Author Spotlight - Blurb & Excerpt from "Rising Above"

Thanks so much for supporting Toni during her week in the spotlight. Enjoy this blurb and excerpt from her latest release, "Rising Above."

Moderator Steph

*******


BLURB:
When modern-day tomboy Wilda Stone is blown back through time to 1874, her hot air balloon crashes above the Owens Valley. Stoic undercover agent Hal Grantham comes to her rescue, promising to take her to the silver mining town of Cerro Gordo. A severe sand storm keeps him from keeping his promise and forces them to seek shelter overnight in a cave, compromising her reputation and forcing Hal into a marriage of convenience.

Wilda is a misfit in Cerro Gordo, too, where their turbulent marriage is filled with adventures, adjustments, and above all else, loving. Then a diphtheria epidemic sweeps through the silver mining town. This same disease felled Hal's first wife and child, so to guarantee Wilda a long life Hal secretly repairs her balloon, and then sends her back to her own time, shattering Wilda's heart. Is her love for her terse husband strong enough to bring this headstrong Caltrans flagperson safely back to Hal's time?


Excerpt:
While the borrowed garments hugged her body with unexpected softness, her reflected image in a long skirt stunned Wilda. She cared little for dresses, and had never worn long skirts. Even as a child, she'd avoided dress-up events. Give her a pair of well-worn jeans and broken-in boots and she was content.

How would she manage those crooked stairs without breaking her neck?

She tried to emulate the way she'd seen Dottie lift her skirt and glide up the stairs, but Wilda's awkward movements only served to hamper her instead. She would trip herself for sure, but she wouldn't need these skirts for long.

Once she found a way to leave...

How could she be certain she could find her way back to her home? Back to her own time?

If only the wind hadn't...

One moment the air was still. The next, she was rushing toward the forbidden magnetic field, the wind at her back and the flame of her furnace extinguished, her balloon out of control.

She had the unpredictable wind to blame for bringing her to Cerro Gordo, although at some future time she wouldn't mind at all visiting here, given the opportunity to choose the time.

The year 2012 would do just fine.

What year is this?

And how do I go about leaving here and returning home?

The room was growing dark. Wilda ran her hand along the wallpaper beside the door in hopes of finding a light switch.

She tried the other wall. Nothing.

At last she noticed the matches and oil lamp on the table, the lamp so like the treasured antique one her grandmother had prominently displayed. She'd overlooked it. Wilda lit the lamp, adjusted the wick, and admired her reflection in the clear glass globe.

The soft glow from the lamp subdued the color of her auburn hair. Highlights flickered in unexpected places. For once her generous proportions pleased her, softened to acceptable curves by the welcome circle of light. Her cheeks glowed with excitement -- or windburn -- but her stomach growled from hunger.

Someone tapped on her door. She took a hesitant step toward it. "Yes?"

"Miss Stone? Are you presentable? It's Dottie. May I come in?"

Wilda turned the key in the lock, slid the bolt, and finally opened the door. Dottie stepped in. Hal followed, quickly shoving the door closed.

"My, my, aren't you the pretty one," Dottie said, giving her a tentative smile, but Wilda hadn't missed the worried look her visitors exchanged. "Are you ready for dinner?"

"Oh, yes. I'm quite--"

"Look, Wilda," Hal said, impatiently interrupting her. "There's not much time to explain because we're late for supper. Just remember, whatever happens downstairs, follow my lead. Understand?"

What did he anticipate happening? They were only going to eat a meal. She gave him a puzzled nod.

"Good. You'll be eating at the table with Dottie and me." As if by habit, he touched the gun strapped to his hip. "I guess we're ready, then."

Wilda's heart gave an anxious flutter, but anticipation far outweighed any worry she entertained as she and Dottie trooped out into the hall. Hal followed. Ace fell in step behind when Hal moved out in front. At the head of the stairs they paused.

From below came the rumble of rowdy voices. Wilda's pulse quickened. To her surprise, she had no difficulty descending the stairs.

Dottie reached the main floor and ducked into a small room furnished as a parlor. The others followed, and all but Wilda engaged in a whispered conference. While waiting for them to finish, she noticed an Inyo County newspaper and a copy of Peterson's Magazine on the lamp table nearby.

Casually, Wilda unfolded and lifted the paper. The headline read "Lone Pine, California Rebuilds Following Disastrous Quake." Dated October 1, 1874, the lead article detailed the devastation that had occurred on March 26, 1872, when an earthquake shook residents of the quiet valley from their beds.

Is this October of 1874?

The corners of the newspaper were dog-eared from frequent handling, but the printed pages showed no sign of age. Wilda estimated the paper couldn't be more than a week old.

