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Author Interview with June Kramin – Review & Excerpt from I Got Your Back, Hailey

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As seen in the June issue of Uncaged Book Reviews.

Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your different series you have going?

I Got Your Back, Hailey is a fun series for me to write. When I first started, I wasn’t even sure where I was going. I love a fast-paced suspense with romantic element. Hailey and Parker sure made that happen for me. E-mails came in with readers wanting to know more on all the other characters as well. I’m happy to let them all share the spotlight, but Hailey is still in charge! As soon as #4 was done, I dove into #5.

This series was a great way to bring back my characters from my Hunter’s Find books. Those are strong suspense, MOB, FBI with the added element of Hunt and Mandy falling for each other throughout the chaos. I didn’t know what to do with them when that publisher closed. They blend so nicely with this crew, they are here to stay!

Other than this series, I have a 3 book time travel romance with a twist of sci-fi in book 3, a 2-part romance with a young, rich gal falling for an older, more down to earth plumber, and a few single titles with sassy, potty mouth gals, and the guys who love them. My newest is a college age/new adult romance.

Uncaged: Do you write full-time or part-time?

I have a full time home business so I write part-time, but I can usually get something in every day. I don’t usually have to set a goal. I write when they yell at me and quit when they’re done. 😉

Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about?

I’ve been pretty good about cleaning up “the trunk” over the years. I’ve really been wanting to put all my energy into adding to this series. Other than the next in this series on the fire, I do have a series of two books I wrote around 8 years ago. I love the stories with my entire being, they just keep getting tossed on the back burner. Quentin is my adorable Texas cowboy/trucker who picks up Jessica in a storm in MN. She’s a handful, like all my gals. As usual, I didn’t know there would be a sequel. I love the additions to their family and what their friends brought to the books. Add a bad guy and a hint of secrets to keep you turning the pages! I hope to get book one out in a few months.

Uncaged: You are an attending author at Wild Deadwood Reads this year. What are you looking forward to the most from this convention?

I wish I could spend more time there for all the great events they have planned. I only get an extra night in so I have to do all the mingling I can with who sticks around town. I love talking with other authors. This is my 2nd year there. Deadwood really is a fun place with such great history. It’s no surprise I based Hailey #5 there. Whoops…the secret is out and you heard it 1st.

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

I don’t usually go down that rabbit hole. Of course it’s great to hear when someone loves your work, but there is always going to be someone who says “it just wasn’t my thing” and that’s completely understandable. I appreciate everyone who takes the time out of their day to leave reviews. (And that’s not just a line! LOL!) It’s so hard to get people to do it. ESPECIALLY friends. And then there’s the chance they get pulled if Amazon thinks you know them…
Which is funny because I had around 30 5-stars for Hailey and a friend left me a 3. I’ll take honesty any day, though. I had one 3 star that raved and read like a 5 so…to each his own. 🙂 If we all liked the same thing, books would be boring! I get most of my real feedback from my amazing street team. I’m an odd duck that says “beat me up!” I’d rather hear it before it’s out “in the wild.”

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

The e-mails thanking me for the cry are the ones that blow me away the most. Only a writer, right? I get a lot of those for Come and Talk to Me. One gal even sent me a poster she made of her 12 favorite books with that one on it. I’m gushing at my company there.

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

I’d have to say, getting to live every day in someone else’s world is pretty amazing. I build them, but as I write, it’s like I’m watching a movie. Sometimes you feel bad for torturing your poor character, but it all works out. I do a lot of signings. I love talking with readers. I honestly don’t think there’s a bad side to this gig.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?

Wednesday is my non-writing day. That’s grandbaby day and my favorite day of the week. It’s everything they say it is!

I’m one of those hopeless “kid at heart” people. I’d hate to say Disney is a favorite place, but it’s true. If you saw my bedroom, you’d think it belonged to an 8 year old girl. I love my princess stuff. Of course going home to Maui is up there, too. It’s not the place, it’s the people. My family is still on the island. I love setting books there and letting people get a taste of what I had growing up.

Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?

I’m what you call a “pantser” when it comes to writing. I never outline or storyboard – the story unfolds as my characters see fit. I’ve never had “Writer’s block.” I guess because I’ve never had expectations of what needed to happen & had an issue getting from A-Z. My 1st published novel was Dustin Time. Surpise! It’s a time travel. I didn’t even know that when I started….or that there would be 3 in the series. That book took 3 weeks to write. I couldn’t slow it down if I wanted to. Nothing has been as fast, though. I’m usually a couple months on a first draft and let things stew for a bit before I hit it again…and again. Then again. Shampoo, rinse repeat before I send it off to my street team. I send it one at a time so I can get feedback and make changes if need be, then it has a couple editors. I only get two books out a year. I want lots of eyes and time for it to “think about what it’s done” before I deem it publishable.

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]Can I just give them all hugs? Seriously, there is nothing better than strangers giving you their valuable time and taking a chance on reading your work. I really appreciate sites like this to bring readers and writers together.

Wife, Mother, Writer, Lunatic. Not necessarily in that order. “There is a fine line between genius and crazy… I like to use that line as a jump rope!”

June, who prefers to go by Bug, was born in Philadelphia but moved to Maui, Hawaii when she was four. She met her “Prince Charming” on Kauai and is currently living “Happily Ever After” in a small town in Minnesota.

Her son and daughter are her greatest accomplishments. She takes pride in embarrassing them every chance she gets. Being hopelessly addicted to 80’s music is her super power.[/symple_box]

junekramin.com

I Got Your Back, Hailey
June Kramin
Romantic Suspense
FREE for a Limited Time

When Hailey stumbles upon a backpack full of money on her nightly jog, she is forced to flee the security of her secret identity.

Although the sudden appearance of a man that had been flirting with her earlier seems odd, Hailey accepts Parker’s help in getting the heavy bag home. Within moments of arriving, they escape under gunfire. The men it was intended for want it back, and Hailey has now made herself a target.

Safe in a motel room, the two of them discover the truth: although their meeting was an accident, Parker had been involved in the bag’s drop and she had been his assignment all along. Now, getting Hailey away safely is Parker’s new mission. Together they struggle to put together the pieces of Hailey’s past and discover that they have more in common than they thought.

Being on the run, keeping Hailey’s family safe, and searching for clues to put away the man that wants her dead are hard enough. Falling in love in the middle of it all was the last thing either one of them expected.

Excerpt

“Exactly what is the plan here?” I asked after another long sip of beer.
“I’m not exactly sure now. The money is definitely not going to do what it was supposed to, and you have no business being involved in all of this.”
“Pardon me, but that’s your fault.”
“Let’s not do this again, okay? Are you forgetting I chose you over the money?”
My eyes lowered. “No. I’m really not sure of the etiquette on how many times I’m supposed to thank you for that.”
“Let’s drop it. What’s done is done. I need to figure out what to do from here. How to get back on track and get you somewhere safe.”
I walked over to the small refrigerator for another beer. “Parker? Is there a chance I can make a phone call?”
“That depends. You going to try to signal for help?”
“No. I…I think I need to let my mom know I’m okay. She normally calls me on Saturdays for an update. I’m worried she’ll think something is wrong if I don’t call soon.”
“We’ll go get you your makeup or whatever you want, and I’ll get a new throwaway phone. You can call her from that. No giving away anything about our location.”
I was getting tired of all this cloak-and-dagger shit. It was wearing on my last nerve. “Who exactly is following you? What was the money for, Parker? Or Gavin. Whatever your name is! This is no longer funny! You think they’d tap my mother’s phone?” I rushed his chair and landed both hands hard on his chest. He grasped my wrists and held them tight as he stood.
“Whoa! Why would you think someone would want you back so bad as to post someone on your mother?”
I shook my arms, trying to get free. “Let me go.”
“You going to be civil?”
“Yes. Please let me go.”
Too nervous now to return to the chair, I stood and peered out of the crack in the curtain. “I need to know something and I need the truth.” I faced him, needing to look into his eyes. The eyes always give it away.
“Fire away.” He motioned that I should carry on with a wave of his hand.
“I think I tripped on this money by accident, but I need to know if I was set up.”
“You? Set up? Why do you think you were set up? How could I have possibly pulled that off?”
“Things just don’t add up. We flee under gunfire…you save me but don’t take the money…”
“Back up. What do you know that you think someone would pay a million bucks for?”
“More like kill me for it.”

