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ONCE AND FOREVER
An
anthology
From five compelling authors, five original novellas which
will make you laugh and cry, and believe in a love that once found will last
forever. Meet a duke, a psychic, a bodyguard and a professor…and one
"guardian fairy" in absorbing stories ranging from regency and
contemporary romance to paranormal and women's fiction.
SoulMate author Emelle Gamble has
belonged to her current critique group for over twenty years. Four of us are
long-time published authors. Two members of The Lifesavers are
original member, the other two have been part of the group for over a decade.
Evie Owens is the newest member this past year. We talked for a long time
about publishing something together and this novella collection, Once
and Forever, featuring a buffet of our individual styles and genres,
seemed the perfect vehicle. In it we’re thrilled to feature Evie Owens’ first
published work, the novella The Psychic Detective.
And now we’d like to take turns
introducing each other to your readers…
Three Things about Mary Blayney by Evie Owens
My instructions were to list 3 things about my beloved critique
partner, Mary Blayney, that will amuse, enlighten, or scare the heck out of
readers... Guess which of those reactions I zeroed in on? Yes, Mary is one of
the most generous and giving people I've ever had the privilege of knowing,
both as a critique partner and as a human being. And yes, she's one of the best
storytellers I know. I love her honorable heroes and heroines and she writes
the best secondary characters. William Bendasbrook, Marquis Destry in
"One More Kiss" is my all time favorite. And yes, she amuses and
enlightens me every time I see her. But what you need to know is how scary this
woman is...
First, it is thanks to Mary that I now know you're supposed to
apply your eyeliner to the inside. The inside! Did you know that? I certainly
never did. But it works like a charm. Even though it's a little scary the first
20 or 30 times you try it.
Second, she can move an entire household of four in to a new place
and have it unpacked and set up in 3 hours. Internationally. Okay. That might
be a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. For someone like me, who moved just
myself across town last year and still has stacks of boxes to undo, that's
fricking terrifying.
Third, she has a grizzly bear skin on her wall. And that's all I
can say about that. Seriously. In fact, I may already have said too much...
Three things about Elaine Fox by Mary Blayney
Elaine likes to sit and read (and watch oh-so-boring tennis), but
in fact, she is one of the most active people I know. She loves tennis,
kayaking and mountain biking and is a qualified yoga instructor.
Her ability to read with speed and appreciation is amazing, making
her arguably the best read member of our writing group. Her book collection
ranges from the nonfiction classic GODS GRAVES AND SCHOLARS to ME BEOFRE YOU
with hundreds of titles in between. She will keep a book on her to-be-read pile
for years until the moment is right to read it.
As a painter, jewelry maker and needlework artist Elaine’s
creativity is not limited to writing. Lucky for us she is always drawn back to
words which she assembles into books with humor and insight and, oh, yes,
romance. My two favorites besides The “Princess in the Pinot” in ONCE
AND FOREVER are IMPOSTOR and BEDTIME FOR BONSAI. Both go beyond the genre to
explore the human condition in amusing and insightful ways. The love scenes are
great too!
Three Things About Emelle Gamble by Elaine Fox
First, I pity people who try to convince Emelle that her political
views are misguided. I really do. It’s like trying to convince an avalanche
it’s going the wrong direction – if you stand your ground too long you’re going
to be covered in evidence to the contrary.
It’s not that she won’t let you talk or listen attentively to your
side. She’s curious and open – but she’s a brain! A top-notch debater with a
lawyer’s mind and a writer’s articulateness.
Second, she is also one of the most astute judges of character
I’ve ever known. For much of the time I’ve known her I’ve been single, and for
a while it got to the point that I could not feel completely comfortable about
my latest date until he got the okay from Emelle! (Not quite as neurotically
dependent as it sounds – she’s just that good. And fortunately she likes the
man I’ve chosen!)
