Hello Everyone! Welcome to my April Symposium!
Since my grandmother just passed away this week, I’ve had bucket lists on the brain. She was 93 (actually, a week away from turning 94) and told me that she was ready, and that she’d done everything she’d wanted to do during her life.
This made me consider what I still wanted to accomplish during my lifetime. So, I posed this same question to my friends and fellow authors this month. Read on and find out what adventures everyone has planned!
LAURIE ROMA: When I was thinking about my bucket list, I realized that I’ve already started knocking some of the things I’ve wanted to do over the last few years. Skydiving, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting - check. Now, some of my other goals are a little complicated, since I don’t really have control over whether or not they actually happen. For instance, I would love to see one (or more) of my screenplays come to life on the big screen. I’d also like to make the NY Times Best Sellers List, but as I said, I can’t actually make those things happen. So, I’ll focus on the places I want to travel to, like Japan, to see the cherry blossoms bloom, and Scotland, to stomp around old castle ruins. I’d also like to stand on the white sands of Crete, drink wine at a vineyard in Tuscany, and I also want to go cage diving with the great white sharks in Australia. So many wonderful places to see…now, I just have to start checking them off my list!
On a personal note, I would like to thank everyone for the condolences to me and my family for the loss of my grandmother. All the support and prayers have meant more than words can say.
Tessa Campbell is a woman in an impossible situation. As the owner of an event planning company, her days are usually filled celebrating the best moments of people’s lives, but all of that changes when her father makes a grievous mistake that may cost him the job he loves. He is depending on her to fix his mistake, but nothing is ever as simple as it seems. In order to save him, she must find a way to reason with his boss...the man everyone calls The Beast.
Drake Vidal has a dangerous reputation. A ruthless business man who has taken Vidal Labs and Technology to the top of the industry, he expects perfection from everyone who works for him. He has never believed in love, but all it takes is one look at the gentle beauty that comes to him to plead for her father for him to lose his heart. Can she find a way to see beyond the savage veneer he portrays to the world to discover the good hidden beneath, or will she think he isn’t worth taming? For who could ever really love a beast?
Drake Vidal has a dangerous reputation. A ruthless business man who has taken Vidal Labs and Technology to the top of the industry, he expects perfection from everyone who works for him. He has never believed in love, but all it takes is one look at the gentle beauty that comes to him to plead for her father for him to lose his heart. Can she find a way to see beyond the savage veneer he portrays to the world to discover the good hidden beneath, or will she think he isn’t worth taming? For who could ever really love a beast?
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EVE LANGLAIS: My bucket list is ever changing. Right now, it involves me being more adventurous. I'd like to visit wild new places like Australia and Mexico. I'd like to experience different cultures. Explore some Aztec ruins. Go on an ocean cruise. I'd like to visit Disney and explore all the theme parks. I'd also like to go see those Down Under Strippers I keep hearing about, because damn, those guys are HAWT! lol ;)
His system
is shutting down, but he's determined to keep a promise - even if it kills him.
Being a
cyborg was so much better when all his parts worked. Avion's nanotechnology
stopped functioning after some experimentation done on him by the military.
They broke him and now, Avion is no better than a human, even more annoying,
he's dying.
But at least
he completed his final mission. He saved, One.
Mysterious
and alluring, Avion isn't the only person who wonders what surprises this woman
hides. The human military and their alien allies fear what she's capable of and
will stop at nothing to destroy her. However, the one thing they didn't take
into account is that the cyborgs always protect their own, and they aren't
afraid to use deadly force.
And no one
could imagine the depths One will stoop to in order to protect the man she
loves.
The universe
is about to change. A war is brewing. The question is, who is the real enemy,
and what will the cyborgs have to do in order to survive?
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N.J.
WALTERS: When asked what is on my bucket list, I had to stop and think about
it. I’m lucky enough to be living one of my dreams—being a full-time
writer. I’m grateful for that blessing
every single day. My health is good and I have a wonderful, if slightly crazy,
family. Some folks want to skydive or do crazy things, but I’ve always been a
quiet, stay-at-home kinda gal so those things don’t appeal to me. However,
there are a few things on my list. I’d love to
visit Scotland. Whenever I see a picture of the Scottish Highlands I get a
yearning in my heart. I’d also like to visit Arizona and see the redwood
forests in California. Admittedly I’m not a good traveller so we’ll see how
that goes. I’d also love to own a home. I’ve always lived in apartments and
crave my own space on a piece of land.
Tilly Ledet has long been a friend of the immortal, shape-shifting warriors who follow the Lady of the Beasts, a willing helper in their battle against Hades. But now that Hades is free and unable to touch the warriors, Tilly is fair game.
