Official Website of USA Today bestselling author Tawdra Kandle
This week’s Pinterest Pick topic for Death A La Mode is Folk Music! Crissy Darwin, local folk music rising star, is at the center of a series of troubling deaths. Can Jackie and Lucas help her out of this mess before the curtain falls?
Pin this image to your own Pinterest boards–and stop by my Pinterest page to repin other fun stuff. Don’t forget to nab the Death A La Mode cover, too!
Eight paranormal short stories by the fabulous authors of Romantic Edge Books! Supernatural and sizzling, this is one set you don’t want to miss.
Masked (A Gwen Sparks short story) by Stephanie Nelson
When Gregory Arthur—a tiger shifter—hires Gwen for Halloween night, she and Dorian must figure out why Gregory’s daughter is haunting his house before the suspected murderer figures them out. But like everything in Gwen’s life, not everything is as it seems. If she’s not careful, she may be the killer’s next victim.
Temporal Tango (Miss Series Short) by C.G. Powell
Since Tango’s birth as a human, his mind has been charmed to forget most of his past. What secrets will be reviled when the spell is broken at midnight on the eve of Veronica’s eighteenth birthday? Immortal life as a cat was not all that it was cracked up to be, and somethings are better left forgotten.
Fire&Ice (A Little Flame Short, #7.5) by Melissa Lummis
Fiamette Jurato isn’t your everyday healer, but even she’s never seen this particular problem before. And it doesn’t help that her patient is a stubborn jackass of a troll. Seriously. A real troll. A spoonful of sugar can’t make the medicine go down when the patient would rather die than swallow his pride.
Moon Dust (The Werevamp Diaries-1) by Olivia Hardin
When Magical And Undead Creatures cross paths with humans, sometimes they get hurt. That’s when Rhiannon, doctor to the paranormal world, steps into action. What she doesn’t expect is to get an urgent call from her secret crush. Risking her life to grant him a favor might not be the smartest decision she’s ever made, but sometimes love means taking chances.
Unforgettable (A Serendipity/Recipe for Death Short) by Tawdra Kandle
When seers at Carruthers Institute sense impending world doom, Cathryn Whitmore sends for her top agents. Their mission could help battle the forces of evil, but it’s also going to sorely test their love for each other–especially when someone from the past makes a surprise appearance.
Curse of the Tolomato Cemetery (Olde City Angels) by Mandie Stevens
Eva and Thomas are used to dealing with things that go bump in the night, but on an unexpected day off, the last thing they expect to encounter are vampire pirates–and Thomas’ old flame.
When the vampires capture that ex-lover, the two must brave a haunted cemetery to stop the quest and save the day.
Disguise (Secrets of the Succubus) by Amanda Latzel
Gisele Green’s lifestyle comes with nice perks–hello, unlimited orgasms–-but on All Hallows’ Eve not even expensive cosmetics can hide the succubus inside. Usually she’d stay hidden from public view, but this year she’s blackmailed into being part of the festivities. With all eyes on her, she must maintain her disguise, or lose the life she loves in the human world.
Knead to Know by Liz Schulte
Maggie Edwards can’t sleep, eat, or die—but she can bake. However, just before the Halloween grand opening of her bakery, a pesky reporter witnesses an accident in her kitchen and gets a little too close to the truth. If she can’t convince him to keep quiet, not only will she lose her chance at happiness, but they both could lose their lives.
And since it’s #TeaserTuesday, here’s a tiny sneak peek at Unforgettable, the Serendipity/Recipe for Death short in It’s A Ghoul Thing. This segment is from Rafe’s point of view.
We were both quiet as I unlocked our front door. It was always a relief to me to come home, to this place that Nell and I had made our own sanctuary. It was usually bright, with loads of natural light, and even now, as the sun began to sink lower in the sky, its last beams shot through the skylights.
Nell stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the lake. I came up behind her, sliding my arms beneath hers and pulling her body up against me.
