Link to FREEBIES enclosed! Free until July 11th, 2023

 Hello everyone!

I'm sorry my blogging habits are so hit and miss. Unfortunately, my life has been hectic with my own health issues and then my husband's kidney cancer. With luck, things might settle down into a new normal after they remove my hubby's kidney later this month.

I have some newer releases I haven't added to my blog. I will do so over the next few weeks. Or, you can go check them out at Amazon or your favorite retailer. Some of the releases I haven't posted here are in Kindle Unlimited. You'll need to go to Amazon.com to either read or purchase them. 

I have a few things to say about covers. I don't know how you feel about them, but since I'm just restarting my writing career and don't have much money to spend on it with my husband's cancer, my cover artists get my cover images from stock photo companies. Stock photos keep my costs lower. Keeping costs low makes it easier for me to publish my books faster. Instead of having to wait it out until my newest release makes the money back on my cover image before I can release another book, I can release another as soon as my last book sells enough to pay for my inexpensive cover and edits. Having said that, there are very few plus sized cover models in stock images, making plus-sized images difficult to find. Not to mention expensive.

When my cover artists send me a photo with a thin woman on it, I have to tell myself my heroine is curvy from the waist down. A woman can still be a size 18 or 20 and still look thin from the waist up. I am friends with a few women who have such bodies. 

That said, please don't review any book on its cover. Review it on the plot, grammar, the story line, or even on the author's writing style. But please, don't judge an author's books by their covers. Sometimes, we can't find an image that works and have to take the closest we can find. And most times, unless we're an indie author, we, as authors, don't have much say over the cover anyway.

Perhaps, with my first several indie releases, I was so used to not having a say, (because I had a publisher and was traditionally published for 15 years) maybe I took the first cover offered, because that's what I was used to doing. Now, I realize I can say, "No." I can say, "I don't like that." Now, I can ask for something different and I have. My last few covers look great to me. I am working on making myself "picky" when it comes to my covers, but bear with me. I have never been high maintenance and  being picky is difficult for me. 

What about those authors who have curvy women on the cover, you might ask? Well, they either are selling waaaay more books than I do and can afford to hire models, or they just plain have more money and fewer bills than most of us. It always comes down to what you can afford. I can't afford to pay a model to sit and pose for my covers. I wish I could. That said, if I ever get to a point where I can afford it, watch out, because you're going to see the best a cover artist can come up with.

Thanks for reading.

Until the next time,

Tianna

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Eternal ~ Brides of the Ovedani Book 1

Legend 

Brides of the Ovedani Book #4  Available for preorder. 

She’s a skilled rogue vampire slayer. He’s a legendary vampire with a death wish. Can they get along despite their differences?

When the sexy and sarcastic vampire hunter Tara finds her fate colliding with a powerful vampire, she’s thrust into a dangerous fight for her life. Hunted by a sinister enemy and forced to rely on Gideon for protection, she can’t help but find him impossible to resist…

Struggling to maintain control of himself and grappling with centuries of pain, Gideon sees a glimmer of light in Tara. For the first time, dying is no longer an option. But if their enemies catch up to them, he risks losing her forever…

Can Gideon keep Tara safe from the forces determined to destroy her? Or will the fear of losing his newfound mate be enough to push him over the edge?

Short Excerpt:

“What did you just say to me?” I grasped his arm. “I mean it, darn it. Tell me what you keep saying to me in Italian.”

“Vivo solo per i tuoi baci.”

He leaned forward, giving me another slow, passionate kiss that made my insides melt like heated butter.

“Loosely translated, it means I live only for your kisses.”

I glanced down, unable to meet his gaze while my face burned.

No one had ever said anything so romantic to me before. I peered up at him, unsure if he was serious or if it was just a line. Something he used on the women with whom he planned to have sex.

“Why do you say that?”

“I have thought of little else since I first saw you when we met.” He held my attention, his dark eyes intent as he searched my expression for something.

“For centuries, I searched for a mate, for a woman who would complete me. In absence of such a woman, I wished for someone, anyone, who could make me feel… anything.” He took my hand in his and placed a passionate kiss against my palm.

