Interview C.B. Clark Author of Healing Hearts
Give a warm welcome to C.B. Clark, Author of Healing Hearts. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about C.B. and her Healing Hearts!
Thanks so much for hosting me on Author’s Secrets, Tena. I always enjoy my visit.
Always a pleasure C.B.!
There’s nothing I like more than camping. Each year as soon as the snow melts, my husband and I head out on the back roads in our truck and camper. One of my favorite places to camp is the Chilcotin area of north central British Columbia. The Chilcotin plateau, with its rolling grassy range lands, stunning views of the snow-covered Coastal Mountains, and hundreds of clear, isolated lakes has everything we like and plenty of opportunities to hike, canoe, and fish. Visiting this rugged, wild area is like stepping back in time. That’s the reason I set Healing Hearts, my newest romantic suspense novel (with a Western flare), in the Chilcotin.
Love of camping is something we have in common. Maybe someday our paths with cross on the trails!
SPEED ROUND FOR A LITTLE ADDED FUN:
Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>
Leather or Lace: Leather
Black or Red: Red
Satin sheets or Smooth cotton: Flannelette
Oceans or Mountains: Mountains
City life or Country life: Country life (I love small towns.)
Party life or Evening at home: At home reading a good book
Dogs or Cats: Dogs
What’s under your bed: Dust bunnies
Camping or hotel: Camping
Road trip or Staying at home: Road trip
Shopping or Not: Not, though I do have a weakness for shopping on line.
Picnic or Restaurant: Restaurant
Bath or Shower: Bath
Bicycle or Walk: Walk
Watch a movie in a theatre or Home TV: Home TV
Swimming Pool or Lake: Lake
Dance or Not: Dance
Sing or Not: Sing, though Lord help anyone who has to listen to my creaky, off-tune voice.
Tell is a little about Healing Hearts.
Reeling from loss and heartbreak, Stella King is desperate to escape painful memories. The position of nanny on an isolated ranch in British Columbia’s rugged Chilcotin Plateau seems the answer to her prayers.
Cattle rancher, Dawson Wheeler, has worked hard to overcome grief and build a predictable world for his young daughter. The last thing he needs is the all-too-attractive Stella disrupting the smooth running of his ranch, especially now that disturbing incidents are happening on his property.
Defending his land against those who want to gut it will be a challenge, but the biggest threat of all may be to his heart.
Nook (Barnes & Noble), Amazon, itunes, and Kobo
Also available at Walmart and Google Books.
A sneak peek between the pages of Healing Hearts!
Damn it! He should be home in bed instead of driving on this godforsaken, sorry excuse for a road in the middle of the night.
A dark shape darted out of the thick bank of pine trees and sprang onto the road. A pair of eyes glowed in the glare of his approaching headlights.
He cranked hard on the steering wheel, avoiding the deer by inches.
The animal, white tail flashing like a flag, bounded into the ditch and vanished into the forest.
Dawson Wheeler released a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding and eased his foot off the accelerator. Crashing into a deer or moose wouldn’t make this day any better. He rolled down his window and inhaled the sweet-smelling, rain-washed air. The sky had cleared after the morning’s rain shower, and a thin sliver of moon cast a faint glow over the dark wilderness, the trees silhouetted against the velvety sky. In the distance, a dusting of fresh snow glimmered on the jagged peaks of the Coastal Mountains.
Why had he agreed to this crazy idea? He had enough to do at the ranch without having to babysit some pampered know-it-all, especially with that damn mine business hanging over his head.
He slowed as he approached Spirit Falls. The bus stop was nothing but a widening of the road with an old wooden bench set amidst weeds and wildflowers. Glancing at his wristwatch, he grimaced. Mack Hicken, the cantankerous old bus driver who’d driven the route between Hosten and Spirit Falls for what seemed like forever, prided himself on keeping to his schedule in spite of flat tires, knee-deep snowdrifts, and mud-filled ruts.
The bus would have dropped any passengers off an hour ago, but not a single man-made light broke the darkness. The rain and accompanying high winds had delayed Dawson, but the person he was there to pick up should still be waiting. Where would she go? It wasn’t as if a coffee shop was open down the road, or that she could catch a ride in a passing vehicle.