“Beautiful sunset.”
“Hmmm.”
“You’re far away from me.” I eased her black hair out of my way and kissed the white column of her neck.
“I’m thinking.”
“Care to tell me about it?”
“I was wondering about Joss. About what would have happened if she hadn’t died in the forest that day. What if I’d been sent to rescue both of you? What if it’d been three of us in that cabin in the woods?”
“What if I’d never come to King when I was in high school? What if my father had lived? Nell, life is a series of choices mixed in with random shit that happens. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you keep thinking like that.”
“And God knows I’ve already been there.” She meant it as a joke, I knew, but I heard the thread of despondency in her voice.
“You were strong enough to get past what happened in King. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever known, Nell. And I love you.”
“You loved Joss, too.” It was that same careful tone, no accusation. Just a matter-of-fact statement.
“I did.” We’d been through this before. I never denied what I’d felt for Joss. “But what I had with her isn’t what you and I share. We’ve built a life. We’ve made a home.” I turned her around to face me and tipped up her chin with my finger. Storms raged in those ice blue eyes. “Hey. Nell Massler, you are it for me, now and tomorrow and all of my days. If you’d ever say yes, I’d make it official and tell the world that I belong to you.”
“I don’t need a piece of paper to define how I feel.”
“I don’t, either. All I need is you.” I lowered my mouth to cover hers, kissing her with all the depth of passion I felt. When I opened my eyes, hers had quieted into a measure of tranquility, nearly as calm as the still lake outside our windows. “You’re my home. You’re my world. You’re why I’ll do whatever we need to do in order to stop Mallory Jones.”
She buried her face against my chest and nodded. When she spoke, her voice was muffled.
“We’ll stop her together. Whatever it takes.”
“We will.” I rubbed my hand down her back, letting it graze her ass. “But for the rest of tonight, let’s not talk about her, or tomorrow, or anything to do with Carruthers. I’ll order a pizza, we’ll take it to bed, and then I’ll do my damnedest to keep your mind off anything the least bit upsetting.”
Nell sagged against me. “I don’t know. I’m pretty tense. It’d take quite the man to make me forget my problems tonight.”
I kissed her again, my fingers gripped her backside.
“Challenge accepted.”
Happy June! Are you ready for summer? When I was a kid, I lived for June. It meant the end of school (in the northeast, we didn’t finish until about mid-June)–and the best part of school, really, since we had half-days, movies and more fun than work. Plus, in my family it meant we returned to our trailer at the shore on weekends, going to the beach and the boardwalk. And two of my favorite holidays were Flag Day (June 14) and Independence Day (okay, that’s July, but so close to the end of June. . .)
Music was huge in the summer. We listened to tapes as we drove to the shore or hung out by the pool. And my parents, as always, shared their favorites with us, including cute stories about the memories the songs prompted.
I always think of my mother when I hear this one. She used to sing it to us, and then laugh as she shared how her siblings would say, “Here comes Jeannie in her polka dot bikini!”
Such a sweet, innocent song from 1960 . . . this poor little girl who was afraid to come out the locker room!
I hope your summer is filled with chances to wear bikinis–or enjoy the view of them. Oooh la la!
Last fall, I was so surprised and flattered when Ruth Cardello messaged me, telling me that she’d seen an ad for BEST SERVED COLD and had shared it with her readers. I was even more excited when she invited me to visit her wonderful special group of readers, who were so warm and welcoming to me. Ruth is an example of what all indie authors SHOULD be–she’s nurturing, smart and professional, and I learn so much by watching her example. Thanks, Ruth–and take it away!
Q:We’re on the cusp of summer. Where is your preferred vacation spot this time of year–beach or mountains?
A:I love to be near water. There is an island near Rhode Island where my family tries to spend a week or two each year. We also love to drive down to the ocean as soon as the weather is warm enough. There is something so peaceful about walking barefoot down a beach and listening to the sounds of the waves crashing.
