A Little Green

Sunlight invites

possibilities

A little green

makes everything better

The song on the radio

is alive

and I drive

into the blue notes

New Release! Rough Weather (Elemental Passions Book 2) By Lisabet Sarai

Destiny hides in the tempest’s heart

Blurb

A fated encounter. A familiar stranger. A storm of passion. Can Ondine release her fear, surrender to Marut’s power, and claim her own?  

Marine biologist Ondine Ambrose has always felt at home in the sea. Orphaned at birth and raised by her grandmother on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, she has never really questioned her extraordinary affinity for the watery world.

When she encounters an attractive but arrogant engineer on her private beach, surveying the site for a prospective off-shore wind farm, anger is her first reaction. A casual touch, however, transforms that emotion to incomprehensible, irresistible, terrifying lust.

Ebony-skinned Marut has his own talents—aside from his uncanny ability to swamp Ondine with desire. He can control the winds and summon storms. When he insists that they are both more than human, and that she is his destined mate, Ondine responds with skepticism. She tries to resist the charismatic Haitian, but ultimately she cannot deny the evidence of her senses—and her heart.

Excerpt

“Wind is far less destructive than fossil fuels. You know that.”

The stranger cupped his tea mug in his big hands. Marut, he called himself. His handsome face wore an earnest expression, while his body was wrapped in her old terrycloth robe, the one she planned to donate to Goodwill. Meanwhile, Ondine herself wore a loose T-shirt and sweatpants that effectively hid her curves. No sense tempting fate.

She hadn’t intended to bring him here, but his clothing was soaked and, like her, he had bloody abrasions on his hands and knees from their fierce encounter on the rocks. So she’d led him over the dunes—careful not to touch him—to the weathered clapboard house she’d inherited from her grandmother. After giving him antiseptic and Band Aids, she’d left him alone in the downstairs bathroom to clean himself up and tend to his wounds. She certainly didn’t intend to play nurse to him, that was certain. She had no idea what had possessed her out on the beach, but she didn’t want to experience it again.

Not that it hadn’t felt wondrous. Indeed, every time she looked at him, she recalled the overwhelming hunger that had seized her. The memory of their frantic encounter unnerved her. The pleasure had been incredible. The loss of control, though, had been terrifying.

Ondine was no virgin, but she’d always been careful about sex. She was normally the one who chose the time and place. And after her mother’s tragic experience, she was unfailingly vigilant about contraception, all the more so because her body would tolerate neither the pill nor an IUD. As she showered off the grit, sweat and semen, she felt grateful that her interactions with Marut had not involved penetration. She didn’t normally carry condoms on a walk to the beach.

He was a stranger, possibly even an enemy. There was something unnatural about the intimacy they’d shared, so sudden and so potent. She would need to remain on her guard.

Rousing herself from her musings, she sipped her own tea and nibbled at one of her ginger snaps. “Of course. Oil, gas, coal—they’re bad news. But why not build your wind farm on dry land? You’d have a much smaller ecological impact.”

“Nobody wants a ninety meter steel tower in their backyard.”

“So you put it where there’s no one to object!”

“In many cases the winds are stronger and more reliable offshore too.”

“And that justifies the cost to wildlife?”

“Global warming’s a bigger threat to ocean life than any wind farm.” Marut’s abruptness suggested annoyance.

Smug satisfaction warmed her, though she recognized that reaction as childish. As a scientist, she was well aware that the tradeoffs and issues were complex. There was no simple answer to the problems facing humanity. Somehow, though, she couldn’t stop herself from baiting him.

“That’s a research question, I think.”

“Look.” He flashed a conciliatory smile that lit up his strong, even features. “Let’s call a truce. My company is in the preliminary stages of design, just studying feasibility and cost-effectiveness for different locations. The installation might turn out to be totally impractical.” “I certainly hope so.”

Buy Links

Amazon  US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Y2P7741

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09Y2P7741

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1142402

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940165838149

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/rough-weather-elemental-passions-book-2

Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1619557657

Add on Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60820375-rough-weather

Special deal! Get the first book of the Elemental Passions series, Hot Spell, for only 99 cents at all stores… for a limited time!

https://www.lisabetsarai.com/hotspellbook.html

About the Author

Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, GLBT, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, Pinterest, BookBub, BingeBooks and Twitter.

Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh

I’m so excited to have a couple of my poems and an essay featured in the anthology The Order of Us. The essays, poetry, and other work in this anthology show the vulnerability and the strength of women as they deal with loss, celebrate life, and embrace who they are.   

As a writer, I try to create stories with worlds a reader can get lost in for a while. The effort to paint the picture using words is sometimes slow and painful, other times, my mind moves so much faster than I can type, and the result is a mess that I have to reassemble. Painstakingly. When I write romance novels, I love to create imperfect characters who are kind and strong, and courageous enough to take a chance at a happily ever after. When I write poetry, I usually like to show the struggle, followed by some measure of hope, because what is life without hope?

