An Author Interview by Peggy Jaeger

I love a good interview with a great author;  getting to know them better, finding out what makes their writing come to life. This is like nectar of the Gods for me! Recently, I did an interview with one of my all time favorite authors AND PEOPLE(!) Lorelei Confer.

If you haven’t met her yet or read her books, you have no idea what you are missing. This woman is a powerhouse – in person and on the page! She writes romantic suspense ( one of my favorite sub-genres to enjoy by a blazing fire at midnight!).  Read all about her first, then enjoy a little snippet of her newest release,SECRETS AND DECEPTIONS

Donna, The Writer:

1. What drives you to write? The stories in my head I just need to get out.
2. What genre(s) of Romance do your write, and why? I write romantic suspense. It is the genre I prefer to read along with some thrillers from Harlan Coben and Andrew Gross. I love the sweet love story but like the conflict to be suspenseful and use fear as a real emotion; live or die situations.
3. What genre(s) of Romance do you read, and why? See above
4. What’s your writing schedule?  I usually write everyday but not on a daily schedule. Sometimes its early in the morning, and other times late afternoon. My stories, plot and characters mull around in my head for days, weeks or months sometimes before I actually take the time to put them down on paper. Once a week I skip a day to mentor other writers who need help with plotting or characterization.
5. Give us a glimpse of the surroundings where you write. I write in the living room sitting on the end of the couch, which automatically reclines. To the left is a wall of windows with a fantastic view. Sometimes, while writing I find myself daydreaming about my story and it helps me get into the scene, into the characters head and into the environment. Makes it so much more realistic.
6. Are you the kind of writer who needs total quiet to compose, or are you able to filter out the typical sounds of the day and use your tunnelvision? I do like it quiet when I write at home but have no problem writing at Panera Bread or Crispers or Starbucks. I’ve even taken advantage of the opportunity to glance around and use some of the body language and facial expressions from others around me.
7. Do you listen to music while you write?  Not at home but I do enjoy music when I’m out writing at a different place, i.e. Panera Bread. I prefer country music and enjoy the lyrics of a love gone wrong or a how much a broken heart hurts, and what one does to forget a bad relationship.
8. How did you come up with the plotline/idea for your current work? I began this series, Saddle Creek, with the idea of four young men graduating high school together and going off on their own; each going their own way but remaining loyal to one another regardless of which direction they are led. This book, Secrets and Deceptions, is the third in the series and this young man can’t keep or find a job he likes so decides to enlist in the military. He leaves the love of his life, his high school sweetheart, and ends up being gone over four years. When he returns, of course, his friends’ lives have changed and his high school sweetheart is with another man. The story unfolds with plot twists and turns and sexy, speechless confrontations. As they both try to determine if there have been too many years apart, two many secrets, and too many deceptions.
9. Which comes first for you – character or plot? And why? Plot comes first, then character development. Once that happens they, the characters, drive by them.
10. What 3 words describes you, the writer? Sincere. Caring. Loyal.

Donna, The Lovely Person:

1. Tell us one unusual thing about yourself – not related to writing! I love scrapbooking. I get to tell many stories through pictures and I love genealogy. I like to know the history behind the story of my ancestors.
2. Who was your first love and what age were you? My husband, knight in shining armor, my high school sweetheart, and my first love. We met at school and I asked him to my eighth grade dance, (not sure how old I was) my dad dropped me off and we danced and held hands. He kissed my cheek before the last dance was over and I never forgot. Summer arrived and he worked, bought a car and we lost touch. In eleventh grade I asked his sister how he was doing and that night he called and we talked for hours. He asked me out on a date. I wasn’t sure about going since it had been a couple years but he was persistent and picked me up after school the next day. We’ve been together ever since, made it through the Viet Nam war, raised two boys, have grandchildren, and have traveled many highways together,
3. If you could relive one day, which one would it be? ….Our wedding day. We eloped in between his two tours of duty in Viet Nam and it was like it ‘could be our last time together’ and extremely emotional and memorable.
4. Do you like a guy in boxers, briefs, or commando? Commando, of course!
5. What three words describes you, the person? Loving, sympathetic, truthful

Bonus round

I love the Actor’s Studio show on Bravo, so this is my version of it:

Favorite sound Doorbell

1. Least favorite sound car horn
2. Best song every written Lay, Lady, Lay by Bob Dylan
3. Worst song ever written Don’t Worry, Be Happy (too monotonous)
4. Favorite actor and actress Antonio Banderas and Ann Margaret
5. What turns you on? Great visits and talks with friends
6. What turns you off? Loud crowds
7. What’s your version of a perfect day? Sleeping late, morning sex, lazy breakfast, reading and quiet time.

Read that last answer again, folks. Le sigh!.

