Melissa Keir-Small Town Romance Author
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Melissa's Musings

I'm One in a Million #truestory

6/30/2022

 
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How many of you have a mole on your finger? According to my doctor, that's very rare. He hardly ever sees someone with a mole on a finger. Maybe two in a year. 

As a woman who deals with body issues, I always loved my hands. They were one of my best features, if you didn't look to closely at my chewed down nails. My fingers were long and thin, the back of my hand plump. Everything in a nice proportion. Best of all, they worked great! 

As a writer, my fingers would peck away at the keyboard all hours of the day as I penned my stories of love and happily ever afters. I didn't spend a lot of time and energy on my hands. No fancy nails. They were hardly ever polished, most often natural and trimmed short. I loved what they did, from baking scones to applying lotion to my baby's bottom. 

It was my daughter that mentioned that the mole on my left hand was looking dark. In passing, she'd mentioned that "you should get that looked at". My husband agreed with her. Besides it was time for a full body check. I hadn't had one in years. But there wasn't anything I was worried about...it was my husband who had issues with skin cancer. 

I was able to get a pretty quick appointment for the skin doctor because I mentioned that my regular doctor was worried about a few spots. I had a lot of skin markings along my legs, stomach and back. Those I was worried about. They often itched and became irritated. While my regular doctor told me those were normal, I wanted to see the specialist in the hopes they had a magic cure for those spots. 

The doctor wasn't worried. My spots were normal. Even the adult acne on my face was treatable. The mole on my finger, my middle finger was unusual, but even rarer than having one.... was having one that was cancer. He prescribed some medication and suggested we take off the finger mole, just because. 
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The surgery was successful and the mole was removed. He'd stitched the area up and when I went back in two weeks later to get the stitches out, the doctor told me that I was one in a million. The mole was cancer. While he was fairly sure that he'd gotten all the cancer during the first surgery, he wanted to go back in and make sure. Words like margins were talked about. So was reconstruction. Because my finger wasn't very big, taking more would mean that my finger would have a deep hole in it, one not able to be stitched back together. 

Instead the doctor wanted to take part of the back of my hand and move it over to the finger, giving it a more normal appearance. I'd already faced two surgeries to get rid of "cancerous cells", getting this surgery was a no brainer. The second surgery was scheduled about a month out to give my finger time to heal up from the last one. 

I wasn't worried about how it'd look. I was more grateful that we'd found it early and that the doctor could get it all. 

​Saving my life?? a no brainer. 

Needless to say, I wasn't prepared for what would happen, nor how much I used my hand. The doctor had warned me about pulling the stitches. I was told to "take it easy". Of course, that was easier said than done. Typing was a challenge. I could finger peck with my right hand. Anything from opening a door to putting toothpaste on my toothbrush was a challenge. I did overuse my hand. I did pull my stitches, but it was impossible not to. Two more weeks and I'd get the stitches out. But the reconstruction was major. It impacted three fingers and the back of my hand. The doctor had taken the skin from the back of my hand and moved it up and over to my finger to use where he'd taken out so much. 

Just a warning... the images below are graphic. They are from the day of the surgery and the weeks after. You can see how my hand changed. I faced an infection from the stitches. My body didn't like them. I had scab issues and more infection even after the stitches were out. This wasn't a journey I thought to take but as I said before... the choice was clear. I wanted the cancer out. 
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What a long way from the beginning until the end. The doctor shared with me the report that he had gotten all the cancer. My hand is still tight and I'm finding the interior stitches poking through my skin on a daily basis, forcing me to remove them. But I can type and use my hand. Even more importantly--I don't have to worry about whether the doctor got it all or if cancer will show up once more. 

Halfway through this adventure, my husband told me that he probably wouldn't have recommended the surgery, knowing how hard it had been on my hand. But I'm glad it's done. It will be interesting if next year, I look at my hand and will see the changes to it. Once more I can lift that middle finger and say "Fuc# Cancer".

Children in Books #coverreveal

6/23/2022

 
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Do you like children in romance books? I DO! Children are so honest and authors can use them to shock a character because kids can say things that adults only think. You know Kids Say the Darndest Things!

Also what is sexier than a guy holding a child who is sleeping in his arms?? There is something about men with babies that makes your insides clench and heart melt!

TAYLOR'S LAW features amazing characters, a sweet romance and a child who is in the middle of a family tug of war. Now available for preorder, TAYLOR'S LAW releases on July 19th. Makes sure to get your copy today!

