#RockingSummerRomance Tempered Hearts by @psthib

On April 18th, the Maze featured Love is a Rose by Pamela Thibodeaux. Today's spotlight shines on Tempered Hearts, book 1 in Pamela's Tempered series.


Blurb: Rancher Craig Harris and veterinarian Tamera Collins clash from the moment they meet.  Innocence is pitted against arrogance as tempers rise and passions ignite to form a love as pure as the finest gold, fresh from the crucible and as strong as steel.  Thrown together amid tragedy and unsated passion, Tamera and Craig share a strong attraction that neither accepts as the first stages of love.  Torn between desire and dislike, they must make peace with their pasts and God in order to open up to the love blossoming between them.  It is a love that nothing can destroy when they come to understand that only when hearts are tempered, minds are opened and wills are softened can man discern the will of God for his life.

Excerpt: Tamera awoke in a mild state of panic and confusion. Glancing around, she realized where she was and who was beside her. A blush warmed her cheeks as she struggled to sit up. She released the filly and fumbled with the front of her gown.

“I couldn’t sleep.” she explained, glancing into the steel gray eyes. His gaze, soft and warm like liquid metal, made her blush harder as he brushed strands of hay out of her hair with a gentleness that seemed out of character.

Craig knew he was treading on dangerous ground, that people were expecting them, but couldn’t seem to get past the moment at hand. “I guess a kiss is out of the question,” he queried, his voice tender, gaze unwavering.

Emotions, raw and unfamiliar, shivered through her. Tamera attempted to scoot away from him, emitted a shaky little laugh and tried to quench the feelings escalating to frightening proportions. “A kiss? Why would you want a kiss? I didn’t think you even liked me.”

Craig wound his hand in her thick hair, stopping her movements. “Like has nothing to do with desire,” he moaned and crushed her to him as his mouth covered hers in a thorough kiss. “Absolutely nothing,” he assured as she clung to his shirt and trembled in his arms.

Purchase Links:

Kindle http://amzn.to/13V6uyI

Nook http://bit.ly/19C6Q5q

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/16sLHL9

Author bio: Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!”™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Follow Pamela:

Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com  

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Face Book: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux

Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib

#RockingSummerRomance: Fallen Leaves by @AuthorTinaGayle

In April, the Maze was pleased to spotlight Summer's Growth by Tina Gayle. Today it's autumn in the Maze with Tina's sequel, Fallen Leaves!

Blurb:

As autumn comes to the Winston estate in Ohio, Amber Harrison learns further lessons in her new position as keeper for the spirits and ghosts who haunt the estate--and further lessons in love, too. She and her love, Carter Miller, grapple with the fears and passions of new love, while caught up in the storm of ancient family drama.

This is the second book in the unfolding saga of the psychics and talents associated with the Winston estate, a sheltered place where past, present, and future are woven into a single dramatic tapestry of love and desire. The tale spans multiple generations, multiple eras, and offers something special for all ages of reader. A sexy, erotic winner, with an assortment of couples to appeal to most tastes.


Excerpt:

“How long before you install the new cabinets?”

  
He turned on the ladder. His dark brown eyes captured her, engulfing her in an encompassing warmth. She melted under his heated gaze, which ran from the top of her head to the white socks on her feet. He lifted a brow at her attire, but he didn’t comment on her pink sweat suit.

“With the old cabinets out of the way, I need to knock down this wall and tear up the flooring. The electrical work is next on the agenda.” He climbed off the ladder, yanked off his gloves, and slid a hand through his thick, wavy hair.

“It might be awhile before we install the new cabinets. Right now, we’re simply working to remove the old stuff so we can start fresh.” He smiled, which didn’t hide the dark circles under his eyes or the fatigue in the slump of his shoulders.

“There’s no hurry. If you’re busy with something else, this can wait until your Dad and Mattie come home next week.”

“No, Dad doesn’t want her dealing with this mess.” Carter unbuckled his tool belt and placed it on a workbench. “I promised him I’d have it done.”

“Is Grant helping?” Amber stepped around several pieces of sheetrock and stray bits of wood, to the bottom of the stairs.

He walked to the backdoor. “Friday, his classes are over at noon.”

With his hand resting on the doorknob, he appeared anxious to leave. “I’m headed to lunch, and then I need to drop by the office for a while. Are you sure you’re okay here by yourself?”

Amber toyed with the idea of saying no. She missed the taste of his lips and the strength of his arms, but she nodded instead. “Yes, I’m fine.”

After opening the door, he paused. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

She waved and turned to head to her room, satisfied she’d at least gotten him to talk. Her leaden feet trudged up the steps. Unexcited, she contemplated her latest assignment from the family council. How could she achieve such an impossible task of convincing her great grandmother’s ghost to cross over?