When Phoenix shows up insisting she drop everything to go into hiding, Tilly balks. Phoenix is strong and courageous, but when she imagines being in his arms, the protective barriers guarding her heart slam down.
For the first time in his immortal life, Phoenix feels fear. Not for himself, but for the woman whose beauty and forthright nature heat both his mind and body. While one kiss easily ignites her passion, claiming her as his own will take more than heat.
It may require a sacrifice that could send them both up in flames.
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LACEY THORN:
There are many things on my personal bucket list. One is that I’d like to
travel more, not just abroad but here in the USA, as well. My ultimate vacation
would be a trip to Ireland and Scotland. One day I will! Professionally, I’m
like most authors and want to hit the list, whether it be USA Today or NY
Times. Hitting the top one hundred overall at Amazon has only made me hungrier!
I’d also like to continue with writing as my full time career, though it gets
hard at times. Mostly, I want to make the most of every day, soaking up the
time I have with my children before they are grown and gone. I want to remember
to laugh more and worry less. To smile for no reason. To sing, loud and off key
with no care for who’s listening. Life is a precious gift. I don’t plan to
squander any of the time I have left.
Five Years
Ago: Brutal Attack Rocks Entertainment Industry
Paisley Ames
can't escape the headline splashed across every news outlet, a vivid reminder
of the tragedy that changed her life and still haunts her. Despite the passage
of time, she can't heal. She can't let in the man who might show her how to
live again.
Barrett
“Bare” Locke took one look at Jamison Knight’s daughter and saw a survivor. A
woman, fierce and strong. Too bad she doesn’t see it. He understands what it is
to lose someone you love. If Paisley will give him the chance, he’ll show her
how to heal the jagged pieces of her broken heart.
But someone
doesn’t want Paisley to heal. They want her to remember…until they decide it’s
time for her to die.
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SUSAN HAYES:
When I sat down and thought about it, I realized that I’ve accomplished many of
the goals that were on my unofficial bucket list. The things that remain are
mostly travel related, places I’ve never seen or want to see again. High on the
list is Scotland. I loved it there, and I want to spend more time exploring
some of the smaller towns and villages this time around. I also plan to head to
Chicago someday to visit Laurie, as she has informed me I haven’t lived until
I’ve eaten a proper Chicago style deep dish pizza. This year I’m actually going
to take another destination off my list when I head to the Midnight Gala in New
Orleans this October to meet up with my fellow author friends and our readers
for an amazing weekend of fun and laughter.
As the
future CEO of Forrester Industries, Lucas Forrester has the kind of life most
men only dream of. He’s travelled the world, brokering deals and sealing
contracts that have benefited the company while making a name for himself as a
cold, calculating negotiator.
At work,
Luke lives behind his corporate persona, but when a chance encounter with a
beautiful and caring stranger brings out his true nature, he finds himself
reluctant to go back into hiding.
Veronica
Hood’s life will never be mistaken for a fairytale, but she’s proud of what she’s
accomplished so far. After years of planning, she’s finally got her own coffee
shop, with enough money coming in to stay out of the red and pay for her
grandmother’s medical bills, too. When Lucas sees her delivering food to the
hungry, he appoints himself as her protector, stealing her heart and starting a
whirlwind love affair straight out of a storybook.
The trouble
is, Lucas isn’t the only one who has fallen for Ronnie. When her stalker
finally emerges from the shadows, Luke will have to fight for his redheaded
angel. In the end only one of them can possess her, but who will be the
victor...her champion or the dark-hearted wolf?
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STACEY
ESPINO: I have many goals in life, some large and some small—all important. I
strongly feel we can accomplish almost anything if we put our hearts and minds
to it. The most important thing is to believe you can do it, and never dismiss
your own dreams. They might take time, hard work, or sacrifice, but never give
up! One of my
smaller goals is to master the three splits and several other body contortions.
Since I'm only starting now (almost 40) it's no easy task! But I will get
there. One of my big goals is to adopt. After courses, mountains of paperwork,
doctor checks, and home studies, we are on the final stretch to realizing our
big dream. Of course,
my never-ending goal is to write more books! I've take too much time off, but
I'm back in the saddle and working hard on my series books and many new
stories.
Tammy Palmer
can barely control her uniform fetish when she walks by Station 23. The four
firefighters she fantasizes over are pure sex and muscle. But Tammy's not ready
for love after her last disastrous relationship, not to mention she's not even
in the same league as these delicious men.
When the
newspaper she edits for gives her the chance for a promotion from pushing
pencils, she jumps at the opportunity. The only problem is she's expected to
spend two weeks at the new fire station in preparation for the article.
