In Too Deep with #MFRWauthor Anita Philmar

In Too Deep by Anita Philmar

On the banks of the Trinity River, Sadie Pepperman is looking for a chance to escape the demands of her in-laws. With her husband’s dead, they want her to marry her brother-in-law so they can take control of her farm.

Suddenly, the peace of the day is shattered when her best friend steps too far into the river. Rushing to save her, Sadie meets a handsome stranger that ignites her dormant lust. She sees her friend rescued by a steamship and backs away from Logan Jansen, only to turn her ankle.

The agonizing pain leaves Sadie with the inability to walk. Needing help, she offers Logan a place to stay if he’ll help with the chores on her farm. With his agreement, Sadie adds another problem to her list. Now, not only does she have to worry about how to bring her crops in from the field and run her farm alone but she also has to fight her attraction to Logan.

Can Sadie end her in-laws’ interference in her life,  run her farm alone,  and give love another chance?

 Excerpt 

“Easy there, sugar, we don’t want you to take a tumble.” Logan held her against the dense wall of his chest. His rich male scent sparked erotic visions in her head...of him lying over her, his body guarding hers as he drove them both wild with pleasure.
“Please, I’m a widow and I...” How could she explain the overwhelming craving to be touch by a man again? Not counting her total lack of willpower to resist him.
She met his gaze. But why him?
Yes, he was gorgeous and sort of resembled her deceased husband, but still, she had responsibilities that didn’t allow for such foolish fantasies.
A smile bloomed on Logan’s face, almost arrogance, yet strangely appealing too. “How long has your husband been dead?”
“A little over a year, but he’s been gone almost two.” Sadie bit her lip and shifted her weight. A throbbing pain pierced through her foot. She cringed.
Logan tightened his grip and eased her to one side to stare at her feet. “Sugar, I think you may have done some serious damage to your ankle.”
“No, I have too much to do. I can’t be laid up with a sore foot.” Sadie recalled the last time she’d injured herself. She’d had to call on Richard’s family for help. The incident had driven home the need to distance herself from them if she wanted to keep the property her husband had left her.
Logan kept one arm around her waist and bent to examine her ankle. Warm fingers brushed her skin briefly before he rose beside her. “Sorry, but its already swelling.”
“Oh, horse feathers,” she muttered, furious with how nothing seemed to be going her way today. First the overbearing heat, then Carolyn badgering to cut loose and later getting caught in the river current, followed by Sadie hurting her foot and the onset of unwanted desire for a stranger.

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About Anita
Anita Philmar likes to create stories that push the limit. A writer by day and a dreamer by night she wants her readers to see the world in a new way. Influenced by sci-fi programs, she likes to develop places where anything can happen and where erotic moments come to life in a great read.

Connect with Anita
Facebook  |   Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Blog  |  Website

#Thursday13 Romantic Ideas @AnitaPhilmar #MFRWorg Featured Author

13 Romantic Ideas from Anita Philmar
I believe we all struggle to keep romance alive in our relationship. There seems to be so many factors working against us. So I created a blog where I give people ideas as to how to keep the magic alive. http://anitaphilmar.wordpress.com/

Here are 13 ideas to start you off...
1. Write a note, letter, poem and give it to your lover.
2. Draw a bubble bath for your lover, or take one together.
3. Read an erotic story together.
4. Say the simple little words – I love you.
5. Turn off the television for the night and talk.
6. Take an evening stroll, just the two of you.
7. Buy your lover flowers, can’t afford any...why not pick some?
8. Escape for the weekend for a romantic retreat.
9. Listen to music and dance in your living room, kitchen, bedroom.
10. Explore new places, stores, restaurants, museums, fairs, hiking trails, etc.
11. Hold hands.
12. Count your kisses and make sure you get in at least ten a day.
13. Remember to make romance a part of your day.

It’s not hard and it doesn’t require sweeping gestures or lots of money. The little things in life are just as important as the big.

Best of luck at keeping the love alive,
Anita

Read An Excerpt from Anita's latest book, In Too Deep...

