Arms of an Angel ~ a short, sweet, emotion-packed read

My novella, Arms of an Angel, is taking center stage today over at the iWrite blog. If you have a moment, I would truly love some comment love over there (click here to take a look), however, more than anything, I'd love to share with you a little about the book.  The main character, Claire Orion, was born from a single vision that flashed through my head of this woman sitting in the passenger seat of a man's car. She was an amazing creature though she obviously lived the high life filed with all the worldly pleasures money could buy. This is where that vision took me: "Claire wasn’t exactly the type of girl a guy would normally choose to take home to meet Mamma.  Yet there she was, on her way to meet Garrett’s parents.  Her heart slammed against her chest hidden, in part, by the sweetheart neckline of her blue Carin Morrow.  It was the most modest dress she owned and, still, it showed an ample amount of flesh.  She’d tried to cover a bit more with a simple sweater, but wasn’t at all sure if she’d been successful.  Her wardrobe had been purchased to enhance and show off her assets, not hide them.  Dressing to meet parents was not a priority..."


I honestly thought it was going to be a bit of a comedy until I realized Claire was hurting to the point I could almost feel the pain inside her and I knew I had to write this book even if it was just to satisfy my own curiosity!

I have many works in progress that I hope to have finalized and release through this next year as I prepare to concentrate more fully on my own writing (yes, I know! It is about time!!!) but Claire remains forever close to my heart. She's not the most celestial being. A wealthy heiress, she lived hard and high, using anything and everything she could get her hands on to try to ease her pain. And yet, even with all that, she truly is beautiful. She just needed someone to help her realize that and fate provided with a reservation mix up at a fancy restaurant where she has gone to have her last meal before ending the pain forever. That's where our hero steps in and many lives begin to take different paths.

If I'm not careful I'll end up sharing the whole story with you. I get so excited talking about the lives these fictitious people lead! Instead, I'll leave you with the short synopsis as well as an excerpt from the book. One note: Claire will be back. Although not the main character, she has a pretty big part in another story about another high society young woman forced to travel cross country with a "country hick". Again, I don't want to say more about either of these stories and spoil Angel for those who haven't read it. I hope you'll give it a chance. It's currently priced through the end of November at just 99 cents for the eBook at both Amazon Kindle and Smashwords.  The paperback is only $7.95 on Amazon or my website.

The Synopsis:
Being wealthy and beautiful doesn’t promise an automatic ticket for happiness. Sometimes you need the angelic touch of someone who needs you as much as you need him… Sometimes it’s hard to tell where one set of wings ends and the other begins.  Claire is alluring, sensual – called an angel by some, though the woman she’s become is anything but celestial. Her heart is filled with pain so deeply embedded she doesn’t want to live any longer…until fate puts her into the hands of the most virtuous man she’s ever met; a man who needs someone like Claire to help him piece together the shattered bits of his own life.

"I still like happy endings, and Linda never fails her readers on that! It's good to know you can count on authors to deliver a good story with a good ending."

Enjoy an excerpt:

“You want to come up?  We can have that coffee we never ordered…”  They were stopped in front of the building waiting for a clearing to turn into the circle drive where the doorman waited.  Their eyes locked and a bucket of emotions passed between them.

He reached over and touched her cheek.  “I want to, but I won’t.  Besides, I have a brunch date at my parent’s farm in Morgan’s Falls.  It’s late and I’ll have to get up early to make it on time.”

“Oh.” Claire nodded, the corners of her lips turning down.  “A decent reason I suppose.” She chuckled. “I’ve never been turned down for parents.”

They smiled at one another as he pulled in and the doorman approached.  “Another time perhaps?”

Claire gave a noncommittal half shrug.  “Perhaps.”  She was silent for a moment, signaling the doorman to wait.  “Thank you for an enjoyable evening, Garrett.  I’m pleased our paths crossed.”  She started to reach for the door and he grasped her arm.  She looked at his hand then at him.

“I have this overwhelming feeling that I’ll never see you again once you get out.”  His brows were drawn down, his face concerned.

Claire was sure he could hear the loud thud of her heart.  She felt the need to throw him off.

“Let me have your phone.” She held out her hand and he produced it with out question.  She stared at it for a moment then keyed in her number.  “There.”  She handed it back.

“Thank you.” He smiled, rubbing the phone between his fingers as if it was her hand.  “We’ll have that coffee… and sooner than you think.