As a woman, there are often struggles in our lives due to society’s expectation of us. Coming to terms with who we are versus what unrealistic expectations have been set forth for us is no easy journey. Life is messy. Sometimes I stumble on the tightrope. We all do.

Blurb:

Natural order is imperative for existence. Without it our world falls apart — we need leadership and food chains and circadian rhythms the way we need air. But what happens when we adopt an order that ISN’T natural? At some point, there will be a breakdown, and we will realize that there is a lot more to life than what we know. The boxes we put ourselves in suddenly feel too small, and the Order of Things feels a lot more negotiable. We fall apart, and eventually we put ourselves back together. This is when we reclaim our beauty and our chaos. When we restore The Order of Us.

Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/order-of-us-expectations-restoration-beauty-ebook/dp/b09vs6y12z

A snowstorm on New Year’s Eve brought bear shifters Ellie and AJ together but a secret threatens to tear them apart. When Ellie is in danger, will AJ find her in time?

Steamy paranormal romance Bear’s Dream (Haven Forest book 1) is now available for pre order!

Blurb:  

She had every reason to hate him.

Aiden “AJ” Shepherd’s mistake during a Shifter Army Enforcement rescue mission cost Ellie Ortiz’s brother, Marco, his life. Ellie hates AJ with a burning passion until a chance encounter with him on New Year’s Eve reveals he’s not the cold, heartless man she once thought him to be. Her attraction to him takes her by surprise, and she vows to ignore her feelings. When a new job puts her in contact with him every day, the heat building between them threatens to flare out of control. Her resolve to keep the sweet, sexy man in the friend zone is weakening by the day.

He’s convinced she’s his mate, but a secret could ruin everything.

Whether they’re fighting off fanatics who target shifters or working together to get his shifter resort, Haven Forest, ready for the grand opening, AJ can’t get enough of Ellie. Convincing her to give him a chance, more than the one-night-of-fun idea she’s proposed, might be impossible, but he’s fallen too hard for her not to try. During a disastrous assignment with Shifters United, AJ uncovers some information that changes everything. Keeping the secret from Ellie is killing him but he might lose her forever if he tells her the truth.

When Ellie ends up at the heart of a reporter’s plot to prove the existence of shifters, she and AJ must fight their way to freedom. The survival of shifters everywhere depends on it.

Excerpt

He brushed a curl from her face. She didn’t back away. His lips brushed hers, softly, as if he just meant a sweet, gentle kiss, but his grip on her hips was anything but gentle. If only their circumstances were different, then she could kiss him all night long if she wanted to. Still, she couldn’t stop herself from leaning into the kiss. Guilt and desire went to war inside her mind and he drew back, as if he understood.

“Night, Ellie.” His hands were gone from her body but his voice rumbled around her, reaching for her.

“See you in the morning.” She stood up and walked down the hallway, refusing to look back.

What is wrong with me? Kissing him was not okay!

The quilt and soft sheets on the bed made a nice nest for her to hide inside while she forced herself to think about anything except for AJ and how he’d touched her with more tenderness than any man ever had. Including Darien.

Purchase Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Bears-Dream-Haven-Forest-Resort-ebook/dp/B09XT1WX5G

About the Author:

Before I had the wild idea to write a book, I worked in a few different fields. I was in sales for a while, and after I finished college, I worked as a case manager. When my children were little, I was a personal trainer and running coach. During the evenings, when I was supposed to be studying for another fitness training certification, I started writing a story. Finally, I gave in and acknowledged that writing is what I’m meant to do. I love creating imperfect but determined characters who find the courage to love and the strength to survive in a world where there are no guarantees. My stories include a fair amount of sarcasm, suspense, steam, and violence. When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time outside and finding ways to avoid cooking. I live in beautiful Virginia with my husband, two daughters, and a sweet, hairy monster of a dog. 

Author Social Media Links:

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

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chris4lamb

WordPress: https://christinalynnlambertwordpress.com

Their story begins with very bad chili and a dead body.

Thank you so much, Christina, for allowing me to tell your readers about my new release Hidden Gem: the Secret of St. Augustine. In it, the hero uses a book called The Secret: a Treasure Hunt as a guide for his students. The book exists, as does the treasure hunt.

Barnaby and Philo’s story begins with very bad chili and a dead body.

Barnaby is in St. Augustine, Florida, to teach a college seminar, and plans to use The Secret—a treasure hunt book—as a framework for his class. He enlists Philo Brice, owner of an antique map store, to aid him in seeking clues in the historic sites of the ancient city.
         

Together they face murderers, thieves, thugs, and fanatics, heightening their already strong attraction to each other. Can they solve the puzzle and unearth the treasure before the villains do? Philo and Barnaby pursue several twisting paths and false leads before arriving at a startling conclusion.

