Katy Eeten is the wife of a youth pastor and mother of two school-age boys. She works full time in the business world, but her true passion is writing. Contemporary Christian Romance Blast From Her Past , published by Anaiah Press, is her first published book. Her novella Christmas in Meadow Creek is due to release later this month, and has another Christian romance coming out next spring. When she’s not working or writing, she can be found taking walks, baking goodies, dining out, playing the piano, or spending time with her family.

Character Interview

  Beverley: What’s your name?

Sydney: Sydney Hampson

Beverley: Where did you grow up?

Sydney: Apricot Grove—a suburb of Bismarck, ND

Beverley: During what time period does your story take place?

Sydney: The present, with several flashbacks to high school about fourteen years ago.

Beverley: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a story about you?

Sydney: I grew up loving God and my small but tightknit group of friends. We weren’t very popular, but we loved life. Then, when my dad left, my mom died, and my fiancé cheated on me with my best friend, I became a different person. Very closed off. I focused all my attention on my career and left my faith in the past—after all, God was obviously not on my side anymore. And to add insult to injury, a former high school bully, Grant Williams, got hired by my company.

Beverley: What’s your goal in this story?

Sydney: My goal is to not let Grant get past the walls I’ve built up. I just want to succeed in my career and continue my pursuit of emotional isolation. I don’t need to let anyone in to be happy.

Beverley: What conflicts are you facing?

Sydney: Realizing just how lost I really am without God or godly relationships in my life. And People. People are always my conflict. As much as I don’t want to admit it, Grant’s changed since high school. He has this contagious enthusiasm, innocence, joy. It’s like he took on the faith from my teenage years while I somehow grew cold and bitter. And it doesn’t help that my co-worker Wendy has it in for me, trying to sabotage my every move.

Beverley: Do you have a plan for resolving them?

Sydney: Yes—avoid them both at all costs. The thing is, Grant is relentless. And my boss is sending us on a business trip in the company car together. During a snowstorm. Kind of hard to avoid someone when you’re trapped together! Hard not to let a caring soul chip away at your tough exterior…

Beverley: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?

Sydney: I have a wonderful younger sister, Kate. She’s happily married with two little kids—everything I ever wanted—and gives great advice. I’m also a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies, a fact Grant uses to his advantage.

Blurb for Blast From Her Past:

After a disastrous failed engagement, Sydney Hampson is leaving her past—and her faith—behind to focus on her career instead. However, following through with her new, albeit misguided, resolution proves easier said than done when former classmate, and reformed bully, Grant Williams signs on with her company, and they must work closely together.

Grant Williams gave up his teenage antics years ago, and now he’s looking forward to a future that includes a strong relationship with God. When he realizes he’ll be working with none other than Sydney Hampson—the girl he had a secret crush on throughout high school—he couldn’t be more thrilled. Until he discovers she’s not the same caring, compassionate woman she used to be.

When a business trip gone awry leaves the pair stranded in the middle of a snowstorm, Grant sees his chance to make things right and put their past wrongs behind them…if only Sydney can get over her distrust of men. And with a conniving co-worker working to destroy Sydney’s happiness, no matter the cost, can she put her faith back in God and learn to trust in Grant before she loses her chance at happiness?

Excerpt for Blast From Her Past:

Sydney swallowed hard, her face growing red. She had no idea how to respond to this news. Sure, it had been fourteen years ago, but was Grant basically admitting that he’d had a crush on her? “But what… I mean… why?”

It was Grant’s turn to look embarrassed. “I really admired you.”

“You did not,” Sydney said, brushing off his compliment. “You’re just saying that now because we’re about to freeze to death.”

Grant laughed at her exaggeration. “No, I’m serious. I really did. I thought you had it all together, and I liked how you didn’t seem to care what people said about you. You were really nice and really smart. What was there not to like?”

Sydney let his comments soak in. “You liked me so much so that you never told me, huh?” she asked, her tone a mixture of sarcasm and melancholy.

“I know, Sydney. I was a coward back then. I cared more about my friends than about most things. Definitely more than your feelings or even my own desires. … I know it’s stupid, but, I told you, I’m a different person now.”

She glanced at him with an almost regretful expression. “Yeah, so am I.”

“I bet you could still channel your inner high school self,” Grant said teasingly.

His tone was all congeniality, but Sydney could hear the truth there too. She stared off into the distance, a twinge of sadness in her eyes. “Maybe.”

Buy Links for Blast From Her Past :

Available on Amazon for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback https://www.amazon.com/Blast-Her-Past-Katy-Eeten-ebook/dp/B0793MFT91/ref

You can find Katy at:

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

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KatyEeten

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

Website: https://katyeeten.wordpress.com/

It’s Release Day

Finally! The Foundation series– The Fourth Victim, Sara’s story is finished, edited and formatted. And I have the cover! I love it.

And today is released day. It’s available everywhere.

Here’s a blurb for The Fourth Victim Sara’s Story

Sara’s emotionally abusive husband dies unexpectedly. She’s struggling to reclaim the intelligent, independent person she was before she married.  She vows never to let a man take over her life again. Now she’s part of a special team, training to help other women.

Mac is responsible for training women in special ops techniques, so they are prepared when they are challenged to save other women. When he meets Sara, sparks fly between them. He wants her to quit the training and let him take care of her.

Sara graduates and now she and her team have to save Sara’s daughter from a serial killer. Can Mac step back and trust her in a dangerous situation? Can Sara and Mac resolve their issues, or will they go in opposite directions?

