Release Party- Day 5!

Good morning! Today is Fun Facts Day! As I sit back and enjoy more of the Christmas holiday, I'll be sharing facts about the characters of Simple Treasures, the story and me.
 

Joanna Grainger

*The last name comes from Hermione from Harry Potter and Colby from the TV show Numb3rs.

* Joanna served in the US Army. She took advantage of the GI Bill and has been studying since.

*After being injured while in th Army, Joanna has learned to appreciate everything she has, sees and experiences. This, of course, drives Colin crazy (which made the story even more fun to write!).
 

*She became friends with Heather Winchester, the heroine from Her Highland Champion, when she first arrived in Edinburgh.
 

 Colin Munro

* Colin grew up in the small community of Thurso, Scotland.
 

* He had a lot of pressure from his family to be a success and showing any sign of weakness was unacceptable to his father.
 

* After he was discharged from the Royal Navy, he accepted various jobs that made him responsble for the safety of other people- from a security guard at a shopping complex, to a police officer job in Thurso.
 

* Colin very much has a one-track mind. He often sees more than he lets on, but he always has one main objective.

 

Alexa Bourne

* I attended Hogmanay in Edinburgh in 2011/2012 to celebrate the beginning of the year I turned 40.

* My favorite trip of all is the train ride between Glasgow and Glenfinnan. No matter the weather- heavy rains or beautiful sunshine- I can find something to love about the scenery.
 

* I hadn't planned to write 3 UK novellas at first. They just.....happened. And my 2013 novellas? I had planned 3 other countries for settings, but a couple of British characters are sitting right inside my brain and forcing me to rethink my 2013 plans.

* I still eat Peanut M & Ms while I write. I get them to celebrate when the writing is going well, and I get them to fuel my muse when I'm having trouble.  

So, any questions for Joanna, Colin or me? Or any thoughts about what we've shared? Feel free to leave comments and you can be in the running for PRIZE!

Release Party- Day 4!

 

Good Morning! Welcome to Day 4 of my Release Party for Simple Treasures! Now, this particular story takes place in Edinburgh during Hogmanay, or New Year's. I thought today I'd show you some pictures of the year I spent in Edinburgh for Hogmanay.

 

First, Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year. The Hogmanay Festival is HUGE in Edinburgh, with THOUSANDS of visitors every single year. Indeed, tickets sell out early. I think we worked on preparing our plans the spring before we actually wanted to be there.

 

This is Edinburgh Castle. When my friends and I walked out of our hotel, this was what we saw. From the hotel dining room, this is the scene. How beautiful, huh?

 

These next two pictures were taken on the night og the Torchlight Procession, December 30th. Thousands of people gather on the Royal Mile, with bought torches. At the start of the line, there are bagpipers and people light the torches. Each group turns behind them and lights the torches of the people behind them. In this first picture, here I am lighting my torch.

 

Once all the torches are lit, the group begins the walk from the Royal Mile, through the streets of Edinburgh and up to Calton Hill. I can tell you the pictures don't do this justice. It was such an amazing feeling to be a part of something so fabulous.

 

In Simple Treasures, Joanna really wants to participate in this event. Actually, she has looked forward to joining in many of the Hogmanay festivities in Edinburgh, but she's a good and decent person and she chooses to put her life on the line by coming forward to tell the police about the crime she witnesses.

 

Once as many people as possible get to Calton Hill, there is some more music and then fireworks begin. In the distance, there is also a burning boat, which is symbolic of the early Torchlight Processions, the Up Helly Aa Fire Festival usually associated with the Shetlands of Scotland. 

 

 

The next day, December 31st, My friends and I spent the day wandering around Edinburgh. I went up on this Ferris wheel while some other friends climbed the Scott Monument, which is behind the Ferris wheel. It was windy up there, but so much fun! Then my friends and I had mulled wine, wandered around the stalls with knickknacks and listened to music.

 

 


After dinner, it was time to get ready to ring in the New Year. Because it was so cold, I had on about 2 or 3 layers. I was very surprised it was not so packed with people. Yes, there were literally THOUSANDS of people, but we could stand, sit, or dance as much as we wanted without bumping into anyone.

 

For more information on the Edinburgh Hogmanay Festival and some of my other pictures, feel free to visit the Celtic Hearts Blog. I wrote a guest post about Hogmanay in Edinburgh a few weeks ago.