Uncaged Review

I’m not a huge mystery/suspense reader for the most part, but I can honestly say, that if they were all as good as this book, this genre would become a new favorite. The author twists and turns a very intricate and twisted plot so well, that I would be thinking one way, only to have that idea shot down, and then think the same thing again a bit later. I’m not real sure how the author kept it all straight, and I can’t say enough about this cast of characters – even all the secondary. The banter between Parker and Donny was enough to win me over and have me laughing out loud, add in Hailey and her twin brother and even with the seriousness of the situations that they are in, the banter just gets better and better.

Mostly a dialog driven book, I never felt I was missing anything, like I do in a lot of these type of narratives. The romance is spot on and who wouldn’t want a best friend like Donny? Five stars doesn’t seem adequate. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

 

Uncaged Review – Upon Broken Wings by E.L. Reedy & A.M. Wade

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Upon Broken Wings
E.L. Reedy & A.M. Wade
Fantasy/Gay/YA

Bound by a dark act of hate and despair, high school freshmen, Andrew and Kiernan, learn that their untimely deaths did not bring an end to their pain, but only began the suffering of those left behind. While his lost memories return, Andrew must master seemingly impossible feats, both spiritual and physical. 

As a dark spirit stalks Kiernan through the borderlands of life and death, he must also face the pain his actions have caused his loved ones. To save both their souls, Andrew must convince Kiernan to return to life and open his eyes to the love and beauty which had always been there.

Uncaged Review: Love, hate, bullying, anger, sadness, hope, loss and everlasting happiness. This book is marketed as a LGBTQ Young Adult, and it is that, but it’s so much more. This is not a light read, it’s a book that will have you feeling the full gambit of emotions as you get through it. Don’t be frightened off the gay label on this, this isn’t about sex, it’s about love and acceptance.

The beginning trudges a bit slowly, and the losses that one boy must face seem insurmountable – and the deaths of both Andrew and Kiernan is not the end of their story – but just a step on a different path.

The book jumps a bit, so it loses it’s rhythm in places, but the emotions that the authors take you on are real, and a powerful message of acceptance and hope. After the roller coaster ride of emotions that I went through throughout the book, I felt a sense of peace at the end. Well done. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 1/2 Stars

Uncaged Review – Chaos Among the Vines by Gemma Brocato

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Chaos Among the Vines
Gemma Brocato
Contemporary Romance

Through a fortunate series of events, Will Bradford’s winery hits the map in a huge way, with demand far outpacing production. After months of chaos and unmanageable growth he decides to bring in a specialist to help him get organized. 

Queen of organization Avalon Reece is a closet chaotic. She’s rebelled against a childhood of wanderlust with a hippie mother by striving to maintain order in her life. Everything has a place and she means to see it there. For her, love is messy and she avoids it at all costs. Until she accept a consulting job with Will to put his life in order.

Will sees beyond the straight-laced, orderly woman to the free-spirit Avalon tries hard to hide. That’s the woman he wants, in spite of how it might impact his business.

Uncaged Review: This steamy romance was a fun read. It would be a good beach read for the summer. I’ll start off with my only complaint, and it is a personal one. The people in the seem to like the smug, conceited, silly smile or leer called a smirk. It seems to be a very popular word but is one which grates on my nerves. Once, maybe twice in a book is more than enough for me. Needless to say it was more than that in the book.
With that said, the smirks didn’t take away from the story. You have Avalon, a tightly wound efficiency expert. She is so connected that she has a smart watch, her iphone, ipad and lsptop. The first two are attached to her almost all the time.
Then there is Will, the owner of a vineyard called Rolling in the Clover. He is the exact opposite of Avalon (Ava).
The other characters are Guin-Ava’s mother, Drake-Will’s Accountant and friend, Penny-Drake’s sister and pursuer of Will, Jared-Will’s father whose vineyard failed, Meg- Jared’s old secretary and Will’s until he discovers she is embezzling from him, Beth-Ava’s best friend and masseuse.
The story opens with Guin showing up at Ava’s apartment. Ava know something is amiss and soon discovers her mother stole (Guin calls it borrowed) from her last employer when a man she calls Bad-Ass shows up demanding money, a lot of money to the tune of $240,000. Ava has just been assigned to work with Will to become better organized and more efficient. Ava sells a lot of her things and gives a down payment on her mother’s debt before applying for a loan to pay the rest. She ends up taking her mother with her for the job at Rolling in the Clover to protect her from being found by Bad-Ass, the man sent to collect the money from Guin.
Ava thought Will was attractive in his picture on his website, but in person he is so much more. She also discovers his business is a total mess even though he is successful. He has a large order to be filled but can’t seem to stay on task. It is while she is attempting to streamline the office that they discovers Meg’s perfidy. At that point, Will is trying to get Ava to let her hair down, literally and figuratively.
Meg did more than embezzle. She set him up so he wouldn’t be able to fulfill a big order, leading to failure. Guin discovers the depth of Meg’s sabotage of the business when she takes over the office when Will has Meg arrested. The rift between Will and his father, Jared widens when Jared wants Will to drop the charges against Meg until Will suggests he have Drake go through his past finances because Meg hinted at stealing from Jared, her former employer until Jared’s vineyard failed. Meanwhile, Penny is attempting to claim Will as hers, Beth is telling Ava to loosen up, and Ava and Will are finding an attraction between them they can’t deny.
The characters are dynamic and the storyline keeps you reading to discover what goes wrong next. The sizzling attraction between Ava and Will grows and Guin decides to go the straight and narrow while becoming friends with Will’s mother and other female friends.
It does have a happy ending, but getting there was a lot of fun. If you like your romance with hot sex and characters you won’t forget, you have it here
Reviewed by Barbara.

5 Stars

Author Interview – Pamela Fagan Hutchins – Excerpt and Review of Bombshell

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As seen in the June issue of Uncaged Book Reviews.

Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your What Doesn’t Kill You world of mysteries?

Sure! I write series mysteries with kick-ass female amateur sleuths. The novels are romantic, funny, and full of everyday magic. I write in trilogies for each protagonist, then I spin off a character—a friend or family member—and start a new trilogy in the same What Doesn’t Kill You world. All readers’ favorite characters continue, but in supporting roles.

Uncaged: Do you write full-time or part-time?

Full-time!

Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about?

With the publication of Knockout (Ava 3) on June 12th, I will have completed my Ava trilogy in the What Doesn’t Kill You World. The book birthday for Searching for Dime Box is August 7th, and it will complete the Michele trilogy, also n the What Doesn’t Kill You world. Right now I am writing a novella, a short story, and three Maggie trilogy novels that will be released in the summer of 2019.

Uncaged: You are an attending author at Wild Deadwood Reads this year. What are you looking forward to the most from this convention?

Meeting readers who love romantic mysteries and talking books. But there’s so much to look forward to. Meeting authors. Enjoying a getaway in a beautiful, historic area. It’s going to be a blast!

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

I don’t read them, unless my husband tells me I need to. HE reads all of them! I learned early on that the great ones gave me false confidence and the less than great ones gave me false insecurity. My job is to write from my heart. Now, I do read anything readers send to me directly, and I’ve made friends with some of those nice folks, and put them on my “PFH Rock Stars” advance reader teams.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

I heard from two sisters who bonded and healed old wounds together reading and talking about my Katie trilogy. They both sent emotional emails telling me how much the books meant to them, and how much they loved them.

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

I love speaking to book clubs! Skype, Google Hangouts on the Air, or even in person. I also love that because of my books I was invited to host a radio show called Wine, Women & Writing, a part of the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network. I get to fangirl to my favorite authors. It’s a blast, and you can catch my shows here: https://www.authorsontheair.com/radio-shows

My least favorite thing is all the things I delegate to my assistant Bobbye (everything but writing and interviews!).

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?

I love to trail ride my BIG draft cross horse Katniss in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming with my husband Eric on his even bigger draft cross, Feathers. Usually we have two or three dogs tagging along, too. While we love it in our big old cabin, “Snowheresville,” on the east face of the mountains, we only live there in the summer. We have a lovely place in Texas for the winters, which we call Nowheresville. I hold retreats in both places, and I make them available for readers and writers to hold their own retreats by renting them out on Air BnB, here: https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/127571827

Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?

First draft, hands down, is hardest for me. Second draft is easier, and after that I’m sick of the book and ready to hand it off to my copyeditor. It takes me two days to outline a book, a month to write the first draft, and a month to write the second draft. Then add in a month for beta readers and their feedback, a month for the copyeditor to correct the errors, and a month for proofreaders to find the last few boo boos and my assistant to format and upload it, and I have books on the shelves within six months of writing “Once Upon a Time.” But in the meantime, after I finish the second draft, I’ve started another, which I why I can publish three novels and a few shorter works each year.