“After searching for so long, I thought my heart had withered. I thought it long dead.”

For a moment, he stared down, his thumb caressing the back of my hand.

“I found myself thinking darker and darker thoughts as the years passed until I could no longer stand the dark shadows filling my soul.”

With his head bent over my hand, I couldn’t see his expression, or his eyes—not that either would have revealed much. They rarely did.

“It was as though I had lived my life in a perpetual night, with no promise of the sun.”

He lifted his head, his intent focus holding mine.

“Then I saw you sitting in the kitchen at Casa Sicura. You were a beacon shining through the darkness. Your scent is that of the sweetest honey, your skin the velvety softness of a perfect flower.”

My stomach flipped at his earnest words. Either my judgment was lacking, or he meant every word he said.

“I saw you and my heartbeat raged out of control, my breathing stopped and I realized, in that perfect moment, I didn’t want to breathe if I couldn’t draw in the scent of your beautiful hair or the glorious honey of your very being.

“Impossibly, I forgot the centuries of loneliness when I looked into your lovely, midnight-blue eyes and saw the stars of a darkened sky.”

Slowly, deliberately, he kissed the tips of each of my fingers.

“If just one of your kisses can bring my dead heart to life, what could two or three accomplish? Perhaps a miracle, yes?”

He stared at my lips for a minute, his expression so intense, I almost grabbed him by the ears and dragged him to me for another passionate kiss.

I didn’t because I wanted to hear more. I yearned to hear more. I think I needed to hear him say the words as much as he needed to say them.

“I live to kiss your sweet lips because life just isn’t worth living without doing so. Only you have returned the light to the darkness inside me, and I adore you for it. What is life without the light? What is breath without life? Before you, I barely existed. With you, my heart sings and I live.”

 

Hello!

One of these days I'm going to remember I should post here more often. I'm trying, really I am.

With things going the way they are, and the vaccine released, people signing up to get the vaccine and covid-19 (with any luck at all) moving toward the horizon for its sunset goodbye, we need to remember to be grateful for everything in our lives.

Be grateful for your family and friends, the fact that your needs are met, (providing of course that they are met), and most of all be grateful to be alive. There are some out there who aren't as lucky as we are. Remember, no matter how difficult you might think your life is, there is always someone out there who isn't as lucky as you are. It might be hard to believe sometimes but it's true.

Before my husband and I got our truck and camper we used to think people who had trucks and campers were lucky, rich even. Then we got our camper and we were happy for a while. Then, after a few months, that happiness wore off. Why? Because now that we had a camper and truck, we wanted a better camper and truck. 

It wasn't because we bought a handyman special, though we did. Now that we've fixed it up it's awesome! The reason we were no longer happy was that we had gotten used to being able to hitch-up and go. One day, we were in our rig on our way to a campground and watching a nice Class A motorhome drive by us. My husband looked at me and said, "Wow, that's nice. Wouldn't it be nice to be that lucky?"

It made me think for a minute. Since I've always been a glass-half-full kind of girl, I looked at him and replied, "Remember when we didn't have a truck and camper and we thought those with even the oldest, and most rundown campers were lucky to have what they had because we didn't have it?"

Hubby: "Yes." I could tell by the look on his face that he thought he was about to be schooled. LOL

He got quiet for a minute and then said, "Do you think there are people who look at us and think we're lucky because they don't have what we have?" Smart man!

Me: "I'm sure there is someone out there somewhere thinking that. Because we have the time and the wherewithal to do what we want and they don't."

The moral of my story is, to try to be happy with what you have because THINGS are never going to make you truly happy. Only YOU can do that. YOU are the only person who can make you happy. Sure things and certain people can make you happy for a time, but when push comes to shove, YOU can choose to be happy even if you have nothing. Some of the happiest people in the world have had less than we do right now.

Until next time,

Tianna

 Happy New Year! 

