​Molly was raised by the worst of parents. They are grifters.

Originally the word may have been used for circus people who swindled patron, especially with games of cards. However, with the loss of circus entertainers in general and it being such a cool word, it’s definition broadened a bit. It now means anyone who illicitly acquires money or property from another person (formerly designated as the ‘mark’).  The first time it was used in an American novel appears to be in 1915: George Bronson-Howard’s God’s Man. Here’s the reference:

 "Grifting ain't what it used to be. Fourteenth Street's got protection down to a system—a regular underworld tariff on larceny."
​
In Saving Molly, when Molly was a child, she had an adorable smile and sweetest personality, so her ‘parents’ used her in their cons. Molly was the perfect distraction while they would lift wallets or create untrue reasons why the mark should give them money. Whenever a con would go awry, they would blame Molly and once they got home, beat the poor child painfully. But in public, they seemed the nicest couple, and Molly had the brightest smile on her face. ALWAYS.

Saving Molly 
By
Liza O’Connor
Book 2 of the
Requires Rescue Series
∞
Contemporary Suspense
∞
Sometimes even the strong
requires a helping hand.
 
Blurb 
Molly Brown always faces life with a smile, even when a frightening thug is intent upon killing her. At first, Detective Sean Cushing finds Molly’s cheery disposition unnatural, especially when he discovers the seriousness of her injuries. When she asks for police protection, he instead offers her a job and home being a nanny to his five-year-old daughter, hoping her cheery disposition can pull his child from her dark hole of misery. Never did he expect he’d be proposing marriage within a day, but life has a way of going in odd directions when Molly Brown is involved.
EXCERPT
Suddenly a hand gripped her arm. “Hey, you okay?”
The nice lady officer had returned for her.
“Thank you for coming back. I’m sorry; I couldn’t keep up with you. Normally, I could, but I think I’ve pulled my hamstrings,” she explained with her best smile.
The bathroom turned out to be only about twenty feet from where she stopped. Had she continued on her own to the door and entered the hallway, she could easily have found it. Now she felt doubly stupid. Why hadn’t she done that? She wasn’t a kid in Kansas anymore.
She stumbled as fast as possible to the bathroom stall, and barely got her butt on the seat before her bladder exploded. The smell was vile.
Someone coughed outside the stall.
“You don’t have to wait for me…Go while you can still breathe!”
A moment later, she heard the door open and close.
She covered her face with her hands. Why can’t I be like everyone else? Why do I have to be so freakin’ weird?
But she knew why. Her college roommate, Sandra, who did her psychology thesis on Molly, gave her a copy to read the day they graduated. In one horrible day she discovered how strange she appeared to others, her parents’ manipulations of her difference for their own gain, and that her only friend she’d ever had actually had seen their relationship as one of researcher to lab rat.
That had been the worst day of Molly’s life, far worse than today.
She smiled. If she could survive that day, she could survive anything. She was unsinkable! No matter what, she would come up smiling, because that’s who she was.
 
BUY IT NOW!
SAVING MOLLY
AMAZON
 
DON’T FORGET—-

99 CENT PROMO
7/1-7/7
SAVING CASEY
AMAZON
 
NOTE: EACH BOOK STANDS ALONE
AND CAN BE READ IN ANY ORDER.
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

​Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels.
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
LIZA O'CONNOR
Investigate these sites:
Liza's Blog and Website   Facebook   Twitter

Molly deserves a happily ever after and not only does she get one but she brings about a fairy tale ending for a child and a group of dogs in this amazing tale!

Saving Molly is a wonderful story of how we don't always know what one person has going through just by looking at them. Molly is always smiling but we quickly learn that her smile hides a horrible childhood and now death threats.

The action in this book grows as Molly finds herself in one situation after another. And when Sean enters her life, she finally gets the protector she deserves...even if no one really believes she is innocent. 

Ms. O'Connor writes characters who are likable and very honest. I could easily see myself being friends with Molly--although I think I would have understood her different smiles and her past. 

Even with danger, childhood issues and thugs, Ms. O'Connor writes a story sure to make you smile. Her wonderful sense of humor comes through in her writing. Even the outrageous is possible and always true! I love each of her books and can't wait to see what happens in the next Saving book! 

I'm the first to admit that I can't be friends with guys. Somehow, someway I end up wanting more. So could I live with a guy friend, even have benefits without falling in love??

No way! Could you?? 

