Casi McLean - An Author Interview at the HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Author Casi McLean. She is the award-winning Romance and Suspense author of the Lake Lanier Mysteries series and the Destiny novellas.

Author: Casi McLean

Author Genre: Romance, Suspense Time Slips, and Mystery with a sprinkle of supernatural elements...and magic

Website: Casi McLean
Author's Blog: Casi McLean
Instragram
Twitter: @CasiMcLean
E-Mail: Casi@casimclean.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest

Amazon Author Profile



Author Description:
Award winning author, Casi McLean, pens novels to stir the soul with romance, suspense, and a sprinkle of magic. Her writing crosses genres from ethereal, captivating shorts with eerie twist endings to believable time slips, mystical plots, and sensual romantic suspense.

Known for enchanting stories with magical description, McLean entices readers with fascinating hooks to hold them captive in storylines they can't put down. Her romance entwines strong, believable heroines with delicious, hot heroes to tempt the deepest desires, then fans the flames, sweeping readers into their innermost romantic fantasies.

With suspenseful settings and lovable characters you'll devour, you'll see, hear, and feel the magical eeriness of one fateful night. You'll swear time travel could happen, be mystified by other worldly images, and feel the heat of romantic suspense, but most of all you'll want more.

Casi's latest series enters the realm of political thrillers with Reign Of Fire, exclusively found in the #1 bestselling, romantic suspense boxset, Love Under Fire. Watch the trailer exclusively on this page.

Her three-book, time slip, romantic suspense, Lake Lanier Mysteries, hit the stands running with book #1, Beneath The Lake, winner of the 2016 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for BEST Romantic Suspense. Watch the trailer on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvf0IC4ndBw

Beyond The Mist, book #2 in her romantic time slip treasure chest, is a stunning tribute to the victims and first responders of the 911 World Trade Center terrorist attack. Here is the trailer link: https://youtu.be/Bj6ySTh_7xI

Between The Shadows brings the saga full circle with an amazing time slip to 1865 and a search for the Confederate gold. Don't miss this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voa2qbtqATY

Uniquely qualified to write self-help and inspiration, Casi tops the scale with her powerful memoir, Wingless Butterfly: Healing The Broken Child Within, sharing an inspirational message of courage, tenacity, and hope, displaying her unique ability to excel in nonfiction and self-help as well as fiction.

Discover the magic, with Casi McLean books: http://CasiMclean.com



SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

Congratulations on your book: Beyond the Mist. What do you have on the drawing board next? Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon called Between The Shadows. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?

Thanks so much, James. This year has been a whirlwind, starting with the September 15th, 2016 release of Beyond The Mist, book #2 in my Lake Lanier Mysteries. Book #3, Between the Shadows, releases in a few weeks––September 18––but it's available on Amazon now––pre-sale for only $0.99.

Reign Of Fire, exclusively sold in the Love Under Fire box set––also available now pre-sale for only $0.99––comes out in November. With three books, three trailers, and three sets of marketing, my head is spinning. But I’m never too busy to talk about my books, especially my Lake Lanier Mysteries series. Book #1, Beneath The Lake, focuses on a ghost town buried under Atlanta’s man-made Lake Lanier, and Lacy Montgomery, a young lawyer who crashes into the lake and wakes up in 1949––34 years before she was born.

Beyond The Mist takes two minor characters from book #1 and spins them from the portal beneath the lake to 2001 New York and the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Between The Shadows highlights two more characters, taking them back to 1865 and a deadly struggle with villains attempting to steal the (still missing) Confederate gold. I love this series, not only because I live near the lake and never tire of the endless lore attached to the area, but also because the legends lend themselves so well to my time portal theory.

You have a good following on twitter. Since you started before the social media buzz, what impact has social media relationships had on your current success? How did you build your following in your niche? How much has it changed your book launch process?

Almost 10,000 followers. I’m excited to cross that goal. I built my following on Twitter by following back and having interesting, eye-catching tweets. I rarely tweet anything without a great graphic or .gif to keep my followers engaged.

My Facebook profile is approaching the limit, so I’m trying to interact more on my pages. Instagram and Pinterest are fun, too. I’d like to do more with both of those platforms. As for my book launches, I use every venue I can to reach potential readers. I wish there was a magic wand to make marketing easier, but until I find one, I’ll just keep talking to everyone who will listen and hope they give my stories a read.

Do you do any book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?

I love online events where I can meet myriad readers in one place, while sitting in the comfort of my favorite chair. You can’t beat that...but I also enjoy talking face-to-face with people. I’ve done a good bit of speaking engagements, centered around my brand as well as my books. I love interviews and have several videos on my website of past engagements.

I participate in book fairs, and I occasionally have signings. This time of year, with fall approaching, the Atlanta area buzzes with festivals and special events. I’ll be at the at the Decatur Book Festival September 1 and 2, in the Sisters In Crime booth. Then on Saturday, September 8, I’ll be signing books at Marketplace at Lake Lanier.

You have great covers. They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?

That’s a great compliment. It means a lot because I honestly believe people do judge a book by its cover. The visual is so important, a first impression hook to draw in a reader. If a book doesn’t capture a reader’s attention, an author loses a potential fan before they read the tagline, first paragraph, or back cover.