 

Have you ever participated in a major New Year's Event? Or are you more low-key, spending the time with close friends and family? Share your thoughts, leave a comment and be in the running for the NEXT prize!

Release Party- Day 2!

 

Hello, hello! Thank you to everyone who joined me yesterday for the beginning of my Release Week! Today I'm still celebrating Christmas with the family so I decided to share another snippet of the book with you. I LOVE this opening and I talk about it every chance I get. I teach an online class a few times a year about writing Killer Openings. I'm hoping this one fits into that category and that my former students would be proud of me!

 

Without further ado, here is the Killer Opening of Simple Treasures.



Chapter One
Colin Munro didn’t know which knife to worry about more, the one pointed at his throat or the one at his crotch.

"You’ve got ten seconds to tell me who the hell you are, or I start slicing," the woman threatened.

He glanced into her stormy dark eyes. Joanna Grainger. The lass he’d been sent to keep safe.

Aye, but who would protect him?

"Take care where you move those blades." Of course, he wasn’t terribly worried. If he needed to, he could easily disarm her. She stood about five foot six without the high heels she’d been wearing when she’d first entered her flat.

"I’m the one giving orders here." The steel at his neck pushed a bit closer to his Adam’s apple.

"I don’t think so." Colin smacked her arms, snatched the blades from her fingers with one hand, and pushed her back to the wall. The picture frame close to her head shook, but he hadn’t shoved with nearly as much force as he could have. He pinned both her wrists to the wall above her head. "I’m Colin Munro, and I’m here to protect you."

"I don’t remember asking anyone for help." She brought her knee up for a perfect shot to his groin, but he shifted in time to get his family jewels out of the way.

"You didn’t, but Heather Winchester did." He imagined she could be quite bonnie when she wasn’t scowling or threatening him.

The name of her university mate drew those big brown eyes wide for a moment. "Heather?" She dropped her leg, leaving her navy skirt sitting crooked on slim hips.

"Aye. Heather called Russell MacLeod of the International Protective Network this morning, explained you’d witnessed a crime, and she was worried about you. She thought you might need protection. They gave the job to me." 
She narrowed her gaze on him. "Why should I believe you?"

"Because if I were here to kill you, you’d already be dead." Taking a step back, he tossed the blades to the coffee table. The sound of the metal scattering across the wood charged into the silence of the room. Her back, he noticed, stayed against the wall.


If you've read my first book, Her Highland Champion, you'll recognize Heather's name. She was the heroine in that first book. Although my characters drift through each others' stories, you do NOT need to read all of the books to "get it".

Remember to leave a comment today (or in yesterday's comments...or both!) to be in the running for the FIRST PRIZE, which will be awarded after midnight tonight!

Enjoy the rest of your Boxing Day and be sure to stop by tomorrow to learn more about Simple Treasures, the book that almost wasn't!

MERRY RELEASE DAY TO ME!!!!!

Merry Christmas to one and all! I hope Santa has been good to you this year. He's been ESPECIALLY good to me. Why? Among my other treats, he coaxed Decadent Publishing into releasing my latest novella, Simple Treasures, today!

If you've received a gift card or certificate to a book store, consider looking up this FANTABULOUS story! It is set in Edinburgh, Scotland during the New Year's celebration. It's a Decadent Honor Guard book featuring a member of my very own International Protective Network.

Are you intrigued yet? If not, here's the blurb:

Take-charge bodyguard Colin Munro believes working for the International Protective Network will be the perfect occupation for him. Unfortunately, his trial assignment is protecting a woman who has no intention of blindly following orders. Aye, he’ll bring the bonnie lass in line because there’s no way he’ll allow her to ruin his chance of securing his dream job.

Physically and emotionally scarred during her stint as a U.S. soldier, Joanna Grainger wants nothing more than to enjoy life. New Year's Eve in Edinburgh marks the beginning of her transformation. But when she witnesses a crime no one believes occurred, her plans come to a screeching halt. To make matters worse, her sexy but headstrong bodyguard has no compassion for her or the victim.

As danger hunts them during one of the busiest time of the year, Joanna must convince Colin she's a worthy partner. But first, can she convince herself?

Okay, admit it. You're curious now, right? If you're not, here's an excerpt to tip you right over the edge and send you off to the bookstore (DOT) com of your choice!

