Category Archives: News

Greek Gods? I’m In!

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Have you ever met someone and known, within five minutes, that your souls had met before? That’s how it was for Kerri and I. We went on a mini-retreat with another writer who is a mutual friend, but we didn’t know each other. Yet almost as soon as we met in person, I felt as if I’d known her forever.

We bonded, Kerri and I, over a prosthetic leg toilet paper holder (no lie, see pic) and marshmallow champagne stoppers (also no lie, see pic) and choking on Brussel sprouts (don’t have a pic for that one) and tripping while acting out a book scene (no pic for that, either, thank goodness. That was me!). By the end of the weekend, I’d written something along the lines of 8k and made a life-long friend.

Prosthetic Leg Toilet Paper Holder
Not Lying
When you need a champagne cork…

So I would like to introduce you to Kerri Keberly, author of BUSINESS OF LOVE, a book in which the Greek gods have day jobs. If you have not read this book, YOU MUST.

Alyssa: Tell me about BUSINESS OF LOVE. What inspired you?

Kerri: First, thanks for having me on your blog! Second, I’m glad you don’t have a pic of me choking on Brussel sprouts (That one was me, folks!).

The Eros & Co. series blends heart, humor, and magic into every story. It takes Greek mythology and gives it a modern day twist—think gods with day jobs! In the first book, The Business of Love, Cupid’s performance is declining big time, so he’s given an ultimatum by the king of the gods, Zeus. He must bind the hearts of two mortal enemies or he loses his immortality. No problem, Cupid’s got this, right? Hint: Not so much.

Alyssa: I heard tell Apollo is getting his own story soon. In fact, I might have read his story (this is what is awesome about being critique partners, you get to read things before everyone else!). Gimme a little about him.

Kerri: Yes! Book two, Mergers & Acquisitions (Releasing January 3rd!), centers around Apollo, Daphne (the nymph he’s been cursed to forever chase), and their discovery about what it really means to love and be loved. What can I say about Apollo? He’s Mount Olympus’s shining victor. Killer abs, sharp dresser, never a hair out of place  . . . Basically, he’s the god of every damn thing and he knows it. The only problem is he’s always too busy hogging the spotlight to realize that being worshiped doesn’t hold a candle to being loved.

Alyssa: OK, so let’s nerd out a bit. Why Greek gods, and what’s your favorite myth?

Kerri: I’ve always loved mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. My first story was a retelling of the little mermaid somewhere around the first or second grade. I’m enamored with magic, and I think all of my stories include some form of magical element because of it.

For this particular series, I was flipping through one of my many reference books on Greek mythology, and when I came to one of my absolute favorites, the myth of Eros and Psyche when an idea hit me: What if they broke up and Cupid’s heart was broken?

Because I love irony and had worked in an advertising agency for years, I also thought: What if Cupid had a day job? What would happen if he had to bind hearts even though his heart was hurting? The rest, as they say, is history.

Some of my other favorite Greek myths include Artemis and Actaeon, Apollo and Daphne, and Echo and Narcissus, Medusa . . . Who am I kidding? They are all my favorite!

Alyssa: Last but not least, you have a prequel to BUSINESS OF LOVE exclusively for newsletter subscribers. What is that about?

Kerri: Oh, yes, the prequel! This was a fun one to write. Aside from suffering from a broken heart, there is another big reason why Eros loses his mojo. In book one, he must bind the hearts of Liz and Leo, two souls he’s been trying to get together for centuries. Much to the dismay of The Fates, he’s missed his mark every time. The prequel, Behind Schedule, is what happens in each of Liz and Leo’s lifetimes.

Now for the lightning round I always force, ahem, ask authors to answer!

Ready? Set? Go!

Blue jeans or party clothes? Blue Jeans.

Sushi or steak? Steak.

Cats or dogs? (Or hamsters?) Cats. Although, my cat is evil so hamsters.

Beer, wine or water? Water.

Coke or Pepsi? (If you answer Pepsi I hereby disown you. Ask my father.) Coke.

Favorite color? Purple.

Favorite word? You know, I don’t think I have a favorite word . . . unless @$%! counts?

Least favorite word? Veggies. As in shortening the word, not eating them.

Coffee or tea? Coffee, iced.

And last but not least…Favorite character trait in your significant other? (Mr. Alexander says my most endearing quality is my ability to talk. He also says it’s my most irritating quality). There are many, but my favorite is his sensitivity.

