EYE OF THE EAGLE is RONE Award Finalist!

Dear Readers--

I am thrilled to share the news that Eye of the Eagle is a finalist in the prestigious RONE awards in the Short Paranormal Category. There are many fine authors in this group and I count myself lucky to be among them. Winners will be announced and presented at the RONE video ceremony on October 12th, 2019. More information will be forthcoming, so stay tuned! In case you wonder what the story is about, here's a quick overview. 

One soars like an eagle. One strikes like a thunderbird. But for both hearts, revenge can be deadly when it's nourished.

Anomaly Defense Director and shapeshifter Bert Blackfeather doesn't need a boss with no experience. So what if she's beautiful or gives him a jolt when she shakes his hand? He never plans to get seriously involved with another woman—not in this lifetime.

Phoebe Wagner, an empath with psychometric abilities and an advocate for the deaf, gets more than she bargained for with Bert. One touch and she relives his IED injuries. So what if he's handsome and hot? She doesn't need to add his secrets to her own. Phoebe's are bad enough.

When his niece goes missing from Hotel LaBelle, Bert goes to Montana to help—and Phoebe insists on going with him. Can these two hard-headed people share their darkest secrets in order to work together? It may be the only way to save an endangered child—and their own hearts when Bert's past rears its ugly head.

BUYLINKS: The Wild Rose Press | Amazon | Barnes & Nobel | iTunes

Excerpt: His heart stuttered and heat flushed his face. “You sure you’re ready to see me—in the daylight?” 

She frowned and pursed her lips. “Do I look like someone afraid of taking on a challenge?” 

“No. You look like a kick ass heroine named Thunder Heart, and I would be honored and privileged to share your bed.” 

“You promised me flying lessons.” 

“And you shall have them. Now, where did we leave off?” 

She stood, placed her hands on the sides of his chair and leaned in for a long passionate kiss. He closed his eyes and gave her a preview, taking her with him in his memories, soaring over the hotel, and then swirling and swooping down to the river to grab a fat flopping trout in his talons. 

She pulled back, breaking the connection, blue eyes wide, her full red lips agape. “Amazing. I want more.” 

“Advanced flying lessons require both of us to be naked—and in bed, as close as two people can get.” 

Phoebe stood back. “What are you waiting for? Let’s get going.” 

He chuckled. “Well, you are my boss. I don’t want anyone to say you coerced me or I forced you. Do we need to put this in writing?” She tilted her head and gave him a puzzled look. “A legal document perhaps? I, Phoebe Wagner, hereby enter into consensual sex freely and without coercion with one Bert Blackfeather…” 

She stomped her foot. “Give me your phone.” He handed her his cell. 
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/O9uml6F9tw8 
BUYLINKS: The Wild Rose Press | Amazon | Barnes & Nobel | iTunes

New Release: Elkhorn In The Moonlight By Constance Bretes

Elkhorn In The Moonlight By Constance Bretes

Constance is giving away an ebook copy of Elkhorn InThe Moonlight and an ebook from her backlist during the tour. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember there is a chance to enter everyday so be sure to follow the Blog Tour. You may find the tour schedule and locations here https://goo.gl/WosRX4

About Elkhorn In The Moonlight:

The search for stolen Sacred Arrows leads to much more.

Marcus Blackhawk is on a mission to locate the Sacred Arrows that were stolen from the Cheyenne Nation. When he learns that someone has seen the arrows he leaves immediately to track the person down and get more information.

Nicole Lancaster ekes out a living in a small town by helping her brother run a motel and working part-time in a restaurant. Her mundane life suddenly becomes more exciting when Marcus arrives in town asking about some arrows that she came upon years ago while hiking in the Elkhorn Mountains. The gorgeous man makes her heart beat fast, but she knows he’d never be interested in a Plain Jane like herself.

When Marcus offers Nicole a large sum of cash to lead him to the cave where she saw the arrows, she takes him up on the offer. After a three-day hiking trip through the mountains they locate the cave, but then the unthinkable happens, and they find themselves trapped inside. As they wait, hopeful they’ll be rescued, they give into the passion that’s been simmering between them.

Will help arrive in time to save them? And if so, can their night of passion ever be anything more? Marcus has no interest in an actual relationship, and Nicole wants the whole nine yards.

