Comfort Box

When the blues strike, Sarah Ban Breathnach in Simple Abundance advises readers to have a comfort box tucked away. She suggested having good-quality chocolates, a paper back by your favorite author and some luxury soap or bubble bath tucked in it.

That wouldn't work for me. I would eat the chocolates immediately and tuck into the book at once. I might save the soap. So I have to think of some other cheering items. I like magazines and those I can save. A box of hot chocolate might last for awhile. I have movies that I am waiting to watch. But my favorite item is a brand new floral journal that I'll keep on hand with a pretty floral pen. When I need them, out they come to be used as a gratitude jourmal or a diary.

What would be in your comfort box?

His Other Wife

It's amazing how things come around. A friend e-mailed to tell me that my novel His Other Wife, published in 2008, had snook into my publishers best seller list for April. I have no idea why, unless some wonderful people saw it at one of my talks and decided to purchase. Whatever happened, I am grateful and pleased. How wonderful.

I confess to actually liking this book myself. There is something about Saul that really turns me on! He has everything!

I am including a short extract - why not. Someone other than me likes this book, time to celebrate.

Extract from His Other Wife

Saul parked outside the house. It was a single storey home, detached with a small driveway. Neither small nor big but fairly average. The street had about ten houses of a similar size and structure but in the way of houses in New Zealand they were all slightly different.
The short driveway needed some attention. There was a mail box at the entrance, it was slightly askew but the name had long since become obscured. He went up the drive, then realised that there were two houses on the same plot, one behind the other. There was no number on either but the front lot had a small porch. A large Maori man was sitting in a rocker staring at Saul with more curiosity than suspicion. In the still quiet air he heard a hammer being taken to something, the resounding clang was followed by a mild curse. He decided to follow that sound rather than make enquiries from the man on the porch.
A battered looking car was on the drive; the drive was in a similar state of disrepair as the neighbouring one. A pair of feet in the grubbiest trainers he had ever seen were sticking out from underneath the vehicle. A voice—female he thought—said. “Got you!” He turned around and then realised it came from under the vehicle and was obviously being addressed to something mechanical rather than physical.
“Hello,” Saul said. There was a moments silence and then amid groans and scuffles, the dirty trainers pushed against the gravel, legs began to be revealed, along with a torso clad in grubby men’s blue overalls. The head when it emerged was topped by a baseball cap, the peak pulled low over the face so that the features were hard to make out.
“Yes?” It was a female voice. She quickly scrambled to her feet, her oil stained hand clutching a monkey wrench.
“I’m looking for Roxanne Rawson.”
There was a moments silence and then. “Oh yes? And who can I say wants her?”
“Well I think I would rather tell her that,” Saul answered smoothly.
“Sorry no can do. Roxie never sees anyone without she knows who exactly is doing the calling,” the accent was English. Security was his business; he was very good on accent and nuance.
“I’m not a debt collector.”
“Well we don’t have debt,” the girl said. She appeared to be a girl rather than a woman. “So there wouldn’t be anything to collect. Do I know you?” she asked. “You seem familiar.”
“I don’t think we’ve ever met, but of course I can’t be sure, seeing as I don’t know who I’m speaking to.”
Her mouth opened almost as if she would say something but then she pulled back, she smiled, a knowing smile.
“Nice one,” she said. She lifted her hand; there was a thin strapped watch on her wrist “Look I have to go somewhere…”
“I really need to see Miss Rawson. I have some important news, it might even be good news, well some of it…” His eyes travelled the house; there was a distinct lack of paint and repair. Ten thousand pounds would come in handy. The exchange rate would mean a comfortable sum of money for her.

Blurb

His Other Wife

Roxie does not want Saul to discover her secret past. She knows she should have nothing to do with him but she cannot stop herself from being attracted to him. There is Josh to consider too…he needs a strong man in his life and Saul Hetherington is that kind of man. Perhaps her secret will never be revealed…if she is very careful.

Published in e book and printed book and available from
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.fictionwise.com/

Friends

Today I'm celebrating friends. I'm blessed with so many wonderful friends who inspire me, guide me and keep me on the straight and narrow.

New Contract

I have signed a new contract with Whiskey Creek Press. This will be my twelfth book with them. If you are counting you will say "Hold on I make it ten" but I have two books coming out with them, so there is nothing the matter with my math!

The first is an historical romance called A Sprig of Broom. This was the first book I ever had published and the original publisher was Robert Hale Limited. I decided to dust it up and edit it again. It is set in my favourite medieval period, again just after King Richard the Third has been killed. Once more I look at Richard with fresh eyes and set out to prove that he was not the monster as shown by Shakespeare. Now it will come out as an e-book first and of course on Kindle. It might also go out in paperback which would be thrilling. I wish I could share with you the original cover, I thought it magical. Perhaps there will be someway I can do that...one day.

My second new book is a romantic suspense set in a fictional town in England and also in Cornwall. Here we have a woman trying to hide from an abusive man who has threatened revenge on her. It took some time to write this book, my head was not always in a good place. I don't know how, but suddenly I was inspired and I took off like a steam train. It's called The Longest Passion, it took a long time to find a title but when I did, well I think it is perfect but only you, the reader can judge.

It's great to be back in the saddle. I am now working on a modern romance. Life has endless possibilities, and I must be up for the challenge.

Breaking the Clouds

A couple of years ago I published a novel set in New Zealand. This is a hardback novel, but tells the story of Bron whose husband goes missing. She is finding out all kinds of things about her husband and she suspects that the handsome Job Tepi, knows more than he is letting on.