“Zack, damn it.”The loud shout caught Sadie by surprise. She scanned the shoreline and spotted a man. Drawing to a stop, she threw on the brake, scouting the river bank. Two horses grazed nearby. Their saddles, along with other gear, lay discarded in a heap in the middle of a small clearing, as if two people had camped there over night.A man stood at the edge of the clearing, turning at her approach. Dressed in only a pair of dark cotton pants, he rushed forward. His bright, curly blond hair and his broad shoulders registered briefly with Sadie but with her friend in trouble she didn’t let her sway her from the problem at hand.“Are you a friend of the woman who is drowning?”Unable to certain what to say to the stranger, she nodded and worked to clear the lump in her throat. How did this man know about Carolyn?“Move over. I’ll drive. If we hurry I should be able to save her and my friend.” He placed a foot on the side step of the wagon and crowded onto the bench.She quickly scooted along the wooden plank, allowing him room to settle beside her. Long fingers closed over the reins and he tugged the leather from her grip.He didn’t wait for an answer. Lifting the reins, he released the brake.A loud whistle sounded from the river, followed almost immediately by the slapping of paddles against the water.The man clicked his tongue to encourage Beauty to get moving. He drove the wagon closer to the edge of the river, creating a rough new trail.Bouncing on the seat like a rag doll, Sadie tried to keep her distance from the man, even though the task was next to impossible with the constant swaying of the wagon. She continually brushed against his arm, shoulder and thigh. A particularly hard bump almost landed in his lap.“I’m sorry, but you need to slow down,” she complained and straightened.He drew back on the reins; the wagon rolled to a stop. His head turned in the other direction. He shifted away from her and jumped down from the wagon before she repositioned herself on the bench. “Damn that steamship. They’re rescuing them.”A little stunned by everything that had happened, Sadie lifted a hand to her throat. Her gaze stayed locked on Logan until his comment finally registered. She glanced at the water and noticed a steamboat cruising down-river. A line hung from the side with two people hanging from the end.She scrambled off the wagon to keep the boat in sight as it moved farther away. “Oh, no, where will it take them?”“Probably to the next port, maybe Liberty or on into Galveston.”  When the steamboat rounded a bend and drifted out of sight, the stranger turned. His gaze grew in intensity as he scanned the length of her body. “I’m Logan by the way.”

In Too Deep

On the banks of the Trinity River, Sadie Pepperman is looking for a chance to escape the demands of her in-laws. With her husband’s dead, they want her to marry her brother-in-law so they can take control of her farm.

Suddenly, the peace of the day is shattered when her best friend steps too far into the river. Rushing to save her, Sadie meets a handsome stranger that ignites her dormant lust. She sees her friend rescued by a steamship and backs away from Logan Jansen, only to turn her ankle.

The agonizing pain leaves Sadie with the inability to walk. Needing help, she offers Logan a place to stay if he’ll help with the chores on her farm. With his agreement, Sadie adds another problem to her list. Now, not only does she have to worry about how to bring her crops in from the field and run her farm alone but she also has to fight her attraction to Logan.

Can Sadie end her in-laws’ interference in her life,  run her farm alone,  and give love another chance?

Buy Link

#MFRWorg presents our April Featured Author @AnitaPhilmar

Meet Anita
Anita Philmar likes to create stories that push the limit. A writer by day and a dreamer by night she wants her readers to see the world in a new way. Influenced by sci-fi programs, she likes to develop places where anything can happen and where erotic moments come to life in a great read.

Naughty or Nice?

Read her books and decide.

Anita's Writing Process
Funny, how what we believe a job to be and the actual demands of a job can be worlds apart.
As an author, I spend hours in front of a computer.  Stories read in a few hours can take days to write and that’s only the first step in the process.

My normal schedule starts around 6:30. I spend most of the morning checking and answering emails, stopping by my social sites like twitter, my blog, facebook, and other author venues. I’m never exactly sure how long it will take. Then once I’m satisfied or ready for a new task, I jump into my writing.

If it is a new story, I’m busy doing the first draft which can take days if not weeks to complete depend on the length of the story. Once that is done then I start the rewrite phrase of checking for flow, grammar, description, always making sure to add more to the story and remove the unnecessary parts.