Barnaby has each student take a potential site for the hidden treasure to study. They search the Castillo de San Marcos, the Oldest House, and other historic sites of St. Augustine. Barnaby and Philo check out one such site, the Black Raven, a pirate ship. It does not go well.

Excerpt: the Black Raven

Across Avenida Menendez lay the city marina. At the end of one of the floating docks a ship was ablaze with red and green lights. Philo tugged Barnaby’s sleeve. “That’s the Black Raven. Let’s go have a dekko.”

They walked carefully down the dock, compensating for the slight sway caused by the incoming tide. Just as they reached the ship, the lights winked out, leaving the marina in darkness except for the feeble glow of the gibbous moon. Next to the galleon, tied up stern in, was the Queen Anne’s Revenge. “That’s Blackbeard’s flagship.”

“So, do the pirates board the Black Raven and have their way with the wenches?”

“The only wenches on board are pirates too—Lady Red and Georgia Fury—and they aren’t exactly attractive.”

“You mean, no man in his right mind would rip their bodices?”

“Something like that.”

“Darn. I hope there’s at least a mock skirmish.”

Philo tried to remember what the young man had told her. “I’ve never actually gone on the treasure voyage, but—”

“Treasure? Fantastic! Now who did I assign this to?” He snapped his fingers. “Lincoln, that’s it. They have a cocktail cruise, which seemed to attract his notice.”

She looked over the ship. “How do you suppose they have a proper swordfight if everyone’s drunk?”

“ ‘Any damn fool can navigate the world sober. It takes a really good sailor to do it drunk.’ Sir Francis Chichester.”

“Anyway.” Why do I even attempt to have a normal conversation? “Blackbeard arrives on the Queen Anne’s Revenge and boards the Black Raven. He steals their treasure chest and makes off with it. The captain orders the crew—which consists of a couple of college kids on summer break and the paying passengers—to chase him and retrieve it. Which they do.”

“And what happens to the redoubtable Blackbeard?”

“I think they make him walk the plank. Or…” She stopped to think. Behind her came a splash. She whirled around. “What was that?”

“It came from the port side.” Barnaby walked past the ship’s stern and peered into the water. “Probably just a fish jumping.”

“It sounded awfully big.”

“A big fish then.”

Philo scanned the deck. “Someone’s up there. I saw a shadow against the moon.” She yelled, “Hi there!”

There was no answer, but they heard a bang and another crash. Barnaby ran around to the starboard side. Philo caught up with him. He stood, facing the darkness. “Nothing.”

They waited for a few minutes, but all was still. Finally Philo said, “Must be a crew member preparing for tomorrow.”

“Okay. Come on.”

As he took her hand, she pulled back. “There it is again!”

“What?”

“The shadow.”

Before Barnaby could respond, a whistling noise rent the air. A large iron ball attached to a thick rope came swishing down from the mast and crashed at their feet. The entire dock vibrated. Barnaby jumped to one side, but he must have slipped on the decking, for he fell, landing hard. As Philo reached for him, he slid off the slick surface and into the dark water. “Barnaby!”

Buy Links

Books2Read

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

ITunes

About the Author

Librarian, anthropologist, Congressional aide, speechwriter—M. S. Spencer has traveled the globe. She has published fifteen romantic suspense or murder mystery novels, with two more on the way. She has two fabulous grown children and an incredible granddaughter. She divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.

Social media

Blog: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com

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

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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-s-spencer

The Dogs Are Waiting

Before the first morning bell cues

the beginning of the rigid routine

The dogs wait at the doors

for the signal

to stalk the halls

Their gun stroking handlers

scan the crowd

looking to borrow trouble

Executives of conformity spin rules

into a constantly widening web

collecting casualties of policies

while bowing to a structure

that only serves itself

Being caught inside the unforgiving mechanics of a bureaucracy, whether it’s a job or some other public institution originally intended to help people (or designed to give the false impression of being helpful) means a constant battle to avoid being ensnared in a trap of unnecessary, potentially harmful rules. Progress is slow. Change, when it arrives, is often inadequate and lacking in equality. So many systems protect themselves instead of the people they were supposed to help.

The dogs are always waiting. Surviving the confines of a bureaucracy means a never-ending struggle to not be trapped and turned into a casualty of policy. Question everything and sow the seeds of disruption and change.

Ensnared

When the last hesitant politician

finally trades their soul for a win

hope starves in the soup kitchen line

And for the living

the doors of the hospital

open wide

swallowing everyone ensnared

into insurmountable debt

What’s happened with health insurance and pharmaceutical industries in the US over the last few decades is an example of how greed often supersedes compassion and basic human rights. The industry standard has become profit before people. The already sky high and constantly rising cost of health insurance and health care keeps an alarming number of people from accessing the services they need.

