Last respite before the holidays!

This book is the second in The Sisters O’Ryan series. In the first book, Regan marries and leaves home to find her future in Oregon. She loses her husband on the way but continues to start a new life in the wild new territory. Siobhan marries twins and takes herself to San Francisco. In the fourth book, Maire strikes out to join a group studying tribal languages in the Arizona territory where she gives her heart to both a cowboy and an Indian. All of the sisters have found love then, except Anya. She married an abuser and barely escaped the marriage with her life. As Anna, she lives in a Missouri town, in love from afar with the local sheriff when a stranger wanders into town. A stranger who’s hunting for someone. And now he’s found her.

October is a great time to take a few minutes to read a great book—or start a new series—before the hectic holidays arrive. Enjoy!

Blurb:
In 1875, Anya O'Ryan Stockwell runs from her husband in an effort to escape his abuse. Two years later, as Anna Runyon, her illusion of safety is shattered when Brandon Monroe enters her boarding house. Even the sheriff, Lowry MacLaughlin, doesn't understand the fear Bran inspires because he doesn't know Anna's history—or that she's married. If Jeremiah Stockwell knows her whereabouts, she'll have to run again.

Bran knows immediately that Anna Runyon is the woman he's been paid to find. Now, however, desire keeps him from fulfilling his contract. When Stockwell is killed on the way to claim his wife, Anna asks both Bran and Lowry to help her experience love for one night. By dawn they all know that one night isn't enough to answer her fantasies. Or her happiness. Only the determination of both men—and their guns—will do that.

Buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-ORyan-Publishing-Menage-Everlasting-ebook/dp/B008RCJ14Y 

Excerpt:
In the attic where she had a cot set up, Anna paced half the night away. She bit her bottom lip, trying to decide if Bran Monroe had intended his innuendo to pierce her defenses or if she was letting her imagination run away with her. If indeed he had come to Brompton looking for her, she had to make plans right away to move on. She took an accounting in her head of the money she had saved in the bank. She added to that rather small sum the amount Monroe had paid in advance for the room. He could have the room and be damned in it, but he couldn’t have her. She would never go back, never. Atlanta was no longer home. The city held no one and nothing she cared to go back for.

Sadly, she thought of leaving Brompton. If it came to that, she would, but not without heavy regrets. Not the least of which was Lowry. She loved him. She had loved him for a year or longer but until tonight had always kept her distance. The mess into which she had gotten herself was not his to fight, and she wouldn’t subject him to it, even knowing he would do anything in his power to protect her. He was a lawman, after all.

Lowry, more than anyone she’d known, believed in the power of the law—she’d never known him to do even the smallest thing against his principles. Everyone in town knew they always could count on him to do the just thing, to know what was right in any situation and follow through, regardless of who was involved. An association with her would put all of that at risk. She would never do that to him.

She slumped on the cot and covered her face, willing herself not to cry. If she was wrong about Monroe and his arrival in town had nothing to do with her, everything would be fine once he left. But if not, what could she do?

Only what she’d done before. Run.

A little about me:
A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex.

 After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website. And all three offer some of the best romance you can find! Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity.

Author links:

Website: https://nomadauthors.com

Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749

Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K

 

 

OUT NOW - Taken by the Angel of Death by @meganslayer

 

Taken by the Angel of Death (Taken 14)

A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel NY Megan Slayer

One touch sends her victims to hell. But he’s already been there. Would not recommend. 0 stars.

Loren knows her job. She’s an angel of death. When she allows herself to be seen, there are no survivors. She drives too fast, has no filter, and bows to no man. Then she sees a vampire crumpled on the ground. It’s not his time. She can’t leave him to die, but she won’t get involved with him. Too bad he’s cute.

Michel never wanted to be turned. Never wanted to offer his services. Terminal illness? You’re going to perish anyway? Want to do it on your terms? Then he can help. It’s part of his death wish. But he can’t die. When he finds himself in the presence of the most beautiful, moodiest woman he’s ever seen, he can’t forget her. But she won’t touch him. He makes it his mission to get to know and melt her defenses so they can both have their heart’s delight.

If nothing else, he’ll die trying.

She kills. He can’t die. They shouldn’t work, but what if they did and the results are fire?