After rewriting the story, I send it to my editor who comments and correct things that I’ve missed. While she is busy with this, I usually contact my cover designer and work with her on creating the cover.

Then when I have finished my editor’s corrections and the cover is ready, I work on formatting my book for amazon and smashword.

After the book goes live, I start the promotion tasks needed to tell my readers about my book and decide on my next project.

Before becoming a writer, I envisioned authors completing their stories in a few days, the painstaking fight for the right word, coming to them with ease. Now, that I know the true that it can be a hard process. It doesn’t change my love of writing. Instead, I believe I have a better understand of how wonderful it is to read a story that touches our hearts.

Connect with Anita
Facebook  |   Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Blog  |  Website

Win with Anita
Enter for a chance to win her two latest releases: “In Too Deep” and “In Deep Water”! LEAVE A COMMENT on this post for a chance to WIN!

In Too Deep

On the banks of the Trinity River, Sadie Pepperman is looking for a chance to escape the demands of her in-laws. With her husband’s dead, they want her to marry her brother-in-law so they can take control of her farm.

Suddenly, the peace of the day is shattered when her best friend steps too far into the river. Rushing to save her, Sadie meets a handsome stranger that ignites her dormant lust. She sees her friend rescued by a steamship and backs away from Logan Jansen, only to turn her ankle.

The agonizing pain leaves Sadie with the inability to walk. Needing help, she offers Logan a place to stay if he’ll help with the chores on her farm. With his agreement, Sadie adds another problem to her list. Now, not only does she have to worry about how to bring her crops in from the field and run her farm alone but she also has to fight her attraction to Logan.

Can Sadie end her in-laws’ interference in her life,  run her farm alone,  and give love another chance?

Buy Link

#MFRWorg Presents our March Featured Author Christine Young @achristay

Meet Christine
Born in Medford, Oregon, novelist Christine Young has lived in Oregon all of her life. After graduating from Oregon State University with a BS in science, she spent another year at Southern Oregon State University working on her teaching certificate, and a few years later received her Master's degree in secondary education and counseling. Now the long, hot days of summer provide the perfect setting for creating romance. She sold her first book, Dakota's Bride, the summer of 1998 and her second book, My Angel to Kensington. Her teaching and writing careers have intertwined with raising three children.  Christine's newest venture is the creation of Rogue Phoenix Press. Christine is the founder, editor and co-owner with her husband. They live in Salem, Oregon.

Christine's Writing Day
When I begin a book, I make notes on each of the characters. There is an extensive character chart on my blog. I use this chart for my main characters. I don’t usually answer all of the questions. I’m always impatient to start writing and once I have enough info on my characters, I begin writing and add to the chart as the story evolves.

When I know the characters, I jot down a basic outline of the story including major turning points and the black moment. I don’t usually do more than a basic outline because my characters always take over the book and tell me what to do. I also plot scene by scene; again I start with the pov of the scene and jot down things like turning point, foreshadowing, important elements etc. Again I have a copy of the scene plotting worksheet on my blog.

My office is an old bedroom. It looks out on my courtyard where in the summer I can hear water running from a waterfall into a pond. Winter is not so beautiful but still a nice view. I have books and papers as well as notes cluttering my desk. I’ve learned to use my computer for my notes so the desk is not as cluttered as it used to be.

When I run in the mornings, I usually come home and take a nap before trying to sit at the computer. When I workout in the evening, I usually set a frantic pace to try and get everything done before I leave the house. Like right now, I’m trying to finish this before I go to Jazzercise.

My newest release, Sweet Misbehavin’, is the third book in the McKenna clan series, beginning with Catching Meara then Sweet Sexy Sadie. I’m loving these characters and enjoying the journey. I began writing in the 90’s and published my first book with Zebra in ’98. Kate Duffy was my editor and a great personality. I went on to publish with awestruck and now Rogue Phoenix Press.

Connect with Christine
Blog  |   Twitter  |  Group Blog  |  Pinterest  |  Website

WINNERS! with MFRW Featured Author @DonnaJuneCooper

MFRW's February Featured Author, Donna June Cooper, ANNOUNCES the winners from this month's giveaway!