Buy Links for The Fourth Victim Sara’s Story

A pple – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-fourth-victim/id1440048796?ls=1&mt=11

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-fourth-victim- 9

Amazon– https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JQ97L8M?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

Nook   https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fourth-victim-saras-story-beverley-bateman/1129787236;jsessionid=F0F8F40ED498F523C97C6F0A8F95768A.prodny_store01-atgap12?ean=2940155751731

Paperback will be available soon.

If you read it, I’d love to hear what you think.

You can contact me at

Website – https://www.beverleybateman.com

Blog – http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/

Twitter @kelownawriter

Facebook Authorpage -http://www.facebook.com/AuthorBeverleyBateman?ref=hl

Pinterest   http://pinterest.com/okwriter

Amazon author pagehttp://www.amazon.com/Beverley-Bateman/e/B008M01F5E

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/beverley.bateman.18?fref=ts

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7052567.Beverley_Bateman

LinkedIn – babateman@shaw.ca

Email: darkwriter2@gmail.com

Vicki Batman has sold many romantic comedy works to magazines, several publishers, and most recently, two humorous romantic mysteries. Along the way, she has picked up some awards and bestsellers. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and several writing groups. Avid Jazzerciser. Handbag lover. Mahjong player. Yoga practitioner. Movie fan. Book devourer. Chocaholic. Best Mom ever. And adores Handsome Hubby. Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking “What if??”

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?

Vicki: I write off the genres of mystery and contemporary romance, specifically romantic comedy. It’s just the voice that comes from me. 

Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?

Vicki: A friend told me to write; so I did and kept working and working. From my first critique came the suggestion to Write Tight and I embraced the book. Learned a lot. 

Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?

Vicki: I love when a new idea comes along and type and type and type to get those initial thoughts down. Since I am a pantser, the work begins after that to revise and edit and make the story into something, well, like a story.

Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?

Vicki: Bugs Bunny, hands down. He’s sassy. He torments the tormentors. He makes the “wrong turn at Albuquerque.” He munches on carrots and says, “What’s up, Doc?” He dances and flirts. I could go on and on. The cartoons are masterpieces.

Beverley: Who would you love most to meet ‘in person’ and why?

Vicki: Not so much meet someone alive now. I wish my grandmother was still alive. I learned so many things from her. I loved how her eyes danced in merriment. She could tat, knit, crochet, embroider, sew, and all the farm things. Baked great cakes. Her husband died when my mom was five, and she carried the family during the Depression without taking handouts.

Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?

Vicki: I sandwich in me-times now because life is short. I Jazzercise, yoga, play mahjong, read, stitch, watch tv with Handsome, watch movies with Handsome, eat lunches with friends—all that and sit at the computer for several hours every day. Besides, I might hear a nugget for a story.

Beverley: What are you working on now?

Vicki: Too much. Still working on my third Hattie Cooks’ mystery. A short story, Christmas Romeo. A short story, Pixie Trixie. I turned in an essay recently. And turned in a short story for the Whispers of Winter holiday anthology…coming soon!

Blurb for The Great Fruitcake Bake-off from Whispers of Winter

Winter may be rolling in, but that doesn’t mean your days and nights must be cold.

The Great Fruitcake Bake-off: When a five-time champion Samantha Greene teams up with her new neighbor, Dixon Roberts, for The Great Fruitcake Bake-off, they discover baking a prize-winning entry is complicated, bad guys are plotting to take the crown, and first prize isn’t just about a ribbon.

Excerpt for The Great Fruitcake Bake-off from Whispers of Winter

  “I’m not entering this year.” I pinned an unbreakable stare on Bethany, my co-worker and long-time friend who lived in the same apartment complex as me. Standing firm, I crossed my arms. “Period.” 

We’d arrived early for work and were piddling over coffee in her cubical like we always did before diving into the nuts and bolts of company business. She rolled her eyes in the “I’m so not believing this” fashion and tweaked the Santa garland decorating her cube’s walls. “Why not, Samantha? You should be proud to be the five-time winner of The Great Fruitcake Bake-off. You’re a-a”–her words trailed off as she searched the ceiling for the ultimate in descriptive–“legend.” 

 I dropped my arms to twitch my black skirt in place, then I tucked my shoulder-length hair behind my ear. I let loose a long exhale, “Is being a legend in the fruitcake world a good thing?”

“What’s your point?” Bethany asked.

“Alright already, it’s exhausting. Finding the perfect recipe, then bake and exhibit it. The tension comes close to killing my holiday enjoyment. Besides”-–I shoved my finger in her direction—-“shouldn’t the love be spread? Shouldn’t somebody else win the Bake-off?” 

 “Oh, by golly, Sam.” Bethany’s hands covered her eyes. A few seconds passed, then she clasped them to her chest, inhaled, and composed her annoyance before saying, “We’re talking fruitcake here. It’s not groundbreaking like-like the Declaration of Independence. Or the Pyramids.”

Buy Links for Whispers of Winter

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GVNX2LZ/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whispers-of-winter-nicole-morgan/1129416841?ean=2940161939208/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/whispers-of-winter-2/

Social media:

Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com/p/more-about-me.html/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vicki-Batman-sassy-writer-of-sexy-and-funny-fiction-133506590074451/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickiBatman/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatman/

Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/vickibatman /    

Email: vlmbatman@hotmail.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4814608.Vicki_Batman/   

Finally! The Foundation series– The Fourth Victim, Sara’s story is finished, edited and formatted. And I have the cover! I love it.