Traffic was sparse on the old logging road at this time of night. Spirit Falls’ heyday had fizzled with the bust in the lumber market, and most folk had moved on long ago. The town consisted of a few boarded-up buildings and a broken gas pump. Jim Svenson ran a small general store for locals, but Jim’s daughter had just had twins, and the proud grandpa had taken an extended vacation to Hosten to meet his new grandsons.
The woman Dawson had come more than a hundred kilometers to pick up must have taken one glance at the desolate emptiness of Spirit Falls and refused to get off the bus. She was probably on her way back to the bright lights of Hosten right now. If she’d bailed, that meant he was off the hook.
Smiling for the first time that day, he pressed down on the gas pedal and sped away from the bus stop. A flicker of white on the shoulder ahead caught his eye, and he slammed on the brakes. The truck skidded to a stop, his seatbelt digging into his shoulder. Catching his breath, he peered through the mud-spattered windshield.
A woman sat perched atop an oversized suitcase. Long, wavy strands of golden hair glowed in the sweep of light cast by his headlights and formed a halo around a face that wouldn’t be out of place on the cover of a fashion magazine. Her full lips lifted in a tentative smile, and she waved.
He frowned and tugged the photograph of the woman he was supposed to meet from his coat pocket and squinted in the glow of the dash lights. The lined, grandmotherly face beamed at him. He glanced at the gorgeous blonde watching him from the roadside. A sinking feeling settled deep in his gut. He removed his cowboy hat, ran his fingers through his hair, and tossed the hat onto the passenger seat. Maybe she was waiting for someone else.
About the Author:
Award-winning author, C.B. Clark, has written six romantic suspense novels published by The Wild Rose Press. She has worked as an archaeologist and an educator, and enjoys hiking, canoeing, and snowshoeing with her husband and dog near her home in the wilderness of central British Columbia.
Social Media Links:
Instagram: Blog: Twitter: Facebook: Goodreads: Amazon Author Page:
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Healing Hearts!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged C.B. Clark, Contemporary Romance, Healing Hearts by Tena Stetler with 13 comments.
For The Love Of You by Author Claire Marti
Give a warm welcome to Clarie Marti, author of For The Love Of You. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out about the inspiration for your latest release For The Love Of You!
I had two primary inspirations for the third installment in my Pacific Vista Ranch series. First, I’ve wanted to write a French hero for a while because I’m half-French. Growing up, I was lucky enough to spend summers in the South of France and Corsica with the French side of my family. My father played soccer in France prior to immigrating to the United States, so soccer was a big deal in our family. Who doesn’t love a charming, athletic Frenchman? Gabriel DuVernay was born. His middle name is René, which is my father’s name. I dedicated the book to my dad, but I hope he doesn’t read the steamy scenes.
Second, I love the fake engagement/marriage of convenience trope, but it usually seems to be more appropriate for historical romances. I wanted to explore how a fake engagement would work in a modern setting. Gabriel’s family owns one of the oldest wineries in France and is slightly old-fashioned, so they play a major role. I had so much fun writing this story and I hope it makes readers smile too.
Tell us a little about For The Love Of You.
For a French soccer icon, and a gifted artist, a fake engagement is the perfect solution for their current dilemmas. But when last summer’s fling slips from lust to love, their pretend relationship becomes too hot to handle.
Gabriel DuVernay is heir to one of the oldest wineries in France, but his passion is playing soccer, not tending vines. When he signs a multi-million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy, he’s able to postpone his unwelcome duties and help his younger sister convince their old-fashioned father she should be their family’s first female winemaker. Another bonus of moving to California is reuniting with the striking redhead who snuck out of his apartment after the hottest night of his life.
Last summer, artist Dylan McNeill’s life on her family’s Southern California horse-breeding ranch was thrown into chaos and she escaped to Paris. One electrifying night with a gorgeous playboy athlete helped her forget her problems. She’s never forgotten Gabriel, but aspiring artists trying to break into the elite art world don’t have time for romance. She’s determined to get discovered without trading on her family’s famous name.
When Gabriel suffers a career-shattering injury, he needs to buy some time to figure out how to remain in America and choose his own future. His influential mother can open important doors in the art world and help Dylan fulfill her dreams ––for a price. A fictitious engagement seems like the simple answer until living at Pacific Vista Ranch and pretending to be in love starts to feel real.
Can last year’s one night stand and this year’s fake engagement turn into true love forever?