More Than Magic, Donna's paranormal romance, was released earlier this month with Samhain Publishing and she's treating some lucky winners to a FREE BOOK.

Books of the Kindling, Book 1
BLURB
A malignant secret could turn her mountain sanctuary into their tomb.

When DEA agent Nick McKenzie arrives undercover on Woodruff Mountain, the beautiful, edgy owner’s awkward attempts to scare him off tell him something’s afoot, and it’s not her secret patch of rare ginseng.

The last thing Grace Woodruff needs underfoot is a handsome, enigmatic writer recovering from a recent illness. Until an accidental touch unleashes a stunning mystical force and Grace senses the wrath of a malicious blight at the heart of the mountain. Now Grace must choose between her need to hide her gift from the world…and her desire to save Nick’s life.

Warning: This book contains a fiery redhead whose magic cannot be contained and a handsome DEA agent whose final case might give him a second chance at life.

Amazon BUY LINK  | Goodreads REVIEW LINK

Winners

William S.

Julie R.

Judy R.

Winners have been notified via email. Thank you to each of you for entering!

NEW RELEASE: More Than Magic @DonnaJuneCooper #MFRWauthor

It's Release Day!

MFRW's Featured Author for February, Donna June Cooper ANNOUNCES her NEW RELEASE. More Than Magic, a paranormal romance, is released today with Samhain Publishing.

Books of the Kindling, Book 1
BLURB
A malignant secret could turn her mountain sanctuary into their tomb.

When DEA agent Nick McKennitt arrives undercover on Woodruff Mountain, the beautiful, edgy owner’s awkward attempts to scare him off tell him something’s afoot, and it’s not her secret patch of rare ginseng.

The last thing Grace Woodruff needs underfoot is a handsome, enigmatic writer recovering from a recent illness. Until an accidental touch unleashes a stunning mystical force and Grace senses the wrath of a malicious blight at the heart of the mountain. Now Grace must choose between her need to hide her gift from the world…and her desire to save Nick’s life.

Warning: This book contains a fiery redhead whose magic cannot be contained and a handsome DEA agent whose final case might give him a second chance at life.

Amazon BUY LINK  | Goodreads REVIEW LINK

Excerpt
Nick’s face appeared above her, blocking the stars. “Are you going to pass out?”

She laughed and sat back up, nearly bowling him over. “No. Are you?”

He stared at her for a long time. “I think I already did.”

“Well, stop looking at me and look up. We’re here because I promised Pops I’d come here now and again to get my head straight.”

“That will take a lot of visits,” he quipped, then leaned back on his elbows.

“It’s a good thing you’re a guest and I have to be polite to you,” she said.

But Nick had gone quiet, his eyes on the stars.

“Amazing isn’t it?” she said.

He made a noise of assent.

“You should see this meadow in early summer when the rest of the stars show up.”

Nick looked at her. “The rest of the stars?”

“The ones that fly,” Grace said, smiling at the memory. “Pops caught me coming in one summer evening with a mason jar absolutely full of fireflies. I had punched holes in the top and felt as if I had my own personal lantern. I’m sure the fireflies felt differently about it.”

“Did your Pops tell you to let them go?”

“Pops never told us to do anything. Pops told stories. We had to figure out what they meant.”

Meet Donna
My name is DONNA JUNE COOPER and my debut novel, More Than Magic, has just been published this month by Samhain Publishing. I write contemporary paranormal romance with a very subdued and special magic and a definite emphasis on the romance. More Than Magic is the first book in the Books of the Kindling which focus on Woodruff Mountain, the ancient power beneath it, and the family that has hidden its secrets for centuries.

I love being walked by my Jack Russell Terrier (if you know Jacks, you understand). I also love belly dancing (excellent exercise and lots of shiny costumes), going to Renaissance Faires (more costumes!), reading way too much (romance, of course), spending time on too many social networking sites, and writing, writing, writing because I must!