A hard knot formed in her stomach. Now she knew the year, she could no longer deny her worrisome suspicions.

Somehow, she had stepped back in time. Her pulse throbbed.

What else had happened in 1874?

The chase for gold in California had slowed to a crawl then and the Civil War had ended.

What else? Was California a state yet?

With all her heart she wished she'd paid more attention to her history lessons.
Why did it matter? Women weren't yet allowed to vote, she was sure.

Without giving Wilda sufficient time to absorb the reality of her predicament, Dottie turned toward the jumble of voices and entered a large paneled room. Wilda had no choice but to drop the newspaper and follow.

Oil fueled glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling. White oilcloth covered the tables arranged in three long rows. She remembered the shiny surface from her childhood. As Wilda entered, a hush fell over the room. A dozen miners sat at each table, their eyes all turned on her. Forks halted in mid-air. Although she followed close behind Dottie, Wilda's skirt caught on a chair leg, tripping her.

Her cheeks heated. Clumsy goose.

Hal, who had somehow wound up behind her, reached to steady her by placing his hand on her upper arm. Her cheeks burned hotter still. Careful now of every step, she watched the placement of her feet with lowered gaze.

From the corner of her eye she saw Hal stop long enough to hang his Stetson on a peg by the door. For some unexplained reason, she took comfort in the sound of his steps behind her.

Dottie led the way to an empty table, showed Wilda where to sit, and headed for the kitchen without waiting for her friends to take their seats.

Hal held Wilda's chair, bending to whisper in her ear, "Dottie's seeing to the food."
He took the place on her right and gave the occupants of the room an intimidating look. Wilda frowned.

Ace sat at the end of the table, surveying the room, his eyes never still, his shoulders tense, waiting, as if he expected something to happen.

What?

Wilda couldn't comprehend the need for a bodyguard, or for the whispered words and knowing looks she'd so far observed but, following Hal's instructions, kept her questions to herself.

Dottie and Chang Li placed white pottery bowls heaped with stew before the newcomers, and then Dottie sank into the vacant chair across from Wilda. The other diners didn't resume talking until Dottie began to eat.

Chang Li placed a cup of steaming coffee before Wilda. Delighted, she sipped the strong brew. In an effort to appease her raging hunger and to give her hands a task, she tackled her stew, a meaty concoction well seasoned with pepper and tasting of wild onions.

She finished it off quickly, along with the dark, yeasty bread.

"The lady has a healthy appetite," Dottie commented.

Wilda glanced around the table. Her bowl was the only empty one. Her cheeks took on new fire. Intense hunger had caused her to forget her manners.

"Everything is so delicious," she said lamely.

Hal and Dottie laughed at her flustered explanation, attracting attention of the miners seated nearby. The men stared at her with interest. One man's openly lascivious grin made Wilda's flesh crawl. She quickly looked away from him, right into Hal's unreadable gaze. After a moment in which her heart thumped wildly, he turned back to his stew.

Looking beyond the heads turned her direction, Wilda saw the evening sky through windows draped with forest green tapestry over sheer curtains of lace. A wide opening to the kitchen revealed the cook stirring a steaming pot on the massive black cooking stove.

The men began leaving the tables, slapping each other on the back, and politely tipping their hats to Wilda. She smiled at the courtesy.

Uh-oh. My mistake.

A toothless man whose shaggy growth of beard partially hid a wide grin separated himself from the group and headed for their table. Hal and Ace both came to attention.

"Evenin' Miss," the miner said, and preened. "Josh Buckston, at your service."

Hal narrowed his eyes at Wilda. She ducked her head, but tuned her ears to listen.

"Looks like the lady's finished with her food," Josh said, apparently for Hal's benefit. "Would you care to step out on the porch with me for a nice breath of fresh air?"

Wilda glanced up before she heard Hal gritting his teeth. "The lady's taken, Buckston," he warned.

"Can't blame a man for trying," Josh said, backing away.

He joined his friends waiting for him near the door. The men leaned in close to hear what he had to say, then stared back over their shoulders at Hal, who raked the cluster of men with a heated look.

Once the group had sauntered out, Hal turned to her, a small smile softening his features. "I'm sorry, Miss Stone," he said. "These men don't often have the occasion to see a pretty woman. I forgot how forward they tend to act at times."

Hal possessed way more gall than Josh Buckston. She was quite capable of speaking for herself. He might at least have given her the opportunity to turn aside the miner's attention, but no. He'd warned her not to speak to the men.

Well, she wouldn't allow Hal's presumptuous rules to run her life.

While no one previously crossing her path had showed any interest in taking her out, the miner who'd approached their table didn't hold any appeal to Wilda. She let her gaze travel about the room, much aware of everyone observing her every move from across the dining hall. She didn't see one she'd care to sit with. Certainly none she'd choose to walk with along a dark road.

