Death Southern Style is a stand alone, contemporary, romantic suspense with a touch of the paranormal. I wrote it because I love New Orleans and its’ history.  I write romantic suspense and the history, ghosts, voodoo and paranormal seem to lead itself to a suspense. I love the story because of the characters, especially an unusual one.  And I’m not going to expand on that.

I have visited New Orleans with a friend. We stayed in an old brick hotel on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. The room we stayed in had a ghost which we both heard and saw signs. The ghost was friendly and didn’t try to hurt us. The ghost tried to steal my praline cookie in an envelope on my bedside table. The ghost also picked the cement between the bricks and threw it on my friends’ bed. Do I believe in ghosts? Oh yeah!

​I’ve also researched the French Quarter, including voodoo and the voodoo temple on which I visited. And I did ghost tour. I’ve also researched the history of New Orleans and some of the parts of the culture like their music, jazz, their funerals and the history of corrupt policing. The research was fun to do. And the story was fun to write.

New Orleans is a fascinating place!!! It's a perfect place for your story. And wow...you actually saw and heard ghosts?!?! That is all KINDS of awesome. Now....do you have a favorite part of the book?

Probably incorporating some of the paranormal elements. 

Is the book dedicated to anyone?

​This book is dedicated to my friends who helped with the editing, Joyce and Stephanie.

Death Southern Style

When Perrine Dupré dies under suspicious circumstances her daughter, Julie Ann Dupré, returns to New Orleans to find the truth about her mother’s death. She uncovers a family secret, hidden for years. Now someone is trying to kill her. Will the little dog who appears after her mother’s death help her? Is the sexy detective out to help her, or is he part of police corruption?

Detective Connor O’Reilly, a native of New Orleans, comes from a family of police. He’s an honest cop but realizes there is corruption in the division. His father may have died as part of that corruption. He meets Julie Ann, checks out her mother’s death and finds it was badly handled. Julie Ann deserves the truth and he wants to find it for her.

Julie Ann and Connor work together to unravel the real reason behind Perrine Dupré’s murder, Julie Ann’s mysterious past, and why people want her dead, while developing their challenging relationship. Can they both survive? And can their relationship survive?

Excerpt: Death Southern Style

Perrine Dupré hurried down the street. She needed to get home. Dark New Orleans clouds hovered overhead. Thunder rolled. Large drops of late May rain pelted the streets of the French Quarter. It sounded like hail as the fat globs bounced off the pavement behind Perrine. The ozone mixed with the scent of magnolia and the smell of shrimp and fish cooking in the area.

The older African American woman struggled against the wind. It whipped her umbrella inside out. She clutched it tightly so not to lose it. Rain blurred her vision. Thunder crashes caused her to jump. She stumbled up the three steps to her front door. Her daughter was coming home for a visit. Perrine’s pulse increased and a smile sneaked out. Tomorrow Julie Ann would be home in New Orleans and Perrine could give her a big hug.

Juggling her parcels, umbrella and the key Perrine jabbed it in the direction of the lock. Finally, the key found the opening and turned.

Thunder rumbled a little louder, sounding like pins crashing in a bowling alley.

Perrine turned the doorknob and froze.

One of her psychic visions flashed in front of her. Her shoulders sagged. A man stood inside. Her visons didn’t lie. She wasn’t going to see Julie Ann after all. And she'd miss their regular telephone call tonight, too.

Lightning flashed. Thunder crashed again.

He waited for her to come inside.

The vision showed her crumpled on the ground in front of the house. She’d run, but obviously she wasn’t going to get far. Even if she managed to escape, they would kill her eventually. And after tonight Julie Ann would be home.  She would also be in danger.

In her mind, Perrine stared into the depths of the house, hands trembled, freezing cold filled her chest. She had to make a decision. He was getting ready to make a move. Perrine dropped her parcels, turned and raced down the steps.

The skies opened wide and lightning flashed across the sky, turning it an electric white. Perrine crumpled to the street. No one heard the shot. An icy shroud of death enveloped over her.

