Cover Reveal! #RomanticSuspense #LoveUnderFire #99c Pre-Order #books

Who doesn’t love a cover reveal?  It’s so exciting to see the “face” of a book you’ve been working on, or in this case, the box set you’re contributing to.  That’s right, I am part of a fabulous Romantic Suspense Box Set, 21 tales of thrilling romantic suspense, mystery, and danger—all NEW stories from USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Bestselling Authors!  The best part?  We’re donating a large portion of our proceeds to Pets for Vets, a charity that pairs rescued animals with military vets in need of companion animals.  I am so, so happy about this.  As a huge fan of rescuing animals, and a daughter/granddaughter/wife of military veterans, this is so important to me.

Two of my three rescues -
Otis and Jinx

To get the ball rolling and maximize visibility, we’re offering the entire set for 99 cents—yes, 99 pennies for 21 books—if you Pre-order NOW.  That means you can order the set today, and have it hit your e-reader on release day, November 13, automatically—a fun surprise just in time for holiday travels and a little escapism when the chaos of the season gets too stressful, or a snowstorm gives you some time to unwind.  While it’s true that just a few 99 cent purchases might not make up a considerable donation, we’re going for thousands of downloads, with so many authors participating and a deal too good to pass up.  We hope you’ll help us meet our goal, and enjoy the stories and perhaps find some new authors to love!

Okay, without further ado…here it is, the box set cover of LOVE UNDER FIRE! 

What do you think?  I love it!  And I also adore my personal cover for the story I’m contributing, The Haunting of Hillwood Farm.  Stay tuned for that cover reveal, and the cover reveals of each of the stories in the next few months!  Here’s a rundown of the authors and titles:

Kathryn Knight - The Haunting of Hillwood Farm

Stephanie Queen - Ace Under Fire

Casi McLean - Reign Of Fire

Valerie J. Clarizio – The Code Enforcer

Chris Patchell - Deception Bay

Aaron Paul Lazar - The Asylum: a Carmen Garcia romantic suspense novel

Alyssa Richards - Chasing Secrets

K.M. Hodge - Summer of ‘78

Pamela Fagan Hutchins - Buckle Bunny

Judith Lucci – RUN for your life

Stephany Tullis – Blue Lady’s MISSION UNDER FIRE

Fiona Quinn – Cold Red

Anna Celeste Burke – Lily’s Homecoming Under Fire

Margaret A. Daly- Monsters in my Closet

Linda Watkins - The Witches of Storm Island, Book I: The Turning

Tamara Ferguson - Two Hearts Under Fire

Suzanne Jenkins - Running with Horses

Inge-Lise Goss – Diamonds and Lies

S.R. Mallery – Tender Enemies

Jinx Schwartz - Baja Get Away

Uvi Poznansky - Virtually Lace

Pre-order links are now up for Love Under Fire, including for Kindle!  If you have a Kindle or a Nook, iTunes, or Kobo account, help us—and Pets for Vets--out and get your copy today!  Thanks and please share the news to all your reader friends!

Love Under Fire on iTunes/iBooks

Love Under Fire on Nook/Barnes & Noble

Love Under Fire on Kobo

Love Under Fire on Kindle/Amazon

Thank you and Happy Reading!

Final #Sale Days! Second-chance #Romance + #Ghost #Mystery ~ A #1 Bestseller! #SaturdayMorning

A few more days to grab Gull Harbor for just 99 pennies!  That's a huge discount of the regular price of $4.99, so if you need a new read, grab this steamy, second-chance romance mixed with a haunting mystery while it's on sale!  It's a #1 Bestseller on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble, with something for everyone: romance, suspense, secrets, mystery, danger, a beach-side Cape Cod setting, a psychic, and a ghost.

So treat yourself to a new read for less than a buck on Kindle or Nook, put your feet up, and get caught up in Claire and Max's story.  And if you need to see more of them after you've finished, they do make an appearance in Haunted Souls as well!  Happy Reading!

My favorite way to spend an evening!

Gull Harbor is a #1 Bestseller on #Amazon + #BarnesandNoble! #Ghosts #Romance #99c #sale #amwriting

Seeing the orange banner under
your book never gets old!

My birthday came early this year!  This weekend, my novel, Gull Harbor, hit #1 Bestseller status on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble sites at the same times, in multiple categories!  On Saturday night, this second-chance romance/ghost mystery was within the Top 100 Bestsellers list overall on both sites, hitting an overall ranking of 92 on Amazon and landing in the top 10 overall on B&N's list of Bestselling Nook Books.  What a thrill!  It definitely gave me a warm, fuzzy glow on a bitterly cold weekend that made just going outside a brutal prospect.