Blurb:
Tell me a secret and I’ll tell you a lie.

Ella Anderson adores her niece. Despite struggling to make ends meet, accepting her dying sister’s request she raise Tessa as her own is a no brainer. Until she receives a summons from a legal goliath on behalf of a wealthy stranger claiming paternity and, potentially, custody of her child.

Jake Taylor has been ripped off one too many times. Yet the letter from a woman claiming his cousin fathered her child feels real. His aunt and uncle are desperate for a grandchild. When the child’s aunt shows up in his office in place of the child’s mother, he smells fraud.

Secrets and lies bubble to the surface, threatening Ella and Jake’s growing attraction. In a minefield of divided loyalties, can Ella trust Jake to make the right decision about custody of Tessa?
~~
Jennifer’s book is great for fans of contemporary romances where attraction blossoms into breath-stealing passion, where mutual respect leads lovers to also being friends, and where humour and tolerance enliven a deep and abiding love.

Jennifer likes to think her readers get occasional hints of the deep passion of a Nora Roberts or the unshakeable loyalty of a Grace Burrowes where love conquers loneliness, distrust and fear. 


Preorder Links:
amazon
kobo
bn
apple


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Australian Jennifer Raines writes contemporary romances set mainly in Australia, but not exclusively – think Malta, Finland, New Zealand or ?. A dreamer and an optimist, her stories are a delicious cocktail of mutual respect, passion and loyalty because she still believes in happily-ever-afters. Jennifer loves those days when words flow and the joy of writing makes the hard slog worthwhile. She’s always made up stories about strangers in the street, in a café or strolling through an airport terminal; finding inspiration in snippets of conversation, news items and the sheer puzzle of human interactions.

Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of Australia and is a three time finalist in the Emerald competition, 2017, 2018 (Taylor’s Law) and 2022. She’s a member of Romance Writers of New Zealand, winning the Pacific Hearts competition twice, including in 2019, with Grace Under Fire, the sequel to Taylor’s Law. She’s also a member of Romance Writers of America and has been a finalist in chapter competitions in 2019, 2020 and 2021 (Taylor’s Law).

Jennifer lives in inner-city Sydney, Australia, with the requisite number of partners (1) and animals (2). Her desk overlooks a park which nourishes her soul when she raises her head from her keyboard. She gets some of her best insights during long yin yoga poses or walking—anywhere. Jennifer adores historical romance but chose to write contemporary because she thought (wrongly) it needed less research.

Jennifer can be reached through her webpage https://jenniferrainesauthor.com and via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jenniferrainesauthor

Her book(s) are available through major providers.
 
 

Fighting for your man #newromance

6/20/2022

 
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Women don't appreciate when another woman tries to take their man. We are fierce and will fight with everything we have...but how do we fight against a ghostly seductress?

Kate MacInnis has a wonderful new story featuring her heroine, Nurse Morgan, who can see ghosts. DISTANT MEMORIES is available in ebook and print and is a fun-filled romp through a mad-cap adventure as Nurse Morgan seeks to keep her new boyfriend safe from seductress Esmerelda-a ghost with an eye for hot guys. The ghost sets out to mess up Nurse Morgan's life. 

I loved this book. It was a page-turner and one I couldn't put down. You'll love Kate's witty story.

Blurb:
Grab a glass of wine…Morgan’s life has become a wild ride!
Here we go again! Distant Memories, Book Two in the Nurse Morgan Series is about Emergency Room nurse Morgan Cutler, who has made peace with the ghosts in her little house on Melody Lane in Metro Detroit. That is, as long as resident spirits Elisabeth and Jonathan Wilkerson abide by the rules and limitations. All is well until one day the seductress, Esmeralda Camarillo Castillo, visits from the other side. Man-hungry and voluptuous, Esmeralda has set her sights on Caleb Lightfoot, MD, Morgan’s boyfriend.

Mr. Too Good to Be True and so handsome he makes her mouth water, Caleb Lightfoot, MD, is moving a little too fast in their new relationship. As a woman in her early 40’s, Morgan is too wise and smart to fall in love with a heartbreaker, but is this guy for real? Could he be the one for her? Either way, Morgan’s not willing to let the seductive Esmeralda to get her hands on him.
On top of that, the house, car, and hospital are filled with ghosts—some of whom are up to no good. Morgan has to keep the balance in her head, life, career, and universe as she battles the demands placed on her by this world and the next.

