a story idea and I wrote it. It wasn’t until after it was completed, with all the edits finished, did I realize just how much each chapter or paragraph or sentence impacted the whole and led to the climax.

Like many adolescents, Brian takes things personally and to heart. He is quick to assume his fault and role in what goes wrong, but will stand back and allow others to get the glory when things go right. He is one of the quietest of the brothers, and like his brothers, carries baggage some small, some large, mostly ugly- with him. It weighs heavy on his heart and soul.

In this scene, Brian drives his brothers to the hospital. They don’t know the condition of their father, other than he had what seemed to be a heart attack. Each of the boys in the vehicle feel they played a role in the heart attack, none more so than Brian. In order to get them to the hospital safely, they were escorted by Detective Pat O’Connor, who more than anyone, grew up much like Brian did, and he sees himself as a role model and mentor to the boys, especially Brian.

It had been uncomfortably quiet on the ride to the hospital. Brian held onto Billy’s forearm for most of the trip, unless he turned or changed lanes. Billy stared out the side window, as did George and Michael. There was little traffic, so Brian had no trouble following O’Connor. They arrived at the large hospital complex, and Brian pulled to the curb and dropped the three boys off, saying, “I’ll go park the truck.” “Do you want us to wait for you?” George asked. Brian shook his head and said, “No, go inside and find the others. I’ll catch up to you.” George hesitated. He glanced at Billy and Two, who had crossed the road to the hospital emergency room, and then back at Brian. “I’ll be okay, George,” Brian said. He tried to wear a smile, but it slipped off as quickly as it appeared. George reached through the window, grasped Brian’s arm and said, “This is not your fault."

Brian sighed and said, “You better catch up to Billy. I don’t want him by himself.” Reluctantly, George turned and followed his two brothers. O’Connor stood outside the front door of the hospital, watching the scene at the truck. George glanced back, watching Brian pull away and drive the short distance to the parking lot. “Is he okay?” George shook his head, but made no other comment. He entered the hospital, leaving O’Connor to wait for Brian. Brian parked his truck in the visitor lot and sat quietly with his hands in his lap. There was no one else in the parking area, and that was okay with him. His sat with his chin on his chest and his forehead on the steering wheel. 

As hard as he fought it, tears dribbled down his cheeks and along the side of his nose. He pushed his glasses up to wipe them away. Despite what George had said, Brian knew he was at least partially to blame for his father’s heart attack, or whatever it was. A part of him wanted to leave. Just drive off and head anywhere. There was a rap on the window. Brian didn’t look up because he knew who it was. He dried his eyes with his hands, and his hands on his jeans. He readjusted his glasses, took a deep breath, and opened the door. He got out and locked his truck by pushing the button on the key fob. “Are you okay?” Brian didn’t look at O’Connor. He nodded and tried to walk past him.

O’Connor took him by the shoulders and wrapped him in a hug. Brian broke down again and wept against O’Connor’s chest. Pat let him for a minute and then took him by the shoulders so they could look at each other eye to eye. “We don’t know anything yet.” Brian nodded. “I know you’re worried about your father, but there is something else bouncing around your head, isn’t there?” Brian said nothing. O’Connor said, “You’ve held it together this long. You’ll need to hold it together a little longer. You’ve got to be tough for your brothers and your mom.” Brian nodded again. “Can you do that?” Brian nodded. Then O’Connor smiled and said, “You’re a tough young man, Bri.” “I don’t feel tough.” O’Connor hugged him and said, “Tough guys never feel tough. They just are.” 

Like most kids, Brian doesn’t see his own toughness, but it is readily apparent to anyone who has any dealings with him. Because Brian is much like O’Connor, the detective recognizes Brian’s toughness because he sees that quality in himself. This toughness plays out in several ways in Fan Mail, in some small ways, and some in large and dramatic ways. And I guarantee it will bring tears to your eyes!