The front door closed. The lock clicked.

She felt no pain, not even when a boot kicked her sharply in the ribs - twice.

The feet moved away.

A gate squeaked.

A car engine roared to life.

The phone rang. No one answered it tonight.

​Her spirit gradually left her body and floated away. Using her fading power, Perrine pulled on the power of the Priestess to allow her to remain on earth, in any form. 

Buy: Death Southern Style
AMAZON

​

Bio: Beverly Bateman

Beverley Bateman now lives in Medicine Hat, Alberta. She recently moved from the Okanagan Valley in BC, Canada. Instead of vineyards, orchards, lakes, and mountains she has ranches, farmers and a close community. She lives there with her husband and her Bichon-poodle rescue dog. During the cold Alberta winters, she snowbirds to Arizona and does glass fusion, watercolor painting and plays the ukulele besides working on her latest romantic suspense. Hunted, Missing and Targeted are part of her Montana series. She also has her Holly Devine series; A Cruise to Remember, and a Murder to Forget. Don’t Go is her darker romantic suspense.
 
Website – https://www.beverleybateman.com
Blog - http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Twitter @kelownawriter​
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Where are you from?
Sassano, Italy, originally, now living in Manhattan.
 
Tell us why your story is called FROM HERE TO FOURTEENTH STREET.
Since we came to New York from Italy, I knew I would live above Fourteenth Street someday. It was nearly impossible at times, but I made it.
 
What did you think the first time you saw your hero Tom McGlory?
I thought “I am in big trouble” because he nabbed me on the street. I’d tried to stop a pickpocketer from robbing a man, and Tom, a beat cop, thought I was doing the pickpocketing.
 
What was your second thought?
As I trembled, my second thought was that he had the sharpest green eyes I’d ever seen.

Did you feel it was love at first sight?
Not at all—it was hostility and fear at first sight. 

What do you like most about him?
His refusal to let the danger of police work stop him, and his aspirations to become Chief of Police.
 

​How would you describe Tom?
Honest, sincere, dedicated to me and to the police force.
 
How would he describe you?
An ambitious hard worker who wants the best for this city. He knows I want to be a Senator or Congresswoman, but I’m happy enough as a committeewoman for now.                         
 
What made you choose politics as a career?
I want to make a difference in the city that adopted me and gave me a new life and the opportunity to achieve success. I also want to lead my fellow citizens to a better life through my efforts to clean up the corrupt city government and make sure the poor have a better life than they do now.
 
What is your biggest fear?
Flying—I will never set foot in an airplane.
 
How do you relax?
By listening to opera records and attempting to sing the female parts. My favorites are Madama Butterfly by Puccini and The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart.
 
Who is your favorite fictional character?
Anna Karenina—the bravest woman in literature.
 
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
Be realistic and don’t be shattered if you don’t become president.

My goodness, Vita. You are an amazing person. I'm so glad there are people like you who care so much about others. Tom sounds like a wonderful man! (And I certainly understand your fear of flying!)

​EXCERPT: FROM HERE TO FOURTEENTH STREET by Diana Rubino

As Vita gathered her soap and towel, Madame Branchard tapped on her door. "You have a gentleman caller, Vita. A policeman."
 
“Tom?" His name lingered on her lips as she repeated it. She dropped her things and crossed the room.
 
“No, hon, not him. Another policeman. Theodore something, I think he said.”
 
No. There can't be anything wrong. “Thanks,” she whispered,  nudging Madame Branchard aside. She descended the steps, gripping the banister to support her wobbly legs. Stay calm! she warned herself. But of course it was no use; staying calm just wasn't her nature.
 
“Theodore something” stood before the closed parlor door. He’s a policeman? Tall and hefty, a bold pink shirt peeking out of a buttoned waistcoat and fitted jacket, he looked way out of place against the dainty patterned wallpaper.
 
He removed his hat. “Miss Caputo.” He strained to keep his voice soft as he held out a piece of paper. “I’m police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt. I have a summons for you” He held it out to her. But she stood rooted to that spot.
 