What do you think?

 

Sara’s emotionally abusive husband dies unexpectedly. She’s struggling to reclaim the intelligent, independent person she was before she married.  She vows never to let a man take over her life again. Now she’s part of a special team, training to help other women.

Mac is responsible for training women in special ops techniques, so they are prepared when they are challenged to save other women. When he meets Sara, sparks fly between them. He wants her to quit the training and let him take care of her.

Sara graduates and now she and her team have to save Sara’s daughter from a serial killer. Can Mac step back and trust her in a dangerous situation? Can Sara and Mac resolve their issues, or will they go in opposite directions?

Release date November 1st .

It is available for pre-order.

Apple – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-fourth-victim/id1440048796?ls=1&mt=11

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-fourth-victim-9

Amazon pre-order – pending

Nook pre-order – pending

I’d love to hear your comments.

‘Tis the Season – Sweet romance Christmas novelettes in an anthology is the brain child of D.F. Jones joined by Laura Haley-McNeil, Lane McFarland, Laura Ann, Ana Morgan, and Allie Marie

Small Town Rural, Magical Midnight Rides, and First Kisses bringing joy, happiness, and unforgettable romance with this group of award-winning and talented authors.

Christmas Kiss by Laura Haley-McNeil

Vera Yeager inherits the family mansion from her grandmother, Mimsy.

Darroch Winters inherits a southern mansion from the kindly old woman he befriended.

Vera and Darroch inherit the same house? Not on your life. But how do they determine who is the rightful owner?

The answer to that question is buried in Mimsy’s cleverly written will.

Merry Christmas!

A native of California, Laura Haley-McNeil spent her youth studying ballet and piano, though her favorite pastime was curling up with a good book. Without a clue as to how to write a book, she knew one day she would.

After college, she segued into the corporate world, but she never forgot her love for the arts and served on the board of two community orchestras. Finally realizing that the book she’d dreamt of writing wouldn’t write itself, she planted herself in front of her computer. She now immerses herself in the lives and loves of her characters in her romantic suspense and her contemporary romance novels. Many years later, she lived her own romantic novel when she married her piano teacher, the love of her life.

Though she and her husband have left warm California for cooler Colorado, they enjoy the outdoor life of hiking, bicycling, horseback riding and snow skiing. They satisfy their love of music by attending concerts and hanging out with their musician friends, but Laura still catches a few free moments when she can sneak off and read.

You can find her at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraHaleyMcNeil

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurarmcneil

Website: http://laurahaleymcneil.com/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-haley-mcneil

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Haley-McNeil/e/B008S3WD10/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1539482263&sr=8-1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6470538.Laura_Haley_McNeil

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

A Medieval Christmas by Lane McFarland

Morna MacAndrew travels with her family to celebrate the Yuletide holidays with friends. She strives to enjoy the celebration, but her laird brother continues to present her to would-be suitors. She rebels against the idea of marriage to a man she does not love, a match made strictly for a strategic alliance with her clan.

She longs for a kindred-spirit and finds him when she meets Kendrick Douglas. Although he is a strong warrior, he does not provide the needed union her brother is determined to make for her. Now, Morna must convince her brother of Kendrick’s merits or endure a loveless union with an auld laird for the rest of her life.

Lane is a southern girl living on top of a mountain in North Georgia, and she’s most happy when surrounded by family and friends. If she is not writing, you can find her hiking with her husband, hanging out with her son, fiddling around in her flower and vegetable gardens, feeding the birds and watching black bears and deer. Lane loves to escape to worlds of intrigue with timeless love and happily-ever-after endings. Today, she is fortunate to have found her true passion in writing of spirited heroines and to-die-for-heroes and the romantic love stories between them.

You can find her at : Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/search?search=lane+mcfarland

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaneMcFarland

Website: http://lanemcfarland.com/

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lane-McFarland/e/B00G7UQZNI

Picture Perfect Christmas by Laura Ann

Nixon Fredricks has been in love with his best friend for years but Emma

refuses to see him as anything more than a big brother. In one final,

desperate attempt to attract her attention, Nixon dons a heavy red suit and

fluffy, white beard in order to work with Emma while she takes pictures

during the holiday season.

Emma looks forward to taking pictures for the mall Santa every year, but

this one proves to be a doozy. After a breathtaking kiss under the

mistletoe, she finds herself desperate to know who the man behind the beard

is, but he refuses to give his name. To make matters worse, Emma finds her

feelings toward her best friend, Nixon, changing into anything but

friendly.

Torn between two men, one a friend and one a mystery, only a Christmas

miracle will bring Emma the Happy Ever After she’s looking for.

Laura Ann is the wife of   the world’s most fabulous husband and the mother

to five rambunctious children. Her life keeps her on her toes and her

imagination running. She loves chocolate, swoony kisses, and happily ever

afters and does her best to include the latter two in all of her stories.

You can find her at :

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-ann

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

Goodreads:   https://www.goodreads.com /author/show/14775993.Laura_Ann

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Ann/e/B07D3DXM9J

Poinsettias   by Ana Morgan

A hard-working congressional aide rushes back to Vermont ski country only to discover that much more is wrong than her widowed father’s broken leg. 

Lack of snow is starving her hometown, a canceled order for four-thousand poinsettias could bankrupt her dad’s floral shop, and the man she’s loved since grade school still hasn’t forgiven her.