After having been in education for forty-six years as a teacher, coach, counselor and administrator, Joseph Lewis has semi-retired and now works part-time as an online learning facilitator. He uses his psychology and counseling background to craft thriller/crime/detective mysteries, and has taken creative writing and screen writing courses at UCLA and USC. 

Lewis has published eight books, all available on Amazon and each to excellent reviews: Taking Lives (May 2021) the prequel to the Lives Trilogy; Stolen Lives (May 2021) Book One of the Lives Trilogy is a BestThrillers 1st Place Award Winner for Crime Fiction, and a Literary Titan Gold Book Award Winner; Shattered Lives (May 2021) Book Two of the Trilogy; and Splintered Lives (May 2021) Book Three of the Trilogy (May 2021); Caught in a Web (April 2018), which was a PenCraft Literary Award Winner for Crime Fiction and named “One of the Best Crime Fiction Thrillers of 2018!” by Best Thrillers; Spiral Into Darkness (January 2019), which was named a Recommended Read by Author’s Favorites; Betrayed November 2020 is a Top Shelf Award 1st Place Fiction-Mystery; Top Shelf Award Runner-Up Fiction-Crime; PenCraft Award 1st Place Winner, Maxy Award Runner-Up for Mystery-Suspense, a Literary Titan Silver Book Award Winner, and a Reader’s Favorite 5 Star Rating Winner; Blaze In, Blaze Out January 2022 has already won a Literary Titan Gold Book Award, A Reader’s Favorite Recommended Read, and was an Editor’s Pick by BestThrillers.com . Lewis has another thriller-crime-mystery, Fan Mail hitting the market March 30, 2023.

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Lewis has been happily married to his wife, Kim. Together they have three wonderful children: Wil (deceased July 2014), Hannah, and Emily. He and his wife now reside in Virginia.

Social Media Links – 

Social Media Contact:

Author Website at https://www.jrlewisauthor.blog 

Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/jrlewisauthor 

Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author 

Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Lewis/e/B01FWB9AOI / 

Blog at: https://www.simplethoughtsfromacomplicatedmindsortof.com  

Darren, Andrew and Mrs Hall by R J Gould Blog Tour!

 

Darren, Andrew and Mrs Hall

A tale of two husbands, two wives, and the woman in between.

It is a June day and the rain is lashing down as Emma and Andrew move into the house of their dreams in an affluent London suburb. Two doors away, dejected Darren and Kelly are downsizing into their new home.

It doesn’t take long for the women to hit it off despite being opposites in many ways. Meanwhile Andrew, a teacher and poet, and Darren, an alarm systems installer, are at loggerheads from the word go. 

When Emma and Kelly decide to take breaks away together – to a spa, a countryside retreat, the Scottish Highlands – their men feel abandoned. Their animosity grows and the loyalty to their wives is tested when Mrs Hall moves in as their in-between neighbour. But who exactly is this woman and what game is she playing? 

The wives return from a stay in Scotland to discover that a lot has changed. Will their marriages be robust enough to survive?

UK 

US 

R J Gould writes contemporary fiction about relationships using a mix of wry humour and pathos to describe the tragi-comic life journeys of his protagonists. Darren, Andrew and Mrs Hall is his eighth novel and follows The Engagement Party, Jack and Jill Went Downhill, Mid-life follies, The bench by Cromer beach, Nothing Man, Dream Café and Then and now. He has been published by Headline Accent and Lume Books and also self-publishes. Before becoming a full-time author he worked in the education and charity sectors. In addition to his addiction to telling stories, he has somewhat milder addictions to playing tennis, watching film noir cinema, completing Wordle and eating dried mango slices. He is a member of Cambridge Writers and the Romantic Novelists’ Association UK and lives in Cambridge, England.

Website: http://www.rjgould.info

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RJGould_author

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RJGouldauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjgould_author

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6432126.R_J_Gould

How to Be Your Own Best Editor By Kelli A. Wilkins!

