Last of the Unforgettable Boxed Sets Released: Unforgettable Guardians: Bodyguards and Defenders

Sadly, all good things come to an end, and this book box series is no exception. I have been fortunate enough to have many books in the Unforgettable Series and seeing the series end is rather sad, but like everything else the ABB has done, we’re going out with a bang!

Strong heroines meet bigger-than-life heroes in this can’t-put-down boxed set of suspenseful romance from award-winning authors.

When life’s storms strike, these guardians will fight – with talents tough as nails or supernatural – to shelter innocence and love.

You’ll meet private detectives from female to shapeshifting to supernatural, a hunky single dad who finds his inner strength to protect a pop star, a rescue helicopter pilot and his flight nurse fighting attraction as they save lives, a pro wrestler helping a diva in distress, and even a psychic rancher who takes a stunning rodeo worker hostage to save her. These award-winning authors have crafted a fantastic set of stories that are sure to keep you reading past bedtime. Get ready for a thrilling ride!

Mimi Barbour – Special Agent Isabella When forced to protect a child with her former teenage nemesis, an agent who fears little people faces her worst nightmare, but his faith in her hidden strengths makes their assignment far too interesting. New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Rachelle Ayala – Moonlit Hideaway: When a pop star hiding from a mob boss falls for a hunky single dad on a charming Outer Banks island, she must sacrifice everything to protect the loving refuge his family provides. USA Today Bestselling Author

Rebecca York – Annie’s Time: She had come to Florida on a secret mission, but she couldn’t remember what it was. ~ When a mysterious Annie Oakley drops into his murder case, Dakota realizes trust can be deadly, but the heat between them is worth the risk. When he finds out her secret mission, he realizes he must help her… or die trying. New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Taylor Lee – Challenged– When a DA’s victory paints a target on his back, protecting the sexy lead detective who survived an arson threatens to ignite their attraction while evading lethal enemies. USA Today Bestselling Author

Mona Risk – Rescue Plans: When a resilient nurse with a painful past joins a helicopter pilot running from his own demons, they must risk trusting each other to find healing in love’s shelter from life’s storms. USA Today Bestselling Author

Susanne Matthews – The Guardian: These detectives keep both the living and the undead safe. Secrets and old enemies resurface in New Orleans when a senator’s yacht vanishes along with prominent daughters, giving supernatural detectives 72 hours before hell breaks loose. International Bestselling Author

Susan Jean Ricci – Dazzle Me Hard: When a semi-retired pro wrestler recovering from a serious wound is roped into a charity match with a WWE Diva Champion, will the two competitors declare forfeit due to their red-hot attraction, or become the guardians they’ve always longed for? USA Today Bestselling Author

Patricia Rosemoor – Cowboy Protector: A psychic rancher risks all to save rodeo worker Annabeth from grave danger, taking her hostage to protect her, making her long for family and lifetime love. New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Enjoy EIGHT brisk and saucy romantic suspense stories brought to you by The Authors’ Billboard!

Get your ebook today or download it to read on your Kindle in Kindle Unlimited!

Tuesday Tales: From the Word SONG

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales where a smallgroup of authors share their work in progress with you. This week our 400 word scenes are based on the word SONG. I’m continuing with my Contemporary Paranormal Romance, Listen to the Stones. Enjoy.

“I’m … I’m so sorry.” She licked her dry lips. It was astonishing how much they had in common. When Fate decided to bring people together, she certainly pulled out all the stops.

Unlike the previous haunting Scottish melodies she’d heard earlier, a Celtic instrumental with lots of drums and pipes filled the car.

“Whose music is that?”

“That’s Face the West’s newest song. They’re a Celtic band based right here on Lewis and Harris. They’ve gotten quite popular in all of Scotland.”

Marina chuckled. “I can understand that. They certainly wake you up, don’t they?”

“Scotland has always had a large number of musical groups and singers. People tend to think we only listen to the pipes, which we surely do, but AC/DC, The Jesus and Mary Chain, the Eurythmics, The Bay City Rollers, and Susan Boyle are all from this fair country.” He pulled off the road and down an unpaved laneway. “Welcome home, Lady Fraser.”

Marina swallowed. By now, it was as dark as it would’ve been back home at midnight. The lightning and thunder had stopped, but rain pelted the car more viciously than ever. Here and there, in the distance, she could make out the glow of outside lights, but there were no street lamps to light the way.

James stopped beside a large dark structure.

“This is Fraser Hall?” She gulped. “It doesn’t look too inviting.”

