Sexy at Sixty - #WomensFiction #Giveaway #StartingOver

By Michelle Davis (Guest Blogger)


[October 2018]

October is birthday month in my family. My oldest son celebrated his special day on the 18th, and my husband and younger son shared a birthday on the 28th. I’m the outlier… my birthday isn’t until February, and I will be turning 55 this upcoming year. Just typing those two numerals startles me a bit. To be honest, I’ve always been challenged by the “5’s” in the “birthday world.” Turning thirty, forty, or even fifty didn’t bother me. But I did have trouble with twenty-five, thirty- five, and forty-five. I think that I would always anticipate the next decade at the mid-way point, so in a way, I’d be thinking I was actually older than I was!

However, when I dealt with cancer seven years ago, I made a promise to myself that I’d never complain about getting older… because I certainly didn’t like the alternative! So, I will do my best not to allow fifty-five to ruffle my feathers. I will try to embrace this next milestone instead of becoming a grouchy, sullen or cranky middle-aged woman who commiserates about getting older.

Last week, while having dinner with another couple, an innocent comment sparked a fabulous “aha” moment. During our conversation, our friend mentioned that he found an older woman extremely sexy. I guess that’s not an abnormal comment, but I usually don’t associate aging females with the term, “sexy.” That’s when it hit me… wouldn’t sexy at sixty be pretty amazing?

Before you start to judge or make assumptions, I’m not talking about how most people describe “sexy.” This is not about being a voluptuous temptress or a seductive siren. No, what I’m talking about is quite different. My definition involves something few women possess in their younger years. What I desire to be in five years is totally different. The image that intrigues me does not rest on pure physical appearance, body type, or bedroom eyes. My sexy at sixty exudes three elements… self-confidence, wisdom, and grace.

Self-confidence is a rare gift almost never seen in young women. I’ve only known several females in their twenties or thirties who were blessed with the innate knowledge of their true self-value. These individuals didn’t compare or judge others because they were completely comfortable with themselves. But as we all know, most women don’t fall under that category. It takes us time to know who we are so that we can learn to like, accept, and perhaps even love ourselves. That’s when the self-confidence kicks in.

Wisdom also defines my version of sexy. A wise woman doesn’t blurt out the right response to prove that she’s smart. No. Instead, women with wisdom know. While they might or might not have the correct answer, they understand, something much greater. Wisdom isn’t knowledge of a content area or a specific philosophy. Rather, it is a generalized comprehension of how the world functions and how we, as individual beings, interact. That’s why I want to be wise!

And, grace… I think it may be my new favorite word. When I was younger, I wanted to be faster, the first to accomplish something, or the best at what I did. Now, I wish for gracefulness in all things. I hope to flow in my yoga practice. I want to efficiently glide when I run. And, I wish to demonstrate kindness, patience, and compassion during my interactions with others. While grace certainly won’t win me any medals or offer accolades for outstanding accomplishments, it will give me the satisfaction that whatever I do is done with elegance and poise.

Self-confidence, wisdom, and grace… these are my three components for “Sexy at Sixty.” While this may be quite a lofty goal, the good news is that I have some time to work on these characteristics. Sure, I wouldn’t mind having some of those traditional “sexy” traits either, but we all know that those fade with age. What makes up my version doesn’t… they only becomes better with time.

Blurb

Jenna Moore's flawlessly orchestrated life and engagement to Ben Kelly, “the perfect man,” vanish when she discovers a controlling side of her fiancé. Confused and unsure of who she is without Ben, Jenna decides to uproot from her safe, predictable life in Boston and move to Bend, Oregon, hoping to find her answers there. It’s when she meets Jackson, a former Navy SEAL who battles demons of his own, that Jenna finds the courage to let go of being perfect and embrace uncomfortable risks, transforming her life through forgiveness, compassion, surrender and acceptance. Yet the rewards from discovering her true self exceed Jenna’s expectations – not only does she find the greatest love of her life, but she also understands what’s kept her from learning to bend.

Excerpt

I’m drawn to a solitary man with shoulder length thick brown hair sitting alone at a café table. I try not to stare, but I can’t help myself. When I get closer, I see a faint scar on his cheek. It intrigues me. He intrigues me. Yet it’s his captivating green eyes that truly catch my attention. I look in the opposite direction and make it appear as if I’m about to walk away. But I can’t, he pulls me toward him. I pause, actually freeze in my tracks before I find my body shifting in his direction. He’s drinking coffee and gazing at me. Who is he and why am I feeling this way? Doing my best to regain some composure, I try to avert my eyes, but they won’t stop staring at him. What is it? He’s not traditionally handsome – he’s more of a sensual “bad boy” type – nothing like Ben. Suddenly, I feel my throat tighten and butterflies appear inside my stomach. I become conscious about my hair. I’ve had a helmet on all day. It must look awful.