Here’s a sneak peak at her newest release, SECRETS and DECEPTIONS 

When Avri Lawrence’s high school sweetheart leaves her to enlist in the military, she nurses a broken heart. When Dillon returns four years later, their attraction to each other is stronger than ever, but life’s experiences has changed them. When her life is threatened she’s not sure he’ll come to her rescue or like what he finds. She has secrets and she’s not ready to share.

Dillon Davidson wants to advance in his military career but didn’t plan on having to kill so many people to do so. On a Special Opps mission he’s captured and tortured for eighteen long months. After his escape, he ends his four-year career in deception. He wants to start over with his soul mate, Avri in Saddle Creek, Wyoming.

But are there too many years of separation, too many secrets, and too many memories between them for them to overcome?

Excerpt:

Dillon skimmed his fingers lazily over the soft supple skin of Avri’s naked thigh. The lingering fragrance of sex filled his nostrils. They only had tonight, he’d be leaving in the morning, and he couldn’t get enough of her. His heart still pounded with desire, he wanted, needed to make love to her over and over again. He wanted to run his fingers over every inch of her, all night long, wanted to fill his memory with the scent of her, remember every smooth curve, every sweet hollow of her body.

Her body quivered against his, her breath hitched and she gulped back a sob. He pulled her against his chest, whispering in her ear, “It’s going to be all right,” before kissing her neck. His throat constricted. “We’ve talked about this…remember? We’ve planned this for six months.” His voice cracked slightly. “W-we need to look forward now. When I come back, I’ll be able to get a job, a good one doing something I like. Everything will be fine.”

He blinked the dampness in his eyes away several times as he ran his fingers through her hair memorizing the softness of her wavy auburn curls, the contours of her body, and the way she fit so perfectly against him. For a moment overcome with emotion, he couldn’t speak, couldn’t console her, hell…he couldn’t console himself.

The neon light from Rosie’s Diner downstairs cast a reddish glow in her small apartment. He’d always remember this time with her–the overwhelming pleasure, the contentment–and then the painful realization hit him again, like a bomb. He had to leave her in the morning. They had tonight, a few more precious hours together that he’d never forget, before he had to leave her. Her sob split the silence; he cupped her head and caressed her cheeks and jawline, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

She was special to him, always had been. It was as if she’d been made just for him, fulfilling all his wants and needs. She was his closest confidante, his best friend, the woman he loved, would always love…his soul mate.

“How am I going to go on without you?” Avri whispered, her voice trembling. “You mean so much to me. You’re important to my life. You are my life.”

“You won’t have time to miss me.” Dillon tried to smile. “You’re going to finish law school and study your ass off to pass the bar.” His heart dropped in his chest and his throat burned with the thought. Not being at her side for those major events in her life…well, the thought broke his heart. Leaving her was killing him. It was harder than he ever imagined it would be when he enlisted in the military.

“I’ll wait for you, I swear. And I’ll write to you every day, but you have to promise me one thing, Dillon.” She sputtered and hiccupped trying to speak. Her sadness echoed in the small space.

He hesitated. “What’s that?” Apprehension rolled through him sticking in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. “Promise you’ll come back to me. Promise?” she pleaded.

How could he make such a promise when he didn’t know if he would come back dead or alive or damaged? “I’m not sure where I’m going or how long I’ll be gone. You know how I feel about you. I will if I can. You know that, don’t you?”

He searched for her bright green eyes in the dimness, but she’d glanced away. Pulling her closer, he left no space between their two bodies. Placing a finger beneath her chin, he turned her face toward his and bent to brush her lips. As soon as their lips touched, the kiss went from gentle to desperate. He plundered her mouth, sucking on her lips, invading her mouth with his tongue. He couldn’t get enough of her, her taste, her touch, her feel, or her scent. He ingrained them in his memory. A lasting memory; one he’d never forget.

As soon as he ended the kiss she clutched at his chest, sobbing hysterically. He held her in his arms until she fell asleep, shuddering occasionally. Finally, she quieted.

He lay beside her, too anxious to sleep. Savoring the warmth and soft skin against his, he listened to her breathing, waiting for it to even out, an indication she’d fallen asleep.

An hour or so later, he glanced at the lighted dial of his watch. It was time to go. Time to leave her.

He’d miss the Wyoming way of life, the ranch, his buddies, the horses, the small town of Saddle Creek…mostly though he’d miss her. She was the love of his life. The reason he’d enlisted in the military in the first place—to make something of himself, learn a trade and be able to hold down a job, and make her proud of him. Now he had to let her go or he wouldn’t be strong enough to walk away later. He’d signed up, and he had to honor his commitment.

Dillon carefully moved away from her, slipped out of her bed, allowed himself one last, loving look at her, but had to stifle a gasp. Moonlight blanketed Avri in an ethereal light streaming over her auburn tresses splayed across her pillow, enhancing the light freckles on her tiny tipped-up nose. The moistness of her plump lips gave him an irresistible urge to kiss her good-bye, just once more. But he didn’t dare.

