Nana Prah - Character Interview and Review

Today, I have Nana Prah, my writer friend, talking about her book, Destiny Mine, the second in her Midwife to Destiny series books by Decadent Publishing's Ubuntu Line. She's given her character interview and I'm putting my review of her book at the end. She's also offering a great giveaway so enter the rafflecopter below!

Destiny Mine by +Nana Prah

Destiny series book 2

Published by +Decadent Publishing

Genre: contemporary, medical, multicultural romance

Add to Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25063012-destiny-mine?ac=1

BLURB

Extraordinary midwife, Esi Darfour, is looking to get married.  She’s a master matchmaker but has no luck when it comes to her love life and has yet to find a man worthy of her. Until she has to deal with gorgeous Dr. Adam Quarshie outside of work.

Adam is a player who refuses to get married—ever.

His interest lies more in getting her into bed than in having any kind of committed relationship. Esi’s matchmaker instincts warn her to run in the other direction as quickly as possible, but her heart insists she stay…get closer…and see if what they feel for each other can change his mind.

EXCERPT

Enjoy the following excerpt for Destiny Mine:

Her gaze travelled down his muscular body.
Unlike many of the other doctors who tended to gain a belly as they grew older and settled into the comforts of married life, Adam Quarshie could overshadow any man in his late twenties. His stomach had remained flat and his muscles strained against his yellow button-down shirt when he moved.

She took her time raking her gaze up his body and to his face. Her gasp of embarrassment stuck in her throat as her eyes met his.

Why did he have to have such an adorable grin?
God could’ve at least rotted his teeth to save the hearts of women all over Ghana.

“See something you like, Esi?”

She cleared her throat. “Yes, I do. Your shoes are nice. Where can I get a pair for my brother?”

He chuckled. “My shoes. Hmm. I got them on Oxford Street in Osu.”

“Thanks.”

He moved towards her, and she refused to step back as he crowded her. He smelled amazing, like he was fresh from a shower. She struggled not to move closer or inhale deeper.

“Or I could take you.” His voice came out soft yet had a distinct rumble.

Did the man not know how to be anything but seductive?

If she checked her pulse, she knew it would be way above the normal range. She snorted as she stepped around him and went to the patient’s bedside. “I’m going home. You did a great job.” She tilted her head to view the child’s face cradled in the new mother’s arms then smiled at the newborn’s mother. “You were able to gather the strength to push the baby out. You are a strong woman, Ama.”

The woman ducked her head. “Thank you.”

Esi turned to Adam, not bothering to hide her annoyance. “Are there any other patients you want to see?”

“I’ll come back to do ward rounds later. How about going to Osu?”

“I’d rather…rather….” Fatigue had blocked her brain. Later on in the day, long after it was too late, she’d think of any number of things she could have said to put him in his place.

He raised an eyebrow. Their perfect arch sat over slanted dark brown eyes. “You’d rather what?”

“Eat a live snail.”

He scrunched his face. “Disgusting. No Osu for you, then. Next time, I’ll ask to take you somewhere that won’t make you prefer eating something raw and slimy over hanging out with me.”

“No such place exists, Quarshie.” They walked, rather, she stalked while he strutted, down the hallway towards the nurse’s station.

“I’m sure there is somewhere, and one day I’m going to take you there.”

She didn’t bother to look at him. “In your dreams.”

He winked. “Always in my dreams.”

Her heart skipped a beat as Sade’s classic song “Smooth Operator” came to mind. She regarded him through narrowed eyes as he headed towards the door. His heartbreaking ways didn’t appeal to her at all. Everyone knew relationships weren’t his thing. She’d never even consider going out on a date with him. She knew too many casualties of his charm. The type of guy who would go to all sorts of lengths to get a woman on his radar. Once he caught and used her, he moved to the next one…or two. After having once dated a womanizer, she wouldn’t subject herself to that kind of man again.

No way. Not her. Never

TEASER

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Decadent | ARe | Barnes & Noble| Smashwords  |  Itunes   | Kobo | Googleplay

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nana Prah is a multi-published author of contemporary, multicultural romance. Her books are sweet with a touch of spice. When she’s not writing she’s reading, indulging in chocolate, and enjoying life with friends and family.

Contact Details:

Blog: www.nanaprah.blogspot.com

Twitter: @NanaPrah

Facebook: Nana Prah, Author

Goodreads: Nana Prah

Google + :  NanaPrah 

Character interview of Dr. Adam Quarshie from Destiny Mine

The author interviews her yummy hero in the book.

Can I call you Adam or would you prefer the official Dr. Quarshie?

Adam will do. I’m not all that formal unless I’m at work.

Thanks. How are you today?

Chale, I’m beat. I had to do there emergency surgeries last night. One a Caesarean Section. All of the patients are alive and well thanks to me. Just kidding. Of course I have to acknowledge the wonderful hospital staff.

Sounds like a busy night. Why did you call me Charlie?

*Chuckle* Sorry about that. It slipped out. It’s pronounced Chaa-ley. A form of Pidgin English we use in Ghana. In place of the term buddy or pal, we say Chale.

I think I like it. Tell me how you met Esi.

We’ve worked at the same hospital for years so I’ve seen her around. It wasn’t until my best friend Jason got involved with her cousin, Ora, that I got to know her.