I had the opportunity to visit New Zealand quite a few years ago. I toured North and South Island and loved it. I was devastated to read of the earthquake which attacked Christchurch. This was and is a beautiful city. The square where the Cathederal once stood was magnificent.
The people of New Zealand are lovely and they are also very brave.

Napier is a glorious art deco town that was similarly devastated by an earthquake many years ago. The art deco town that is now there is a result of that. Let us hope and pray that Christchurch too will rise out of the ashes.

Breaking the Clouds is available from the author.

Extract Breaking the Clouds



His body felt hard, his shoulders broad and strong. Her lips unused for so long responded and cajoled and when he deepened the kiss she was ready opening herself up to him, letting her breasts crush against his chest, delighted as his hands at her back drew her closer. One hand curled at the nape of her neck, brushing aside her hair, a thumb manipulating the warm flesh.

She had been cold and lonely for so long, her arms empty, her body aching for fulfillment, longing to feel the warmth of someone close to her, now she was a flower opening up to the sun………..

Welcome to John Lindermuth

One of Whiskey Creek Press's proflific authors, John Lindermuth, has dropped by today to tell us about "Being Somone Else"his new fantastic thriller. I have read this book and was on the edge of my seat! John has written many books, historical
and thrillers. A one time journalist, you can be sure his style is well honed. Enjoy!

Blurb:



Some believe violence is foreign to our nature. Dan ‘Sticks’ Hetrick, retired chief and consultant to the Swatara Creek police department, knows better. We put a lid on our natural tendency to violence when we started living in groups, devising moral codes to hold it in check and allow us to live in harmony with others. But, deep down in the id, there’s always that tendency to violence.



When an out-of-state reporter is found murdered at a disreputable bar the tendency to violence spirals in the rural Pennsylvania community, and the investigative trail keeps bringing Hetrick and his team back to the family of a wealthy doctor who has retired to his hometown.



Hetrick and his protégé Officer Flora Vastine are joined by a friend from his State Police days as they unravel old secrets and mysteries in a tale with as many shocking twists as a country road.



Reviews:

“The complex mystery elements of the plot here are layered in nicely and then brought to a satisfactory conclusion. But, as always, the real treat in reading this series is Lindermuth's use of locale and the colorful cast of characters --- each given distinct and memorable features, even when they are only "on stage" a brief amount of time. Anchoring all of this, of course, is the cast of recurring characters we have been introduced to in the previous books.” Wayne D. Dundee, author of the Joe Hannibal mysteries



“This is Lindermuth's fourth Daniel "Sticks" Hetrick mystery/crime novel and the best one yet. As I have, you will become emotionally involved with Lindermuth's ensemble cast who, over the course of these "Sticks" Hetrick novels, have become like an extended family for the reader.” Douglas Quinn, author of The Webb Sawyer Mysteries, The Ellis Family Thrillers, Cornelius The Orphan (Historical Fiction/Adventure), and s Children's Chapter Book Mystery Series.



“This Swatara Creek story has an intricate plot that makes for eager reading to get it figured out. Although it is part of the "Sticks" series, Hetrick didn't play as much a part in solving this mystery as I would have liked, but the complimentary characters of detective Flora Vastine and police chief Aaron Brubaker were compelling.” Kae Cheatham, author, speaker, photographer



Buy link: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=816

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Being Someone Else (July 2010), Whiskey Creek Press

Watch The Hour (April 2009), Whiskey Creek Press

http://jrlindermuth.com

A Fatal Flaw - Reviews

Hi I thought I would share a couple of reviews of my romantic suspense A Fatal Flaw. Happy reading!


A FATAL FLAW reached out and grabbed me from the first page and kept me interested
with its twists and turns. Suspense is the name of the game in this mystery and
this tale is fraught with unanswered questions and possibilities. Kerensa is a woman with spunk if not a little innocence, her sheltered life and trusting attitude is a definite change. Ned is everything you expect in a hero, strong yet sensitive and of course smoking hot. The mystery is the main focus of the story but there is also the added bonus of the slow growing romance between Kerensa and Ned. I truly enjoyed this story and didn’t stop reading until I finished it. Applause goes to Margaret Blake on creating a story with interesting characters and an enthralling plot. Angela - Romance Junkies

Kerensa Mawgan's mother dies after a long battle with cancer leaving in her daughter's hands a secret that has been hidden since before she was born. She travels from Cornwall to the USA to try to unravel the mystery of her birth and the death of the man who may have been her father. Ned Rochester has been injured in the line of duty as a policeman and has time on his hands. What better way to fill it than to do what he does best, solve a possible crime?
Margaret Blake pens a tale that shows a great contrast between people who have everything and those who make something of their lives the hard way. The Logan family may have everything money can buy but Kerensa, Ned, and others show grit and courage money can't buy. The good guys grow on us even with their quirks and idiosyncrasies. The villain is as despicable as they come, sometimes being vicious just because he can.
Throughout the book Ms. Blake weaves a sweet love story with the suspense even though it's probably doomed from the start. Ned and Kerensa are from two different worlds an ocean apart. That doesn't stop them from developing feeling for one another no matter how hard they fight it. Ned's Dad is a great contrast to Campbell Logan's father. He may be flawed but we keep hoping he may grow through it. I like this author's style. It seems like she's writing about real people in situations that could happen. Scenarios come alive as do the people with her use of dialogue and situations that help us know them better. This is well worth reading.
Dee Dailey - The Romance Studio

There’s enough suspense and romance to please readers of either genre, and Blake’s engaging characters and intriguing plot are sure to send you in search of her other titles. John Lindermuth, Writer