I’ve designed most of my covers. The two I didn’t create, was only because my publisher required all covers to be created in-house. Even then, I had a lot of input in the process. I’m very hands-on, so I typically don’t have readers suggest cover details, though I sometimes consider their ideas for story directions. My covers come from my soul. They are a part of my story––a peek into the mystery unfolding inside my books.

Several of your novels have been converted into audio books. What has been the impact on your regular sales? Has the audio books gained a new audience for you?

Absolutely, and my fan base has increased exponentially. One of my favorite new fans has Multiple Sclerosis, which keeps her homebound. She loves what she refers to as fairytales for grown-ups, but her vision often keeps her from the books she loves, so audiobooks open her world.

I’m so thrilled my stories can reach people who have disabilities, as well as those who find it difficult to carve-out time to read. To me, audiobooks present a win-win situation. I love listening to audio stories as well. As an author, I'm at my computer for hours on end, and I find listening to my favorite authors allows me to read more books without adding unnecessary stress to my eyes.

You have written a novella series called Destiny. Can you tell us if it has had an impact on the sales of your novels? Are shorty’s one of your styles of writing or are they created to give readers a sample of your work? Do you feel short reads are a product of our email and smart phone age?

Originally, I wrote my shorts to give readers a taste of my style, but I’ve come to realize short stories, novelettes, and novellas give readers more options. A novel can be daunting, especially in todays busy society. Finding time to read isn’t easy, and I never enjoyed a book a much when I was pulled away by life situations after reading only a few chapters then had to back-track and re-read to remember the storyline. With varied story lengths, readers can choose to read a book in one sitting, over a weekend, or on vacation, depending on their schedule.

What is your primary genre? What has been your best marketing approach to this group?

Huge question…when my teacher chose to read A Wrinkle In Time to her fourth-grade class, I fell in love with time travel. Later, my interests evolved to romance, suspense, and stories with a touch of supernatural. As an adult, I love stories that hook me with the first paragraph and keep me turning pages through the end.

My primary genre includes all those elements. I write what I’d love to read, and I’m never quite sure where my characters will entice my imagination. My Lake Lanier Mysteries, a time slip, romantic suspense series, emerged from the strange phenomenon and eerie lore attached to Atlanta’s man-made Lake Lanier. What if the initial construction created more than a lake…what if blasting triggered a seismic shift to open a portal connecting past to future? Organic interest grew from local Atlanta residents, but who doesn’t love a good mystery?

Still, with the vast number of books published every day, the competition is fierce. I reach out to book clubs and social media, but I’ve found teaming with other authors in the same genre, and providing incentive to readers attracts more fans. That’s why I created MoonlightAndMystery.com

Do you maintain a reader list? What are the methods you use to find your readers and create the list and the relationship? Do you use social media, forums, newsletters and/or support groups to build your list?

Social media definitely helps spread the word, but the key word there is social. I try to vary my presence and treasure every contact. Lately, though, social media challenges authors by limiting unpaid exposure. So, for me, the most important tool is email. Readers signup through my websites, and I send out a monthly newsletter.

To stand out in a tsunami of books and authors, I think it’s important to let the readers know what’s in it for them. Most newsletters don’t survive the inbox delete button…or worse, the unsubscribe link. I want my readers to look forward to my email, so I make sure to give them benefit, and never flood their inbox. Moonlight And Mystery has a lot of contests, freebies, virtual mysteries, and fun to attract readers and keep them interested, while my personal site, casimclean.com, centers more on Casi McLean, my work, personal interviews, audio clips, reviews, etc.

You have a great blog. You do a great job keeping readers informed, marketing your books and helping other writers gain exposure. What is your primary goal? And where in the world do you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media and maintain your blog?

Thanks, James, you have such great questions. Sometimes I feel like I’m glued to my computer, but I have two driving forces. I think my brand centers my work. If you wander through my Internet presence, you’ll soon discover I have a burning passion to inspire others to live their dreams.

The theme continues hidden in the pages of all my stories. Perhaps that’s why I gravitated to novels with happy endings. Reality or fantasy, hope springs eternal in my world. What drives my writing more than anything else is my readers. Hearing and reading their comments inspires me to write better and never let them down…and a little hidden inspiration never hurt anyone.

I like the idea of Author bundles. You are a part of a novel collection called Love Under Fire with twenty other authors. What a great group of outstanding people. (Many have been interviewed on this blog). What was your main objective in bundling your works with other authors? How do you communicate? How did you get involved with this group?



Wow, another good question. Love Under Fire is my first multi-author box set. An author friend invited me to participate and I’m always open to achieving more visibility, so that was my initial objective. With a swiftly-approaching deadline, I wrote Reign Of Fire faster than any previous book. One would think the speedy process would have a slipshod result, but the deadlines actually helped me get past myself to let the story flow.

Aside from hyper-focusing, I’m blown away by not only the incredible talent the other authors bring, but also the passion, support, and effort each contributes to the success of the group. We communicate through a private Facebook group, direct messaging, and occasionally emails. We all have varying expertise, marketing methods, and fan bases. Sharing the wealth has helped and inspired me on so many levels. I definitely will participate in more boxsets, especially with these authors.

