A few Christmas stories for you -- one from me!

It’s Christmas in Legend, Tennessee and there is no finer place to visit than this small mountain town, sitting snug and cozy into the Great Smoky Mountains. You may have been here before, when Midnight Shelby came to town to find herself, or when Jane Smith switched places with her famous twin sister at her high school reunion. Or perhaps, you’ll remember meeting up with Lilly Peach when she escaped to Legend with only her life, and finds an entire town to watch her back. And then there is Suzie Matthews, chef and owner of the local B&B, who cooks up a dream of her own.

All of these characters are still living in Legend. Plus you’ll find some new friends, too. After all, it’s Christmastime! People are coming home, visiting family, and maybe settling a few misunderstandings. I hope you enjoy visiting this magical town of Legend.

Whether it’s your first visit, or you’ve been here before, we hope you enjoy your stay. We are pleased to be able to share these stories with you. Eggnog, anyone?

Stories in this Ladies of Legend Christmas Series include:

 Santa’s Kiss by Jan Scarbrough 

Christmas Collision by Magdalena Scott 

The Christmas Gift by Janet Eaves 

Home For The Holidays by Maddie James. 

All titles now available in the TMP bookstore and at Amazon.

Coming soon to many other online retailers!

Merry Christmas! 

Like a Back to School Sale?

Hello! Just dropping in sort of quick to say that Turquoise Morning Press is having a BACK TO SCHOOL sale right now -- all ebooks in the online store are 30% off if you use this COUPON CODE - BTS30.

This is a great time to get hold of a Maddie James book at huge savings! Here's the direct link to my books there just in case you are interested. :)  -  Maddie's Books at TMP

Of course, that coupon code is good for any book in the store, so have fun shopping!

Just another FIRST AND LAST MONDAY!

Last week I started something new called FIRST AND LAST MONDAY. You can check out last week's post to learn more.

The two sentences that follow came from a book I've recently read and I asked people to either guess the book, comment on the page, or tell me what a sentence or two in-between might be. Man, you guys came up with some funny sentences!

So, once again, here is last week's FIRST AND LAST:

Catherine stepped from the dock onto the creaky planks. She gave Dawson a reason to love again and they both found safe harbor in the circle of each other’s arms and in the deep and eternal ocean of their love.

Anyone guess CASTAWAY HEARTS by Taryn Raye? If so, you would be right! And the person who wins the copy of CONVINCING NORA this week is....drum roll.... Jennifer Johnson! She was the magic #5 poster and besides that, had a really cool sentence. Congrats, Jennifer! Nora will be heading your way. :)

Now let's move onto this week's FIRST AND LAST. I will not give any hints--just the sentences as they are. Here goes.

FIRST AND LAST Monday -- What book is this?

Miller snapped off the ignition and sagged against the seat.  “You’ll manage. You’re one tough engineer lady. That’s one of the things I love about you.”

Ooohhh. This one might not be so easy? Any thoughts as to the book? Author? What sentences would you write in between the two? I leave it in your capable hands. Let the commenting begin for a chance to win FRESHLY DEAD!

First and Last Monday - What book is this?

My nose is in a lot of books. A LOT OF BOOKS. Sometimes I get to read for pleasure, other times for research, and quite often for editing, proofing or formatting.

So, I see a lot of text and one thing that I have discovered is that the first and last sentences of a story are important -- I guess we all know that to some extent, right? But what I didn't realize is how often those first and last sentences actually go together in a beautiful and synchronistic kind of way. (okay, I think I made that word up, either that or it's misspelled...)

That's why I'm starting a new feature here on my blog every Monday. It's called "First and Last Monday." (original, eh?)

I'll post the first and last sentence of a book I've recently read. I'll ask you what you think happens in between and if you know the book. On the next Monday I'll reveal what the book is. Cool, huh? Oh, and one person who comments will win a free ebook. Even juicier, right? Okay, so here goes.

FIRST AND LAST MONDAY - What book is this? 

Catherine stepped from the dock onto the creaky planks. She gave Dawson a reason to love again and they both found safe harbor in the circle of each other’s arms and in the deep and eternal ocean of their love. 

1. What do you think happens between the first and last sentence of this book?

2. Do you know the title and the author?

Respond in the comments section of this post for a chance to win a free ebook copy of CONVINCING NORA!

p.s. If you are the author, you can't guess! LOL

It's here! CONVINCING NORA is now released!

Hello!