Grabbing a scrap of paper and an envelope from her small desk, he wrote a note, stuffed it into the envelope and placed it on his pillow where she’d be sure to find it.

Avri rolled onto her side, but didn’t wake. He took a step toward her, longing to rob her lips the way he had most of the night. He sought control and stopped. Together their uninhibited sex was the best he’d ever had, but then perhaps it was because of how he felt about her.

Bio:

Lorelei lives on a peninsula on the mid west coast of Florida with her husband, 1 cat, and AJ, a long haired Chihuahua.
She wrote her first story in the fourth grade in the form of a play, which actually was produced by the teacher for parents and students. She continued writing and majored in English in College. She practices everyday to improve her craft.
She loves reading almost as much as writing and has filled her book shelves with her favorites, i.e. Harlan Colban, Eliza March, Johanna Lindsey, Roxanne St. Claire, Terri Garey, B.H. Daniels, and Bobbi Smith just to mention a few, as well as all the classics.
She is a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America), TARA (Tampa Area Romance Authors), PRO, Kiss of Death, Lethal Ladies, and CSI (Crime Scene Investigations), just to mention a few.

Visit Lorelei here:  www.loreleiconfer.com

Here are the other books available from the SADDLE CREEK SERIES
 Rustlers and Romance

  An Uptown Girl and a Cowboy

Secrets and Deceptions Customer Review

Lorelei Confer is one of my favorite authors and her latest work does not disappoint. She weaves a masterful tale of love, suspense and betrayal set in the small town of Saddle Creek,Wyoming. Ms.Confer always writes deeply complex characters I can root for and Dillon and Avri are her best hero and heroine yet. This is a compelling read and a page-turner right up to the satisfying end.

Secrets and Deceptions review from Serious Reading

From Serious Reading: 

Serious Reading Rating

95 %

SUMMARY

Lorelei has a deeply affecting writing style that reels the readers in from the very first line. 

95%

OVERALL SCORE

Secrets and Deceptions (Saddle Creek Book 3) tells us the story of two lovers with a long past and a complicated relationship. It began when Avri Lawrence was a teenager and met Dillon Davidson for the first time. Several years pass by and they discover they are each other's soul mates. The happiness though doesn't last long as Avri has her heartbroken when her long time boyfriend and high school sweetheart leaves her to enlist in the army.

What used to seem so simple and straightforward in the past didn't remain the same when Dillon returned 4 years later. This time around, they are both changed and different people. Avri is hiding secrets of her own and she is beginning to lose faith in Dillon. Dillon, on the other hand, is haunted by his career choice and perplexity of his decisions. He wants to be in the military but he doesn't want to kill people. Hence, he finally makes the decision to end the deceptive job of special ops that had him chained and tortured for 18 long months. All he wants now is to spend time with Avri. However, things are a lot easier said than done as this time, they have secrets and deceptions brewing between them and it threatens their relationship.

Lorelei has a deeply affecting writing style that reels the readers in from the very first line. She writes touching and sometimes, tear-jerking tales of love and hope. Secrets and Deceptions (Saddle Creek Book 3) is everything you will expect it to be and more.

Secrets and Deceptions review by Reading Alley

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

***** Perfect Ending To The Perfect Build

Oct 26, 2016

This story is the real deal when it comes to the saying "page turner"! Secrets and deceptions is an excellent source of thrill and suspense! Lovers Avri and Dillon reunite after fours years of separation. Their love for one another is quickly rekindled, (Kind of like a slap in the face, really. The reunion, itself, was suspenseful and brought on several questions that would later be answered.) but at what cost? What's real? What's a lie? Do they even know each other, anymore? Both have secrets they're keeping from one another, but neither can hold onto them for long. Eventually, the truth is gonna come out.

I thought the concept and play out of this story was very realistic. People have secrets and as time goes on, those secrets/happenings change people. I'm glad a writer explored the affects lies can have on a relationship, romantic or otherwise. It creates uncertainties, as well as misunderstandings. It's clear Avri and Dillon still love each other deeply, so of course readers want these two darlings to open up and just spill the guts (oops. Spoiler?) already, but the suspense was well played!! I honestly think this is the fastest I've ever read a novel of this length!

The pacing of this story teeters back and forth from nice, steady, slow builds to fast, adrenaline pumping scenes and developments. There's really a lot going on here what with the past/present plots (and fantasies/night terrors) of two characters on their own as well as together, but it's nicely explored. I never felt lost in the text.

This author does an excellent job of keeping the reader's attention on the book in hand! Because, really, ya gotta know if they're gonna make it!