Purchase Fallen Leaves at:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JOTY270

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/428955

All Romance Ebooks https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fallenleaves-1479048-140.html

About Tina Gayle:

Tina Gayle grew up a dreamer and loved to escape into the world of books.

After years of working in the business world doing a variety of jobs, she decided to try her hand at writing and hope to incorporate the joy of being a mother into her books.

Currently working on a series about four executive wives, she is excited about combining elements of women fiction with the passion of romance. The first three books have been released and the last one is coming out in 2014.

She’s  also started a paranormal romantic mystery series called the Family Tree series. With a family of spirits guiding the lives of their keeper, Amber has a number of tasks to accomplished like solving a two hundred year old mystery.

Married twenty-five years, she and her husband love to travel and play golf.  She can’t wait for Mike to retire so they can do more of both.

Read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website.

Find Tina at:

Home - www.tinagayle.net
Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Goodread - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle
Google + - https://plus.google.com
Linkin - http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tina-gayle/11/689/759

#RockingSummerRomance Rogue's Hostage by Linda McLaughlin @LyndiLamont

In March, I was pleased to feature Lady Elinor's Escape by Linda McLaughlin.
Today, I welcome Linda back to the Maze with the book of her heart, award-winning Historical Romance Rogue's Hostage!


His hostage... 

In 1758 the Pennsylvania frontier is wild, primitive and dangerous, where safety often lies at the end of a gun. Mara Dupré's life crumbles when a French and Indian war party attacks her cabin, kills her husband, and takes her captive. Marching through the wilderness strengthens her resolve to flee, but she doesn't count on her captor teaching her the meaning of courage and the tempting call of desire.

Her destiny...

French lieutenant Jacques Corbeau's desire for his captive threatens what little honor he has left.  But when Mara desperately offers herself to him in exchange for her freedom, he finds the strength to refuse and reclaims his lost self-respect. As the shadows of his past catch up to him, Jacques realizes that Mara, despite the odds, is the one true key to reclaiming his soul and banishing his past misdeeds forever.

Excerpt:

Holding the towel to his shoulder, he walked over and stood by the bed to check on the woman, who was still in a faint. Despite her pallor, he noted that her skin was fine, her nose straight and thin. She had a lower lip just full enough to entice a man to taste it, and a stubborn chin that dared him to try. Under different circumstances…

She was perhaps not as lovely as he’d thought when he first saw her standing in the clearing—her hair, the color of corn silk, shining in the sunlight. Still, she was tall and fair, with slender curves and shapely ankles visible beneath the short skirts of a farm wife.

And now she was a widow. He stared down at the woman and silently vowed to see that no more innocents died today.

The woman gave a soft moan and opened her eyes. When she spotted him, she shrank back against the wall, arms folded defensively across her breast. His gut tightened. He didn’t enjoy terrifying women, but fear should make her easier to control. She had already proven unpredictable.

Terror, stark and vivid, glittered in her eyes. "Who are you?"

"My name is Jacques Corbeau, lieutenant in the army of France. And you are my captive."

* * *

Mara inhaled sharply, panic building inside her. This couldn’t be real. It was all a bad dream. She would wake up soon and tell Emile about it, and they would laugh. And laugh and laugh and…. She swallowed the hysteria engulfing her.

"Madame, are you listening to me?"

The Frenchman’s voice, sharp and insistent, demanded her attention. "There is not much time. My companions are not patient men. We must leave soon, but first I want you to bind my shoulder. Where do you keep bandages?"

Her mouth and throat were dry when she swallowed, but she choked out an answer. "The trunk. Under the bed."

He squatted beside the bed, pulled out the trunk and rummaged through it. She watched his every move, unable to take her eyes off him, alarmed by the physical threat he represented.

He was a tall man who dominated the cabin as Emile never had, and his state of undress revealed nearly every inch of his lean and powerful form. Not only was he bare to the waist, but his breechclout and leggings failed to completely cover his thighs and buttocks. He had a wide-shouldered, rangy body and long, sinewy legs. He looked strong, virile, and infinitely dangerous.

A cold knot formed in Mara’s stomach. The French had killed her father and now her husband. What would they do to her?

She wrapped her arms around her waist. Her grandfather would say whatever happened was God’s will, but she rejected that idea. What kind of God allowed such awful things to happen?

Fearfully, she watched as the Frenchman shoved the trunk back under the bed and stood. He held out the bandages, and she froze. She couldn’t touch him, she just couldn’t.

The man’s heavy black brows drew together in a fierce frown, but his voice was without emotion. "Madame, I am all that stands between you and the men who killed your husband. I can be persuaded to act as your protector. It is to your advantage to do what I command."

