#MFRWauthor BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Leave Yesterday Behind @LaurenLinwood

Leave Yesterday Behind
by Lauren Linwood
Romantic Suspense
Soul Mate Publishing

After a stalker attacks her, New York actress Callie Chennault returns to her childhood home to heal physically and mentally. She finds love with former baseball pitcher turned mystery writer Nick La Chappelle. The soul mates find their love tested when they both become the target of a serial killer. New lovers are targeted by a serial killer

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EXCERPT
Callie stiffened. “I don’t drink. Period. Daddy turned mean when he did it. I got slapped around enough times because of it, so I’ve never touched a drop.” 

She slammed the refrigerator and crossed her arms protectively in 
front of her.

Now why did she go blurt all that out? 

She rarely mentioned her father, much less the abuse she endured. She kept opening up to this man at the oddest moments. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand why.

Nick’s brow creased. If Callie didn’t know better, she might have thought it was in anger.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

She recognized true sympathy on his features. Her heart did a back flip that would have made an Olympic gymnast proud.

“I’m not,” she continued, her voice calming. “When he died, I came to Noble Oaks. I never felt as safe as I did that first night. I got more than enough to eat, and I was always starving back then. Aunt C herself scrubbed me from head to toe that night, and she read me a story from a fairy tale book. I fell asleep lying in a big bed with clean sheets and frilly curtains hanging around the windows. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”

“Noble Oaks has that effect on people.” He acted as if he wanted to share a confidence, but he turned away, taking out several koozies and slipping the canned beers into them.

“What would you like to drink?” she asked, her anger evaporating.

“Tea would be great.” He hesitated. “I had drinking problem myself at one point. Mom marched into her big league son’s life and straightened me out.” He smiled. “I don’t even like to take aspirin nowadays.”

He gathered the beers in his arms and took them outside. Callie watched out the window as he distributed them. She poured two tall glasses of iced tea for herself and Nick as she reflected at his surprising candor.

As she reached the door, Nick came back. “Thanks.” He took the glass from her and gulped a big swig. He turned and headed over to the grill, and he and Eric good-naturedly started teasing about who was the best grill master.

Callie sat on a picnic bench.

There was a lot more to Nick La Chappelle than she’d first thought.

ABOUT Lauren Linwood
Lauren Linwood’s historical romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire for one another grows into the treasured gift of love. Her romantic suspense novels feature strong heroes and heroines who unite to defeat a clever antagonist and discover a deep, abiding love during their journey.
A native Texan, Lauren is an avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan who manages stress by alternating yoga with long walks. She plans to start a support group for House Hunters addicts—as soon as she finishes her next piece of dark chocolate.

http://www.laurenlinwood.com
https://laurenlinwood.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/laurenlinwood
http://twitter.com/LaurenLinwood
https://plus.google.com/+LaurenLinwood/about
http://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Linwood/e/B00CSSG8BC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1406670019&sr=8-1
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091840.Lauren_Linwood?from_search=true

Ballad Beauty LIVING IN TEXAS #Thursday13 @LaurenLinwood #MFRWauthor

MFRW Author Lauren Linwood hosts this week's Thursday13.
Lauren’s historical romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire for one another grows into the treasured gift of love. Her romantic suspense novels feature strong heroes and heroines who unite to defeat a clever antagonist and discover a deep, abiding love during their journey.

A native Texan, Lauren is an avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan who manages stress by alternating yoga with long walks. She plans to start a support group for House Hunters addicts—as soon as she finishes her next piece of dark chocolate.

13 reasons I'm glad I live in Texas

1 - The best Mexican food in the US

2 - Margaritas in every flavor (mango & strawberry are favs)

3 - Friendly people who smile & speak as you pass

4 - Cost of living

5 - Mild winters (which helps me walk outside year-round)

6 - The annual State Fair of Texas

7 - Fletcher's Corny Dogs & Jack's Fries at the State Fair

8 - Bluebonnets in the spring

9 - Tons of great shopping

10 - Friday night high school football

11 - Talented musicians in every kind of venue

12 - The beaches along the Gulf of Mexico

13 - Close proximity to my family

Ballad Beauty

Western Historical Romance 
Soul Mate Publishing
Published: 3/25/2015

After ten years apart, Boston schoolmarm Jenny McShanahan receives a letter from her father instructing her to join him in Texas. She has no idea he’s become a famous outlaw. She arrives to find Sam already gone, but he left instructions for Jenny to hire a guide and rendezvous with him in Nevada.