Stop it. He’s just some stranger.

Although he’s sitting, I quickly assess his height and notice his chiseled muscular build. I’m guessing that he’s older than me, by at least five or more years. Something deep inside of me begins to stir as I pass by his table. That’s when I hear, “Place the weight on your inside toe when you turn. You’re using your knees too much.”

About the Author

Michelle Davis, whose career path includes banking, teaching, and college admissions consulting, holds a B.S. in Finance from Lehigh University and a M.S. in Education from St. Joseph’s University. Through her blog, elevate, Michelle’s goal is to inspire others to shift their perspectives and welcome change as they realize their life purpose. A Pennsylvania native, Michelle and her husband enjoy visiting their sons in Boston and spending time in Bend, Oregon, the settings of her debut novel, Learning to Bend. To learn more about Michelle and how to elevate your life, visit www.michellemdavis.net.

https://www.michellemdavis.net

https://www.learningtobend.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LearningtoBend/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/michellemillerdavis/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Davis/e/B083ZLXBXS/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Bend-Michelle-Davis-ebook/dp/B083L5HM7G/

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/learning-to-bend-michelle-m-davis/1136004857

The author will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour.

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Brothers .... band mates ... which one will she hurt? #Romance #WomensFiction #Giveaway

Blurb

Bookworm Lily Mitchell vowed never to date another musician, but Dylan Parker is nothing like the stereotype. Sure, he’s mysterious and sexy, with a flashy car and serious bedroom skills, but he’s also smart, hardworking, and humble. He shares Lily’s passion for classic literature and constantly surprises her with romantic gestures. Their steamy relationship moves at whirlwind pace, and Lily has never been happier.

It’s all so perfect that at first, Lily wills herself to ignore the emerging red flags. As her worries about Dylan increase, she finds friendship and comfort in his brother and bandmate, Thomas. But Lily soon discovers that as much as Thomas cares for his brother, he’s also fallen hard for her.

As Dylan spirals further out of control, Lily must decide what she really wants, and whom she is willing to hurt.

Excerpt

I turned and saw that Dylan was staring at me. He leaned in slowly, placed his hands on my cheeks, and pulled me in for the kiss. His lips brushed against mine lightly at first, then relaxed into the kiss slowly. It was a polite kiss, the kind where I could tell he was holding back. Dylan ended the kiss before I was ready, while my entire body still ached to taste him. He’d offered me just enough to convince me that our chemistry wasn’t limited to conversation. His hands dropped from my cheeks, and he squeezed my hand in his. I blinked and tried to control my breathing.

“You’re terrible,” I finally mumbled, smiling.

He grinned in response.

“I mean, really. A sunset walk on the beach, a kiss at the top of the ferris wheel... So cliché.”

“And you love it,” he said.

“I do,” I admitted, glad he hadn’t taken my statement as an insult. I loved romance, and there was no denying that certain things were romantic. There was obviously a reason they became clichés.

“Are you hungry?” he asked when we deboarded.

“I could eat. What did you have in mind?”

He glanced around. “Hot dog and cotton candy?”

I laughed. Leave it to the wealthiest guy I’d ever dated to buy me an amusement park hotdog on our first date. “Works for me,” I said.

About the Author

Liza Malloy writes contemporary romance, women's fiction, suspense romance, and fantasy. She’s a sucker for alpha males, bad boys, dimples, and muscles, and she can’t resist a man in uniform. Liza loves creating worlds where the heroine discovers her own strength and finds her Happily Ever After. When Liza isn’t reading or writing torrid love stories, she’s a practicing attorney. Her other passions include gummy bears, jelly beans, and the occasional marathon. She lives in Hamilton County with her four daughters and her own Prince Charming. Her books Sixty Days for Love, For Love and Italian, and Forbidden Ink are available in paperback and ebook, and can be found on Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. More updates and fun bonus content available on her website, www.LizaMalloy.com.

Social Media Handles

Twitter: @AuthorLizaM

Facebook: @authorLizaM

Instagram: AuthorLizaM

Pinterest: @authorLizaMalloy

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18966268.Liza_Malloy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Liza-Malloy/e/B07PY14X4D

Buy Links for The Brothers' Band

Amazon http://bit.ly/38VHMse

 
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2MEeOn0

 
Apple Books https://apple.co/39m2cuz

Links to other books on Amazon

Sixty Days for Love- http://amzn.com/B07PJL92PD

For Love and Italian- http://amzn.com/B07RDXBY6N

Forbidden Ink- http://amzn.com/B07V1Q3VC9

Liza Malloy will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Conflicting commitments ... Ribbon of Light by @claireflaire - #womensfiction #giveaway

Blurb

Julie Rafferty’s life-long dream is within her grasp. But just as the toy company she founded verges on becoming a multi-million-dollar enterprise, her husband abandons their marriage.