You can sign up for Kerri’s free prequel here:

https://BookHip.com/VSFGCV

And check out the BUSINESS OF LOVE, which I love, here:

MERGES AND ACQUISITIONS COMES OUT TODAY!

AUTHOR BIO:

Kerri has always told tall tales. When she was in the third grade, she hid her glasses in the linen closet and told her mother a ghost must have stolen them. As you might imagine, that story didn’t end well. Today, however, she tells more lighthearted tales, with happier endings. Fond of making people laugh, and forever a fan of folklore and mythology, she blends heart and humor with a dash of magic into her stories. Kerri lives in Michigan with her husband, son and cat they lovingly but aptly refer to as The Maleficence, Mel for short.

Twitter: @Superkeek

Facebook: Kerri Keberly Author

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerrikeberly/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kerri-keberly

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18613739.Kerri_Keberly

Amazon: amazon.com/author/kerrikeberly

A Duke-a-licious Sample

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On April 16 (next Tuesday, woo hoo!) DUKES BY THE DOZEN will be live! And to whet your appetite, I’ve got a little sneak peek from of one of the novellas in the anthology. I’ve been sharing on them on my Facebook Page, and playing along in our Dukes By The Dozen Facebook group as well. If you haven’t, be sure to join us for information on giveaways coming up in the next few days!

In the meantime, read below for an excerpt from DEAR DUKE, by Anna Harrington!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2GdQPHB

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2RUkaPQ

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2Gp6SVs

iBooks: https://apple.co/2TSGiLi

Dear Duke

Anna Harrington

October

John, Duke of Monmouth, has no idea that the anonymous pen pal who has stolen his heart is the same woman standing between him and his new canal…

 

Good God, he was nervous! Surrounded by a sea of masked guests inside Bishopswood’s ballroom, John tugged once more at the sleeves of his black kerseymere jacket.

He nearly laughed at himself. When had he ever been nervous about a woman before in his life? In his younger days, he’d bedded more women than he could remember, sharing in all kinds of pleasures with down-to-earth women from the markets, inns, and villages. In more recent years, he’d been too busy with his business to spend much time in pursuit of the women of the gentility that his new money brought him into contact with. Since he’d inherited, though, it was society ladies who vied to capture his attention, those women who were more than eager to raise their skirts for a wealthy duke. He rejected those ladies outright, knowing he’d find no pleasure in them, because they wanted to be with the title and not with the man.

But the woman who pinned those notes to the tree knew nothing about his title or his status as one of England’s most powerful men. He suspected that she wouldn’t care even if she did. At least he hoped she wouldn’t, preferring the true man he was. God knew how much he liked her.

If she were half as beautiful in person as she was in her letters, he feared that she might also capture his heart.

He snatched a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing footman, more so he could continue to take glances toward the top of the stairs over the rim than for the drink itself. His eyes hadn’t strayed far from the landing all night, although how he would know her when she arrived, costumed and hidden behind her mask, he had no idea. He only prayed that he would. And that she would come at all. When he’d returned to the tree to seek her response, the invitation was gone, but she’d left no reply. Nor did she write even once during the past week.

Since then, he’d kicked himself repeatedly that he’d pressed her to meet, fearing he’d gone too far. Would he ever hear from her again?

Quashing his worry, he watched as the parade of new arrivals appeared on the landing and handed their invitations to the Master of Ceremonies, who announced them based upon their costume. Tonight was a true masquerade, with all identities hidden until the midnight unmasking. He’d insisted on it. For a few precious hours he wanted to be nothing more than one of the crowd, so that he could enjoy the party himself before they set upon him like locusts in their rush to curry his favor. Most of all, he wanted time to enjoy the company of the woman who had written all those letters.

He had no idea what his secret authoress would look like or what costume she’d wear. If she’d appear at all. But he knew he’d feel her presence when she arrived, the way old sailors felt oncoming storms.

White flashed at the top of the stairs. His gaze darted to the landing—

Her.

A low tingle rose inside him as he watched her give her invitation to the Master of Ceremonies. His breath hitched with nervous anticipation despite a soft chuckle to himself as her name was announced. Lady Swan. A graceful, gliding vision in white silk and feathers, one in perfect opposition to the black clothes of his panther, of her softness and elegance to his hardness.

Meeting her gaze across the room, he held out his hand toward her in invitation, as if she were only a few feet from him rather than across the grand ballroom. The party faded away around them until it was only the two of them. No one else in the room mattered.

