Blog
Fiction, Food, and Foolishness
PJMacLayne, Country Kid, Loner, Writer
To my readers: I apologize for posting Five on Friday early. However, my website will be down for maintenance on Friday, but will be back online Saturday. Thanks for you patience.
NOW, to today’s guest, P. J. MacLayne. I’ve featured one of her books before, and today, we take a look at Wolves’ Gambit, along with her answers to five questions.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I’m pretty close to it right now. If I could live anywhere, it would be high in the Rocky Mountains. A cabin is fine, as long as it’s a big cabin. And it has to have internet access. I don’t care about TV, but I need the internet for research and to sell my books. I’ve lives in several parts of the US, including both coats, and I’ll take the mountains over the beach any day.
What is one of your favorite quotes?
I’m rather fond of “Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.” Nobody can track down where it came from for sure, but it may pay homage to a quote from the Lord of the Rings.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
If I had a super power it would be the ability to heal, or at least to relieve pain. I’ve known too many people that medicine can’t fix, and I’d love to be able to help them, even for short periods of time.
What were you like in high school? Popular or not?
Not. I was a country kid, not a city kid. I didn’t come from a rich family and was a bit of a loner. Plus, I was smarter than many of the popular kids. That all added up to me not being part of the “in” crowd, even in grade school.
What would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
My spirit animal is the dragonfly. I didn’t choose it, it chose me, and I’m good with it. I love the way a dragonfly’s wings shimmer in the sunlight as it flitters in the breeze. I’ve been known to rescue dragonflies when they accidentally get inside a building. They deserve to live their short but beautiful lives in the open.
Blurb for Wolves’ Gambit:
Wolf-shifter Lori Grenville was rescued from near-slavery and a brutal pack leader by the Free Wolves. To pay back the favor, she’s dedicated her life to helping others in the same situation, leading shifters to safety and a new start, risking her life in the process. She’s faced down alphas and has no qualms in undermining pack structure.
Now she’s challenged with the task of restoring an alpha to his rightful place. If she gets it right, she can stop a war from ripping apart two packs and spreading across an entire state. If she fails, she’ll be among the first to die.
There’s still the option of walking away and letting the Jaeger and Destin packs destroy each other. That means she’ll fail in her original mission of rescuing the daughter of the Jaeger alpha before the girl is forced into marriage for political gain.
Lori hasn’t failed in a mission yet. This one may be the exception.
Although Wolves’ Gambit is the third book in the Free Wolves series, each book can be read as a standalone.
Buy Links:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1368542376
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wolves-gambit-1
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1128396666?ean=2940159062932
Born and raised among the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania, P.J. MacLayne still finds inspiration for her books in that landscape. She is a computer geek by day and a writer by night who currently lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. When she’s not in front of a computer screen, she might be found exploring the back roads of the nearby national forests and parks. In addition to the Free Wolves’ stories, she is also the author of the Oak Grove series.
P.J. MacLayne can be reached on:
Facebook https://facebook.com/pjmaclayne
Twitter https://twitter.com/pjmaclayne
Google + https://plus.google.com/u/0/+PJMacLayne/posts
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/P.J.-MacLayne/e/B00HVE8WZI
Blog: http://pjmaclayne.blogspot.com/
National Grump Day
National Grump Out Day sounds like a day when you should be grumpy. Wrong! It’s actually the opposite. According to http://www.smilemania.com/ “it’s a day to focus on humor, self-awareness, and positive behaviors to lighten up the seriousness and stresses of the world for 24 hours.”
The celebration was started by author and speaker, Janice A. Hathy. She presents programs on stress reduction and insight into improving mental, physical and emotional health.
If you’re grumpy most of the time, there may be a reason. Here are some things that might cause grumpiness: Hormone cycles, too much caffeine, low vitamin B, anemia, swings in blood sugar, hyper and hypothyroid conditions. OR, maybe you’re just a naturally grumpy person!