What’s that grin all about?

I remember the first time I first spoke to Ora, I asked her to introduce me to Esi. She refused, saying that Esi was too smart to fall for a player like me.

Wow. That sounds harsh.

I took no offense. What can I say? I like women.

Then how did this whole thing with Esi come about?

I did an obstetrics rotation. As you know she’s a midwife. Don’t tell her, but she’s one of the best I’ve ever encountered. She didn’t want anything to do with me, even though I knew she was attracted. I mean look at me, who wouldn’t be? But she fought it all the way. To be honest all I wanted was to sleep with her, and then things got all twisted on me.

The hunter got trapped?

Exactly.

I know you’re tired so I don’t want to keep you too long. Anything you’d like to say to my fans?

I’d like everyone to read my story. It’s the best romance that’s ever existed. How could it not be? I’m the hero. *wink* Seriously, though. I hope you enjoy what I had to go through to end up with Esi. It was worth it. She’s a ball buster on a good day, worse when she’s dealing with me.

Thank you for taking time out  to be  here.

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


My Review

Destiny Mine is the second book in a series but I'm sure it could be read as a standalone. I've read the first book which I really enjoyed although I have to say I enjoyed this one even more. I loved the characters. Esi is bouncy, full of life but a strong determined woman who doesn't want to have her heart broken by player, Adam Quarshie (oh, I love that name!). Anyway, Quarshie really is a player. And he's a nice guy but he has this horrible fault - he doesn't want to commit to one woman the rest of his life. But somehow, the author manages to make me sympathise with him. I mostly don't go for the bad guys in books unless they have lots to redeem them and Quarshie does. And he's just so sexy, how could the reader not fall for him? This book is very sensual and there's plenty of sexual tension. There is also a depth in their physical relationship which makes it so much more respectful. I really enjoyed this love story. I enjoyed entering into the Ghana culture. I love the way they talk! It was fun learning more about the country and entering the world of midwives. This one didn't disappoint in that regard. All in all, a great read.

It's Fall

For any of my friends or readers who live in the southern hemisphere, I'm sure you're aware that's it's fall already.

For the last ten years, I've lived in a part of Africa that experiences the four seasons. Africa is a largely tropical continent so it's not a common occurrence to go through them. Even when I lived in Durban, the warm Indian Ocean made it more like summer three-quarters of the year and a mild winter for a few months in the middle. Here, at the foothills of the mountains, although our summers are still long and very hot, we do have real fall and winter. The trees shed their leaves and many of them turn beautiful shades of orange, red and brown. The mornings are crisp, and toward the end of fall, we experience frost and need to bring out our warmer clothes. This year, it seems that summer is lingering long.

Last year during our spring and the northern hemisphere's fall, I joined a group of sweet romance authors to publish an anthology called Autumn's Kiss. I'm sure if you've been following my blog you will remember me talking about it. Anyway, to make the southern hemisphere readers happy, it's going on sale until the end of May for $0.99. And for those in the northern hemisphere who feel like reading it anyway, enjoy.

Here's an excerpt from my short story set right in my home town:

Seth spotted her from a distance, and she stood out from the crowd. For him, anyway. She epitomized the typical country girl with her soft mannerisms—the way she smiled sweetly at customers, bent down to talk to a child and supported an elderly lady with her walker. She took time to chat openly with each customer, never losing patience or looking harried. He made a beeline to her stall, pushing through the rows and rows of people in the dusty winter festival. Bodies of people he’d never met pressed against him, but he didn’t care.

The Newcastle Winter Festival came every fall when the trees turned fiery colors and fires burnt the grasslands of Northern KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. He’d only lived there two years, but knew how much the town revolved around the occasion. He still couldn’t figure out why the festival was coined “The Winter Festival.” The weather had turned cooler, but the frosty mornings hadn’t set in yet. No, fall was in full force, turning the tree-lined Drakensberg road into a kaleidoscope while the days still blew warm.

“I make them myself,” the pretty lady said, handing a bar of soap in a gauzy, glittery bag toward a customer.

The older woman sniffed the cream bar dotted with green flecks. “Mmmh, smells like lemon grass.”

“That’s exactly it.” Her face lit up, making her eyes comets in a sky of ordinary stars, and dimples pressed at the base of full cheeks. Something stirred within him as he watched the exchange, and his whole body became alert. “Lemon grass and coconut oil. Great for your skin as the air turns dry this time of year.”

“How’s your husband?” the customer asked. “Away as usual?”

Could he have imagined the woman spoke of the pretty soap lady? The one he couldn’t help watching?

She merely kept her gaze turned down toward her wares. The table was laden with a variety of soaps, jars of creams, or so he presumed, and about a hundred bottles of apple sauce and chutney.

Then he spotted it on the pretty lady’s hand, on the ring finger—a huge stone the size of the Gibraltar rock. His heart sank and he turned away.

He should have known by the way she dressed. Top class—sleek cashmere sweater, hair salon-sculpted, classy make-up and hot-potato-in-the-mouth speech. The faded denims didn’t match though. He sighed and went back to his stall. Maybe a good thing, he realized, as he neared the stand. A group of people harassed his assistant, Bongani, and the man looked flustered.

“Just hand out the flyers, Bongi,” he said, patting the youth on the back.