Here's the #sexy new book, now available for pre-order which explores this idea...

​Can you heal a broken heart?

AJ Ross has always focused his attention on two things, women and medicine. He was the best at both. He was the “love ‘em and leave ‘em type. But when he moves in with a girl he had a fling with, a girl he cannot remember, his life slowly begins to unravel.

Katherine had always done what was expected of her. She was daddy’s little obedient girl. But when her father arranges a marriage between her and her friend she begins to rebel. Katherine bumps into a man who gave her a night she could never forget. The problem is, he can’t seem to remember her.
​
So when they end up living together all Katherine wants to do is make sure AJ remembers her—and the night he took her virginity. Will she succeed? Will AJ remember her and want more, or will Katherine’s arranged marriage stand in the way?

Excerpt:
Well that’s too bad. She was sick of blending into the background. She was sick of not being noticed. Today she’d turned sixteen and drowned plain Jane.

“I’m sorry you don’t like it, David.” She brushed her hair back off her face and smiled. “But I’m not sorry I made a change, and I’m not sorry I waded out into those waves.” Why would she be sorry? Especially when she knew her magic had made them. She had power and fire running through her veins.

“Even though you almost drowned?” He cocked one handsome eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, emphasizing his muscles. She ignored the way her heart fluttered.

“Even though I almost drowned,” she repeated, raising her chin defiantly. David could waste his charming looks on another sucker. She wasn’t some silly schoolgirl with a crush.

He smiled, softening his features and bringing out dimples in both cheeks. And just like that, Jane’s heart pounded wildly once again. So much for not being one of those silly girls, she thought bitterly.

“I guess I shouldn’t have saved you, then,” he teased, shrugging his shoulders.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have,” she clipped back, as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Too bad she was already standing straighter and pressing her chest forward, which only made her washboard curves more obvious.

Her efforts paid off as his eyes did that “sneaky travel up and down her body” thing again. She saw interest in his disarming gaze that made her thankful she’d let plain Jane drown.
“Well there’s still time, Jane.” His voice dropped an octave when he said her name, making her shiver with delight. “You could go back into Lake Huron, and this time, I’ll stand right here.”

Jane felt the need to smile and turned toward the lake to hide it. She didn’t want David to know the effect his teasing had on her. It was time to play it cool. “Maybe next time,” she responded and then forced a yawn. “I’m ready for bed.”

She walked past David, refusing to look at him again, knowing he was displaying those dimples, the ones that made her knees weak. “Thanks for the save, David,” she called over her shoulder, offering him a parting salute.

“Hold it.” David jogged to catch up with her. Jane refused to stop, even as her heart felt as if it would crawl out of her chest. “Let me walk you home.”
​
“Home? I live right up the hill, David.” She glanced over at him and of course wasn’t prepared for his striking brown eyes and terribly distracting dimples. Why hadn’t she noticed how handsome he was before?

​In the small town of Caseville strange things have occurred…

From the time Jane Hensley was little, she knew she was different. Instead of hanging out with friends, she was often in the woods, alone, chanting magical words that filled her with power and effected the environment around her. A sudden summer storm on a perfectly sunny day. Monster waves crashing into the shores of Lake Huron. Strange things happening in nature with no rhyme or reason. Residents are mystified by these occurrences, but would never dream they could come from Plain Jane Hensley, the girl that was so quiet, it was like she wasn’t there at all.

But David Reynolds, the town’s football star, has noticed Jane. In fact he has been secretly in love with the strange girl for years. And on the morning of her sixteenth birthday, he is determined to finally reveal his heart to her. Instead David discovers Jane’s powerful secret. A secret that has brought a magical stranger to their town. One who claims to be a Pixie King, and entices Jane on a quest.
​
Now David must choose whether to allow the girl of his dreams to disappear forever. Or follow her on a journey that defies logic.

About the Author:
Romance Author, Susan V. Vaughn understood the meaning of sarcasm before she could walk.  Her childhood in the suburbs of Detroit was spent mainly trying to outwit her six creative siblings.  When she wasn’t working on the next soul crushing jab, she sharpened her imagination on romantic literature and day dreamed about her knight in shining armor.

It didn’t take long for Susan to take her passion for reading romances into writing her own unique love stories.  Susan lives her life finding laughter in all situations, and delights in marrying sarcasm with romance to create realistic falling-in-love stories in the unlikeliest of scenarios.  
​
Susan lives on the shores of Lake Huron with her real life knight in shining armor and enjoys watching their three children learn the art of sarcasm and wit.
 