You have several great book trailers. (See links below.) They look very professional. Do you know how much impact they have had on your book’s success? Tell us about the process that you used to create your trailers? Do you use the trailer in your character development? Are the pictures and background the way you see your characters and scenes?

Thanks so much. I love my trailers, but the process isn’t an easy one. My son is an audio-visual technician and his team created the trailer for my first publication, my memoir, Wingless Butterfly––Healing The Broken Child Within. I had so much fun on that set, I feared I missed my calling.

Afterward, he taught me some tricks of the trade and I’ve created all my trailers since then. Everyone has different ways of learning. I’m very visual. Tell me how to do something and I'll probably need to hear the directions in small segments. SHOW me how to do something and I’ll nail the process. So, yes, the pictures set forth my vision and feel of my stories.

Sometimes, in the middle of writing a story, I look for pictures to solidify my vision of a character. Like I mentioned earlier in this interview regarding audiobooks, visuals reach out to a whole new stream of readers, who may prefer movies, but read books if a storyline grabs them. What better way to grab visual people? I reach more readers and build a stronger fan base.

James, I want to thank you again for featuring my on your amazing blog. It’s been such a pleasure to talk with you about details that make me the writer and person I’ve become.



Author's Book List
Between The Shadows - Lake Lanier Mysteries Book 3
She never expected to confront deadly villains…let alone fall in love with one…

After her friend, York, encounters the ghostly image of a young woman, Mackenzie Reynolds seizes the opportunity to initiate a time jump, thrusting them back to 1865 Georgia. Resolved to thwart the girl’s untimely fate, Kenzi stumbles into a deadly conflict over a stockpile of stolen Confederate gold.

An injured Civil War survivor, James Adams departs for home with a war-fatigued companion he’s determined to help. After pilfering a horse and kidnaping a woman, he never dreamed his hostage would steal his heart.

Kenzi and James must unravel a deadly plot, while helping York save his ghost woman from a brutal death. But can she leave York in a violent past to save James’s life?


Order the Book From:
Amazon


Beyond the Mist - Lake Lanier Mysteries
Piper Taylor concedes she’ll never fall in love, until a treacherous storm spirals her into the arms of the handsome Nick Cramer. Unrelenting remorse over a past relationship haunts Nick, but he can’t deny the mysterious connection and hot desire Piper evokes.

The allure of a secret portal hidden beneath Atlanta’s Lake Lanier tempts him into seizing the opportunity to change his mistakes. But his time slip triggers consequences beyond his wildest dreams.

Can Piper avoid the international espionage and terrorism of 2001 New York, find Nick, and bring him home before he alters the fabric of time, or will the lovers drift forever Beyond The Mist?


Book Trailer: Beyond the Mist

Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store
iTunes Store
Audible


Wingless Butterfly - Healing The Broken Child Within
Her mother's warning haunted her through a childhood steeped in mystery, and sparked a domino effect reflecting what she perceived was true. Until she uncovered secrets and lies in her past that changed everything.

A TRANSFORMATIONAL SELF-HELP MEMOIR

Wingless Butterfly shares a lifetime of secrets like whispers from a best friend and unveils the metamorphosis of a broken child, her struggle to escape a silken chrysalis cocooning her heart, and her desperation to find love, validation, and self-worth. When the mist of a new dawn settled, the fragmented little girl emerged confident and secure with wings to fly in a whole new world––that child was me.

Intimate stories linger within each of us; a unique saga that is ours alone with twists, turns, hopes, and dreams. Some people thrive on messages perceived through childhood; others splinter. But as different as each individual may seem, we all love, hurt, and bleed the same. The distinctiveness of our past develops who we become.

So can we change and, if so, is it possible to erase a lifetime of beliefs? Perspective is reality. When I shattered the broken reflection in the mirror of my past, I finally healed and followed my dreams. This is my story.


Book Trailer: Wingless Butterfly

Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble


Beneath the Lake - Lake Lanier Mysteries
Reeling from her boyfriend’s indiscretions at a party, Lacey Montgomery escapes into the throes of a torrential storm. Her car spins out of control and hurtles into the depths of an icy, black lake. She awakens in the arms of a handsome stranger, in a place she’s never heard of—thirty-four years before she was born.

Bobby Reynolds is smitten the moment the storm-ravaged woman opens her eyes. Learning the truth about her origin does nothing to stop the passion taking root in his heart and leaves him torn between finding a way to return Lacey to her time and convincing her stay with him.

Will the couple be able to discover the key to a mysterious portal before time rips them apart? Or will their spirits wander forever through a ghost town buried beneath the lake?


Book Trailer: Beneath the Lake

Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store
iTunes Store
Audible


The Pegasus Chronicle - Destiny Book 5
When New York Time's best selling author, Katlyn Harris discovered a timeworn painting in the attic of the isolated house she'd mysteriously inherited, she felt an inexplicable fascination to the portrait. The lonely man's cobalt eyes enticed her, as if she knew him, could feel his anguish. But how could she feel déjà with an antique painting?