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for buying and reading my books. I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to live this life, doing what I do as a profession. It’s a privilege and honor each time you select one of my books and invest your time reading it.

You can learn more about the books and me on my website and blog at http://pamelafaganhutchins.com. If you’d like to subscribe to my newsletter, I have lots of fun exclusives, discounts, and freebies, like the What Doesn’t Kill You novella I send as soon as you sign up here: https://www.subscribepage.com/PFHSuperstars

[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]Pamela writes overly long e-mails and the What Doesn’t Kill You romantic mysteries from deep in the heart of Nowheresville, TX and way up in the frozen north of Snowheresville, WY. Pamela is passionate about hiking with her hunky husband and pack of rescue dogs (and an occasional goat and donkey), riding her gigantic horses, experimenting with her Keurig, and traveling in the Bookmobile.

Get free exclusives from Pamela at https://www.subscribepage.com/PFHSuperstars, when you sign up for her newsletter.

Pamela’s mysteries have won a lot of awards, from the 2017 Silver Falchion for Best Adult Mystery WINNER (Fighting for Anna) to the 2016 and 2015 WINNERS for USA Best Books Fiction: Cross Genre (Hell to Pay, Heaven to Betsy). With downloads of nearly 2,000,000 for the What Doesn’t Kill You series, readers seem to enjoy her smart, sassy female sleuths.[/symple_box]

Bombshell
Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Romantic Suspense

A musical career in the making. A murdered childhood friend. One chance to catch the killer.

Ava dreams of building a better life for her daughter through her island pop songs. Her new temp job leads to a once-in-a-lifetime shot at a record deal, but before she can pack her bags for New York, she discovers a dead body outside her office building. Horrified, Ava recognizes the murdered sex worker as her childhood friend.
The single mother finds herself torn between pursuing her life’s passion or justice for her murdered friend. When another friend is killed, she worries the deaths are connected to a shared trauma that she’s been running from her whole life. After dumping her cop boyfriend, she realizes the pain she keeps locked inside could be sabotaging her shot at lasting love.
Before Ava can move on to a bright future in music, she must confront the truth behind her dark past to catch the murderer or she’ll be next on his kill list.

