Danita Minnis

Once and Forever   An anthology  http://amzn.to/1h9fZWv

By Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Emelle Gamble, Lavinia Kent and introducing Evie Owens

From five compelling authors, five original novellas which will make you laugh and cry, and believe in a love that once found will last forever. Meet a duke, a psychic, a bodyguard and a professor…and one “guardian fairy” in absorbing stories ranging from regency and contemporary romance to paranormal and women’s fiction

 

The authors will award a digital copy of the book to five randomly drawn commenters and one grand prize of a $50 Amazon GC will be awarded to a randomly drawn commenter from this tour and the review tour.

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/11/nbtm-tour-once-and-forever-by-mary.html

 

Once and Forever –  Anthology Blurbs:

Playing for Keeps by Mary Blayney

Actress Kendall Marshall is determined to get an autograph for her sick sister from famous TV personality Mike O’Hara, the Oprah Winfrey of sports. In the process she meets his brother, security consultant Steve O’Hara, lands a job on O’Hara’s show and gets in the way of a man set on causing big trouble. As the stalkers attacks escalate, Steve and Kendall are thrown together and find it impossible to ignore the chemistry between them.

 

The Princess & the Pinot by Elaine Fox

When a beautiful woman shows up at the Vineyard Inn, wine manager Kim is certain she’s been sent by fate for the inn’s owner, Cooper. Self-effacing to a fault, Kim knows she can’t hold a candle to Principessa Bella, who also seems to know even more about wine than Kim herself, but her heart has belonged to Cooper since they shared one kiss as teenagers.

While Prin sweeps easily into the job of sommelier at the renowned inn, Kim is afraid Prin will sweep just as surely into Cooper’s arms if she doesn’t do something about it. Can she tell Cooper how she feels without losing even his friendship?

Kim is willing to try except for one problem: she’s almost certainly losing her mind. Or is that belching, swearing, smoking, farting fairy – who claims to be trying to help her – real?

 

Duets by Emelle Gamble

Duets offers alternating looks into the lives of two women who would seem to have little or nothing in common.

Screen star Molly Harper is on the verge of marrying a man who has swept her off her feet, thought perhaps hasn’t swept all her feelings for her first love away. Anne Sullivan, happily married for twenty-five years, is fighting to hold onto the man she loves, and hold off a confrontation that could shatter her family’s image of what they are.

Duets confronts a past secret that ties these two women’s lives together, just as chance events turn Molly and Anne’s worlds upside down.

 

Never and Forever by Lavinia Kent           

Never and Forever is the beginning of the love story of two people who shouldn’t belong together.  Molly, Miss Wilkes, runs an employment agency helping women of quality find positions perfected suited to their characters.  Although her father held the title of Earl for just over a week before his death, Molly has never wanted to be a lady.  She knows her place in this world – and it is not at the center of society.

The Duke of Radford also knows his place in this world – and it’s above everybody else’s.  He cannot imagine a world without all the privilege and power that comes from being Radford.  He’s had foreign princesses and heiresses dangled before him for years.  Why would he ever have interest in a simple woman who doesn’t even understand that she should want to be a duchess?

Can these two overcome the obstacles of their own beliefs and realize that love can make all things possible?

Never and forever are both a very long time.  Where will their love fit?

 

The Psychic Detective by Evie Owens

Psychic Martin Sterling doesn’t trust cops–and the feeling is mutual. Detective Erin Healy needs more than a ghost story to save her job and reputation. Her partner is dead, a million dollars in drugs and money is missing, and all the evidence points to her.

Can a sexy psychic and a by the book cop, trapped between the living and the dead, unearth the truth? Or will a cold-blooded killer get away with it all…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Author Interview: Emelle Gamble

 

Woohoo! You are a published author. Describe a strong character trait you possess, good or bad, and how it helped you become a published author. I am tenacious. I think it’s very true that to accomplish anything you have to have talent and the will to succeed, and in publishing today, the will is truly tested like never before. There are ten times more books available now than when I first began with Harlequin Intrigue.  A favorite quote of mine is ‘a goal without a plan is just a dream’ and that is more true than ever about being a published writer.

Sometimes an author begins writing a story before they are aware of its genre. Did you choose your genre, or did it choose you? It always chooses me, and often it is a hybrid. I like the blended genre of romance-women’s fiction, where ideas and plots get to be a little bit meatier.

The plot thickens, or does it? Which one are you, a pantser or a plotter? I am a plotter. I never start until I have a title, an ending, and a situation that must be interesting and leave people guessing. And I don’t write mystery, ha! But plotting is a very important element to me because it allows me to clarify each character’s motivation. And I think having a character act from clear and logical motivation is impossible for me without thinking through the plot structure. That’s not to say my plots don’t change. They certainly do. But I seldom write myself into a corner.

Fear 101: As writers it is our duty to make our characters face their fears. Have you ever included one of your own fears in a storyline? Yes. Very interesting question Danita. I realize that almost everything I write is about identity and family, and those were issues I faced personally with a very complicated personal family story. And I am afraid of snakes. I’ve had a few of them on page, but usually take them out. I’m too afraid to write about them!

Fear 102: Yes, deadlines are terrifying. Have you conquered the juggling act between writing and the rest of your life? What do you do when it feels like the balls are dropping all around you? I am very strict now with following a schedule, which is what I think any writer who has a full-time other job as well as being a writer must have. I write or work on marketing 2 hours in the morning and one hour at night. I write creatively at night, and all weekend. So far it works. Except for the dropping ball that is my sanity, and my date nights with hubby – HA – but 2014 has me resolving to get that one back.