Her best friend, Jake, who saw nothing more than a dusty old picture, assured her that moving had taken its toll on her and persuaded her to take a dinner break. Driving around in search of a restaurant, they stumbled upon an old-fashioned carnival. The smell of hotdogs, popcorn and cotton candy lured them into an amusement park that looked as if it were plucked from the pages of history with its sideshows and classic rides. But the antique carousel mesmerized Kat, particularly the carved, wooden Pegasus. The winged horse with its sapphire eyes replicated the mythical creature that had visited her dreams throughout childhood––inspired her newest novel, The Pegasus Chronicle. She insisted on riding the animal so Jake agreed. But when the carousel stopped, Katlyn had vanished. After searching every square inch of the grounds, Jake was bewildered and vowed to do whatever it took to find his friend.


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store


Convergent - Destiny Book 4
Prominent heart surgeon, Sierra Norton, performed minor miracles on a daily basis, but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she would live one. From the first moment she opened the tiny chest of three-year-old Brooklyn MacArthur, she'd felt an inexplicable connection. So when the child's father called three years later, panicked about his daughter's infection, it took a little persuasion to convince Sierra to drop everything and fly 4,500 miles from Atlanta to Hawaii.

When lightning struck the Boeing 767, the aircraft plunged, swirled through turbulence, catapulting Sierra headfirst into the fuselage. She awakened with a jolt to the thunderous roar of antiquated engines preparing for decent. As she peered out the window she could barely make out the devastating panorama beneath. Black smoke belched from the harbor where dozens of ships, some scarcely afloat, clung to the surface consumed in a sweltering blaze. She recognized the view immediately, not from memory, but rather history books––there was no mistaking the attack on Pearl Harbor. In a whirlwind blur, Sierra's courage, skill and passion challenges her sanity as she guides a medical team to save the life of a five-star general and in the process she converges with her own providence. Was it Brooklyn MacArthur, her handsome father Trent, or the child's great-grandfather, Will, who steals Sierra's heart? Or is it the merging of three strong women that determines her destiny?


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store


After Midnight - Destiny Book 3
Sabrina Wentworth's life ran like a fine tuned clock, precise, calculated, and completely predictable. With shrewd instincts, gifted intellect and an inquisitive nature, she landed a prime position in the Atlanta-based Intercontinental Exchange, where the pulse of the stock market endlessly spins billions of dollars through cyberspace.

Her fast-paced profession left little time for superfluous relationships that would probably end in disaster anyway. Aside from occasional carnal trysts, she had written off men completely––until she received a bewildering gift, an antique clock that seemingly swept her into the sensuous arms of a dream lover. Every night, sometime after midnight, she slipped into a fantasy, an illusory world drenched with passion. Aidan aroused her deepest desire. His embrace, his kiss awakened something inside of her that she thought had vanished forever, but she knew he was just a dream.

So when the handsome, seductive Derek Mills snaked his way into her department, he had a little trouble luring Brie into his illicit web. It wasn't until she found her aunt's diary that she realized the power of the unusual clock, and time was running out. Can Brie find the key to Aidan's world before Derek's plot plays through? And in the final hour will she realize the sands of time run out after midnight?


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store


The Gift - Destiny Book 2
Savanna Bradford's impulsive reaction to her boyfriend Ryan's proposal spirals her into a rendezvous with fate. How could she choose between her dreams and the love of her life? Savannah panicked, took off to the solace of the lake despite the impending snow storm. She had to think, but her brief sabbatical didn't include getting stuck in a ditch in the middle of nowhere, or spending the night with an enigmatic old woman from the twilight zone. Was it fate, or had her accident thrust her into a comatose dream? And will she discover that the mystical gift from her bizarre encounter holds the key to her true destiny before it's too late?


Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store


Destiny
Self-reliant Reagan Nichols is used to challenges, but ever since twilight fell over Spirit Lake and that murky mist oozed inland, everything felt surreal. She thought she escaped to her isolated cabin to come to terms with her secret past, but when she finds a little girl wandering through the eerie fog, Reagan's attention shifts. Mesmerized by the child, she vows to save the little girl's father from the bowels of a ghostly vessel adrift on the lake. When she manages to find the cocky Jason Monaco aboard the nefarious ship, a supernatural force plots against them. Will they survive a confrontation with pure evil to meet their Destiny?


Book Trailer: Destiny

Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO Store


Reign Of Fire
To expose a faction threatening America’s democracy, Emily joins forces with a detective investigating her sister’s murder, but she never expected to fall in love––or to encounter her twin’s ghost.

Tamara Ferguson – TWO HEARTS IN ACCORD is featured at the HBS Author's Spotlight Showcase

The Showcase is a special feature of the Author's Spotlight. It is designed to highlight Spotlight author's NEW releases and their soon to be released novels.

The HBS Author's Spotlight SHOWCASES Tamara Ferguson's New Book: TWO HEARTS IN ACCORD.

Author Tamara Ferguson is the award-winning author of Tales of The Dragonfly Romance Suspense Series, the top-ten bestselling Kissed By Fate Series, and the #1 Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Series. Tamara writes Romance and Suspense novels.