Chapter One

I’m getting too old for this shit.
The Outlook Calendar warns me it’s Monday, June 22, exactly one month away from my thirty-second birthday. I can’t make ends meet as a singer without this crap temp-agency job, still only getting by with my parents’ help and an occasional boost from public assistance. My nearly-toddler’s sperm-donor father is long gone, along with any hope he’ll ever help out financially. For once I agree with my mom: I need a real job, a grown-up job, and those are few and far between on the island of St. Marcos.
I open a browser and pull up the St. Marcos Source news site, thinking I’ll scan the classifieds for something better. The lead story stops me: LAND PIRATES WAYLAY TOURISTS IN WEST END RAINFOREST. Not again.
How many times do these low-life road thieves have to hijack a carful of day trippers before the Department of Tourism passes out flyers at airport baggage claim? Rule One: no bathing suits except where there’s water. Rule Two: keep your fancy-ass cars on the east end of the island.
I click on my horoscope instead of the classifieds, my talon-like nails forcing my fingers flat against the mouse. Before I can process today’s guidance, I hear the unmistakable sound of support-hose-clad thighs rubbing together, feet padding along toward me in closed-toe ballet flats. That’s McKenna. She runs ABC Temps for her parents, even though she’s way overqualified.
I want to tell her she’s better without the hose and little-girl shoes, but I don’t.
I close my browser. My phone vibrates and I glance down, quick. It’s a text from Collin, the Santa Fe cop, muscle-bound and too Top Gun cute for his own good: Why aren’t you answering me?
Collin is my best friend Katie’s brother. A notorious player whose clothes I seem to rip off every time we’re in the same zip code. He can’t take the hint to let me go. Maybe because we burned up the sheets every weekend for two months, pretending the thing between us was going somewhere. I’d told him then I couldn’t make any promises. He told me he didn’t need any. He should have believed me. I shouldn’t have believed him. Now he thinks he knows me, but he doesn’t. And that’s for the best. Keeping our relationship a secret from Katie is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and if I break up with him now, she’ll never know.
A shudder runs through me, a terrifying flashback to three officers killed in the line of duty in the last few weeks. Collin’s safe, but I can’t stand worrying some fool is going to shoot him down. I’m black, and I hate cops killing so many black people for no good reason or not enough of one—but Collin’s life matters, too. Yeah, he’s got serious potential to break my heart in more ways than one.
I think what I don’t type: It was a fling. I’m not who you think I am. Get over me.
Instead, I run a finger over my ring, a gift from my parents when I turned sixteen, gold inset with chips of ruby. It’s supposed to give me courage. My mom hoped that would be the courage to remain chaste and pure (she’d already missed that boat) and possibly, someday, fulfill her dream that I become a true “bride of Christ” (she was sorely disappointed on that one, too).
I don’t know why I still wear it, but I do. I give it a few seconds, but no burst of courage overtakes me, so I ignore Collin’s text, again. Like I have the other four. Honestly, I’ve never understood why people treat receiving messages like they’re obligated to respond immediately. Free will, baby. Or, as I like to call it, RNO: response not obligated.
Who am I kidding? Ignoring him is harder than I make it sound. I turn my phone facedown to help me stay strong. I wipe sweat from my brow. It’s stuffy and musty and just plain summer hot. ABC can’t afford AC.
McKenna brushes past me, escorting a woman to the front door. “We don’t keep plants here. Sorry.”
The woman is small and Asian and smells fresh, like lemongrass and lavender. She’s wearing a white T-shirt that says GREEN THUMB across the front. “I understand.” She hands McKenna a card. “In case you change your mind.”
The door opens and closes. McKenna slips the card into her skirt pocket.
She comes back my way, plants herself in front of my desk, her arms crossed over her ample bosom. “Ava girl.” Her calypso accent is thick, and she’s smiling at me like she’s reggae Santa Claus or something. “I sending you to the West End today. Pack up.”
St. Marcos is only twenty-six miles long and seven miles across at its widest point. You can drive from the eastern tip all the way to the west coast in less than an hour, and most of us locals live mid-island. I’ve lived in the States. I’ve commuted half an hour, even an hour to jobs. But it’s different here. Here, we moan and groan if we have to drive ten minutes. On-island—that’s how we describe the state of being present on St. Marcos, with off-island meaning we’re anywhere but here—the West End is half an hour and a different time zone from here.
I chuptz, long and loud, sucking a generous amount of spit through my teeth. I make a show of loading my purse with office supplies.
The thought of the drive almost makes me long to return to the cheesy “bar tour” that my fly-by-night manager booked for me last spring—which is how I came to be gigging in New Mexico and reacquainting myself with Collin, after meeting him at Katie’s wedding a few years back. The tour turned out to be an endless series of swingers’ parties. I got a lot of propositions for threesomes, but no recording-studio producer appeared out of the woodwork offering me a deal. I canned the manager and came home.
Because, yes, this slice of heaven in the Caribbean is my home and the place of my birth. This haven for the brilliant-green iguana, the churring mongoose, the bright-winged macaw, and flowers of every color and description. Of rum, endless coconuts, fragrant mangos, and passion fruit.
It’s also an inbred cesspool of politricks as usual, dog fighting, domestic abuse, and desperation. A refuge for drunkards, layabouts, and fugitives.
I feel a sudden temptation to call the manager and beg him to rebook me, even as a glorified lounge lizard. I won’t, though. The saving grace of being home is that I’m not spending time away from my too-rapidly aging parents and my one-year-old daughter. I have a few on-island gigs lined up this summer, but they’re just the same ole, same ole. Tourists drinking themselves blind on cheap rum while no-count men with more baby mamas than sense make plays for me.
McKenna cuts her eyes at me slow, getting the meaning of my chuptz. “Girl, I mean it. And you’re welcome. I hook you up with one of them EDC companies.”
I brighten. If she just tells me it’s a job as an assistant to a music producer or even a fashion designer, my day is made, even though I know it won’t be. My phone vibrates with another text. Collin again. I feel a tug at my heart. I could be in love with him if I let myself, but I’m not the love type. I’d thrown my I Ching coins that morning and asked only one question: “Will this man lead to pain?” Well, they gave me my answer, and the coins don’t lie.
I’m going to have to talk to him sooner or later, though, since his hint-taking skills are less than optimal. I opt for later.
“Thank you.” I blow McKenna a kiss. “What they do, and what I doing for them?” I sling my bag over my shoulder, already moving, my pulse thrumming with renewed hope.
The office phone rings. I ignore it, but when no one else picks it up after four rings, McKenna’s stare finally breaks me. I pick it up. “ABC Temps.”
A nasally female voice assaults my eardrum. “We’re down from the City for the summer. I must have an assistant. Transfer me to someone who can make this happen ASAP.”
Well, la-di-da. “No problem. Right away, ma’am.” I switch over to my yank speech style without even thinking about it, dropping my island accent and talking with a stuffed-up nose like a continental, which is one of the nicer things we call people from the fifty United States. It’s like breathing to talk local with locals and to yank with yanks. Like how my friend Katie picks up a slow drawl when her Texas friend Emily comes around. Whatever my outer speak, it’s always just me inside my head, a black woman with a white father who’s spent most of her life repressing her island roots like the good little chameleon she is.
I transfer the call to McKenna’s voicemail.
McKenna is doing me a solid with this EDC assignment. EDC stands for Economic Development Commission, a business-incentivizing program offered by our local government in cooperation with the Feds. Translation: the US Virgin Islands are allowed to lure in people who have enough money to start a business here. It’s attractive, with generous tax incentives. It comes with a price, though, more than just the assumption propagated from popular media that rich people only move to the islands to engage in criminal activities and scurrilous tax schemes.
To gain the benefits, the off-islander must establish full residency (difficult), be subject to our Water and Power Authority (notoriously unreliable and gallingly expensive), and hire local (slim pickings). McKenna, knowing this well, is offering me up to them, because I’m local and NYU educated. Even if it is just a theater degree with a minor in classical studies. Lead roles in community theater productions are good for the ego but don’t fatten the purse, and I haven’t discovered how to make money yet from Greek and Roman mythology.
“General office work for a company with it own virtual currency. One that own a lot of other companies.” McKenna says this in a tone of awe.
To me that sounds like Greek. “Virtual current, what?” I say it like “wah.” We have a tendency to drop our ending consonants when we talk in local island accents.
“Virtual currency. It digital money, using blockchain technology. Fast, anonymous, and no regulations. People say it the future.”
“Oh yeah, sure. Blockparty. Technology of the future. And how you know all this, Miss Virgin Island Bill Gates?”
She sniffs. “Stanford MBA. I intern for a company into cryptocurrency.” And I just thought she was overqualified before. “You got no idea what blockchain is, do you?”
“None.”
She pushes gold wire-rimmed spectacles up her nose. “Blockchain a digital ledger of linked virtual currency transactions, like in a chain. It protect against fraud and the like, because it all encrypted and one link build on another.”
“That clear it right up for me.”
“You a smart girl. You figure it out.”
“Yah mon.”
“Show up on time and you be fine. And pull you top up,” she adds.
She’s the one who booked me last time for a seven a.m. job after the night I’d gigged until three in the morning. What does she expect? I glance down at more brown cleavage than I expected to see. I roll my eyes and hoist the girls. Lime green fabric slips up and over them. Next time I date a rich man, I’m getting a lift. “Jealous much?”
McKenna, wearing a charcoal circle skirt and round-neck white top that covers all her business, hands me a slip of paper with a name, address, and phone number on it. “You gonna find yourself on the wrong end of attention you don’t want, girl, and I’ma remind you ’bout this conversation.”
“You blaming women dem for bad behavior of men?” I play it cool, like I’m joking. But I learned about sexual attention as a plaid-clad innocent in grade school. Just because a Catholic school hires a man doesn’t make him holy, and the same goes for women. Since then, I’ve seen no evidence to change my mind. And I may not be loaded with money, but I have a whole lot of something with very real value. Yeah, it’s currency, and there’s nothing virtual about it.
A chill comes over me, and I freeze for a moment. A memory of Father Jerome and the unspeakable things he did to me during my school days bubbles to the surface, but I bury it deep again, fast, with all the other bad things in my life, like too many pills and too much booze, like finding my lover Guy with his throat slit and a bad man trying to frame me as a Jezebel who murdered Guy for not leaving his wife. Guy—Guy Edwards—was a Virgin Islands senator, and if it weren’t for my friend Katie, I might have spent the rest of my life in jail for a murder I didn’t commit, with too much time to fight off ugly recollections of Father Jerome and his ilk. As it was, my already-not-sterling reputation took a permanent hit. Repression is my friend.
And, no, I don’t let anyone blame women for the bad things men do.
McKenna, not one for lingering, rolls her eyes at me and walks off. Support hose grind together again. I shiver. Save the planet—say no to synthetic undergarments, I think.
But I don’t say it. I’m in a hurry. I have to drive all the way to the West End to meet some blockchain heads.
***
I veer left, driving my dad’s gas-guzzling beater truck—sorry, Mother Earth, it’s my only option—faster than I should. There’s a maze of potholes (more like field of landmines) on Centerline Road. It’s hard to see them through the lightning storm of windshield cracks that appeared magically a few days after a shoddy island replacement Dad had done recently. Mom’s rosary beads are swinging from the rearview mirror, and I’m feeling more hopeful than I have in donkey years. The reason the EDCs are so attractive here to locals is that they’re the only decent jobs outside of working in tourism, for the government, or at the oil refinery. No, thank you, no, thank you, no, thank you. The refinery has all but closed up now, too, making everything on-island direr, and it was close to desperate before. Temping at a new EDC is usually temp-to-hire, and they always have air conditioning.
I have to land this assignment. I’ll treat it like an audition, which means I should run through my lines. I’ve already found plenty of motivation for my character.
“I Ava, from ABC Temps. Anything you need, we here to help.”
Or I could yank. I try it, watching myself in the rearview mirror. “I’m Ava, from ABC Temps. Anything you need, we’re here to help.”
BAM! My forehead slams into the steering wheel, and all the air is knocked out of me in a whoosh. Sometime later—seconds? minutes?—I realize the truck isn’t moving. What the hell? I put a hand to my face. Warm. Sticky. I look at my fingers. There are more of them than I remember. My hand is like an octopus. A red octopus. I waggle my fingers, and they’re red octopus arms, undulating underwater. I say it aloud. “Undulating underwater.” I like how that sounds and try a few more, making up my own alliteration exercises and mouthing them with exaggerated motions like we had in my theater classes. Sipping cider by the seashore. Taking tea in Tipperary. Gah, I’m tired. I close my eyes and drop my head back.
“You dead?” a dry, quivery voice says from just outside the driver’s-side window. I glance at it. It’s coming from a man with a white afro—now that’s a look, meh son—over wizened skin, his sharp, black eyes fixed on me. “You bleeding.”
Something’s wrong. There’s no window between us. Aha, it’s broken. I peek around the interior. It’s covered in shards of glass. The front windshield is gone, too. And I’d hit the steering wheel—air bags weren’t standard when this truck was built.
“I know you?” the old man says, drawing my attention to his face, which reminds me there’s an electrified cotton ball atop his head.
I squint at him. “Yah,” I say, but then pain clouds my thoughts. “My head hurt, I sorry.”
He nods. “You Gill Butler’s girl. I work with he, years ago. Chappy Nelson.”
“Mr. Nelson. Of course.” Roger “Chappy” Nelson. A down-islander. Barbados? He’d been old even then when Dad brought him on his regular construction crew. Most island men have nicknames, and my mind floats, trying to place the reason for his. Chapped lips. Getting chapped over things. Being chaps with everyone. I’m feeling woozy, a little baziddy.
“This he truck you mash up?”
“Uh-huh.” I mashed up my dad’s truck, and I have no idea how or why. This isn’t good. “What happen?”
“You crash in a pothole.”
Only on St. Marcos. Our potholes are epic. Like vehicle-swallowing sinkholes in the States, except here they’re the result of greed and graft instead of natural disasters. Money changing hands for inferior materials and shoddy workmanship. I should have been watching better where I was going.
I move my head and glass falls in my lap. I know I’m supposed to be somewhere. Directive thinking is painful, but I give it a try, and it works. West End. ABC Temps. A job I can’t bomb. I rest my forehead on the steering wheel, ignoring the immediate sharp pain.
“Ava?” A familiar voice. Also male, but younger, with a Texas accent.
“Huh?” I groan without looking up.
The door opens beside me. Nelson says, “I call the police?”
“No.” My voice cracks. Police mean a job-costing delay, a hassle, an insurance claim, rates going up. Hands grasp me, and I look up. Katie’s husband, Nick, scoops me off the seat and out of the truck.
Nick says, “Thank you, sir. I’ll get her taken care of.”
“You know he?” Nelson asks me.
“Yes. It all good.”
He leaves without further comment, disappearing into a dilapidated building on the side of the road. Trumpet vines grow out of a cracked HEINEKEN sign over its doorway.
Nick sets me down in his own old truck, newer by at least a decade than the one I’d planted nose-first in the pothole.
“You okay for a minute?”
“Yes. Thank you, Nick.”
He returns to my dad’s truck. Nick is all long legs with a lanky but muscular frame, and he’s a fast mover. Cars pass, heads rubbernecking at my misery, and I pretend I don’t see them. He comes back with my canvas shoulder bag and phone. He places them on the floorboard and begins picking glass off of me. I hold very still and let him, even when he pulls a chunk out of my forehead.
After a few minutes working on me, he says, “Want me to take you to the hospital?”
I shake my head, regretting the motion instantly. “No, no. I have to get to my new assignment.”
“What?”
“For my job. I’m supposed to be on the West End. Now.”
Nick cocks his head, pondering me. I’m sure I look dreadful scary. He, on the other hand, is sexy as ever, something I’m not supposed to notice. Olive skin, wild dark hair, intense eyes, sharp cheekbones, and a distinctive nose. A strong face. Hard not to notice. Hard not to show you appreciate. But Katie’s already forgiven me once for flirting with her man, so I follow the rules.
He grunts, a noncommittal sound. “I’ll take you up to Annalise. If Katie releases you, you can borrow one of our cars to get to work.”
Estate Annalise is the name of the big-ass property he and Katie live on with three kids, six dogs, and his parents. It’s also the name of the teenage slave girl who’s been stuck there in limbo as a jumbie spirit for most of two hundred years. Don’t judge—we buy into voodoo here in the islands. You would, too, if you lived here. It’s as plainly true and hard not to notice as Nick’s sexiness.
He steps away from me, brow furrowed, and pushes his hair back. It stands up a little. Katie says he’s a gypsy by his Hungarian heritage, but his wiry hair isn’t so different from mine. “I’ll call Rashidi. We’ll see what we can do about your truck. Sound okay to you?”
Our mutual friend Rashidi and I are in a good place, so I say, “Irie.” Six months ago, I’d have said no—our breakup was too fresh. Rashidi’s forgiven me for not loving him, but no man takes that easy.
My phone rings. Before I can stop him, Nick picks it up from the floorboard and hands it to me. I all but hold my breath, but he doesn’t look at caller ID. I do. It’s Collin, his brother-in-law, my secret. I take the phone, thinking as hard as I can in my condition. Nick climbs into the driver’s seat. I put the phone to my ear at the same time as I press the button to decline the call and send it straight to voicemail.
“Hello? Hello?” I pause for a few seconds for effect, then put the phone down. “No one’s there.”
But Nick doesn’t hear me. He’s already talking to Rashidi.