Content Warning: contains some sexual content

Genre: Contemporary Romance Heat Level (HOT, Medium Hot, Sweet): Medium Hot

Excerpt: “You pass it every time you go into Mason. The other two are on the other side of the overpass. Sandpiper Mine you can see from the highway, but you have to go on Gulch Mine to get to the Elkhorn Mountains. The mountain ranges there are the highest, and there are a lot of vertical drops, so you’d have to travel where you can walk it. It’s not something where you can climb it and be there. You have to go in a roundabout way.” “Do you have a very clear vision of where this cave is, and how to get to it?” he asked. “Yes. I remember it clear as day now.” “How soon can you get yourself ready for the hike?” “What? I’m not going there. You are. I can’t just take off and leave, I have work to do. Plus, it’s way too cold to go there right now. The mountains in that area still have snow on them.” “You think I would know where to go by the information that you provided?” “I gave you very good information,” she said. “Do you have the coordinates for GPS?” “No. I don’t.” “So, you think that I, who have never traveled these mountains before, would have no problem finding that cave?” Marcus’s eyes narrowed as he regarded her. “I don’t have any idea how you intend to get there. Personally, I think you should wait until summer to do it. The weather in the mountains is unpredictable.” Marcus sat thinking about the situation for a second, and then he said, “Name your price.” “Huh?” “I said, name your price,” he repeated. “I need you to lead me to that cave, and I have to do it this week.” “You’re not listening to me. I can’t take you there. I have work to do here. I can’t leave to go on a weeklong camping trip.” “You can for a price,” he said grimly. “You can’t buy me off to get what you want,” Nicole said defensively. “Everyone is willing to do certain things for a certain price. Will thirty thousand get you interested and willing to go?” “I…I…thirty thousand? No, I won’t be bought,” she stammered. “Look, Nicole. Let’s quit with the games. I’m going to go there to get those Sacred Arrows, and you are the one who is going to take me there and bring me back. I’m offering you thirty thousand for a week…week and a half of work. I think your brother and his wife can handle the motel for that length of time.” “I’m sorry.” She stopped for a few seconds. “I won’t be bullied. My answer is no.” She stood up to leave. “Just think about this. Like I said, thirty thousand for a week and a half of work. Think what you could do with that money. Think of all the possibilities and opportunities you’d have. As for the weather, I know you have lived through worse weather right here in Mason. You know what to expect. I would not let you go up there without your GPS, your cellphone and satellite phone, your two-way radio, and letting your brother know exactly where you’re at should there ever be an emergency. I’ll give you until tomorrow at noon to tell me your decision, and if I were you, I’d think about this very seriously. I intend to have my way in this,” he said sternly. Grabbing his maps and the pictures she gave him, he walked back to the causeway and to his room. About the Author: Constance started writing contemporary romance and contemporary romance suspense fifteen years ago. She was born and raised in Michigan. After 38 years working for the State of Michigan, she retired. She and her husband moved to Montana and lived in the mountainside of a small town, where this story, Elkhorn In The Moonlight, was based upon. After living there for three years, They moved to Alabama, with her three feline furballs who owns her and her husband. Her hobbies include basket weaving, reading romance books, and jewelry making as well as writing. Constance's Social Links: Email: bretesc@gmail.com Website: https://constancebretes.com Blog: https://www.constancebretes.com/connies-blog NL Link: https://www.constancebretes.com/news--things.html Amazon Author URL: https://www.amazon.com/Constance-Bretes/e/B00IKSKRES/ Bookbub Author URL: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/constance-bretes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conniebretes/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7737457.Constance_Bretes Instagram: constancebretesauthor Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cbretes/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConstanceBretes a Rafflecopter giveaway

Human Trafficking, Part III: Why Romance?

If you're a romance reader or author, especially one who enjoys romantic suspense, human trafficking is not only a timely topic, but one that lends itself well to heart-stopping stories, like EYE OF THE EAGLE. Here's What's In It For Me (WIFM) as a writer and reader.

Characters

Victims: children, women, men, families

Perpetrators: fathers, mothers, families, women (madams were frequently trafficked themselves), organized crime, disorganized crime, corrupt politicians, police, border guards.

Heroes and Heroines: Governmental agents (FBI, ICE, DHHS); police; non-corrupt politicians, police border guards; Non-Governmental Agencies (NGOs) (religious organizations, not-for-profits)

Plots

1. Secret Baby (Adoption Trafficking)
2. Cinderella (rags to riches) (Madams; Organs)
3. Opposites Attract (FBI agent, Crime boss)
4. Bodyguard (Protecting rich woman, nearly dies)
5. Second chance/First love rekindled (Oryx & Crake; children/teens torn apart)
6. Reunion (Woman/child reunited w/family)
7. Stranded (Lost and Trafficked)
8. Love Triangle (Pimp/Prostitute/John)
9. Marriage of Convenience (Mail-order Brides)
10. Beauty and the Beast (Captor/captive or C/c

11. Sleeping Beauty/Ugly duckling (Drugged women/Awakened by Hero)
12. Amnesia (Head Injury & Trafficked)
13. Fish out of water (Abducted on vacation)
14. Blackmail/Revenge (Unfaithful lover)
15. Forbidden love (“Good”C/c)
16. Mentor/protégé (boss/employee)
17. Princess/Pauper; King/Beggar maid (Beggar children)
18. Bad boy/good girl; Bad girl/good boy (C/c)
19. Best Friends (One seeks trafficked friend)
20. The Road to Adventure (Boy soldiers/Captive “brides”)

Adapted from Jana Richards 20 Classic Romance Plots

What We Can Do As Readers and Citizens

Become informed and raise awareness;

Buy only Fair Trade goods (e.g., flowers, chocolate)

Demand that laws against human trafficking be created and enforced (only 5/31 Mexican states have anti-trafficking laws)

Reduce demand: John’s schools, corporate policies, zero tolerance in tourism, real estate,  advertising & related industries who benefit indirectly from human trafficking.

What We Can Do As Romance Writers

·        Romance writers have long tackled difficult women’s issues, such as domestic violence and addiction.

·        Romance writers can tell a fictional story that is less threatening to readers to expose the world of trafficking.

·        Romance writers can show readers what individuals can do.

·        Romance writers can make a difference.

On the last day of Human Trafficking month, I will provide a list of resources on Human Trafficking. Meantime, where do you think the best place is to find information on what to do about human trafficking as a reader, writer, and citizen? 

Comment below for an opportunity to be selected for an ecopy of EYE OF THE EAGLE.