Texas Ranger Noah Daniel Webster knows Sam because his father was Sam’s longtime partner in crime. When his father is killed during their last big score, Noah requests to bring Sam to justice. Going undercover, he volunteers as Jenny’s escort across the prairie, using her to track her father’s location.

As they journey through rough country, love blossoms—but Noah knows the second he arrests Sam, his betrayal will kill Jenny’s love for him. Should he do his duty as a Ranger, or should he let love rule? The choice Noah makes will change their lives forever.

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EXCERPT

“Do you know a Mr. Snake Burton?” she asked.
“I reckon ‘bout everyone between here and Fort Worth knows Snake,” he said affably, and the crowd chuckled along with him.
“Then could you tell me where I might find him at this hour of the morning?”
“I s’pose he’s up at Miss Lulu’s still.”
“And where might I find Miss Lulu?”
“Oh, you don’t want to go finding Miss Lulu, ma’am. She’s six feet under or better and has been nigh on five, maybe six years now.”
“But Mr. Burton is at this Miss Lulu’s house? Then please show me the way.”
The crowd murmured its disapproval, and she wondered what she’d said wrong.
“I’ll show you where Miss Lulu’s is.”
The throng parted, and her heart caught in her throat. It was the dark-haired stranger with the cold, sky blue eyes. She almost took a step back as he approached then thought better of it. Treat him like Lucinda Smith, the ringleader of the bullies that picked on her in those early days when she first arrived at The Thompson School.
She drew herself up to her full height and raised her chin a notch for good measure. He came toward her slowly, an easy confidence in his gait.
He must be an even six feet, she judged. Muscle hardened his otherwise lean frame. His jet-black hair had a slight wave to it. His complexion was dark, as if he spent most of his time outdoors in the bright Texas sun. Chiseled cheeks and a strong jaw accompanied a sensuous mouth.
But what she focused on now was the small scar. Funny, she hadn’t noticed it before. It ran just above his chin, white against his tanned face. She thought it might be from a knife, based on her experience at the free clinic. She wondered how he’d gotten sliced in such a tender spot.
He paused as he reached her, his hat in his hand. “I can show you. But I don’t think you’ll want to go in.”
Her eyes flashed. “And why not?” she asked in a haughty tone.
“Because Miss Lulu’s is a house of ill repute.”

CONNECT with Lauren
website  |  facebook  |   twitter

What's #MFRWauthor @LaurenLinwood 's Guilty Pleasure?

Meet MFRW Author Lauren Linwood.
Lauren Linwood became a teacher who wrote on the side to maintain her sanity in a sea of teenage hormones. Her romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire and yearning for one another grow into the deep, tender, treasured gift of love.

Lauren, a native Texan, lives in a Dallas suburb with her family. An avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan, she manages stress by alternating yoga with five mile walks. She is thinking about starting a support group for Pinterest and House Hunters addicts.

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE would best describe my life. I'm at an age where I'm comfortable with myself and like who I am and where I am on this journey in life.

My guilty pleasure is dark chocolate. My trick to not gobbling it down is to put the individually wrapped Dove chocolates in my freezer. I'll take one out to nibble on, and then I get the taste I crave by the time it's finished--and can stop at the one piece.

The funniest thing that ever happened was when I came in from a bonfire in college, flipped on my radio, and heard, ""Be the 10th caller for concert tickets."" I never ever won anything, so I dialed--and I got through! I was the winner! The only trouble was I hadn't heard the firsts part of the DJ's pitch. Since Halloween was the next day, I had to howl at the money. I tried talking myself out of it, but he wasn't having any of that, so I sucked it up and bellowed out a howl. For the next week as I crossed campus, I was stopped a zillion times by people who'd heard me on the radio. A little embarrassing, but pretty darn funny!

The scariest thing was losing my 2-year-old daughter at a water park. We were in the children's play area, going in and out of water tunnels, popping out and saying ""Boo!"" to each other. She went around a corner and then didn't jump back out at me. I frantically raced through the tunnels, came to the outside, and saw dozens of children--but not mine. She turned up a few minutes later, but I was scared to death that she'd been taken or she'd drown.