James laughed. “Well, what would after being closed up for months? Fiona said all of the repairs were complete, and the place was ready for you. The food you ordered was delivered yesterday, and Brian and Maeve put it all away for you. Let me unlock the door and turn on a few lamps for you.”

Nodding, Marina undid her seatbelt but stayed where she was.

Within minutes, James was back, but the building was as dark as ever.

“The power seems to be out, but there are plenty of candles inside, and I’ll look for torches and then start the generator for you.”

“What do you mean the power’s out? You told me that rarely happened here,” she accused, reminded of the Fraser clan chief’s warning in Inverness.

He might not be interested in Fraser Hall, but others were. Could someone have sabotaged the electrical lines to try and scare her away? Well, it wouldn’t work. This was her home, and she intended to keep it.

That’s it. Come back next week for more. Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Tuesday Tales: From the Word LIGHTS

Welcome to this first post for Tuesday Tales in 2024. I still have no idea where 2023 went, but I’m hoping that 2024 will bring good things for everyone–health, happiness, peace, and prosperity.

This week, the talented authors from Tuesday Tales are writing to the word prompt LIGHTS. I’m continuing with Listen to the Stones. I’m a few words over this week. Sorry, but I needed to finish the scene.

Marina sighed, glancing at James whose attention was on the road. A fork of lightning split the sky, momentarily showing the vast, flat fields on each side of the road. Another clap of thunder shook the vehicle. The rain continued unrelenting in its fury. Now that they’d left the city, the only lights she could see were those shining outside and inside the houses that they passed along the way. There was little traffic either going or coming from Stornoway. At times, without the light illuminating the road ahead of them, it would be as dark as it had been inside those caves so long ago. She shivered.

“Is it always like this? I heard that it rained a lot, but no one mentioned storms.”

James reached out a hand to touch hers.

“Not afraid of a little thunder and lightning are you? They can’t hurt you any more than the rain rocking the vehicle can. While we do have storms, one of this magnitude at this time of year is unnatural, but Mother Nature’s been through a great deal these past few decades. You’ll be fine and cozy once we get to the Hall. If you like, I can stay with you a bit and help you settle in, but MacIsaac’s croft is the one closest to the Hall and Brian, your handyman has an partment just above the garage.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine. Does the power go off in these storms? Do I have a generator?”

“I’ve never known the power to go out, but you’ve several fireplaces. I can make sure they’re all ready to go before I leave.”

“Thank you. Tell me about yourself.”

Hadn’t Nana maintained that there was someone out there for her? That she just had to open her heart and be ready to let love in? Here she was, sitting next to a gorgeous man with a sexy-as-hell accent who liked to cook. What could be better than that?

“I’ve been on my own for almost ten years. That’s when I discovered it was either learn to cook or starve. I spent a lot of time with my Aunt Mary. She was my mother’s sister, and when my parents died, she made a point of staying in touch.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss. I know what it’s like to lose a parent. I may not have known my father or my great-uncle, but my mother, grandmother, and I were very close. Do you still spend time with your aunt?”

He shook his head. “Aunt Mary died during the pandemic, but she left me her home and her cat, so I’m not all alone.”

That’s it. Come back next week for more. Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Goodbye 2023, Hello 2024

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I wished you all a happy 2023. It may seem to defy the laws of physics, but time does seem to go by more quickly as we age. The reality is that many of us have simply slowed down. We can deny it all we want, but our bodies come with an expiry date. For me, it’s the joints that are the biggest problem, for others it’s the heart, the lungs, or the mind.

But I’m not down and out yet. I have plans for 2024 starting with finishing some editing for a very special friend and taking a vacation down south for some fun in the sun. When I come back, I will set up my work calendar. I intend to publish books in 2024. Not as many as in 2023, or 2022, but a manageable number given that I work slower now than I did and have a number of responsibilities that cannot be overlooked. So, as Jack says, I’ll still do things–some dumb, some not so dumb–but I’ll do them slower.

And since it’s the cusp of the New Year, let’s talk about goals and resolutions.

Every year, some of us set our goals for the coming year. To be honest, I don’t have a good track record here, but I may as well try one more time–the difference is that I want to be practical this year.