Switch positions with one of your main characters in a scene. What is the outcome, disaster or divine intervention? I’ll switch with Anne in Duets, one of the novellas in Once and Forever, and I’ll do the very same thing she did. Wow. I thought I might not, but confronted with the choice, I would. I say never tamper with how life has played out…for if you did, you would not foresee the other little things that would change everything!

Where is your favorite place to write? Add that one comfort food that you can’t do without. Only place I can write is my office at home. It’s hopeless. I’ve tried everywhere from vacation to the hospital to my best friend’s vacation house to a rented hotel room in London. CAN. NOT. DO. IT. And one comfort food is a glass of milk. It is usually accompanied by an oatmeal cookie, but I’m keeping that a secret.

 Writing inspirations? Every book I’ve ever read. Good ones, I want to do as well. Bad ones, I smirk and think I can do better. Smirk fades, however, when I remember just how hard it is! I am still inspired by Rosamunde Pilcher and P.D. James. Every day.

 You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? Sue Grafton. “When will Kelsey find her one and only?” I think I know the answer, but I’d still like to hear her say it.

 I’ve gone mad – why don’t you come with me? Some people just don’t understand us writers. Name a quirky, writer-thing you do that friends wish you didn’t. This one stumped me. I do many, many annoying things I’m sure my friends wish I wouldn’t, such as give unwanted advice about a thousand times too many times, or take 5 minutes to tell a story (writer here) or swear a lot (sorry mom, I do). But I’m not sure I can blame this on a quirky, writer-thing…with the possible exception that about 10 times a week I think, when someone tells me something that happened to them, “now there’s an interesting anecdote I could use in my next novel…” HA! Writers steal from real life EVERY DAY.

 

Duets by Emelle Gamble

Duets offers alternating looks into the lives of two women who would seem to have little or nothing in common.

Screen star Molly Harper is on the verge of marrying a man who has swept her off her feet, thought perhaps hasn’t swept all her feelings for her first love away. Anne Sullivan, happily married for twenty-five years, is fighting to hold onto the man she loves, and hold off a confrontation that could shatter her family’s image of what they are.

Duets confronts a past secret that ties these two women’s lives together, just as chance events turn Molly and Anne’s worlds upside down. 

 

Excerpt Contemporary Women’s Fiction – Emelle Gamble’s Duets

“When are you thinking of having the wedding, Molly? And where?” Norma cleared her throat. “Here in LA or up at the Santa Barbara house?”

“In a couple of weeks, actually. At Cabo San Lucas. I think only two dozen people at most. It will be easier to keep the location a secret that way.” Molly clapped her hands together, throwing herself into the part of a thrilled bride-to-be. “It’s going to be perfect. I’ll wear your veil and your mother’s emerald earrings. Jason can give me away. Isn’t that what you always dreamed of? Me as a bride?”

Norma nodded. “Yes, I’ve dreamed of that.”

“Then be happy for me, Mom. For all of us. Please.” She folded her hands around her mother’s. “It’s a new chapter. And Ben’s perfect for me. Give him a chance and you’ll see.”

The limousine pulled into the driveway and a few seconds later stopped at the front entrance. Molly kissed Norma’s cheek and bounced out, directing the luggage removal and welcoming the family dogs that leaped around her like canine paparazzi at the sound of her famous voice.

But Norma didn’t move. A few moments later her chauffer opened the door and leaned inside. “Are you feeling alright, Senora?”

She pointed through the window at Molly. “My daughter is an excellent actress, Mr. Garcia. She looks very happy. But did you hear her say even once that she loved her fiancé?”

The old man shook his head. “No, I did not hear Molly say that.”

Norma nodded. “Ben Delmonico might be a lot of things, but ‘perfect’ for my daughter isn’t one of them.” 

 

Emelle Gamble

Bio:

Emelle Gamble was a writer at an early age, bursting with the requisite childhood stories of introspection. These evolved into bad teen poetry and worse short stories. She took her first stab at full length fiction in an adult education writing class when her kids were in bed.  As M.L. Gamble, she published several romantic suspense novels with Harlequin. She has contracted with Soul Mate Publishing for Secret Sister, published in the summer of 2013, and Dating Cary Grant, a Spring 2014 release.

Once and Forever, an anthology which includes Emelle’s novella, Duets, came out on November 1^st. Molly Harper, a full length novel starring the characters from Duets 3 years later will be released by Posh Publishing in January, 2014.

Emelle lives in suburban Washington D.C. with her husband, ‘Phil-the-fist’, her hero of thirty years, and two orange cats, Lucy and Bella. These girls, like all good villains, have their reasons for misbehaving. Her daughter, Olivia, and son, Allen, are happily launched on their own and contributing great things to society, their mother’s fondest wish.

 

Review Quotes: 

 

Duets from Once and Forever

“The third story was Duets by Emelle Gamble. ..This was a very intriguing and somewhat sad story. A story of lovers separated by fate. When they meet again, sparks fly, but this story is not a fairy tale romance. This is more like real life, and made my heart hurt a little.” Long and Short Reveiws

Secret Sister

“Along with being a very unique and captivating plot, SECRET SISTER offers a shocking turn of the paranormal kind. So if you are the type of person that wants ordinary romance in a book, you won’t find that here. This is a story of friendship, family, and most of all, true love and what those things can mean. I cannot recommend SECRET SISTER strongly enough… “ Fresh Fiction, Fresh Reviews

 

Links:

Email: emellegamble@aol.com

Website:  www.EmelleGamble.com  

FaceBook:  Author Emelle Gamble

Twitter: @EmelleGamble

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7123746.Emelle_Gamble   

Secret Sister  http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Sister-ebook/dp/B00DUL4LQA