He stepped closer and she took it from him, unfolding it with icy fingers. Why would she be served with a summons? Was someone arresting her now for something she didn't do?
 
A shot of anger tore through her at this system, at everything she wanted to change. She flipped it open and saw the word "Summons" in fancy script at the top. Her eyes widened with each sentence as she read. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”
 
I hereby order Miss Vita Caputo to enter into holy matrimony with Mr. Thomas McGlory immediately following service of this summons.

 It's 1894 on New York's Lower East Side. Irish cop Tom McGlory and Italian immigrant Vita Caputo fall in love despite their different upbringings. Vita goes from sweatshop laborer to respected bank clerk to reformer, helping elect a mayor to beat the Tammany machine.

While Tom works undercover to help Ted Roosevelt purge police corruption, Vita's father arranges a marriage between her and a man she despises. As Vita and Tom work together against time and prejudice to clear her brother and father of a murder they didn't commit, they know their love can survive poverty, hatred, and corruption.

Vita is based on my great grandmother, Josephine Calabrese, “Josie Red” who left grade school to become a self-made businesswoman and politician, wife and mother. 

​Now let's hear from Diana Rubino, the creator of Vita!

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer?
When I started writing historicals, my greatest influences were Bertrice Small, (her book BLAZE WYNDHAM inspired me to write my first historical), Sharon Kay Penman, and Philippa Gregory. Every book of theirs I read inspired me to become the best historical novelist I could be.
 
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel?
My great-grandmother, known as Josie Red because of her head of thick red hair, was a successful businesswoman—she owned apartment buildings, a parking garage, did small-time bootlegging during Prohibition, and served as a Committeewoman in Jersey City. I based Vita on her.
 
Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them?
I’d read many books by The Wild Rose Press before I submitted to them. My first book with them wasn’t a historical—it’s an urban fantasy, FAKIN’ IT. They published most of my later historicals, and I’ve been very happy with them.

Find Diana Rubino here:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Today Linda Nightingale is here to showcase her book Life For Sale, a fantasy and futuristic romance. It's the second book in the Tomorrow's Angels series. Tell us about the book, Linda!

I’m fascinated by interactive AI from Siri to Alexa to the new androids like Sophia, the Chinese newscaster, and Neon, but these androids don’t have feelings or true consciousness—yet.  In 2015, I wrote Love For Sale, the first book in the series, Tomorrow’s Angels. Love For Sale began the love affair for March (human) and her sentient android Christian. Christian was sold as a lover at an exorbitant price. He has true consciousness and feelings. Christian is perfectly humanoid and can easily pass for human. So, my androids are more advanced. The suspension of disbelief? I hope so.
​
In the first book, Christian learns the real reason he was created. He and three other androids escape. Kara had asked me why I wrote Life for Sale. All this is background for the sequel, Life for Sale. I wrote it because I wanted to continue March’s and Christian’s story and see what happened to my lovers on the run. March and Christian alternate POVs in finishing their tale. 

What is your favorite part of the story?

​My favorite part of their sequel is when they find the killer. They’ve met two of the other androids on a transatlantic cruise, then find out one of them has a deadly malfunction. They must stop or contain this robot before someone else dies. All evidence points to March being the next victim.

Is the book dedicated to anyone?

​I dedicated Life for Sale to my editor for all her assistance over the years. She’s been a tremendous help in shaping my books. She’s very talented and easy to work with.

Linda has a giveaway!

I'll give an eBook of winner’s choice from my backlist. Check my Amazon page for selection list.

Can you share an excerpt?

Kara asked me for an excerpt from my favorite part but that would be a spoiler big time. Instead, here’s a scene in another tense part of the book: To set the scene, someone has sent a severed head to Christian. Afraid of any exposure because of his creator, he and March feel they have no other recourse but to bury the horrible gift in their backyard:

All was quiet at this time of the night. March’s hands trembled as Christian carried the box toward the place they’d chosen earlier for the grave.