But seriously, when you meet her she’s lovely and courteous and
engaging, but she’ll pick up more about you than meets the average eyes and
ears. And she manages to do it without being critical! It’s no wonder she
writes characters so rich and nuanced you could read about them for years and
still be interested.
Which brings me to the third thing: she is a Real Writer. By that
I mean she plots and plans and develops and polishes and examines and tests and
reworks and knows her stories inside out. She can look at them globally,
minutely, from a thematic, character or plot perspective. And she does not quit
until she has the story exactly right.
And that makes for a literary ride readers will never forget.
Write on, Emelle! J
Three totally true and unbiased things about Lavinia Kent by Emelle Gamble.
1-She cannot remember to bring things home with her from critique
group. I mean, she just can’t do it. She lives at the very edge of the present
with one foot in the future. So if, during the course of our dinner party and
jam session we call critique group, we give her presents, flowers,
leftovers, books to read, clothes to try on, or dessert to share with her
lovely family, most of the four of us first have to form a human blockade at
the door and frisk her bodily or she’ll leave for home without them. She’s left
her phone. Her computer. One time her car keys, but aha! She had to come back!
2-She writes the hottest, most interesting, romantically
sophisticated, and Never, ever, ever gratuitous sex scenes a person
can write and get published. I mean, I’m not much of an erotica or hot romance
reader, and even I can’t stop once I start on a Lavinia Kent scene! And
then I’m exhausted and need a smoke. And I don’t smoke.
3-She’s fearless. She’ll walk in secluded areas and run into
creatures that would ground a lesser woman forever (see Facebook post re:
terrifying red orb spider). She eats snails. I’ve seen her. She’ll
eat anything on any menu in any great restaurant because she has an open and
curious mind and not nearly enough taboos. (Possibly informing #2 above).
She’s also drop dead gorgeous (women notice this as much as men),
and is a willing and generous audience for anyone who wants to tell a story.
And she’s not perfect (see #1 above), but damn close to it.
Three Things about Evie Owens by Lavinia Kent
1. Evie Owens is grandmother. Evie Owens is a
grandmother. I have to repeat it to myself sometimes because it’s so
unbelievable. When I first met Evie I thought she was at least ten years
younger than me. And I don’t just mean across a crowded room or even just
on our first meeting, or even our tenth. It wasn’t until she started
showing pictures of the cutest little bundle of blond curls ever that I had any
clue. And even then I was doubtful – or convinced that Evie had her first
child at the age of seven.
Now that we’ve been critique partners I’ve gotten to know that
Evie has wisdom that only comes with maturity and I look forward to every
little picture of the young miss. (PS – if anyone wants to send me
baby pictures I never complain.)
2. Evie helps keep me hip – at least in my teenagers’ eyes.
This may be related to my inability to see her as a grandmother. She is
both young and knowing at the same time. And has the greatest taste in
indie music.
My seventeen year-old daughter always delights in Evie’s
recommendations – even if it does mean I have to hear them sung around the
house for days. Not so bad when the song in question is A Girl, A Boy and
A Graveyard by Jeremy Messersmith. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2XdgMFffZU
THANK YOU, Evie.
3. If any of my friends could see ghosts, it would be Evie.
I don’t just say this because of her fabulous story, They Psychic
Detective, with its ghost-seeing detective. And no, it’s not just the
skull rings and tarot cards, either – okay, maybe the tarot cards a
little. Evie just looks at the world and sometimes adds those few words
that imply that she’s seeing something the rest of us don’t.
4. Evie really needs a new cat – so if you know of any strays . .
. Just joking, but I really do think it would be a good idea.
Playing for Keeps by Mary Blayney
Actress Kendall Marshall is determined to get an autograph for her
sick sister from famous TV personality Mike O’Hara, the Oprah Winfrey of
sports. In the process she meets his brother, security consultant Steve O’Hara,
lands a job on O’Hara’s show and gets in the way of a man set on causing big
trouble. As the stalkers attacks escalate, Steve and Kendall are thrown
together and find it impossible to ignore the chemistry between them.