First goal, I want to focus more on my health. I’m tired of being sore and tired all the time. So my first goal will be to see the doctor for a check-up. Part of this goal will be to lose some weight. According to the experts, the best way to do this is by being accountable to someone other than yourself. So, once a month, I will post my current weight and distance to my goal. I’ll start now at 166 lbs. Goal weight? 150 lbs–I’ll still be overweight for my height, but as I said, I intend to be realistic. I hope to increase the number of steps I take each day. With bad knees and hips, that won’t be many, but I hope to stand more and maybe throw in some chair exercises. We’ll see.

The second goal will be to complete 6 books by the end of 2024, three of which have been started but have languished on my desktop as I committeed to completing other work instead. I will set a six-hour workday for writing, which I hope will allow me time to do some of the other things I’ve put off for too long, like reading for pleasure and promoting my work. To that end, I will continue with my weekly Tuesday Tales and try to blog about something interesting once a week.

The third goal/ resolution is not to overextend myself and to truly think before I commit to anything else be it in my personal life or my writing life. I find it very hard to say no and I have to remember that saying no can be a positive thing. There’s only so much of me to go around.

My fourth goal is to get out more. Yes, I like to travel, but in all honesty, I am not a social bunny. I tend to stay home more than I should. So, in 2024, I will try to get out for something other than visits to the nursing home and grocery shopping at least once a month. Maybe hubby and I can plan weekend trips or date nights. We’ll see.

And my final goal will be to let things go that I can’t change instead of dwelling on them. I can donate to charity, but I can’t end poverty. I can pray for peace, but I can’t end war. I can wish I was younger, but I can’t turn back time. Dwelling on all the things that happen that I can’t change simply wastes precious energy and makes it harder to get the sleep I need. I have to let it go!

That’s it. In keeping with these goals, I’m starting the New Year off with dinner with friends and family. I will stay up past midninght, reaffirm my goals in the morning and start January 1st on a positive note.

Wishing you all a great 2024. Do you make goals and resolutions? How good are you at keeping them? My track record has been abysmal. Hopely, in 2024, I’ll do better.

Tuesday Tales: From the word END

Welcome to the last Tuesday Tales post of 2023. It’s been an eventful year. Wishing you all the best in 2024. This week, fittingly enough, our word prompt is END. I still have several weeks’ worth of work on Listen to the Stones yet to complete. I hope you’re enjoying the story as much as I am researching and writing it. 

Marina chewed her lip. Was James just being friendly or had he asked her out on a date? Did it matter? The man was drop-dead gorgeous, and she wouldn’t mind getting to know him better. It wasn’t as if she had a lot of friends in the area, and since Lews Castle could well be serious competition for Fraser Hall, didn’t it make sense to check it out as soon as she could?

“I’d like that. I know what clotted cream is, but I’ve never had it. It’s not quite like whipped cream or even crème fraîche although they’re all made with heavy cream.”

Seriously? This is what I want to discuss with the hunky man who rescued me?

James nodded. “Aye, but your North American dessert cream is whipped into airy peaks, while our clotted cream is heated until clots form into an almost crunchy layer, while crème fraîche is cultivated with bacteria, in a similar way to yogurt. I used to watch my mother make it back in the day. With its ultra-thick consistency, clotted cream can even be mistaken for butter without the yellow dye in it. People do interchange crème fraîche and clotted cream, but the former is best used in soups, sauces, and similar French dishes, while the latter is a topping. Am I boring you, my lady? I tend to get carried away talking about food preparation.”

“Marina, please. No, of course not. I’m impressed.” She smiled once more. “I’ve spent most of my adult life working as a chef, even though I don’t have the paperwork to prove it, so I love learning all about new foods. Once I decided to accept my inheritance, I spent some time looking up traditional Scottish dishes. Since Fraser Hall is a bed and breakfast, I’ll be expected to serve that meal, but in time, I might like to add tea and possibly even supper to my services. As for our discussion, it’s been my experience that most men, chefs aside, would rather eat the food than discuss its preparation or the cleaning up required afterward. Do you have an interest in cooking and baking?”

Thank you, Fate. After years of making my life miserable, you really are coming through for me. This could well be a match made in heaven. Bob had never been interested in what happened in the kitchen. Most of the time, he’d scarfed down his food so quickly that by the end of the meal, she’d wondered if he’d even realized what he’d eaten.

That’s it. Come back next week for more. Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Tuesday Tales: From the Word CREAM

Welcome to the week’s Tuesday Tales. We’re less than a week away from Christmas. The tree is decorated, the gifts are wrapped and most of the food is ready to be cooked. Wishing everyone a festive holiday. This week, I’m continuing with Listen to the Stones. Marina is back at the airport with Wee James. Our word prompt is CREAM. Enjoy.