 

How to Be Your Own Best Editor

By Kelli A. Wilkins

www.KelliWilkins.com

This blog is part of a series offering fun and practical advice to fiction writers. The blogs are based on the material in my non-fiction guide to writing, You Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction. Whether you write horror, romance, sci-fi, or mysteries, I hope you find the hints helpful.

What is one thing that will set you apart as a professional writer and help you outshine the amateurs? Believe it or not, it’s not the subject of your story, your witty proposal, or even if you’ve been published before—it’s your presentation.

How you present yourself and your writing to editors, agents, and readers speaks volumes about you. People will stop reading if they find misspelled words, missing words, and repeated words. These avoidable errors will flag your writing as unprofessional and sloppy. And it might get your story rejected.

So, how do you make sure your work is ready to go? Be your own best editor! Here are a few tips:

* Always start your story with an interesting hook to capture the reader’s (or editor’s) attention. Begin either 5 minutes before, during, or 5 minutes after “the big moment” that gives the character a problem and draws the reader into the character’s world. Keep the action going in the first few paragraphs. 

Don’t waste the first page describing the weather or how a character got dressed in the morning. Jump into the story and take your readers with you. When you hook an editor, you stand a good chance of staying out of the slush pile.

* Read your story out loud and proofread every word on each page. This forces you to slow down and you will notice missing words. If you stumble over a sentence or a phrase, it probably needs to be edited. Stop reading and fix it. Then read the paragraph or sentence again to make sure it sounds right and keep going.

Reading aloud also lets you hear how the piece sounds, and you’ll pick up on words or phrases you overuse. As a rule of thumb, a word or a phrase shouldn’t be repeated more than five times in a novel, and even less in a short story. Use a thesaurus to give you suggestions on similar words and replace them. (For example, “scream” can become: shout, yell, yelp, squeal, cry, etc.) Also do a search for similarly-spelled words and check that you’re not accidentally using the wrong word. Some to look out for include: they’re, there, their; four, for, fore; to, two, too; here, hear; you’re, your… 

* Before submitting your story, get the publication’s submission guidelines from their website and follow them. Every publication is different, and you need to tailor your submission to their requirements, or face automatic rejection. 

When you have the guidelines, read them carefully and ask yourself if your story is a good fit for the publication. If the guidelines specifically say “no vampire stories” and your main character has fangs and drinks blood, try somewhere else. If the guidelines state the publication is only accepting stories under 2,000 words and yours is 6,000, try again. Submitting a story where it doesn’t fit, only to have it rejected, wastes your time and may sour the editor on further submissions from you.

I hope you enjoyed these writing tips and find them useful. If you’re interested in learning more about the writing process, check out my non-fiction writing guide, You Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction. The book is designed for writers who need a boost of motivation and simple instructions on how to get started. It’s packed with writing tips, advice, and fun exercises.

Ready to write? Order your copy here:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Write-Really-Beginners-Writing-Fiction-ebook/dp/B00THWLFQU 

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/4AqYN4

Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/you-can-write-really 

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 20+ romance novels, 7 non-fiction books, and 5 horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror stories. 

Her latest novel, In Another World, was published in early 2022. This contemporary mystery/romance is set in the world of the paranormal.

She released two horror shorts, More Than I Bargained For and Silent Sentinel in 2021. 

Like to write? Check out Journaling Every Week: 52 Topics to Get You Writing. This fun and innovative guide to journaling is filled with hundreds of thought-provoking prompts designed to get you writing about your feelings and emotions. 

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.

Flirt Like a Fool by @ellen__brooks Release Blitz! @IndiePenPR @indie_pen_pr #NowLive

#EllenBrooks #FlirtLikeAFool #CandyCaneKey #ManOfTheMonthClub #ContemporaryRomance #MustRead #SteamyRomance #BrothersBestFriendRomance #BeachRomance #SmallTownRomance #Goodreads #KindleUnlimited #NowAvailable #IPPR #IndiePenPR #NewRelease

I'm determined to enjoy myself during what was supposed to be my honeymoon, crashing alone at my brother’s best friend’s houseboat. But I’m not alone–he’s here, and he’s tan, toned, and tempting as hell. Readers who enjoy the Man of the Month Club collection will devour Flirt Like a Fool by Ellen Brooks, a steamy, small town, brother’s best friend, beach romance.