Trevor had no choice but to walk away from Julie. How else could he show his wife that the business was her priority, not him and their three children? His drastic stunt backfires though, jeopardizing the family business and seemingly pushes Julie into the arms of a younger man.

Just when Julie and Trevor find their way back to each other, a ruthless competitor escalates a bogus lawsuit. Together they plot to reclaim control of the toy company, only to uncover a shattering betrayal that puts them in unimaginable danger.

Can they overcome their dreadful mistake and reclaim the passion, trust and commitment that once drew them together? Or will the greed of an evil man irreparably destroy everything they hold dear?

Excerpt

Julie gazed around the gymnasium, hoping for a sign of Trevor. During the timeouts, she spied Jason’s blue eyes scanning the stands, searching for his father, too. His broad shoulders and solid frame reminded her of a young Trevor. Her firstborn, a full head taller than most of his teammates, knocked hard on the door to manhood, seemingly overnight.

Trevor was staying away on purpose, she realized, her eyes misting over. His way of getting even because she was leaving on a business trip.

“Hey.” A familiar hand touched Julie’s shoulder, causing an electrifying charge to pulse through her body.

“I was wondering if you were going to show up,” she said with more bitterness than she meant.

She was relieved to see Trevor. She wanted to be near him, touch his face, hold hands like they used to. Instead, she made a snarky comment, driving another wedge between them. Seemed like inflicting hurt and pain became the goal of every conversation they shared recently. Somehow their loving, supportive relationship had turned spiteful and vindictive.

Julie couldn’t put her finger on when things changed, but she knew why. Trevor never understood her need to stand on her own two feet and take pride in something she created. He would never understand how her company gave her a sense of security he never could.

She moved her jacket to make room for him. Instead, he squeezed in between the girls. “Don’t start with me. I work too, you know. I got here as soon as I could.”

“Jason went on a scoring run. He has twelve points, eight from free throws.” Julie allowed her pride to slip out.

“Guess all that time you spent in the driveway teaching him how to draw a foul paid off.”

“Someone has got to be home with our kids,” Trevor said, his words dripping with judgment.

“Nicole, Emily. Go wash that sauce off your hands,” Julie ordered.

“I can just lick them clean,” Emily said.

Nicole stood. “Come on, Em. Let’s go. I think they’re going to fight again and Mom doesn’t want us to hear.”

“We’re not fighting,” Trevor said. “Just go wash your hands like your mother asked.”

She watched the girls head toward the bathrooms.

“They’re right, you know. All we do anymore is argue.”

“Not true. You’re not at home long enough. I can’t believe you have another week-long business trip.”

“I have a commitment to the company and the people who work there,” Julie said in hushed tones. “If you can’t or won’t accept that, then there is nothing I can do to make things better between us.”

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Kobo | Goodreads | iTunes

About the Author

When she’s not playing with her granddaughters, Pennsylvania native Claire Yezbak Fadden is writing contemporary women’s fiction. Her books feature strong women who overcome life’s challenges, always putting their families first.

There's a special spot in Claire's heart for carousel horses – quite possibly the result of watching “Mary Poppins” 13 times as a young girl. She loves butterflies, ladybugs and confetti! Just ask anyone who's received a birthday card from her.

The mother of three lives in Orange County, California with her husband, Nick and three spoiled dogs.

Claire’s work as an award-winning journalist, humor columnist and editor has appeared in more than 100 publications across the United States, Canada and Australia. Ribbon of Light is the third novel in her Begin Again series. 



Follow Claire @claireflaire

Email her at claire [at] clairefadden [dot] com,

Like her Facebook Fan Page https://www.facebook.com/claireyezbakfadden/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Visit her at clairefadden.com.

Join her mailing list: http://eepurl.com/cclBRv.

Woman@Heart Blog. https://clairextraordinaire.wordpress.com/

Claire Yezbak Fadden will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Sneak Peek: RUN Ragged by Kari Aguila

Blurb

In a devastated country, those in charge rule by fear, inequality, and oppression. Rhia, a strong and independent sea captain, just wants to keep her head down and do her job, until she finds herself trapped in a re-education facility designed to help people fit into the rules of the New Way Forward. The warden claims to be guiding those in her care, but Rhia quickly sees the cracks in the system. As she is faced with torture and brainwashing, those cracks become gaping holes that threaten to pull her down into the depths of despair. Can Rhia resist the slow subversion of re-education and become the reluctant hero the new world needs?