Whatever the case, take the opportunity today to rid yourself of the grumps. Set a goal to smile at every person you meet. Say something nice to the person who checks you out at the grocery store, pharmacy, etc. Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Do some bird watching. Nothing cheers me more than to take time to appreciate nature!
Here are some cartoons to get you started on that smile.
Madelon Smid~Fatal Flight Blog Tour and Giveaway
Fatal Flight
Sisters in Peril Series Book 1
By Madelon Smid
About Fatal Flight:
When he finds Sky Stravinski, Adam Hamilton becomes enmeshed in a world of danger. Did he bring it with him, earning an enemy as chief engineer and test pilot, or find it along with her? Fulfilling his commitment means persuading Sky to meet the grandmother she never knew she had. Recovering from an airplane crash, torn between opposing forces, and caught up in the attacks on Sky, Adam fights for the fascinating pilot, determined to keep her safe, and win her love.
Madelon Smid has the pioneer spirit of a true prairie woman. She seeks inspiration from the rolling hills and river coulees that surround her home; creating characters as intriguing and beautiful as the ever changing skies.Website: http://www.madelonasmid.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madelonsmid
Twitter: https://twitter.com/madelonsmid
Jana Richards~Free Book Tour
Love at Solace Lake Series (Book 1)
She can’t live with one more lie. He can’t tell the truth.Harper Lindquist is convinced she’s found the answer to her financial prayers. Unless she pours cash into crumbling Solace Lake Lodge, she’ll lose her family’s legacy. Her would-be savior arrives in the middle of a Minnesota blizzard and she’s determined to prove to her reluctant, and trapped, financier the lodge is a sound investment. But Harper isn’t completely honest with him. And she has no idea the lake is hiding secrets of its own.
Ethan James is a liar, but his money is very real. He isn’t convinced a broken-down inn is a smart investment opportunity. But the more he understands Harper’s dreams and desires, the more he wants to be the man to make them come true. The trauma in both their pasts means neither can fully trust the other. They must find the courage to love, to trust, and to accept, or yesterday’s sorrows will keep them apart.
Genre: Contemporary Romance, small town romance
Keywords: contemporary romance, small town romance, mystery, touch of paranormal, murder
ISBN: Ebook ISBN 978-0-9952791-0-0
Length: Novel
Heat Level: Spicy, fully described love scenes
Release Date: March 14, 2018
Cover Artist: Angela Waters
As she stared into his dark eyes she realized how much she trusted him, and relied on him. That was something rare for her. The only people she trusted as much were her sisters.
I’m in love with him.
The thought blasted through her brain with the force of a tsunami. The tension of the last few weeks, the insecurity, the mistrust, the fear, slipped easily from her shoulders. For the first time, her mind was clear. She was in love with Ethan and she didn’t want to wait anymore. She wanted him. She wanted him to be her first, her last.
Finding courage she didn’t know she possessed, Harper slid off the stool and walked around the island. She plucked the wine glass from his hand and set it on the counter, then placed his hand on her breast. “Make love with me, Ethan.”
A fire lit in his eyes, telling her he wanted her, too. But there was a question there, a hesitation. “Are you sure?”
She’d never been more sure of anything in her life. “Yes.”
“Harper—”
“Shhh. Let’s not talk anymore.” She placed one finger over his lips, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
Ethan’s reaction was lightning swift. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her close, his mouth descending on hers in a wild, warm kiss. Their tongues tangled, slid over each other. She’d missed his touch, his taste. She moaned, and in the sound she heard thirty-two years of longing.
For this. For him.
When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.
Five Fun Hockey Facts by Linda O’Connor
Today, I welcome Linda O’Connor, and she shares five fun hockey facts…say that fast three times! Be sure and check out her books, especially the boxed set. Also, follow her on social media…and always, always—review the books you read!!
Linda O’Connor, author of The Perfectly Series and In the Game Hockey Romance series.