Read and/or get reviews at- http://www.goodbookswithtea.blogspot.com

An Uptown Girl and a Cowboy

Samantha Williams, a New York City girl and a wannabe photographer, stumbles into Rosie’s Diner in Saddle Creek, Wyoming, outside Jackson Hole. Disheveled from a horrid travel day, Sam finds the only seat available is at the counter beside a burly, staggeringly handsome and strong-muscled cowboy—a cowboy who she is immediately attracted to and who has some baggage of his own.

Elliott Bouchard, an Outfitter and trainer of therapy horses, thinks he already found his one true love, Mariah, whom he married. When she died two years ago, he felt responsible for her death, and regrets not being able to save her. It’s a big part of his life everyday until he meets Samantha Williams. He wants to protect her, not only from the raw elements of the west but from someone following her who wants her gone.

When Sam’s life is threatened, due to evidence she unknowingly has in a picture, Elliott comes to her rescue. But will he be there in time?

A Romantic Suspense

WWW.LORELEICONFER.COM

Rustlers and Romance

Rustlers and Romance Saddle Creek 1

By: Lorelei Confer | Other books by Lorelei Confer  Categories: Mainstream Romance, Contemporary, Western/Cowboys Word Count: 40,357 Heat Level: STEAMY Rosie’s Diner is at the center of the small town of Saddle Creek, Wyoming, in the shadows of the Grand Teton Mountain range. When horse rancher Chase Montgomery first lays eyes on a waitress’s bruised and swollen face, and beautiful green eyes, his first instinct is to kiss the bruises away. Lauren McCray flees Michigan and heads west to escape another beating from her ex-boyfriend, Clint Jackson. When she sees him looking inside her car outside the diner where she works, she runs again. This time, jumping into the bed of a nearby pickup truck hauling a horse trailer. Chase’s life is enriched when he pulls back the tarp in the bed of his pick up and finds the green-eyed beauty. Lauren is running and needs protection from something or someone, and he agrees to protect her with his life, but will it be in time? A Romantic Suspense www.loreleiconfer.com

Saddle Creek Series

FINALLY, I've finished the damn book, Rustlers and Romance, in a new series called Saddle Creek. The series takes place outside a small town named Saddle Creek located in the shadows of the Grand Teton Mountain Range, in the Jackson Hole valley, Wyoming. Rosie's, a mom-and-pop fifties diner, is in the center of the town. 

Here's a back of the book blurb for Rustlers and Romance:

Rosie’s Diner is at the center of the small town of Saddle Creek, Wyoming, in the shadows of the Grand Teton Mountain range. When horse rancher Chase Montgomery first lays eyes on a waitress’s bruised and swollen face, and beautiful green eyes, his first instinct is to kiss the bruises away.

Lauren McCray flees Michigan and heads west to escape another beating from her ex-boyfriend, Clint Jackson. When she sees him looking inside her car outside the diner where she works, she runs again. This time, jumping into the bed of a nearby pickup truck hauling a horse trailer.

Chase’s life is enriched when he pulls back the tarp in the bed of his pick up and finds the green-eyed beauty. Lauren is running and needs protection from something or someone, and he agrees to protect her with his life, but will it be in time?

I need your help in naming and coordinating a 'Street Team". I'd love to have you on my team and receive your input with naming my characters, book reviews and preliminary readings. Maybe I can use your name as a character in my wip. The person who sends me an acceptable name for the team will receive an ebook of mine of their choice. For the available books please check out http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lorelei+confer. You can private message me here or email me at loreleiconfer@tampabay.rr.com. Hope to hear from lots of you soon.

REMEMBER WHEN I DOWNSIZED?

I wrote a blog post some time ago about downsizing or rightsizing and I'm here to tell you we did the right thing and right-sized. Now my husband and I can communicate without yelling across the multiple rooms although we still do yell at times. Everybody does. LOL And we have close neighbors so we have to keep it to a minimum which we have not had a problem with since neither of us are confrontational.

We have a fantastic view of the lake with a water fountain in the middle and all of the rooms face the lake so we have great views from all our rooms. The biggest decision we had to make was where to put everything from the large house. After a large moving sale and a hefty donation to the Red Cross we brought what was left and fit it in. Had another Goodwill donation and we are all set.

It's a close and intimate feeling when the verticals are closed for the evening but we've adjusted to it--it wasn't very hard. When I'm in the kitchen and the phone rings its four steps to pick it up. Doing laundry is the easiest. The laundry room is outside the bedroom door so I usually sort everything into piles in the bedroom and then carry the individual loads to the washer. In a matter of hours, all-small-loads laundry is completed.

Two bedrooms and two baths accommodates all our needs and then some. In the 2nd bedroom which we dubbed the 'den' we have a corner for travel. It's helped us decide on what we really wanted to keep. Two bookcases full of books and photo albums, a credenza loaded down with electronics and a large desk. We take turns using the desk and it's worked out great.