“They’re asking lots of questions. Like do you fell trees, clean gutters, burn fire breaks?”

“What?” Burn fire breaks. Why would they think he did that?

“Okay, everyone,” he announced to his new audience, “one question at a time.”

Once everything had calmed down to a steady stream, he chanced a last glance at her. Strange, he’d never thought of her as the married-to-a-rich-guy type. She looked too sweet, too approachable and way too lonely.

You can buy the book here:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
Kobo

Libby Waterford and Sweet Imperfection

Welcome with me Libby Waterford, Decadent Publishing author of steamy contemporary romances, talking about her second book in the Weston University Series Novellas. She's giving away a $20 Amazon card too!

Sweet Imperfection by Libby Waterford

Available from Decadent Publishing  March 31, 2015

A contemporary multi-cultural erotic romance novella

Blurb

Single and childless, Emma Chen-Delvaux is finding her ten-year college reunion almost more than she can handle. Running into recently divorced Nate Hirsch is a welcome distraction, especially when the old friends’ flirtation escalates from banter to the bedroom. Nate and Emma have off-the-charts chemistry, but will their imperfections end their affair after one red-hot reunion weekend?

Excerpt from Sweet Imperfection (18+)

She told herself a woman was entitled to change her mind and that going to Nate’s room close to midnight didn’t make her slutty. Some of the things she wanted to do to him once she got there might qualify her for the designation, but that would be between them. God, it had been so long since she’d had sex she was practically wet just thinking about making out with him.

She barreled into the building since the door was conveniently propped open, but then stopped. She didn’t know which room he was assigned to. She’d meant to get his phone number, but had been so flustered by the kiss it had slipped her mind.

Oh well, she’d have to do this the old-fashioned way.

“Nate!” she called in a fairly loud voice as she trailed through the first-floor hallway. “Nate!”

The hallway was dead quiet, so he was either ignoring her or the floor’s occupants were very sound sleepers. They were probably all at the party in Ashworth 10.

She climbed to the second floor, calling his name, feeling slightly foolish, but also pretty horny, which was more important.

“Nate!”

A woman came out of the bathroom and looked startled when Emma rushed up to her.

“Hey, do know what room Nate Hirsch is in, by any chance?”

 “Um, no, sorry,” she said, then scurried back to her room on the opposite side of the hall.

Emma wasn’t giving up so easily and again called, “Nate!” She was about to climb the stairs to the top floor of the building when the door of the corner room opened and Nate stuck out his head.

“Emma?”

“Nate.” She rushed up to him, relishing the confused but cute smile on his face and the crinkles it formed around his eyes.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m an idiot. I thought it would be taking things too fast, but we’ve known each other forever. Plus, there’s a rager going on right outside my room, and I’d rather get no sleep this way.” She planted an open-mouthed kiss on him that had them both stumbling backward into his room. The door clanged shut behind them; Emma paid no attention to anything except the fierceness with which Nate’s arms clamped around her, holding her to him as if for dear life.

Buy Links

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

About the Author

Libby Waterford writes steamy contemporary romances. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons, where she works off her weekly pilgrimage to In-N-Out by swimming and climbing the city's secret staircases.

Author Links

Website: http://libbywaterford.com

Email: libby@libbywaterford.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/libbywaterford

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/libbywaterford

Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/libbywaterford

The Weston University Novella Series

Book One: Passionate History

Book Two: Sweet Imperfection

Giveaway (March 23 – April 3)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's Most Important in Life

Sometimes, I can be philosophical and think deeply about life. Life gets busy and we get caught up in the rat race, but every now and then, we feel this emptiness and wonder what it's all about.

I've been thinking lately. What is my real purpose in life?

Yeah, sure, I'm a writer. That's what I spend most of my time doing nowadays (except for mindless housework). My kids are bigger now and they do most of their school work independently. I also feel, in a way, that as I work hard on my writing and persist even when it's hard, I'm setting an example to them of hard work even when I don't see big results straight away.

But really, in the end of my life, am I going to be satisfied with just being a writer? As a Christian, no. That's not enough for me. I want to feel like I've changed the world - made it a better place, somehow.

On the weekend, we went to visit friends of ours who are starting an orphanage. They've been building for three years and have gone through many trials with getting approval and funding for their project. But now they have a house up which they live in that has three rooms with beds in for some orphans. They have a games room and dining room with fitted kitchen and a small room for a preschool. They even have some jungle gyms up. The place is rustic, but it's awesome! It's away from town in the middle of nowhere, but I know it's going to be full of life. I felt quite taken aback by the way they've laid down their lives for helping children who are born to less fortunate circumstances to what we or our children have been born to. They're not living in the easiest spot. I really respect their dedication and love. I chatted with my friend and told her, "I don't do anything for God." Yes, I used to be involved in mission work in Zambia (more education as opposed to mission.) And I did teach Sunday School for many years and even worked in a church, but of late, I've become so busy being a wife, Mom and writer, that I've had little time to impact my world. It kind of feels dry and lonely.

So, I've determined in my heart to impact my world in some way. Even if it's in small ways like loving other people, helping other authors, taking time to listen to a friend, giving them a small gift, anything. I also pray that God uses my books to touch people's lives in some way. Some of what I've learned about life comes out in my books and I hope that springs forth into someone's soul and they feel a measure of hope or anything good from my books.