I would love to go on THE AMAZING RACE so I could travel to all the incredible, exotic places . . . for free!

Though I think zebras are adorable, there's just something steadfast and yet mystical about an elephant. They're playful but seem to be an old soul at the same time.

I wish an interviewer would ask how long I plan to keep writing. BTW - forever!

Lauren's latest book is A Bit of Heaven on Earth, a Mainstream Medieval Historical Romance, with Soul Mate Publishing.
When Gavin of Ashgrove is captured in battle, his father refuses to pay his son’s ransom, leaving him to rot in a French prison. Gavin escapes and returns to England, only to find he is proclaimed a bastard and disinherited. With nowhere to turn, he journeys to the estate of Lord Aldred, the famed warrior he fostered with as a boy. Gavin falls in love with Elizabeth, the old warrior’s much younger wife, as a dying Aldred plots Elizabeth’s future with King Edward. Gavin loses his good name, lands, possessions--and his heart--to  famed beauty Elizabeth of Kentwood. Will the king allow a penniless knight to marry a wealthy widow?

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EXCERPT

       Elizabeth watched as Gavin built a fire. She moved close to it, resting her hands against the stone as she leaned into the heat.
“You shake still.” He moved behind her and placed his hands upon her shoulders. His fingers held such heat. Indeed, his very closeness seemed a stronger fire than that in the grate before her. She leaned into him, absorbing the warmth that he possessed, even in his wet tunic.
Then his arms slid round her waist, drawing her closer. Her breath caught in her throat at his very nearness. His fingers locked, trapping her in the circle of his arms.
“Gavin?” she asked, afraid to move, afraid to break the magic spell. She’d longed to be right where she now stood. Her pounding heart betrayed her fear at their situation.
His response was wordless. He bent and kissed her ear, his breath sending shivers down her spine. His lips moved to her neck, scorching a path there, before they touched her cheek.
One arm held her tightly against him as his other palm moved to caress her breast. Elizabeth moaned. Her knees turned liquid. If Gavin had not held her, she would have puddled on the floor.
Suddenly, he spun her in his arms. She clung to him wildly. His hands splayed along her back. His mouth was everywhere, in her hair, on her eyelids, her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her mouth.
His kisses overwhelmed her. She couldn’t breathe. And yet they continued, his mouth insistent on hers. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue entrance, and she welcomed it. He stroked her with it, a constant, dizzying motion that kept her head spinning. Her senses filled with him, his scent, his touch, his taste. Tears began to flow.
Gavin lifted his mouth. “Elizabeth?” he asked. “Have I hurt you?” He held her at arm’s length and studied her.
The concern in his eyes touched her very core. “No,” she whispered. “’Twas just so beautiful . . . I . . . had to cry.”
He smiled, a heartbreaking smile, and caught her up in his arms again. “No, my love, you are the beautiful one.” He kissed her gently, tenderly. The passion was still there, but it was more controlled now.
Gavin swept her up into his arms. Hers went round his neck and she kissed him for the first time, making her own bold move. His growl let her know he approved. He broke the kiss and looked around the room.
“I see no bed, my lady. The straw on the floor ‘twill have to suffice. But,” he said, his eyes glowing at her, “I guarantee you won’t notice the difference.”
He carried her to the corner of the room. As he placed her on the straw, she raised a hand to his chest. His heart beat as fast as hers did. Oh, God in Heaven, she wanted this man!
A voice from outside invaded her thoughts.
“Elizabeth? Gavin? Are you there?”

CONNECT with Lauren
Website: http://www.laurenlinwood.com
Blog: http://laurenlinwood.wordpress.com/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091840.Lauren_Linwood?from_search=true
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LaurenLinwood

A Quick 'n Quirky Interview with #MFRWauthor @LaurenLinwood

Who's Lauren Linwood?
Lauren Linwood became a teacher who wrote on the side to maintain her sanity in a sea of teenage hormones. Her romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire and yearning for one another grow into the deep, tender, treasured gift of love.

Lauren, a native Texan, lives in a Dallas suburb with her family. An avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan, she manages stress by alternating yoga with five mile walks. She is thinking about starting a support group for Pinterest and House Hunters addicts.

Quick Questions with some Quirky Answers!
If money were not an object, where would you most like to live?
If I had the big bucks, I wouldn't limit myself to one residence. My permanent home base would be located on Kaanapali Beach in Maui, with a pied-a-terre in both London and New York. I'd also keep my Texas home because I wouldn't want to move all my junk from it!