Because we're in closer proximity to each other we've become closer to each other. It's been kind of like a second honeymoon when we shared all our dreams and wishes. So many of them have been filled or come true, i.e. two children, moving into a bigger house, etc. that we've had to make new ones and the dreaming and wishing for the rest of our lives has taken on a whole new meaning. We've decided we want to travel and our goals have changed.

We no longer want to update the kitchen at the older house, we already have it in the smaller place. We want to save any and all extra money for a trip of our lifetime. Another goal, wish or dream that will come true.

LOVE IN BLOOM

We live on a lake with a water fountain that runs all the time. It is great to hear it first thing in the morning with the first cup of coffee, but after awhile, like mid day, we are so over it. But we love to listen to the ducks that claim this lake their own.

Their "quack, quack, quack" every now and then sounds like someone laughing and it's brings a smile to our faces. The other day we were sitting out on the screened in patio listening to the birds and ducks, and watching squirrels scurry from tree to tree when we noticed that  there are only eight ducks in the lake, four couples swimming along in different directions. Usually there are many more.

We were reminded that it is finally spring and with spring brings new births, not just for plants and animals but for us as well. Hopefully, we'll be renewed in our love of life this spring and it will continue throughout a joyful summer, fall, and winter again.

Finally our visit to Sponge Docks

After living in Florida, in the same county for 33 years, we finally made a visit to Tarpon Springs Sponge docks. It was a great day with friends on Saturday and a great adventure. We walked where many have walked in the past along the docks and all the shops. We were even able to do some Easter shopping avoiding a trip to the Mall.

We got our grandson, Caden, a shirt with a pirate and crossed swords embroidered on the front. When you put it on and go out in the sun the entire shirt is covered, front and back, with skulls and crossed swords, the pirates emblem or logo. It was a big hit.

We got our grand-daughter, Alexis, a really cute multifaceted glass stoned bracelet with all the right colors. It also was a big hit and she wore it all day.

We had a great Easter day on Sunday at our son's; a big ham dinner with all the trimmings, pineapple upside down cake and cheesecake for dessert and then the Easter egg hunt. It was so relaxing and fun to watch everybody forget their troubles for a short span of time and really have some fun.

Grief-Catching Up With Me

I come from a relatively large family with seven aunts and uncles on both my mothers side and my fathers side of the family and too many cousins to remember. They are all beginning to age and I live approximately 2000 miles away from them enjoying the Florida mild winters and sunshine while they continue to suffer the northeast's brutal winter cold and snow.

Shortly before Thanksgiving I was notified that one of my favorite aunt's had passed away. She was favorite for a number of reasons one of which was that she was my Dad's sister married to my Mom's brother. My mother's brother passed away a couple days before Christmas 30 some years ago from Hodgkins Disease and my aunt never remarried. They had five children together, two girls and three boys. The two girls look a lot like my sisters and me. The boys not so much. I have great memories from long ago of staying at their house overnight on a Saturday night while our Dad's went to the car races. We would play dress up and games and eat popcorn. I still keep in touch with my cousins but more so since their mother died a few days before Thanksgiving. The holidays are a terrible time to grieve, more so than any other time it seems, especially for this family.

Another favorite aunt was laid to rest today and due to distance and expense I could not attend the formalities that go along with death. She was always a favorite because she was the oldest on my Dad's side of the family and everyone called her "Sis'. If you wanted to know anything about another family member you would call Aunt Sis and she would always know and let you know what to do. She was married three times, fifty years to her second husband and only four years to her last one. She and her second husband would always take me to the out of town or 'away' high school football games until I got my license and could drive myself and some friends. My uncle always had a quarter for me no matter how old I got. My aunt would tell me all kinds of childhood stories about my Dad. I remember the one about my Dad trying to fly off the chicken coop, fell and broke his little finger. His finger never did straighten out after that short fall.

On March 11 my Dad's been gone ten years already. I think of him everyday and all his idiosyncrasies that were his alone. I can's say I grieve for him, I've passed that stage, but I grieve for everyone who still has to go through the grieving process for a parent or a child or any loved one.

The loss of a loved one is something you never get over, you just figure out a way to go on without that person in your life, and remembering the many  good times.

Buying A New Car

The agony, the decisions, the wheels! Car shopping is all of these things and so much more. I think most women envision a car as transportation from place one to place two. A man, or my husband, looks at a car as so much more. They/he looks at the leather wrapped steering wheel; I didn't even know they made one of those. The outsize appearance is just as important as everything under the hood and in the cabin. The details of the engine and the new features of the overall car went directly over my head, in one ear and out the other. Sure I like a new car but I made that decision with the first glance.

Researching safety issues and recalls is apparently vitally important, along with numerous test drives at various dealerships. After many hours spent researching and studying, it became time to make the final decision.  We finally decided and knew the make and model of the car but the big decision now ended up being the color of the exterior and the interior.