I'm so excited to share that my latest romance novel, CONVINCING NORA, has now been released!

I love this little small town romance between Dr. Caleb Wyatt, and school secretary Nora Jamieson. Caleb thinks he's found the perfect place to start his life over and open up is rural veterinary practice -- far away from the trouble that plagued him in Montana. But when Nora fumbles her Plain Jane self into his life, he realizes that settling down is not going to be as easy as he thought.

You can find CONVINCING NORA at All Romance Ebooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and at the Turquoise Morning Press bookstore. 

More about the book

Dr. Caleb Wyatt thinks the peaceful little town of Greenfield is the perfect place to start his veterinary practice…until the morning he opens the doors of his animal clinic. Mrs. Pierson’s poodle has been looking for love in all the wrong places—not to mention a colicky calf, a yellow-tinged iguana, and a Lorikeet-eating cat are wreaking havoc with his business. In short…chaos!

Until he temporarily hires the lovely and quite organized, Nora Jamieson.

Nora wasn’t out to find a job. She was only seeking help for a hairball and flea-infested, newly rescued cat she’d given a furever home. She wasn’t looking for a man either, just a companion, and Dicey the cat fit the bill. She reluctantly agrees to work for Caleb, but as the days roll on, working becomes a whole lot more than a summer distraction. In fact, she fears falling for Caleb, something this plain Jane girl thought she would never experience.

It’s time to retreat. And fast.

Caleb senses Nora’s confusion and soon finds that convincing her to work for him was the easy part. Convincing Nora that he’s her forever man is quite another.

An excerpt 

A woman knows when a man is staring at her. It’s a sixth sense sort of thing. And Nora Jamieson knew that the man behind her in the grocery checkout line was staring a hole through her.

Gulp.

With nary a sideways glance, she carefully placed her selected items on the counter: a half-gallon of milk, a soft drink, a square pack of American cheese slices, three cans of cat food, a box of tampons. A disconnected collection, to be sure, and she still had no clue what was for dinner. She nudged the tampons behind the milk, semi-hiding the box. Only then did her gaze drift to the left toward his groceries.

Interesting.

A large hand placed a divider in front of his order. Whipping cream, butter, linguini, Parmesan cheese, fresh mushrooms, a small chicken, and a few items more her brain didn’t register, were set one after another onto the moving counter. Much more exciting than her choices. His hands worked back and forth (large, callused hands with long fingers); the items piled up. Her gaze traveled to his arms to his chest, throat, face….

Eye contact.

She jerked back to stare at her own purchases.

Read more>>

Just a short post to say...

Please pick me up off the floor. I may faint.

Thank you, readers! You all are awesome!

The prescription....

I'm ba-ack. (I told you I would be!)

Like I said the other day in this blog post, I know I've been gone for a while. I really and truly didn't think I had many interesting things to blog about anymore -- that, in fact, is not entirely true. Heck, I'm a writer. I can find things to write about. TIME has been the factor, but...

But I've re-examined. I've had some changes going on in my life lately and perhaps they are bloggable. I'll take the risk and see what you all think.

In early April I had a scare -- a health scare. On a Sunday evening I drove myself to the ER with chest pain. I didn't feel well all day and couldn't put my finger on it. Then more symptoms, and a quick Google search, plus a call from a friend where I divulged my symptoms, and before you know it, I'm plugged up to machines and IV bags and spending the night in the ER.

No, I wasn't having a heart attack. I am grateful for that. But the next week was a flurry of doctor visits and tests -- including stress test and all that comes with it -- and the bottom line is, I now do have a cardiologist.
And even though my tests all came back normal, I'm "of a certain age" and there is heart history problems in my family, plus diabetes, and my doctor thinks I have sleep apnea, so the prescription was this: LOSE WEIGHT.

Consequently, I've added these things to my life:

Walking, generally every morning and sometimes evening. 

I now have a gym membership. 

And Zumba! OMG!!!!

(Okay, one Zumba class but I do plan to go back next week.)

And have changed my diet to this:

And this...

Yes, a plant-based diet. With restrictions on top of that. Doctor's orders. I will share more about how that is going for me in the coming days.

So yeah, there is a little bit to write about, and I'm planning on all of you holding me accountable, you here?
Okay, now that that is done....

Time for breakfast. Oatmeal, strawberries, and a drizzle of Maple syrup. (all plant-based and allowable!) Yum!

See you soon. (I have recipes!)