She drew in a nervous breath, her slender shoulders stiff. Then a smile spread beneath her white satin half-mask, and she moved on, gliding down the remaining stairs and into the crowd which parted around her as she came to him.

Wordlessly, she slipped her trembling hand into his. He raised it to his lips, unable to resist this small kiss, then led her forward to the dance floor, to take her into his arms and twirl her into the waltz.

Duke-A-Licious Book Coming Your Way

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I have the very great honor (and pleasure!) of joining 12 other authors to bring you DUKES BY THE DOZEN, an anthology of a baker’s dozen of romance shorts. There is one for every month, beginning with me (eep!) in January, and ending with another January story.

That’s 13 months, 13 stories, 13 authors. But only one price, my lovelies. One book.

Collaboration is amazing and inspiring–even more so when your collaborators are kind and generous and giving. I know some industries are cutthroat, and so are some people, whatever the industry. But the authors I have been working with on the anthology are amazing in offering time, advice, and encouragement–all done with good cheer. There is a special camaraderie in the romance industry that I love.There is an amazing wealth of knowledge and sharing among the ladies (and men!) in my industry.

I wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Luckily, I was asked to participate in this anthology. The goal was short love stories, which gave me the ability to finally use an idea I’d been stewing on, but wasn’t sure could support a full novel–a female highwayman who robs the hero.

I had backstory, initial conflict, and knew the characters. I could see the scene play out like a movie. But I needed more for a full novel. When the opportunity for a short arrived, I knew exactly how Bea and Wulf’s first meet would play out. It was already nearly fully formed in my mind, so all I had to do was set fingers to keyboard.

And so love began.

The beauty of a novella or short is that not every issue needs to be resolved. The HEA can be an HFN (Happy For Now). Of course, my love story hints that it will be forever, but I don’t need to resolve family issues or external conflict.

I can focus on character and love, which is what I did in Duke In Winter. At the end of the story, you know they will be fine. That it will be forever, even if it they don’t make all the final plans.

Dukes by the Dozen releases on April 16! I hope you enjoy Bea and Wulf, as well as the rest of the stories. You can read more below!

A Duke for All Seasons!

Amazon |  Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Kobo & Google Play Coming Soon

What’s better than a dashing duke? A dozen of them! In this case, a baker’s dozen—thirteen of your favorite historical romance authors have come together to bring you more than a dozen tantalizing novellas, with one per month, for a year’s worth of never-before-released romances.

 

January – The Duke in Winter by Alyssa Alexander — When the highwayman demanded the Duke of Highrow stand and deliver, he didn’t know she would steal his heart.

 

February – The Difference One Duke Makes by Elizabeth Essex — Miss Penelope Pease is what every bright young thing never wants to be—ruined, thanks to an ill-conceived flirtation with the late Duke of Warwick. But ruined suits the new duke, his brother, Commander Marcus Beecham just fine—because after a career in the Royal Navy, he’s rather ruined himself. All it takes is one frosty night for two imperfect people to make the perfect February valentine.

 

March – Discovering the Duke by Madeline Martin — Reunited at a house party after a lackluster start to their marriage, the Duke of Stedton attempts to win his Duchess’ heart. Will a sizzling wager be enough to melt the frost between them, or will it truly remain the coldest winter in London?

 

April – The Duke and the April Flowers by Grace Burrowes — The Duke of Clonmere must marry one of the Earl of Falmouth’s three giggling younger daughters, but Lady Iris—Falmouth’s oldest, who is not at all inclined to giggling—catches Clonmere’s eye, and his heart!

 

May – Love Letters from a Duke by Gina Conkle — The Duke of Richland needs a proper duchess, but he wants his thoroughly fun, entirely inappropriate neighbor, Mrs. Charlotte Chatham. She’s widowed, older, and if the whispers prove true—barren.

 

June – Her Perfect Duke by Ella Quinn — Still suffering over the loss of his wife and child, Giles, Duke of Kendal sees Lady Thalia Trevor at a market and is instantly smitten. There is only one problem. She is already betrothed to another man. Will she defy her powerful father to marry him?