Available at Changeling Press : 

https://www.changelingpress.com/taken-by-the-angel-of-death-taken-14-b-3899

And Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HHB8S3VP

Excerpt:

Taken by the Angel of Death (Taken 14)
Megan Slayer
All rights reserved. 
Copyright ©2026 Megan Slayer

Loren cleaned the blood from her hands once she settled behind the wheel of her car. She didn’t bother to watch the woman or call for help. That wasn’t her job. Besides, what would she say? The Angel of Death is calling and would like an ambulance to be sent to the corner of Oak and Elm? Yeah, that wouldn’t do much good. No one would believe her.

She drove away, leaving the scene. In the regular world, she’d be in trouble for fleeing the site of an accident. But no one saw her, save for the drunken woman and no one would believe her, either. They’d think Loren was a figment of her sloshy mind.

Loren flexed her fingers on the steering wheel. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a conversation with someone who wasn’t at Just One More. Certainly not with someone who wanted to speak to her.

Not that she wanted to have deep discussions with anyone. Most people annoyed her. She stopped at the traffic light and a thought occurred to her. If I’m not careful and don’t rein in my sarcastic attitude, I’ll turn into Bubsy.

She gagged.

No one is as insufferable as Bubsy.

She drove for two hours before reaching her next destination near Pittsburgh. She spied a man crossing the dark street. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and his head down. His gait was quick, like he was hurrying away from someone. She kept watching. This guy wasn’t on her list. Was he perishing tonight? This wasn’t exactly a great area and people did die here.

Another being rushed up to the man. Something glinted. A knife? She wasn’t going to be a witness to this. Loren parked and surged from her vehicle. She lunged between the men, pushing the first one out of the way.

Gaining Confidence through Micro Habits

Last month I had one of the best writing months I’ve had in a long time. Possibly years. I completed my goal for the month with more than ten days to go. And I wasn’t an easy goal. When I decided on my goals for the quarter, I’d debated lowering the goal because it seemed a little too ambitious, since it was still more than I had consistently written in a long time. I didn’t have much hope I could accomplish it.

Clearly, I was wrong.

And how was I able to commit to this goal and write more than I had in months? Micro Habits.

In the past I’ve tried to use Micro Goals, which is a similar idea. With Micro Goals, you set small goals that you know you can’t possibly miss. Such as write a hundred words. Or write a sentence. Something so small, there’s no way that your brain can convince you it’s not possible. And then once you get started, you’re very likely to keep going. The point of Micro Goals isn’t to just do that small amount, the idea is to lower the bar for entry, assuming that once you get started, you’ll keep going. And from my experience, most of the time you do.

Micro Habits are similar, but instead of being a goal to hit for the day, it’s a habit you want to create. It could be something as small as turn on your computer, read one sentence, drink one glass of water. Any habit you want to start. Something so small you can’t talk yourself out of, but something you can build on in the future.

For me, I wanted to build the goal of working on my story first thing in the morning. That way not only would I be able to get my writing done early, when I had full brain power and more focus, but also I would be more connected to my story all day, and more likely to pick it up if I had free time. I didn’t decide on a particular goal for these early morning writing sessions, but instead my focus was just on building the habit of engaging with my story in some way. Even if that means only reading a sentence.

I’ve been frustrated over the last few months with how little I’ve been getting done, so I started researching ways to be more disciplined and Micro Habits were one of the suggestions. But the brilliance behind this micro strategy isn’t just lowering the barrier for entry—which is absolutely does—but it’s also about building confidence in yourself. Building your confidence that you can complete a goal, that you can do what you set your mind to, even if it is small.

And I do think that is an issue I’ve struggled with over the last few years. I’ve been great about setting goals, but not great about following through. And even if I didn’t realize it, I might have subconsciously started to believe that I just wasn’t capable of it. It has been extremely gratifying to be able to follow through on these habits, even if it’s meant only writing a few words, or rearranging a few sentences.

And I do believe it is working. I do feel more confident. In my writing, but probably in the rest of my life too, because I’ve been doing these Micro Habits. I feel more hopeful, more optimistic, and more determined, which I couldn’t love more. I feel more like myself when I am striving towards something or completing a goal, and these Micro Habits have offered me that reassurance.