Besides, not a man in the room held a candle to Hal. She glanced at him, now deeply involved in whispered conversation with Dottie.

He grimaced and a tiny frown marred the smoothness of his forehead. Somewhere, he'd taken the time to shave and slick his dark hair. It skimmed the collar of his newly laundered black shirt. She was aware of the shirt's aroma, lye soap and the scent of what she supposed was bay rum.

Hal glanced up and caught her smiling. His frown deepened into an aggravated scowl. He shook his head at something Dottie said, but continued to stare at Wilda, trying to communicate some unspoken message she failed to interpret.

Perhaps he'd guessed her thoughts. At the strong possibility, Wilda looked away, flushing, but his words replayed in her mind, and the way he'd looked at her when he referred to her as a pretty woman.

Another group of diners entered and Chang Li soundlessly scurried about, clearing tables and arranging clean place settings of tin utensils.

One of the new arrivals failed to take a seat, choosing instead to head directly toward the table where Wilda and her companions sat. A determined gleam flashed from his eyes, a cocky self-assurance his unwashed face and hands proved unjustified.
At the last minute, he dragged his hat from his head and came to a halt opposite her. He hesitated and squashed his hat against his chest. "Miss, you've done run off with my heart. Marry up with me?"

The miner's flowery speech triggered a grin Willa thought best she swallow. Beside her, Hal stiffened then cleared his throat. Fists clenched, his body half out of the chair, Hal announced to the entire room, "Miss Stone is promised to me."

Toni hangs out here:
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http://www.ToniNoelAuthor.com/blog.html www.ToniNoelAuthor.com

And you can download her books here:
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Here:
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Author Spotlight - Toni Noel talks about the setting for "Rising Above"

Come with me on a visit to the mountain where Wilda Stone's hot air balloon crashed in 1874. The air is crisp in the ghost silver mining town of Cerro Gordo, California, this time of year and gentle breezes blow across the mountain peak and over the crash site. In the distance you can see Owens Valley, and across the valley the snow-tipped peaks around Mt. Whitney.

Only an occasional vehicle turns near Swansea and makes the steep climb up the dirt road, so the only sounds you hear are the call of birds or a dog's bark.

The first thing a visitor sees is the manmade pyramid of rock outside the main shaft, a geologist's dream made up of ore-less rock removed to reach the good stuff. A small railcar once used to haul the rock from the mine dangles precariously over the pyramid. Scattered all around it is a graveyard of rusty, abandoned mining equipment left behind when the rich silver vein played out.

Further up the road is the real cemetery, burial place of a number of Chinese workers felled by sickness and an equal number of ill fated miners who met their maker in a mine cave-in, or staring down a gun barrel leveled to end a quarrel.

The mountain is dotted with home sites no longer occupied, most of them caves. Bottle collectors like to dig in the ruins of those sites, but there's not much left. Previous collectors have just about picked the hillside clean.

The history buff encounters something of interest at every turn. The smoke stacks of two ornate furnaces used for smelting the ore have withstood the elements and still stand, stately monuments to their builders.

The Yellow Road has been extended and visitors who favor rough roads in modern four-wheel drive vehicles go on over the hill and eventually reach Death Valley, but it's not a recommended you take that route because of constantly shifting sand.

The remains of Billy Crapo's store, the assayer's office and the American Hotel interest most visitors, as do the Chinese cook's house and the home Mortimer Belshaw built for himself, but since the owner of Cerro Gordo's death, the caretaker on site discourages visitors from lingering. The setting sun is kind to Cerro Gordo, extending the shadows and painting golden highlights on the few wooden structures in its path.

Toni hangs out here:
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http://www.ToniNoelAuthor.com/blog.html www.ToniNoelAuthor.com
And you can download her books here:
Here:
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Here:
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Author Spotlight - History of Cerro Gordo Mine

Los Angeles was still a sleepy pueblo when Mortimer Belshaw of San Francisco began financing mining operations at the Cerro Gordo mine on the mountain peak by the same name in central California. He built a steep and winding toll road he named the Yellow Road from the valley up to the mine, then built a smelter on the shores of Owens Lake to extract the silver from the rock miners removed with picks.

The silver ingots, obtained when ore-rich rock was put through the smelter ,were then shipped on oxen-pulled, teamster-driven wagons to the port of Los Angeles for shipment to San Francisco, or to the bank.

Eventually two competing furnaces were built in Cerro Gordo and used to separate the silver from the rock, thus avoiding sending heavy loads of rock down the often muddy Yellow Road. The ingots had to be transported at great expense over long distances, and several shipping companies went bankrupt doing it.