So after probably a month of research, many discussions, test drives, etc. we ended up with the same car we had previously except for a different color and a different year,  otherwise the same in every other way.

Was it worth the extra steps in research and time spent making a decision? Who knows? But it sure smells good.

GOOFING OFF ON FACEBOOK INSTEAD OF WRITING

I haven't felt well for the last week or so. Terrible headache that blurred my vision and made me nauseous. I couldn't even read a book my vision was so bad. I had to make the pages huge on my computer and iPad to read email and Facebook. Oh, yes! I found time for emails and a way to read Facebook and 'Like' alot of things.  Lots of time!

What I couldn't find time to do was write, something I normally find time to do every day. I just could not get motivated and my wip is a very good story if I do say so myself.

GOOD TIME WITH FRIENDS

Last Saturday my husband and I visited with some friends nearby and went out for lunch in Tarpon Springs, FL. Mind you, we have lived in Florida from Pennsylvania for almost 33 years and have never visited Tarpon Springs or its infamous sponge docks.

We had lunch at a small eclectic, antiquated cafe named Zante Cafeano on one of the streets off the beaten path of the main part of town. The atmosphere was delectable with real smells coming from the just-like-at-home kitchen and dining tables snuggled against antique sideboards, etc., loaded with collectibles. One such sideboard held every kind of camera imaginable and it was hard to look with our eyes instead of our hands.

It's a family owned and operated restaurant so, of course, we were met by the young son, I would guess between 9-11 years old, who seated us in one of the comfortable dining tables, gave us menus and brought our drink order. The dining table had fresh linens: a tablecloth, placemats and napkins matching the print on the cushions on the seat of each chair. (Similar to some tea houses I visited.)

We had been warned that it takes a while to receive your meal once the order is placed because each item is made to order at the time it was taken. We ordered appetizers of Bruscetta to warm us up while we waited for our meals to be prepared. We were first served a warm, buttery, garlic fresh-from-the oven dinner roll and thought this was the Bruscetta, just prepared a little differently. In another fifteen minutes we were served a hoagie roll, sliced down the middle, spread with oil and garlic, fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes and oregano, fresh from the oven. Our Bruscetta had been served.

It was delicious. While we were waiting for our main course we wondered through the cafe looking at the various collections, some modern but most of them were older. Some were still in there original boxes, others had been hardily played with.

Our main course soon arrived and we all oohed and awed over the delicious scents surrounding us. We were amazed by the complimentary tastes. And even when we began to feel full it was hard to stop eating. It was so good. We asked for boxes to take home the remainder of our meals.

The weather was beautiful, a little breezy but perfect for a stroll down the middle of main street. Antiques shops of all kinds were located on both sides of the street and we soon found one that contained crystals and gemstones. We were all fascinated with what can be done from 100's of years old stones dug from mountain sides and from all around the world. We had to buy a couple of memorable pieces from this day.

Since two-three days have passed gone by, I am still thinking  about our marvelous day and now anxious I am to stroll the main streets again and see what other treasures are buried here. I think we may have stumbled upon a real gem in the rough.

EXERCISING and MIND STIMULATION

I joined the local YMCA a few weeks ago and started attending a Muscular Strength and Range of Motion class. It's a varied workout which starts with getting warmed up while standing up, marching and then adding arms. Then you move onto using small free weights sitting and standing as well as a elastic cord in various exercises. The cool down again is done sitting down to begin with and ends with a couple standing exercises.

I've gone twice a week for the last two weeks and already I am feeling a difference. Since I have Fibromyalgia this is remarkable. My range of motion has improved and its easier to take a deep breath. My muscles also don't hurt so much. I feel like I can suck my stomach in more, I have more control over my body.

But the best part is that I have such a clear head when I'm done. For two hours a week I get to do something for me and totally forget all the troubles of the outside world and concentrate on me, lifting that arm, lifting that knee, holding the ball between my knees.

On the way home I feel like I can take on anything and I'm ready for the challenge. Now to get back to working on my current WIP with no title yet but it is a followup to Captured Heart and the setting is in Jackson, WY, in the shadows of the Grand Teton Mountain Range. You'll have to watch for it!

WRITING A NOVEL/SCRAPBOOKING

I have been writing most of my life, journaling, short stories and such. And I started scrapbooking in 1997. With two children I took a lot of pictures for special events, birthdays, graduation, etc. and kept them in cheap albums where they turned yellow and/or stuck to the cover. In 1997 I removed all the photos and put them in new archival and safe albums along with journaling for each page telling the story behind the picture. I loved doing it, my boys loved looking at it and even added notes to a page here or there where I had missed something.

I started when they were born and instead of them each having a baby book of their own they shared a family album. When my oldest son turned thirty I went back through our albums and made copies of pictures of him and his life for the first thirty years. I had kept sports articles from when he had participated in baseball, soccer and football and made them apart of the album along with report cards and annual school pictures, prom pictures and other lifetime achievements. He was thrilled with all the memorabilia and still goes through it every now and again and reminisces.