“I’ll show you a wee bit of Stornoway as we drive through. It’s only nine minutes away.”

“Then why did it take so long for you to come and get me?”

He hesitated a moment before answering. “I … I wasn’t in the office. As Ewen’s associate, I deal with … clients when he’s away.”

Why did she get the sense that he wasn’t being completely honest?

“But I’m here now.” He put the vehicle in gear and pulled away from the curb.

Marina straightened against the seat. Where he’d been and what he’d been doing were none of her business. What lawyers did with clients was confidential. She should’ve recalled that.

James expertly navigated the vehicle first along the highway from the airport then through the streets of Stornoway.

“That’s Lews Castle.” He indicated the building as they drove passed it. “It was built in the gothic revival style by Sir James Matheson in the mid-nineteenth century. At one time or another, it housed nobility, WWII convalescing soldiers, college students, and even school children, but it’s now essentially a series of self-catering apartments with a terrific view of the harbor.”

She angled herself in the seat to get a better view. “It’s huge, and from what I can see it looks as though all the trees on the island surround it.”

James laughed. “Not quite but you’re close. Sir James and his wife created this forest. It’s got a lot of unusual trees, but many that are native to Northern Scotland. You have lodge pole trees imported from Western North America near Fraser Hall.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Really? Why from there?”

“The trees are hardy and fast-growing, which is a plus.”

Nodding, she turned back to James. “Tell me more about the castle.”

“There’s not much to tell, but the upper floors have been divided into several contemporary apartments and suites, each one unique and luxurious. The fanciest ones incorporate the towers and turrets. On the main floor, people can enjoy some of the island’s cuisine in the Storehouse Café. At this time of the year, it’s only open Thursday through Sunday from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon—essentially for lunch.”

She grinned. “I’ll have to make a point of checking it out.”

“I’d be happy to take you there for lunch on Sunday,” he offered. “They have the very best scones, served with clotted cream and jam.”

That’s it. Come back next week for more. Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Happy Book Birthday. It’s time for Noelle’s Gambit!

When Noelle Canton discovers that her uncle’s sale of the inn will ruin Christmas not just for her but for the town, she is determined not to let it happen. All she needs to do is delay the demolition by a month and convince the corporate troubleshooter to see things her way. Will her plan work or will Scrooge and his greedy band of followers carry the day?

The Hollygrove Inn on the outskirts of Oakville, Vermont, has always been Noelle’s home, but lately, things haven’t gone well. When Clarington Resorts makes her uncle a generous offer, he accepts, but the offer requires them to move out of the inn before Christmas, canceling the annual Christmas Extravaganza, something he failed to mention to Noelle.
Determined not to let that happen, Noelle comes up with a plan she hopes will delay the demolition and shows up at a town council meeting with a significant number of supporters. With goodwill essential to the company’s success in the area, they offer to send someone to discuss the matter and try to come to an arrangement.
It’s up to Noelle to convince the company’s man to let them have this one last Christmas Extravaganza at the inn. But things are not what they seem. There’s something familiar about Jim Hatcher. When she discovers the truth about him, will she forgive him, especially when it looks as if her gambit has failed?

We’ve all seen at least one Hallmark Christmas movie where the ski lodge everyone loves is about to close for one reason or another. In many ways, those movies influeneced my decision to write Noelle’s Gambit, but so did climate change, and it’s never been more eveident that this year.

I live in Eastern Ontario. When I was younger, we almost always had snow for Christmas–hell, we often had it for Halloween. Thanks to a massive system, we had snow for Christmas last year, but it was gone within days. This year, we’re definitely having a green/black Christmas. It’s hard to call it a green Christmas when every single plant other than the evergreens is dormant. We’re mere days from the Winter Solstice, it’s cloudy, and we’re expecting significant rain–an inch and a half–with the possibility of a thunderstorm today. We’re also experiencing unseasonable temperatures, 46 F today and looking at 39 F for Christmas Day, not a good time to be trying to hang on to an old-fashioned ski resort. New resorts are equipped with snowmaking machines that supplement whatever Mother Nature does or doesn’t send.

Noelle undesrstands that her uncle is caught between a rock and a hard place, but he promised her one last Thanksgiving, one last Christmas, and to her mind, one last Christmas Extravaganza at the inn before he sells. When she dicovers that’s not going to happen, she makes up her mind to find a way to stop it–at least temporarily. That’s Noelle’s Gambit, one last roll of the dice to preserve the memories of the place she loved and her beloved aunt.