The miners risked their lives every time they entered the mines. Trees were scarce on the mountain, so wood was seldom used to shore up the tunnels and frequent cave-ins took many lives. When it rained the mineshafts flooded. The more industrious workers prospected on their own mountainside claims on their day off. Housing was one small room dug into the mountainside, with a tarp for a door and sod for the roof, which got heavy and collapsed when it rained.

For their five and a half days of hard labor, the workers were paid 4 dollars, two hot meals a day at the American Hotel, and a cold lunch eaten in the mine. Water was scarce and all food and supplies had to be hauled up the mountain by mule-pulled wagons. The teamsters who drove those wagons had the best paying jobs.

The twice-daily stagecoaches dropped off hopeful prospectors at the American Hotel and carried the discouraged ones ready to throw in the towel down the hill to seek a better life. The stage was robbed at least once a week.

Life in Cerro Gordo was hard, cold, and uninteresting for most of the residents until October of 1874 when Wilda Stone, the heroine of Rising Above, crashed her hot air balloon near the town and turned the life of the local lawman upside down.

Author Toni Noel hangs out here:
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http://www.ToniNoelAuthor.com/blog.html www.ToniNoelAuthor.com

And you can download her books here:
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Here:
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Author Spotlight - Character interview with Hal Grantham, Hero of "Rising Above."

Author: Hal Grantham, I think everyone in Cerro Gordo wants to know where you were when you found Wilda Stone, the tall woman who rode into town behind you on your horse? Would you mind telling us?

Hal: The other side of Cerro Gordo Peak. I was moving in on the bandits who robbed the noon stage last week when she landed on me from out of nowhere. Those bandits got plum away, but with her help I recovered the loot.

Author: Did you ask her how she came to be there?

Hal: Couldn't get a believable answer out of that woman to save my life, and she was wearing the strangest clothes, the kind a teamster might wear, overalls, fancy boots, and something for her head she called a helmet, none of it suitable for a lady.

Author: How did you get her back to town?

Hal: On my horse, Satan. Took some doing though.

Author: She'd never been on a horse?

Hal: No, that wasn't the problem. She said all her neighbors in Riverside kept horses. I have no notion where that settlement is, though. Strong wind is what caused all my problems. It picked up tumble weeds and gravel and tossed it at Satan. Made my horse shy, and the blowing sand near blinded me.

Author: What did you do?

Hal: The only thing I could do. Covered everything but my eyes with my bandana and watched for a cave big enough to shelter us till it died down.

Author: Did you find one?

Hal: Just in time, it turned out. Wilda was about tuckered out, fighting that wind.
Author: How long before the wind let up?

Hal: Too long. I was cooped up in that cave with a restless woman and a thousand pound horse for two days and nights.

Author: Uh-oh.

Hal: Uh-oh is right. That woman can't just sit down and whittle like a normal person.
Had to be walking or talking most all the time, sometimes both.

Author: But when the wind died down you made it safely to Cerro Gordo, right?

Hal: Wrong. No unmarried woman is ever safe around those love-starved miners.

Author: Oh, dear. I forgot about them. Where is Wilda now?

Hal: Cooped up at the American Hotel and chomping at the bit to get back home, I imagine.

Author: Why is that, I wonder?

Hal: I proposed to the dang woman, but she turned me down. Claims she don't care if her reputation is compromised. She wants nothing to do with a forced marriage.


Author Toni Noel hangs out here:
http://twitter.com/toninoelwriter http://www.facebook.com/AuthorToniNoel
http://www.ToniNoelAuthor.com/blog.html www.ToniNoelAuthor.com

And you can download her books here:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/Toni%20Noel/Page.bok
Here:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-362/Rising-Above-Toni-Noel/Detail.bok
And here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Toni+Noel&x=13&y=20
Or from your favorite eBook store.

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Toni Noel

STEPH: I don't know much about "Rising Above." What's it about?

TONI: In "Rising Above" a misfit heroine takes off in a hot air balloon race, is caught in strong crosswinds and forced back in time to 1874, where she's rescued by an undercover Pinkerton agent. A sandstorm forces them off his horse and to seek shelter in a cave. The wind continues to blow for two days. He insists their stay has compromised her reputation and demands she marry him. Wilda has no intention of entering into a forced marriage. She only wants help getting back to the 21st Century and her home in Riverside, California. The hero, Hal, is determined to keep her out of the reach of love-starved silver miners, and to guarantee her safety. That's difficult, since Wilda is accustomed to working outdoors, and is easily bored.
She agrees to let Hal court her, just to get out of the American Hotel, but falls in love with him, and they marry as soon as a preacher comes to town. Wilda has a lot of adjusting to do, and a lot to learn, but to occupy her time she opens a school for the miner's children and shares her knowledge with them until a diphtheria epidemic spreading through the town shuts down her school. Wilda argues that in her time she had childhood inoculations to prevent the disease, and tends the sick against Hal's wishes. He fears losing her to the sickness, the same one responsible for the sudden death of his wife and young son while he was away on a Pinkerton assignment, and secretly repairs Wilda's balloon so he can send her back to her own time.