Maybe one day, God will open the doors for me to do something really grand. Maybe not. But even if He doesn't, I'm going to try my best to do good with the small tasks I have every day.

I think that's a little bit what Alicia learnt in my book, A Better Promise. She had such grand ideas as a young person of what she was going to do for God. I know I did. I thought I was going to be a missionary or pastor's wife. I'm really glad I'm not either of those because they're not my gifting. But Alicia thought God had called her to be single and only concentrate on His work. God brought Braedon to show her He had other plans. Isn't love what it's all about? Whether it's love for our spouse, our kids, our friends, a stranger in the shop, that's the foundation of how we can impact our world. It's not about grand deeds (although they're good) but about doing the little things every day to make it a better world.

A Better Promise comes out tomorrow. You can purchase it at Decadent Publishing now or pre-order it on the other sites:

Decadent Publishing
Amazon
Kobo
Google Play
Itunes

Opal from Videos by O designed a book trailer for me. Check it out here.

Pre-release News

Phew, I've been a bit AWOL on my blog writing lately. But guess what that means? I'm upping my book word count, which is great news. I've had a breakthrough with a book that started off very difficult in the beginning - Book # 2 of The Album series. Pauline and Xaden are going to make for great sexual tension. There's nothing more fun than forcing two people together who don't want to be together yet are attracted to each other. Bound to have many sparks fly.

Anyway, that's not why I'm posting today. I'm just letting you know that my third book in The Creator Series is now available for pre-order. It's on special while on pre-order at only $0.99 which comes to $3.41 for us in South Africa (don't taxes and surcharges stink?) But really, that's only like R40 or so. Which for a book is nothing. Here says someone who often doesn't buy books because well, I don't always have the extra for luxuries. But I'd love a big fat Amazon voucher for my birthday coming up. *hint, hint*

Talking about my birthday, my book is releasing on my birthday this year. I was born on St. Paddy's day so lets think of green, four-leafed clovers, leprechauns.

Okay, seriously, I'm going off on way too many tangents. Seeing it's my birthday coming up, I'm feeling generous too. I'm going to gift someone a copy of Book 2 of The Creators series just for fun. So up until the 16th March, if you comment on this blog post, you get entered into the chance to win The Dance of the Firefly.

So here's to what I'm really posting about:

A Better Promise

When Braedon hires shy and serious Alicia as a secretary in his furniture business, he falls for her instantly. Alicia admires Braedon for his kindness and warms up to him despite her decision not to. There’s just one problem—Alicia has plans to enter the mission field and follow her vow to remain single the rest of her life. When she takes up an offer to help teach the Basotho teenagers in Lesotho, things don’t go as smoothly as she hoped. Braedon soon gets wind of her troubles and joins her. But will Alicia open her heart to love or hold fast to her childhood pledge?

An Excerpt:

Braedon smiled. “Have you had anyone special in your life?” he asked.

Alicia’s face burned, and she turned her eyes away from his gaze. Braedon was the most forward and open man she’d ever met, and he made her feel like she lived in a foreign land with strange people, having to adapt to strange customs. She braced herself.

“As a teenager, I wasn’t into boyfriends and guys like the other girls—I studied my Bible and distant countries because I believed God had called me to something special. When I reached twelve, I made a vow to the Lord to remain single so I wouldn’t be distracted from my work for him. I didn’t want to be bogged down with duties at home and with children. I have so far stuck to my vow.”

Braedon kept silent, and she suspected he despised her for her radical views. Everyone had. That’s why she didn’t talk about them anymore. Safer to keep them to herself. She daren’t look at him, in case she found the disdain in his eyes.

He spoke, his voice clear. “Kirsty was the only true love in my life, and I lost her because I feared telling her about my true self. I’ll never make that mistake again. It’s always good to be upfront with people. Well done for being honest with me and telling me such a private thing—I know you found it difficult. You were very brave to tell me that.”

Alicia nodded and offered him a small smile. He seemed to reassure her in any way he could, turning any negative into a positive, if he had a chance. He also had the uncanny ability to get things out of her she preferred to keep trapped inside.

The room seemed to close in on her. The feelings for Braedon were magnifying with every moment she spent with him. She shouldn’t have turned back and come to him when he asked. She should have made some other excuse about having to get back to her work. Learning about him hadn’t helped. Kirsty was a crazy chick. Why had she given up on Braedon and not given him a chance? If she were free to date him, she would have given him a second chance. She couldn’t date him though because she’d bound herself to a promise.

Braedon reached out to touch her hand resting on the desk. To her greatest relief, the doorbell rang, and she sprang up to meet the customer before he made any contact with her skin. 

Pre-order Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Better-Promise-Creators-Kathy-Bosman-ebook/dp/B00U5183C6

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-better-promise

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-better-promise/id972443998?ls=1&mt=11

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kathy_Bosman_A_Better_Promise?id=PvTcBgAAQBAJ

The Winners

Well, we have some winners of the blog hop.

Here they are:

$20 Amazon card - Galinda Barefoot 
Dragonfly Moments and Dead of the Night - Christy Dunkin
Taking Pleasure Seriously and Broken Destiny - Amy Bowens
Harcourt's Mountain and Brent's Law - Sumi Singh

Congrats and thank you for taking part. You will be contacted shortly by the authors. I'll send Galinda the card as soon as possible.