Website-www.susanvvaughn.com
Twitter-@susanvaughn1124
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/Susan-V-Vaughn-123758787958942/

​I LOVE this cover...who wouldn't? Sexy guy, flames...Tangled Sin sounds like a delicious chocolate on my tongue. But don't take my word for it... check it out for yourself...

In a world of encroaching darkness and carnal hunger, a deadly sin awakens…

Bound to a legacy he cannot escape, Riley is a demon unlike any other. With each passing century, his soul grows darker until the seductive trouble-magnet, Saia Sen-Grayson, stumbles into his path and throws his entire world off kilter. But danger has a way of finding him and destroying anything worthwhile in his life.

The biggest challenge in Saia’s life is evading her matchmaking socialite mother. Then she crashes into the sexiest man in her aunt’s building. One look into his striking green eyes and her fleeing days skid to a halt, except she gets more than she bargains in the sexy, tattooed bartender.

And neither can deny the burning attraction between them.

When his tainted past closes in on him, Riley’s forced to make the toughest decision ever to keep her safe. Then Saia’s hauled by a deadly adversary into his dark and treacherous world of Stygia—a place of old betrayals. Now Riley must face his past and accept his future in order to save the woman who belongs to him. And nothing will stop him from claiming her, least of all Saia herself.

​But danger comes in many forms and the one least expected might be the sin that seals their fates once and for all…
 
Available: AMAZON | NOOK| iBOOKS | KOBO | SMASH
 
EXCERPT 1: opening chapter (PG) 
He had another damn tail on him!

Did the bastard really want to die?

Riley snagged a shot glass and filled the ordered green poison. With Satire’s jam-packed from the rush of tourists, it was the only thing nailing his feet to the floor from an all out fight. And this one was brave enough to sit in his bar and eyeball him for the past hour.

In this world, his kind tended to blend in with mortals and usually kept below the radar for a simpler life. But not this asshole. He had no idea he was dancing with death right now.

Already on edge, his body wound too tight as restlessness clawed at his psyche, Riley sent the absinthe sliding toward the demon down the counter. The male grabbed the thing and tossed it back like water.

The demon’s human girlfriend leaned against his arm and peered at Riley beneath her lashes. He met her sultry stare as he readied a line of shooters for a noisy trio of college kids.

Oh, yeah, his looks and badass rep were the perfect draw, got him the females. So easy to accept her invite but he wasn't interested in a quick backroom bang.

He was in need of something violent. Bloody.

A dark haze stole into his mind, knowing his damn past would never leave him alone. His fingers clenched. A loud shatter, and glass rained onto the scoured wooden counter. Blood and vodka ran over his hand, drenching the crystal fragments.

“Rile-man, you okay there?”

A six foot two hulking tattooed male with a buzz cut, appeared at his side. Zacarias. His friend, manager and sometimes bouncer.

A terse nod. He looked up from his bleeding hand, his gaze colliding with those of his watcher.

Anger unleashed, he scaled the counter in movements too fast for human eyes and was across the floor in seconds. Grabbing the dark-haired demon by his shirt, Riley shoved him against the red brick wall. “Why the fuck are you on my ass again? Do you want to die?”

All the demon guards hounding him in recent months were seriously pissing him off. No matter how many he sent back to the Dark Realm wounded or dead, more just took their place.

This idiot didn't even try to fight back. His gaze grew languid, his smile seductive. “No. But I know what I do want,” he purred, walking his fingertips up Riley’s chest.

The haze turned red. Riley slammed his fist into the demon’s gut. The male squeaked in pain. Startled gasps erupted from the customers. Before he could get in another shot, someone grabbed his arm and yanked him off the cowering demon, who hurriedly slunk away.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Zac snapped. “You want to draw notice, you’re sure going about it the right way. So the guy came on to you, it never drove you homicidal before.”

Riley elbowed Zac off. Not a guard—not a damn guard! He’d hit an innocent demon—one of those docile Otium demons who’d escaped the tyranny of the Dark Realm for a better life here. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

 “Get your damn self together,” Zac growled. “You don’t want to start an all-out fight in the bar. Go walk the streets, find something outside to kill, and cool the crap off.”

Breathing hard, Riley walked out of the bar and into the crowded street, the familiar reek of seafood enclosing him. Avoiding the noisy tourists and drunks loitering about, he cut through the back alleys in the French Quarter, rife with the stench of decaying waste, and headed for his apartment several blocks away.