Linda O’Connor started writing a few years ago when she needed a creative outlet other than subtly rearranging the displays at the local home décor store. It turns out she loves writing romantic comedies and has a few more stories to tell. When not writing, she’s a physician at an Urgent Care Clinic (well, even when she is writing she’s a physician, and it shows up in her stories 😀 ). She hangs out at http://www.lindaoconnor.net.
Laugh every day. Love every minute.
My latest release is a hockey romance, so to celebrate, I thought I’d share 5 fun facts about hockey!
1. Hockey pucks are three inches in diameter. They’re frozen before each game so that they don’t bounce during the game. In the old days, they used frozen cow poop. Bet the goalies are happy with that upgrade!
2. Goalies can’t cross the centre line. Former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ron Hextall was the first goaltender to score a goal by shooting the puck down the ice and into the other team’s net.
3. Twelve women have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup, either as owners or team executives.
4. Canadian goaltender Manon Rhéaume was the first – and only –woman to play in the NHL. She laced up for two exhibition games with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
5. At the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Trent Evans embedded a loonie at centre ice to bring luck to Canada’s men’s and women’s hockey teams. Both brought home gold – it was a lucky loonie! (We needed one at the 2018 games.:D Congrats to the USA Women’s team for winning gold this year!
Dr. Danni Angelo is the team physician for the Clarington Quakes hockey team. She’s worked hard to earn the players’ respect, but the new coach, Trey Mason, is stirring things up, and Danni’s worried her job may be in jeopardy.
Trey finds Danni…distracting. Beauty, brains, and sexy moves on the ice have him uncomfortably attracted. He’s the new guy on the block. He has a reputation to build and a standard to set. The last thing he needs is a complication.
When the team spirals out of control and Danni and Trey get caught up in a drug scandal, things heat up on and off the ice. It’s a whole new game plan…Behind the Bench.
Excerpt
Danni watched the tail end of the in-house broadcast of the news conference and flicked off the screen. How could you not be impressed with that? Trey Mason was confident and eloquent, and spoke in a relaxed and engaging way. The beach-bum blond hair, sculpted cheekbones, and easy smile would win over the non-hockey fans, and his passion and knowledge of the game would impress the followers. He had it all, and landing in a town like Clarington must be a dream come true. For him.
And a nightmare for her.
She had worked part-time as the team physician for the Clarington Earthquakes, Quakes for short, for the past three years. It had taken time to gain the players’ confidence. Being a female physician for a men’s hockey team hadn’t been easy, but she’d built a solid professional relationship.
She loved everything about the job – the energy of the games, working with high-level athletes, and a new clinic in a state-of-the-art arena. She certainly didn’t want it to change because of a new head coach.
Trey Mason couldn’t fire her. Theoretically. That would be up to the owners of the team. He could, however, make her life miserable. And if there was friction between them, it would affect the players, and ultimately, what affected the players influenced the owners. There were two other physicians who shared the job with her and a few more who would be eager to take it on.
He, on the other hand, could be set for a long run if he delivered half of what he’d promised today. She certainly hadn’t seen any charm when he’d walked into the pressroom, and yet it came out in spades when he spoke. She could only hope that her initial impression had been wrong, because between the two of them, it wasn’t likely that he’d be leaving any time soon. Bottom line – she needed to suck it up and get along with the new guy. She sighed. She hated sucking up. She’d thought she was done with that. Apparently not. She shook her head and gritted her teeth. Time to smile and play nice.
Buy links:
Behind the Bench is part of the Coming in Hot: Rescue Me medical romance collection.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07942MKP1
Website: http://www.lindaoconnor.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaOConnorAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindaOConnor98
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Linda-OConnor/e/B00S7CNLEA
Newsletter Sign up : http://www.lindaoconnor.net/contact/
Today is Secretary’s Day, or is it?
Ann Everett, Best Selling Author
Follow Me
Be a Sweet Thang and sign up for my newsletter!
Then, watch your inbox for a sweet surprise!
{I hope you enjoy this sweet, short-story romance!}