At the eleventh hour, without a shovel on premises, Christian had to dig the grave with a garden spade by the weak light of a dying torch. The flashlight cast eerie shadows, and her skin crawled. The sound of their pitiful shovel sent shivers through her. She’d always loved the scents of fresh earth and grass but never again.

“Let me help.” She lay a hand on his shoulder. His robotic strength and speed had made quick work of the gruesome task, but she wanted to grab the spade and do it herself to save him the anguish.

He looked at her, his eyes oddly opaque, and shook his head.  He was programmed against such actions. So, not only was the deed repulsive, it was in direct contradiction to his innermost thought processes. The opaque look in his eyes was his way of masking the terrible battle he fought with himself.

“I know this is very hard for you,” she whispered, her heart aching for him.

He looked so calm, but inside he must be as scared and repulsed as she. “No dear. It’s almost done.”

With the garden spade, he patted the sod over the grave and straightened. Without speaking, he put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

“Lord, I’m glad that’s over.” March shuddered

Still, he did not speak.

How atrocious the entire ordeal had been, this burial a final testament to the horror.  She was queasy, chilled to the marrow of her bones. The black plastic box in which it arrived was the thing’s coffin. There’d be no marker on this grave.  Fear they were being watched hadn’t been the only reason to hurry. Even a nosy neighbor might turn the gory task into a fatal betrayal.

March shivered again, rested her face on his chest. “Hold me until I stop trembling.” Tears she didn’t want him to see welled in her eyes. The whole ghastly business had to be hard on a man encoded to protect not harm humans.

Her AI angel stroked her hair, and a sob broke through her control. She squeezed her eyes shut, battling tears.

Series: Tomorrow's Angels

Mayfair Electronics has created life.

In Love for Sale, the high-tech electronics company, in black and white, offers “love for sale”. Mayfair has engineered sentient androids indistinguishable from humans. March Morgan flies to England and meets the man she has been searching for her entire life. Christian requires no programming to love March at first sight, but her past and his future soon threaten their happiness—and their lives.

In the sequel, Life for Sale, four of the Special Editions have escaped. Rebel, Christian and  March  are on the run, but they have a bigger problem than his creator's plan to destroy him. They've discovered that one of the renegades has suffered a dangerous malfunction, threatening them with more than just exposure. March and Christian must stop the insane robot before someone else dies. All the evidence points to March being the killer's next victim.

About Linda Nightingale:

After 14 years in Texas, Linda returned home to her roots in the South Carolina red clay. She has eight published novels, four of which are available from Audible.com in audio. For many years, she bred, trained and showed the magnificent Andalusian horses. So, she’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer. She’s won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers’ Magnolia Award for Excellence, the Raven Award, and the SARA Merritt. In real life, she was a legal assistant.


​

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LNightingale
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Web Site:  http://www.lindanightingale.com – Visit and look around. There’s a free continuing vampire story.
Blog:  https://lindanightingale.wordpress.com/ - Lots of interesting guests & prizes
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​

"My song first, Maria. Then we'll listen to yours."

Maria glares at me, her hands on her hips. "We listen to yours all the time," she declares.

I roll my eyes at her and reach for the sleeve that holds my favorite 45.

"No!" Maria shouts. "It's my turn."



​
I stop and think. Now that I have discovered I am good at taking care of people, I realize I am not taking good care of my sister. I can share, can't I? I'll get to listen to my favorite song later. After all, isn't it better to be kind?

"Okay," I tell Maria. "We'll listen to yours first."

With a triumphant grin, Maria slips her favorite 45 onto our plastic record player and the music of Lipps, Inc. blasts through our cotton candy pink room. We dance to Funkytown, Maria, Wendy, and I. We giggle when the "Darth Vader" voice sings, "Won't you take me to". We lip sync, we spin, we sing, we laugh.

Ah, music...

Maria's song ends and now it is my turn. Maria and Wendy don't stay because they don't care for my song, but that is alright with me.