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub)
Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iBooks, Bookbub, and Goodreads:
My thoughts on For the Love of You (Pacific Vista Ranch book 3)
A year ago, Dylan, an aspiring artist, fled to Paris to avoid a devastating situation at the family ranch in California. She met Gabriel, a French soccer icon, and they had one fantastic night together. She’s never forgotten Gabriel. Now he’s signed a million dollar deal to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team. They reconnect and their chemistry sizzles hot as ever.
When he sustains a career-ending injury his father expects him to return to France and take over the family winery. That’s the last thing he wants to do. Dylan and Gabriel become cohorts in crime for their own reasons. As the ruse continues their make-believe world becomes all too real. No spoiler’s here.
Claire Marti does it again. She weaves a fantastic tale with characters and descriptions that leap off the page and make you feel like you are part of the story. I love that about her writing. Dylan and Gabriel dared to dream and worked to make their dreams come true. For the Love of You is a pager turner and a feel good tale you must read.
5 Stars
A sneak peek between the pages of For The Love Of You.
Hands linked, they ascended a single flight of broad wrought iron stairs. When he opened the large door, her lips parted in wonder at his home’s simple classic beauty. Wide honey-colored plank flooring set off the soaring ceiling, stark white walls, and midnight navy couch and loveseat. Nothing distracted from the main attraction: enormous glass doors revealing the unobstructed view of the wide golden sand beach melting into the cobalt blue Pacific Ocean.
“Wow. So I guess you signed on the dotted line the minute you saw this view?” Dylan drank in the beauty of the late afternoon sky.
Gabriel’s laugh was a low purr in his throat. “Exactly. Come.” He slid the French doors open and led her out to an immense deck.
Immediately, the warm, salty breeze caressed her skin and the shriek of seagulls filled the early twilight sky. Streaks of mauve and raspberry and tangerine turned the horizon into a watercolor tableau worthy of its own canvas. She leaned against the white wooden railing and sighed with pleasure.
“This is amazing. When did you arrive and do you get to spend much time here?” The Major League Soccer season ran from March to December. Professional athletes didn’t get much downtime, even in the off-season.
He was close enough that the clean fresh scent of soap and shampoo tickled her senses. His hair held a hint of curl and glints of chestnut and caramel. He angled his head toward her. “The transfer came through a few months ago, but I finished up my contract with Barcelona. I was at practice the morning after I arrived. So, no, I haven’t spent enough time here yet.”
“Thanks for sharing it with me.”
He reached for her hand again, lacing their fingers together. “Let’s have some wine and choose something to order for dinner. What are you in the mood for?”
“Italian or maybe French?” Her cheeks flamed. No innuendos there at all. Nope, not a one.
He waggled his eyebrows. “That can be arranged.”
Before she could react, he pulled her into his arms and lowered his head. He paused a few inches from her lips and slid one hand up her back to clasp her head. His minty breath mingled with hers and her lips parted in anticipation. His pupils dilated, his eyes black. With a growl, he captured her mouth and stroked and swirled his tongue with hers.
She melted against him, her knees buckled, and only his powerful embrace saved her from sliding to the deck in a boneless heap. She wove her arms around him, gripping the thin material of his t-shirt.
“Get a room!” A shout from the boardwalk below doused them like a bucket of freezing water. Gabriel’s hold softened and Dylan stepped back.
She exhaled a shaky breath and smoothed back her hair. Worked to slow her thundering heartbeat and gather some composure. When she’d agreed to come over to his house, she’d been anticipating flirtation and conversation, but nothing could have prepared her for experiencing the intensity of their chemistry again. They’d only spent one night together, but he’d left an indelible impression on her. Apparently, it was mutual.
Gabriel flashed a cheeky grin. “I’ve got several rooms inside, care to join me?”
“Aren’t you the clever one? Maybe we should slow things down and have that drink. And I am hungry.” Everything about him was seductive and she was inexorably drawn to him. If she didn’t at least gently tap the brakes, they’d be in bed before dinner. Or instead of dinner.
About the Author:
Claire Marti started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to pick up pencil and paper. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BA in English Literature, Claire was sidetracked by other careers, including practicing law, selling software for legal publishers, and managing a non-profit animal rescue for a Hollywood actress.
Finally, Claire followed her heart and now focuses on two of her true passions: writing romance and teaching yoga.