My other son turns 35 in May and I have yet to complete his album of his first thirty years but I have been steadfastly working on it since January and will have his first 35 years done in time. I am determined to do so. He has a son now and I'm sure he would love to share with him his school artwork, report cards as well as his overall lifetime achievements. He will see how much his son's actions and looks are similar to his and how many characteristics are the same.

When I scrapbook I feel like I'm writing a novel. The building of the character sketches are there for all to see, not tell, and are believable. A bad year is depicted in the report cards and artwork, more character building. And personality is fully developed in the many pictures of happy, mad, sad faces. The description is there in the journaling or the background of the picture. We've moved a number of times and they went to different schools, had different bedroom surroundings, etc. They love to go back and remember when we lived in a certain place and we had awful or wonderful neighbors,

I'm really working on two books at one time. The one I'm writing to publish and share and the one I'm scrapbooking to share and cherish for a lifetime and beyond.

DOWNSIZING or RIGHTSIZING

Recently my husband and I decided to downsize from a 2300 square foot home  to a 1200 square foot gated community apartment home.  It was a huge decision and one we deliberated with care for quite some time. Our two sons, both grown with homes of their own, had been stopping by on Sundays to eat and/or swim at my request to keep the family close. Things started getting in the way, their wife's family functions, birthday parties, etc. Their frequency of Sunday visits slowly began to diminish to once a month, once every two months and soon we were contacting each other on FaceTime. Our decision was based on this as well as the empty nest syndrome that effects many when their children are grown and leave the nest.

We found ourselves in an empty house separated by walls and screaming from one side to the other to talk to each other. We didn't use half of the rooms that had always been filled with laughter and love throughout the years. We congregated on the family room with an open kitchen and the master bedroom. It became a burden to keep the entire house clean as well as all the outside maintenance with a salt pool and a large paved lanai.

To get to where we are today, we had to sort through everything, and I mean every nook and cranny in our house and packed only the necessities for the two of us along with a few holiday favorites. We had a moving sale and sold most of the furniture from the bedrooms, living room and extra baths, and lots of unused craft items. We gave the boys first dibs of course. We donated the rest to charity and were ready to move.

Instead  of a salt pool and a large screened in lanai that required daily maintenance, we now have a community pool which is maintenance free to us, a health club, valet trash (right at the front door), racquet ball courts, a dog park, (perfect for our little long-haired chihuahua, AJ), and a car wash. We have two bedrooms and two baths, a living/dining/kitchen combined, a screened-in patio and just the right size for the two of us.

We have just enough room for holiday dinners and special occasions but find we enjoy the majority of the time alone. We continue to stay in touch with the boys with visits to their homes or their infrequent visits to ours, and on occasion FaceTime.

Life is good and time is used much more efficiently for writing and scrapbooking instead of cleaning.

The Search book review and recommendation

Like many of you, I read vociferously and especially read Nora Roberts.  I have read most of her books and I'm currently reading The Search. It's about a woman who's expertise lies in training dogs to find cadavers and living victims. I admire how Nora 'lays' out the story from beginning to end, starting with something that may, at first, appear to be irrelevant to the book, such as in this book. It begins with a man and woman trying to get pregnant with their second child. A short time later they find their three year old boy missing and the kitchen door standing wide open. I could tell you lots more but don't want to spoil it for those of you who have not had the chance to read it yet.

I'm about half way through it and it has become a trilling page-turner for me. I find myself wondering about it while I'm doing my own writing. It's been a while since I have been this 'obsessed' with reading a good book. I can only hope the books I write are as tantalizing as this one.

Deadly Deliverance

DEADLY DELIVERANCE AVAILABLE JANUARY 17TH.

Things get personal for Sam Brower, undercover task force detective for human trafficking, when his niece, Autumn, goes missing. To make matters worse, he’s forced to work with his ex-girlfriend, Lisa Conover, former DC cop, when she’s assigned to a cold case involving his long lost brother.

After infiltrating the gang responsible for the multiple abductions, Sam and Lisa try to unravel the stories behind the kidnapping of Autumn and the disappearance of Luke before their cover is blown.

Undercover work doesn’t lend well to trust. Even if they work together like a fine tuned instrument, will Lisa and Sam be able to salvage love after all they’ve been through?

STORY EXCERPT:

“Ahh!! Oh!! Yes! Yes! It feels so good! Right there! Please, don’t stop, please,” Lisa Conover muttered. “Harder, harder! No! Don’t leave now!” She groaned as she pounded her fists into the hardwood floor. “Damn it! Why did you stop?” she asked Godiva, her twenty-two pound silver tabby cat, who had jumped off her back and now sauntered over to a sunny spot on the carpet, flopping down in a very unladylike manner. Just like Sam used to do years ago, gets me feeling comfortable and then he takes off.