And, of course, since it’s a Cocktails for You book, it contains a new winter drink for you to try. A Noelle’s Gambit is a variation on Hot Buttered Rum. It includes spiced rum, Kahlua, Grand Marnier, and hot orange juice to make a drink that will warm you on those cold winter nights.

Noelle’s Gambit is available in both e-book and paperback format from any Amazon distibutor.

Enjoy. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season this year. If you like snow, I hope you get some. If tou don’;t, well, you just might get your wish, too.

Tuesday Tales: From the Word MEET

As the song says, the heat is on. Welcome to this week’s episode of Tuesday Tales. I’m continuing with Listen to the Stones. In this week’s post, I’m going to backtrack to an earlier point in the story when Marina was visiting the Edinburgh vaults. Remember those two hours she thinks she lost? She didn’t lose them, but it isn’t time for her to recall them just yet.

Mab pulled her along the cobblestone hallway, deeper and deeper into the warren of passageways and vaults. The air grew colder and damper, the scent of mildew stronger. She shivered.

The woman stopped so abruptly, that Marina almost knocked her over.

“Here we are,” Mab held her hand as she spoke into the darkness. “I’ve brought her to you as requested.” She turned to her. “It was a pleasure to meet you, my lady. No doubt we’ll meet again someday. I’ll leave you now.”

“Leave me?” Marina screeched. “Here? Alone?”

She would never be able to find her way back on her own.

The small woman smiled, “You aren’t alone. It’ll be fine. Raven knows what to do.”

Had she fallen for a scam? Would someone come and rob her or worse? Kill her and leave her body down here to rot or feed the rats? Was it possible that whoever wanted Fraser Hall had arranged for her to disappear here, paving the way for him to acquire the land?

Before she could say anything, Mab released her hand, turned, and walked away, leaving Marina alone in the room devoid of light.

“Don’t go,” she cried, but within seconds, all traces of the light the woman carried vanished.

“You’re never alone, Marina Fraser.”

She jumped at her name. “Who said that?”

“I did. I am Raven, the master’s servant.”

A red candle flickered on, the only light in the darkness, but Marina couldn’t see anyone or anything else.

“Show yourself and tell me what you want,” she demanded, her voice trembling.

If that candle went out, she was going to scream bloody murder. Would anyone hear her if she did? She was in the bowels of some kind of catacombs.

“I’m going to die, aren’t I?”

The voice laughed. “We all die, my lady, some sooner than others.”

That wasn’t very comforting.

“Don’t be afraid, my lady. I’m simply going to tell you a story—your story. You used to enjoy sitting with your grandmother as she read to you from a book of imaginative folktales. But not all of the tales are fanciful myths and legends. Many are steeped in truth, and it’s those fables that teach us powerful lessons, teachings we would be wise not to forget, or repeat.”

“My story? How can you know my story? We’ve never met,” Marina argued, growing bolder. No matter what was going to happen, she wouldn’t give up without a fight.

That’s it. Come back next week for more. Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

December 2023 Post for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Monthly Blog

Welcome to December’s IWSG bog post. Like many of you, I’m up to my eyeballs in preparations for Christmas. Whether you celebrate the holiday as a religious or secular one makes little difference. What’s important is that you try to bring a little light into this the darkest time of the year.

December 6 question: Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book review do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?

Reading is a personal experience, and everyone approaches it differently. While it’s possible that one person loves a book, it’s equally possible that someone else hates it. When I read a book for pleasure, I try to shove my internal editor on the back burner. I’ll admit that sometimes doing that is harder than at others. If the book has too many errors, it’ll pull me out of the story and spoil my enjoyment of it.

That being said, I try to post something positive about the book, not just for the reader to take away, but to encourage the writer. We authors don’t have thick skins, at least I don’t. When I read my reviews, I look for constructive criticism. Let’s face it. No matter how many times you go over a manuscript, there will always be that one typo you miss.

Early on in my career, I wrote a book that was editied to death. Four rounds of painstaking edits, and yet when the publisher put it out there, they used the original unedited copy because the editor had a breakdown and never submitted the properly eited version. Once the book was out there, there wasn’t much that could be done to fix it, although I did beg them to do so. In the end, all I could do was grin and bear it.

I’ll admit some reviewers were able to look at the story beneath the errors, but others were incredibly unkind. As a result, I almost gave up on writing, but instead, I now am supercareful about editing, and since I self-publish, I can be sure the right version gets out there.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Now, go and check out what others have to say on this topic.

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html