STEPH: How long did it take you to write?

TONI: It took about six months to write this time travel historical. Writing a historical is easy for me, for I've lived through a lot of the history.

STEPH: How much research did you have to do?

TONI: We spent two weekends in the restored ghost town of Cerro Gordo, where I listened to tales of its history and bought a book put out by the local historical society. While photographing the town I decided to write the book, and absorbed as much of the local color as I could while I was there.

STEPH:How does the cover reflect the story within?

TONI: My cover is amazing, exactly what I asked for on the cover, but so much more.

STEPH: Wilda Stone is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weakness?

TONI: She was a tomboy growing up, but has never been asked out by anyone, not even the boys she grew up with. She's taller than the other women in Cerro Gordo, and strong willed, which causes Hal no end of problems. She's an excellent seamstress, but a hazard waiting to happen in the kitchen. This headstrong young woman has a big heart and a cheerful disposition, but you wouldn't want her washing your dishes.

STEPH: What does Hal find appealing about her?

TONI: The same characteristics that have him tearing his hair out endear Wilda to Hal. She's always ready to lend a helping hand, and to question his decisions.

STEPH: What is the theme of the novel?

TONI: Love conquers all.

STEPH: As a writer, where do you draw inspiration from?

TONI: I draw most of my inspiration from happenings around me. I never know when inspiration for a book will strike me, whether it's a boarded up house in a ritzy neighborhood, the hunky temp employee I interviewed and hired, or a decaying mining town.

STEPH: Do you have an eBook reader? If so, which one?

TONI: I have a NOOK and a Kindle, and alternate between reading on one of them and reading print books. I like the handy size of my Kindle, but prefer the larger screen on my NOOK.

STEPH: Fun question: What do you like to do for Thanksgiving? Is there something you like to bake? How do you fix your turkey? Brine it? Fry it? Bake it?

TONI: I'm like Wilda. My husband no longer lets me in the kitchen until after the meal. I devil the eggs and chill the green stuff -- a congealed salad with nuts -- ahead of time and help him get the turkey into a turkey bag for baking, then stay out of his way. Everyone comes home for Thanksgiving, wouldn't miss it, but just once I'd like to go to the Thanksgiving feast at the Ahwahnee Hotel.

Author Toni Noel hangs out here:
http://twitter.com/toninoelwriter http://www.facebook.com/AuthorToniNoel
http://www.ToniNoelAuthor.com/blog.html www.ToniNoelAuthor.com

And you can download her books here:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/Toni%20Noel/Page.bok
Here:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-362/Rising-Above-Toni-Noel/Detail.bok
And here:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Toni+Noel&x=13&y=20
Or from your favorite eBook store.

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from Animal Instinct

Thanks so much for supporting Lynette and Tami during their week in the spotlight. Leave a comment today, Saturday, Sunday on this excerpt post and don't forget to include your email. I'll pick one lucky winner at random on Monday to receive a PDF copy of their novel, "Animal Instinct."

Enjoy the Excerpt!
Smiles
Moderator Steph

***********

Sean tried to shrug away the tension gathering in his shoulders and the back of his neck. He'd seen the clinic on his way home yesterday, and he didn't know where any other vets were located. He prayed someone would be there, and they could take his dog. The sting the poor boy got during their morning run was swelling around his eye and his breathing seemed more shallow than just a minute before. As a first responder, he knew the signs of anaphylactic shock, and he was terrified. He shifted King's weight and kept on jogging, a slower jog with the extra hundred pounds, but he didn't want to waste any time. He was close, just another half a block. "Hold on, King, I'll get you some help." He shouldered his way through the door. He barely took in the prim ladies with their lap dogs on leashes. He only had eyes for the person behind the counter who could get him some help.

"Doctor Al's office, Carol speaking. How can we help you and your pet today?"

She wasn't talking to him. She was answering the phone. He rested King, all sprawling, hairy, panting, wheezing dog, right on the counter in front of her.
His swollen eye was on her side of the counter. She couldn't miss it.

"Just a moment, I have an emergency," she said to the caller. "I'm putting you on hold."