Tammy's
wanton desires are soon unleashed when she moves into the station. But good
things rarely last, and Tammy's crazed ex returns, luring the men away from the
station. He's determined to get her back at any cost.
Will the men
of Station 23 be able to save the woman they've grown to love in time?
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JENIKA SNOW:
In the next few years I still hope to be writing full-time. It’s been a dream
of mine for so long that I want to be an old lady and still creating raunchy,
romance-filled stories. I’d like to start attending more reader conventions as
an author over the next few years as well, and would also like to travel to
Europe again. There are so many places overseas I’d love to travel to, and have
since I was a little girl. I’d also love to go back to my mother’s home country
of Portugal. The food, smells, sights, and of course all the people will most definitely
make me feel like she’s right there with me.
Travis
Sterling helps run the farm that’s been in his family for the last three
generations. When he needs to appease his sexual appetite there is never a
shortage of willing women in the small town of Granite, Colorado.
Pearl
Connors just moved to Granite to take care of her grandmother’s estate. Trying
to let loose, she finds herself at the local bar, then in the bed of a rough
and tough cowboy named Travis. But the next morning she tries to put the
one-night stand behind her and make Granite her new home. She finds a job on a
ranch to help three brothers, and soon realizes her one-night stand is right
back in her face, and one-third owner of the Sterling Farm.
Can she put
her desire for the dirty-talking cowboy behind her, or will she allow his
dominating ways to make her submit all over again?
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KD JONES: There
are so many things I want to accomplish within the next few years. These are
divided between what’s on my author’s bucket list and what is on my personal
bucket list. I would really love to hit amazon’s top 100 bestsellers for
overall store. I also want to be able to have more time writing to get ahead of
my schedule. I want to be able to have really good interactions with my
readers. On a personal bucket list I would love to spend more time with my
wonderful son. I want to lose weight and get healthy. If it is in the cards for
me I would hope to fall in love with a wonderful man who is good to me and my
son. I want to travel and see the world so that I can write about it.
Maxim is a
droid halfsie, part human and part android, created in a lab. Now free from the
madman that converted him, he must find a way to make a new life for himself.
In an effort to put his past behind him, he takes a job as a fighter for the
Galactic Cage Fighter Association. Unfortunately, he soon learns that the
position comes with some unwanted benefits, like constantly being surrounded by
adoring fans. It’s a situation that’s definitely all new for him, and he has to
work hard to adjust. Just when he thinks he has finally moved on and gotten
used to his new life, he discovers that the past cannot simply be ignored
forever. These revelations of his past put everyone around him in danger,
including the one woman that holds the key to his hidden heart.
Alona is
considered by many to be one of the most beautiful halfsie women in the world.
But human men only seem to seek her out when they want to display her as their
trophy, and most halfsie men see her delicate features as far too human-like.
Just as she feels ready to give up on the hope of a real relationship, she
meets a droid halfsie that attracts her like no other. The more she tries to
fight her attraction, the more she seems to want him.
Will Maxim
let down his guard and allow Alona to see him for who he is? Will Alona
overcome her disenchanted view of relationships and give Maxim a chance to
prove there is more to him than the surface? Can they find their way to one
another while surviving the dangers surrounding them?
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VELLA DAY: It’s so ironic that Laurie asked about fulfilling my bucket list, because a few months ago, we decided to “just do it.” I figured I won’t be any younger tomorrow, so my husband and I are selling our condo and moving abroad—my dream. It will take a while. We’ll put the condo up for sale next January then spend the next few months applying for the VISA as we plan to live abroad for 2-3 years. I’ve always wanted to be fluent in a foreign language, so we’re heading to Spain for 2 years and then possibly moving to the French Riviera for another year or so. It puts a dent in my ability to do conferences, but I will be writing!!! Thank goodness for FB and Skype. It should be business as usual.
Burke Devereaux’s life is turned upside down after receiving news of his brother’s death. After years of being gone from Hidden Hills, NC, the guilt-ridden bear shifter returns home for the funeral.
Tasha Wilder, an overweight, bear shifter librarian, used to lust after the sexy, high school basketball player back in the day. She never acted on those feelings, knowing full well he’d never want someone as plain as her. Burke now is back and she does her best to keep her animalistic urges hidden by keeping her distance—until fate intervenes. Doing her best to offer him only sympathy during an unexpected encounter, her inner beast explodes with unbridled lust and passion.
Burke tackles his inner demons and finally accepts that Tasha is his mate, but he hadn’t expected her to deny their destiny. What can he do to convince Tasha she’s his one and only?