“Would we have had coffee, Dr. O’Bryan?” she asked, kissing his cheek and bolting from the car before he had time to recover.

When she waved and smiled mischievously from the lobby doorway he shook his head and laughed.  The thought of her would not easily be shaken, he was sure of that.

“You’re home early, Ms. Orion,” Garrett heard the doorman saying to her as he pushed the button that rolled down the window.  “And alone!  You ruffled somebody’s feathers again, girl?”

Claire started to respond but was cut off by Garrett’s voice calling her name.  She turned toward him and he was struck momentarily silent by her beauty.  Uncertain of his intent, she walked back to the car and looked through the open window.

“Change your mind?” she teased.  “No, I suppose Morgan’s Falls still has you bound.  What then?”

“Sunday brunch?  10:00ish?  And we’ll have that coffee then.  Scouts honor.”  He held up two fingers.

“Wouldn’t you know.  Friday night and I get stuck with a parent whipped boy scout.”  She laughed, letting him know she was still teasing.  “Make it 10:30 and I’ll accept with expectation.”

Garrett nodded.  “Claire,” he called as she began to back away. “You are a woman of your word, right?”  When she didn’t respond he added, “You seem as though you would be.”

Claire breathed in and held it for a moment as she looked into the distance.  The night had not gone as she’d planned.  Now she was being asked for her word.  Yes, she was a woman of her word…most of the time, and especially when pressed.  Why was he asking?  Did he inherently know?  If she said yes, under the circumstances, was she bound by her word?  Yes, she supposed she was.  At last she nodded.  “My yes is yes.  I’ll be waiting and watching.  10:30 sharp on Sunday morning.”

Garrett smiled.  “Thank you.”

“You may change your mind.  You don’t really know me.”  She pushed away from the car with a laugh.

He shook his head.  No, he didn’t know her at all.  He’d lived enough of life, however, to believe their paths must have crossed that evening for a definite reason.  He wondered if he’d ever find out why.

“You losin’ your touch, Miss?” Garrett heard the doorman teasing her again.

“Nah, Charlie.  I got lucky in a different way tonight.”  She elbowed the older gentleman.  “I found me an angel.  What was his name?  Clarence maybe?  Oh listen…  I think I hear a bell ringing.”

He heard the doorman chuckle as Claire disappeared behind the heavy wood and beveled glass doors of the grand building.

“Not an angel with these thoughts!” he whispered as he drove away.

Get enough? If not, there's another excerpt on my website: http://www.lindaboulanger.com/arms-of-an-angel.html that will, hopefully, help you decide if you want to grab this great little holiday read.

I also participate quite often in the Weekly Challenge provided by Clever Fiction~short stories for the real world. If you'd like to read some of my shorts, please feel free to jump to my blog on that site: http://www.cleverfiction.com/linda-boulanger.html. Clever Fiction is open to all writers who want to participate, so writer friends ... consider taking the challenge!

Where Arms of an Angel  is sold: Paperback: Amazon.com, TreasureLineBooks.com

   eBook: Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, Apple iBooks, Sony, Kobo, Diesel

Link to book on Amazon:

  Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Arms-of-an-Angel-ebook/dp/B004J4VW78

  Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Arms-Angel-Linda-Boulanger/dp/1617520373

No Shameful Mistake

I have another new short. Yes, another one. It is a WEEKLY challenge so, unless I am unable to get to it, you can expect a new short each week. This one goes along with my earlier story titled Secret Shame and you may also expect additional writings about the as yet unnamed young woman in that story. This week she has her baby but the post is very much NOT about having the baby and much more about relationships and inner thoughts. Here are a few paragraphs and a link to where you may find the rest of the story:

I named her Faith knowing that’s what I needed. Faith.

Giggling in my delirium as my doctor had coaxed me to push, I’d realized I was about to have Faith. Most people wouldn’t have found that funny, I know. The lady the hospital provided to coach me certainly hadn’t. She was perplexed by my laughter. I’m pretty sure she thought I was crazy.

Still, the words of that old George Michael song my Aunt Betsy used to sing had taken over my head. It was her favorite back when she lived with us. I wish I could have remembered more. More of the song that is. I remembered plenty about Aunt Betsy when she stayed after her divorce. I used to pretend I was her, living her carefree life, always surrounded by friends, yet never too busy to stop and have a pretend pot of tea or a Barbie style show. That was the only time in my life I didn’t feel alone.