Prescriptions, doctor visits, specialists, and basically all types of medical procedures, are unobtainable for many people. Living with a rectifiable condition, going without medicine, glasses, and hearing aids, is not uncommon. The absolute cruelty of putting people in the position of having to decide between going bankrupt for accepting medical care or going without and having to deal with permanent damage or worse is material for horror novels. But this awful situation is not fiction, it’s become the norm.

The private health insurance industry has filled countless politicians’ pockets while causing a trail of destruction and misery. How do we fix something that our greedy, lying politicians don’t want to fix? There doesn’t seem to be any simple answer, but I can only hope that decades from now, the last of the people holding healthcare just out of our reach, will be voted out of office, causing the unnecessary suffering in the system of profit over people to finally end.

The Quiet Reveals

Adjust and allow

The quiet to surround me

Revealing my strength

I’ve been home resting and recovering from a minor heart procedure. Being still and resting are not the norm for me, but in the quiet stillness, everything has slowed down, revealing a kind of peacefulness often overlooked.

Coming Home – book 2 in the Caveman Creek series by Pia Manning is now available!

Blurb:

Bounced around from place to place as a child, Sherry Evans is seeking a town to call home. She also needs an affordable place to realize her dream of opening a daycare center. What Sherry is not seeking is a romance. But Matt Bauer, Chris Carter and Eric Simmons have other ideas. The men, building contractors, own and operate MCE Construction in Pinecone Creek, Wisconsin. When they meet Sherry, they know she’s the woman they’ve been waiting for. They are more than willing to renovate a building for her daycare – as long as it’s in Pinecone Creek. The men agree that they want a lasting relationship with Sherry and plan a campaign to convince her that they are the only guys for her. But an old girlfriend has other ideas. She wants her men back and Sherry gone. How far will she go to destroy Sherry’s dreams? Can Matt, Chris and Eric convince Sherry to love three men?

Book page and preorder link: 

SirenBookstrand: https://www.bookstrand.com/book/coming-home-mfmm

Below, author Pia Manning has a fun character interview for Sherry Evans of Coming Home:

Character Interview for Caveman Creek 2

I got to wondering how well I really know Sherry Evans-our heroine in Coming Home: Caveman Creek Bk2. I’m the author and all, so I should know everything about her. Right? So, I decided to play a game with Sherry, kind of a little test to see how well I do know her. I picked eight questions and recorded both our responses. I’ll let you be the judge of how well I know Sherry.

1. What was your favorite subject in school?

Pia says: English                                              Sherry answers: Home Economics

• What scares you the most?

Pia says: Having to close your daycare.      Sherry answers: Spiders-especially in the shower

• What is your favorite way to spend a weekend?

Pia says:  Hanging out with your men.        Sherry answers: Hanging out at home and cooking.

• Do you like cats better, or dogs?

Pia says: Cats-you did rescue a cat…            Sherry answers: I have a cat, but I like both. Dogs give

                                                                                  you so much love, but then again, so do cats!             

               5.          Name three foods you would never eat.

Pia says: broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach    Sherry answers: What? They’re so good for you!  

                                                                                Okay, snails, raw oysters and mushrooms. 

        6.        What’s your favorite vehicle?

Pia says: A pickup truck.                                    Sherry answers: Anything that gets me through the                                                                           the snow!       

        7.        What’s your strongest character trait?

Pia says: Your determination to succeed.        Sherry answers:  My patience. Especially with kids

        8.         If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?

Pia says: Somewhere tropical-it’s really cold    Sherry answers: I’d like to see an ocean or desert.

in NW Wisconsin in the winter.               I’ve never seen either of them tho Lake Superior 

                                                                      comes close to an ocean.

     Hmmmm, I guess I don’t know Sherry as well as I thought. Character takeover happens to a lot of us. Our characters develop a life of their own and just run away with the story!

About the author:

Pia Manning is the erotic romance author behind the new Caveman Creek series. Also by Pia Manning: Star Brides a three book series.  She is married to a wonderful man. Loves to crochet, play Clash of Clans. Not a morning person.

You can find her at:

    Website: https://www.piamanning.com

   SirenBookstrand: https://www.bookstrand.com/pia-manning

    Email: pia.manning@yahoo.com

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pia.manning.71

    Twitter:  https://twitter.com/piamanning3

Run

Solitude can follow

those in need

of a little armor

The peace of protection

surrounds

against the tide of crowds

and shatters the blades

sharpened for deception

But the weight of safety

gets heavy after a while

and it’s hard to breathe

underwater

so I take a breath and run through the darkness

looking for a chance

in the light

that was always there

by Christina Lynn Lambert

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Since I can’t seem to write anything sweet and mushy, here’s a dark little love poem with a hopeful ending. Be good to each other and be good to Mother Nature.