Uncaged Review

This is the first book in the Ava series, but it’s not the first book in the full set – this one is the beginning that focuses on Ava, who was in the previous books. It held up very well considering I had not read the others in the series first. It was easy to get fully immersed in this story, and the author does a great job keeping the reader on their toes, trying to figure out the murderer – and it took me until the end of the book to find out for sure. Ava is a character I enjoyed getting to know although the one thing that threw me a bit is how she slips from island dialect and slang back to “Yank” speech. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the island slang.

The story moves at a good pace, and when Ava’s friend is one of the victims, she vows she’s going to get answers. This book was a nice introduction to this author for me, and she’s definitely on my radar now. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Catch Up with Cheryl Yeko

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Cheryl Yeko writes as herself, and with her writing partner Char Chaffin as CiCi Cordelia.

Uncaged: You were a Feature Author in Uncaged as both yourself, and as your pen name with co-writer Char Chaffin as CiCi Cordelia.
How was your experience with Uncaged?

As always, Uncaged is a gem to work with. Talented and professional in every regard.

Uncaged: You’ve just released two recent books, Loving a Hero and The Substitute Wife, what do you have for us in the near future?

CiCi (Char and me) just finished final edits for The Dance Hall Wife, and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome of Frank and Cat’s story. So much fun. Look for it in mid-summer.

THE DANCE HALL WIFE:

CAT . . .
Cat Purdue has come a long way from the days when her father used her as partial payment for a gambling debt to a ruthless man. Reacquiring the saloon Father had lost, and turning it into a successful restaurant, is only the beginning of her drive for success.

FRANK . . .
Unable to reconcile the new, sophisticated Catherine Purdue from the saloon girl he once dallied with and foolishly spurned, Frank Carter finds himself blocking his growing attraction with sharp words and sarcasm. But when the Carters’ old nemesis escapes prison and comes back to Little Creede for vengeance, Frank’s only thought is to protect Cat, as well as his family.

A PAIR OF HEARTS . . .
Determined to lead separate lives yet bound together by danger and their growing desire, Frank and Cat will leave their mark in the new state of Colorado.

Uncaged: Are you planning on attending any conventions or in-person signings this year?

In July, I’ll be attending RWA Nationals in Denver, as an Editor for Soul Mate, where I’ll be taking pitch appointments and conducting a Marketplace event, along with my BFF and fellow Soul Mate Editor, Char Chaffin, who just happens to be the other half of CiCi Cordelia. It’s going to be a blast.

In August, I’ll be once again attending The Writers Police Academy in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I’m a volunteer for this amazing event and track and assemble donated items into pretty baskets for auction night. It’s a lot of work, but so worth it.

Uncaged: Tell us something unique about you.

I was born at midnight, in the cusp, and they set me back three minutes, so my birthday falls on the May 19th, instead of the May 20th.

[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]Cheryl Yeko is a multi-published award-winning author and Acquiring Editor with Soul Mate Publishing.

She writes Romantic Suspense and Sexy Contemporary. Website: http://www.cherylyeko.com/ Where Love Always Wins

She also co-writes Paranormal and Historical Western with fellow Soul Mate Publishing Editor and BFF, Char Chaffin, under the pen-name CiCi Cordelia. Website: https://ccromance.com/ Writing From The Heart[/symple_box]

 

 

The Substitute Wife
CiCi Cordelia
Historical Western

HARRISON . . .

Once his fortune in silver mining is secured, Harrison Carter finally sends back home for his fiancée. It’s been four years since he’s seen Jenny.

But it’s Retta Pierce, Jenny’s sister, who arrives by stagecoach with young daughter Adeline in tow. When this lovely, soiled dove brings devastating news and a written plea from Jenny to marry and care for Retta and little Addie, what’s a good man to do?

RETTA . . .

Fulfilling her dying sister’s request, Retta travels across dangerous territory to marry a man she barely remembers. But the hard miner who meets her at the stagecoach surely isn’t the same one her sister claimed was kind and honorable, a gentleman who’ll embrace her and her daughter as if they were his own. Has she made a mistake she’ll pay for, the rest of her life?

TWO PEOPLE . . .

Thrown together in shared sorrow, Harrison and Retta struggle to forge a life in the brand-new state of late-nineteenth-century Colorado.

Excerpt

Am I really going to marry her?

Did he even have a choice? In her letter, Jenny had pleaded with him to wed Retta. She’d called him a good man. An honorable man. A man she could trust to provide for her sister and niece so she could die peacefully, knowing they’d be well cared for. What kind of a man would he be if he threw them onto the streets?

A real bastard, that’s what.

Rounding the bend, Reverend Matias’s church came into view, ending Harrison’s internal conversation. “Let’s just get it done,” he muttered under his breath, tugging on Copper’s reins.

Hopping to the ground, he finally met Retta’s blue-eyed gaze, reminding him so much of Jenny’s. Which angered him all over again, and for a moment he couldn’t speak as he fought to reel his temper back in. But he was angry with everyone right now.

Jenny.

This girl and her child.

God.

Even the damned Reverend for what he was about to do, tying him to a woman not of his choosing.
Squaring his shoulders, Harrison walked to her side of the wagon and lifted his arms. “Give me the girl.” The words came out gruffer than he’d intended.