Will this apparition take away the best relationship Morgan has ever had? Will Esmeralda turn the Wilkersons against her? Will the ghost destroy the hospital Morgan cherishes? Or will Esmeralda ruin the tough nurse’s career and work family that she has worked so hard to maintain? Questions fill Morgan’s head, giving her many sleepless nights. Insomnia is dangerous for a nurse on-call but worse when Morgan must keep everything she holds dear safe.

Grab that glass of wine or your favorite beverage and join Morgan as she sorts through the changes she has witnessed in the past and the new ones that have arrived. Be prepared to laugh a lot, cry a little and learn what a family really is—here in this dimension and in the afterlife. Distant Memories is for everyone with a sense of humor who believes in hope, miracles and feeling good.

EXCERPT:
Morgan left her office and saw a man walking down the hall by the patient rooms. He was dressed in jeans, a plaid flannel work shirt, and carried two cups of coffee in a carboard tray. She hurried to catch up with him.
​
“Sir, excuse me, but is that coffee for one of our patients?” Morgan knew from experience that if a patient was in the EC and waiting to be called for surgery, they couldn’t have anything to eat or drink.

The man turned around and looked at her. He smiled but didn’t answer. His dark blond hair was curly and he was cute, with a playful expression on his face.

“Sir, is that coffee…” She stopped mid-sentence as the man’s lower half disappeared. As he continued walking, his torso disappeared. By the time he reached the end of the corridor, his head was the only thing left and it went through the back wall of the EC. Morgan stopped and looked around—not sure if she wanted a witness to this event or hoped to be alone with the spirit. No one was around. She put her hand on the wall and leaned her weight into it. She took several deep breaths, turned around, and went back to the nursing desk.

“Tiffany, did we have a guy in his mid- to late-thirties, dark curly blond, really nice-looking come in the last hour or so?” Morgan asked.

“Yeah, we had a DOA who fits that description. He came in after a heart attack on a job site. Why?”

“I just saw him walking down the hall. Is his body still here in the EC?”

“No, he’s in the morgue. They came and got him less than an hour ago.”

“Well, he stopped and got a couple of coffees before settling down for an autopsy.”


BUY LINKS
AMAZON
KOBO
BN
APPLE

Don't miss nurse morgan's first adventure!

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About the Author:
Amazon best-selling e-book author of Distant Heart Sounds Book 1, Nurse Morgan Series, Michigan-born and raised, Kate earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism at Oakland University and master’s in American Culture at the University of Michigan-Flint. As a professional writer for more than 20 years, her career has been primarily in healthcare, particularly hospitals. This provided many opportunities to hear stories recounted about unusual activities and miracles that occurred without clear-cut, scientific explanations. She also claims to have had her own share of unusual experiences, some of which are shared in this book. 
Kate is married to the love of her life, has two grown sons and three grandchildren.
 
webpage: Katemacinnis.com
email: [email protected]
 

A First Romance #newPreorder #newYaMurder

6/15/2022

 
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Do you remember your first kiss? What about your first love? I've spoken at length about my first boyfriend. His birthday was this past week. Young love is exciting. You think the world is amazing and you imagine being with the person forever. While first loves, don't often last, they are filled with promise. 

AD Brazeau explores first love among the past and a murder mystery in her latest book: MURDER IN THE LIGHTNING ROOM. This exciting tale will have you reading into the night as Cora tries to solve the murder. 

MURDER IN THE LIGHTNING ROOM is up for preorder and will release on July 12 in ebook and paperback. Be sure to grab a copy for yourself!

Blurb:
Nikola Tesla’s top-secret lab, theft, murder, and a seventeen-year-old girl bound and determined to unravel the mystery.

The year is 1899. During her final year at Colorado Springs High School, Cora Croft finds herself uncovering a mystery involving Nikola Tesla and his secret projects. After the loss of three important documents detailing new, ambitious devices and the unusual death of his previous assistant, Tesla is ready to pack up the lab and return to New York. Cora offers to help uncover who is behind the strange circumstances so Tesla can remain and finish his work.

With help from the charming Harrison, and life-long friend, Marshall, Cora toils against time, the elements and social constraints as she works to unravel the mystery, exposing more than one secret in the process.

Danger stalks Cora, can she survive?