The woman was quick and competent. She called over her shoulder, "Doctor Al, we have an emergency in Exam One." Then she turned to Sean as she opened the door to the side of the counter. "Follow me." She opened another door into an exam room, grabbing what he recognized as the new epi pen on her way through. He carefully placed King on the table in front of them. "I will get you some paperwork in a minute. Do I have permission to treat your dog?" He nodded and she put the needle against King's neck and pressed the life-saving drug into his system just as Doctor Al came into the room.

King was already breathing easier.

Sean's whole body relaxed in relief. "Thank you, thank you." He pressed the hand of the lady from the front desk; the motherly one who had acted so quickly
"You're welcome. Doctor Al will look at your dog now. Stop by here before you leave."

Doctor Al was a woman. That was the first thing that registered. She was petite, with very small but competent hands examining King's body. "Carol has given your dog a dose of an antihistamine to quiet what appears to be an allergic reaction." She flicked her gaze to him. "How long ago did this bite or sting happen?"

*****

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Author Spotlight - Tami & Lynette talk about the animal helpers in Animal Instinct

In the Time After Time Saga every hero and heroine has an animal helper. They aren't always the same book to book so I won't give away the future.

In Animal Instinct the helper to the woman of the Heartmark is Slainte' (pronounced slawn cha - and sometimes shortened to Cha Cha.) Slainte' is a Gaelic toast to health - and the real cat she was named for, which belongs to Lynette Endicott, needed all the health she could get when we rescued her.

The helper to the hero in Animal Instinct is his German shepherd K9 partner on the police force. He is named for the German Shepherd given to my family when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. Unfortunately no one knew how to train him or had the time, so the generous breeder who gave him to us took him back. Now that I am an adult dog owner I know that walking him and being consistent with his training would have given us a fabulous dog, but it was not to be.

Here are a few photos of the real life Slainte'. She is a feisty little thing who keeps the other cat and dog in line in a very intentional way. Notice her eyes are usually golden, not green. Tami Dee, the co-author on Animal Instinct, and Lynette recently discovered that both have rescued calico cats, although Tami's is much older. Their markings are very similar.

She is the only animal that Lynette's daughter's very lively beagle/bassett mix respects. She is smaller than the other cat but twice as feisty.
*****

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Author Spotlight - Lynette & Tami talk about what drew them to write the Time After Time Series together

Tami

For a couple of people who met in an on-line critique group, Tami Dee and Lynette Endicott have some odd things in common, including:

· No sons born into our immediate families - daughters only

· Both have cockatiels (a recent discovery). Lynette's showed up on my back patio one day, starving but mostly healthy.

· Both have adopted calico cats - and except for the age difference they even look a lot alike.

· Both live in the Central valley in California (which we didn't know when we "met" on line)

· Both enjoy writing romance, including some speculative elements (like time travel)

· Both have a moral aversion to paranormal elements in our books due to personal faith

· Both like our books steamy but not explicit and want the sex within the bounds of marriage

· Each has helped the other out in the writing journey

And now we can add - we are writing a series of books together! Sometimes people ask how that happened. Great question - and like many blessings in life it just...happened.

Lynette had the idea of a series of generational books, where the heroine in each faces the same enemy in her own way. It was pretty nebulous at first. And Tami is one of the people she runs ideas by.

The only one excited about the concepts at first! And as the structure of the books unfolded each contributed elements and had ideas for books, and so it became natural to write them together.

Lynette

The whole experience has been on line! While we have met, very briefly, twice, most of our connection has been email. . (One meeting was to hand off a manuscript in the days before we emailed them, and the other was at the Pleasanton Scottish games where you were doing some research. I regret now that we didn't take a photo together! On our book tour!) So each of us has taken the lead on half the books, and we have gone back and forth in email to tweak and fill out the family stories until we have something that I think is fun, exciting, interesting - and I hope the readers will, too.

People have been asking what it is like to work together on these books. It is very motivating. When one knows the other is waiting she gets to the work a little faster, and when one is stuck on a plot point she has someone to talk to about it besides my husband.

The most amazing thing about this journey is that they think so much alike!
They didn't alternate chapters, like some people assume. Each is taking the lead on three of the series of six that we've set out. The first, Animal Instinct (AI), where Lynette led and Tami contributed humor and sizzle, is out this week. They are well along in the second, Survival Instinct (SI) where Tami led and have completed the first draft.