Reverently, I place the 45 on the record player and close my eyes in anticipation. The music hits me, wafts around me and fills me with gladness. I sing along without dancing. Singing is more important.

I don't really know what the words mean. The melody is all that matters and I sing every note perfectly.

"Lookin' For Love"...

What a song!

​​My most recently published book is The Key To Kristina, a Mystery Romance that came to life because of a conversation I had with Darling Hubby. I can’t tell you the specific topic of the conversation because that would give away the surprise ending—a secret I managed to maintain until the very end of the book!

I will tell you that the secret involves an unusual treasure that has been sought—in real life—for more than sixty years. People have tried to verify the mere existence of it and have only anecdotal evidence to support it, but that hasn’t stopped people from writing about it and searching for it. If found, this treasure would be worth millions.

My conversation with Darling Hubby sent me to the internet where I first made a list of possibilities for the premise I had in mind. My internet quest became a month of research. I sifted through facts and anecdotal evidence before deciding upon the one thing that was a real possibility for a hidden treasure that could be found today.

Next, I spent a couple of weeks figuring out how this “thing” came to be missing, what happened to it, how did it stay hidden for over sixty years, and why would it have been hidden.

I love “caper” films so figuring out the details of this caper, working it into a timeline, and then discovering who executed the caper was so much fun. That was my favorite part of The Key To Kristina—until Kristina Rivera and Wyatt Morgan, the heroine and hero of the story, came to life as I wrote. You may think it’s silly, but, like most authors, the characters in my book seem like real people to me. I liked them, and I hated to say goodbye to them. The Key To Kristina was not intended to be a series, but I’m having a hard time letting go of these people!

I hope you’ll read Kristina and Wyatt’s story and their search for treasure. I also hope you leave a review, but please, as I asked readers at the end of the book, don’t reveal the secret of this unusual treasure in a review. Let other readers be surprised by it like you probably were!

Can you share your favorite part of the story?

I actually loved everything about the story. If I had to pick a favorite part, I think I’d say the last couple of chapters and the epilogue because there are a lot of surprises in it. I love books that surprise me at the end because I can usually figure out what’s going to happen. I think this one will keep you guessing.

Excerpt: The Key To Kristina

When Wyatt Morgan grabbed her shoulder, Kristina whirled. “What do you want?”

He seemed taken aback by her attitude. A guy who looked like God’s gift to women probably wasn’t used to a woman talking to him like that. As if she cared.

When he pointed at his handkerchief she clutched, she said, “In movies, the heroine always says she’ll wash the handkerchief and return it to the hero, but I’m not a heroine, and you’re not a hero. You’re probably just an ex-con like my dad.” She studied the handkerchief. “Of course, you might want this back. I see it’s monogrammed.”

“Keep the handkerchief. We need to talk.” Wyatt started to place his hand on the small of her back to walk her to the elevator, an old-fashioned courtesy that was out of place in today’s world. He stopped when Kristina gave him a death glare. He realized she wasn’t fragile despite her big dark eyes and her willowy body. He’d always thought of her as a child because of the old photograph Ray had in his wallet. She wasn’t a child any longer, but what had stayed the same were her intense dark eyes, the dark wavy hair that looked as if she’d just left her bed, and her mouth that now looked surprisingly sensual. When he realized she was staring daggers at him, he corralled his wayward thoughts.

Kristina stepped up to the elevator and stabbed the down button. She glanced at him. A tear slid from the corner of her eye. “You’re right. We should talk. When did my dad die? How did he die? What happened to his…remains?”

Wyatt hesitated, not wanting to lay the ugly truth on her. “Heart attack a month ago,” he lied. “He’d been sick for a while, but he wouldn’t go to the doctor. Ray was my dad’s friend. When I got to know him, I was proud to call him my friend too.”

She looked him up and down, derision evident in her expression. “My dad never had friends like you. How did he become friends with you and your dad?”

Wyatt’s grin faded. “He saved my dad’s life in prison.”