A daring idea could save every business in town—if she can convince her ex-boyfriend to help.

When Ana Morgan was small, her life’s goal was to know something about everything. She has studiously waitressed, driven a school bus, run craft service on an indie film set, wandered through European castles, wired a house, married a Marine, canned vegetables, and studied the stars. 

For ten years, she wrote colorful essays about life on her organic farm for her weekly CSA newsletter and succinct cooking directions for her craft-show soup mixes. But she really wanted to write what she loved to read on cold winter nights—passionate romance adventures. 

Besides a vivid imagination, she has some experience. She and her husband eloped six weeks after they met and moved from southern California to northern Minnesota. They taught themselves to milk cows (at first by hand) and raised three go-getter children.

Ana is currently writing the sequel to Stormy Hawkins,  her debut historical romance about a feisty ranch owner and a handsome, down-on-his-luck cowboy.

You can find her at: Website: http://anamorgan.net/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anamorganana

Instagram: https://www.amazon.com/Ana-Morgan/e/B075PC6RVG

A Christmas Fantasy by D. F. Jones

Nick is the firstborn male in the Claus lineage blessed with the ability to manipulate time and space foretold in the Book of Truth known as the Winterland Prophecy.

Nick must find his chosen mate by the time Nicholas Sr. turns sixty, or the Christmas magic will end. The gifts for the children, the elves magical toy making skills, the flying reindeer will cease to exist without the chosen mate’s kiss. That first kiss will break open the veil of magic releasing the Winterland Prophecy for a new generation.

Who is this mysterious mate?

Will he find her in the nick of time?

D. F. Jones began her career as a broadcast consultant at the ABC Affiliate in Nashville, which led her to open an advertising agency. Over the years, she’s created many campaigns for clients and still enjoys developing marketing materials.

Writing is a source of creative expression for D. F. Jones, but it also releases stress. Writing takes D. F. Jones to a place where anything is possible, and fiction takes her to a place made of dreams.

D. F. Jones is happily married to the love of her life. They have two gorgeous sons whom she loves and adores. She loves to laugh, and her husband keeps her in stitches! She’s a fan of the Tennessee Titans, MT Blue Raiders, and enjoys working in her flower garden.

Whether its angels or demons, time travel adventures, or witches and wizards, mystery suspense or ghosts, her books are action-packed with supernatural and romantic elements.

For a list of titles go to DFJonesAuthor.com

You can find her at: BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/d-f-jones

Website: http://dfjonesauthor.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14282826.D_F_Jones

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d.f.jones_author /

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Author_DFJones

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/D.F.-Jones/e/B011YUN8HG

 

It’s a Wonderful Life After All by Allie Marie

Clara has a new assignment, sending the anxious older lady into panic as she fulfills her new duties in the hopes of obtaining the promotion she has long sought,

A lonely young woman spends a snowy Christmas Eve toiling  in a boutique owned by a greedy boss.

Until a handsome police officer enters. Mary Carroll’s radar perks up as the tall good-looking George Baylee comes in for some last-minute gifts.

When Mary closes shop and realizes the day’s proceeds are missing, she panics and sets out on the snowy roads, wondering if life is worth living. She wrecks her car on an isolated road and is discovered  by Patrolman Baylee—just the person she suspects stole the envelope of money.

Forced to spend the Christmas Eve with George amidst the chaos that surrounds the strange diner owner Clara, Mary learns that indeed it is a wonderful life after all.

Author Allie Marie grew up in Virginia. Her favorite childhood pastime was reading mysteries with girl detectives Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden mysteries, never expecting to become a police officer herself one day.

When she embarked on a new vocation writing fiction after retiring from an adventure-filled career in law enforcement, it would have been understandable if her first book was a crime story. However, researching her own family tree inspired her to write the True Colors Series instead. The other stories are patiently waiting their turn.

Her debut novel, Teardrops of the Innocent: The White Diamond Story, was a 2015 New England Readers’ Choice Award Finalist in paranormal. The second in the series, Heart of Courage: The Red Ruby Story released in May 2016 and earned Best Book in the 2017 IRC Awards. February 2017 saw the release of the third book, Voice of the Just: The Blue Sapphire Story. The fourth book, Hands of the Healer: The Christmas Emerald, releases in 2018. A fifth and final book in the True Colors Series will be released later in 2018.

Besides family, her passions are travel and camping with her husband.

You can find her at: Website: https://alliemariebooks.wordpress.com /

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allie-marie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Allie-Marie-846744515375049/

Twitter: https://www.amazon.com/Allie-Marie/e/B017MXZSUO

By links for “Tis the Season

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/tis-the-season-sweet-romance-novelettes

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tis-Season-Sweet-Romance-Novelettes-ebook/dp/B07G815K3X

Barnes and Nobel: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tis-the-season-d-f-jones/1129347892?ean=2940155669463

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/tis-the-season-sweet-romance-novelettes/id1430976580?mt=11

Seelie Kay is a nom de plume for a writer, editor, and author with more than 30 years of experience in law, journalism, marketing, and public relations. When she writes about love and lust in the legal world, something kinky is bound to happen!  In possession of a wicked pen and an overly inquisitive mind, Ms. Kay is the author of multiple works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, The Garage Dweller , A Touchdown to Remember, and The President’s Wife. 

When not spinning her kinky tales, Ms. Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. She r esides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.

Ms. Kay is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS:  Never give up. You define MS, it does not   define you!