4 ½ stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times!

Romantic Times Nominee—Best Small Press Romance of 2003!

2nd Place - Lorie Awards - Best Historical Romance!

Buy Rogue's Hostage here:

Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and Smashwords.

Linda says this about Rogue's Hostage:

"Rogue’s Hostage is my favorite. It’s the most personal, in a couple of ways. The first half is set in the area of Pittsburgh, PA., my home town. It’s also the book I was writing when my mother died, and when I finished, I realized that the heroine, Mara, is much like my mother. I just wish she had lived long enough to read the book."

About the Author:

Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of books and history, so it's only natural she prefers writing historical romance. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward. Linda also writes steamy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi Lamont, and is one half of the writing team of Lyn O'Farrell.

You can find her online at http://lindalyndi.com

Blog: http://lindalyndi.com/reading-room-blog/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LindaMcLaughlinAuthor

Twitter: @LyndiLamont https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont

As always on my blog, you are invited to...
— Follow me on Twitter
— Add me to Google+
— Subscribe to my YouTube channel
— Comment on this post, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an ebook copy of my latest release, Snow in July!

#RockingSummerRomance In Deep Water by @anitaphilmar

Here is Anita Philmar’s contribution to the Rocking Summer Romance Spotlight & Excerpt Exchange.

But be careful...that first step is a doozy!
  

Blurb –

Skinny-dipping to cool off in the Trinity River couldn’t cause any problem...could it?

Wading into the water, Carolyn Evans takes one step too far and finds herself neck­-deep in the river and fighting for her life.

After saving Carolyn from drowning, Zack Goodman is trapped in an awkward situation when they’re both rescued by a steamboat and hauled on deck.

Naked and embarrassed, Carolyn is quick to save them from humiliation and claims they are married.

Will Zack release her from her claim of matrimony? Or will he teach her once words are spoken...they are not so easily retracted? 

Excerpt –

“Oh, God, I don’t want to die.” The girl in his arms dug her nails into his arm. Her muscles tensed, and she sank deeper into the water. He gasped a quick breath before the weight of her body pulled them both under again.

Water streamed up between them, and she turned in the circle of his arms. Her hands gripped his shoulders, and she shoved him deeper in her attempt to keep her own head above water. 

He sank into the murky depths and freed himself from her panicked grip. She yelled, and her foot connected with his chest. Air exploded from his lungs. He swam away from her and quickly rose back to the surface. A loud whir roared in his ears.

With one big gulp, he swallowed both air and water. His lungs rejected the mixture and he choked out a cough.

Plop. An object hit the water, and he stared at a floating white circle. Waves crashed around him.

“Grab hold, and we’ll pull you up.” A voice boomed from the steamboat.

Zack glanced around and caught sight of the girl struggling to reach the device. He swam to her and shoved her closer to the floating ring. Then he grabbed ahold of the device and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Just hold on, and they’ll lift us up.”

Her eye grew wider. “But...” She glanced at the boat’s railing.

The rope tied to the device lifted the ring onto its side. Zack tightened his grip on the girl and repositioned her into its center. “Put your head through here, and wrap your arms over the sides.”

She did as he instructed seconds before the device rose up between them. He wrapped his arms around the ring and grabbed ahold of the rope.      

His feet dangled in the water for a moment before they swung on the end of the line. The motion slammed him into the side of the steamboat. Pain radiated along his right side, but he didn’t loosen his grip.

The rope jerked them upward.

“Oh, God, what if they drop us.” The girl buried her head in his shoulder. “Thanks for at least trying to save me.”

Her naked body plastered against him eased the pain in his back. Silky skin caressed his stomach and her warmth penetrated the fabric of his pants. Need heated his blood, alleviating the cold chill of the river.

He glanced up at the concerned expressions of the people lining the steamboat’s rail. His body hid the girl in his arms, and he wondered what the curious passengers would say when they finally arrived on board?

Find In Deep Water at

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Water-Naked-Bluff-Texas-ebook/dp/B00EOCROYK/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1_50S1

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/349429

All Romance Books  - https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-indeepwater-1269693-340.html

Want to feel more?

Read Anita Philmar 

To learn more, visit her website or blog.

Website: http//www.anitaphilmar.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anita.philmar

My blog: http://anitaphilmar.blogspot.com

Twitter: @anitaphilmar

Get daily ideas as to how to keep the romance alive

http://anitaphilmar.wordpress.com/

Book Spotlight: Long Time Walk on Water by @JoanSimon

Today on the Maze, I am pleased to welcome back the beautiful and talented Dr. Joan B. Simon with another excerpt from her poignant novel about how the humble live while waiting for their dreams to come true.