Gull Harbor hit #1 in both Paranormal Romance and
Paranormal Contemporary Romance at Barnes & Noble,
coming in at #10 Bestseller in all Nook Books that day

#1 in three categories! Happy dancing!

This book has long been my most popular, and has earned a #1 Kindle Bestseller banner on several occasions, almost every time it goes on sale.  This time, the sale was picked up by BookBub, which is a very discerning site and newsletter promoting deals on books they select.  I was so excited when they chose to advertise my sale to their subscribers, but I wasn't expecting such phenomenal sales!

My biggest hope, though, is that the readers who purchased my book enjoy it.  That's really what it's all about, and that's the sole reason I decided to pursue a writing career...there are few things I enjoy more than getting lost in a page-turning read.  Every year, I post my favorite reads of the year here, and I'm currently working on my 2017 list.  Reading is my absolute favorite form of relaxation and entertainment, and my goal is to provide that for my fellow readers with the stories that come to life in my very active imagination.  Since I love both the roller coaster of emotions that come with romance as well as the chills and thrills of spooky suspense, I try to combine those two elements into hard-to-put-down reads.  

A dangerous ghost & an ex-boyfriend await
psychic Claire Linden in Cape Cod's Gull Harbor

If you'd like to pick up a copy of Gull Harbor while it's still less than a buck, the links are below.  A huge thanks to the readers who sent the book to #1...you made my weekend!  Enjoy visiting the shores of Cape Cod for some steamy romance with a haunting mystery :)

Gull Harbor on Kindle

Gull Harbor on Nook

Gull Harbor on iTunes

Send an e #Book for #Christmas! #LastMinuteGifts #Ghosts #Romance

Christmas is fast approaching!  It can be so overwhelming getting ready for the holidays...traveling or hosting relatives, finding and wrapping gifts, buying and preparing food...all added to the usual hectic pace of life.  If you've forgotten someone, run out of time, or just want to send something special to someone, why not consider an ebook?  It's easy, thoughtful, and instantaneous!  All you need is the recipient's email address to send an immediate gift.  Many ebooks cost less than the price of a card, and provide hours of enjoyment...not to mention relaxation, as reading is a proven stress-reliever.  Most of my novels combine a romantic plot-line with a haunting mystery, with first chapters designed to grab the reader and not let go.  You can even sample first chapters on Amazon for free to make sure you're going to be "hooked"!    

A FB message I received from a local celebrity,
after she bought my novel at a book signing!

So...it's not too late, even if it's Christmas morning!  Even if someone slipped your mind, it's easy to say, "I picked out a few reads to send you, I just need your email address."  Done!  And don't forget to send one to yourself, for that amazing moment when everything settles down and you finally get to relax.  Then pour your favorite beverage, put your feet up, and experience the emotional roller coaster of falling in love, along with the spine-tingling suspense of a haunting mystery.

What happened to Brandy?
Five years later, a group of estranged friends reunites for
one last attempt to unravel the truth...

Both SILVER LAKE and GULL HARBOR combine the elements of a second-chance romance between first loves, a spooky ghost story, and a sultry summertime setting...a page-turning combination sure to please.  Both these books have been #1 Kindle Bestsellers on multiple occasions and have been Reader's Crown Finalists at the prestigious RomCon convention.

Like GULL HARBOR, my latest release, HAUNTED SOULS, is set on beautiful Cape Cod, and the haunting mystery in this steamy romance was inspired by the oldest wooden jailhouse in the country, which still stands along Rt. 6A in Barnstable Village.  Built in 1690, it's reputedly haunted.

Sending an ebook as a gift is easy on Amazon--you just click the books link (see the bolded titles above), go over to the silver "give as a gift" box on the right side of the page, and fill in your recipient's email address.  Then you can include a personal "Merry Christmas" note if you wish, and you're done!

Barnes and Nobel also has a similar "Buy as a Gift" option (to the right of the orange "Buy Now" button) if you need a Nook format!  Each book tab at the top of my blog has links for the different retailers under the book title.  (Silver Lake was acquired by Amazon's Encore imprint and is exclusive to Kindle now...all other titles available from B&N though!)

So treat the readers on your list--and yourself--to a love story this holiday season, and lose yourself in the passion, mystery, and suspense.  Happy Holidays!

A book, wine, and a cozy bed...These are a few of my favorite things!

Busy #amwriting Summer - #Book Signings, #BFest, #NewRelease Promo, + A Shanty

Me, Katie O'Sullivan, and K.R. Conway in our Shanty!

I don’t think I can remember a time in the recent past when my life wasn’t fairly busy, but this spring and summer have been an absolute whirlwind of activities, many revolving around my new release – HAUNTED SOULS.  Any writers reading this can understand how difficult it can be to launch a new novel in the current publishing market…so to gain visibility for my new title, I tried to explore every promotional opportunity I could think of—some very much “outside the box”—and take part in every event I could fit into my schedule.  So this week’s post serves as a recap, while also hopefully serving as inspiration for others in terms of creative marketing ideas.