Unable to expend the rage roiling inside him, he pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and made a call. A female answered.

“See you in ten.” He rang off.

Pandora was one of the few humans who knew what he was. She didn't want the ties either, just some fun time, and she was the perfect submissive when he needed that edge. Tonight, he was definitely in the mood for something darker.

The sounds of a roaring V8 engine split the silence, a blood-red Corvette Stingray came to a squealing halt in front of his building, the acrid burn of rubber stinking up the night air.
He scowled. “Damn maniacal drivers!”

The door flung open. A petite, but curvy female jumped out and flipped back yards of wavy, inky-black hair, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of her face. Her tan skin revealing her mixed-race ethnicity, her lush mouth flattened in a tight line.

Cursing, she kicked the tire then pressed her cell phone back to her ear. “I swear, Zayn, if you tell Mother you spoke to me, I will personally call all your girlfriends and tell them they aren’t the one…” She laughed evilly. The light, raspy sound grazed his senses with an unexpected sensuality, and had him slowing to a halt in the shadows.

“Yeah, that’s me, spawned from the devil, but Daddy wouldn’t appreciate the comparison…”
She listened then snorted, impatiently pushing back her heavy fall of hair. “Liz loves me like her own. Stop complaining and tell Mother you haven’t seen me because I'm not coming to another boring party… Who?— Why would I care if Piers is back in town, he’s your friend…”

She marched alongside her car, hip-bumped the door closed as she listened, the streetlight casting a soft glow over her irate features. “Yes-yes, I'm always careful…” Despite her tart response, she cut a quick look around.

Riley stilled as her dark gaze skimmed past him then darted back to the spot where he allowed his form to blend in with the shadowy trees, the cover of night his camouflage. A frown marred her smooth brow.

She sensed him? How, he had no idea. Obviously, all her senses were in working order.

The faint reek of decaying swamp and sulfur drifted to him. Riley narrowed his gaze. They weren’t alone. And this little human probably couldn’t smell the bile-inducing stench of evil—had no idea how close to danger she truly was.

He willed her to get back in her car and leave. She did nothing of the sort. Instead, she popped the trunk, tugged out a large suitcase, and dumped it on the sidewalk. Then she sat on the thing and continued her call as if basking in the Maldives.
Un-flippin-believable!

Him, she sensed, but the evil drawing closer just flowed over her pretty little head.

For hell’s sake, did she not get a whiff of the damn stink?

About the Author:
I’ve been creating stories from the moment I could string two words together. No matter the tale, it always has romance woven through them. Yes, I'm a hopeless romantic.

When I’m not writing or plotting new books, I like to read, travel, painting, or troll flea markets where I usually buy things I might never actually use because they're so pretty.
After working in a few jobs all art related, a chosen career as a fashion designer, then an art teacher, I finally found my passion four years ago: writing. There really is no other job I’d rather do.
​
Oh, and I hail from the beautiful country of South Africa, and currently live in the Middle East.
 
Author’s follow links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Instagram
 

Hello, Christine, and thank you for visiting today.  Tell us a little about yourself.
I grew up in Ohio and Delaware and love traveling to exotic, romantic settings. After a college semester in Kathmandu, my first three “real” jobs were all in northern Japan, where I lived for almost 10 years. I currently split my career between my daytime occupation (improving the quality of veterans’ nursing home care) and my nights/weekend avocation (writing both fiction and non-fiction books). My husband Ron Strickland is a well-known long-distance hiker and trail guide writer and the founder of the 1,200-mile Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. I love reading, pilates, bicycling, and snorkeling, and health foods that taste like they’re bad for you. You will often find me at a keyboard, a German shepherd at my side, and Ron whispering sweet edits over my shoulder.

Thanks! It sounds like you have an interesting life. Now on to some personal questions.
If you could go back in time to when you were seven years old, what wisdom or advice would you pass on to yourself?
Don’t jump on the bed when your grandmother tells you not to. My grandmother was apparently not kidding when she said the bed would collapse.

For what are you grateful?
I am incredibly grateful to have found my husband. We met on the internet, and I almost deleted his email. I actually had it checked for deletion, but something about his name made me wonder…had I met him somewhere before? People say that to him all the time, I now know. Thank goodness I did!