TWO HEARTS IN ACCORD

Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 7

Author: Tamara Ferguson


AVAILABLE
Amazon


Lieutenants Neil Harrison and Anna Drummond shared tragedy four years earlier during a special mission in Iraq, and despite their connection at the time, they both took their previous commitments seriously.

Injured later in Iraq, Neil eventually returned to active duty in pararescue with a prosthetic leg, while former sniper Anna regained her weaponry skills after losing an arm.

Now intent on retraining wounded warriors for active duty while working together as future instructors in a new program in Crystal Rock, Wisconsin, they realize the spark is still there.

Their personal situations have changed, and both Neil and Anna are single. And they seem to have a lot in common; most particularly their love of music.

But it's a few weeks before Luke Bryant and Kelly Callahan's wedding (Two Hearts Surrendered), when Anna and Neil find themselves assisting Sarah Benton's best friend Claire, who's certain her ex is trying to kill her. With Claire's life endangered, Neil and Anna make use of their skills to keep her safe.

Neil and Anna have both been burned in the past,so they're in accord deciding on a no strings relationship. But will they finally admit that it's love?

Excerpt from TWO HEARTS IN ACCORD

Prologue

Iraq

October, 2014 It was time for the squadron to go home.

Anna Drummond watched her fellow airmen begin gathering their gear before a few of them climbed into their cockpits. After the bombs had been dropped on Kobani, each flight team had returned to the isolated air field which had served as temporary headquarters for their unit. They were in a protected zone, and the Iraqi government had sanctioned the U.S. occupation of the former air base.

“Begin to assemble flight team one,” blasted out through the intercom set up near the run-down control tower. Slightly smaller than usual, the twelve-bomber squadron had been divided into three flight teams for their special mission, and each bomber would be departing from the field in fifteen-minute intervals. Later in the day, pilots from another squadron would be arriving to take their place.

Anna heard Captain Matthews call out, “Flight team two be ready.”

She wouldn’t be taking off for a while, since Anna was a member of flight team three, so she continued to sort through her gear at the far end of the base.

The first team’s F-22 Raptor made it down the runway safely and was easing along the short-ragged strip in preparation for take-off before disaster struck. Gunfire echoed suddenly through the air, and the insurgents seemed to be attacking the base from all directions.

Anna watched several members of base security rush across the field. But when one of the men was hit, she raced towards him, seizing the rifle that’d dropped from his hands while quickly taking aim.

One by one, each of the five offenders was contained before the insurgents could reach the runway. It happened so fast, and all Anna heard was the order to shoot to kill. In less than five minutes, Anna had killed three of the five men while the two who were wounded were taken into custody, but not without a fight. Although she was certain there’d been at least another half a dozen men approaching, they’d apparently slipped away.

The injured security team member was still laying on the ground, writhing in pain from the bullet in his shoulder, and Anna waved toward the hangar, yelling, “Someone get out here quick—we have a man down.”

A medic and mechanic approached, carrying a lightweight stretcher.

Surveying the scene from near the hangar, Airman Neil Harrison approached Anna with his mouth gaped open.

Shaking his head looking dazed, he laid his hands over her shoulders, staring into her eyes. “You’ve got some serious skills there, Ace. But are you alright?”

Anna nodded imperceptibly. She was aware of the number of casualties resulting from their bombings, but this was the first time she’d ever shot to kill, and she was feeling numb. “I’ve never…”

“I understand,” he muttered softly. “Maybe I should walk you back inside the hangar?”

“Nah, there are at least a half dozen others,” Anna answered, as her mind went back on full alert while motioning towards the edge of the base. “Someone needs to be here.”

Looking toward the remaining security team members, who were still in the process of restraining the two insurgents, Airman Harrison shouted out, “Hey, we need another man over here on duty. We might still be targeted, because Drummond sighted more of them.”

As the security detail went back on full alert, chaos suddenly ensued across the runway. The raptor which had been ready to depart exploded, apparently hit by gunfire, and moments later fire erupted from the second bomber, while its pilot was preparing to proceed.

As she and Airman Harrison began approaching the runway, Captain Matthews roared, “Hold back! That’s an order.”

They weren’t the only ones trying to assist. The three remaining men from team one had moved away from their planes and were each ready to jump into action.

But there had already been one casualty; Hawk Benton, the pilot of the raptor that had just blown up.

Anna watched in shock as the fire seemed to spread in a heartbeat, and the second bomber in line became engulfed in flames.

Captain Matthews rushed across the airfield and attempted to assist the pilot struggling to escape from its cockpit.

Airman Luke Bryant was already working frantically to open Zach Logan’s cockpit door as Anna and Neil stood helplessly and watched.

“Damn,” Neil muttered. “The fire must be screwing up the instrument panel.”

Somehow, Luke finally managed to wedge open the cockpit, while the captain held back the burning cockpit door.

But a loud crack resounded, and Anna and Neil watched in horror as the left wing piece caught fire. Suddenly, it broke apart from the bomber and dropped to pin down Luke.

As she saw Captain Matthews pull Zach away from the plane, Anna decided she couldn’t stand by and watch any longer.