Her award winning debut novel, Second Chance in Laguna, was a Finalist for Best Contemporary Romance in the prestigious Stiletto Contest, won best unpublished contemporary romance in the Heart of the Molly and third place in the Maggie. Book two in the Finding Forever in Laguna series, At Last in Laguna, and Book three, Sunset in Laguna, are available everywhere. Sunset in Laguna was a Golden Quill finalist.
Claire’s exciting new Pacific Vista Ranch series set on a horse-breeding ranch in exclusive Rancho Santa Fe, California, launched in September 2019.
When Claire’s not writing, she’s teaching yoga. You can find her teaching at studios in sunny San Diego or enjoy fifty online classes on the international website www.yogadownload.com. A breast cancer survivor, Claire is a sought-after speaker on the power of yoga and meditation. She’s been published in numerous magazines with articles on wellness and is the author of a memoir, Come Ride with Me Along the Big C, on her experience beating breast cancer.
Claire is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Contemporary Romance Writers, and the San Diego Romance Writers.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Website: www.clairemarti.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClaireMartiAuthor/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/clairepmarti
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairepmarti
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8203678.Claire_Marti
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/claire-marti
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Claire-Marti/e/B01N9VOWLL
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with For The Love Of You!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Claire Marti, Contemporary Romance, For the Love of You by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Interveiw Kimberly Daniels Author of Saved by You
Give a warm welcome to Kimberly Daniels, author of Saved By You an exciting contemporary Romance.
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Kimberly Daniels and Saved by You!
First up, Kimberly, who is your favorite character of all of the books you’ve written and Why?
My favorite character is Lila for sure. She is the epitome of my best friend. Her humor is what stands out most, yet she’s so fierce when it comes to her friends.
How long have you been writing?
I “published” my first book in third grade when my story was chosen to be featured in the school library. From that point on I fell in love with writing and really never looked back.
Do you find it easier to write from a male or female point of view? Why?
Originally, I thought a female point of view was easier since I connect to that more easily, but when I started Saved By You I fell in love with writing from a male point of view. It’s like an adventure trying to connect to that side of thinking. My current WIP is actually dual point of view!
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I’m a total beach bum! I spend my summers at the shore, similar to the setting in this series. I’m all about the late days on the beach just enjoying my time off from teaching.
SPEED ROUND FOR A LITTLE ADDED FUN:
Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>
Favorite movie: too hard to choose!
Favorite book: The Outsiders
Last book read: Regretting You by Colleen Hoover
Favorite color: Pink
Stilettos or flipflops: flipflops
Coffee or tea: tea
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: both
Pencil or pen: pen
Favorite song: Stubborn Love by Lumineers
Streak or not: Not
Favorite dessert: cookies
Favorite junk food: Cheez-its
Favorite thing to do to relax: read
Champagne or gin: gin
Paranormal or Historical: historical
Wonder Woman or Top Model: wonder woman
Favorite TV show: anything HGTV
Hot or cold: hot
POV: first
I’d die if I don’t have: essential oils
Review or Not: review
Tell us a little about Saved By You!
Cole Stevens thought he was finally given a second chance in life. With the woman he always loved now by his side, an adopted son who felt like his own since the day he met him, and a baby on the way, Cole could finally see his forever. And then his past showed up on his doorstep, threatening to take it all away.
Now forced to relive painful memories and bring dark secrets to light, Cole begins a downward spiral that leads him back to the place he spent years trying to escape. As the pain of his past collides with the present, he finds himself lost again, fighting for his family’s future. How can he find the way back in time for his forever to be saved?
How about a sneak peek between the pages of Saved By You?
Footsteps approach. I feel a light touch, and then hands gently finding their way around my waist. Camryn lays her head on my shoulder and squeezes. Gavin stands up next to me on the other side of the bench and links his arms around my neck.
“Daddy, are you mad at me?” he asks.
I lift my head, pull Gavin onto my lap, and tilt his chin toward my face. “You listen now. I could never be mad at you for talking about the baby. You will be the best big brother anyone could ask for. So, you talk about the baby all you want.” I lift my thumb. “Thumbs-up to the best big brother in the world.”
He touches his thumb to mine. “Thumbs-up to the best daddy in the world.”
As the pain melts away, Camryn squeezes my waist and kisses my shoulder. “Are you ready to go, best-daddy-in-the-world?”
I gently kiss her lips and assure her, “With you, I’m ready for anything.” The meaning of my words run deeper than the family dinner awaiting us at home.
