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Catch me at the Emerald City Writers' Conference

This weekend I’ll be attending the Emerald City Writers’ Conference. I’m looking forward to the event for several special reasons.

First and foremost, I will be presenting a workshop on How to Successfully Produce an Audio Book with Pearl Hewitt. For those who don’t know, Pearl is the talented narrator who’s brought two of my Code Breaker series book to life. She’s currently working on a third, A CHRISTMAS CODE, which will be available in early November. This will be my first opportunity to meet Pearl in-person, and I’m looking forward to it!

Second, I’ll be participating in the Passport to Romance Reader Appreciation Event on Saturday, October 17. Readers are invited to this free event, which provides an opportunity to celebrate romantic fiction, meet their favorite authors and discover new authors.

Last but not least, writers’ conferences offer authors a chance to network with industry professionals, connect with their peers, learn what’s new and exciting in publishing and hone their craft through workshops and master classes.

After spending so many days alone in my writing cave, I’m excited to spend the weekend with my favorite people – writers and readers! For more information, visit the Greater Seattle RWA website.

Special iBooks Offers

Are you an iBooks user? If yes, today’s blog is just for you!

A CANTATA OF LOVE, Book 4 in the Code Breakers series, is now available for pre-order exclusively on iBooks. Order your copy today to be among the first to start reading the next adventure in this Regency romantic suspense series.

Napoleonic France is no place for an Englishman, especially Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal, who is on a clandestine assignment for the Crown. Already injured and facing imminent discovery by Napoleon and Fouche’s men, Michael finds his escape made even more perilous when he is charged with the safety of a young boy who must be spirited out of Paris.

Desperate to escape the terrible fate that awaits her if she remains in France, Lady Gabrielle De Valmont must disguise herself as a boy and rely on the cunning of a virtual stranger—an Englishman, no less—to smuggle her out of the country. When the Earl’s injury becomes severely infected, rendering him gravely ill, Gabrielle realizes it is now up to her to save them both.

Look for more heart-pounding adventure, international intrigue, and sizzling romance with the release of Book Four in The Code Breaker Series, A Cantata of Love on December 15, 2015.

Now for the other special offer. If you are an iBooks reader and are willing to post an honest review in exchange for a free digital copy of any of my books, contact my assistant Maria Connor at mariaconnor@msn.com to request one free iBooks download. Click HERE to see my author page on iBooks.

5 reasons I love autumn in Seattle

Welcome, autumn! I hope you’re enjoying the change of season. I certainly am. There are many reasons so many people love this time of year, but I’m listing my top 5.

1. It’s the perfect time for a staycation. September through November is the best time to visit Seattle, according to U.S. News & World Report. The tourists crowds have thinned and temperatures have cooled, making it easier to visit popular destinations and landmarks.

2. Snoqualmie Falls! Located 29 miles from downtown Seattle, this scenic attraction is located in a two-acre park, which includes a gift shop and observation deck. It’s the perfect backdrop for autumn’s spectacular foliage. 3.  Apple picking. For many people, a trip to the local apple orchard to pick apples and then snack on hot cider and donuts is an annual tradition. The mild autumn weather makes a visit to the orchard especially pleasurable, and the multitude of local orchards makes for a great afternoon outing with family and friends. Check out these easy recipes for applesauce, apple crisp and apple butter before you bring home a bushel.

4. Yurt camping. Outdoor enthusiasts love autumn, but let’s be honest. Sometimes the Pacific Northwest weather can be drizzly and damp. Camping in a yurt means you don’t have to cancel your plans if the weather isn’t cooperating.

5.  Local harvest festivals and neighborhood celebrations. Many of the communities in and around Seattle hold special events this time of year. Online listings can help you discover a nearby pumpkin patch, fall festival or other autumn celebration.

What is your favorite thing about autumn? Add it to the list!

Christmas, criminals and a wedding

Join Maddy and Hunter for a very special holiday wedding!

Marriage Under Fire, featuring an exclusive wedding scene never before released, is part of Criminal Christmas, a collection of 8 holiday suspense stories. The box set is now available for pre-order for just $0.99 and be the first to read these thrilling romantic suspense stories on November 9.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | BN | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords

Share in the anticipation as Grayce, Davis, Hollie, James and the entire Grayce Walters crew plan a ceremony overflowing with all the love, romance and fellowship of the season.

