#OnSale #Promo – Entire Riverbend Series – $1.99 each

Good Morning, Everyone! Hope your Christmas was Merry & Bright! Today, I’m offering a Happy New Year special, in the hopes that something fun will get the new year off to a great start. If you haven’t checked out my Riverbend series, now’s the time! Each book will be on sale for the (ready?) “low, low, LOW” price of $1.99 from today through December 31. Riverbend is a fictional small town in central Florida where anything can happen. And does. Unlike my mountain series, there’s nothing paranormal going on here because the folks who live in Riverbend are weird enough all by themselves. 😀 Hope you’ll check it out.  Happy Reading!

SWAMP GHOSTS: Riverbend Book 1

BLURB:

Wildlife photographer Gunnar Wolfe looked like the kind of guy every man wanted to be and every woman just plain wanted, and the St. Johns River of central Florida drew him like a magnet. EcoTour boat owner Maggie Devlin knew all the river’s secrets, including the deadliest ones found in the swamps. But neither Maggie nor Gunn was prepared for the danger that would come after them on two legs.

On a quest to make history photographing the rarest birds of them all, Gunnar hires the fiery, no-nonsense Maggie to canoe him into the most remote wetland areas in the state. He was unprepared for how much he would enjoy both the trips and Maggie’s company. He soon realizes he wants more than she’s able to give, but before he can win her over, they make a grisly discovery that changes everything, and turns the quiet little town of Riverbend upside down. A serial killer is on the prowl among them.


FINDING HUNTER: Riverbend Book 2

BLURB:

Before, I never thought about taking a life. Not once.
Now, the thought fills my mind day and night, and
I wonder how I’ll hide that terrible need,
As an old car swings to the shoulder,
And stops.

~ Traveling Man ~

Hunter Painter’s darkest fears have shaped his offbeat personality since he was a child, crippling him in ways invisible to those unable to see past his quiet exterior. In a sleepy Florida town known for its eccentric inhabitants, he’s always been a mystery to most.

Only one person sees beyond Hunter’s quirky facade. Willow Greene, the new age herbalist who owns the local candle and potpourri shop, has secretly loved him since they were in high school. When, sixteen years later, she discovers Hunter has loved her just as long, Willow hopes her dreams are finally coming true.

Willow soon learns that Hunter fears happiness at her side isn’t in the cards for him. With her natural optimism and courage, she almost convinces him he’s wrong—that they can really have that life together they both long for—but even Willow can’t stop what Hunter knows is coming.

One by one, his worst nightmares become reality, culminating in an unthinkable tragedy, which devastates everyone it touches. Willow’s battle begins in earnest as Hunter is plunged into a bleak, guilt-ridden despair, threatening to destroy not only their love, but Hunter, himself.

Finding Hunter is the story of a lost man’s desperate struggle to make his way home again, and one woman’s unshakeable faith in him and the power of their love.


THAT DARKEST PLACE: Riverbend Book 3

BLURB:

“There are dark places in every heart, in every head. Some you turn away from. Some you light a candle within. But there is one place so black, it consumes all light. It will pull you in and swallow you whole. You don’t leave your brother stranded in that darkest place.”
~Hunter Painter~

The new year is a chance for new beginnings—usually hopeful, positive ones. But when Jackson Painter plows his car into a tree shortly after midnight on January 1, his new beginnings are tragic. His brothers, Forrest and Hunter, take up a grim bedside vigil at the hospital, waiting for Jackson to regain consciousness and anxious over how he’ll take the news that he’s lost a leg and his fiancée is dead. After all, the accident was all his fault.

As the shocking truth emerges, one thing becomes obvious—Jackson will need unconditional love and support from both of his brothers if he is to survive.

Just as he begins the long road to recovery, danger, in the form of a sinister, unsigned note, plunges him back into bleak despair. Scrawled in blood red letters, the accusation—and the threat—is clear. “MURDERER!”

Will the long, harrowing ordeal that lies ahead draw the Painter brothers closer together, or drive them apart forever?

Suspenseful and often heartbreaking, this small-town tale is a testimonial to the redemptive power of love and paints a story filled with humor, romance, and fierce family loyalty.