Connect with Donna
Facebook  |   Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Pinterest  |  Website

#MFRWorg Presents our February Featured Author @DonnaJuneCooper

Meet Donna
My name is DONNA JUNE COOPER and my debut novel, More Than Magic, has just been published this month by Samhain Publishing. I write contemporary paranormal romance with a very subdued and special magic and a definite emphasis on the romance. More Than Magic is the first book in the Books of the Kindling which focus on Woodruff Mountain, the ancient power beneath it, and the family that has hidden its secrets for centuries.

As the granddaughter of a Virginia coal miner and great-great-granddaughter of one of the Muskogee people, I was raised in the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains, in the heavenly hills and valleys of East Tennessee – a gorgeous setting that plays a major role in my writing and my passion for the environment. But I was lured away from my green mountains by an admittedly gorgeous Italian guy, who married me and carried me off to Texas—very flat and very hot Texas. In spite of the heat, I love being walked by my Jack Russell Terrier (if you know Jacks, you understand). I also love belly dancing (excellent exercise and lots of shiny costumes), going to Renaissance Faires (more costumes!), reading way too much (romance, of course), spending time on too many social networking sites, and writing, writing, writing because I must!

Like any child of the Appalachians, I can't stay away from my mountains for long and visit as often as I can. In my books, I take my readers with me for some romance with a touch of magic.

Donna's Writing Day
My writing day starts when Cali says it does. Cali is my Jack Russell who seems to know that I work best in the early morning hours—like 5 a.m. early. So, she considers it her duty, as my co-author, to wake me up at 4:30 a.m. I know! But it actually isn’t a bad approach. It is REALLY quiet at 5 a.m. I can get a lot of mundane things out of the way over my first mug—huge mug—of tea. And then Cali knows she gets her daily walk when the sun comes up.

My daily walks with Cali are also part of my writing toolkit. I tend to come up with ideas, flesh out plots, and work out plot kinks while I’m walking. So I walk with a digital recorder and I probably look like I’m talking to myself a lot of the time, because I am.

Then it’s into my comfy writing clothes (no, not pajamas) and settle in front of my computer with yet another mug of tea. I love my desk. I was lucky enough to work at home during my corporate career and I invested in a huge oak corner unit for my office. Cali’s bed is in here too, of course. And I have one of those weird ergonomic split keyboards and an ergonomic chair (second-hand) that I cannot live without. Something else I can’t live without is music—mainly Pandora and iTunes. When I’m doing marketing things or applying copy edits or writing blog posts, I set Pandora on “Ambient Radio”. And when I’m actually writing, I start up the particular book’s soundtrack on iTunes and get lost in the mountains (and in the streets of Florence and anywhere else my stories take me).

But, as you know, the most important thing in a writer’s life is all the people (and dogs!) who stand behind you and support you in your writing life. Family, friends, beta readers, fellow writers, great editors like Noah Chinn at Samhain, other authors like Holly Lisle—who created a couple of great writing courses that set me on this path, groups like MFRW and others—who offer support and fantastic advice, and, of course, the readers—the most important people of all!

Connect with Donna
Facebook  |   Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Pinterest  |  Website

Win with Donna
Enter for a chance to win one of three copies of MORE THAN MAGIC, Books of the Kindling, Book 1.

A malignant secret could turn her mountain sanctuary into their tomb. 

DEA agent Nick McKenzie is sure magic exists—a dangerous drug called Smoky Mountain Magic that’s wreaking havoc in Atlanta. He’s also sure that locating and eliminating the source will kill him. 

When he arrives undercover on Woodruff Mountain, the beautiful owner’s awkward attempts to scare him off tell him something’s afoot, and it’s not her secret patch of ginseng. 

As her dream of seeking medicinal plants in the Amazon fades away, Grace Woodruff struggles to come to terms with a magical gift she didn’t want, and searches desperately for the meaning behind her late grandfather’s final, cryptic message. 

The last thing she needs underfoot is a handsome, enigmatic writer recovering from a recent illness. Until an accidental touch unleashes a stunning mystical force and Grace senses the wrath of a malicious blight at the heart of the mountain. Now Grace must choose between her need to hide her gift from the world…and her desire to save Nick’s life. 

Warning: This book contains a fiery redhead whose magic cannot be contained and a handsome DEA agent whose final case might give him a second chance at life.