RUN Ragged is the thrilling second story by the award-winning author of Women’s Work. This brilliantly imagined novel is both a scathing satire and a profoundly poignant look at the price we are willing to pay for peace and what we are willing to ignore to keep our conscience clear.

Excerpt

His dark, weather-rough hands turned her shoulders to face him, and his brow furrowed as he began to tighten the straps of her PFD.

“It’s tight enough, Dad.”

“Just checking.”

“Stop! You’re squishing my breasts.”

“Hey, girlie, those breasts aren’t gonna keep you afloat if you fall in the drink. You think you’re indestructible, but you’re not. Make sure you’re snugged up.” The gruffness of his voice was canceled out by a quick wink as he looked up at her young face.

Rhia smirked. “You, too, old man. Make sure you’re snugged up.”

Three hours later, they huddled together in the berth, holding the wooden rail that ran the length of the wall as the boat slammed down into the trough of another wave. Rhia could see the pallor of her father’s face in the constant flash of lightning. His chin was tucked low to his chest, his eyes focused on the floor several feet in front of him. Suddenly, they felt a snap as the anchor line parted, and the boat began to yaw hard to the side. He jumped to his feet and flew up the steps to the main cabin.

“I’ll deploy the sea anchor! You make sure you . . .”

The constant roar of air and water pounding at the boat drowned out his shouted directions. By the time Rhia reached the main cabin, salt water was spilling over the starboard rail and sloshing across the deck. It would take her father only a few minutes to pull the series drogue bag from its locker, attach the bridle legs to the corners of the transom at the stern, and drop the weight chain overboard. A hundred five-inch yellow cones would feed into the sea, catching the power of the wind and the waves and swinging the boat into position stern to storm.

Struggling to remain standing as the boat twisted below her, Rhia dug out a bail bucket and checked the switch for the bilge pump. Once the series drogue was deployed, all they would have to do was hunker down and wait out the storm. She began to think about the annoyance of pulling in all the line for the drogue when the wind abated tomorrow. Joseph always made her recover it and stow it back in its bag, and it took hours.

“Ah, there we go,” she said to herself as the boat swung around and caught. Her legs wide to absorb the motion, she waited for her father to return to the cabin. Thick sheets of rain ran down the windows as she watched the sky, the flashes of light, and the spray of water all around her. But as the minutes passed, the sound of the raging storm seemed to disappear. Standing alone in the dark cabin, she became aware of the sound of her breathing and the growing emptiness in her chest. Her father did not return.

About the Author

Kari Aguila was the recipient of an IndieReader Discovery Award for her first novel, Women’s Work. Her stories are gripping and thought-provoking looks at gender stereotypes and relationships set in a dystopic future. She is also an avid gardener, geologist, outdoor enthusiast and mother of three. Aguila lives in Seattle with her family. RUN Ragged is her second novel.

Website:

www.kariaguila.com

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/WomensWorkKA

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/KariAguilaAuthor/

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7422555.Kari_Aguila

Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/RUN-Ragged-Kari-Aguila/dp/0991165039/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451479942&sr=1-1&keywords=kari+Aguila

Giveaway! Kari will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Visit Kari's other stops for more chances to win!

January 11: Edgar's Books
January 12: Independent Authors
January 13: Beyond Romance
January 14: T's Stuff
January 15: Tina Donahue Books - Heat with Heart
January 15: Reviews by Crystal
January 18: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
January 19: LibriAmoriMiei
January 20: Long and Short Reviews
January 21: Jen's Reading Obsession
January 22: Books Direct
January 22: 3 Partners in shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!

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The Kindness of Strangers: Looking For Charlotte

By Jennifer Young (Guest Blogger)

I don’t believe that people are truly bad — or not many of them, anyway — which is why I don’t tend to have real villains in my books (though that may change in the future). Even my baddies aren’t serious villains; they either don’t do things that are truly dreadful or they are forced into doing the bad things by circumstances or by other people. They act with regret, or look back on the results of their actions with regret; but they aren’t really bad.

That is why Looking For Charlotte, my latest book, has no villains. It’s the story of Flora Wilson, who becomes obsessed with searching for the body of a murdered toddler, Charlotte Anderson, to bring closure to the child’s bereaved mother. Flora’s motives aren’t altogether altruistic, but the aim is nevertheless positive: she wants to help someone, even though it’s someone who she’s never met.