Apparently, Neil and at least a dozen others had decided the same thing. The wing piece appeared to have crushed one of Luke’s legs and it took three of them to remove Luke from under the burning fuselage. They half lifted and dragged Luke over the field so he could be tended by the medics, laying him next to Zach, who also appeared to be unconscious.

Activity surrounded them as the remaining pilots rushed to move the closest bombers away from the fire into safety at the opposite end of the airfield.

Anna glanced at Neil, who was staring at Captain Matthews with apparent concern. “Sir, we need to get you over to the medics.”

It was then Anna noticed the Captain was bleeding heavily and realized his left hand had been critically damaged.

What hand? Anna thought grimly.

Captain Matthews was staring numbly at the mangled, bloody mass of bones as he collapsed onto the ground.

Author: Tamara Ferguson

Author Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Website: Tamara Ferguson - Kissed by Fate
Author's Blog: Newsletter Sign Up
Tales of the Dragonfly homepage
Twitter: @Tammysdragonfly
E-Mail: Tammysdragonfly@gmail.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

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Amazon Author Profile



Author Description: Writing steamy yet sweet compassionate stories of fate that are wonderfully romantic, Tamara Ferguson is the multi-award winning, #1 international bestselling author of the Tales of the Dragonfly Romance Suspense Series, the Kissed By Fate Series, the Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Series and the Daydreams & Dragonflies Sweet Romance Series.

If you don't believe in the power of fate, you shouldn't read her stories, because Tamara always writes a happily-ever-after for her heroines and heroes, since it doesn't always work out that way in real life.

Her wounded warrior romances, Two Hearts Unspoken, Two Hearts Surrendered, and Two Hearts Undone were all WINNERS at the 2016 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards; with Two Hearts Unspoken earning the Silver Medal in Military Fiction. Two Hearts Surrendered is also a 2016 New Apple Romance Selection for excellence in Indie Publishing.

Two Hearts' Christmas Wish, the fourth story in the series, spent 6 consecutive weeks at #1 in the Mistletoe Kisses & Christmas Wishes romance set and has become a #1 Best Seller independently as well a 2017 IAN Book of the Year Finalist. And it's the #13 BEST INDIE BOOK of 2017.

Along with the 2015 Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Award Winner That Unforgettable Kiss, Two Hearts Surrendered and Two Hearts Unspoken were also finalists for the 2016 IAN Book of The Year. Tales of the Dragonfly In Tandem was a romance finalist in the Indie Excellence Awards, while Tales of the Dragonfly In Flight was a romance suspense winner at the Readers' Favorite International Book Awards.

She's just released Two Hearts Find Christmas (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 5) and is working on Two Hearts Unbroken (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 6) and Emergence, her third Tales of the Dragonfly Novel, due to be published by Windswept in spring of 2018.

A member of the RWA, the Authors' Billboard and the Authors' Independent Book Network, her stories have been included in several #1 bestselling anthologies.

Since she remains a full-time caregiver for an autistic son (along with a bunch of adopted pets!), you can usually find Tammy working at home, where she spends a lot of time not completing her numerous home improvement projects, because she's writing or helping author friends promote their books on twitter.



Author's Book List
That Unexpected Kiss - Kissed By Fate Book 2
*STEAMY ROMANCE

FBI Agent Dylan Nash is in Wisconsin searching for his father's killer. While working undercover as a game warden in the town of Crystal Rock, he meets special education teacher Julie Thompson, and he's immediately attracted. But the problem with that? Not only does Julie work in Colorado, but she's involved with another man.

While visiting her hometown, Julie and Dylan become friends, but she's devastated to learn he's dating her best friend Kate.

A few years later, when a teaching position opens at the new Crystal Visions school for children with disabilities, Julie accepts the job and moves back home

Learning that a series of misunderstandings has kept them apart, Dylan finally confesses his feelings, claiming Julie with an unexpected kiss.

But twenty years ago, Dylan's father was killed and Julie's mother disappeared. Julie is obsessed with discovering the truth, and Dylan wants justice. When clues link her mother's twenty-year-old disappearance to the man who shot his father, can Dylan keep Julie safe from a vicious predator?


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TWO HEARTS UNBROKEN - Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 6
Captured along with members of her team after a targeted explosion in Iraq during transport, Airman Sarah Benton is severely injured, surviving unimaginable horror before she's finally rescued by Captain Brand Reardon and his men, avoiding certain death.

Two years later, honorably discharged from the Air Force as a wounded warrior, Sarah accepts a position as administrator of a new program intent on retraining wounded military men and women planning on remaining in active service.

Now an AFOSI agent, Brand has been sent to Crystal Rock to watch over Sarah for another reason besides as a program liaison: Sarah's life could be in danger. Similar incidents of sabotage had been occurring before and after the assassination of Sarah's team in Iraq. Although Sarah has little memory of her time in captivity, they're almost certain she saw something she wasn't supposed to.

When Brand discovers her cowardly fiancé broke up with her because he couldn't deal with her injuries, Brand decides to do what he's wanted to do from the moment they met, and make Sarah his.