Joanna bolted upright. Darkness wrapped her in its hideous embrace. And silence reigned. Her heart raced. She flattened her hands on the mattress beneath her.

Mattress. Bed. Colin's hotel room.

Rustling sounds came from the floor. The bedside lamp flickered on. Colin propped himself up, one knee bent and an arm dangling over it. He squinted against the brightness. “Are you all right?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” She brushed her fingers under her eyes.

“Don’t be daft, lass.”

“I had a bad dream.” She smoothed her hair back off her face. Moisture beaded at her temples.

“Here we call it a nightmare.” He smiled, and at once she relaxed her shoulders.

“Americans do, too.” After another deep breath, she said, “I’ll be all right.” Once her heart rate slowed to normal. With her forearm, she wiped perspiration from her forehead.

He stood, padded into the bathroom, and ran the faucet. When he returned, he sat beside her, tucked his finger under her chin, and pressed the cloth to her cheek. The cool moisture soothed her burning skin.

She reached up and covered his hand with hers. “I can do that.”

“I know.” He brushed her fingers away. “But you’ll not.”

After a few seconds, he moved the wet towel across her forehead and to her other cheek.

When he reached her neck, she sighed and closed her eyes for a few valuable seconds.

“Thank you.”

His gentle caress reminded her how much she’d missed simple comfort…from anyone.

“You’re welcome.” The cloth soon disappeared. “Now, will you tell me what you dreamed about?”

“Mark Rawlings. I dreamed I was back in the train car and he was bleeding out on the floor. The guy with him faded into the background, but I could see the man’s hands and lips moving. I couldn’t hear anything, though. Then somebody jabbed me with something, and my blood drained out of my body, but there was nothing I could do. The guy standing stayed in front of me. There was another voice, but the words were garbled.”

“Did you see anyone else?”

“No, but at the end I wasn’t paying attention. I was losing consciousness.” She tilted her head to one side and into her palm. “Colin, what am I going to do if we don’t find the professor’s attacker soon?”

“We’ll take it one day at a time.” Strong, confident, able to leap tall buildings and all…even in the middle of the night.


So there you go. As I said, today is the first day of the week long release party for this fantabulous book that almost never was! I'll be sharing something with you each day and there will be several prizes up for grabs for any commenters and followers!

Wednesday: An unofficial excerpt. Shhh. Don't tell!
PRIZE 1
Thursday: The Story Behind the Story That Almost Never Was
Friday: Hogmanay
PRIZE 2
Saturday: Fun Facts about the book, my characters and me!
Sunday: What's Next with Alexa?
PRIZE 3
Monday: 2012 Alexa Bourne Accomplishments & 2013 Goals
PRIZE 4

Prize winners will be chosen after midnight on the 2nd day (Except Prize 4, which will be chosen New Year's Day) and announced in a separate post. Please leave your email address if you want to be included in the contests.

And if you're so inclined, you can buy the book today at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Decadent Publishing, or most other places ebooks are sold!

Six Sentence Sunday!!

Good morning! Are you ready for six more sentences of Simple Treasures, my Honor Guard novella releasing TUESDAY????? I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited!

To read more snippets of other people's books, visit the official list here.

Okay, for this week's snippet, something dangerous has just happened. I'm not telling you what because....wait for it.......wait....for....it....you need to read the book! Colin and Joanna are back in his hotel room and Joanna begins by saying:

"We could’ve died tonight."

He crouched before her and took her hands in his. "But we didn’t, and you survived."

"Because you were there."

"I don’t plan on going anywhere yet." He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them.

<<<SIGH>>> I love him! But more importantly, what do YOU think? Hey, if you're so inclined when you have some time this week, I'll be having a holiday release party here beginning Christmas Day and lasting through New Year's to celebrate my Hogmanay book! I hope you'll join me for part of it!

Six Sentence Sunday- Next Novella!!

Good morning! For today's Six Sentence Sunday, I decided to share a bit from the soon-to-be-released Simple Treasures, my New Year's Honor Guard story coming out this month from Decadent Publishing.