 

July – How to Ditch a Duke by May McGoldrick — Lady Taylor Fleming is an heiress with a suitor on her tail. Her step-by-step plan to ditch him is simple. But there is nothing simple about Franz Aurech, Duke of Bamberg. When Taylor tries to escape to sanctuary in the Highlands, her plans become complicated when the duke arrives at her door and her loyal allies desert her. But even with the best laid plans, things can go awry…

 

August – To Tempt A Highland Duke by Bronwen Evans — — Widowed Lady Flora Grafton must be dreaming…Dougray Firth, the Duke of Monreith, the man who once pledged her his heart and then stood by and allowed her to marry another, has just proposed.  While her head screams yes, her heart is more guarded. Why, after eight years, this sudden interest? When she learns the truth… can she trust Dougray to love her enough this time?

 

September – Duke in Search of a Duchess by Jennifer Ashley — The meticulous Duke of Ashford is dismayed when his children inform him they’ve asked the young widow next door to find Ashford a new wife. Ashford can’t think of a more appalling assistant than Helena Courtland, gossipy busybody he steadfastly avoids. But Helena sweeps into his home and his life before he can stop her, turning Ash’s precisely ordered world into a chaotic whirlwind.

 

October – Dear Duke by Anna Harrington — When the new Duke of Monmouth, decides to put through a canal, he isn’t prepared for an old mill owner and his stubborn—but beautiful—daughter to stand in his way. War is declared, and the only person who seems to understand him is the anonymous pen pal to whom he’s been pouring out his heart, a woman not at all who she seems…

 

November – Must Love Duke by Heather Snow — Lady Emmaline Paulson is destined to land a duke—at least that has been the expectation since she was a cherub faced babe. But she has no wish to live her life in a gilded cage, always on display. Besides, she already has her Duke—an adorable Cavalier King Charles spaniel pup she rescued from the Serpentine with the help of a handsome stranger. Maxwell Granville, heir to the Duke of Albemarle, wasn’t fishing for love—or fair maidens trying to save drowning puppies—that November afternoon. But that’s precisely what he found, IF he can convince Emmaline that her Duke isn’t the only duke she wants in her life…

 

December – The Mistletoe Duke by Sabrina York — The Duchess of Devon can’t think of a better way to tempt her widowed son into marrying again, than to throw a Christmas Ball. And there simply must be mistletoe everywhere! But it’s not until Jonathan meets his mother’s humble companion under the mistletoe, that fireworks erupt.

 

January – Dueling with the Duke by Eileen Dreyer — When Adam Marrick, Duke of Rothray, shows up on Georgie Grace’s doorstep in rural Dorset, she thinks it is to acquaint himself with his cousin James’s widow and child. Instead the duke brings the news that Georgie’s four-year-old daughter Lilly Charlotte, whom James’s family disowned, has inherited a Scottish duchy. Unfortunately, the news has also brought danger to her door.

And That’s The Way The Hair Falls Out…Er, The Cookie Crumbles.

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For those of you who might remember the woes of the Franken-Foot, I’ve got another update.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, you can find the beginning of the story here. The gist is a rare, aggressive tumor grew in my foot. 4 inches long, 1.5 inches wide, 1.5 inches thick, and entangled in every tendon, vessel, and muscle in my foot. I’ve had 3 surgeries, spent many months on crutches, undergone MRIs and Xrays galore, and generally haven’t been able to walk properly since 2015.

 

Here’s the bad news, which is (thankfully) a little old, as it was from late 2017:

No surgery can be performed besides amputation.

That was a tough one to take. No denying I cried over it. I spent time thinking about how to modify my shower, my house. My life. Then I remembered, veterans live it. Others are born needing artificial limbs. If they can live it, I can live it. So I accepted that, moved on, watched my foot worsen.

By late last year, I could no longer grocery shop, make dinner and do dishes (one or the other, but not usually both). Carrying a laundry basket was sometimes more than I could handle. The pain in the my foot was so awful I spent a lot of time on pain pills and nerve blockers. I limped around Key West on my Christmas vacation, and was thankful for those pills and Mr. Alexander, who kindly drove me door to door. Also, thank you to Shipt, who delivered my groceries, and Lynne, a local Shipt shopper, who watched for my orders on Tuesdays, because she knew I couldn’t grocery shop.

 

The good news, from earlier this year:

I HAVE THE MEDS.

A year after being on an ineffective oral chemo and trying to get other kinds approved by insurance (note, there are no drugs for this type of tumor, so I have to look for compatible cancer drugs), we finally requested infusion chemo. The regimen would have been once per week for 52 weeks.

Which, I reminded my wonderful nurse, was a year. She thought maybe 52 weeks would sound better, but we laughingly agreed, it really didn’t.

I mean, ugh. Not just ugh, but double ugh. 365 days ugh.