It's snowing, the wind is blowing, and it's cold, both inside and outside. But today is still a beautiful day! The ground is white with fresh snow, the kids are having fun outside and away from their video games and this is the first day of a New Year.

With luck, gone are the trials of last year and I am hoping 2021 will be a year to remember. Not because of the bad things that happen, but because of the good. The aligning of the planets on the solstice and the good energy so many people have shared around the world.

That said, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and everyone around the world has learned that sharing good things filled with hope and laughter is what the world needs instead of concentrating on the negative and bringing everyone down with you.

Love yourself, and love your family, friends and neighbors, and we will fill this year with love and joy around the world.

Happiness comes from within, not without. The poorest people in the world have been happy because they surround themselves with those they love.

Happy New Year!

Tianna

Substitute Santa

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Fired six weeks before Christmas, Kat Murphy spends most of her savings for seven magical days at Passionate Incorporated’s new Santa’s Village resort, trying to ignore the inevitable. Her only wish is to help her dying daughter enjoy the magic of Christmas. Plus, she hopes to distract her five-year-old enough to forget to ask Santa to bring her a daddy. When her daughter drags her over to Santa’s workshop to see the big man, Kat wonders if she can resist the hot guy playing the part of Santa. More importantly, does she want to?


Dominic Russo is tired of waiting for Passionate Incorporated to find him a mate. As head detective for the Paranormal Law Enforcement agency, his newest undercover assignment includes spending time at a Passionate Inc. resort, filling in for an errant Santa while also searching for a murderous rogue. Dom initially resisted the assignment, because he’s a vampire who hasn’t allowed himself to associate with humans to avoid being involved in another… incident. Will Dom survive two weeks of being near human children, while risking another blackout that sent him into a spiral of self-hate so long ago?

Excerpt:

“What’s this?” Kat glanced down at the pamphlet and flipped through the three narrow pages of literature and photos.

The images caught Kat by surprise. There were tropical islands, mountain retreats and even a Santa’s Village where she could spend a few days with her daughter. It might go a long way to helping her get a bit of holiday cheer. Getting into the Christmas spirit wasn’t going to be easy this year.

Kat had always loved Christmas and to her, the holidays always started the day after Halloween when everyone took down their ghoulish decorations and prepared for the end of the year celebrations.

Shifting her attention to the glossy pages, she read the marketing ploy on the front page.

 

Let the experienced crew of Passionate Incorporated help connect you with your true passions. Choose from dozens of magical all-inclusive resorts, cruise ships and outdoor vacations. With a choice for everyone, you can plan the get-away or fantasy of your dreams. No fantasy is impossible with our state-of-the-art services.

 

From beach vacations and paranormal experiences, or even a visit to another world, we at Passionate Inc., strive to make your dreams come true. The Magic is real, and your fantasy can be, too! Call or visit our website at PassionateInc.com today!

 

Note: One lucky customer per month will win a two-week vacation package of a lifetime. What have you got to lose? Call Passionate Incorporated or visit PassionateInc.com and book your fantasy vacation today!

 

“Fantasy vacation, huh?” After boxing up her lunch, Kat stuffed her check into the pamphlet and headed for the register. At this point, she didn’t care if she won a free trip. Her priority was to make sure Bella experienced the magic of Christmas, no matter what her mother’s hardships might be. Everything else paled in comparison.

 

“So, are you going to apply for a spot before they fill up for the holidays? I would if I were you. That Santa’s Village thing is right up your alley.” Brenda guzzled her wine and set her glass on the counter before reaching for the bottle. “Listen to your best friend and go.”

“Do you really think I should?” Kat chopped up two more carrots and threw them into a bowl on top of some lettuce and celery. Picking up the small onion she’d peeled, she sliced it into thin strips and tossed that into the bowl.

“Do you really want to know what I think?” Brenda raised a brow and poured a generous amount of red wine into her glass before holding it up in a mock toast. “Bon voyage.”

“Thanks for the encouragement, but I’d rather talk to sober Brenda right now, thankyouverymuch.”