Retta lifted her chin in a defiant manner. Her clear blue eyes clouded with suspicion. “Why?”

He blinked. Her sharp response wasn’t what he’d expected. Retta’s timidity so far hadn’t been very inspiring, but now it was as if he saw her for the first time. The woman staring down at him appeared ready to do battle. Pink stained her pretty cheeks and her lush full lips pursed in annoyance. Long, pale curls escaped from her bonnet, framing a very appealing, sweet face.

His blood heated.

And that, too, angered him.

“We’re getting married.” Harrison didn’t even try to hide his annoyance when he spoke to her. “Now, give me the girl.”

For a moment, he thought she might refuse, and almost hoped she would, even if that meant letting Jenny down. But then Retta’s shoulders drooped, transforming her into the meek woman he’d met at the coach station. She nodded and handed down her daughter.

A sliver of guilt tamped his anger to a slow boil as he took the sleeping child and tucked her in the crook of one arm, holding his free hand up to help Retta from the wagon.

Twenty minutes later, he exited the church a married man. The Reverend hadn’t blinked an eye when Harrison showed up with a stranger to marry, though he must have wondered. But he didn’t so much as ask whose child Harrison held throughout the ceremony, while a tearful bride spoke her vows.

This book was rated 5 Stars from Uncaged Book Reviews. Click HERE for that review.

 

Uncaged Review – The Man Who Needs You by Mia Mae Lynne

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The Man Who Needs You
Mia Mae Lynne
Contemporary Romance

It’s all fun and games until the man you’re after marries another woman.

And the man who needs you shows up at that wedding.

For Katie Pennington Leigh, love and family seemed to be out of her cards until a crazy woman teases her with a future she never thought she’d want.

Jack Williams wasn’t looking for a wife. Hell, he wasn’t looking for anything, too concerned with raising his daughters and mourning the love he’d lost years ago.

But when Katie and Jack meet, all bets are off as the two set off on a course that neither ever expected.

Can you learn to be a mother when the children you love aren’t your own? Can you learn to love the man who you never knew you needed and let him love you in return?

The answers are coming in.

Uncaged Review: This is the fifth book in a series, so I was actually coming into this series a bit blind. It does hold up well as a standalone, and I wasn’t lost, but I didn’t know the characters as well as I could have, had I read the first books. With that said, I didn’t like Katie in the first few chapters, but she did grow on me as I read along. I wasn’t very attached to Jack either, as times he seemed understanding, and then be quite demanding – but I loved Jack’s two daughter’s right away.

This is a nice love story of two people on different ends of the social spectrum and both needing each other more than they know. I felt a little detached, I was never fully immersed in the story, maybe because it was a dialog-driven story, but I did enjoy my time in their lives. Nicely done, and when I have a bit more time, I’m planning on revisiting some of the earlier books in the series. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

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The Forever Girl
Rebecca Hamilton
New Adult/Paranormal

This book is a free read on her website:
https://www.rebeccahamilton.com/free-books

A cult. A murder. A curse.
At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her.

Uncaged Review: I’ve read several books by this author, and I really enjoy her style of writing. A very unique look at the world of vampires and weres, in this story they are known as the Cruor and the Strigoi and there are other “elementals” in the magic mix. Sophia begins her journey learning on who she is, and why some very powerful people are after her.
In the beginning, I had mixed feelings on Sophia, I felt she was selfish, stubborn and immature. But what I did see, was a lot of growing up that she did within the story. She got to where she needed to be and I was rooting her on eventually. The romance was a bit on the strange side for me. I knew it was coming, but it went from zero to a well-established relationship without seeing it evolve, maybe because the book is told from Sophia’s point-of-view.
The action sequences were great and Sophia comes into her own and becomes a valued member instead of a handicap and it was fun watching her get there. This book does not leave on a typical tense cliff-hanger, but it sets up well for book two. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Author Interview – Mia Mae Lynne, Excerpt from In Ruthless Pursuit

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As seen in the June issue of Uncaged Book Reviews

Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about the different series you have going?

My series is titled “Southern Men Don’t Fall in Love” It is based in metro Atlanta, Georgia. It is about family connections, trials and tribulations, love and loss. It’s also about six degrees of separation. As the series progresses, my readers will see how the characters relate to their families beyond the romance. Immediate families have a major influence on our romantic relationships, which is the reason why I give them a present voice in the romance and don’t solely focus on the couple and their interactions with each other.

Uncaged: Why a romance series? How would you rate your books on a romance scale? Clean or Erotica?

I delved into a romance series because that was what the spirit brought to me. I’d been playing around with the idea ten years before putting it to life on electronic paper. After I quit my defense aerospace position in 2008, the ideas came back in full force. I took the time to write the stories and have really enjoyed all of the characters.

My stories are purposely in the midpoint of the romance range. I knew that the characters would be getting engaged and married. Sexual descriptions and acts are taboo for a clean romance. I had more to say in the development of the characters and wanted them to have a deeper connection with their audience.

Erotica fell out of the range for me because I wasn’t comfortable going too deeply into the sex realm but I did want to show intimacy between the characters. My editor, Lex helps me balance the content and length of the sexual situations so I can stay in the midpoint range.

My first book “Atlanta’s Most Eligible Bachelor” doesn’t have any sexual situations and has a few explicit words. The sexual situations progress in the second and third book as it relates to their engagement and marriage.

Uncaged: How long is your series and where would you like to see your series in the future?

With six books released and a trilogy on the way in the same series, I’d like to release at least fifteen books but who knows. When I move to other books, there will be new characters introduced. If my fan base has an interest in one of them or I get an idea for another story, I’ll add it into the series.
I would love to see my books as a miniseries or a movie. “Atlanta’s Most Eligible Bachelor” has several scenes around Atlanta and that would be a really good one to see on the big screen. I could see Katie Pennington’s story “Fulfilling Katie’s Needs” and her sequel “The Man Who Needs You” on a Hallmark channel or something similar.

Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about?

The title of my newest project is named but may be retitled. It is the first book of a three book trilogy in the “Southern Men Don’t Fall in Love” series. Greg Speaks and Maya Dunbar are the leading characters who have been introduced in other books in the series. Greg is best friends with Doug Bader and Maya is Lisa Dunbar Bader’s first cousin.

This romance will take a long time to develop and it’s been one of my favorite books in the series to write. Greg has characteristics that I would love to have personally as a leading man in my life and Maya’s strong personality resembles a lot of what I would do or say if I were in her situation.

Uncaged: Do you have any advice for new authors?

Yes. Write it and publish it. Don’t wait for others to dictate your dream. If traditional publishers aren’t looking at you then self-publish. If ISBN numbers are too expensive then Amazon will give you one. The point is publish it. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Find a really good editor, preferably one that edits in your genre and is up to date with the changes in the publishing world. There are several places that make covers and if you use Createspace, you can create your own cover through their cover creator.

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

I love reading my reviews. I learn so much from them. I had a few critical reviews in my first book so I made a few changes in latter books based on the constructive criticism. When you are a writer, you live in the world of the characters and give the view as you see or feel through them. The feedback expands my view and sometimes gives me new ideas for future releases.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

It was from R. Riley on Amazon “Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down! It had me laughing so much, but the story was beautiful! Can’t wait to read Book 2!” Enjoyment of both humor and romance is the reaction I want to draw from my readers.

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author?

I love being involved in the story. When I first started writing, spirit would wake me up between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. I would not be able to go back to sleep until the conversation was written down. I love sharing the story with people who’ve read the book and getting their reactions to the characters.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?

I like to sit on the sand at the beach. I don’t get to go very often but when I do, I love to hear the crashing waves, feel the wind and the warmth from the sun. Wiggling my toes in the sand, sipping lemonade and watching people play in the water. Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL are two of my favorite places to go for a beach vacation.

Uncaged: What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting or publishing your books?

The challenge in being an author is the marketing. I want to focus on writing but I also need an audience and a following to ensure the success of my books. My books are on Amazon because it is easy for an independent author to enter the Kindle market. I also publish through Createspace to purchase paperback copies for book signings, contests and giveaways.

I’m experimenting with book promotion sites. There are several sites that have inexpensive or free submissions. I’ve scheduled marketing around the free book days and have noticed an increase in readership on Kindle Unlimited after the promotions.

Thankfully, my son Carlos has assisted with the marketing effort. He designed the website http://bookandspirit.com/ . He also researched marketing and keywords that will help interested readers to find my site.