In this scene, the hero, Colin, has just told the heroine, Joanna, something she didn't like, something that makes her question his ability to keep her safe. I'm not going into more detail than that right now because I really want you to read the story when it comes out! LOL! BUT, for now, here is Colin's response:

His first day on the job was not supposed to fall apart. He’d be sacked before he even earned a pound note. His nerves clenched. His feet itched to run across the room so he could grab her and set himself between her and the door. But he stayed rooted to the floor where he stood. “Joanna, you’re not to go.”

 

What do you think? Thanks for visiting! In the next few weeks I'll be sharing more of Colin and Joanna's story with you, to hopefully tempt you to give me a GREAT Christmas present and buy the book when it comes out!

Release Party Day 5- What's Next For Lexi?

First, thanks so much for celebrating all week with me. You've made my release so much more fun, and your presence means a lot. But, the party must end and I've got to get back to work.

At the moment, I'm busy writing a short story. Later in November, I plan to draft my next Honor Guard book. Also, I'm waiting to hear the official word so I can share some exciting news I've had to sit on for a while.

 BUT.....

In just a few weeks, you can meet another IPN Honor Guard. Well, Colin Munro wants to be an operative of International Protective Network, but one woman may get in the way.

Here's the unofficial blurb for Simple Treasures:

Take-charge bodyguard, Colin Munro believes working for the International Protective Network will be the perfect occupation for him. Unfortunately, his trial assignment is protecting a woman who has no intention of blindly following orders. Aye, he’ll bring the bonnie lass in line because there’s no way he’ll allow her to ruin his chance of securing his dream job.
 
Physically and emotionally scarred during her stint as a US soldier, Joanna Grainger wants nothing more than to enjoy life. New Year's Eve in Edinburgh marks the beginning of her transformation. But when she witnesses a crime no one believes occurred, her plans come to a screeching halt. To make matters worse, her sexy but headstrong bodyguard has no compassion for her or the victim.

As danger hunts them during one of the busiest time of the year, Joanna must convince Colin she's a worthy partner. But first, can she convince herself?

 

Want an unofficial peek? Shhhh. Don't tell, but here's the opening of Simple Treasures, which will be coming to you soon!

CHAPTER ONE

Colin Munro didn’t know which knife to worry about more, the one pointed at his throat or the one at his crotch.

“You’ve got ten seconds to tell me who the hell you are, or I start slicing,” the woman threatened.

He glanced into her stormy dark eyes. Joanna Grainger. The lass he’d been sent to keep safe.

Aye, but who would protect him?

“Take care where you move those blades.” Of course, he wasn’t terribly worried. If he needed to, he could easily disarm her. She stood about five-foot-six without the high heels she’d been wearing when she first entered her flat.

“I’m the one giving orders here.” The steel at his neck pushed a bit closer to his Adam’s apple.

“I don’t think so.” Colin smacked her arms at the same moment, snatched the blades from her fingers with one hand, and pushed her back to the wall. The picture frame close to her head shook, but he hadn’t shoved with nearly as much force as he could have. He pinned both her wrists to the wall above her head. “I’m Colin Munro, and I’m here to protect you.”

“I don’t remember asking anyone for help.” She brought her knee up for a perfect shot to his groin, but he shifted in time to get his family jewels out of the way.

“You didn’t, but Heather Winchester did.” He imagined she could be quite bonnie when she wasn’t scowling or threatening him.

The name of her university mate drew her big, brown eyes wide for a moment. “Heather?” She dropped her leg, leaving her navy skirt sitting crooked on her slim hips.

“Aye. Heather called Russell MacLeod of the International Protective Network this morning, explained you’d witnessed a crime, and she was worried about you. She thought you might need protection. They gave the job to me.”

She narrowed her gaze on him. “Why should I believe you?”

“Because if I were here to kill you, you’d already be dead.” Taking a step back, he tossed the blades to the coffee table. The sound of the metal scattering across the wood charged into the silence of the room. Her back, he noticed, stayed against the wall.

So what do you think? I have to admit, I didn't really love Colin at first, but he totally grew on me as I wrote the story! Be sure to keep in touch with me because I'll be doing another party when this story comes out as well.

Remember to leave your comments to be in the running for the last day of PRIZES AND the grand prize, which will both be announced tomorrow!

THANK YOU!!!


 

My Favorite Edinburgh Pub

Today I'm blogging on the Celtic Hearts blog about my favorite Edinburgh pub, Deacon Brodie's Tavern. Come find out the legend behind the pub and why I love it so much!