I am really excited about Preslaysa Williams’s debut novel, Healing Hannah’s Heart. I learn something new from her on Facebook–I know, right?–on a regular basis, and I cannot wait to read this book. So without further ado…

Preslaysa Williams is an award-winning author who writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction with an Afro-Filipina twist. Proud of her heritage, she loves sharing her culture with her readers. She is currently earning her second graduate degree, a MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University. She holds an undergraduate degree in Spanish Language & Literature from Columbia University.

Preslaysa is also a professional actress, a planner nerd, an avid bookworm, and a homeschool mom who often wears mismatched socks. To follow along with her busy life, visit her at www.preslaysa.com where you can sign up for her newsletter community.

What inspired the story concept for HEALING HANNAH’S HEART? 

I originally wrote Healing Hannah’s Heart as a romance novel, but then I decided to change it to women’s fiction. I wanted to focus specifically on Hannah’s journey to wholeness after experiencing the horrific fire. In order to do so, I lessened the romantic element of the story and honed in on the greater themes of self-image, identity, and personal transformation. 

Hannah is an Afro-Filipina fashion model. Does her ethnicity play into her character development in any way? 

It does. Healing Hannah’s Heart is an own voices story. I am African-American and Filipino. It’s a unique intersection of identity that is reflected in the work itself. As I was writing, I found myself exploring concepts about being a second-generation daughter of an immigrant, as well as institutionalized discrimination, too. 

What do you want readers to take away from Healing Hannah’s Heart? 

I want readers to see flawed characters who make the best life choices they can, given the cards they’re dealt. I want readers to also know that despite imperfect circumstances, we can always find ways to heal and find hope.

In addition to writing, you’re also an actress. How did you get started in acting? 

I started off many, many years ago as a child actor. I pounded the pavement in New York City, attending auditions for Broadway shows, movies, and TV. I eventually landed a co-starring role on Nickelodeon’s The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. Suzanne Collins, the author of The Hunger Games trilogy, was one of the writers on the show. 

And you also worked on This is Us and Homeland! What was that like? 

Working on those shows was a huge blessing. After I graduated from college, I took a long hiatus from acting in order to focus on family and writing. In 2016, one of my friends from the acting world suggested that I get into acting again, and so I did. The first gig that I landed was a bit role in This Is Us. It was very fun being on set again. I felt as if I was back in my element. 

What’s your writing process like? 

It’s very detailed. I’m a plotter. Since I am also a homeschooling mom, I have to be very strategic about my writing time. So I take at least a month to pre-plan my novels, scene by scene. 

What is next for you, writing wise? 

I just completed a contemporary romance which focuses on the love relationship between a bridal gown designer and a single Dad. Right now, I’m editing the draft. I’m also working on another women’s fiction. And I’m putting the finishing touches on a short story which I hope to release in November. I love working on multiple projects. It keeps my mind busy!

Healing Hannah’s Heart

Hannah Hart may have been burned by the breakup of her rocky marriage, but the ambitious Afro-Filipina model has big plans for her future. Her stunning looks and flawless skin provide the opening she craves to become a celebrity in the fashion world. Then an arsonist’s match brings Hannah’s world crashing down around her.

Recovering from the burns that destroyed her skin, Hannah is forced to accept help from the last person on earth she wants, her estranged husband, Jake Hart. Jake isn’t ready to give up on their marriage. The return of Jake’s teenage son from a one-night stand had been the catalyst for their breakup. How can he help both the son who resents his abandonment and the woman he still loves? He can do nothing about the scars on her skin, but can he heal Hannah’s heart?

As she struggles to rebuild her life from the ashes of her shattered dreams, does Hannah have the courage to give Jake a second chance? And is the world ready for a differently-abled model who will redefine what it means to be beautiful?

BUY LINK: http://amazon.com/dp/B07SZJCF3M 

GOODREADS BOOK LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46294745-healing-hannah-s-heart?from_search=true

Website: www.preslaysa.com

Newsletter Sign Up: www.subscribepage.com/preslaysa

IMDB: www.imdb.me/preslaysa 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/preslaysa

Twitter: www.twitter.com/preslaysawrites

Instagram: www.instagram.com/preslaysa 

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/preslaysa

Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/preslaysa

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/preslaysa-williams

Patreon: www.patreon.com/preslaysa

Today I’m excited to welcome Deryl Devoré, who is sharing a little bit of research from her new book, Between Despair and Ecstasy.