And there you have my last sale of the year. Hope you’ve found a new book or two that appeals to you. Thanks so much for being such a lovely group of followers. You’ve made my life richer throughout good years and not-so-good ones, and I appreciate every single one of you! Here’s to a much better year ahead!

 

#RomancingSeptember Days 5 and 6

2015 cover

So sorry I didn’t get to this yesterday. Spent the whole day trying to get Finding Hunter ready for CreateSpace, with a few formatting glitches that Word just wouldn’t let me correct! Grrrrr.

BUT. Never fear, here are the links to Saturday’s featured author, Georgina Troy, and today’s, V. Steele. Check them out, and  please remember to share.  Thanks!

Rosie Amber: #RomancingSeptember Day 5, Georgina Troy
Rosie Amber: #RomancingSeptember Day 6, V. Steele

Stephanie Hurt: #RomancingSeptember Day 5, Georgina Troy
Stephanie Hurt: #RomancingSeptember Day 6, V. Steele

TA-DAAA! Cover Reveal for Finding Hunter!

I have used what energy I’ve been able to muster (beyond the healing process from my surgery, which seems to be dragging out forever) to finish up Book 2 in my Riverbend series, and I’m happy to say, Finding Hunter is DONE. All that remains is to format for Kindle & upload–and to share the absolutely perfect cover my wonderful friend and graphics goddess, Nicki Forde, designed for it. My also-wonderful friend, Doug Little, of St. Johns River Eco Tours, turned his wildlife photography skills to subjects such as a journal, a teacup, and a Tiffany lamp, providing Nicki with beautiful images to choose from. And here you see the gorgeous result of their combined effort. 

Final FH Cover Smaller

Those who have read Book 1, Swamp Ghosts, will know this book focuses on a character introduced therein as Gunn’s friend, Hunter Painter. The cover is a perfect blend of Hunter and the woman he adores, Willow Greene. I couldn’t be happier!

Please feel free to share this everywhere you can. With luck, the eBook will be published in the next two days or so, and the print version will follow soon after.

And below is the blurb for Amazon.
***************************************

Before, I never thought about taking a life. Not once.
Now, the thought fills my mind day and night, and
I wonder how I’ll hide that terrible need,
As an old car swings to the shoulder,
And stops.
~ Traveling Man ~

Hunter Painter’s darkest fears have shaped his offbeat personality since he was a child, crippling him in ways invisible to those unable to see past his quiet exterior. In a sleepy Florida town known for its eccentric inhabitants, he’s always been a mystery to most.

Only one person sees beyond Hunter’s quirky facade. Willow Greene, the new age herbalist who owns the local candle and potpourri shop, has secretly loved him since they were in high school. When, sixteen years later, she discovers Hunter has loved her just as long, Willow hopes her dreams are finally coming true. 

Willow soon learns, however,  that Hunter fears happiness at her side isn’t in the cards for him. With her natural optimism and courage, she almost convinces him he’s wrong—that they can really have that life together they both long for—but even Willow can’t stop what Hunter knows is coming.

One by one, his worst nightmares become reality, culminating in an unthinkable tragedy, which devastates everyone it touches. Willow’s battle begins in earnest as Hunter is plunged into a bleak, guilt-ridden despair, threatening to destroy not only their love, but Hunter, himself.

Finding Hunter is the story of a lost man’s desperate struggle to make his way home again, and one woman’s unshakeable faith in him and the power of their love.

 

 

Update & A Smile For You!

Just wanted to let you good folks know I’ve managed (knock wood) to beat the heck outta the infection I developed, and am walking pretty well (with a cane), so life is improving day by day. Still some pain issues, especially at the end of the day, but I’m not going to complain. Even with the setback, I’m light years ahead of where I was with the other foot, so all is well.

Still haven’t had time to catch up on my blogs (or yours!) since I’m trying desperately to get Finding Hunter wrapped up. Formatting, Author’s Notes, Acknowledgments, and those  types of things being finished, now. And waiting on my cover proof. (You’ll see it here, first!)