Q:It’s the time of year for big backyard barbecues! So what’s your favorite–hamburgers or hotdogs? And bonus–favorite side dish at a cookout?
A:Hamburgers and Dynamites. Dynamites are a Rhode Island spicy version of a sloppy Joe. Okay, it’s really much better than it sounds. You’ll have to come here and try one. Every family has their own recipe. {Note from Tawdra–YES, I’d love to try dynamites!}
Q:A mysterious benefactor offers to gift you the first edition of any book you choose. Which will be taking the place of honor on your shelf?
A:Jane Eyre. It’s one of my old favorites.
Q:Confession time: do you make your bed every morning?
A:My husband does it for me. He’s a retired Marine. He can’t go to sleep unless it was made nicely. I, on the other hand, could sleep just fine either way.
Q:You’re on an airplane, in first class, about to take off on a trans-Atlantic flight, and the flight attendant is here to take your drink order. What will you enjoy as you fly over the ocean?
A: You know, I’ve never flown first class. When I fly I’m always with a group–my husband, our kids, my assistant. It would probably be a very unexciting glass of water 🙂 But I’d be just as happy. Flying in coach with everyone I love trumps flying in first class any day–no matter what beverage they serve.
***
Luke Andrade: Wealthy, talented, fiercely loyal. He’s the glue that holds his family together, but every man has a breaking point. When he heads to Ohio to attend a funeral, he does so with the intention of taking time off to clear his head. The very last thing he expects to do is meet a woman.
Cassie Daiver: Scarred, but not broken. She’s recreating herself in a small town far away from her painful childhood.
He’s angry with the world and himself. She finally has something she’s afraid to lose. They couldn’t have met at a worse time.
Luke and Cassie are about to discover love often happens somewhere along the way, and usually, when one least expects it.
Preorder on Amazon!
Ruth Cardello is a New York Times and USA today bestselling author. She was born the youngest of eleven children in a small city in northern Rhode Island. She lived in Boston, Paris, Orlando, and New York before coming full circle and moving back to
Rhode Island, where she lives with her husband and three children. Before turning her attention to writing, Ruth was an educator for twenty years, eleven of which she spent as a kindergarten teacher. She writes primarily about rich, alpha men and the strong women who tame them. She also dabbles in cowboy romances.
Follow Ruth here:
Website/Facebook/Facebook/Twitter
{This post originally appeared here three years ago. It’s a rerun because this week, this author is on vacation! That’s right, folks, I actually have a life. So enjoy a little blast from the recent past. It holds true even for today. See you next week!}
These days, I spend a good deal of time with other writers on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. It’s wonderful to interact with these creative minds, and most of the time, I really enjoy it.
But every now and then, I see a tweet or post pop up. . something along these lines: “This is how my book got it’s title!” Or “My characters love there story.”
Cringe worthy grammar issues make me. . well, cringe.
Am I too picky? Maybe. After all, these are just a few lines tossed out into cyberspace; it’s not the Great American Novel.
True. . .but shouldn’t authors, people who have chosen to embrace the written word as their vocation or avocation, be held to a higher standard? At the very least, shouldn’t we use the basics correctly?
My own personal biases are the least of the reasons to watch our grammar. As indie writers, we are already fighting preconceived notions that we just weren’t good enough to make it in the world of traditional publishing. I’ve encountered some traditionally-published writers who sniff (in their tweets of 140 characters or less!) that indie books are poorly written, poorly edited, amteurish imitations of ‘real’ books. Why should we give them reinforcement for that argument?
You can be a writer even if you don’t know all the basic grammar rules, but you’ll be a better writer if you make the effort to understand them. Learn how to use there, their and they’re as well as its and it’s. Study sentence structure. And then pay attention to every tweet and post. Yes, we’re all going to make mistakes here and there. That just means we need to proofread all the more vigilantly.
Writing well truly is its own reward. . .and the best revenge!