Kintsugi is an ancient Japanese tradition of fixing broken things with gold or lacquer to make them even more beautiful. I bumped into this tradition while searching for something else and was immediately captured by the concept.

In Between Despair and Ecstasy, I found a perfect moment to use the idea. Darien knows that his and Erika’s marriage is not going to be perfect. Internet rumours, the pressures of being a celebrity, the travelling and all the other components of a rock star’s life can be hard on a marriage. He doesn’t want to become another celebrity divorce statistic.

Excerpt

When Erika finished, the official turned to Darien. “Your turn to speak to your bride.”

He lifted his gaze to meet hers and steeled his nerves. If you can sing in front of eighty thousand people, you can talk to your wife. Wife. The word brought a tear to his eye and filled his heart with joy.

He reached his right hand forward. She lifted her left. He clasped it. “There is an ancient Oriental tradition of mending things. Instead of throwing a cracked teacup away they fill the crack with gold. This ring—” He traced his finger around her wedding band. “This ring symbolizes that and much more. So much more.”

Brian tapped his shoulder and handed him an old teacup, with cracks gleaming with gold. He placed the cup on her palm. “There are going to be cracks in our marriage, but instead of throwing it away, we’ll mend it with these gold bands. The symbols of our love.”

He cupped his hands under hers. “Erika. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all the heartache I’ve caused you, all the sleepless nights, and all the stress that the chaos of my life created. And I’m apologizing now for the same heartache, sleepless nights, and stress that I’m going to cause you in the next seventy-five, eighty years of our lives and marriage.

“I was blind to my reality. I thought I had it all. A great career and too much money. I didn’t know I was missing love. The core to my existence. Then you

entered my life, peeled away the false illusion and opened my eyes.

“I saw how hollow I was. How incomplete. I never want that again. I vow to be more present in your life and in our marriage. I could spend all day just staring at you. I love your smile. Your eyes.

“But you know all this. I poured out my love for you in my song, I’m Just a Man. Every word is true.

“I’m just a man.

“In love.

“With you.”

How can Erika prove to herself and Darien that she loves and trusts him? Simple. All she has to do is jump out of a plane.

Concerned for his fiancée, Erika Bailey’s safety, rock star Darien Scott races to Bangkok to protect her, only to discover his brother is missing. Fearing the worse, he contacts his nemesis, Gan, and makes a repulsive deal that will free his brother and protect Erika’s club, The Pink Flamingo. Or so he thought. When a python and Gan are involved, things go sour, and Darien sinks into a deep depression.

Erika is disheartened by the betrayal of her parents. Her father’s destruction of her club, and the humiliation of her mother’s drunken behavior have her feeling down, but those are the least of her worries. She has a wedding to plan, but won’t. Having been betrayed too often, she’s scared to trust Darien.

How can Erika prove to herself and Darien that she loves and trusts him? Simple. All she has to do is jump out of a plane.

http://www.extasybooks.com/between-despair-and-ecstasy/

Daryl Devoré lives in an old farmhouse in Ontario, Canada, with her husband, a black cat named Licorice and some house ghosts. Daryl loves to take long walks up her quiet country road or snowshoe across the back acres, and in the summer, kayak along the St. Lawrence River. She’s touched a moon rock, a mammoth and a meteorite. She’s been deep in the ocean in a submarine, flown high over Niagara Falls in a helicopter and used the ladies room in a royal palace. Life’s an adventure and Daryl’s having fun living it.

Where to find Daryl Devoré:

Blog – Romance Sweet to Heat

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Today’s New Release Spotlight is on Carolyn Spear’s Alina’s Light, which is in Midwinter Healing (Wiccan House Series).

Alina Argal hopes to mix in a little pleasure when she visits her childhood friend Sarka Rowan at Wiccan Haus. She badly needs a boost to her battered ego following a humiliating breakup of her arranged engagement to Thad Yates ,the eldest son of one of the most powerful magical families. A little R and R at the lighthouse should help her get her feet back under her. The last person she expects to find sharing the small lightkeeper’s house with her is Thad’s brother Sean.