Buy Now or Read FREE with KindleUnlimited!

I don't need a change of pace; I need a change of life, but for now I'll settle for a week of surf, sand, and fun in the sun, along with my new mantra—flirt like a fool.

I'm determined to enjoy myself during what was supposed to be my honeymoon even though, thanks to a cheating ex-fiancé, I won't be a newlywed lounging at a five-star resort in the Caribbean, but rather crashing solo at my brother's best friend's houseboat in the Florida Keys while he's away.

It might be a Christmas themed small town, but it's still the beach, right? As long as there's a fruity frozen cocktail with my name on it, I'll be fine, really.

Until I arrive and discover my brother's best friend isn't away after all. He's right here and is toned, tan, and tempting as hell. But, he's off limits... even if his houseboat only has one bed.

Add to Goodreads Here!

Copyright 2023 Ellen Brooks

With one towel wrapped turban-style around my wet hair and another around my body, I emerge from the bathroom, belting out the chorus and dart to grab my clothes from the dryer down the hall, not expecting to slam directly into AJ’s broad frame.

Startled, I slip, and my wet feet slide out from underneath me. I flail one arm out and try to grab the doorjamb but go down, landing unceremoniously on my ass with a loud, “Oomph.”

My other hand keeps a deathlike grip on the towel, which fortunately, has prevented it from falling off completely. As it is, the slit gapes wide, and my entire thigh and half of my ass are on display. I squeeze my legs closed and hope he’s tall enough that, from his angle, my position doesn’t reveal any more than that.

AJ springs forward and reaches down to help me to my feet. With one warm hand on each of my shoulders, he holds me steady. His eyes, wide with concern, meet mine. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I insist, aware of how my breathless answer sounds completely unconvincing, and add a firm nod.

Our bodies are mere inches apart. Close enough the towel brushes him. I secure it tighter around my naked body. The fall jarred the one wrapped around my head, and it’s about to slide off, so I reach up and pull it down, shaking out my hair. The wet strands fall past my shoulders. I don’t even want to think about how I look right now, not that my thoughts are anywhere close to coherent at the moment. Not with this sexy man so close his body warmth is raising my temperature—fast.

Then I register his appearance. If someone told me an athletic apparel company was doing a photoshoot on Candy Cane Key and AJ was the model, I wouldn’t doubt it. His face is flushed, eyes bright with energy, and the light stubble across his cheeks and jaw beg for my touch.

A sheen of perspiration glows on his skin, and sweat darkens his light blue shirt. He opens his mouth as if he is going to speak but then snaps it closed without uttering a word. He shakes his head. Not a vigorous movement. In fact, it’s barely noticeable. Likely, I would have missed it if he wasn't so close. And staring directly at me.

My tongue darts out to wet my lips, and his gaze falls to my mouth. His eyes narrow, and it might be my imagination, but he leans in, and I tilt my head up.

He’s going to kiss me. I feel it in my bones. But the boat rocks on a wave and interrupts the moment. As if coming to his senses, he releases my shoulders and steps back. Cool air rushed to fill the gap, and I shiver.

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Ellen Brooks believes in love at first sight, eating cake for breakfast, and staying up way too late.
She's a classically trained pastry chef who now spends her days whipping up sexy and satisfying modern day love stories.
When she’s not dreaming up her next characters, or plotting a happily ever after, you’ll find her absorbed in a book, relaxing into shavasana, or downing a caffè americano. Oh, and belting out the lyrics to Hamilton.
Ellen lives in the desert southwest where she still *occasionally bakes a batch of cookies for her real-life hero and two girls.
*code for not often enough, if you ask them

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