If a zombie virus took over the world, how many days do you think you could last before you were infected? And what would you do to postpone the inevitable?
I wouldn’t last a second. I’m too gullible. A zombie would walk up to me and say, “Hey, I’m not really a zombie…”

What television sitcom is most like your family? Why?
The Odd Couple. My parents should never have gotten married, although I’m, of course, happy they did! But they fought a lot. It was good for everyone when they each got their own separate shows, so to speak.

What’s your favorite thing to do to relax?
I love to read. Bike riding is a close second.

Let’s find out a little bit about you as an author. Did you always want to be an author?
Nope. When I was young, I told everyone I wanted to be a psychiatrist. I think it was because I knew it was about helping people. For a while in high school I wanted to be a microbiologist. That lasted until I took organic chemistry. Then I was going to be involved in international politics…long story short, I was a late-blooming author. I started writing my first book in 2008. 

What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult?
I adored James Herriot. I loved animals, but it was really his understanding and affectionate treatment of the people he encountered me into the stories. I still reread those books every now and then.

Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing?
Increasingly, I’m reliant on dictation software. My eyes aren’t the best, and if I’m going to continue writing for most of my waking hours, I’m going to have to do some of that with my eyes closed. I guess it’s my version of writing with my hands tied behind my back!

How did you decide to write a romantic suspense story?
Hey love reading suspenseful novels, and who doesn’t love romance? It seemed like the perfect genre—a combination of two exciting aspects of a good story.

What have you learned the most from being in the writing business?
I have learned how to better self edit. I didn’t have a good grasp of how to do that before. I worked with an editor on my first book. He had wonderful suggestions to which I could discern no pattern until I took an editing class. That’s been an extraordinary gift in my anytime work as well as my book writing.

Tell us about your latest release: 
Title: WILD WITHIN
Author: Christine Hartmann 
Series: Wild at Heart Series #1
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
SYNOPSIS: A year after a family tragedy, Grace Mori embarks on the journey of a lifetime…
 
Two thousand, six hundred miles of blistering heat, wilderness, and soul searching—that’s what Grace signed up for when she decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s not a voyage for beginners, but with no husband and her family still recovering from her bother’s death, Grace is more alone than ever. 
 
This trail meant something to her brother, and she’ll hike it in his memory, but she can’t do it alone. So with her brother’s gear and a small group, Grace takes the most important first steps of her life.
 
Grace finds something more than peace and magic on the trail…
 
When her first day of hiking ends in heat stroke, Grace is rescued by a handsome, red-haired hiker who calls himself Lone Star. Grace has an immediate connection with him, and their brief encounter leaves her fearing her soul mate has slipped through her fingers. Although he vows to keep in touch, Grace doubts she’ll ever see him again.
 
When fears become reality, the only people Grace can rely on may be killers...
 
Grace is surprised to find notes left at supply posts along the trail. Lone Star’s eloquent letters keep Grace going, clinging to the hope she’ll find him—and happiness—at the end of her journey. But as the trail becomes more perilous, menace grows within the group. And when Lone Star’s letters mysteriously stop coming, Grace fears the worst. 
 
As tensions flare and a killer emerges, Grace must battle to survive…and reunite with the man she’s sure is her future.

EXCERPT:
Later, after sharing a hearty dinner with the RV couple, Lone Star and Grace pitched their tents in adjacent campsites. For Grace, tent poles went into wrong grommets, stakes came loose, and clips misaligned. Lone Star set his up in a flash and sat in the entrance, watching her struggle.

“I wouldn’t mind a little help here, if you’ve got the time.”

“I’ve got the time. But you have to learn this for yourself, darlin’. Soon it’ll be as easy as pie. But not if I do it for you. Besides, I enjoy watching you. You clean up real nice.”

“Thanks.” Grace curtsied. Her foot caught in a tent line and she fell. Lone Star chuckled so long he had to hold his sides.

“From where I’m sitting, Lone Star, you’re not living up to Southern gentleman standards.” She brushed herself off. “What’s the Texas expression for go jump in a lake?”

“What I think you’re trying to say is that you think I’m about as fine as cream gravy.”

Grace used a rock to pound in her final tent stake and attached its guy-line. “Yes, that’s what I meant.” She tossed a pine cone at his head. “You’re as fine as clean gravy. So is my tent. Not bad for a first try.”

“Not clean gravy. Cream gravy. And it’s a fine tent indeed.”