Beverley:  Why do you write romance?

Seelie: Because I am fascinated by the games people play to find and secure a lasting relationship, which is not always love. There’s the chase, the courtship, the falling, the surrender. That’s what I try to capture in my stories.

Beverley:  Do you prefer a certain type of romantic hero?

Seelie: I adore smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can be a bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger just hooks me!

Beverley:  Why did you write “Snatching Dianna?”

Seelie: Actually, for two reasons.  First, when writing the Kinky Briefs series, there were certain couples I fell in love with:  The Sheikh and his American lawyer wife who sue terrorists on behalf of their victims, the police chief (with a preference for handcuffs) and his criminal defense attorney wife who seek to right wrongs, and the covert agent and his law professor wife, who are smart, funny, and incredibly hot! Each of these couples have wonderful relationships and incredible lives. And each and every one of them is dedicated to preserving justice. I wanted their stories to continue. So, I created the Feisty Lawyers series. Second, “Snatching Dianna” deals with a law student who is kidnapped by a slave trafficking cartel. This plot permitted me to focus not only on the continuing problem of slave trafficking, but also on the investigative issues behind finding a missing adult. In this story, there is no evidence and no witnesses. It’s takes a lot of investigative savvy to piece together seemingly unrelated clues. I love complex puzzles and this story lets me go wild!

Beverley:  Why slave trafficking? That seems like such an uncomfortable subject.

Seelie: My book ends with this statement:  Experts say that more than 3,000 people around the world are sold, kidnapped, or forced into slavery each day, many of them children. Even in the United States, men, woman, and children are snatched off the streets for the purpose of human slavery. Slave traffickers do not discriminate by race, gender, religion, education, or socio-economic status. Victims of slave trafficking come from all walks of life, as do those who traffic in humans. It is a crime of international proportions and one that requires committed international cooperation.

As a lawyer and a human being, I think it is a topic worth calling attention to.

Beverley:  This book includes three very different couples. Wasn’t it a little hard to keep track?

Seelie: (laughs) At times. However, each couple is at a different stage in their lives and each took a different journey to find one another. That helps to keep them separate.

Beverley:  Romantic suspense is a new genre for you. You’re most known for your Kinky Briefs series, which are collections of stories about lawyers in love, with a dash of kink. Why the shift from erotic romance?

Seelie: I have always had a preference for mysteries and thrillers. I enjoy plots that challenge the mind. Plus, I am a big James Bond fan. My characters still enjoy erotic, loving relationships, but now the action focuses on solving a dilemma or crime. Instead of “metaphorical guns,” these  characters wield real ones. (Wink!)

Beverley:  How does your former profession as a lawyer impact your writing?

Seelie: After 30 years, the law and the legal world are so firmly embedded in my brain that I can’t flush them out. That has become the lens through which I view the world and that naturally guides my characters and plots. Little peculiarities that I have witnessed in lawyers and the law always work their way into my stories.

Beverley:  Any plans to write outside the romance genre completely?

Seelie: Actually, I ghostwrite non-fiction for other professionals—doctors, lawyers, financial gurus—so I dip my toes into a lot of different genres. However, I have been itching to write a book about a relative who founded a religious cult. I researched it for years and found a lot of information that had been buried. I have a pile of paper a foot high. Someday, I need to go through it carefully and start writing. I have the interest, just not the time.

Beverley:  The cover of the book clearly says “Snatching Dianna” is part one in the Feisty Lawyers Series.  How many more books can we look forward to?

Seelie: At this point, I’m not sure. In each book, I introduce new characters with compelling stories, so it is difficult to predict how and when their stories will be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.  However, the second book, “Infamy,” is in the queue, and I have a good start on the third, “Cult.” There should be at least one more after that.

B lurb for Snatching Dianna

T he hours are counting down as investigators try to prove that Dianna Murphy has been snatched. Unfortunately, without witnesses and solid evidence, all the police really know is that she is missing.

W hen suburban Milwaukee law student Dianna Murphy fails to connect with her roommate, there is no real evidence that she has been snatched. Until Law Professor Janet MacLachlan, a former covert secret agent, discovers a single clue, one that points to a taking by a slave trafficking cartel. In a race against time, Janet recruits h er husband, secret agent Cade Matthews, small-town Police Chief David Manders and his wife, criminal defense attorney Julianna Constant, and other law students to uncover the truth. Can they prove she has been taken, before Dianna disappears without a trace?

Excerpt for Snatching Dianna:

After what seemed like hours in the sweltering van, it lurched to a stop.

Dianna heard a man bark orders. A door to the van opened and someone pulled the rope from her feet, then removed her hood. She took a deep breath.  A man grabbed her by the arm, forced to her feet, and pulled from the van. Dianna stumbled when she hit the ground . The stones were hot and her feet were covered by athletic socks, no shoes. Show no weakness .

Dianna immediately surveyed her surroundings. It was still night, but she was in a well-lit courtyard. A large stone mansion stood in front of her. She looked to her right, then her left. The courtyard was enclosed by a large stone fence, at least eight feet high. A fortress. Fortunately, Dianna was a rock-climber. She could rappel over the fence with the right equipment. All she would need was something to serve as a pick, maybe a rope. A knife, a screwdriver, even a fork. Keep your eyes and ears open. Be ready .

A large black man, dressed in a white suit and a maroon turban, walked out of the front door and down the stairs. He stopped and flashed a malevolent smile. He flung his arms wide and in a cultured baritone boomed, “Welcome to paradise, ladies. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

Some of the guards laughed.