Valentine Blog Hop 2015 with Giveaway

For Valentine's Day this year, a group of South African romance writers have gotten together to share about our books and about love. Our theme is finding love in unexpected places.

Have you ever found love in an unexpected place?

I couldn't really say that I found love in an unexpected place. At the time I met my husband, I was very involved in the contemporary church scene. Most, if not all the people I hung around with, belonged to the church. And that's where I met Kevin. We both noticed each other along the same aisle, and one time, we had to hold hands for prayer and I was sitting next to him. Kind of enjoyed that moment. He really did do something unexpected - he offered me a lift and pretty much didn't let me go after that even when I made things really difficult for him.

In my new release which comes out tomorrow, Cameron and Rowena find love in unexpected places. Or could I say at a seemingly inopportune time. Cameron is still grieving his late wife. He's working in Zambia on a short work contract. He's certainly not looking for love, but when he watches his daughter's ballet teacher dance, something stirs in his soul. She's beautiful just like his late ballerina wife, but in a different way - in a raw, real, emotional way.

Rowena's certainly not looking for love. Specially in the father who criticizes her for shouting at his difficult daughter who's her most difficult student. When she finds out that Jamey doesn't have a mom, compassion fills her. A bond soon forms between the young child and her teacher - more than just a teacherly bond. Cameron sees the way Rowena is with his daughter and wants to run a mile. He's worried his daughter's going to have her heart broken when he leaves Zambia soon.


Here's a quick snippet from the book. To keep to the Valentine's theme, I've put in an excerpt of the first kiss:

“You disappeared.” Rowena stood there dripping, goose bumps on her arms. Her lips were tinged blue, but her eyes shone. Water dripped off her nose, and for a moment, he wished to kiss her but held back.

“I couldn’t stand here watching you having fun like a real stick-in-the-mud.”

“Daddy, Daddy, it’s such fun. It gets really fast near the end, and the water sprays up all over your face, and you think you’re going to flip onto your stomach as the last few bends are very windy. But it’s so cool. Let’s go.”

They all walked up the steep path to the ride, and a few butterflies fluttered in his stomach. Okay, he’d been quite adventurous when younger, but it had been years since he’d done anything physical like this, where he lost control of his senses and movements. Rowena was used to physical challenges being a dancer. Don’t be such a wuss.

Once he’d stepped into the rushing water after Jamey, the ride took over, and he yelled as he dipped and swayed. Rowena laughed in response. The cold water spiked his heartbeat. I haven’t had so much fun in years.

Once in the pool, he waded up to them. “How awesome.”

“Want to go again, Daddy?”

“Of course.”

Up they went again. They took the ride ten times before Cameron began to feel exhausted. He wasn’t young like Jamey, nor fit like Rowena.

“I’ll wait here for you. You both go ahead,” he said.

“You sure?”

“I’m pooped. We’d better start heading home soon as it’s getting quite cool and there’s a bit of a drive.”

“Aah,” Jamey said.

“We could come another time,” he added.

“Could we? This was the funnest day I’ve ever had.”

He laughed and squeezed her cheek. Rowena smiled at him, her gentle eyes alight with goodness. He took in her clear complexion, the light brown flecks in her eyes. Her mouth was full, pink, and ripe to be touched. He moved forward to kiss her, ignoring the consequences. She pulled away slightly, but he grabbed her by the waist and gently tugged her toward him. Finding her beautiful mouth, he pressed his lightly against it and breathed in her scent mixed with water and sun cream. Her lips were gloriously soft and pliable, and her form against him brought long-lost sensations back to life. For a moment, she responded and kissed him back then Jamey shouted.

“What you doing, Daddy? Aren’t we going on a ride?”

The spell broke. He pulled away, the implications of what he’d done crashing down on his head. He glanced at Rowena, but she’d already turned away and followed Jamey up the path. What had he done? What did Jamey think? Would Rowena back off now? She was his daughter’s ballet teacher. Since when had he been overcome with such impulsiveness? Even with Samantha, it had taken months before he’d made a move on her, all the while wondering if such a stunning creature would ever go for him. With Rowena, he hadn’t had time to think. The compulsion to kiss her, to feel her, and connect with her had been overpowering.

He sank back into the water and ducked his head under, hoping to hide his embarrassment. Good thing the pool had emptied by the late hour. Maybe not good, because he couldn’t hide in a crowd. Holding his breath, he swam through the shallow water, touching the bottom with his fingertips. He had to pretend nothing had happened, pretend this new longing inside of him didn’t exist. Their relationship wouldn’t work. He’d end up hurting her, and she couldn’t suffer another pain now, with the recent loss of her mother. He could tell the woman had been deeply attached to her mom. His body shook with the cold, so he resurfaced. The sun had gone behind a cloud. Time to go home. Time to get on with life and forget the fun of today, the escape from all the burdens he’d experienced, for the first time in over a year.

Time to be a real man and take responsibility.

Annoyingly though, he could still taste her, and her scent seemed to be glued to the inside of his nose.