Lisa’s aching back muscles were so tight from hunching over her computer ten to twelve hours a day every day for the past weeks. She needed a massage. Better yet, she needed a vacation.

She rolled over onto her back and stared above at the open-beamed ceiling of her log cabin in the North Carolina Mountains outside Hickoryville. She studied the accumulation of dust bunnies along the beams.

The setting sun cast shadows across the room as she gazed out the two-story floor to ceiling windows on one wall. The view of the tranquil scenic mountains in its resplendent fall glory replaced some of the angst she felt about her work. She relaxed and stretched her arms above her head. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t had any lunch today.

She stood, trying to stretch her still-aching muscles by turning side to side at the waist, touching her toes—or attempting to anyway.

Then maybe she could get a few more hours of work done before bedtime.

After putting down fresh water and food for Godiva she opened the fridge hoping to find something for dinner. She knew what she would find but she looked anyway. It was empty except for a couple of eggs, and an older-than-she-knew container of yogurt she couldn’t trust anymore.

She glimpsed down at Godiva who had already finished her dinner. “I think I’ll run down to The Barn and get something to eat. You can hold down the fort here for a while, right?” she asked Godiva who sauntered away licking her lips.

She walked the short distance from the kitchen to the corner of the large open room to her desk which held her state-of-the-art computer system with three screens and a laptop. She sat down to start turning everything off when the phone on her desk rang.

“Conover Investigations, Lisa speaking.”

“Hi, is Sam Brower there?”

“Sorry, but I haven’t heard from Sam in years. How did you get my number?”

“This is the last number I had for him. I really need to talk to him ASAP.”

“Maybe I can help you. What’s the problem?”

“No, I need to talk to Sam.”

“I’m sorry I can’t help you. Give me your name and a number where he can reach you, and if I hear from him I’ll let him know you’re trying to get in touch with him, okay?”

“My name’s Luke and he can reach me at …” Then the phone line went dead. He had hung up.

What is it about men? They never say good-bye.

ADULT EXCERPT:

“Sam, have you really thought this through?” Lisa asked as she pulled her hair away from her face.

“Of course I have. Do you think I really want to give up what we’ve just renewed?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, back the truck up,” Lisa said as she pushed away from him, her hands on his chest. “What do you think has been renewed? Yes, we shared a couple of ‘hello’ kisses for old time’s sake, but that’s all.”

Sam turned and moved closer to her. “Let’s take care of that right now. I know I want more out of our relationship, maybe even something permanent, don’t you?” He put his hands on her shoulders and attempted to pull her closer. She resisted.

He leaned in and kissed her shoulders, moving to her neck. She moved away. He pulled her closer and continued kissing her long neck, ears, and cheeks, moving toward her open and groaning mouth. Her hands moved to his elbows and then up to his shoulders until they were around his neck where she hung on for dear life.

His mouth moved to encompass hers, his tongue tangling with hers. He groaned as he pulled her closer to rub against his erection. He walked her backwards toward the bed until the back of her legs could go no farther. They slowly tumbled to the bed without breaking the kiss. He held her in his arms, plundering her mouth. His hands moved up her side and found her breast. She wiggled. His fingers found her nipple and gently squeezed until it became erect and hard. He pulled up her blouse and broke the kiss to take his wet mouth to her breast. He moved her satin-and-lace bra out of the way and plundered her nipple. She groaned and arched toward him. His hand pulled up her skirt and reached for her feminine curls finding soft, satin-and-lace matching panties. He pulled them aside and reached for her hot wet spot waiting and ready for him.

His hand slid between her legs and brushed the dewy petals of her damp folds, sending a zing of electricity through her entire body. Working a finger inside her, he growled, “Keep going,” with a jerk of his chin at her still hands.

He worked two fingers into her wet passage and stretched her wide. Her back arched as delicious tremors and hot shocks of pleasure streaked through her body. His eyes as deep and dark as night, his gaze caressed her, traveling over her body to rest where his hand had disappeared between her legs.

Eyes heavy-lidded, he murmured, “I want to lick you all over like an ice cream cone.”

His heated look inflamed her blood, and a film of perspiration covered her skin. She tried to fill her restricted lungs, but there wasn’t enough air in the room.

He moved his fingers inside her. He was huge, jutting past his belly button, a network of veins distended in stark relief along the length.

He was stroking himself while he was pleasuring her. He rolled on top of her and, finding the exact spot, he thrust inside her. She arched her hips toward him, wanting more, and he thrust deeper. In and out, in and out, their rhythm soon matched until they both spiraled out of control and into ecstasy.

Sam moved off her but lay close beside her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He didn’t want to let her go.

WwW.bookstrand.com/deadly-deliverance