“Crikey,” Tillie muttered. “Sounds like a blasted genie.”

Dianna glanced sideways and for the first time, got a look at her new friend. She was tall and thin, her body well defined. She looked strong and aware, almost fierce. Her eyes seemed to be studying the place, taking everything in. She showed no fear. Instead, she seemed interested. Something was off. Tillie did not act like a victim as the others did. She was not cowed. Was she a cop? Or like Dianna, someone who would not permit themselves to be broken?

There was only one thing of which Dianna was certain. She had found a friend. A useful one.

Buy Links for Snatching Dianna:

Publisher:  http://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2263-9-snatching-diana/

Amazon:   Coming soon

Barnes and Noble:   Coming soon 

Social Media Links for Seelie:

www.seeliekay.com

www.seeliekay.blogspot.com

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

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seelie.kay.77

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Seelie-Kay/e/B074RDRWNZ/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1517848564&sr=1-2-ent

How do you develop the tension every story needs to keep the reader involved? I’d say it’s conflict – conflict with exterior obstacles, setting, weather, the villain, financial, etc.

The dictionary defines tension as a strained relationship between individuals. Conflict, which can cause the tension, is defined as to come into direct disagreement, a battle or struggle or antagonism or opposition.

Since I write romantic suspense – the conflict and tension are very important to the plot. I’m trying to figure out exactly how I do it. When I first started writing I remember learning there was internal and external conflict. External was the villain, the situation, the setting, the outside stuff. Internal was personal goals and the reason the hero and heroine, or any other main characters, couldn’t get together.

External is the easiest. What are the H/H goals? Why can’t they reach them? What stands in their way? How can they circumvent the barriers? Can they circumvent the barriers? This creates the external conflict.

The internal conflict is a little trickier.   Now I tend to be more of a pantser but for the conflict and tension I used to draw a diagram, Hero on one side, Heroine on the other side. I’d list three conflicts on each side – what the hero thought he wanted. Example – No relationships, no children or pets, and a condo near all the action.  I’d draw a line down the middle and on the heroine side opposite the hero’s goals. I’d write what she thought she wanted. Example – a relationship like her parents, at least three children and a dog, and a Cape Cod style home in the suburbs.

There’s the conflict which will cause the tension between the H/H and prevent a romantic relationship. Then I go through each one and develop a sub plot for how he decides he does want a relationship. Or maybe the heroine is forced to stay with him in an apartment downtown and finds she likes it, at least for awhile.

In my latest book – to be released November 1st , The Foundation series– The Fourth Victim, Sara’s story. Sara is a survivor of an emotionally abusive re lationship. She’s recovering and determined to become strong and help other women in abusive situations. She will never to be dependent on any man ever again. She meets Mac and sparks fly, but Mac is a macho type and trains women to protect themselves and help save others. He wants to protect Sara, stop her from helping other women and being at risk. He wants to keep her safe. That sets up the tension between them.

Do you have any hints on how to add tension? Please share them .

Now I’m off to learn what everyone else has to say. Don’t forget to check out these authors.

Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

A.J. Maguire  http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-1oh

Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com

Liese Sherwood-Fabre, knew she was destined to write when she got an A+ in the second grade for her story about Dick, Jane, and Sally’s ruined picnic. After obtaining her PhD from Indiana University, she joined the federal government and had the opportunity to work and live internationally for more than fifteen years—in Africa, Latin America, and Russia. Returning to the states, she seriously pursued her writing career and has published various pieces. Her debut novel Saving Hope, a thriller set in Russia was based, in part, from her observations while in that country. She then turned to a childhood interest in Sherlock Holmes and researched Victorian England for an as-yet unpublished series on Sherlock growing up in a rather unusually gifted family. Along the way she has written and published a number of short stories, garnering awards such a Pushcart Prize nomination. She recently collected eleven of these tales into a volume: Virtual Harmony and Other Short, Sweet Romances , released on October 15.

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?

Liese: I enjoy writing women’s fiction (which includes romance) and mystery/thriller. I’m also a sucker (pun intended) for a good vampire story. I think I enjoy writing these stories because it’s what I enjoy reading. I grew up on Nancy Drew and Barbara Cartland. The vampires, I’m not sure where they came from. Maybe old black and white films?

Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?

Liese: Isaac Asimov. I enjoyed reading his books and came across a science fiction magazine that carried his name. When I read those stories, I thought, “I can do this,” and wrote one and submitted it. I had no idea what I was doing, and it was quickly rejected. Rather than being discouraged, I continued, but with the knowledge I needed some professional training, which I sought out through creative writing classes at a local community college.

Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?

Liese: A good “what if?” These usually come to me when I’m exercising. While I’m on the elliptical, I let my mind work on other problems. Often, a “what if?” question pops into my head (for example: what if two co-workers are bidding on the same holiday sweater for an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest?) and I start working out the plot during that time.

Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?

Liese: Oh dear. That’s hard. I grew up on the old Loony Tunes. I guess Bugs Bunny. He’s pretty clever and always has a smart-alecky answer to any question.

Beverley: Who would you love most to meet ‘in person’ and why?

Liese: Wow, these are hard questions.

As far as an actual person, I would choose Jane Austen. In part, because she was a writer. At the same time, she was an independent thinker at a time where women weren’t necessarily encouraged to do so. She resisted marriage that wasn’t based on love (see a theme in her novels?).