So if you feel like you’ve been struggling for a while, and you just can’t force yourself to do what you need to accomplish your goals, think about trying a Micro Habit or Micro Goal to build your confidence. Give yourself a few weeks to prove what you are capable of, and I bet you’ll be amazed by how confident and determined you’ll become. And just how much you’ll be able to accomplish. 

Autumn’s mysterious path #WritingLife #RomanceNovels

After unpacking too many boxes and putting away dishes and clothes, I took a moment to sit outside on my new front porch, unprepared for how fast time has gone by. The air has changed from a sticky mist to crisp, with just the right amount of sweetness, like the perfect apple. The overcast sky was streaked with gray, like my hair has become. Summer has gone to sleep, giving the show to autumn.

Soon, green leaves will turn red and gold, along with that fiery orange color that makes my breath catch. The brisk nights will eventually lead to cold days, and the trees will be stripped and stark under a sky that gives no mercy to the things and people that crave the bright heat. Where summertime exists in a blaze of light, autumn is darker. She makes us search for answers. In that landscape, I see potential, and I see the impending winter.

As the gray in my hair multiplies, and my seasons and surroundings change, I have even more questions, and more mysteries I want to solve. I finished writing the last book in my Stranger Creatures series (steamy, paranormal romance) and, after taking a moment to catch my breath, new characters and new stories are begging to come to life inside my composition notebook.

 

What I’m working on now:

I’ve just begun writing book 2 in my Haven Forest Resort series, and, as with my Stranger Creatures series, each book in the series will feature a different couple in their fight for a happily ever after. I’ve also been working on a couple of romantasy novellas featuring women in their forties navigating unexpected new paths in life, as well as writing more poetry and dystopian fiction short stories.

 

If you’d like to follow me on social media for my latest book information and excerpts, poems, contest info, book recommendations, and other fun stuff, you can find me at:

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Lynn-Lambert/e/B01MCYK0K7

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christina-lynn-lambert

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinalynnlambert

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15900423.Christina_Lynn_Lambert

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinalynnlambert

Wordpress: https://christinalynnlambertwordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cllambauthor.bsky.social

What We Really Need

 

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about how life has changed because of things like political correctness, Woke Culture, and Artificial Intelligence. It occurred to me that what we really need right now is more intelligent romance in entertainment, especially in the movies. Intelligent, witty romantic comedies have pretty much disappeared. I’m talking about thoughtfully-written mainstream films aimed at grown-ups that combine romance, intimacy, laughs, and happy endings.  

 

Do you remember movies like “You’ve Got Mail,” “Bridesmaids,” “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” “Splash,” and “When Harry Met Sally”? These were cute romantic comedies that weren’t crude, controversial, or obnoxious. They contained humor that people over 21 could appreciate, along with the realistic ups and downs of contemporary relationships. There was enough sexual innuendo and tension to keep things interesting, along with the burning question “Will they, or won’t they?” Buried somewhere in the script was a message about what it takes to make a relationship work, but they didn’t beat you over the head with it. 

 

Go back in time for even better examples. The sexual revolution in the 1960s gave us sophisticated bedroom comedies like “Pillow Talk,” “Lover Come Back,” “The Thrill of It All,” “Move Over, Darling,” and “Who Was That Lady?” The plots usually revolved around a guy with seduction on the brain chasing a beautiful woman, with some zany plan to get her between the sheets. To make it seem legitimate, they fell in love by the closing credits. Adult situations and sexually-charged dialogue abounded, as much as the censors would allow. Luckily, we had charming actors like Rock Hudson, Doris Day, James Garner, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood who could pull it off with a wink and a smile, without being offensive.

Most television offerings lately have shied away from this concept as well. Older romantic comedies like “Moonlighting,” “Cheers,” “Mad About You,” and “Who’s the Boss?” contained enough sexual tension to keep you tuning in every week to find out what happened between the lead characters. While their humor appealed to everyone, these shows were geared more toward grown-ups, as opposed to family fluff like “Full House.” An earlier example of a sophisticated romantic comedy is “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (1960-65). The happy couple may have had separate beds because the censors dictated it, but there was definitely something going on after lights out. After all, their son, Richie, wasn’t left on the doorstep.   

       

What do we have to take the place of these witty relationship comedies today? We have action-packed shoot-‘em-ups that mandate one car chase, shoot-out or explosion every 22 minutes. Reality shows with preposterous concepts vie for our attention, along with intense dramas and police procedurals. Some current network sitcoms may include romance, but there isn’t much in the way of good-natured sexual teasing.      