Kristina reacted as if he’d slapped her. “I thought prison might figure in this.” Her eyes were like dark chips of flint. The elevator doors opened. “I think that answers all my questions.”

“Not by a long shot.” Wyatt followed her and grabbed her arm before she could punch the button for the lobby.

“Get your hands off me, Mr. Morgan.” Her voice was as cold as her eyes.

Wyatt held up both hands. “If you open that envelope from your dad, you’ll want to talk to me.”

​“I doubt that, Mr. Morgan. I don’t know if I’ll ever open the envelope. I suspect it has nothing but heartache inside it.” She tilted her head up and looked down her elegantly shaped nose at him. “What else could you and I possibly have to talk about?”

Wow! I can't wait to read this book!!! Is it dedicated to anyone?

The book is dedicated to my father who passed away several years ago. The dedication is long so I won’t repeat it here. The heroine in the book is an auto mechanic, and she learned the trade from her father who was her hero until events changed the course of both of their lives. My dad was quite the shade tree mechanic, and I thought of him often as I wrote the book and felt “close” to him.

That's just beautiful. Love it. The Key To Kristina sounds like quite the read. I love mysteries just like this one!

The Key To Kristina
Mystery Romance

Her father never gave her anything but a hard time—until he died and left Kristina a key. But a key to what?

A suspicious death. An inheritance. A mysterious ally. A shifty lawyer. A mystery. A key and a clue. A romance. A Quest that may be the adventure of a lifetime.

None of that is what Kristina Rivera expects when she arrives for her appointment with a Houston lawyer. She thinks she's there to gather her father's possessions because he's probably been sent to jail again.

Instead, she meets Wyatt Morgan who’s also there at the lawyer’s request. She’s stunned when Morgan introduces himself as the Executor of her father’s estate. Shocked by this revelation, Kristina is grief-stricken, confused, and angry. Her father didn't have two nickels to rub together. Why would he write a will? Life has taught Kristina to initially distrust everyone and every situation, and this situation is beyond her comprehension.

​With the aid of Wyatt Morgan, a man whose business seems to be fighting lost causes, Kristina undertakes The Quest, designed by her father, to find his hidden treasure. More than her legacy will be revealed, and danger stalks her every mile of her journey as she tries to discover what The Key To Kristina means.

​Buy Link: Amazon Exclusive: https://www.amazon.com/Key-Kristina-Joan-Reeves-ebook/dp/B08HCGWNCK/ (Print edition available Sept. 17, 2020.)

Bio: Joan Reeves

Joan Reeves--Keeping Romance Alive...One Sexy Book at a Time— is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance. Her novels have been published in a half dozen languages, and her ebooks are available at most ebook sellers with audio book and print editions also available. All of Joan’s romance novels have the same underlying theme: “It's never too late to live happily ever after.”

Joan lives her happily ever after with her hero, her husband. They divide their time between the hustle and bustle of Houston and a small house at the foot of the Texas Hill Country where they sit on the porch at night, look at the star-studded sky, and listen to the coyotes howl.

Sign up for Joan’s free newsletter and receive a free ebook when you confirm your subscription: https://www.subscribepage.com/z8x3r9

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/joanreeves
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Website: https://www.JoanReeves.com
Blog: https://SlingWords.blogspot.com
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I wrote this book because I wanted to tell a story about three sisters who were all spinsters. I wanted to explore how that could happen, and why none of the ladies ventured out and found a life of their own.

I enjoyed exploring the different personalities and the backstory, and I really enjoyed leading each of the sisters to their happily ever after.

It's quite something to make characters come to life, to give them reasons to go forward and fight. This book allows me to give Eulalie, jilted at the altar, happiness. And she really deserved it. She is formidable. She is the reason her other sisters aren't married, and also the reason her family is still together. I wrote this book mostly for her, to save her. I hope you like her journey!

Nor can she keep Harold Dawson, recently widowed, from stealing Lucy's heart. And when Richard Morrison comes calling for Eulalie, expecting courtship, marriage, and her love, Eulalie's world is turned on its axis.