If you were a tool, which would you be?
As a tool, I would be a green, fine-tip felt marker. People would write with me, making important notations on a sticky note.

If you were a store, which would you be?
If I were a store, I'd definitely be Target. It's my favorite place to shop. It has EVERYTHING--food, clothes, books, linens, make-up, chocolate, vitamins. I'm a bit of a chameleon, so I think Target's eclectic stock would suit me well. It's also very affordable, and I'd love all the people that came in to shop.

Your guilty pleasures?
There's no secret to it--my guilty pleasures are eating dark chocolate every day and singing. Now I'm a terrible, truly awful singer, but I love music. So I sing in the shower. In the car. When I cook. I even catch myself singing along to my iPod as I walk. I guess that explains some of the strange looks I get when I pass other walkers and joggers!

Who would you want stranded on an island with you?
My tropical island companion would be Theodore Roosevelt. He was a true Renaissance man. He would be entertaining and very enterprising. He'd either find a way to get us off the island, or we'd be living in style with all his clever ideas. I think he'd have a lot to teach me, and we'd never run out of things to talk about.

If you were on a reality show, what one would it be?
Although ""Survivor"" is my absolute favorite reality show of all time (I've never missed an episode), I couldn't do it. I sunburn easily. I'm a mosquito magnet. And I actually enjoy eating on a regular basis. I'm deathly afraid of snakes, and there are way too many at the locations they select. I won't even get into those nasty rats. Instead, I would love to go on ""The Amazing Race."" I would enjoy seeing so many different countries, meeting the people, and learning about their cultures. The competitors take part in so many fun challenges and roadblocks. Plus, I'd love to hear Phil's accent every time my partner and I arrived on the mat--as long as he never said, ""Lauren. You are the last to arrive. I'm sorry to tell you that you have been eliminated from the race."" That would break my heart.

City or Country?
I'm definitely a suburban gal. I like being close to city life and all its conveniences without putting up with the traffic. I like being a little bit out and having green space around me . . . just not TOO far out! I have a need to be close to a good library, some nice restaurants, and a little bit of shopping--especially if Target is nearby!

Ebook or Paperback?
I love being able to pick up my Kindle and drop it into my purse when I travel. I'll also pull it out while I'm waiting at the dentist or doctor's offices. As nice as it is, I still love the feel of a paperback in my hands, smoothing the pages. I'm a bit possessive that way.

Zebras or Elephants?
Zebras are beautiful, but they seem a little skittish to me. I've actually stroked an elephant and find them to be beautiful and friendly. I love watching them with their babies.

MFRW Lauren Linwood released Written in the Cards, a Historical Western Romance, with Soul Mate Publishing in May 2014.

Maggie Rutherford jilts her too-perfect society groom at the altar and flees to the American West,
where she turns her travels into dime novels that she writes under the pen name Lud Madison.

Civil War veteran Ben Morgan marries his childhood sweetheart and takes her to homestead on the Great Plains. Losing her in an Indian attack, Ben becomes a gambler. When he kills a cheating opponent in self-defense, the man’s gunslinger brother swears revenge.

Ben hides on a cattle drive and brings in a herd to Abilene, where a waiting Maggie interviews him for her next story. Sparks fly as they wind up living in the same household, running a general store east of Abilene. But with Black Tex Lonnegan on his trail, will Ben run from his growing attraction to Maggie and the gunfighter’s promise of death–or will he make a stand for his life–and love?

When dime novelist Maggie Rutherford interviews cowboy Ben Morgan for her next book, she falls fast . . . and then learns he’s actually a gambler with a gunslinger hot on his trail. Will Ben run from his growing attraction to Maggie and an outlaw’s promise of death—or will he make a stand for his life—and love?

AMAZON Buy Link

Connect with Lauren

Website: http://www.laurenlinwood.com

Blog: http://laurenlinwood.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laurenlinwood

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LaurenLinwood

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Linwood/e/B00CSSG8BC

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091840.Lauren_Linwood

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Written In The Cards by #MFRWauthor @LaurenLinwood

MFRW Lauren Linwood released Written in the Cards, a Historical Western Romance, with Soul Mate Publishing in May 2014.