Once inside her shelter, Grace was too tired to crawl into her sleeping bag. She pulled it over her like a blanket, thought for a second of Lone Star’s blue eyes, and fell asleep before the cover reached her chin.

Cheerful whistling roused her when dawn was still a light orange glow on the horizon. She pushed the tent flap aside and made out Lone Star breaking camp.

“Didn’t mean to wake you, darlin’.”

“You’re leaving? Already?” Sudden anxiety prickled in her.

“Sure am. Today’s supposed to be cooler, they say. Still, it’s good to start early in the desert, no matter what the prediction.”

“Wait.” Grace scrambled out. “I can pack up and go with you. Quick as a caterpillar in heat. Or whatever you’d say.” She wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm in the crisp morning air.

Lone Star’s face shone with affection. “Just Grace, your coming with me is a sweet thought.” He took gentle hold of her shoulders and turned her around. “But you crawl right back in your bag. You’re staying put today.”

Her attention focused on his hands as he gently pushed her toward her tent. Warm, firm, comforting hands. A sudden longing enveloped her. She struggled out of his grip. “I don’t need any more rest. I’m fine.”

“You don’t know how tired you are.”

“I’m okay. Really.” She jumped up and down. “See?”

“No arguing.” He again ushered her to the tent and waited until she was tightly wrapped and zippered inside. His thighs appeared at the entrance as he folded his long body until his head was level with his knees.

“I loved hiking with you yesterday, Just Grace. My heart is saying stay here with you. But I’ve got 2,600 miles to hike before snow lands in Canada. And my law practice isn’t going to be there forever if I don’t get back to it as soon as I can. I’ve just got to skedaddle.”

He cares more about his work than he does about me.

She fought back tears and willed her voice not to crack. “Okay. I understand. You’ve got your…priorities.”

Lone Star reached for her chin but she jerked it away.

He let his hand drop. “Don’t be that way, Just Grace. You’ve got to have a little faith.”

“Faith in what?”

“Faith in us.” He rubbed his hand against her cheek. This time she leaned into it.

“There’s an us?” 

PURCHASE LINKS:
Kindle Unlimited: http://amzn.to/1O1YR0I
Paperback: http://amzn.to/1Obc6QN
 
How did you decide on your story plot?
To write a convincing suspense novel, you need to find experts who can tell you how they do their job, If one of your main characters is a police officer, for example, you need to find a police officer to talk to. When I thought about people I knew who were experts at something, my husband came quickly to mind. He is a long-distance hiker and trail developer. “Perfect,” I thought. “I’ll set a story on a long-distance trail.” That is how Wild Within was born.

How did you choose your characters’ names and location for your story?
The location was easy. Ron had most recently hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, so I picked that. as for characters names, I usually go through census statistics on popular names and choose names based on whether I think the character should have a popular name or an unusual one. When I look through the list, I pick the name that feels right to me.

Do you have a favorite scene? Why?
I love all the scenes where my main character, Grace, finds her own inner strength. This happens in various ways throughout the book, but I particularly like one of the final scenes where, despite all the odds being against her, she fights back with all she’s got.

Do you have a character that you identify with? Who and why?
One of the things people say about Wild Within is that they like the characters, even the villains. I’m not saying I identify completely with my villains. But it was very important for me to make them realistic and likable, because sometimes circumstances drive people to terrible actions that they wouldn’t have done if the circumstances had been different. Villains don’t need to have inherent character flaws. That said, the character I identify with most in every book is the heroine. She’s not me, but she’s someone I would really like to spend time with if I met her in person.

Let our readers know how they can get a hold of you…
The best way to stay in touch is through my Wild at Heart newsletter. You can sign up on my website: http://chartmannbooks.com

Is there anything else that you want to share… feel free!!
I’m doing a series of romance profiles in my newsletter right now. I am always looking for people who have romantic story they would like to share with my readers. If any of you reading this has an inspiring story about meeting the love of your life, sign up for my newsletter on my website and let me know. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences to get in touch with couples, listen to their stories, and write them up. There are so many ways of spelling romance. The possibilities are endless!

​For More Information

• Visit Christine Hartmann’s website.
• Connect with Christine on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Christine at Goodreads.

Reno swears revenge over his coward father, but love keeps getting in the way.

Reno Kanaloa Kent leaves his home in Hawaii to search for the father who abandoned him, his sister and mother for money. When he gets to New York he finds Lisette his father's goddaughter. His intention was to use her to get closer to him, but he didn't think he would end up falling in love with her.