As the "Spinster Sisters" tumble into romance, the people of Pike's Run might have to seek a new title for them. One of distinction and hope…

​The Miller Brides.

​Hi, Kara! Thanks for having me again. Today I brought along Zane from ROCKED BY GRACE, my newest rock romance release. It’s book one in the LOVE AND CHAOS SERIES, which revolves around the band Just Short of Chaos. To start off with, let me tell you a bit about the book by giving you the blurb: 

​
When videos hit the Internet of rock star Zane Sanders and a random fan performing what he says is a spontaneous dance, no one believes it’s unrehearsed in this sizzling romance from bestselling author M.J. Schiller.

Zane Sanders, lead singer of Just Short of Chaos, surprised everyone, including himself, when he plucked a fan out of the audience at one of his concerts.

I don’t know what possessed me to do it. I’d never done anything like that before. But something about Grace drew me to her. And within minutes of pulling her on stage, I knew I’d made one of the best decisions of my life. Since our drummer Devin’s overdose, I’d felt dead inside. Perhaps for even longer than that. But Grace was fun, sexy—and as I would discover later—good and selfless. And an irresistible magic surrounded us that made me feel alive again.

That is, until I blew it. In classic Zane style. Funny thing is, when I first got Grace up on stage, I had no idea what to do with her. Now I have no idea what I’ll do without her.

Grace Prescott was living out every girl’s fantasy.

Only thing is, fantasies ended, and I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t want this one to stop. Zane had a magnetism about him that was more than mere charisma. That was evident the moment I—the girl who normally had to be dragged out onto the dance floor—practically became a pole dancer in his arms.  Then it happened. The moment everyone kept referring to as “The Kiss.” But it was all part of the show, right? It didn’t matter that Zane made more than my feet move. He stirred up feelings that scared the crap out of me. The depth of his sadness called out to me even more than his unbelievable sex appeal, and that was saying something.

But it could never work between us. He may have come from a small town like me, but he was all rock star now and totally out of my league. I was a flower shop owner, not his saving Grace.

​Are some actions beyond forgiveness or will he be rocked by Grace?
 
Now, without further ado, I give you Zane Sanders.

Hello, all. Technically Sanders is the stage name I use. My name is actually Zane Salvetti.

Where do you live and why?
I am originally from Stanton, Missouri, along with three of my bandmates. It’s a small rural town surrounded by rolling hills and trees. I have a place in New York, L.A., and Atlanta, but lately I’ve become fond of Jefferson City, Missouri, the state capital. That’s where Grace lives. That’s why I’m fond of it.
 
What is your profession and do you enjoy it?
I’m the lead singer of Just Short Of Chaos and it’s way more fun than a job should be. I would be creating music wherever I was, even if it was back in my stepfather’s garage in Stanton, driving my little sisters crazy. This way I make money to support myself, and we all stay sane. It’s a win/win.
 
How would others describe you? Are they accurate?
Most people would describe me as outgoing, but I’m really more the guy who likes to lurk in the background. But it’s kind of hard to lurk with a dozen spotlights focused on you, so I’ve had to adapt.
 
When you met Grace, was it love at first sight?
Hmm. Good question. It was something at first sight. Not love exactly, but not lust, either. Just this singular attraction. It was like…in that auditorium full of thousands of fans, ours were the only two hearts beating in synch, or something. It was the oddest thing.
 
Was it love at first sight for her?
Oh, wow. You’d have to ask her! No, I guess I can answer that, because we’ve talked about it. She said she’d always found me attractive but wasn’t like one of those obsessed fans or anything. But, when I pulled her on stage, it was just magic. I don’t know any other way to describe it. Any time that we’re together, actually, we’re better. She brings out love and tenderness in me. I bring out her crazy side. We all have to contribute somehow and this is what I bring to the table, I guess.
 