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ERIKA REED: My
Bucket List isn’t as extravagant as others might be. I don’t have the urge to
jump out of a perfectly good plane, run with the bulls in Spain, or even cliff
dive off into the ocean. Maybe when I was younger I would have considered some
of those, but nowadays I am too much of a chicken to do any of them. I just
want to be able to live life to the fullest and enjoy watching my family grow,
as I get older. I can’t say
I really have ever given it much thought, coming up with a Bucket List, but
Laurie made me think about this… Now that I am a lot older there are a few
things I should start thinking about seeing and doing. I would like
to retire someday from my job and become a full time writer. I have
always wanted to take CPR classes. Stand at the
top of the Eifel Tower…and not the one in Las Vegas. ;) I would to
spend a week at a dude ranch and learn how to ride a horse. I want to
take a cruise to Alaska with my husband. I have
always wanted to see Greece. Buy a house
on the lake and live out the rest of my years with my husband.
Goldie Locke
is in love with her boss, Travis. He has always been the man of her dreams, but
it’s getting harder to work for him when she really wants more. After a fire in
her apartment leaves her temporarily homeless, she finds herself on her way to
Travis’ cabin in the mountains, at his brothers’ insistence. She decides to use the time away to make some decisions about her future...with or without Travis.
Travis Baer had always prided himself at making his construction business a success. He is a man who goes after what he wants, but what he desires more than anything is Goldie. After being tricked into a weekend alone with his gorgeous assistant, Travis is determined to finally make Goldie his, and reveal his true feeling for her.
Could their weekend retreat be the beginning to the fairytale ending Goldie has always wanted?
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JUDY
HORNBUCKLE: I hit the big six-oh this year. So I guess, in effect, I’m already working that list I comprised in my
thirties of the things I wanted to experience before I got, you know, like,
old. Impossible to achieve? Nothing but dreams? Oh hell to
the NO! I wanted to
travel & perhaps live overseas (completed 2000 – 2004). I wanted to raise my kids to live
independently, to love without reservation & to be compassionate instead of
judgmental (1997). To attend a Beatles
concert (2014 – Paul McCartney) & to love/be loved by a bad boy with a good
heart (2014). I wanted to write books
that helped other women escape from the drudge of everyday life much like
Johanna Lindsey, Kathleen Woodiwiss & LaVeryl Spencer did for me (2013). Yet to
do? Man, the list is endless. Because the heart never stops reaching for
impossible…no matter what age you are.
He was
convinced he was dying, slowly wasting from the same disease that took both his
father and grandfather’s lives.
So Bishop
began the necessary steps to wrap up his
life, trying to gain closure in every area.
Especially in regard to his ex-wife, Dory. A woman who left him when he’d just been a
lowly recruit in the Hellion Motorcycle Club.
Reaching out, he asks to meet with her in order to finally put to rest
all the unresolved, heart-sick emotions her quick departure had left behind so
many years before.
Dory had
escaped Missoula and the Hellions where she’d once been a Honey and a
wife.
She’d moved
on, creating a new life for herself in Casper, Wyoming. And those thirteen years away had been
bordered in secrets, both in the past and present. So when Bishop calls her, almost demanding
she meet with him, Dory recognizes it’s time for truth. For letting go of the undisclosed, of
exposing her hidden life in favor of the peace that only honesty can bring.
From the
author of Hiding in Plain Sight, The Possibility of Trey and the other books in
the Hellion MC Series comes the last novel, Checkmate With Bishop.
It’s a story about forgiveness…especially when
one of the many apologies you offer must be given to yourself.
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KALI ARGENT: Bucket lists. Hmm, I’m more of a “live in the moment” kind of girl, but there are a few things I’d like to accomplish or experience in this lifetime. I want to visit Ireland one day and explore the castles there. The nerd in me wants to learn to speak Elvish, even if it has no practical use whatsoever, while the realistic part of me would like to learn French. Another item on my bucket list is a cross-country road trip with a stop at a landmark in each state. I’ve always wanted to see the Northern Lights. I want to go on a tour of a haunted house or stay in a haunted inn. I don’t know if I believe in ghosts or not, but it would certainly be an experience.
Driven and
career-focused, Starla Winters doesn’t have the time or patience for dating.
Other than her family, she has only a handful of personal connections, only a
few relationships that truly mean anything to her, but she’s content. Or so she
thinks. Then the laidback, free-spirited owner of a local toy store blows into
her life, making her want things she’s never even contemplated.
Turner
McCord fell in love the moment the uptight advertising agent marched into his
office, and nothing has been the same for him since. He knows it won’t be easy
to break through Starla’s shiny layer of professionalism to the fiery woman
beneath, but he’s determined to make her his. After all, to love someone as
beautiful and captivating as Starla Winters would be an awfully big adventure.
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