But his assignment is only temporary, and he'll be moving on if Sarah doesn't seem to be in danger. Can Brand break through Sarah's wounded heart before he's reassigned?


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TWO HEARTS FIND CHRISTMAS - Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 5
Josh Loughlin, a blind wounded warrior, has returned to his hometown of Crystal Rock, Wisconsin at Christmastime. As a teenager, Josh operated with a ring of thieves run by his father in the town of Crystal Rock. But when his stepbrother is forced to tolerate the mental and physical abuse that Josh himself experienced as a teenager, Josh decides it's time to stand up against his father, so he goes to the police, discovering his father is involved in even more nefarious activities than he'd suspected.

Under witness protection, Josh is given a second chance at a new life in the military, where he excels. But when he's severely injured in combat, he decides to return to Crystal Rock for his rehab, reuniting with his stepbrother Luke, who was led to believe Josh was in prison.

As a teenager, Nina Chandler was a caregiver for her mother who was dying of cancer. Instinct had told her that despite the bike and tattoos, Josh wasn't the bad boy he'd pretended to be. And when he saves Nina from near assault at Dragonfly Pointe, they share a magical connection the week before Josh disappears, supposedly sent to prison.

Now a nurse at the wounded warrior home, Nina Chandler helps Josh confront the demons from his abusive past, and in the process she discovers the attraction she felt for him all those years ago has never gone away.

But does an attempt on Josh's life mean that his tarnished past has finally caught up with him, or will fate allow Josh and Nina to find love at Christmas?


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A KISS UPON A STAR - Daydreams & Dragonflies Sweet Romance 1
It's Christmas time when ten-year-old Emily and thirteen-year-old Tim first meet at Dragonfly Pointe. Emily has run away after hearing her mother arguing with her aunt and after seeing her sitting alone in the bleachers when his hockey game has ended, Tim makes sure Emily is returned to her aunt's home safely.

Fast forward eight years; Emily is now a rising star while Tim has decided to enlist in the Air Force intending to train service dogs. Tim is nursing a broken heart when he runs across Emily and comes to her aid, saving a stray puppy from drowning in the lake at the Dragonfly Pointe Beach. But little does Tim know that Emily's returned to Dragonfly Pointe to sing at the wedding of the girl Tim thought he was in love with.

Even though Tim doesn't recognize Emily right away, their chance reunion sparks feelings between them, and later on at the wedding, Emily's kiss makes Tim understand he's never really understood the meaning of the word love.

Although they try to keep in touch, little do they know that Emily's controlling mom is conspiring to keep them apart.

Later in their twenties, Emily's a famous vocalist who feels disillusioned with life, and Tim's an injured Air Force veteran who makes a living training service dogs.

But maybe their worlds aren't so different after all. Can Tim find a way to break through Emily's hardened heart?


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TWO HEARTS' CHRISTMAS WISH - Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 4
Seventeen-year-old Jason Matthews made a wish when he'd shared a kiss with Katherine Conlin under the mistletoe at Dragonfly Pointe fourteen years ago. Now an Air Force Captain and wounded warrior, he awakens in the hospital in Germany where his dreams have been invaded by the girl from his past.

Once he returns home to the states, he finds out approaching Kat might be a little more difficult than he'd thought since she's been in a long term relationship for nearly two years.

But another year later when Jason discovers she's on her way to the Dragonfly Pointe Inn for the Christmas holidays without her boyfriend, he seizes the opportunity to become reacquainted.

Kat had been expecting a proposal this Christmas, and when her boyfriend backs out yet again on the carefully laid plans she's made for them, she realizes she probably wouldn't have been happy with him anyway.

Kat has often wondered what happened to Jason Matthews, the boy she'd made a wish with years ago, and the last thing she expects is to run into him again at the Dragonfly Pointe Inn.

Will there still be that special Christmas magic between them to make those long ago wishes come true?


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Two Hearts Undone - Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 3
Located in the town of Crystal Rock, Wisconsin, Crystal Visions is a school and residence for the physically and mentally impaired. Now, a wounded warrior facility is being built nearby, for the military heroes returning home from war.

What drives the caring people behind the scenes? Meet Melinda McDaniel and Steven Ryder.

Mel’s an R.N., and Steve’s an ex-Navy medic and physical therapist. What’s their motivation for dedicating their lives to the care and rehabilitation of those in need?

Both have suffered incredible loss with the death of their significant other. They’ve known each other for three rocky years. Are they finally ready to recognize the attraction they’ve been fighting for each other just might be love?


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TWO HEARTS UNSPOKEN - Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 2
The single mom of a severely autistic son, Elizabeth Bowen is a full-time accountant in Illinois. But the plant where she's been working will be closing soon, due to the struggling economy in Illinois. She's had her hands full with her son Kyle, since his father's been long out of the picture, so when the opportunity to enroll Kyle in a vocational facility in Wisconsin comes up, she gladly accepts.

Retired air force captain, Zachary Logan, is a wounded warrior, searching for anew life for himself outside of the air force. When he relocates to the town of Crystal Rock at the invitation of his friend, Luke Bryant, he realizes he's found it, and accepts the position of administrator at the recently built wounded warrior facility.