After brainstorming with some other local authors, three of us decided to apply to rent one of the Artist Shanties along Hyannis Harbor for a weekend in the spring.  These adorable little shanties are made available for artists, writers, photographers, and crafters to use as a little storefront for a few days.  The rent was incredibly low for such great exposure—the difficult part is making sure your shanty is open and attended each day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.  With three of us for just three days, this wasn’t too difficult…but when the rentals move to full weeks in the height of summer, I imagine a renter on their own might experience a bit of exhaustion by the end of their time!  Then again, everyone is so excited to share what they’ve created, chatting with visitors, shoppers, and other crafters provides its own energy.

We hung pages of our books from the ceiling and matted quotes on the walls.

The original post about our preparations can be found here, and I’ve included pictures of the final product—our decorated shanty, which came out great and attracted lots of readers and visitors to Cape Cod.  We had so much fun just sitting around and chatting all day as well, and as three authors, we often discussed writing amongst ourselves.  This led to more networking ideas, and one of my fellow authors who was participating in the Barnes and Noble B-Fest Weekend recommended me to a B&N looking for an author to run the Sunday Teen Writing Workshop event during the B-Fest book festival.

Teaching a teen workshop
at Barnes & Noble B-fest.

Since most of my novels are meant for an over-18 reader base, I don’t get a lot of opportunities to highlight my one Young Adult novel, DIVINE FALL.  It was great fun to teach some elements from my writing classes to teen writers, and many of them took home signed copies of my YA Paranormal Romance.

On June 1^st, my fourth novel HAUNTED SOULS came out, and I did a lot of the usual online promotion.  I had a fantastic Release Party on Facebook with many author friends posting as guest hosts.  Social media promotion led to another fantastic opportunity—the manager of a local bank offered to display and sell all my novels in their lobby for a week, plus host me for a signing on Friday, as part of their emphasis on community and reading over the summer.  It was another out-of-the-box promo event that worked really well, and I received a message from a teen who purchased DIVINE FALL that made my week…it included the sentence “It was one of the best books I’ve ever read”!

My books on display at a local bank!

I spoke about the
haunting and historical
inspiration for my new book
at the library event.

I spoke at a local library as well in June, as their Author of the Month, and the Assistant Librarian who introduced me told the group she’d read my first three books and had literally not been able to put them down, which was thrilling—reading is my favorite pastime, and if I can give others exciting stories to get lost in, I’ve done my job as an author.  That is the reason I write: to create engaging reads that offer entertainment and escape from life’s hectic pace.

Speaking of hectic paces, I’m gearing up for my August schedule of events, which include an interview with the local paper, a signing at our local bookstore, speaking at the Cape Cod Writer’s Conference, and signing books at the Cape Cod Museum of Art for the Art, Wine, and Words Fundraiser to benefit a children’s charity.  

Of course, all the promotion I do does cut into writing time, but for me, connecting with readers and the community is just as important.  Hopefully, readers visiting my blog today will consider reaching out to authors when they love a book—it means SO much to us!  And for fellow authors visiting, I hope I’ve sparked some ideas for promotion and networking--and with the exception of the very low Shanty rent (my part was $25)--all of these events cost nothing!  For more ideas, here's an older post I did on the same topic.  Happy reading and writing!

Teaching a #Free Writing Class at #BarnesAndNoble! #YA #BFestBuzz #Dartmouth #amwriting

It's been a whirlwind week for me with the release of my latest novel, HAUNTED SOULS, and now I'm gearing up to teach a FREE Creative Writing Class for teens tomorrow at the Barnes and Noble in Dartmouth, MA.  This is a great opportunity for young aspiring authors, and it's part of the Barnes and Noble BFest, a Teen Book Festival taking place at Barnes and Noble locations nationwide from June 10 - 12!  We start at 2:00 pm and will go for about an hour, discussing topics such as Goal, Motivation, and Conflict, inciting incidents, and log lines.  I'll be signing copies of my Young Adult Paranormal Romance DIVINE FALL as well, so you can grab a personalized new read for the summer filled with forbidden first love and supernatural secrets!  If you're in the Dartmouth area, I hope to see you there!  Here's the Facebook link for additional information: Barnes and Noble Dartmouth BFest

$100 #Giveway Halloween Blog Hop + Win a Ghost Story #Romance

Welcome to my stop on the Snarkology Halloween Blog Hop!  It's the season for all things spooky, and graveyards offer the perfect spot for all kinds of paranormal activity.  Picturing a visit to a cemetery on a crisp autumn night easily conjures up images of wispy shadows darting amongst the tombstones.  Those are the types of scenes I love to describe in my books, but then I have a bit of an obsession with ghosts.  I've done multiple posts on both my experience with ghosts and actual hauntings, so I thought this October, I'd delve a little deeper into graveyards, the final earthly destination for many restless spirits.