You can buy The Dance of the Firefly here:

Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=1057&osCsid=psvv2pol3d6nv2hll70o53uja2

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Firefly-Creators-Kathy-Bosman-ebook/dp/B00T75W6D

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dance-of-the-firefly-kathy-bosman/1121203516?ean=2940149926367

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/518894

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-dance-of-the-firefly

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-dance-of-the-firefly/id964609179?mt=11&uo=4

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kathy_Bosman_The_Dance_of_the_Firefly?id=DN6EBgAAQBAJ

To take part in the giveaway and win some awesome prizes, you can comment below or on any of the other blogs for the hop. (Please don't forget to put in your email address so we can contact you if you win.) I'm giving away book 1 of The Creators. The Dance of the Firefly is Book 2. Here are the prizes:

A grand prize of a $20 Amazon Gift Card
An ebook copy of Dragonfly Moments by Kathy Bosman (Kindle or PDF) - contemporary romance
An ebook copy of Brent's Law (Kindle, epub or PDF) by Ylette Pearson - erotic romance
An ebook copy of Taking Pleasure Seriously by Angelé Wells and Phoenix Kelly (epub or PDF) - erotic romance
Signed copy of The Broken Destiny (South Africa only) by Carlyle Labuschagne - science fiction romance
An ebook of Dead of Night by Carylyle Labuschagne - science fiction romance
An ebook of Harcourt's Mountain by Elaine Dodge - historical romance.


The prize winners will be announced on our blogs on the 15th and on Facebook.

Here are the links to the other blogs. The more blogs you stop by and comment on, the more chances you have to win.

An InLinkz Link-up

Zambia and Marie Dry

I was really excited to discover that Marie Dry, one of the ROSA (Romance Writers of South Africa) writers lived in Zambia some of the time I lived there. What a coincidence. Maybe we walked past one another a couple of times!

We've decided to do a fun thing together. We both have new releases and are going to talk about Zambia and our new releases on each other's blogs. So, today, I have Marie Dry talking about her experiences in Zambia and her new book, Alien Under Cover. You can purchase it here.

I've read the first in the series, Alien Mine. What a gripping and fascinating romance.

Anyway, over to Marie who has answered some questions about Zambia and her new book:

It's a really small world, I couldn't believe when I joined ROSA that we were both living in Zambia at the same time.

When exactly were you there?

I was posted at the South African Embassy from 1994 to 1998

What is the best memory you have of Zambia?

The friendliness of the Zambians, Jailin the restaurant at the tennis club that served chicken butter masala I can still taste whenever I think of it.

What is the worst memory you have of Zambia?

Potholes the size of craters and frequent power cuts.

Have you always planned to set a story there or did the idea come to you and then you decided on a setting?

I have always planned to set a story in Zambia and I have a germ of an idea but there are several other stories that have to be told first.

Have you ever been back to Zambia? If not would you like to?

No I haven't been back but I would love to go and eat chicken butter masala at Jailin and see if any of my favorite places still exist.

You have been posted to Zambia, Morocco and Spain and did short stints in Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Rome, Brazil, Tunisia and Portugal. Why do you always say that Zambia so close to your heart?

It was my first posting. I was young and inexperienced but I loved the country and the people. There were quite a few of us the same age at the Embassy and we had wonderful weekends visiting a friends farm and going on houseboats on the Kariba dam and going dancing and to the movies in Harare that was a few hours drive from Lusaka. I remember the Lusaka Lowdown putting out reports on potholes. I think the one in one of the major roads were called Bessie. Each month we got updates on the new children Bessie had, namely smaller potholes around her. 

Tell me about your book. What is it about?

In a bleak and apocalyptic future, Julia Benzoni flees the violence-saturated world of her mafia family to build a peaceful life in a No Name Town, Montana. Now, while civilization disintegrates into anarchy around her and evil men prey on the innocent, she’s pursued by an alien, whose warrior life thrusts her back into the world where might makes right and violence is the order of the day. Torn, she now has to choose between her need to distance herself from war and violence and the alien warrior who holds her heart.

What did you like the most and the least about your main characters

I loved Julia and her ability with equipment. I know just enough to use my computer as an overgrown typewriter so I loved her being able to hack inot any system. Zurian broke my heart when I learned his story eventually. The only thing driving me crazy about them was the way they hid from me for months on end while I tried to write their story.

What is next for you?

I am editing Wing Torn and have just finished I am dragon. I can't wait to edit and submit my dragon. I really enjoyed writing her journey. After that I will return to the Alien series and write Larz and Marcie's story.

Here's some info about the first book in the series, Alien Mine:

Blurb:

In a bleak future where government systems are breaking down and lawless bands of men terrorize the country, botanist Natalie Hanson fears for her life and hides in a cave in the Rocky Mountains. When she is captured by human raiders, a fierce alien appears and slays her attackers. Natalie is now held captive in her own cave by the sexy and striking alien commander, Zacar, who informs her that she will be his breeder. Natalie soon realizes that these aliens worship strength. So what will happen when Zacar finds out she has severe asthma?

Buy here.

You can connect with Marie here:

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

To find out my answers to the questions about Zambia, you can go to Marie's blog here.

Valentine Blog Hop 2015

To make Valentine's Day extra special this year, a group of romance authors are joining together to have a blog hop. We're talking about our books and "finding love in unexpected places." And there'll be plenty of prizes to be won! So don't miss out.