I've missed you....

Wow. Long time no see, Blogger. What have you been up to?

Really? Me? Oh, I've been up to this and that. A little more of that, than this.

Yes, it's true. I've been mighty AWOL from here. I know and I am sorry. Truly.

Yes, yes...you are right. I used to be here all the time. What can I say? Life interrupted my "life unedited" blog. It happens.

I could blame it on a lot of things but putting blame anywhere is never a good thing, right? Let's just say that I haven't made blogging a priority for some time now, and even though I think about it a lot, it never seems to get done.

I know. Sad.

You miss me, you say? You've missed when I used to post about all things cupcake? When I used to share random posts about what was going on in my life? Like, redecorating my office? When I used to take pictures of my food in recipes and then do a restaurant review? Really? You liked that?

Oh. Well then. But you really liked that stuff?

Yeah. I've heard others say that, too....

Well, thanks, Blogger. I really appreciate hearing that. This is something I need to think about a little bit...but guess what? I have sort of missed those "life unedited" posts, too.

Hm. Thinking. What IS going on with me? Is there anything interesting at all that I have to share? I just don't know....

But stay tuned. I just may have something for you....

Longer than eight seconds....

What lasts longer than an eight second ride?

Eight seconds is a long time for a bull rider to stay on a bull's back, but it's a really short time for reading a good book.

I'm really pleased to share the release of BROKEN! I have to admit. I do love the cowboys. Maybe you like them, too? And I hope you read for a lot longer than eight seconds!

In BROKEN we have a bull riding cowboy who comes home after being gone for some time, only to find out that the girl he'd left behind has grown up. Complications abound!

BROKEN is a sensual-to-sizzle romance, not quite as spicy as some of my other stories, but the sexual tension is high throughout. Here's more info on the story....

Rodeo took him from her once. Will it take him again?

It’s been a decade since Garth Nash left the Triple R Ranch to become a bull riding star. Now he’s back home to pay his final respects to the man he’d loved like a father, and to console the pesky tomboy he’d loved like a little sister.

But there’s nothing pesky or boyish about Amarilla Ray now. She’s a gorgeous, barrel-racing cowgirl who knows exactly what she wants—to compete at the Cowgirl Classic. Just once. And then she can get on with the rest of her life.

Rilla had loved Garth like a big brother all those years ago, but today, her feelings are taking turns in a whole new direction, and suddenly it feels like Garth just might be the rest of her life.

But rodeo took him from her once. And she knows he’s bound to leave again. Can she take the risk and fall in love? Can he? Or will rodeo win out again, and leave them both broken?

Release:  April 1, 2012
Category:  Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Western
Heat Level: Sensual-Sizzle
Length:  Short Novel 40,000 words
Price: $1.99 digital ebooks (not available in print at this time)

BROKEN is available at Amazon Kindle . Barnes and Noble . All Romance Ebooks . Bookstrand . Smashwords and at the Turquoise Morning Press Book Store.

Watch for BROKEN to come available in print, and also soon to Sony, Apple, Diesel Ebooks, and Kobo!

Help Maddie James with Murder!

A NEW RELEASE for me = a TWO-FOR-ONE deal for you!

My romantic suspense novel, Murder on the Mountain – revised and updated – is now available in digital formats!

Murder on the Mountain was previously published in 2008 but the book never made it to Amazon Kindle. Now, this re-release from Turquoise Morning Press brings it to Kindle, as well as to many of your favorite e-tailers.

To celebrate this special release, if you purchase Murder on the Mountain from Amazon between the dates of February 15 and February 20, 2012, I will give you TWO FREE KINDLE EBOOKS!

I have to confess, I have an ulterior motive for this special promotional offer. I would love to see Murder on the Mountain get pushed up into the Top 100 Paid Bestseller lists at Amazon, following in the footsteps of some of my other bestsellers. Crazy For You made it to #8 in Contemporary Romance last fall, and I wonder if Murder on the Mountain can make it higher?