However, that insurance request kicked my case upstairs, and the oral chemo my doctor had wanted me to take last year was finally approved. Thank you, a thousand times, to my doctors, nurse, and insurance company!

 

The current good news:

I’m already seeing some results. I can grocery shop, after months and months of not being able to walk for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time. No more nerve blockers, hardly any pain pills, and what I do take is low dose. Orthotics and physical therapy have worked wonders.

Of course, that is not conclusive. I need tests, labs, etc. etc. But I know what I know. I can walk. I even played catch with my son, because I could easily move to catch without running or jumping. Playing with my boy cannot be discounted, and neither can the joy it brought me!

 

Now for the…um…not so fun part.

My hair is falling out. Well, thinning, mostly. It doesn’t come out in chunks, but certainly in large portions. I can’t blow dry, brush it, pull it back—all of them result in more hair falling out. I have to wear it au natural, which is a lank, lazy, almost-curl. My eyebrows are sparse, and my eyelashes are sparser. Luckily, I can apply eyeliner and six coats of mascara, plus some mascara-type stuff for my eyebrows. I can hide those issues relatively easily.

But I can’t hide my scalp, or the bald spot in the back that is getting balder.

Why is it that hair seems so important? It’s just hair.

Long, short, curly, thin, thick, straight. Red, brown, gold-blond, red-blond, deep black. So many of us have thinning hair, or we lose it due to health issues, medication, hormone changes. Maybe it’s hereditary. Maybe it’s alopecia. Maybe it’s pattern baldness. Those of us with thick hair want it to be thinner, those of us with curly would give anything for straight hair.

It shouldn’t define us. We are more than our hair. More than our looks, for that matter.

Worse for my guilt, somehow, is that my thinning hair is not as difficult to live with as full hair loss. So many others loose it all. More, they face not only more difficult chemo, but the potential for death. I only have to think about amputation–others confront the worst of all fears.

Yet, here I am, spending entirely too much time each day checking to see if my hair is arranged over that spot in the back, where the cowlick reveals just how thin my hair now is. There’s a spot near my right temple, another on the left about halfway back, where you can see my scalp no matter how I arrange it.

I try to tell myself “It’s only hair. You are loved, you are special. You are strong and amazing. Your hair doesn’t change your soul.”

I don’t always listen.

Still, on Saturday, I’m cutting it off. Pixie cut.

It won’t solve the problem, and I may lose more yet, but the hope is a pixie will hide the spots where you can see my scalp.

I’m a little nervous, a little excited. The decision was the hard part, but now that I have the appointment, I just want it done. I will be able to stop agonizing about it. Move forward.

When it is over, I will come home to the most amazing husband who loves me. A child who will think I’m an awesome mom, even though I can’t play soccer anymore and my hair is shorter than his.

We are more than what we appear, my dears. Often, we are stronger, braver, and smarter than we think.

Sometimes it is hard to remember.

Take some time today, and remind yourself just how special you are.

Release Day!

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After much editing and writing and plotting, Jones has finally found his happy ever after! I’m pleased as can be to announce that THE LADY & MR. JONES is finally out. You can find it at all the usual places, my dears. I hope you enjoy!

 

 

She can never be his…

Born in the rookeries, the hard life is something Jones is all too familiar with. Saved as a young boy, he was trained to be a spy, one of the best–elite, in fact. He now spends his days serving His Majesty in espionage, hunting rogue spies. His latest assignment, though, has him tracking a fellow spy…

Cat Ashdown is a baroness. Nothing is more important than protecting five hundred years of heritage. She knows every detail of every estate that commands the largest income in Britain— yet her father placed her inheritance in trust to her uncle who is forcing her to marry a man she has no desire for. The baroness’s battle against law and convention leads her to Jones and results that are surprising … and possibly unwanted.

 

 

 

 

Entangled

Amazon     |     Barnes & Noble     |     Kobo     |     iBooks

 

“With an adventurous plot, an intensely sexy hero, and an appealing heroine, The Lady and Mr. Jones is one of my favourite romances this year!” ~Vanessa Kelly, USA Today Bestselling Author

“The plot is intriguing, the characters are likeable and their HEA is hard won; the book earns a solid recommendation.” ~All About Romance

 

Want to help an author out? I would be most appreciative if you could spread the word by joining my Thunderclap campaign. It takes about 30 seconds to add your Twitter or Facebook support, but it makes a big difference to this girl! Just click here: http://thndr.me/PQh2Ba