Christmas isn’t all Peace on Earth this Holiday Season in 8 Outstanding Suspense Stories of Murderers, Stalkers, Terrorists, Thieves, and Kidnappers. Criminal Christmas puts the Danger in the season of Mistletoe, Christmas Trees & Goodwill. Snuggle up by the fire with our books and enjoy Christmas like never before. This fabulous set is comprised of 6 Novellas (including never before published!), 1 Short Story and 1 Full Novel!

Deadly Holiday – Novella

It’s four days before Christmas and the characters you grew to love in The Deadly Series are struggling with life-threatening problems. When a five-year old boy testifies against his father, then disappears without a trace, the town struggles to find him. But an impending blizzard threatens to halts the search just before Christmas.

Deadly Holiday is an action-packed thriller you don’t want to miss.

The Old Man’s Back in Town – Short Story

A sizzling, suspenseful SHORT STORY wrapped in a puzzling mystery that will leave you hungry for more.
**It’s “Groundhog Day” meets the modern day Old West!**

Holiday Justice – Novella

A Justice Team Holiday Novella!
When his Justice Team partners, Mitch Monroe and Caroline Foster, discover a Santa sneaking around behind the restaurant, Grey and Mitch uncover a theft ring that’s leaving kids without toys and families without a reason to celebrate.

Christmas Interrupted – Novella

Christmas in snowy Carnation, Washington seems like the idyllic get away until Jamey Dunn has a prophetic dream of his father’s house burning to the ground on Christmas Eve. Jamey and his wife Tina race to Carnation to prevent the tragedy that will take Pops’ life and discovers something is strange about the new neighbors.

Marriage Under Fire – Novella

Marine veteran Maddy Jeffers never expected her most demanding and daunting mission would come off the battlefield. Ordered to infiltrate a Seattle terrorist cell, Maddy must pose as a loving wife to Major Hunter Hines. The undercover role begins to feel all too real when Maddy falls hard for the rugged, macho Marine.

The Twelfth Day – Novella

Years ago, Sabrina Spencer was the lone survivor of a serial killer’s attack on her family, her testimony putting the killer behind bars. When she begins receiving daily packages containing bizarre gifts related to the Twelve Days of Christmas, Sabrina suspects her new love is behind the twisted countdown to the twelfth day.

Christmas 911 – Novella

When mother-to-be Corrine Landry stops off to purchase a gift for her niece on Christmas Eve, she finds herself in the middle of a crisis situation. Luke Oliver is about to end his final twelve-hour shift as a 911 dispatcher. After answering a desperate plea from a frantic pregnant woman, he suspects this particular call could change his life–maybe forever.

The Way Evil Does – Novel

When novelist Rebecca Reis interviews convicted serial killer, Thomas Eisenbrey in the Washington State Penitentiary she finds herself having strange feelings for the psychopath. Nicknamed the Hunter, Eisenbrey is crafty, aloof, and has somehow wheedled his way into her mind. When he escapes, Rebecca is terrified–who will he hunt next?

Release Day - Marriage Under Fire

Now available! MARRIAGE UNDER FIRE, Book 4 in the Grayce Walters Mystery Series

Marine veteran Maddy Jeffers never expected her most demanding and daunting mission would come off the battlefield. Ordered to infiltrate a Seattle terrorist cell, Maddy must pose as a loving wife to Major Hunter Hines. The undercover role begins to feel all too real when Maddy falls hard for the rugged, macho Marine.

Duty and discipline are Hunter Hines’s credo, guiding every decision and every action. But constant proximity with the fierce and enticing Maddy is veering his mission wildly off course. Although their role as man and wife is only pretend, there is nothing false about his out-of-control desire for his partner.

When Maddy’s life is threatened by an ISIS cell, protecting her becomes the only mission that matters, and Hunter is willing to break all the rules to save her. As the danger heats up around these two veteran heroes, Maddy and Hunter must walk a narrow path between passion and survival.

Available at online retailers: Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Google | BN