Long the black sheep of the family for being born without magic, Sean Yates has always gone his own way. A former Army infantry officer, he now suffers a slight limp and PTSD. His one desire is to win Alina’s love now that his brother is out of the picture. But is he really?

Will Alina open herself to the one brother she needs and deserves or marry for duty?

Excerpt: 

Alone in the lightkeeper’s quarters, Alina immediately kicked off her shoes. Ahh, so much better! Hiking up her skirt, she found the garter tabs and undid them. The silk stockings slid down a few inches. She rolled them down and threw them next to the heels. The garter belt had to go, so she reached around under the skirt, the cool air inside the house chilling her exposed legs. The damn thing hooked in the back, so it was difficult to hold up the skirt and manipulate the fasteners. Impatient to get the torture device off, she yanked it around to better get the job done.

“Finally!”

After a deep breath, then another, it was time for the wool dress. With both arms over her shoulders, she only managed to lower the zipper one inch. Switching to one arm twisted behind her back, she still could not budge it farther. Was it stuck?

She turned, much like a dog chasing its tail, trying to reach a bit further. Maybe after a glass of wine….

“Can I help you with that?”

She started, adrenaline sending an electric shock through her arms, tingling her fingers. Her heart skipped a beat before she took a deep breath and turned.

A man with an insolent smile tilting his firm lips leaned against the doorway into the kitchen. With a trimmed beard a shade lighter than his mahogany shoulder-length hair, he seemed unsurprised by her presence.

She wished she could say the same. What was he doing there? Was he there to guilt her into the same decision as her family? The last person she’d expected to find at the lighthouse was her ex-fiancé’s brother.

Amazon link

http://www.carolynspearromance.com/

https://twitter.com/CarolynSpearRom

https://www.facebook.com/CarolynSpearAuthor/

https://www.pinterest.com/cspearauthor/

 

A mercenary with a bloodstained soul.

Elrik of Breda has had enough of death and seeks a place to build a home and live in peace.

An innocent with a secret. 

Yrsa of Ottham has lived too long with loss and rejection. She yearns for a place where she belongs.

Sometimes, the intervention of Fate creates magic. 

Together, they embark on a quest to fulfill the longings of their hearts… but the cost may be higher than they could ever dream.

And here’s an excerpt…

Yrsa could not sleep. Her thoughts nigh made her dizzy as they circled round in her brain. Elrik was meant for her. She never doubted it, but neither had she expected to find the knowledge confirmed so clearly, more and more each day. The life she wanted with him, the children they would have, the love they would share—all these and more played out before the eyes of her mind until she thought she would burst with desire for him.

The clouds that plagued the land the past many days sped away. Stars popped into the clear sky, filling the dark expanse with the magic of light. As the night deepened, the temperature dropped. She shivered.

From across the fireless pit, he spoke, his voice quiet. “Come lie with me, Yrsa. I can hear your teeth chattering.”

She smiled.

∞∞§∞∞

Elrik awoke nigh the dawning, Yrsa warm and relaxed in his hold, her feminine shape plastered close. Gently, so as not to disturb her, he tightened his hod, admiring her fragile beauty. How easily she beguiled him. The press of soft hips and the tempting fullness of breasts urged he take her, now, in the most elemental of ways, but Betek slept nigh.

Now was not the right time. He could wait. Awe at his fortune along with the simple comfort of her presence held greater sway. He wished first to know the woman behind the sweet curves.

He carefully set her from him. Mind and body refreshed, he yawned and stretched. The increasingly frequent—and increasingly violent—dreams of his own death had not bothered him these past nights with Yrsa in his arms. Those images surfaced from some deep recess within to fuel the quiet rage that for long had fueled his life’s purpose, but he was convinced her presence held them at bay. He had slept better than in many a month, for ’twas right he cradled her in his hold.

That much of her dreams he accepted, that they should share a life together. She believed it would come to pass, and mayhap she was right. Certainly, he already thought of her as the missing element of his life, the one person he needed to complete his future even if previously unaware of the lack.

