In Memory's Shadow by Linda Wisdom

$3.99

Amazon

MISSING MEMORIES...Sam Barkley had promised to protect her. But Keely Harper was beginning to think she would never be safe again. Since she'd returned to Echo Ridge, the town of her birth, she'd been plagued by nightmares--not to mention that her new neighbors looked at her strangely.

Keely had been orphaned at five, and left with no memory of her early life. She'd come to Echo Ridge hoping to fill in some of the gaps, yet all she'd found were more questions. Her handsome lover seemed to know something he wasn't telling her. Could she trust the safety she felt in Sam's warm embrace? Or would her fragile serenity be destroyed by the devastating secret of her past.

July and the Single Heart by Vi Zetterwall

Amazon

The Coin of Luck lands between a rock and a hard place.



29 year old, July Harris, has the entire fortunes of her conniving family riding on her. In order to fulfill her grandfather’s will, she must select a husband from among five strangers in less than two months. With the clock ticking, she makes a decision at the last moment that rocks her family’s world. And nothing turns out as she expected.

Excerpt:

William made a strong impression on her. At one point, they were discussing marketing for a small business like the restaurant they were at that evening. He said, “The wonderful aspect of helping a small company market itself is the process of helping them understand who they are. I mean, you should see their eyes light up when we talk with them and suddenly they begin to realize what they look like to other people. Some of them have never even thought about what their own USP is and when we help them identify it, well, it’s really something.”

July was hanging on every word. “USP? I’m sorry, I should probably know that, but what is it?”

William smiled gently. “USP is their essence. It’s who they are—their Unique Selling Proposition. Every business, and for that matter every person, has one. You just have to figure it out, and then, when you do, well, you build your ad campaign around it.”

“I’m still not sure I understand. I mean, for example, what is the USP for this restaurant?”

William answered immediately, “Well, they specialize in Ethiopian food, served just as they do in Africa. That is very unique and they should push that to the hilt. And I realize that probably sounds obvious but many businesses try too hard to appeal to a broad market and end up missing the mark altogether. Companies need to have a laser-like focus on their USP.”

“That…that is fascinating. I have to admit, I don’t say that very often, but I love to learn new things and I find that very interesting.”

William looked at her closely and smiled at her. “You know, you have a USP too. Everyone does, really. Would you like to know what I think it is?”

Slightly skeptical, July ventured, “Is this the part where you flatter me and I love it?”

William laughed. “Well, the cool part about USP’s is that they are always flattering. After all, you aren’t going to promote yourself by talking about something uncomplimentary, right?”

It was July’s turn to laugh. “True. So what is my USP?”

William looked at her and softly, with almost a conspiratorial tone, whispered, “You are inquisitive. And you take great joy in learning new things. I think that makes you unique and very attractive. Too many people have blinders on, and as they grow older, they quit seeking the new and start gravitating back toward the old. You, July, are different.”

That moment felt almost like magic to her. She moved William up to the top of the ‘no-cut’ list.

 

Eau de Bonfire! A writer’s life is never dull! Guest Post by Debra Salonen

Another beautiful spring day in the Sierra foothills. 

The glory of poppies in the burn scar areas is one amazing side effect of recent fires. (This photo was taken along the Merced River Canyon near last year’s devastating Ferguson Fire.)

Homeowners like myself are busy preparing for a new wildfire season by setting debris piles on fire SAFELY to help protect our homes and property from any future wildfires.  That was my job this morning. It’s hot and smelly. It’s also fairly mindless, which means my brain glommed onto a possible scene for my work-in-progress. You’ve probably heard this before: if you’re a writer, nothing goes to waste. ;-)

Another I hate to waste is an email like the one below from Amazon. Why, yes, Alexa, I do like Debra Salonen’s MontanaBorn series. Thanks so much for asking.

Here’s a snippet from MONTANA COWGIRL - Book I in the Big Sky Mavericks series:

"Bailey?" a man's voice asked cutting into her thoughts.

Bailey's chin shot up--and up farther. A tall man in a white Stetson, jeans, boots and blue short-sleeve cotton work shirt with the name Paul machine embroidered above the chest pocket stood a foot or so away.

"It is you, isn't it?" His eyes, the color of a Montana summer sky, lit up. His tentative smile sent her heart galloping across the open prairie on the time-travel express. "Girl, you're skinny as a rail. Don't they feed you in California?" He made a face. "Oh, crap, don't tell me you're a vegan?"

"Paul Zabrinski?"

The last person she expected to see today. But when your luck sucked as bad as hers, anything was possible. "What are you doing here?"

She tapped her forehead.

"Dumb question. This is an airport. You're meeting someone. Hey, you look great. How long has it been?"

Even dumber question. She knew exactly how long it had been. Life-changing drama had a way of leaving an indelible mark.

She held out her hand, which felt stupid and forced, but she honestly didn't have the oomph to stand and hug him--which probably wasn't the right response, either, given their history.

His smile dropped. He wasn't the boy she'd kissed till their lips were chapped. He'd added a couple of inches of height and twenty pounds that filled out his shoulders and gave his face more character. Cute? Not any more. Now, he was handsome. His blue eyes the stuff they wrote romance novels about.

"Coming up on fifteen years in August. Hard to believe, huh? Did your mom tell you there's a new director of the Chamber of Commerce in Marietta? The fair's going to run for two weeks this year."

He chuckled in a manly way that made the woman inside her--the woman Bailey thought died with Ross-- ache for a pair of strong arms around her. Even for a moment.

Available in ebook and print at the vendor of your choice: COWGIRL.

Happy reading!

Deb