The Princess & the Pinot by Elaine Fox
When a beautiful woman shows up at the Vineyard Inn, wine manager
Kim is certain she’s been sent by fate for the inn’s owner, Cooper.
Self-effacing to a fault, Kim knows she can’t hold a candle to Principessa
Bella, who also seems to know even more about wine than Kim herself, but her
heart has belonged to Cooper since they shared one kiss as teenagers.
While Prin sweeps easily into the job of sommelier at the renowned
inn, Kim is afraid Prin will sweep just as surely into Cooper’s arms if she
doesn’t do something about it. Can she tell Cooper how she feels without losing
even his friendship?
Kim is willing to try except for one problem: she’s almost
certainly losing her mind. Or is that belching, swearing, smoking, farting
fairy – who claims to be trying to help her – real?
Duets by Emelle Gamble
Duets offers alternating
looks into the lives of two women who would seem to have little or nothing in
common.
Screen star Molly Harper is on the verge of marrying a man who has
swept her off her feet, thought perhaps hasn’t swept all her feelings for her
first love away. Anne Sullivan, happily married for twenty-five years, is
fighting to hold onto the man she loves, and hold off a confrontation that
could shatter her family’s image of what they are.
Duets confronts a past
secret that ties these two women’s lives together, just as chance events turn
Molly and Anne’s worlds upside down.
Never and Forever by Lavinia Kent
Never and Forever is the beginning of
the love story of two people who shouldn’t belong together. Molly, Miss
Wilkes, runs an employment agency helping women of quality find positions
perfected suited to their characters. Although her father held the title
of Earl for just over a week before his death, Molly has never wanted to be a
lady. She knows her place in this world – and it is not at the center of
society.
The Duke of Radford also knows his place in this world – and it’s
above everybody else’s. He cannot imagine a world without all the
privilege and power that comes from being Radford. He’s had foreign
princesses and heiresses dangled before him for years. Why would he ever
have interest in a simple woman who doesn’t even understand that she should want to
be a duchess?
Can these two overcome the obstacles of their own beliefs and
realize that love can make all things possible?
Never and forever are both a very long time. Where will
their love fit?
The Psychic Detective by Evie Owens
Psychic Martin Sterling doesn't trust cops--and the feeling is
mutual. Detective Erin Healy needs more than a ghost story to save her job and
reputation. Her partner is dead, a million dollars in drugs and money is
missing, and all the evidence points to her.
Can a sexy psychic and a by the book cop, trapped between the
living and the dead, unearth the truth? Or will a cold-blooded killer get away
with it all...
# # #
Bio: Emelle Gamble
Emelle Gamble was a writer at an early age, bursting with the requisite
childhood stories of introspection. These evolved into bad teen poetry and
worse short stories. She took her first stab at full length fiction in an adult
education writing class when her kids were in bed. As M.L. Gamble,
she published several romantic suspense novels with Harlequin. She has
contracted with Soul Mate Publishing for Secret Sister, published in the summer
of 2013, and Dating Cary Grant, a Spring 2014 release.
Once and Forever, an anthology which includes Emelle’s novella,
Duets, came out on November 1st. Molly Harper, a full length novel starring the
characters from Duets 3 years later will be released by Posh Publishing in
December, 2013.
Emelle lives in suburban Washington D.C. with her husband,
‘Phil-the-fist’, her hero of thirty years, and two orange cats, Lucy and Bella.
These girls, like all good villains, have their reasons for misbehaving. Her
daughter, Olivia, and son, Allen, are happily launched on their own and
contributing great things to society, their mother’s fondest wish.
Links:
FaceBook: Author Emelle Gamble
Twitter: @EmelleGamble
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7123746.Emelle_Gamble
Secret Sister http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Sister-ebook/dp/B00DUL4LQA
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Saint Sin is a sexy historical romance set in the glittering ballrooms, sinister gambling hells and sordid back alleyways of Regency England.
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