When Beth and Zach meet at the beach at Dragonfly Pointe, their attraction to each other is instantaneous. And the most wonderful thing of all? Zach is accepting of her special needs son, Kyle, for exactly who he is.

But even after getting to know each other better, and sharing an incredibly passionate kiss, Beth is puzzled by Zach's behavior. What's Zach hiding, that's preventing him from taking the next step?

Could these two lonely people discover love is that something unspoken, that's been missing from their lives?


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TWO HEARTS SURRENDERED - Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 1
Luke Bryant and Kelly Callahan met on the beach at Dragonfly Pointe when they were only kids. And ever since thirteen-year old Luke saved six-year old Kelly from drowning, they've felt an undeniable connection. But Luke has a tarnished past, and despite his attraction to Kelly when they're growing up, he just doesn't think he's good enough for her.

When Luke comes home on leave from the Air Force, and attends the Magical Wedding of Kelly's sister Kate (Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Award WINNER-That Unforgettable Kiss), Luke and Kelly finally share an enchanting night of passion. They simply can't help themselves--they've loved each other nearly their entire lives.

College student Kelly has everything going for her--she's not only beautiful, but intelligent too. So when Luke eventually returns home from Iraq as a disheartened wounded warrior, even though he appears to want nothing to do with her, she refuses to give up on him. It's not about his looks, or his past--it's all about the connection they've shared since they were kids. Fate has always meant for them to be together--she's sure of it.

But will that past night of enchantment, be strong enough magic, for a military hero to finally surrender his heart to the woman he loves?


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In Flight - A Tales of The Dragonfly Novel
The dragonfly is said to be a symbol of renewal after a time of great hardship.

A woman who’s afraid to trust. Successful designer, Penny Wentworth has arrived from New York to take charge of the wedding flowers for the new owners of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn. As a single parent of a severely autistic and mentally impaired son, she has no romantic illusions; her experience with an abusive husband has left her wary of relationships.

A man who’s afraid to love. Haunted by his past since discovering a six-year old girl brutally murdered at Dragonfly Pointe over twenty-two years before, Sam had intentionally avoided returning home. But after resigning from his job as a homicide detective in New Orleans when his marriage fell apart, Sam is now the chief of police in Crystal Rock, Wisconsin.

An undying passion that’s endured throughout the years. Penny’s escort for the wedding, Sam had once been the object of every single one of her teenage fantasies. Despite his overwhelming attraction to Penny as a teenager, Sam had deliberately kept his distance because of their age difference. But from the moment Sam meets Penny again, he realizes she’s always been the only woman for him.

And when Sam and Penny spend the entire weekend of the wedding together, their sizzling attraction turns explosive.

But unaware his divorce was never legally finalized, Sam has no idea that Vanessa Gerard Danielson is on her way to Crystal Rock attempting for reconciliation.

And now there’s a killer in their midst. Sam is stunned when Vanessa’s body is pulled out from the Crystal Rock River.

Indian legend claims Dragonfly Pointe has a mysterious power to ensure new beginnings. When Sam’s search for a killer, astonishingly, leads him back through his own tarnished past, will a woman who’s afraid to trust be able to forgive a man who considers himself undeserving of her love?


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Tales of the Dragonfly Book I: In Tandem
Separated by circumstances fifteen years earlier, Jake Loughlin and Danielle Reardon are fatefully reunited at Dragonfly Pointe.

But the mysterious Dragonfly Pointe has a history of tragedy. An unsolved brutal assault and murder of a six-year old girl over twenty years before has remained unsolved.

A successful entrepreneur, Jake has hidden his status as a special investigator for the FBI. As owner of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn, Jake has returned to restore and renovate the abandoned property.

But, unofficially, he’s investigating the theory that a ring of human traffickers is operating in the area. With three to five kidnappings occurring at the end of each year over the states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, Jake can trace a pattern going back as far as thirty-five years.

And there could be a connection to the death of the little girl at Dragonfly Pointe twenty-two years earlier.

After the death of her grandmother several months before, Danielle has returned to the family cabin for a short vacation. A former model and vocalist for a band, Danielle escaped her chaotic life as a celebrity when her boyfriend died of a drug overdose. After obtaining her horticulture degree, she opened a successful landscape business in New York.

When Jake and Danielle finally meet again, it's magic.

But something odd is going on at Dragonfly Pointe. During the reconstruction process, not only is a strange vehicle noticed, several times, traveling back and forth to Dragonfly Pointe, but a suspicious stranger is sighted around the area.

When a young girl is kidnapped from a nearby community, the FBI investigation becomes official, and Jake is put into action.

Then lovely eighteen-year old Lucy Callahan is kidnapped. Granddaughter of the former police chief of Crystal Rock, Lucy is like a sister to Danielle.

When the FBI investigation leads back to Dragonfly Pointe, Danielle, herself, is put in danger.

Despite its tragic history, the beauty and power of the magic at Dragonfly Pointe enables new beginnings.

Suffering tremendous loss, or surviving abuse and tragedy, each character featured in the series will create their own new beginning, aided by the power of love.


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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
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