What do you like most about her?
Oh, man. …I just can’t narrow it down to one thing, but I’ll try to be as succinct as possible. I like her heart. I like the way she is with her little brother, Jamie. I like the way she is with her customers. I like the way she is still like sunlight even though she’s been through some pretty dark, shitty things. I like the way she is with me. Fun, sexy. She still says things that surprise me and make me bust out laughing. And she still does things that turn me on like no other woman before her. But most of all I like that she is real with me. So many people try to be who they think you want them to be, especially when you’re a celebrity of sorts. I can’t stand that fakeness.
 
What does she like most about you?
Wow! You really do ask the tough questions. You’re a regular Larry King. Uhh…I think she would say…that even though I can be an idiot and complete jerk at times, my intentions are usually good, and I don’t have a problem apologizing. I’m well-practiced at it.
 
If you could travel anywhere where would you go?
Another toughie, as I’ve been just about everywhere. But I’d like to explore a lot of those places more, because we don’t always have a lot of time for that. I’d like to take Grace to Tuscany. And Rome. And Greece. I think she’d like Greece.
 
What’s one thing you learned from your personal love story?
And Dublin. I’d like to take Grace to the pubs in Dublin. Sorry. I just thought of that. What did I learn from our love story…? I guess it’s that communication is important. Vital, really. If you’re feeling something, even if you’re afraid the other person doesn’t feel the same way, or you think they may judge you for feeling that way, you still need to share those feelings with people. It’ll save you a lot of heartache in the long run. Don’t play games. Be yourself, however screwed up that may be.
 
Thanks for having me. It’s been enjoyable.

You're quite welcome! I can tell you love Grace a lot! And what a way to meet her! And what you have learned is absolutely spot on. You have to talk to the person you love, even if you're afraid. And, yes, you have to take her Dublin! Ireland is on my bucket list!

Excerpt: Rocked By Grace

There was a difference between having a life and living a life, and I really wanted to discover what that difference was. I had a life. Most would say it was a good life. But for me it seemed like all I was doing was chasing the second hand on a clock. I would move forward through the day, but at the close I had nothing to show for it other than the passage of time. At the ripe old age of twenty-six, I was tired beyond belief and walking through my days and nights like a zombie.

But the people who had been filling the stadium for the last hour and a half were not here to see the walking dead. They were doctors, lawyers, garbage men, seamstresses…. They came from small towns and cities, ghettos like those I grew up in, and plush estates like the ones I lived in now. I had come to know the people behind those gilded doors had their own kinds of problems. But all of these people occupying seats in the heart of this building or swaying drunkenly on the floor, they worked, sweated, and stressed to earn the money to buy the tickets to this concert and listen to my music. I wouldn’t let them down.

​After all, I was one of them once. I even sold my ten-speed to purchase tickets to see my idol, Colton Remkus, who was one of our openers tonight. Because of that, I vowed to sing the hits I’d sung a bajillion times before like I recently released them and they were still fresh. As Colt did for me. Though I didn’t feel like I had the heart for it, I would bring the vitality of the damned Energizer Bunny if it killed me. 

​To read more of Zane and Grace’s story you can purchase the book at the following retailers:
 
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iTunes

GIVEAWAY!!!

Thanks for having us, Kara! Now, for a chance to win a copy of any of the books in my ROCKING ROMANCE COLLECTION, comment below in response to one or all of the following questions. We’ll pick two winners.

In ROCKED BY GRACE, Grace’s little brother Jamie has a thing for pancakes and also loves ice cream sandwiches. What are your favorite breakfast foods? What is your favorite dessert?

Or—what have you missed the most during these COVID times? 

Bio: M.J. Schiller

M.J. Schiller is a lunch lady/romance-romantic suspense writer. She enjoys writing novels whose characters include rock stars, desert princes, teachers, futuristic Knights, construction workers, cops, and a wide variety of others. In her mind everybody has a romance. She is the mother of a twenty-two-year-old and three twenty-year-olds. That's right, triplets! So having recently taught four children to drive, she likes to escape from life on occasion by pretending to be a rock star at karaoke. However…you won’t be seeing her name on any record labels soon. 

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