You might, with reason, argue that the murderer of a toddler must be a villain of the highest order and that’s a question that Flora asks herself as she searches. It’s a question that Charlotte’s mother, Suzanne, asks herself too; but because the murderer, Charlotte’s father, was a man suffering form mental illness, even Suzanne challenges herself to tackle the seemingly impossible task of forgiving him.

Flora and Suzanne, living separate lives, plough their way through traumas and difficulties, through grief and failure. And they don't just find support along the way; they give it, too. Life is cruel but the cruelty is unintentional. People do things that hurt others — sometimes, as Suzanne learns, to the point at which they might think they were better dead. But every corner hides a secret kindness, an act of fellowship from a stranger.

Villains are a staple of romantic (and other) fiction but they don’t pop up that often in real life. One day I’ll write about a villain and I promise I’ll make him or her eye-poppingly evil, lacking in conscience, a stranger to remorse and one whose regret comes only from being caught. But you won’t find that person here.

In lacking a villain, I don’t think that Looking For Charlotte is any weaker than it would be with a wicked lead or antihero. Instead it offers a cluster of everyday heroes, passing by and casting the magic spell of a good deed as they go.

Blurb

Divorced and lonely, Flora Wilson is distraught when she hears news of the death of little Charlotte Anderson. Charlotte’s father killed her and then himself, and although he left a letter with clues to her grave, his two-year-old daughter still hasn’t been found. Convinced that she failed her own children, now grown up and seldom at home, Flora embarks on a quest to find Charlotte’s body to give the child’s mother closure, believing that by doing so she can somehow atone for her own failings.

As she hunts in winter through the remote moors of the Scottish Highlands, her obsession comes to challenge the very fabric of her life — her job, her friendship with her colleague Philip Metcalfe, and her relationships with her three children.

Excerpt

She turned the card over and looked at the photograph of Stac Pollaidh sitting proud above its carpet of rocks and lochans. She’d climbed Stac Pollaidh as a child, on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition from school, in searing heat on a June day and she hadn’t enjoyed it. Walking wasn’t really her thing. She didn’t want to walk now. All she wanted to do was to drive up and down forever in this land of ghosts and legends and look at the mountains; and then one day a pretty blond child would appear by the roadside, beckon her to stop, and lead her away forever.

A tapping on the window startled her. She jumped, turned her head, and saw a concerned face. In front of her a car was parked in the lay-by, a big blue Jeep, its spare wheel smeared in mud. It had arrived just after she had, and decanted a family. She’d watched them setting out for a walk, strung out along the path.

The face was kind. She wound the window down hastily. ‘What?’

The man outside had a round face topping a knitted jumper in navy, worn under a waxed jacket. He drew back a little. ‘Sorry. Don’t want to interfere. We wondered if you were all right.’

She must have looked distressed. God, how she hated being an object of pity. She looked at this pale face of the city man, heard the London accent, recognised a stranger like herself. ‘Thank you. I’m fine. But it was kind of you to ask.’

‘I know I shouldn’t interfere,’ the man said, backing away, apologetically, ‘but my wife... Well, you were sitting here when we went for our walk, that was all.’

She gave a quick glance at the dashboard clock. She’d been sitting there with her hands on the steering wheel for over an hour. ‘No, no. It’s all right.’ She was appalled at herself. She must have sounded terse. ‘Really. It’s very kind of you. Actually, I’ve had some bad news, that’s all. So I was just sitting.’

His good-natured face flushed with the Englishman’s embarrassment at having barged in with misplaced goodwill.

‘Goodbye then.’

‘Goodbye. Thank you.’

He got back into the car and roared out of the lay-by. Two faces, children captivated by the sudden moment of drama, twisted round and peered towards her as it disappeared along the winding grey road. Yes, that was it. Pity. Concern. Whatever.

Get your copy today!

Tirgearr Publishing

http://tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Young_Jennifer/looking-for-charlotte.htm

Amazon UK

http://amzn.to/1D7pNY6

Amazon US

http://amzn.to/1JmAwBR

Smashwords

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/526032?ref=cw1985

Author Bio

I live in Edinburgh and I write romance and contemporary women’s fiction. I’ve been writing all my life and my first book was published in February 2014, though I’ve had short stories published before then. The thing that runs through all my writing is an interest in the world around me. I love travel and geography and the locations of my stories is always important to me. And of course I love reading — anything and everything.

Links

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/jenniferyoungauthor

Twitter

@JYnovelist

Website

http://www.jenniferyoungauthor.com/

GIVEAWAY!

Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here:

http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/jennifer-young-2/

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