Long Time Walk on Water by Joan Simon

Emily Thompson, Rose to her friends, emigrates to the motherland, England, in search of a better life for her two young children, whom she is forced to leave behind. It will be hard work for the young mother in this rich man’s country; not only must Rose scrape the money together for a new life, but she must also come to terms with this unknown phenomenon, di Hinglish dem.

James Dunbar. Jack is what he answers to. Picking his way through the mucky incidents of life, he consoles himself that things will get better.

They happen to meet at a bus-stop, Emily and Jack.

An account of the black immigrant experience jostling to find its place among the white working class. A tale of how the humble live whilst waiting for their dreams to come true. A virtuoso performance in which the protagonists slip in and out of names like garments to the same measure that Time shifts like the plates of the earth, Long Time Walk on Water is, above all, an unforgettable love story: the story of a mother’s love and the price her family must pay for generations to come.

Excerpt:

The plane landed with a bump. Rose squeezed herself into the seat and when she opened her eyes the plane was still racing along the runway so she dug her forefingers into the rectangular metal ashtrays and closed her eyes once more. She had tried to learn the national anthem in case, after all, how could she just pick up herself and go all that way and not know a thing. Nobody she knew had learnt the British national anthem; they had better things to worry about. United Kingdom. Rose could think of nothing. Two addresses ensconced in a pocket of her handbag, that was it. United Kingdom. Great Britain. The Motherland. Hinglan…

This was it, that moment that had been beckoning her as she stood over the grave of her starved child, for whom the corn she had planted in desperation had not grown quickly enough, despite good J.A. sunshine and her nightly prayers. That moment was now real and rapping at her door. The plane had not crashed, even as it had swooped down over the island, pecking like a famished crow at a crumb. She had not been sucked out of the emergency exit, nor had her food got up of its own accord to float around. And there was air enough for everyone, like in a train, really, only you couldn’t open the windows.

The captain spoke a few words. It was a chilly day in London, they could expect repeated drizzly spells. One or two moans on board, one or two jovial remarks that the captain should take them back.

“Thank you for travelling with us. I hope you had a pleasant journey,” the English stewardess speak like a book.

“Very. Tank yu.” Rose stepped out of the aircraft. Into the Motherland.

Buy links:

WHSmith | Waterstones | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon France | Amazon Germany  

About the Author:

Dr Joan Barbara Simon divides her time between researching children’s literacy development and writing fiction. Having obtained her first Ph.D. in educational studies, she’s dared to go for her ultimate challenge: a Ph.D in Creative Writing. Of herself, she says: "I’ve made it my mission to look more closely at undefined spaces as the best way to resist the temptation and comfort of easy answers. I’m interested in a broad range of language issues. Currently wrapping my brain around the political properties of words as polysemic, liminal entities and the nature of their common borders with the visual arts and gendered realities. That said, I’m a nice girl, so talk to me."

Follow Joan on:

joan_barbara_simon.com

her blog

facebook 

twitter 

The Dawnflier, August 2014

Welcome to the August 2014 edition of
The Dawnflier, or

“What I Did on My Summer Vacation”

Yes, you may infer by the picture—taken with the performers of the Aboriginal show at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary—that we took a trip to Australia (Surfer’s Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, and a day-trip to Lady Elliot Island in the Great Barrier Reef), with a three-day layover on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii on the way back. The primary purpose of the trip was to attend a track meet where my daughter (standing, 2nd from left) was invited to compete. It was a great experience for all of us, and it served to solidify her plans with regard to her college career and beyond.

Lest you believe that I’ve been slacking in my writing while gallivanting across the world, nothing could be farther from the truth! While the sales & accolades for Snow in July have been pouring in, I’ve been working on applying the copy edits to the next new novel in my pipeline: King Arthur's Sister in Washington’s Court, the long-awaited (as in 125 years long!) sequel to Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. To give myself some breathing room, and to make sure that I release the very best edition possible, I have decided to push KASIWC’s ebook debut to November 2014, with its fully illustrated print edition to be released the following November. Why so long, you might be wondering? Because the print edition will contain more than 100 illustrations, and that is a lot of artwork to produce—and to pay for! But the end result will be nothing short of marvelous. You’ll get a taste of it in the ebook, and I know you’ll be clamoring for more!

In the meantime, do please check out what people are saying about Snow in July (buy links are on the right sidebar), and I’d be tickled if you feel led to buy it or any of my other novels. At 99 cents, it’s hard to go wrong! Thank you so very much for your support of my work.

As always on my blog, you are invited to...
— Follow me on Twitter
— Add me to Google+
— Subscribe to my YouTube channel
— Comment on this post, especially if you have done the Twitter and/or YouTube follow
...and each action this month is good for one chance to win an ebook copy of Snow in July.