   

Romantic sex comedies at the multiplexes have been pushed aside in favor of loud, splashy spectacles featuring buff superheroes and explosive action. Regarding the modern blockbuster, film writer R.S. Benedict noted “Everyone is beautiful and yet, no one is horny.” I used to enjoy films like those when they weren’t so commonplace, and seeing one on a big screen with surround sound was a major event. That was a special experience you couldn’t get at home.

 

Luckily for everyone, romance and sex are alive and well in books, including those written by the talented contributors to this blog. E-book and audio book sales continue to increase every year. A recent study noted that divorce was down 22%. Perhaps those couples read our books or watched a few romantic comedies and took notes.

Tim Smith is an award-winning, bestselling author of romantic mystery/thrillers and contemporary erotic romance. His website is Tim Smith-AllAuthor. 

 

Come Up To My Lab And See What's On the Slab

 

Not that lab, although it's certainly fabulous

The Long and Short Reviews question for October 7th asks what profession from a book, movie, or TV show I’d like to try and why?

I don’t want to try it at this point because I’m old and tired and my body is a complete dumpster fire thanks to years of abusing it working at physically demanding jobs that usually didn’t pay enough to justify the kind of punishment being heaped on this old carcass. That being said, I was always interested in the idea of being a medical examiner. 

It would have been fulfilling to learn why people died and to potentially help solve crimes. Of course, it would have been frustrating when I couldn’t achieve that objective. One of the things that held me back from being more aggressive about actually pursuing the training for this career was the thought of doing autopsies on children. It’s easier to have a clinical mindset when the person being examined is an adult.

On TV, female medical examiners often have their hair down, aren’t wearing masks, and have perfect makeup. In real life, required protective measures override glamorous montages. That would have suited me fine. I’m completely unglamorous, and, as far as I know, I’ve never been the subject of a montage. 

https://longandshortreviews.com

Visit me at naughtynetherworldpress.start.page

Coming this month, Race the Thunder, the 4th novel of the World Gone Dark series by January Bain!

 

Good Morning to you, and Happy October!

Aw, the witching season is upon us, the leaves are turning, pumpkin spice is everywhere, and the publishing industry is already thinking about Christmas. Meanwhile, my Mackenzie Clan of Kentucky, has considerably bigger problems. 

They're trying to find each other.

The lights have gone out.
The world they knew has disappeared.
The roads are no longer safe.
And somewhere between Kentucky, California, prison cells, abandoned highways, and a world slipping steadily into chaos, a family is desperately trying to make its way home.

So while the rest of us are deciding which Halloween costume to wear and wondering when it's socially acceptable to put up the Christmas tree...

I'm over here worrying about whether my characters are going to survive the next chapter.

Such is the glamorous life of a writer. 😉

And now the Mackenzie family's journey continues in Race the Thunder.

I can't tell you too much without spoiling the fun, but I can tell you this:

The world may have gone dark.
The Mackenzies haven't.

They are still searching.
Still fighting.
Still making impossible choices.
And still discovering that surviving the apocalypse may be easier than deciding what kind of people they want to become afterward.

That's really where the heart of World Gone Dark lives for me.

It's not simply a story about the end of civilization.

It's a story about what remains when civilization is stripped away.

What do we protect?
Who do we become?
Who do we refuse to leave behind?

And perhaps most importantly...

How far would you go to get home?

                                    RACE THE THUNDER
                                   World Gone Dark Book 4

                              The world ended in a single day.

                             Getting home may take a lifetime.

October always feels like an appropriate month to release readers into a little darkness, don't you think?

There's something about this time of year—the shortening days, the cold creeping into the evenings, the leaves disappearing from the trees—that makes us think about what happens when the familiar world changes.

That's probably why I love writing stories about people being tested.

Because the interesting question isn't whether the world will change.

It always does.

The interesting question is what we do when it does.

So, while the publishing world prepares for Christmas, I'll be sitting at my desk with another cup of coffee, trying to keep the Mackenzies alive long enough to get them home.

Wish me luck.

They have a rather unfortunate habit of surprising their author. 😉

Hugs, January Bain

Storyteller