So, here’s the plan. If you decide to buy Murder on the Mountain at Amazon, can you buy it between February 15-20, 2012? Here’s all you have to do:

1. Buy Murder on the Mountain at Amazon between Feb 15-20, 2012. (It’s a steal at $1.99!)
2. Forward your Amazon Kindle purchase confirmation to me at maddie@maddiejames.net. (Be sure to remove any personal information on that email, of course, but your confirmation must have the details of your Murder on the Mountain purchase.)
3. Let me send your free gifts. Tell me in the body of that email which TWO of the following Kindle ebooks you would like:

• Crazy for You
• The Heartbreaker
• Falling for Grace
• Bed, Breakfast and You
• Rawhide and Roses
• Freshly Dead

That’s all! Easy peasy, huh? Thank you! And I look forward to hearing from you all!

p.s. If you want to help spread the news about this special TWO-FOR-ONE offer, feel free to share this blog post, share on your Facebook page, or tweet the following tweet:

Help @maddiejames with Murder! Check out her TWO-FOR-ONE offer for Murder on the Mountain. http://tinyurl.com/6q3hhym #TMPress

Freshly Dead - FREE today at Amazon!

So, everyone likes free,  huh?

Okay, so today is your chance to get one of my books for free! Have Kindle? Or Kindle app? Then you have no excuse. 

FRESHLY DEAD, book one in my Southern fiction, romantic comedy ghost story is now available for FREE on Amazon for today. If you haven't  picked up your free copy, you have until midnight Pacific Time to run and get it!

Check out this new book of mine, written in a slightly different voice than some of my other work. Still Maddie, still romance, just tossing in a ghost, a little mystery, and a lot of Southern sass. 

So hey, here's a sample okay?

Excerpt from Chapter Two of FRESHLY DEAD: 

“And there he was, standing there all smug and proper looking, freshly dead, with that pasty pale face, and trying to order me around. Men.”

Mitzi took a quick glance around the darkened bar and snatched up the shot glass of liquor the bartender just handed her. She licked the back of her hand, shook on some salt, lapped it clean away, then slammed back the hefty shot of tequila. Instantly, she bit into a slice of lime, shivered and gasped. Marla, her other sister, the one who liked sex and tequila (thank God she had one sister who was normal), stared at her.

“What?”

“Freshly dead?”

“Yeah, like in just murdered.”

“I think you need to lay off the tequila, sister.”

“I’m tellin’ ya….” Marla glanced at her watch. “That’s your third shot in…thirty minutes.”

“I’m fine, Marla.”

“Well, just watch it.”

She reached up and grasped her sister’s shirt collar to pull her face closer. “Mar, I just saw a real live freakin’ ghost of an estranged hubby today. Don’t hassle me about the shooters.” She let go, and Marla sank back into her bar stool. “And he tried to kiss me.”

“Ewe!” Marla shook, her face twisted into an oh-that’s-so-gross look. “Crap, Mitzi. That is so wrong.”

“Tell me about it.” She waved toward the bartender. His back was turned. Dammit.

Friday Feature -- Another great book for you!

Hi all. Happy Friday!

It's time again to share one of my favorite books with you. Jan Scarbrough's, Secrets, is a great story about finding love again, reuniting, and coming clean with the past. It's emotional and a very satisfying read. Check it out!


Secrets
by Jan Scarbrough
Formerly Titled A Father at Last (Same book, new cover and title!)

A 2011 CAPA Nominee from The Romance Studio


With her daughter all grown up and married, single mom Kelly Baron can start her new life in North Carolina, responsible only for herself. But first she must help her mother by returning to the small Indiana town she fled years ago. Newly divorced lawyer, Rob Scott, seeks solace in his small-town roots. The last thing he’s looking for is a relationship—until he runs into Kelly, and the secret she’s been keeping from him for twenty-one years.

Reviews


“Ms. Scarbrough has a way of involving sensuality without going in-depth so that younger readers cannot enjoy the book.” ~The Romance Studio

“I thoroughly enjoyed this story and felt that I was watching it unfold in front of me as if I was another character in the story.” ~NOR Reviews


“With a story that rings so true, the reader will feel like they had heard it at the local beauty parlor. The craft of this author keeps this story novel.” ~The Romance Reviews


Release: January 3, 2011
Category: Romance, Contemporary, Category Length
Heat Level: Sweet
Length: 136 pages
Price:  $0.99 digital; $8.99 print

Author Bio: Jan Scarbrough dreamed of being a writer since she reported on freelance writing for a career project in the ninth grade. After majoring in English at Western Kentucky University, she taught high school English. Since 1982 she has made her living as a writer—a technical writer—but didn't have the nerve to make her novel-writing dream come true until after a life-threatening illness in 1988. Jan is member of Romance Writers of America, has been active in her local Kentucky RWA chapter, and is a member of Novelist, Inc. She has over twenty novels in print.