The first book released August 21. Here are our links - and Tami also has an ap for Android or iPhone.
*****

View video Trailer at Video trailer: http://bit.ly/OJFLzrl
Download from: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-332/Time-After-Time-Book/Detail.bok
http://tamidee.blogspot.com/
www.lynetteendicott.com
http://www.tamidee.com/
https://twitter.com/LynetteEndicott
https://twitter.com/authortamidee
www.facebook.com/authorlynetteendicott
https://www.facebook.com/tami.dee.7

Author Spotlight - Tami and Lynette introduce the Time After Time Series

The Time After Time Saga is a series of six books (at least that is how many the authors can see right now) set in different time periods as they track the women of the Heartmark and their conflict with the ancient enemy of their family, who travels through time to find them. Tami and Lynette came up with the ideas in on-line brainstorming, and have written the first two entirely through email correspondence.The plan is fun and inspiring for both. Each will take the lead for half the stories. What do we mean by take the lead? Simply put, Lynette writes one book, is responsible for all the hard stuff, writing the first draft, story line, editing, formatting, etc. Once completed, she e-mails the draft to Tami and she gets to go in and play. Then Tami writes the next book and Lynette gets to play! We sincerely hope you enjoy reading this ongoing series as much as we are enjoying writing it! Here is what you have to look forward to:

Animal Instinct, August 2012 (Lynette)
Survival Instinct, April 2013 (Tami )
Pioneer Instinct, December 2013 (Lynette)
Protective Instinct, August 2014 (Tami)
Maternal Instinct, April 2015 (Lynette )
Primal Instinct, December 2015 (Tami )

*****

View video Trailer at Video trailer: http://bit.ly/OJFLzrl
Download from: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-332/Time-After-Time-Book/Detail.bok
http://tamidee.blogspot.com/
www.lynetteendicott.com
http://www.tamidee.com/
https://twitter.com/LynetteEndicott
https://twitter.com/authortamidee
www.facebook.com/authorlynetteendicott
https://www.facebook.com/tami.dee.7

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Stephanie Burkhart

Q: Victorian Scoundrel is a steampunk romance. What's steampunk?

STEPH: A steampunk is set between 1830-1901 during the reign of Queen Victoria when steam was king. A more traditional setting is England, but you aren't limited to the setting. You can set the story during the American civil war if you want or in Brazil or Africa. It's basically an alternative universe that involves time traveling or paranormal creatures. You've got goggles, strange gadgets, and lots of soot. Think "Sherlock Holmes" with Robert Downey Jr. and you get the feel for a steampunk.

Q: Why write a steampunk?

STEPH: Gail Delaney, Editor-in-Chief, put out a call for some steampunk fiction. It was something I hadn't tried before so I decided to go for it.

Q: What inspired the plot?

STEPH: A lot of research. After researching the tone and feel of the steampunk genre, I decided I wanted something more traditionally Victorian. For me, nothing embodies the height of the Victorian age than the Great Exhibition in 1851. Now what would really make the Great Exhibition shine? A dirigible. From there I came up with the plot – Edmund wanting to give his great-grandfather, Prince Albert, a dirigible. A bit long winded, but I rarely get inspiration from dreams.

Q: How long did it take you to write?

STEPH: About 3 months including research.

Q: How did you come up with the title?


STEPH: Well, Edmund may be a prince, but he's very self-absorbed, or should I say, determined to give Prince Albert a dirigible. Then there's Grayson. I'll let you decide who the scoundrel is.

Q: How many books do you have planned for "The Windsor Diaries?"

STEPH: Right now, two. The sequel is "A Gentleman and a Rogue." There might be a third. –wink-

Q: What do you want readers to take away from reading the novel?

STEPH: I want them to be entertained and to feel like they were a fly on the wall in Alice's hotel room.

Q: Do you have an e-reader?

STEPH: I have a Kindle and I love the text to speech feature. I let it read to me in the car on the way to work.

Q: What's your favorite summer fruit?

STEPH: Watermelon.

Q: What are you reading now?

STEPH: Game of Thrones by George RR Martin.

BOOK TEASER ON YOU TUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IUYj2d7ZeY

AMAZON KINDLE BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Windsor-Diaries-Book-One-ebook/dp/B0058UG9Q6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310085532&sr=8-1

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thewindsordiariesbookonevictorianscoundrel-571272-141.html

BARNES & NOBLE NOOK BOOK BUY LINK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-windsor-diaries-book-one-stephanie-burkhart/1104099940?ean=2940012813824&itm=1&usri=the%2bwindsor%2bdiaries

REVIEWS: 5 Stars, Readers Favorites, Molly E: I have never read a Steam Punk novel before, but because of her fantastic writing, her engaging plot line, and fun loving characters, it will NOT be the last. I highly recommend this with highest of 5 stars, and I can't wait until the second Windsor Diaries installment releases!

5 Stars, Tami Dee, Author of the Mists of Time Series: Stephanie Burkhart has a fresh, quick, quirky, inventive imagination and she gives the readers of Victorian Scoundrel a delightful mixture of all of the above!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 Operator for LAPD. Her favorite football team is the New England Patriots. She lives in California.