A graveyard refers to a burial ground within church property; this location within the church's yard indicates a burial area associated with a single place of worship, consecrated for use by a specific denomination.  The graveyards were initially for people who could not afford to be buried within or beneath the church.  Spots close to the church and to the east were reserved for those of higher status, while the north corner was the least favorable location.


Eventually, graveyards became overcrowded hotbeds for disease, as more and more bodies were packed into limited space.  Concern over infectious outbreaks near graveyards located in populated areas led to an alternative solution.  Cemeteries were created away from town centers, and these new burial places were not necessarily connected to a particular church.  While we often use the words "graveyard" and "cemetery" interchangeably now, "graveyard" is a much older term.

Catacombs of Paris - Wall of Skulls

In 18th century Paris, the overcrowding became such a problem that the Holy Innocents' Cemetery was closed and condemned.  Bodies buried there were exhumed and transported to the Catacombs beneath the city.  This turned the remains of old stone mines into a massive underground ossuary: a site, or thing, such as a box, which is made to hold skeletal remains.  The bones of approximately six million people were moved into the Catacombs during a two-year period, and as it was impossible to match the remains with identities, display walls were created by stacking femurs and skulls.

A Potter's Field refers to a mass graveyard for the poor or unknown dead.  The term "Potter's Field" actually comes from the Bible.  Before hanging himself, Judas cast away the silver he'd received for betraying Jesus.  The priests did not want the tainted money to go into the charity box, so they used it to buy land for the burial of strangers.  The field they purchased was considered land of poor quality--consisting of clay used by potters as opposed to rich soil useful in agriculture--hence the name.  Interestingly enough, Judas plays a part in many morbid superstitions--see my posts on The Number 13 and The Origin of Superstitions.    

A dangerous ghost & an
ex-boyfriend await Claire
Linden in Gull Harbor...

If you enjoy a suspenseful spooky story mixed with some steamy romance, leave a comment below to enter the giveaway for a FREE e-copy of my ghost story/romance GULL HARBOR.  This book was a 19-week Kindle bestseller, and it's a perfect Halloween read!  Please don't forget to leave an email or twitter handle where I can reach you should you win. Facebook and twitter follows/likes will gain extra entries into the GULL HARBOR giveaway - please note in your comment.

If you like $100 gift cards to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (ha ha, who doesn't?), here's the Blog Hop Rafflecopter! Extra entries to win $100 can be gained by the +1 options. Plus, there are two second prize winner who'll receive $15 cards.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


There are a whole bunch more stops on this blog hop, filled with fun Halloween/Fall posts...and more swag to win along the way.  Below are the links to guide you through the hop!  Happy haunted hopping :) P.S. The hop begins on 10/27 and ends with the drawing on 10/31 - enjoy the trick-or-treating!

It's Almost #MothersDay - Give a Great #Kindle Read!

I just realized this coming Sunday is Mother's Day!  What do I want?  Books, of course!  If you have a mom to buy for who likes to read (or kids who need ideas for you), an ebook is a simple idea to add to your list...and it costs less than most cards.  Many people don't realize how easy it is to send an ebook to someone.  All you need is their email address, and you're set with a gift that will give a mom hours of entertainment, not to mention an excuse to put up her feet and get lost in a suspenseful story.

Both my novels have something for everyone: a spooky haunting, a rekindled romance, a suspenseful mystery, secrets from the past, friendships, and forgiveness.  If you wanted to send Gull Harbor - a 19-week Kindle bestseller - for example, to a mom, sister, aunt, friend, etc., all you need to do is click this link: Gull Harbor on Amazon.  Then you go over to the right hand side, where within a larger light green box there's a yellow button that reads "Give as a Gift".  Click that button, and once you're signed in, the page will provide a box for you to enter the recipient's email address.  You may also choose the date she'll receive the book, and you have a larger box below to enter a message.  Click "Place Your Order" at the bottom of the page, and you're done!

If it turns out the recipient does not have a Kindle device, there are several solutions.  Amazon offers Free Kindle Reading Apps for almost any device - I used the one for Windows successfully until I got my first Kindle.  Also, Amazon will allow the recipient of the gifted book to "return" it for a gift card instead if they so choose.

Finally, if the recipient has a Nook ereader instead, you can easily use the similar Barnes & Noble "Buy as Gift" button option located directly to the right of the orange Buy Now button.

Hope this helps with some gift-giving ideas - Happy Reading and Happy Mother's Day!

My sister snapped this picture
of my niece holding my second novel