In terms of fictional characters, Sherlock Holmes. A lot of myths and characterizations surround him, and I’d like to see which are true. I have a feeling he’s more human than he is often portrayed and would like to test out my hypothesis.

Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?

Liese: Probably nothing. I have two jobs: I work for the federal government, and I write. A chance to do nothing doesn’t present itself very often.

Beverley: What are you working on now?

Liese: The third book in an unpublished series on Sherlock Holmes at age 13. It came from one of my “what if?” ponderings. How did Sherlock Holmes become Sherlock Holmes? Arthur Conan Doyle left few clues about his childhood. His ancestors were country squires, his grandmother was the sister of Vernet (a French portraitist), and he had a brother named Mycroft. While convention would suggest his father might have had something to do with it, I thought, “what if his mother was a brilliant woman who was stifled by Victorian customs?” Because Victorian women were in charge of their children’s education (until the boys of a certain class were sent off to boarding school), she could have been behind Sherlock and Mycroft developing their superior intellectual skills . The first book is being considered by a publisher, and I hope to have more news to share about that later.

Blurb for Virtual Harmony :

Love can bloom in infinite ways.

These eleven short romances follow love through cute meets to taking friendship to the next level to rekindling a marriage. Feelings can be sparked by an errant computer file, a hunt for diamonds, or even a fortune teller’s tale. All that is needed is to open one’s heart to let it in.

Search, find, and deepen love along the way in these sweet romances.

Excerpt from “Virtual Harmony”

I slumped into an empty chair at the coffee bar around the corner from my apartment. I was ending this foolishness. Now. For two weeks I’d been on a wild goose chase and gotten nowhere. Time to give up. 

It’d all started innocently enough. After plugging in my new MP3 player, and booting up my computer to download my playlist, my finger froze just above the mouse. An unfamiliar file folder appeared along with the others: “George’s Songs.”

Who was George, and how did he get on my computer?

Having moved into the neighborhood less than a month ago, I didn’t know anyone in the area, and no one had access to my computer. Another new icon appeared at the bottom of my screen and blinked on and off. My new wireless system was working. I returned my gaze to the “George’s Songs” icon. Somehow, my computer’s system had picked up this George’s file and downloaded it to my machine.

Curiosity won out over caution, and without thinking twice, I opened the file to check out his playlist. Almost the entire list of songs I’d planned to download onto my MP3 player were already in George’s.

Whoever he was, George had good tastes.

Buy Links for Virtual Harmony:

Available through: B& N , iB ooks , Kobo

Amazon https://www.amazon. com/dp/B07J9R614F/

Social links for Liese:

Website: www.liesesherwoodfabre.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liese.sherwoodfabre/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lsfabre

Did you “Run for the Cure”?  Did you donate to Breast Cancer this month? No I’m not hustling for donations, but I would like to call attention to this month.   It’s Breast Cancer Month. Almost everyone knows someone who has or has had cancer.   Or maybe it’s you, and you’re a survivor. To me it’s very personal. I am a survivor. It’s been many years since diagnosis and treatment. Despite, or maybe because fo mammograms women are being diagnosed younger every day.

Many years ago (no, I’m not going to say how many) I volunteered for a breast cancer study in Canada for women between forty and sixty-five.  I only sneaked in by a few months. You were assigned a number when you volunteered. One set of numbers checked in and filled out a nutritional survey each year. The other side did a nutritional survey and had a mammogram.   I was put on the mammogram side. My second year I flunked out. If you’re diagnosed with cancer you get kicked out of the program. In my mammogram they found a small circle about the size of a dime with about ten pin pricks inside. It was the cancer. They did a fine wire biopsy to confirm it and I had surgery the next day.  If I hadn’t been on that study I probably wouldn’t have been diagnosed for at least another five years.   And who knows if I would have survived at that time. Back then most women who were diagnosed didn’t survive. Apparently some small cancers don’t grow, so maybe mine wouldn’t have got any larger, but honestly, I’m glad they found it and removed it.

Volunteering has positive effects. J (At least in my opinion)

I know there are pros and cons about mammograms.   Pros – They save lives. Mammograms are estimated to reduce cancer rates by 15%. Cons – They cause significant harm. Some will undergo treatment for no reason — because of a cancer that never would have grown. Women will “experience important psychological distress including anxiety and uncertainty for years because of false positive findings. This comes from a report at https://medshadow.org/medshadow_blog/mammogram-pros-cons/ if you’d like to read the whole article.

And some breast cancers are too aggressive and virulent to control or “beat,” no matter how early caught. How and why breast cancer occurs is still an unknown at this time, but a healthy lifestyle can always help.

According to aCancer.Net link the average 5-year survival rate for people with breast cancer is 90% . The average 10-year survival rate is 83% . If the cancer is located only in the breast, the 5-year relative survival rate of people with breast cancer is 99% . Sixty-two percent (62%) of cases are diagnosed at this stage.

Here’s the link to that report.

https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/breast-cancer/statistics/2015

I’d love to hear your story from other survivors or friends of survivors. And don’t forget to wear that pink ribbon.

Keta Diablo lives in the Midwest part of the United States on six acres of gorgeous woodland. When she’s not writing or gardening she loves to commune with nature. A pair of barn owls returns to the property every year to birth their young and show them off in the high branches of the oak trees. Nothing more adorable than these white fluffy babies with heart-shaped faces. A lifelong animal lover, she devotes her time and support to the local animal shelter. Emma LaPounce, a rescued feline, has been her furry companion for the last ten years.