Here's a list of who will be taking part:

Angele Wells - 12 February
Carlyle Labuschagne - 12 February
Phoenix Kelly - 13 February
Kathy Bosman - 13 February
Ylette Pearson - 14 February
Elaine Dodge - 14 February

Possibly more participants to follow.

On the 15th, we will announce the winners.

We will have one grand prize and several smaller prizes. The grand prize will be an Amazon gift card of about $30 - we haven't come up with the final figure yet. We will also have a handful of smaller prizes of ebooks. And we have one signed print book! You can enter by commenting on the blog posts! The more blogs you comment on, the more entries you get into the competition. Multiple comments on each blog post don't count but you're welcome to comment more than once if you have something interesting to say!

So, diarise the dates and join our fun hop!

Share the Love Blog Hop

Today, I'm taking part in the Share the Love Blog Hop and Giveaway hosted by Anna of Herding Cats and Burning Soup.

It's such a fun idea. I'm not pimping my books, or promoting myself at all. Hooray, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

I'm going to shout out for some of my awesome author friends today. And, psst...

They don't even know. It's a surprise!

And I'm offering a giveaway on my blog of my first book in The Creators Series, Dragonfly Moments. You'll need to comment and you can also link back to the other blogs to take part in their giveaways.

First off, Carole Avila. She writes romance, horror, all sorts. She's a great writer friend who always wants to help out. I've read her romance, and wow, what a wonderful time travel story. It's called Eve's Amulet. You can find Carole here.

Next up, Rae Rivers. I've met her in person and she's so lovely. She writes paranormal romance and her books have hit the shelves here in South Africa which is a wonderful achievement for romance! I can't wait to get a hold of the whole series. I've read the first one and wow! Full of suspense. You can find her books here and she blogs here.

Third is Inge Saunders, whose debut novel with Decadent Publishing is doing so well. It's a lovely contemporary romance set in South Africa and full of honest, tangible characters. Inge is my go to when I'm feeling blue about my writing. You can find her book here and she blogs here.

I can't leave out Elsa Winckler who is such a kind person - she always bends over backwards to promote her fellow writer's books or beta read for them. She writes feel-good, light contemporary romance and even writes in Afrikaans. Her books can be found here and she blogs here.

Last but not least, Ylette Pearson who writes beautiful and hot erotic romances. She's also a wonderful beta reader and someone who's encouraged me along the way. You can find her books here and she blogs here.


Here's the linky link:

Why I Don't Do Free

I love giving away copies of my books for giveaways and to my special readers, but I've come to the conclusion I'm not going to put any books up for free on Amazon. I have a couple of freebies on Smashwords just as a blessing to my readers, nothing else. They're older books that haven't ever been through a proper edit, but no, I won't do free on Amazon.

Why not?

Here are my reasons:

1. I've subscribed to Sweet Free Books and Ebook Soda emails and often download books they suggest are free for a few days on Amazon. Some of the books are great and often one of the best books I've read, but for some strange reason, I never end up ordering the next in the series. I really feel bad and feel like I owe the author to read on, but I never get around to it. Maybe one day I will when I go on a buying spree, but by that time, I've read the next few and forgotten about them. I tend to much prefer reading books from authors I know or from publishers I can trust.

2. Often, free books are poorly edited and some new, inexperienced indie authors make the first in a series free to hook their readers. Problem is, they often don't hook me but put me off. Now, I'm beginning to think I'm only going to read the books that I buy or from authors/publishers I know well. Is it worth it taking that risk? The free books offered are making readers more discerning. They're becoming less tolerant of junk. Could they have become suspicious of the freebies like I have? It's very likely.

3. When I buy a book, I value it more. If I download a free book and it's not great in the beginning and really doesn't sweep me off my feet and keep me riveted the whole way, I put it in the "discarded books" folder of my Kindle. Why waste my time reading something that's not wonderful when I have a huge "to-read" pile waiting for me? On the other hand, if I paid for it, I feel this need to make the most of my purchase and at least give it a chance. So I'm more willing to plough through some parts in the beginning that don't push my buttons. I know we aim to write the best and keep our readers gripped from the beginning, but is that really possible with such a variety of tastes and readers? Some bestselling authors don't do it for me. Others don't do it for others. We have no guarantee we're going to keep the reader going. But if they've paid for the book, they're more likely to stick it out. And then they'll get into the story.

4. I don't like KDP's strangulation. KDP (the publishing side of Amazon) makes you have to join their Kindle lending programme and have your book exclusively with them in order to put your book on free promotion for five days. I refuse to let them be the only ones keeping my books. Yes, maybe we get more downloads with them, but many of Amazon's business practices are shady. And they want to control the market, to the detriment of writers and publishing as a whole. I wish, in my own tiny way, to not allow that to happen. I love Smashwords as they put your book on so many different sites. They also pay via Paypal and not a horrible cheque which we have to pay huge bank charges here in South Africa to bank. I still haven't worked out how to put a book on Amazon for free on a permanent basis, but even if I do, I don't want to.

5. Really, when you come to think of it - how much time does it take you to write a book? Especially when it goes through a publisher and you have about five rounds of edits, plus all the admin that goes with it. Not to mention the hours of scribbling down the first draft, sending it to beta readers and working through their edits and polishing it before sending it off. It's days of your life that you've put into it. I don't think my books should be going for free. I already think they get sold at such low prices. I get very little from my books in the end. Yes, it's great with the advent of ebooks, but it's devalued our craft a little, and I don't fancy devaluing more by making my books free. Even my indie books - although they haven't gone through rigorous editing, they've taken me hours to make a cover, write and format.