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

I’d love to hear from you! Please contact me with any questions related to the series. I also encourage you to join my email list and check the websites. I have several titles available on Kindle Unlimited and do offer download dates to receive titles for free on Kindle. I’m also available for book club appearances. Don’t be bashful! If you live far away, we could do video conferencing through the internet.

[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]I’m a writer who is passionate about writing romance. I started writing the Chronicles of Fate series in 2008.

Life events happened and the books were put away until 2015 when the first release was published. The series was renamed to “Southern Men Don’t Fall In Love” and the first book was titled “Atlanta’s Most Eligible Bachelor”. I have six releases in English and three releases in Spanish. My son Carlos translated the first book into Spanish and called two of his college friends to edit the books. I wasn’t sure which version of Spanish to release the book in so I have it released in Spanish of the America’s and European Spanish. All three books were released November 4, 2015 which is Carlos’s birthday. Although I’ve never learned to speak Spanish fluently, both of my children do. I believe it is important to have a second language and stressed at an early age that they learn Spanish. I would love to promote my translated books in the Spanish romance genre.

I am self-published through Book & Spirit, LLC and release twice a year. The second release date is April 26th which is my youngest son Marcus’ birthday. I may add additional release dates in the future. During the release of my first book, I met my current editor, Lex Hupertz. She designs my cover and edits my books. I could not stress enough the importance of an excellent editor and specifically one that understands your writing style as well as assists you with the development of your work. It makes a difference in a decent book to great reading. Her contact information is www.WNPublishing.org and email is [email protected] I was delighted when I was contacted by Victoria Forte through Goodreads. She offered her services as an editor/translator for my series. Carlos was well on his way in his career and didn’t have the same time to translate and I really wanted my books available on both languages. She’s translated El Soltero más Codiciado de Atlanta II which is available on Amazon. She’s just finished translating El Soltero más Codiciado de Atlanta III and that is due to be released November 4, 2018. Her contact information is [email protected] My younger son Marcus has been tasked with translating “Fulfilling Katie’s Needs” into Spanish. It’s a shorter book and his career project. I’m anticipating that he will finish translating the book prior to entering law school this fall. The translated version of the book is expected to be released on his birthday April 26, 2019. I’ll also release the translated version of the sequel “The Man Who Needs You.” Victoria will be the editor and translator for that book.

Along with writing, I have a major interest in the metaphysical arts so I take classes that interest me such as tarot, astrology, mediumship and any other related studies. I’m an Advance Reiki Trainer as well as psychic medium. I’m also a left-handed March 4th Pisces. All of that balances my analytical side of being a CPA for 20+ years with most of my daytime career in the commercial and defense aerospace industry. I also have a Master’s degree in Government Contract Administration.

I live in a two bedroom apartment, write like crazy when the spirit moves me and I’m a plant parent.[/symple_box]

miamaelynne.com

 

 

glass with whiskey on a old piano

In Ruthless Pursuit
Mia Mae Lynne
Contemporary Romance

What’s a man to do when the woman he loves marries someone else?

Carter didn’t want to go to her wedding. He didn’t want to see her walking down the aisle to marry a man that wasn’t him.

He wanted her for himself.

But married life isn’t everything Terri thought it was going to be, and when her husband fails to keep his vows, Carter is determined to be the one who steps up to take his place.

He’ll take a marriage on the rocks with a side of sweet jazz, and that’s only the beginning of what he’s willing to do to get back the woman he let get away in the first place.

Can Carter convince Terri that he’s more than the strong shoulder he’s offered her? Will the chemistry between them finally click and lead to love?

All’s fair…

CHAPTER 11

Carter spent his Wednesday nights pouring out his sorrow for the love that he’d lost over the keyboard at Noel’s House of Jazz.
Once a week was enough to release his tension and keep his fingers in shape for his musically talented hands.
Sometimes his selections were somber and sometimes they were cheery and soulful.
Occasionally he took requests.
Tonight, he faced his past.
There Terri sat, alone with her glass of white wine. He tried not to allow her presence to be a distraction. When it was time for break, he approached Terri. Sadness and distress were in her deep brown oval eyes. Her dark hair was pulled up and her face was puffy as if she’d been crying
He took an empty chair next to her. “I didn’t know you were coming. Thanks for being here.”
“I had to get away for a while. I didn’t know where else to go,” she said sadly.
“Is everything okay?”
“No, it’s not. Some white woman keeps calling me and hanging up the phone. I have her number. I asked Ricky about it and he got upset. I don’t know what to do.”
As his mother always said, the chickens would come home to roost.
He now understood what that expression meant.
Ricky was still playing around.
Carter didn’t want to be in the middle of their domestic dispute, but he couldn’t leave Terri. Because even though he hated seeing her hurting, the spark in him that held out hope was delighted that maybe, just maybe, this meant he might have a chance to win her after all.
He scooted his chair closer to hers, placed his hand confidently, comfortingly on her knee. Held her gaze. Tried to play the part of good friend consoling someone in need, offering the faint hope they both knew wasn’t real but was expected between them. “I’m sure Ricky has an explanation. Probably some old girlfriend is trying to start trouble. Don’t worry about it. I’m here if you need me.”
“There’s more. I’ve found lipstick on his clothes, some woman’s earring; he’s working weird hours and, sometimes, when I call him, he rushes me off the phone.”
“What’s his explanation?”
“The lipstick…he said that he went to see his mother and she kissed him. The earring belonged to some client that rode in his car. Sometimes I can’t reach him at all and his explanation is that his battery died on his phone and he forgot to charge it. This isn’t right. Something’s going on.”
“My heart hurts for you. I don’t like to see you in despair.” He lightly stroked her back, grabbed a clean linen napkin from the table, and offered it to her.
Finally!
The heavens opened and answered his prayers. The heaviness in his heart was lifted. This was the beginning of the end of a marriage to a man who didn’t deserve her. His happiness with her was eminent.
“I shouldn’t have told you this. You and Ricky are friends.” She sniffled and sipped her drink. She brushed the hair back from her face.
He lifted her hand and caressed his thumb on the back of her palm. “You and I are friends too. My door is always open if you need me. I have to finish my set. Will you be here afterwards?”
“No,” she squeezed his hand. “I have to go home and settle this. Thanks for listening and being a good friend. I’ll see you soon. I still owe you dinner.”
He smirked. “I’ll hold you to that.”
He stood up to leave and finished his set. As his music, wound down and he readied himself to leave, Noel motioned for him to sit with her.
“Hello, Miss Noel.”
“Hello, nephew. Was that her that was here tonight?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I hope you have that situation under control. I don’t want any jealous husbands shooting up my place.”
Carter laughed. “No, ma’am. You witnessed it. I only spent five minutes with her.”
“But if the opportunity arose, you would spend more time with her,” Noel stated.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Creeping with a married woman in a troubled relationship can be dangerous.”
“How did you know she was troubled?” Carter asked.
“She came here twice without her man. There’s a reason for that. She needs you and she knows that she can’t have you.”
He sat back for a moment and thought about Noel’s strong words. He hugged her and thanked her for her motherly advice. He stepped briskly to his car, drove off and wondered what he should do next.

Uncaged Book Reviews – June 2018, Issue 23 Now Available

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Featuring authors: Mia Mae Lynne, Maureen O. Betita, Pamela Fagan, Hutchins, June Kramin, Paty Jager, P.J. MacLayne, Skye Andrews and J.C. Michael.

Catch-up with Cheryl Yeko and Amy Shannon

 

Author Interview – N. Jade Gray – Review & Excerpt from All for the Love of a Cowboy

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As seen in the May issue of Uncaged Book Reviews

Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your debut novel, All for the Love of a Cowboy?

All for the Love of a Cowboy is a Time Travel Western Romance. My heroine, Rachel Morgan, finds herself in the past in a delusional cowboy’s bed after she crashed her car into a tree trying to play dodge the dog. Mitchell Reeves owns a ranch in the Durango, Colorado area and lives with his sister Becky. The Reeves’ take Rachel in while she is on the mend from her accident. Not only does Rachel find life in Eighteen Ninety-two challenging, but the love she begins to feel for Mitchell has her confused on whether she should try to find a way back home or stay with the Cowboy she’s come to love.

Uncaged: Did growing up on a farm inspire you to write in a western genre?

I believe there are several influences at play. Growing up on a farm in Oklahoma definitely influenced my love for cowboy stories. Along with a house full of men who loved to watch westerns. John Wayne was a household name. And what is there not to love about a cowboy’s swagger, hard work ethic, compassion and buns in well fitting jeans. 🙂

Uncaged: What are you working on next?