She’s an award-winning and best-selling author who writes in several genres: Western Romance, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance and Contemporary Romance. In a past life, she wrote Gay Romance. My books have received numerous accolades, including RWA contest finalist, Authors After Dark finalist, Top Pick of the Month and Recommended Review from top review sites, and Best Romance Finalist from The Independent Author Network. 

For some strange reason, ghosts often show up in her stories, no matter the genre.

Beverley: Have you always wanted to be an author?

Keta: Oh, no. My mother, now 91 years young, reminds me that I always wanted to be number 1) a boy (I had four brothers), number 2) professional equestrian (course I called it a cowgirl).

Beverley: Tell us a little about the last/latest book you’ve written

Keta: See above in my Author Bio – for some strange reason ghosts always show up in my stories. No different in Comes A Specter, Book 2, Ghostland Series. Several reviewers said they loved the book, but the ghost scared the bejeebers out of them. Gee, I wasn’t scared.

Anyway, I didn’t even know I was writing about all these ghosts. One day, as I was going through my back list of books, I said, “Oh. My. Gosh. Keta!! You write about ghosts all the time.” Read some of my blurbs and you’ll see what I mean. No matter what genre I choose, somehow a ghost shows up. I used to see them—ghosts—when I was a toddler, but that’s another story for another day. Maybe subconsciously, that’s why they keep showing up in my stories.

Beverley: Where did you get the inspiration for this particular book?

Keta: Let’s see, where were we? Oh, yeah…inspiration for Comes A Specter. I love Western Romance, and since I have such a penchant for dead people, er, I mean those who have crossed over, I created sort of a new sub-genre, Western Romance Ghost Stories. I love writing about cowboys, cowgirls, horses, ranches, rodeos, and…did I mention translucent spirits?

Beverley: On average how long does it take it for you to write a book?

Keta: That depends on many factors. First, a writer has to be at the top of her/his game physically and mentally to pull this off. Second, she/he has to create a great plot and well-developed characters (no cookie-cutter walk-ons). Third, he/she must plant their butt in the chair and write, write every day, even if you have to pull the words out of the air. Better to have gibberish at times than a blank page, right? Fourth, it depends on whether one is writing a novella or a novel. A novella, two months; a full-length novel 4-5 months. Caveat: Keta is a slow writer compared to many others.

Beverley: Do you have any unpublished/unfinished scripts?

Keta: Yes, we all have those. Some I keep under the bed, never to see the light of day. Others are sitting on my computer and flash me now and then to finish them.

Beverley: What types of books do you read?

Keta: Across many genres, but never romance when I’m writing romance. Thrillers, suspense, angels/demons, Native American fiction, and small town contemporary (serious stuff). I hardly ever read humorous. I bet that doesn’t surprise you coming from a person who saw ghosts as a child, huh?

Beverley: What books are you reading right now?

Keta: Freefall (Kristen Heitzmann)

The Dead Game (Suzanne Leist)

and…1,697 waiting for me on my Paperwhite Kindle (sad)

Beverley:   Which are your three favorite books of all time?

Keta: To Kill A Mockingbird, Man On Fire, Gone With the Wind, Legends of the Fall.

Beverley: Do you/have you ever read a copy of your book after it has been published?

Keta: Gosh, no. I read it so many times while writing it; I’d get bored to death with the same old, same old. LOL.

Beverley: What advice would you give to an aspiring author who is just starting out?

Keta: Well, I’m really no one to be giving advice to other writers. I made plenty of mistakes starting out myself, so maybe that’s it – study the craft of writing. Know the basic rules at least, and then get good enough at writing you feel comfortable breaking some. I mean, there are some you should never break, but breaking one now and then won’t cause the earth to stop spinning. I have a lot of books on my Kindle (see above). I can’t tell you how many times I read one chapter and delete the book. If it doesn’t grab me right away with lots of questions, then I’m outta there. Take for example Harper Lee’s opening line in To Kill A Mockingbird : Scout: When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.

I mean, she hooked me. Completely. I was in the sixth grade the first time I read that line, and from that moment on, I wanted to know who Jem was and   how the heck did he break his arm? That book really opened my eyes to reading, gave me an appreciation for love of the written word.  

Blurb about Comes a Specter , Book 2, Ghostland Series

Six months ago, Anya Fleming’s ten- year-old son, Willie-boy, found his father hanging in the barn. Traumatized over his father’s suicide, the boy hasn’t spoken a word since. Now, Willie-boy has come down with a grave, unknown illness and there’s only one man who can save him, Sutter Sky, a learned Blackfoot shaman known as Yellow Smoke—a shaman who was once deeply in love with Anya.

But Fate had other plans for Anya and Sutter—she was forced to marry Lewis Fleming, a cruel man who berated her night and day, and brokenhearted Sutter immersed himself in the mystical customs and beliefs of his People and became a shaman .

As if Anya didn’t have enough to deal with after her husband’s death and her son’s illness, an evil, sinister ghost is terrorizing their ranch. Anya is convinced the spirit is Lewis, who apparently isn’t done making her life miserable.

When she turns to Yellow Smoke for help, will he put side his bitterness and save Willie-boy? And can the renowned shaman dispel the powerful ghost from their lives and send him back to Hades?

Buy Links for Comes a Specter

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GXBF25X

Available on All venues November 1st