Lisette finds out the man she loved only wanted to use her to get to the Kent family. At first she is angry but she feels hurt when he breaks up with her.
​
Reno leaves New York to look for his missing sister, but only comes back when he finds out Lisette was involved in a car accident. It is then when he starts to realize what is more important in his life, his love for Lisette. Although he feels like he is betraying his lost sister, Reno finds it hard to give up the woman he has in front of him for a sister he doesn't know whether or not she is dead or alive.
 
EXCERPTS 
“We know who you are.”
“Who is that, sir?” Reno tried to keep the steel out of his voice. He was angry at Dennis but loathed the fact that Adrian was assuming his father’s responsibilities.
“We know you are my son,” Dennis finally said.
“No, I’m not.” Reno saw the panic register in both their faces.
“You are just the man who got my mother pregnant twice, then left when you found a new family. You are the man who was supposed to protect us, but left us at the mercy of a drunk and an abuser. You were nowhere in sight when that man sold my sister to the highest bidder. You are not my father—you just happen to be the man my mother had the misfortune of meeting.”
Reno let out a pained bark of laughter. “’Til the day she died, she still believed you were a saint. A saint wouldn’t have left her to be killed by her crazy boyfriend.” “Reno, I’m sorry.”
Reno took an angered step toward him, his fingers balled into fists, his body coiled in rage and ready to attack. “Don’t apologize to me. I will not be the one to give you peace when my sister is out there, God knows who with.”
“We are going to find her.”
“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” he cried out. “I remember the night she was taken, unlike you, her father. I looked everywhere for her. She was the reason I never left the island, because I thought she was still there.”
“Why did you come here, Reno?” Adrian asked.
“I had a plan. Not a plan, but an intention.” Reno’s gaze focused on Dennis’s face. “I wanted to hurt you just as much as you hurt me, my mother, and my sister.”
“You came for revenge?” Adrian asked once more.
“Yes,” Reno said through clenched teeth.
“Is that why you attached yourself to my daughter?”

You don’t understand

What don’t I get?
Working three jobs to make ends meet. Juggling money to make it to the next paycheck, struggling to pay for groceries, heat and healthcare, too afraid to go to the doctor even though you know that you should. Not being able to afford to get well and too afraid that it’s more.

What don’t I get?
Driving to another state is a challenge. Finding time to get down to visit isn’t easy and it also takes money but harder still the time. Never having you attend my children’s milestones…birthdays, presentations, graduations due to the drive and yet being sad that I have missed out on so many things, weakening our relationship and wishing it was more.

What don’t I get?
Things need to get done. Lists and calendars make up my life as I keep up with schedules and appointments. Time isn’t infinite, it’s going by so quickly, each day precious and could be the last. No one gets a guarantee. We have to work with what we have and I’m always the one I short in order to make sure things get done.

What don’t I get?
This is about people…children, parents, siblings, spouses, friends, yet the one person who is trying so hard to keep all the balls in the air is being pulled in different directions, being told it’s not enough. The blows and stings of words hit the heart as much as the body, weakening the foundation. Being asked to ignore, forgive, forget, never an apology reaching those ears.
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I think I get it… more than you think.
Harsh words said in anger are still painful, ripping, shredding and forever changing the landscape. 

Do you remember your first love? I do. We'd known each other since we were babies. In fact, I have photos of us together as toddlers in the sandbox. We started "dating" in middle school/jr. high. While our relationship didn't last, I still consider him the first person in my heart and I always will.

In MS Kaye's latest release, we see an ex-marine who has given up on marriage to become a priest but that's before he's asked to work with his former first flame....

About the Author
Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
LIZA O'CONNOR
Investigate these sites:
Liza's Blog and Website   Facebook   Twitter
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In the sequel to the lucky lottery winner, Ms. O'Connor shares what happens when mafia princess tries to save a forest rather than become the next leader of smuggling or money laundering. Tess is a fun character, very unlike her family (except for her grandmother) and ends up proving that love is stronger than genes.

I find myself so caught up in the story that I can't put it down, thereby losing sleep at night wishing I could meet these fabulous people and be a part of their exciting lives. Ms. O'Connor's stories are a true delight and make me want to be a better person.

A must read for fans of suspense and romance. And while you may not be able to put the book down, you will learn a thing or two... about trees, bears and the country roads.

​Get your copy today!