Gold could not absolve a man’s bloodstained soul, but possibly some other coin, less obvious and more precious, might purchase redemption. He had lived long enough to know sometimes the gods or fate decreed two should find each other. These would then become forever one, not only in body and in the eyes of the church and the world, but also in heart, mind and soul. If this woman learned to love him there remained a chance, aye, a slim hope he might find the peace he had not acknowledged he craved until he walked away from war.

She stirred and rolled over to face him. “Good morn.”

He smiled, slowly. Mayhap he might satisfy some need of hers, as well. Aye, he had found his mate, and he would not now part from her.

Find or Contact Màiri at: 

Website: http://mairinorris.com 

or http://romancingyesteryear.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MairiNorris

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mairi.norris

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7884262.Mairi_Norris 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mairinorris/

Amazon Author: http://www.amazon.com/Màiri-Norris/e/B00FO7D4SO/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1441046127&sr=1-2-ent

Today is my very first New Release Spotlight, and I’m thrilled it’s Jenna Jaxon’s sweet Regency, Heart of Desire.

Follow your heart to find your desire

Miss Katherine Locke is irked to start her third season dancing with the disagreeable Lord Haversham, her brother’s friend and her own arch enemy. After three years out, however, she’s finally interested in the dashing Lord Finley—only to find out her cousin has set her cap for him too. To make the man jealous, Kate feigns interest in Lord Haversham, only to be shocked to find the handsome lord apparently falling for her. With time running out, should she accept his suit and risk falling in love despite herself?

Marcus, Lord Haversham, is in a tight pinch. His estates are failing and worse, he’s just lost three thousand pounds to his best friend, Lord Ainsley. Ainsley’s solution: have Marcus marry his shrewish sister and he’ll cancel his gambling debt plus give him ten thousand more pounds for her dowry. With nowhere to turn, Marcus agrees, praying he can keep word of the wager from Miss Locke long enough to charm her into marrying him. But can he avoid falling in love himself?

And here’s an excerpt…

The music had a lively air and Miss Katherine Locke would’ve thought herself fortunate to be out again in Society after a long, cold, dull winter in Somerset save that her partner, Lord Haversham, was the rudest man in London. Well, his lordship was about to discover that Kate Locke was not one to suffer fools lightly.

“So you refuse to allow your sister to waltz, yet you are quite willing to stand up with me and dance this, according to you, most scandalous of dances.” Kate smiled into the odious wretch’s face. “My lord, I should say that smacks of hypocrisy.”

“Indeed.” Lord Haversham turned them skillfully at the end of the floor. “I would say it showed a want of character in your brother for allowing you to dance it with me. The waltz should be danced by married couples and no one else.” He pulled her close against him, so their bodies almost touched.

She gasped at her proximity to the rogue. How dare he make a spectacle of them on this crowded dance floor?

“You see?” he whispered, peering into her face, his gaze intent upon her mouth.

All she could see were his cool gray eyes, as the crisp scent of his sandalwood cologne filled her nose.

“Ainsley should be horsewhipped for allowing it.”

“I’ll see to it he horsewhips you if you don’t let me go.” Kate gave a hopping step and smashed her foot down on top of his.

Lord Haversham lurched forward, actually falling onto her.

For the briefest moment, they stood pressed together in a warm embrace that made Kate tingle all over. Then outrage swept through her, and she pushed him away. “How dare you,” she seethed, trying to pull away from him.

“That was your fault, and you know it. And if you make a scene that results in me having to marry you, I swear I will lock you in the tower at my grandfather’s castle and throw away the key.” Lord Haversham righted himself and smiled at her with clenched teeth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Jenna Jaxon is a best-selling, multi-published author of historical romance in periods ranging from medieval to Victorian. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and two rambunctious cats, Marmalade and Suger. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director. She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage.

Jenna is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and is very active in Chesapeake Romance Writers, her local chapter of RWA.

She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop.

FIND JENNA HERE: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenna-Jaxon/146857578723570 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jenna_Jaxon 

Blog: https://jennajaxon.wordpress.com/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4960704.Jenna_Jaxon 

LINK: AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KRWDMQO#nav-subnav