Maggie Rutherford jilts her too-perfect society groom at the altar and flees to the American West,
where she turns her travels into dime novels that she writes under the pen name Lud Madison.

Civil War veteran Ben Morgan marries his childhood sweetheart and takes her to homestead on the Great Plains. Losing her in an Indian attack, Ben becomes a gambler. When he kills a cheating opponent in self-defense, the man’s gunslinger brother swears revenge.

Ben hides on a cattle drive and brings in a herd to Abilene, where a waiting Maggie interviews him for her next story. Sparks fly as they wind up living in the same household, running a general store east of Abilene. But with Black Tex Lonnegan on his trail, will Ben run from his growing attraction to Maggie and the gunfighter’s promise of death–or will he make a stand for his life–and love?

When dime novelist Maggie Rutherford interviews cowboy Ben Morgan for her next book, she falls fast . . . and then learns he’s actually a gambler with a gunslinger hot on his trail. Will Ben run from his growing attraction to Maggie and an outlaw’s promise of death—or will he make a stand for his life—and love?

AMAZON Buy Link

Excerpt
Maggie looked at Ben. “Ready to give this a whirl?”

They danced to “Camptown Races” and “I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair” before he guided her out the open barn door into the cool September night. Stars sprinkled the night sky. They came to a halt under a scraggly tree, away from everyone else.

“You’re the prettiest lady I’ve ever seen, Maggie Rutherford.”

She blushed at his compliment. “Are you sure you’re not a ladies’ man?” she asked lightly.

He grew serious. “Maggie, I can’t guarantee you anything. I don’t know where I’ll be six months or six years from now. But we have this moment. Right now.”

“Then let’s don’t waste it.”

His mouth came down and touched hers. The kiss was sweet and long. It caused a yearning to rise in Maggie. Gently, he urged her lips apart, his tongue gliding along the seam of her mouth. She answered him in kind, tasting what was his essence, inhaling the scent that made him Ben.

His arms came around her. He pulled her close. She rested her hands flat against his broad chest, the muscles tensing at her touch. Her fingers tingled with the heat of his body and the pounding of his heart below them.

She knew this couldn’t last. What sparked between them was raw and real, but nothing permanent would occur. That thought didn’t stop her. She wanted to live for this moment, this now, for this man here at her fingertips. His mouth beckoned hers, as their tongues mated in a ritual as old as time.

He deepened the kiss. She clutched his shirt tightly, hanging on for the wild ride of passion rolling through her. The music fled. The darkness around them was forgotten. Only here and now were meant to be.

He pulled his mouth from hers, his breathing harsh. He trailed soft butterfly kisses along her cheek to her ear. A frisson of pleasure swept through her when his teeth found and tugged on her earlobe. Something built in her. Her breath quickened. Her pulse fluttered.

His hands spread on her back, dropping to her waist and below. They cupped her bottom and brought her even closer against him.
She gasped as the pleasant tingling grew. It started to spread through her as he stroked her with his hands and nibbled on her neck.

Then his hands came to her waist and after lingering a moment, he released her. The heat from his mouth felt torn from her. Desolation whipped through her as he took a step back. The desertion felt like a betrayal.

His eyes glittered, passion heightened. His voice was low as he reached and took her hand.

About Lauren Linwood
Lauren Linwood became a teacher who wrote on the side to maintain her sanity in a sea of teenage hormones. Her romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire and yearning for one another grow into the deep, tender, treasured gift of love.

Lauren, a native Texan, lives in a Dallas suburb with her family. An avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan, she manages stress by alternating yoga with five mile walks. She is thinking about starting a support group for Pinterest and House Hunters addicts.

Website: http://www.laurenlinwood.com
Blog: http://laurenlinwood.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laurenlinwood
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LaurenLinwood
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Linwood/e/B00CSSG8BC
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091840.Lauren_Linwood

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: A Game of Chance @LaurenLinwood #MFRWauthor

MFRW Author Lauren Linwood released A Game of Chance, a historical western romance, on January 8, 2014 with Soul Mate Publishing.

Gambler Jed Stone is arrested for a murder his twin brother committed, a man he never knew existed. When Jed wins the deed to Lucky Lil’s, San Francisco’s most famous whorehouse, he falls in love with the madam’s daughter Lily, who’s always been shielded from house life. Will Jed be able to start a new life with Lily and bring his outlaw brother to justice?

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For More Information about the Author:
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