I have another Time Travel Romance in the works with Wild Rose Press. Wild Rose Press offered a contract on April 17th for my current manuscript Raider of Her Heart. A major event in history for Lawrence, Kansas is the burning of Lawrence by Quantrill and his Raiders. When the 150th anniversary of the event happened a few years ago, I began to think of what if scenarios and Raider of Her Heart was born.

Judson Levi Stone a Cavalry Scout for the Kansas Eleventh Infantry had simple instructions – warn the mayor of Lawrence, Kansas of the impending threat of William Quantrill and his Raiders. Ambushed Judson finds himself in the year twenty seventeen and regretting his failed mission.

Sadie Winters hoodwinked by her Grandfather, Walt Winters, finds herself taking care of two invalids. Both are unwilling to share the secret Judson harbors. As the days pass and Judson’s mystery is revealed, Sadie finds herself struggling with her attraction for Judson and the desire to help him get back to his own time.

Uncaged: You are an attending author at Wild Deadwood Reads this year. What are you looking forward to the most from this convention?

This will be the first time I’ve attended the reader’s conference at Deadwood or any reader’s conference for that matter. I’m excited to meet the many authors attending and at the same time I’m a little nervous. I’m a new author and not as well known to the readers as some of the other authors attending, but I’m looking forward to this great opportunity for the exposure.

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

Yes, I read the reviews. One of the hardest things to realize, as a writer, is not everyone loves your characters, story as much as you do. Everyone has their ideal type of book they enjoy reading. If your book doesn’t fall into what that reader was looking for there is a chance the review isn’t going to be as positive as you would like. With this first book I’ve taken the accolades from my friends and family as the encouragement needed to continue writing.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

All for the Love of a Cowboy appeals to both men and women. I received a hand written letter from an 88-year-old man who absolutely loved my book and story. He had read it twice before he sat down to write me his letter of appreciation for my book. He loved that it was a western story, but he knew how the story ended for my hero and heroine. He wasn’t left hanging on what happens to the characters at the end of the story. He ended the letter with he couldn’t wait for my next book.

Uncaged Follow-up: OMG, all the feels!!

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

My favorite part is holding my book baby in my hands. You can have received the letter from the publisher, completed all the steps for editing and getting the book ready, but the dream of becoming published sinks in when you receive and hold the printed copy of your book in your hands. You did this! You created a story!

I’m not sure about least favorite part of being an author, but the hardest part for me has been the marketing. I hold a full time job on top of being an author and having the energy and dedication to figure out marketing at the end of the day has been daunting. It doesn’t help that I’m a first time author trying to figure out what does and doesn’t work. This process is under constant construction.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?

I like to enjoy life. Sometimes I’m that little kid on the playground looking for the next adventure. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. One of my favorite places to “just be” is Pagosa Springs, Colorado. I love the area, the hiking, fishing and have had many great vacationing memories there over the years.

Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?

The hardest part of writing a book for me is making myself write. Unlike some of my fellow authors in some of the writing groups I’ve belonged, I don’t outline. I’m a pantzer. For those who don’t know the term – that is someone who sits downs and writes. No planning involved.

The easiest part is story ideas. I have tons of ideas popping into my head, usually when I’m at work and can’t think about the idea in depth.

My debut novel All for the Love of a Cowboy, are you sitting down, took over twenty years. Yes, twenty. I was a full time mom, full time employee and full time wife. So, if you have stories just waiting to be told don’t give up on them. My current book Raider of Her Heart took about three years. I’m on an upswing! My third book is started and the verdict is still out on how long it will take. 🙂

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

I love to entertain people with a story. I want you to walk away with a pleasant feeling and maybe a chuckle or two after reading one of my books. We all need a little feel good in our lives.

[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]N. Jade Gray grew up on a farm in Oklahoma with one sister and three brothers. She began reading romance novels in high school and was hooked. In an attempt to entertain her friends she began writing stories. The biggest hurdle she had to overcome with her writing was sharing her stories. Her former writing groups, the Wichita and Regional Authors and Low Country Romance Writer’s, helped with her confidence and shook the needed pom pom’s to get her motivated for publication.

She is also a former member of the Romance Writers of America. She met her husband, Nathan, while attending college and has two grown sons, Blake and Mason. Not really knowing what she wanted to do when she grew up, she’s held various jobs in the accounting and legal fields. She lives in Kansas with her husband, rescue cats Meera and Mango, and one spoiled dog-named Fabio. Yes, she helped name the dog. She chuckles when she hears her husband calling for his four-legged companion.[/symple_box]

njadegray.com

All for the Love of a Cowboy
N. Jade Gray
Historical Western/Time Travel

Mitchell Reeves is in trouble. Someone is sabotaging his ranch, cattle are missing, his sister is testing her wings, and his quarrel with a neighboring rancher has heated to boiling. Adding a beautiful woman who claims to be from the future couldn’t come at a worse time.

Computer programmer Rachel Morgan understands machines, but fails with the opposite sex. When a dog plays chicken with her car, her bad week becomes worse when she wakes to find herself in the past—in a very hunky, very delusional cowboy’s bed.
Time spent in Mitchell’s company causes an unexpected glitch in Rachel’s determination to get home. Love. Found in the most startling place and time. Could she go home, if she had the chance, without knowing his true feelings?

When unwanted attention from another man turns to kidnapping, Rachel is torn between wishing she were home… and risking it all for the love of a cowboy.

Excerpt

Durango, Colorado—1892

Mitchell Reeves scanned the room as he stood outside the swinging doors of the Silver Spur Saloon. Where the hell was he? His nostrils flared as he reined in his temper. Finally, he found his prey. Sanders leaned against the bar with an arm around one of the bar maids.
The ornate mirror behind the bar gave away his approach. Jake Sanders turned to sneer at Mitchell as he crossed the room.

“Hey, Reeves. You look a little hot.” With an evil chuckle he asked, “Woman trouble?”
Mitchell controlled the growl clawing its way up his throat. “You know good and well why I’m here Sanders.” Silence filled the saloon like a fog hanging on the air. “I don’t want you near my sister, ranch, or cattle again. Do you hear me?” He poked Jake in the chest as he fired off the last question.

Jake shifted his weight, drew up to his full height, and clenched his jaw. “You threaten me, Reeves? You’d better watch your tongue. Accidents happen. Then I would have that ranch of yours and your little sister right where I want her.” Jake chuckled and smiled at a cowpoke standing nearby. “On her back.”

Mitchell felt his outrage bubbling in his throat mere seconds before his fist connected with his adversary’s jaw. Jake’s head whipped back from the force of the blow.
He wiped at the blood trickling from his lip. “You’ll pay for that, Reeves.” Lunging forward, he rammed his fist into Mitchell’s stomach.

Breath expelled from his lips in a hiss as he staggered. Regaining his footing, he gave a quick strike to his opponent’s nose.

Jake put a hand to his nose. “You sorry son of a …”

Mitchell braced himself but stumbled as Jake threw his body against his own. Losing his footing, he fell into a table and chair directly behind him. The men who had been playing poker scattered. Cards and chips went flying as he knocked the table over and landed hard on the floor.

He watched in a daze as Jake advanced and loomed over his sprawled position. He tried not to flinch as Jake grabbed his shirtfront and drew his fist back to land a blow to his face.
“Had enough?” A sinister look crossed the stubborn cowboy’s features as he gritted his teeth and punched.

Hooking a leg behind Jake’s, Mitchell jerked his legs out from under him. “I’ll tell you when I’m done.” Diving on top of Jake, he pummeled him in the ribs with fresh vigor.

The two locked in a bear hug and rolled a few feet, crashing into another table and chairs.
A shot rang out and echoed throughout the saloon. Both men stilled at the sound.

Bill Silver, the owner of the Silver Spur, held a smoking pistol in the air. “Enough! I’ll not have my saloon busted up by the likes of you, Sanders. Take this scuffle outside.”

Uncaged Review

I always get a kick out of time travel stories, specially that goes backward in history and seeing how the one person from the future tries to negotiate with people from the past, and it is definitely fun here. This debut novel from this author is a brilliant start for her, a love story with suspense and will keep you busy watching for clues on how Rachel will be able to return to her own world, but the real question is, does she still want to? I’m not telling, but it’s a nice, clean romance that will find it’s ending and won’t leave you hanging. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars