by Joanne Wadsworth | Feb 17, 2014 | Author Blog
Hey everyone, here’s Liza O’Connor with the third book in her A Long Road to Love series. She’s also running two giveaways, so don’t forget to check out how to enter at the end of the post. I’ve been fortunate to read both the first two books in this humorous disaster romance series, and had a giggle while I read them. So, without further ado, I’ll hand everything over to Liza.
.
Coming to Reason. How does that happen?
Like Carrie, in my life, ‘coming to reason’ came fast and hard.
When the man I thought was my soul mate of ten years told me he’d met someone else and wanted to see where it might go, I was floored. Totally didn’t see it coming.
Surely, there should have been some signs…
We never fought, so I pushed my memory for smaller hints. We still did things together, played tennis, skied. There had to be some hint I hadn’t caught onto.
A man can’t fall out of love
and I completely fail to notice, can he?
I thought back to the night I finished reading Bridges of Madison Country. I looked over to him and likened us to the couple in love. I remember he seemed disturbed by the comparison. No doubt because he saw Heather as his true love, and me the one keeping them from being happy. At the time I assumed he hadn’t liked the book and didn’t wish to be compared to it.
That was the only clue I had.
In my perspective, this Heather person came out of nowhere.
I asked him to tell me about her. He seemed happy to share. She worked at his office, she had a girl from a previous marriage, and a boyfriend so this wasn’t easy for either of them. She was my age and he really liked her and wanted to see where it might go. He spoke with great calmness and compassion, but not an ounce of guilt or remorse. He had to know his words were ripping me apart, but he didn’t give a shit. It was all about him. (I say this now. At the time I only saw his compassion, not what was missing.)
He asked me to stay until he got the matter sorted out.
And because I loved him more than I loved myself, I agreed.
We had plans to attend a theatre production that night and I tried my hardest to be cheerful, but the more his words replayed in my mind, the deeper they cut. I began to silently cry, then not so silently. We had to leave so other people could enjoy the play.
His mother called me soon after. She was so sorry we were breaking up. Then she told me less than a month ago, he’d told her he ‘was thinking about’ marrying me. That floored me. Now nothing made sense.
I moved into the guest bedroom. Living in his house with him kept me hoping we could turn matters around. I desperately wanted to fix whatever was wrong. I got him to go to counseling with me, but after the first meeting, where we got along so well, the counselor split us up.
And thus began the counselor’s efforts to make me come to reason, but I remained hopelessly in love, so desperate to fix my soulmate’s temporary insanity. Instead of helping me fix my problem, the guy focused on the unhealthy aspects of our relationship. Even before I came to reason, I knew he strongly felt I needed to break away.
But at home, matters almost seemed normal again except I slept in the guest room and my heart was severely injured. My soul mate went to visit friends in California. He said Heather wasn’t going, but he may have lied. Still, every night he would call and tell me the stupid ass things he’d done because I wasn’t there to fix matters. We’d laugh and hope grew within me that we could get beyond this. He mentioned the same, saying we’d be stronger in the end.
While a part of me hoped for the best, another part of me knew whatever had broken wasn’t fixable nor could I ever trust him again. I would always be searching for signs I missed this time.
Somewhere in this painful month, I parked my pride at the curb and called Heather, begging her not to take him from me. She said she had no idea what I was talking about. Nothing was going on between her and my guy.
Now I wondered if my soul mate had truly gone insane and had made this whole romance up.
I discovered the truth on the day we planned to go to a Giant’s game. I remember telling him that morning how much I was looking forward to the having fun together. He agreed and for a moment things seemed good. Due to my counselor’s advice, after work I never went straight home. I would go to the Y and swim laps for two hours.
But this night, I didn’t want to make us late for the game, so I cut my workout short and hurried home. He’d promised to be home by six. When it turned six-thirty, something broke inside me. I got in my car and drove to his place of work. The door was locked, so I lurked about outside, pacing in fury. Finally, he and Heather came out, arm in arm, laughing and happy. (Had I owned a gun, none of us would be alive now. When I saw them together, I lost all reason.)
Being gunless, I went a little crazy on him while Heather scurried back into the office.
All my pent up rage came pouring out of me. And when I finally made it back home, my EX-soulmate opened my car door and declared it over. He was done with Heather. No more.
Too Late. I was done with him.
‘Reason’ had finally arrived. I realized if he had truly loved me, he couldn’t hurt me like this. He was either a sadist or the most self-centered guy in the world, but this had never been a healthy love. I had loved him more than I loved myself, which is NEVER a good thing. And from my new perspective he didn’t love me at all. I was just easy to get along with and willing to do things he liked to do. A convenience, nothing more.
And that was it. I made him leave his house and live with his mother for a month while I hunted for a house of my own. Then I left and never looked back.
In my book Coming to Reason, Carrie ignores reality so long you’ll want to slap her silly, then wham, all hell breaks loose and in a single day she’s over him. I’ve no doubt someone who’s never loved a Trent will say Carrie comes to reason too fast, but I will argue from personal experience that anyone stubborn and determined enough to love a Trent can turn on a dime the moment she realizes that he never loved her and that she deserves much more than he’ll ever give. This enlightenment doesn’t happen over time, it happens in an instant when she finally sees him for the man he is, rather than the illusion she loved.
Later after the pain goes away you realize he’s not evil incarnate. He’s just broken and has no idea what love is. But the actual moment of Coming to Reason can be incredibly fast and life changing.
For me, it began the best years of my life. And for that, I thank you, Heather. Sorry, he broke your heart too, but that was inevitable.
Here’s a bit about the book
Coming to Reason:
COMING TO REASON
Book Three: A Long Road to Love
Humorous Contemporary Disaster Romance
Amazon
Blurb
Carrie has committed to an inter-species marriage with Trent, her billionaire boss. Only, she requested a long engagement to improve his stats. Presently, he is eighty percent dreamboat and twenty percent nightmare.
When he fires her so they can be a ‘normal couple’, everything heads south. Providing her a stark contrast, her new boss is everything a woman could want in a man.
But for Carrie, her heart is taken and thus, her path to reason remains long and arduous.
Liza O’Conner writes books that speak to my soul. Carrie is a character you will not soon forget.
–Rebecca Royce, author of The Warrior series.
I only have one thing to say about Liza O’Connor’s A Long Road to Love series: Read them. They’re funny. You won’t regret it!
—Maria Hammarblad, author of Kidnapped.
Excerpt
He shook his head. “I’m still growing up from the petulant child I’ve been all my life.” He exhaled and met her gaze. “To continue my progress, I need your assistance.”
She marveled at his newly acquired ability to admit weaknesses. “Anything,” she promised.
Leaning in, he kissed her forehead. “My therapist believes your desire to be the world’s best EA and my girlfriend is hampering my attempts to grow up. You take care of all my problems. He says I need to handle matters for myself.”
Fear spread from her chest out to her fingertips, making her numb, slowing her brain. “Are you saying you want to break up with me?”
“Never!” He covered her face with kisses.
She pushed him away. “Then what?”
“It’s time to do what we talked about months ago. You need to quit Lancaster Chairs and get another job.”
Was he insane? He couldn’t survive two hours without her. “We should do this slowly, so you can wean off.”
He smiled. “Michael disagrees.”
She’d always liked his therapist, until now. “Maybe I should talk to him.”
“No! You’ll only prove to him I’ve made no progress at all.” He gripped her hands. “I need to stand on my own two feet. You have to let me grow up and take responsibility for myself.”
“All right.” Her stomach roiled with doubt. He’d be calling her back in a week to help save his company again.
Still, growing up meant he’d make mistakes along the way. She had to let him take the reins, even if doing so had disaster written all over it. “I’ll start looking on my lunch hour.”
“No. We need a clean cut. As of now, you no longer work at Lancaster Chairs.”
“Trent! We have to have a transition. We’ll need to find a new EA. I’ll need to train the person in.”
He pressed his fingers to her lips. “I completed the interviews and I’m going in to train my EA. I’ve got it all under control.”
His assurance stunned her. He must have planned this for weeks, perhaps months, but never said a word, which hurt her feelings. Still, she sucked it up and tried to focus on the positive. Trent wanted to grow up and take responsibility. “I should still come in and show the person…guy or girl?”
The question made him choke. “Are you kidding? After Grant? No way in hell I’d hire another male.”
A Long Road to Love
Book One
Worst Week Ever
“Love this book and couldn’t stop laughing from beginning to end.” 5 stars – Alves – Amazon
61 reviews: 4.3 stars
Book Two
Oh Stupid Heart
“Be warned though, this book is completely different from The Worst Week Ever. Yes, there is still humor, dry wit, situations that you would think…NOT AGAIN but this one humanizes Trent more.” 5 stars – Brian’s Mom – Amazon
8 reviews: 4.8 stars
Book Three
Coming to Reason
Other Books by Liza O’Connor
Ghost Lover
will return March 1
Liza O’Connor
Author Bio:
Liza lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels. She loves to create interesting characters, set them loose, and scribe what happens.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
LIZA O’CONNOR & UPCOMING BOOKS:
Prizes:
Tour prize: a $50 Amazon Gift Card
Gift at every stop for one lucky commenter
Must request book in comments
& leave email address:
Worst Week Ever or
Oh Stupid Heart ebook.
Enter to Win $50 Amazon Gift Card
by Joanne Wadsworth | Feb 10, 2014 | Author Blog, Highlander's Captive
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Interestingly, we actually have a saint, a priest from Rome known as Valentinus, to thank for Valentine’s Day. Back in the day, and I’m talking around the fifth century, Valentinus was a bit of a rebel. The Roman Emperor Claudius II didn’t believe married men would make good soldiers, and he banned his top guns from getting hitched, but Valentinus was sneaky.
This saint, with his amethyst ring engraved with the cupid symbol, performed marriages for those soldiers who wished them. Then to remind them to remain faithful to their wives when out celebrating a winning battle, he cut heart shapes from parchment and gifted them to them.
So, what does Valentine’s Day mean to you? Do you go all out and present flowers? Buy chocolates or send a card? For me, I love to give heart-shaped chocolates wrapped in red foil to my closest. Just love it.
To continue spreading some yummy sweetness, I’m going to share a new snippet from HIGHLANDER’S CAPTIVE, one in which the hero has just captured his heroine and stolen her away. I’d also like to thank everyone who’s bought a copy. Highlander’s Captive has shot into Amazon’s Bestsellers Charts in the UK and the US. During the past month since release, this novella has made the #1 slot within the Scottish Medieval Romances and Historical categories several times. I’m simply buzzing.
Wind whipped through Ivor’s shoulder-length hair, drying it into a rakish look. As he held the ropes, his biceps bulged and his every muscle strained to control the wind power he’d harnessed in the skiff’s tight sail.
Oh, Julia should turn her gaze away. Only, so impressive. A warrior of great strength.
Mayhap she should enjoy this since she didn’t have a choice. She’d certainly never ridden in a boat moving at such speed that ’twas half out of the water. Awed by his ability, she peeked over his arm. The coastline was but a blur. Her heart near jumped out of her chest and she clutched him tighter. “How fast are we going?”
“Faster than usual, but the crosswinds will ease off soon.”
Plastered against the hard planes of his body, she almost hoped they didn’t. She smiled and lifted her face to the sky, allowing the moment to expand. This was life, and far more interesting than the confines of Dunvegan Castle, not that she’d ever tell Ivor that.
She might be his captive, but not for long.
-oOo-
For those who’d like to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card and some other goodies, then click on the Rafflecopter Giveaway link below.
But that’s not all… In addition to my personal prize for this hop, there are some fabulous blog tour prizes up for grabs. The grand prize will be a Kindle Paperwhite and a digital new adult romance basket. Also every comment in the hop will count as an entry toward this prize. Just let me know what your favorite Valentine’s Day gift has been. I’d love to hear about it. (But don’t make me too jealous.)
Keep hopping– The complete list of participating authors is on the list below:
LINKY LIST
–ooOoo–
~~ Joanne Wadsworth’s Books ~~
Buy HIGHLANDER’S CAPTIVE (Highlander Heat Novella) at: Amazon Kindle
Buy HUNTER (Magio-Earth Novella) at: Amazon Kindle
Buy WITNESS PURSUIT (Bodyguards #1) at: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Kobo
Buy WARRIOR (Magio-Earth #2) at: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Kobo
Buy PROTECTOR (Magio-Earth #1) at: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Kobo
TAKE CARE. 
by Joanne Wadsworth | Feb 3, 2014 | Author Blog
COVER REVEAL
WISHING FOR A HIGHLANDER
Be careful what you wish for. It might just come true.
Single-and-pregnant museum worker Melanie voices an idle wish while examining a Scottish artifact, that a Highland warrior would sweep her off her feet and help her forget her cheating ex. The last thing she expects is for her wish to be granted. Magically transported to the middle of a clan skirmish in the sixteenth-century Highlands, she comes face to face with her kilted fantasy man.
Tall, handsome, and heir to his uncle’s lairdship, Darcy Keith should be the most eligible bachelor in Ackergill. Instead, thanks to a prank played on him in his teenage years, he is known for being too large under his kilt to ever make a proper husband. “Big Darcy” runs his deceased father’s windmills and lives alone at his family manor, believing he will never marry.
But a strangely-dressed woman he rescues from a clan skirmish makes him long for more. When the woman’s claims of coming to Ackergill by magic reach the laird’s ears, she is accused of witchcraft. Darcy determines to protect her any way he can, even if it means binding her to him forever.
–ooOoo–
Hey everyone, Jessi Gage is dropping by and showcasing her beautiful cover for Wishing for a Highlander.
Thanks for hosting me, Joanne! I always love visiting your blog! I’m so excited to reveal the cover of my recently re-released time-travel romance, Wishing for a Highlander!
In a nutshell, it’s about a single and pregnant museum worker who accidentally wishes herself back in time and is forced to marry a Highland warrior with intimacy issues.
Here’s a short excerpt.
Size might have its advantages when it came to fighting, but those few boons fell far short of making up for the problems it caused. Being the biggest and the strongest had gotten him into far more trouble than it had gotten him out of. Swallowing his regret for how careless he’d been with her, he sought to determine whom she belonged to, whom, saints forbid, he might owe.
“Whose wife are ye, then? Not a Gunn’s or I wouldna have had to rescue you from one.”
“I’m not married,” the lass said. “And thank you for the rescuing, by the way. I can’t believe I dropped the dirk. Stupid.” She shook her head.
His heart warmed at her thanks. He didn’t hear many kind words from the lasses and would take what he could get, even from a dishonored woman who had caught a bairn out wedlock. Oddly, he didn’t think poorly of her. Whether it was her worried brow, her guileless, soft mouth, or her vulnerable size, he had not the heart to condemn her.
He didn’t even mind so much that she found him distasteful for his size, although talking with her now, she didn’t seem overly upset to be in his arms. He endeavored to keep her talking, keep her distracted from her disgust.
“Ye never answered my first question,” he said. “Who are you? And where are ye from if ye’re no’ English?”
“Ugh. I don’t know. Is there an answer that won’t get me burned at the stake or locked up in a ward for the hopelessly insane?”
Like most things out of her mouth, that had been a peculiar answer. “Ye could try the truth,” he offered, slowing his pace since he heard Archie’s voice not far off.
“No,” she said flatly. “I couldn’t. At least not the whole truth. How about we just go with my name, Melanie, and with the honest fact that I’m a long way from home and I have no idea how to get back.” Her green eyes pierced his. “I’m afraid you might be stuck with me, Darcy Keith.”
Wishing for a Highlander – Buy Link:
Jessi Gage links
Website | Blog | Facebook Fan Page | Twitter | Goodreads
If you’d like to enter Jessi’s giveaway, feel free to click on the rafflecopter link below.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Jan 24, 2014 | Author Blog, Highlander's Captive
Today I’m chatting about all things Scottish in celebration of Burns’ Night. January is a cold month in Scotland, and to remain cheerful, on January 25th the Scottish celebrate the poetry of their bard, Robert Burns. They pipe in the haggis, which traditionally means the chef carries it in while the piper plays an appropriate tune. The haggis is sliced open with the finely honed edge of a ceremonial dirk (though any old knife will apparently do.) Then the meal is served with copious amounts of whisky, allowing the festivities to flow. They consider the life of the man behind the poems, they make toasts, recite poetry, and sing and dance. After all this revelry, they stagger home with their bellies full, hearts renewed, and the knowledge that they only have another eleven months of rain to go in the year. 🙂 Yep, the Scottish are delightfully cheery on this night.
To continue spreading this cheeriness, I’m going to share a sexy snippet from HIGHLANDER’S CAPTIVE, one which should heat you up and curl your toes.
The urge to lay Julia across the bench of his skiff and make her his infused every inch of Ivor’s body. He kissed her, and her soft moans incited his need to strip her and ravish her senseless.
He should have his hand on the rudder and staying their course, not sliding his fingers along the silky flesh of her calves in an attempt to lift her skirts. She deserved more. A bed for starters, and following that, a night of endless pleasure.
“We should stop.” At least he hadn’t beached his boat in the dark.
“Not yet.” She clutched his head and brought his mouth to hers. Her hungry kiss shot craving to his groin.
“Any more and I’ll never stop.” He lowered his mouth to her neck and sucked on her skin. Hell, her breasts heaved within the tight confines of her bodice. Bad move. He needed to divert his gaze.
“Touch me,” she whispered.
-oOo-
For those who’d like to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card and some other goodies, then click on the Rafflecopter Giveaway link below.
But that’s not all… In addition to my personal prize for this hop, there are some fabulous blog tour prizes up for grabs. There’s a $50 Amazon giftcard and five $10 Amazon giftcards. Just click on the Hop Giveaway link below.
Keep hopping– The complete list of participating authors is on the list below
Thank you so much for dropping by, and I wish you and yours a wonderful week.
–ooOoo–
~~ Joanne Wadsworth’s Books ~~
Buy HIGHLANDER’S CAPTIVE (Highlander Heat Novella) at: Amazon Kindle
Buy HUNTER (Magio-Earth Novella) at: Amazon Kindle
Buy WITNESS PURSUIT (Bodyguards #1) at: Amazon Kindle / Amazon Paperback / B&N Nook & Paperback / iTunes / Kobo
Buy WARRIOR (Magio-Earth #2) at: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Kobo
Buy PROTECTOR (Magio-Earth #1) at: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Kobo
TAKE CARE.
by Joanne Wadsworth | Jan 16, 2014 | Author Blog, Highlander's Captive
It’s the Winter Wonder Man Blog Hop, and I’d love to welcome my blog’s followers and anyone new dropping by. For most of you it’s the peak of winter, something I find incredibly hard to imagine when it’s the height of summer where I live. Temperatures are close to 90 degrees in New Zealand, and every day I take the kiddies swimming at the pools or beach to cool down. I’d love to know what you’re up to though. Are you curled up before the fire, or perhaps building snowmen? Where do you live in the world?
We romance writers certainly love to bring our characters into a new world of love and romance. It’s our job to make sure our heroes have the reader curling their toes. In my newest release, HIGHLANDER’S CAPTIVE, I hope I’ve achieved just that. Here’s a peek at this novella in my Highlander Heat line.
HIGHLANDER’S CAPTIVE
His mission is to capture. Hers is to turn the tide.
Twenty-two-year-old Julia MacLeod discovers a secret tunnel leading from Dunvegan Castle, the stronghold of her MacLeod clan. Her chief would never allow her to leave without a guard during this time of war, but up for an adventure, she scurries along the dank passageway and through a maze of twists and turns.
Highland warrior Ivor MacDonald is on a solitary mission to secure a bargaining chip against his chief’s rival clan. While scouting the cliffs near Dunvegan Castle for a way in, a lone woman topples from the cliffs and into the frigid waters of the ocean. Honor demands he rescue her, even though it might bring his mission into jeopardy. Then he discovers she’s the chief’s cousin, and his bargaining chip has just fallen right into his hands.
Ivor steals his captive away, and on a journey across the ocean, his mission soon takes a turn. Julia’s trust in him sees his honor battling to override his need for revenge. Has his captive now turned the tide, and became the captor instead?
A Historical Highlander Romance.
-oOo-
Also, if you’d like to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card and some other goodies, then click on the rafflecopter link below.
But that’s not all… In addition to my personal prize, if you leave a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS below, then one commentator from the blog tour will win at least a $35 gift card to Barnes and Noble. Nice.
Keep hopping– The complete list of participating authors is on the Linky list link below
Click here to view and click on a link in this Linky Tools list…
-o-
Thank you so much for dropping by, and I wish you and yours a wonderful week.
–ooOoo–
~~ Joanne Wadsworth’s Books ~~
Buy HIGHLANDER’S CAPTIVE (Highlander Heat Novella) at: Amazon Kindle
Buy HUNTER (Magio-Earth Novella) at: Amazon Kindle
Buy WITNESS PURSUIT (Bodyguards #1) at: Amazon Kindle / Amazon Paperback / B&N Nook & Paperback / iTunes / Kobo
Buy WARRIOR (Magio-Earth #2) at: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Kobo
Buy PROTECTOR (Magio-Earth #1) at: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Kobo
TAKE CARE.