Uncover the clues in this fast-paced, exciting mystery set in Tesla’s famous secret lab. A perfect read for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco and Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury.
​

Praise for A.D. Brazeau: “The whole story ‘came alive’ before my eyes, and that comes down to the authors talent for spinning a great story.” and “A.D. Brazeau has quickly become one of my most relatable authors.”
 


PREORDER LINKS
AMAZON
KOBO
BN
APPLE

DON'T MISS AD BRAZEAU'S OTHER HISTORICAL PARANORMAL


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About the Author:
A.D. Brazeau is an award-winning author who writes what she loves. From dark and fantastical fairytale retellings to quirky romance, and everything in between, she loves nothing more than to immerse herself in new worlds. A.D. Brazeau is a book-obsessed wife, mother, and dog lover, who grew up surrounded by stories. Not much has changed. A.D. is from Colorado Springs, Co.
 

She's Gunning for You! #Ava #newrelease

6/6/2022

 
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Ava's life wasn't easy. She'd been forced to battle to save her family. Now she'd like nothing more than to find a home and settle down. Unfortunately, the evil from her past wouldn't let her rest. 

AVA THE HUNTED is an amazing tale of determination and grit. Ava is a strong heroine who won't let anyone keep her down. Even after her village was destroyed, she's formed a family...one of friends who will stand by each other- no matter what. 

The story pulls you in and keeps you turning pages long into the night. The action and surprises bring you along as Ava fights for all she holds dear. 

Now available in ebook and print- AVA THE HUNTED will be your new favorite!

Blurb:
When you’re hunted, you can either run. Or you can become the hunter.

Rebel teenage warrior Ava Phoenix is being hunted by her mortal enemy, Cort Pleasant. If captured, she’ll be dragged to Aragonia, tied to a stake, and burned. But all Ava wants to do is find a new home and live in peace.

Together with her boyfriend Beau and the Braves, she finds the perfect spot—the Oasis. It’s a veritable Garden of Eden. But as Ava and her Braves prepare to protect their new home, they discover there’s a terrifying reason the Oasis has been abandoned.

Among the ancient ruins something awakens. A virus that blurs the lines between enemies and friends. As it spreads it becomes clear that there are no friends or foes anymore—there are only the living and the infected. And unless enemies can work together, the living may not be around much longer. Welcome to the end of the world.
 
Ava the Hunted is the fierce heroine you need, along the lines of Katniss Everdeen, Yelena Belova, or Kate Bishop. Be sure to grab this action-packed story that will have you turning page after page as you gobble up the book.

Excerpt:
“Quiet!” bellowed the guard behind Ava, shoving her.

Ava stumbled forward. She lowered her gaze to the ground, putting one foot in front of the other. The corridor began to angle upward toward the light of the arena. Each step moved her closer to the light until she was walking in the full heat of the sun blasting through twenty-foot-tall iron gates that opened on the arena’s killing field. Captured warriors were already packed tight up against the gate, quiet, sweating, and anxious to begin what could be the last fight of their lives. Ava and her cellmates stood along the back of the crowd. The two Ahasazi from her cell looked at her and the Ronin woman. “When the gates open, we run for the wagon to get our weapons,” said one. The other added, “Do whatever you have to do to get there, because without weapons, we’re dead.”

Ava nodded. She closed her eyes, filled her lungs with a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. Then she opened her eyes, waiting for the gate to be unlocked. Raising on her toes, she looked over the heads of the warriors, focusing on the gate across the arena. Beau was pressed against it, along with Cole. She lowered off her toes and rolled her neck, cracking vertebrae.
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The gate screeched open. She stuck close to the Ronin woman and the two Ahsazi warriors shoving their way forward. A bearded warrior on her right took exception to being shoved and whirled, throwing a punch at her. She slipped under it, kneed him in the groin, and kept moving, accelerating into a sprint toward a wagon piled with weapons in the middle of the arena.

BUY LINKS:
AMAZON
KOBO
BN
APPLE

Don't Miss where Ava's story began...

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About the Author:
Jules Adrienn is the Young Adult fiction-writing alter ego of an award-winning author from the Midwest. She’s a world traveler, a homebody, a belly-laugher, a bawler, a lover, and a fighter. Stay tuned in to her latest adventures in writing (and life)—she’s always up to something.
 
Instagram: www.instagram.com/julesadrienn/
Twitter: twitter.com/AdriennJules
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JulesAdrienn/

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