“I’m sober. At least for the time being.” Brenda set down her glass, rested her hands flat on the counter and leveled her gaze. “Go. You deserve a break and some time away before you start a new job. You work harder than anyone else I know. Besides, when was the last time you had a vacation, anyway?”

“It’s been a while,” Kat said with a sigh. She didn’t mind working hard. Not if it meant providing for her daughter and making her happy.

Still, it had been too long since Kat had gone anywhere. The last time she had taken more than a day or two off work had been when Bella was born, and then again, when she’d discovered her daughter had a rare blood disorder.

Bella’s condition was so rare, her daughter was the only known case.

“At least I can keep my company insurance for another six months. I don’t know what I’d do without it.” That was the thing that had frightened her the most.

“Stop thinking about the money.” Brenda rolled her eyes. “Think with your heart for once, instead of your head.”

“Don’t you think I want to take Bella to the village? I just don’t know if I can justify the expense. I should probably be careful what I spend my money on from here on out.”

Kat had called Brenda and headed home after picking up her daughter from her kindergarten class, intending to make the reservations before she’d changed her mind.

As luck would have it, she hadn’t made it halfway home before the doubts started settling in. She’d changed her mind when she’d thought about how much the trip would cost, along with the gifts she planned to purchase her daughter for Christmas. Her mind had changed yet again, the moment Bella had wrapped her arms around her neck and said, “I love you, Mommy,” for no apparent reason.

“I love you, Mommy.” Bella skipped into the kitchen. Her daughter had practically chanted those words since she’d gotten in the car after school.

“Alright, what do you want?” Kat grinned as she scooped the rest of the veggies up off the counter and tossed them into the bowl. Those words always preceded a request for something expensive or nearly impossible to attain.

“I just love you.” Bella shrugged, took the stool next to Brenda and watched Kat from the corner of her big, dark-violet eyes. “Mom?”

“Yes?” Kat glanced up, giving her daughter her undivided attention, her wine glass stalled at her lips.

They studied each other for a moment before Bella said, “Can I have a daddy?”

“A what?” Kat almost spit red wine all over her mother’s snow-white, hand crocheted tablecloth she’d draped over the chair at the end of the table before she’d started chopping vegetables.

“I want a daddy.” Bella slouched in her seat, crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip in an adorable pout.

“You’re going to sprain that lip if you stick it out any farther, squirt.” Brenda reached over and patted Bella’s head. “Keep it up. You might wear her down one day.”

“She will not wear me down. Ever.” Kat glared at Brenda. “You’re supposed to be on my side. I thought we both agreed we need men in our lives about as much as the stupid televised sports that usually comes with them.”

“Maybe I changed my mind.” Brenda swayed on her stool for a moment. “Hey, when’s dinner going to be ready? I think I need to eat something.”

“I told you not to drink so much.” Kat grabbed the bottle of wine just as Brenda reached for it again. “You have had enough.” She pointed at Brenda before turning her attention back to her daughter. “I can’t promise you a daddy, sweetie, but how would you like to take a trip to Santa’s Village?”

A loud crack sounded just as she made her offer to Bella. “What was that?” Kat rushed to the window, searching the power lines, and wondering if they would lose their electricity. That was all she needed. “It sounded like a transformer had exploded.”

“No, Mommy.” Bella bounced up and down in her seat. “That’s the magic sound I that heared before. That means Santa is going to bring me a daddy."

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What Scares Me

It’s Halloween again so I compiled a list of things that scare me. I figured this was a good time.

1.     1.  Movies with cliffhanger endings, because you know damn well it’s going to take at least two years to know what the hell happens next. And that’s if the movie does well and they even come out with the sequel. The same for books. Isn't everyone terrified of this?

2.    2.   Eating the last slice of cake, pie or any other family favorite food. You know damn well if you eat it, someone else is going to complain that it was supposed to have been theirs.

3.    3.   Spending money on car repairs. It never fails that once you put five-hundred-dollars into that old clunker, something else is going to break on it and your shelling out another five bills.

4.     4.  Babies. It’s been so long since I held a baby, I think I might be afraid I’d drop it.

