Wednesday 29 January 2020

It's Bethday, today. A chance to find out about Beth D Cart's new book, The Scarlet Dove

Hi all,

I'm privileged to be able to show this gorgeous cover and give you some info about Beth's latest book, The Scarlet Dove




Blurb
Can Liza find her place in a lawless world?
When Liza Trent decided to become a mail order bride out west, she never imagined her fiancĂ© would die before she arrived. His death places her in debt, and the only way to pay off the money is by auctioning off her virginity against her will. When she’s rescued by two handsome men, she mistakenly thinks they’re assassins. Despite her reservations, she accepts their protection.
Only the two men, Apollo Beck and Blue Hawke, aren’t assassins. They’re Texas Rangers sent after a man who preys on women, and their dangerous hunt has just brought Liza into the line of fire.
Confused with the attraction she feels for two men, Liza has a difficult decision before her: commit to loving Apollo and Blue or commit to her burning desire to become a doctor…unless she’s found and taken for revenge first.

Content Warning: contains violence, strong language, and explicit sex scenes, including anal sex
Genre(s): Historical Romance / Menage



5 writing pet peeves that simply drive me insane…
1. Work.  Isn’t this the bane of every author’s life? By day I’m a pharmacy tech in a retail store, standing on my feet all day and dealing with many people. By the time I get home, my brain is fried.
2. Time. This harkens back to the work thing, where my brain is fried. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with having too much stuff going on in my life and not enough time to write. It can be so frustrating.
3. Social Media.  I spend way too much damn time flittering between Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
4. My muse.  I’m hard at work trying to write out a complicated and scene and she’s like “Wait!  I’ve got this awesome idea for another story!” Most of the time she wakes me up at three am.  Bitch.
5. Character changes.  Most of the time I can envision the beginning and ending to a story, but every once in a while the ending slips away, due to the direction of where the characters take me.  When that happens I struggle a lot to maintain the plot.  I’ve shelved some great stories because of this.

Excerpt

"It's him," Liza whispered in a hate-filled tone. "The man who tricked me."
"Reynolds," Blue spat.
"All three of you!" Reynolds screamed. "You'll pay! You'll pay for everything!"
The gun wavered in an unstable hand. Blue and Apollo glanced at each other and then charged forward. A shot exploded and Apollo went down. Blue tackled Reynolds to the ground. The two men rolled around, each trying to get the upper hand.
Apollo did his best to try to focus on the two men, but agony lanced through him as he tried to get to his feet. Black spots danced in front of his eyes, and he honestly didn't know how bad he was shot.
And then a pair of soft, steady hands took his away. "Let me see," Liza softly said.
"Uh," he moaned. "Blue—"
"Is holding his own," she interrupted him. Though she carefully probed, the pain rippled through Apollo, and he halted her hand. "You need medical help," she told him.
"Get Reynolds first," he panted.
Her eyebrows arched. "You know him?"
"I was sent to kill him."
Her mouth fell open, and she looked from him to where Blue still fought with Reynolds.
"There's a blade in my boot," he whispered, wiggling his right foot and bringing her attention back to him. "Give it to Blue."
She hesitated for only a second before reaching for the marked boot. He felt her hand slide in and grab the hilt. She slid it free and rose, turning to the fight that had attracted several people's attention.
"I have a knife, Blue!" she called out.
In a flash, Blue spun away from Reynolds and grabbed the knife from Liza's shaky hand. As he turned back, he let it fly. They watched as it flipped end over end and buried itself into Reynolds's shoulder, right where the arm and chest met. For a moment, no one moved. Then the confused crowd rushed to help Reynolds, who stumbled away, and Blue turned to grab Liza's hand and hurry over to Apollo.
"You need medical attention," he said without preamble, mimicking Liza's earlier statement.
"Not here," Apollo growled. "Help me up."
"You should rest," Liza said.
"You think anyone is going to help the people responsible for burning down half the town?" As he sat up with a gasp of pain, Blue let go of Liza's hand to help him stand. "Is Reynolds dead?"
They all looked at the small crowd that had moved in to help Reynolds when the blade had got him, only to see the crowd starting to point at them and talk. Reynolds was nowhere to be found.




BUY LINKS:

https://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-Dove-Beth-D-Carter-ebook/dp/B0846M5HWQ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the%20scarlet%20dove%20by%20beth%20d.%20carter&qid=1580170317&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&fbclid=IwAR05mVntQoxCoAO1XCvJkkIy3mD4UqYPHP-ZpUmnCUdn4mKjnBt2TPprTkE


Bio & Social Media Links:

I like writing about the very ordinary woman thrust into extraordinary circumstances, so my heroines will probably never be lawyers, doctors or corporate highrollers.  I try to write characters who aren't cookie cutters and push myself to write complicated situations that I have no idea how to resolve, forcing me to think outside the box.  I love writing characters who are real, complex and full of flaws, heroes and heroines who find redemption through love. I love to hear from readers so I’ve made it really easy to find me on the web:



Happy reading,

love, Raven xx

Tuesday 14 January 2020

It's that in between books stage...and I'm twitchy

Hi all, it's Tuesday, 
I'm on the settee with a cup of coffee on the table, eyeing up the cakes just out of reach (on purpose), sitting in front of my lap top and toying with a couple of ideas and part stories.

And wondering what to do next.



(pic, source pinterest)

It's not that I haven't got some stories in the making—I have. I'm also half way through writing a Regency mystery-romance with the lovely Cassie O'Brien. That is first on my next list if you get the gist. However it needs concentration as I'm checking we have our timeline and continuity right, and today, there's a lot happening in the Raven household. (No I do not have, or have moved the hammer, sticky tape, made a cuppa found x, y or z...
So, after going over the first chapter three times I've decided that's for when I have a clear, free and uninterrupted few hours later in the week. 

But that means now I'm twitchy. It's all well and good knowing what's on my list for a few days and weeks hence (I sort of do, well for the next week or so anyway) but I like a story on the go. 

And today I have three I could write and none are screaming 'me, me, do me.'

It's a great dilemma in one way, I don't have writer's block just writer's argh, what next.

I think I'll go and read a book, eat the cakes and make another cup of coffee.


How much do you bet I'll get a can you please do this asap email from someone?


Happy reading,

love Raven xx

Thursday 2 January 2020

blimey what a roller coaster of a ride...

Yes, it is me. The me who seems to have disappeared from the blogging scene this last year. My bad.
I've had a roller coaster of a 2019... Lots of highs...lots of lows.

(source: pinterest)

As most of you know it started with a massive low with the death of my bestie, the late great Doris O'Connor, went on to the high of out last joint story being published.




I've had a best seller on Amazon.com in three categories The Duke's Seduction of Lady M.




Plus a few more books out.

I've been lucky enough to visit lots of the UK, plus, South Africa, California, Portugal, Malta and Gozo, and Lanzarote.

Eaten some great gluten free food and some not so great

Watched (and got joyfully tearful) as our daughter got married, gained the perfect son in law, seen our son happy with his special lady, and spent time with the lovely hubby, both at home and away.



I've carried on my habit of writing anywhere I can get my laptop out, made lots of notes, had work accepted and yes, rejected.

It's been interesting to say the least.

I've started this year I hope, as the way I want to go on. More interaction, blog posts, guest blog posts, chat, fun, competitions, giveaways and writing. Lots of writing.

So on that note, I'm back off to my edits for my next Katy Lilley romcom, What Maisie Did Next.

But I'll be back, sooner rather than later.

Happy reading,

love Raven xx