It's incredibly tempting though. I mean, the free books get found so much easier amongst the millions out there because people are looking for free all the time. Maybe sometimes, it's the only way to get noticed. What do you think? Should I be more open-minded to the idea?

Cover Reveal - A Better Promise

When I first started writing romance, I wrote only Inspirational Romances. I really believed that's what I wanted to do the rest of my life. I sent off my manuscripts and didn't get any contracts. I finally realised I had a tendency to get a bit preachy in my books. So, I glutted myself on some gorgeous Harlequin Love Inspired romances. None of them were preachy. They had soft, gentle romances, some even with spunky heroines, all learning something about their faith along the way. I knew my books just didn't do that. So I branched out into sweet, contemporary. Then at least I wouldn't resort to preaching. That's when my breakthrough came, and I knew I'd found the sweet spot for my writing.

One of my inspirational romances sat in my computer unused. I did put it on Amazon kindle for a while, but it got bad reviews - probably all that preachiness. So I took it off and left it. But the book didn't stop whispering to me - I have a message for the world. Send me out there. I struggled with it. Didn't think the book could do it. Years later, several contracts later, I opened it up again and edited it armed with all the knowledge I'd gained from working with seasoned editors. I asked a beta reader to check if it had any merit. She said it had a chance. So I sent it off to Decadent Publishing as Book 3 of The Creators series after tweaking it even more. I was surprised and pleased to get a contract. Still nervous. Even when I was assigned a wonderful editor with DP to content edit my book, I actually told her about my insecurities about the book, lol. Deadra was a gem and helped polish it up, assuring me it was fine.

Anyway, A Better Promise, which was originally called "A Vow to Keep" now has a cover. And a stunning one.

Blurb (unedited):

When Braedon hires shy and serious Alicia as secretary in his furniture business, he falls for her instantly. Alicia admires Braedon for his kindness and warms up to him despite her decision not to. Soon her feelings toward him run deeper than friendship. But Alicia has plans to enter the mission field and follow her vow to remain single the rest of her life. When she takes up an offer to help out teaching the Basotho teenagers in Lesotho, things don’t go as smoothly as she hoped. Braedon soon gets wind of her troubles and joins her for a few months to assist. The managers quit suddenly, leaving Braedon and Alicia to run the mission. Their friendship deepens and love grows, but will Alicia open up her heart to love or hold fast to her childhood pledge?

Recap and Launch

Well, 2014 is done and dusted.

I heard from several family members and friends that 2014 was a hard year. Every year seems to have its challenges, and I think, for many, 2014, stepped it up. It wasn't without its challenges for me, but it also had some good things.

Here's what I learnt in 2014:

1. The more books you have contracted, the more editing you will have to do and the more promo you will have to pay for.

2. Editing is hard work. So is promo.

3. Dieting isn't good in any form. I'm being serious. I went on the paleo diet for two and a half years and got sick from it. I didn't realise my thyroid problems were connected to what I was eating until one day, in desperation, I broke the diet. I haven't looked back. I feel amazing (except for today with this ridiculous heat wave.) When we eat a balanced, whole food diet and follow the principles of intuitive eating - eating what our bodies crave, we'll be healthy. I've put on weight since I broke the diet, and I'm really, really glad I kept my bigger clothes in case. Else I would be spending a lot on a new wardrobe. I'm learning to love my body even if it's not perfect. I'm being kind to it - accepting my shape and accepting that I need to eat carbs to be healthy. As nice and skinny as I looked while on the diet, I couldn't sustain it long term.

4. I've gone through a lot of struggles with my faith and the religion of my childhood. I've come back to believing just about what I did believe in the beginning with a few tweaks here and there. I'm a bit sad that my family don't believe the same as me, and I'm trying to let go and not "convert" them. Every now and again, an ugly doubt rears its monster head at me. I don't think I'm totally out of the woods yet. Will I ever be?

5. I learnt a lot about writing, but I don't, unfortunately, feel like I've arrived. In fact, I feel a lot of people have had more success than me after 1, 2, or even 5 books out. I have about 8 books out, but I'm still waiting for that breakthrough. I'll keep on writing though. And learning to do it better.

6. I've learnt that no publishing route is perfect and problem free, but we need to find what works for us - most of the time. We can't follow what others do because it worked for them. Everyone's journey is unique.


2015 awaits. Today, I went for my Friday walk and pondered the year ahead. I don't know why, but standing at the brink of a new year always makes me kind of nervous. This time, I had those troubled thoughts come - what if I can't write anymore books? What if the muse has gone? A silly thought really because I've often had it, but still written more books.

I have several projects planned for the year. I want to finish The Album series. That means three more books to write. I still have to get that contract for the first book and it's busy going through some beta reads first before I send it off.

Other than that, nothing else planned yet. Phew, I have to get my creative juices in gear, don't I?

What do you have planned for 2015? What did you learn from 2014?

My book, Cosmetic Heart, was set during New Year. I'd love to offer free PDF copies to anyone who'd like to review it for me. Just comment on the blog with your email address.

Happy 2015! May the muse be your bloodhound.