5.     5.  Checking the bank account has been especially scary during these trying times. No one has any money to buy anything, yet the prices on everything has doubled or tripled. Figure that one out.

.     6.  Breaking down on the side of the road scares me because of all the unnecessary violence against innocents.

7.    7.  Spiders. I hate those creepy buggers.

   

8.    8.   Mice. They might be cute in their own creepy little way but they’re nasty little creatures that poop on everything.

9.   9.  It scares me that it appears as though the entire world is losing its sense of humor.

      10. At the risk of sounding like a rant, what really scares me is when someone accuses me of copying an author I've never heard of, who published in 2017 when I released my first book with the same concept in 2012. Now, that scares me.

      11. What scares me the most these days is losing someone to Covid-19. 

       I am trying to be funny in this new and strange, strange world. Please bear with me until I get my usual irreverence back.

Fixing our Fifth Wheel

A little over two years ago, we bought a fifth wheel camper. It wasn’t expensive, it wasn’t new, and it certainly wasn’t perfect, but we managed to scrape all of our savings together and pay cash for it, so it’s ours.

Last winter, we got the nose and the roof fixed, which means I won’t get rained on in the middle of the night again this year. Awesome! We got it cheap because it had a wall missing in the back. We fixed that, too. The man did such a good job you can barely tell it needed to be repaired.

Then, came the wall border.

Unfortunately, the trailer came from the factory with a wall border along the wall at a height where you might see a chair rail in someone’s home. Do you think we could find a border to match?

No. Of course not.

Could we find a border that was even close?

No. Of course, we couldn’t.

Can we even find an easy-to-apply stick-on border? Do they even make that? They sure do! But do they make it in a design that I would like in the main room of my home away from home?

Nope. Unless, of course, I wanted Disney characters, hunting scenes, or something you’d find in a pub bathroom. Umm… no thanks.

Instead, we are compelled to purchase a pre-pasted wallpaper border and hang it ourselves.

Uh, oh.

After an exhaustive two days of deciding what our selection would be, we settled on an unobtrusive border with flowers and hummingbirds. It might match our curtains, or it might not. It’s difficult to tell when trying to hold the laptop up to the wall. Still, we liked it, so into the digital cart it went, and we waited. Ten days, we waited for the pretty hummingbird wallpaper border to arrive at our home.

Me: “The border is here!”

The man: “Great! Does it look as good as it did online?”

Me: “Yes.” Frowning. “I’m not sure this color is going to match the curtains, though.”

The man: “It’s too late now. We’ve already spent our budget on it.”

Me: “True.” Sigh.

The man: “What’s the matter now?”

Me: “I’m afraid to hang it.”

The man: “Why?” He looks at me as though I’ve lost my mind.

Actually, I think I lost it a while ago. I just haven’t given him the update.

Me: “Because I have this horrible feeling we’re going to be in here looking like Lucy and Ethel in that episode where they try to wallpaper Lucy’s bedroom and end up covering everything in wallpaper and glue.”

Does anyone remember seeing that old episode of I Love Lucy, where Lucy and Ethel hang the wallpaper in Lucy’s bedroom? If you haven’t, you should watch it. It might give you an idea of our first couple of attempts at hanging that damned border.

The man: “Who’s who?”

Me: “Well, it’s obvious that I’m Lucy.” I pointed to my hair. “Red hair. Duh.”

The man: “So I’m Ethel, huh?”

Me: “Well, you can’t be Ricky or Fred, neither of them would ever get up to this kind of mischief with Lucy. That’s strictly Ethel. Ethel.”

The man: “Well, if I’m Ethel, she’s going to do something right for a change.” He pulls out his tablet, taps on the screen for a few seconds and grins as he brings up a YouTube how-to video on hanging wallpaper border.

He’s so smart. He might drive me crazy with his tendency to over plan things sometimes, but for this project, his usually annoying habit really paid off.

We finished our border, and it looks great. Now I just need to finish making those curtains. I look at my daughter…

“Hey, Ethel!”