Featured March 2011 Release - Through a Viking Mist by Tami Dee

BLURB:

Two enemies left standing on a blood drenched battlefield. Who will take the as yet unclaimed land for their own?

Ofeig Nabboddrson, a warrior from his youth up, is determined to claim the rich land now stained with blood as his. The only thing standing in his way is a magnificent Valkyrie, a woman who he has seen only in battle and who is called ‘The Protector’.

Eva Samsdottir, an extraordinary woman who singlehandedly saves the children of her village from slavery amidst a deadly raid. Unbeknownst to her a bigger battle awaits her in a Time not her own. Will she have the courage to survive the future?


EXCERPT:
Ofeig walked Eva to her door. It was a long walk, due to a local drug dealer having set up shop in the elevator. He refrained from breathing the first few flights of stairs, but as he had the first time, by the fourth floor, he had to breathe or pass out.

Yet unlike the last time he made this trek -- what, just four or so hours ago -- he now knew why she lived in squalor.

Every penny she earned went to her schooling and to the women's shelter.

Kat would love Eva should they ever meet, he mused, for they were kindred spirits.

She peeked at him through thick lashes. "You really don't have to walk me all the way to my door." He wanted to kiss her so bad he ached.

It was clear that she was nervous, her hand shook as she fumbled with the keys. He took the heavy key chain from her and slipped the key into the first lock, the next key into the second, and lastly the third key and he turned the knob, pushing open the door.

As soon she stepped over the threshold, he gave into the temptation and kissed her.

Her response was instant and passionate.

Firm curves melted into him and had his body tighten like a bow ready to be loosed. Heat, his, hers, seeped through clothing and seared skin.

He relished the taste of her, the scent, and the feel. Of their own accord his hands caressed the slim column of her neck, inching their way into her hair, upsetting the pins holding it in place. Silken gold locks slipped through eager fingers as he gently held her head within the palms of his hands.

She sighed into his mouth and it was almost his undoing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I am a member of Romance Writers of America, Desert Breeze Connections, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.

My hobbies include reading, writing, going to the movies and taking weekend trips to Half Moon Bay, CA. I love reading time travel romances and writing one myself has been very enjoyable.

Featured August Release - Beyond a Viking Horizon by Tami Dee

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Balmung Nabbodderson is a man whose feet are as firmly planted in the year 908 as the roots of his thriving crops.

Until, that is, he makes an unexpected discovery within the very soil he had vowed never to leave…

Iris Johnson is a woman of color living in the time of the Great Depression. Suddenly widowed, she is left to raise four children against all odds.

With the security and well being for her children her utmost concern, will she be able to trust and open her heart to a man who claims to have come from a Time one thousand years past?


EXCERPT:
"Good sleep, Iris."

Balmung tucked a gentle finger under her chin and tilted her face as he lowered his lips to hers. Sweet heat seeped through her as she returned his kiss with an urgency that left her breathless. His lips were firm yet soft, demanding as well as accepting. Her skin broke out in goose bumps when his big hands skirted over her back, then moved to her waist, caressing, stroking, easing their way over her ribs with tenderness and passion. They stopped just short of her breasts, a brief hesitation, as if waiting for a sign from her that they could continue their exploration. She briefly thought of her children sleeping just on the other side of the door, yet her body yearned. Yearned for something which she had taken for granted for so long, yet had ended so suddenly, so unexpectedly, so completely, when Noah had died.

She didn't realize that she was crying until he pulled his lips from hers and moved them to her damp cheeks. With a gusty sigh, he dropped two light kisses onto each of her closed lids, then tucked her under his chin and hugged her tight.

"I want you, Iris," he said, his voice thick with need. "And it is clear that you want me, also. But when we share a bed, it will be only you and I in that bed."

She gasped, jerking her eyes open to stare at him.

He gave her a soft smile. "It's okay, Iris," he soothed. "I can only imagine how difficult it is for you to have once loved so completely, knowing that you were loved so completely in return, and then suddenly find that your body can hum for another man. That you can have feelings for another man."

He trailed a finger down her cheek, following the path of a fresh tear. "I respect what you and Noah had. I will not ask you to try and have the same bound with me as you did with him. But I do want a part of your heart, and your body, Iris, a part which only belongs to me."

He sighed, pressing his forehead to hers.

"When you're ready, I will be waiting for you."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tami is a member of Romance Writers of America, Desert Breeze Connections, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.

Her hobbies include reading, writing, going to the movies and taking weekend trips to Half Moon Bay, CA. She loves reading time travel romances and writing one myself has been very enjoyable.

Desert Breeze congratulates Tami on her new release!