I figured a smile might go a long way towards redeeming myself (from my serious neglect), so here’s a little thingie  I found yesterday that made me laugh. Oh, how I identify with this!

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Good News and…GOOD NEWS!

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(My inspiration for the Painter farmhouse,
taken right off my Inspiration Board.)

You can’t go wrong with that, now can you? 🙂

First, let me apologize for being MIA for so long, but after a week of better than expected progress from my foot surgery, I hit a snag when I developed an infection in the incision. 😦 Back to ground zero, and feeling lousy on top of it. Saw the doc again today, though, and while the infection isn’t clearing up as fast as we’d hoped, it looks much, much better, and is far less painful than it had gotten. Changing to a new antibiotic, lots of new instructions, and after some minor debriding, it looks and feels MUCH better. I’m allowed to do a lot more things, and just have to remember to stop and elevate my foot when it’s bothering me. At least two more weeks in the surgical shoe, until the bone is healed a bit more, and then I’ll be able to take another step forward, pardon the pun.

And now for the really good news. In spite of not being able to sit at the “real” computer, my makeshift office around my Comfy Chair and my ASUS tablet did the trick. I was able to keep editing with Caitlin, and I’m very happy to announce, we finished our work on Finding Hunter yesterday. Thank you, Caitlin, for your patience as I muddled through this inconvenient recuperation, and for all your hard work as well. I would never try this without you!

I have to do some final tidying up, then a last read-through, then format the book for Kindle and upload to amazon.  Once that’s done, I’ll format for CreateSpace, and get that print version out there, too. (I have local folks asking for that one already, and want to be sure it’s in their hands by September.)

So…steel foot-pins or no steel foot-pins, I’m ahead of my schedule right now, and really pleased about that, and I plan to try to catch up around here very soon. I’ve missed you guys! And that’s it from me. For now. 🙂

(Also from my Inspiration Board,
my idea of what Hunter Painter looks like.)2

 

#ExcerptWeek #FindingHunter WIP by #MarciaMeara

It’s good to see these wonderful excerpts popping up. I’ve got another to post for a new member shortly, but first, here’s a little surprise. This is the “prologue” though it isn’t called that, from my current WIP, Finding Hunter. This is Book 2 of the Riverbend series, and those who have read Book 1, Swamp Ghosts, will know who the Hunter in question is. The book is in edit, currently, and we are working toward a September release date. So, without further ado, you can be the first to read the opening lines of Finding Hunter.

The Traveling Man
~~~ 

Dawn, August 1, 2013 

EVERYTHING WAS PAIN. Everything he felt, everything he remembered. Pain, and pain, and pain. His dreams echoed with sounds of agony, screams ricocheting through his head. Pain—and blood. Rivers of blood. Scarlet, coppery-scented puddles spreading in front of him.

He woke on his knees, vomiting in the grass. Afterward, he crawled back up onto the park bench, mouth sour, and head throbbing. Shivering, he tried to push the dreams away, but they weren’t ready to let him go.

He had done something bad. That was the problem. Worse than bad—something unthinkable. This crime was the root of all his dreams, and if only he could remember, he’d know what he needed to do next. But every time he tried to get it straight in his head, the screams would start again, followed by that God-awful, unrelenting pain.

As the day woke up around him, he huddled on the bench, with the smell of rotgut whiskey on his breath, and sledgehammers pounding inside his skull. He scrubbed at his eyes, as if that would wipe away the images of all that blood, and make the last echoes of those tortured screams disappear. It didn’t work.

There had to be a way to make it all end. When it came to him, he was surprised at the simplicity of the solution. Something—someone—needed to die. Fight fire with fire, blood with blood, pain with pain. Oh, yes. That was the answer.

Shuffling to his unsteady feet, he stumbled through the morning mist. He had no idea where he was—not even which state he was in, let alone the name of this little town—but he heard the unmistakable whoosh of cars speeding down a highway. In five minutes, he stood by the edge of the southbound lane, holding out his thumb. Instinct told him the direction to travel, and desperation kept him upright, as he waited for the ride that would take him where he needed to go.

His plan was simple. If death would bring an end to this pain, then someone was going to die.