She stands up from the bench and turns toward me. “Let’s start small then.” She reaches her hand out. “One step toward home?”
The distant roar of the waves slamming the shore, and the strength in Camryn’s simple words, fortify my resolve. I reach out to my wife, my lifeline, and grasp her hand, knowing she is the only one who possesses the power to save me.
About the Author:
Kimberly Daniels is a middle school English Teacher who took the advice of her students to pursue her writing hobby as a career. When she’s not at her laptop dreaming up new happily-ever-afters, she can be found glued to the TV or Kindle consumed with a new show or book addiction. She lives with her husband and two daughters in in the suburbs of Philadelphia,
spending weekends at basketball games, softball fields, and dance recitals.
Connect with Kimberly Daniels:
Website: https://www.kimberlydanielsauthor.com/
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlydanielsauthor/?ref=settings
FB Profile: https://www.facebook.com/authorkimberlydaniels
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorkdaniels
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_kimberly_daniels/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17942227.Kimberly_Daniels
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Daniels/e/B07BPMLDY3
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Saved by You!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary Romance, Kimberly Daniels, Saved by you by Tena Stetler with 5 comments.
Spring at the Little Duck Pond Cafe by Rosie Green
Give a New Years welcome to Rosie Green author of Spring at the Little Duck Pond Cafe!
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rosie Green will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Fleeing from a romance gone wrong, Ellie Farmer arrives in the pretty village of Sunnybrook, hoping for a brand new start that most definitely does not include love!
Following an unscheduled soak in the village duck pond, she meets Sylvia, who runs the Little Duck Pond Cafe. Renting the flat above the cafe seems like the answer to Ellie’s prayers. It’s only for six months, which will give her time to sort out her life, far away from cheating boyfriend Richard.
But is running away from your past ever really the answer?
Clashing with the mysterious and brooding Zak Chamberlain, an author with a bad case of writer’s block, is definitely not what Ellie needs right now. And then there’s Sylvia, who’s clinging so hard to her past, she’s in danger of losing the quaint but run-down cafe altogether.
Can Ellie find the answers she desperately needs in Sunnybrook? And will she be able to help save Sylvia’s Little Duck Pond Cafe from closure?
Read an Excerpt
I have never climbed a tree in my life.
But I suppose there’s a first time for everything.
It’s a gaspingly cold mid-January morning with an ice-blue sky overhead – not exactly the ideal conditions in which to be lurking on the pavement outside a stranger’s house, nervously eyeing up the oak tree in their garden.
Camera gripped in my freezing hands, I stamp my feet and blow out misty breath as I psyche myself up to be bold. I’ve driven sixty miles from Newtown, where I live, to the pretty, chocolate-box village of Sunnybrook in Surrey – with the ultimate goal of climbing this very tree and taking photos of the view from up there.
The tree is almost exactly how I pictured it in my imagination – old and gnarled with broad, evenly-spaced branches. My eye homes in on one branch in particular. It reaches out to the left, a little over six feet from the ground; the perfect place to sit and gaze out over the village green and the duck pond. (As I knew it would be.)
Tears fill my eyes. But I’m smiling, too.
It’s all in a good cause.
Stop dithering and just do it!
When I push it open, the garden gate swings inwards without creaking and the windows remain blank. I drop my bag by the gate and head for the tree.
It’s amazing how fear can give you almost super-human powers. Under normal circumstances, I’d need someone to give me a bunk-up into this tree. But today, with adrenalin pumping through my system, I manage to swing myself up there with no problems at all . . .
About the Author:
Rosie has been scribbling stories ever since she was little.
Back then, they were rip-roaring adventure tales with a young heroine in perilous danger of falling off a cliff or being tied up by ‘the baddies’.
Thankfully, Rosie has moved on somewhat, and now much prefers to write romantic comedies that melt your heart and make you smile, with really not much perilous danger at all – unless you count the heroine losing her heart in love.
Spring at the Little Duck Pond Café is the first in Rosie’s brand new series of novellas centered around life in a village café. Each novella is a ‘stand-alone’ read.
Readers will be able to read the whole series on Kindle Unlimited
You can connect with Rosie Green on Twitter: @Rosie_Green1988
Amazon purchase link: https://amzn.to/2W8uXF7
NOTE: Book is free
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Rosie-Green/e/B07CZYV7DW%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary Romance, Rosie Green, Spring at the Little Duck Pond Cafe by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