“You’ll spoil her, Bee,” my mother would tell her. Betsy would roll her eyes and stick out her tongue or, worse, make an obscene gesture with her hand. That one especially used to make my mother huff away commenting on how ungrateful her younger sister was.

But I loved my Bee. I was proud of her success after she got on her feet and left my parents’ house. She was her own woman, not needing anyone or anything. That’s what she said. Mother used to say she would have been nowhere had they not taken her in. I rolled my eyes. Mother always took credit for the success of others … and distanced herself from their failures. Wasn’t that evident by the fact that my parents were on their third trip since the beginning of this whole shameful mess?

Like mother – like daughter. I shrugged. It’s not like they would have been much support anyway, though under the circumstances, you’d have thought they’d be more understanding. Not them.

Oh, dear God. More tears! I began to hum that song again. I could only remember a little. Oh you gotta have faith, faith, faith. You just gotta have faith…

To read the rest of No Shameful Mistake, please visit my writer's page at Clever Fiction (click HERE).

Cover Qualms

I'm having trouble with the man. Well, the man on my cover anyway. If you read the post below, you know my short To Dance with the Enemy is morphing into a Novel or at least a Novella. The working title for that is Marked, although I so love the way To Sleep with the Enemy looks in print. Anyway ... the main male character has very dark blonde hair, longish, and intense amber eyes. He's a fantasy warrior so he also has to be buff :-)  I'm trying to find him. See what you think of these guys...

  

Here is the original as well as the other To Dance with the Enemy cover:

What do you think????

(Click on covers for enlarged pics)

Read To Dance with the Enemy at the Clever Fiction Blog

Read the beginning of Marked below

A Challenging Challenge

This week's challenge over at Clever Fiction~short stories for the real world proved to be exactly that for me -- a challenge! I wrote one story but it ended up too long. I felt I would lose too much by cutting it down. Maybe I'll have to share it here in the near future. Then I considered a sequel to my Secret Shame, but I'm just not quite ready for that one again. That story really moved me for some reason. Her struggles and emotions were so very real to me. I love all my characters but it doesn't happen that often that one gets so completely under my skin. I'm pretty sure we'll be revisiting that story again in the near future.

The prompt for the week was All Day/Speechless/Dinner and my submission was titled Destiny's Visit. It's another departure from my straightforward Happy Ever Afters, although, as one commenter mentioned, "Imagine meeting either your love or your killer ... and the choice is yours." Seems to me, this story could go either way!

Enjoy the first couple of paragraphs and then jump over to Clever Fiction to read the rest:

Arms folded, elbows resting on the lacquered top of the wood bar, Jake watched the woman in the corner. He was perplexed. She didn’t seem the type to spend her day in a pub. Yet that’s what she’d done. She’d been there all day.

He was also perplexed by his attraction to her. She wasn’t young and she wasn’t pretty. Although … He looked her over and decided she certainly might have been. Pretty, that is. Of course she’d been young. Everyone’s young at some point in their lives.

She smiled at him and his heartbeat tripled its speed behind the wall of his chest. Odd again since Jake Donovan liked younger women. Much younger.

So why did he take off his apron and tell Maria to watch the bar while he took a break? Why did his feet walk him over to the table where the older woman sat? What made him ask her if she minded if he joined her? Simple curiosity? Perhaps. He didn’t have the answers. He only knew it was something he had to do.

Enjoy the rest of Destiny's Visit over at Clever Fiction~short stories for the real world.

It would be a shame to let this one pass by...

My story for this week's challenge is up over at Clever Fiction. The prompt was/is Rain, A Sail Boat, & Shame. My submission: Secret Shame. Here's a sample: 

I watched the boats drifting across the bay, jealous of their freedom, knowing it should have been mine as I began my senior year. They hoisted their sails to take advantage of the gentle breeze.

Advantage. That’s what some would have said he’d taken of me. As for me, I wasn’t sure. The guilt tried to squeeze in again. I chased it away. Was he to blame? Was I? I didn’t know. Either way, I refused to feel shame. No. I hadn’t known. Hadn’t known anything other than the way he made me feel.

My flesh tingled with the memory of his touch. His trembling hands on my arms after he’d removed my wet shirt. The tickling sensations of his fingertips gliding up and across my back to move my hair away. The sweet softness of his lips against my neck, nibbling their way toward my ear where the sound of my name came to me on a breath, a whisper.

A gust of wind rushed around me, cooling skin that burned, yearned for him, even now when I knew it could never be.


Want to find out why it could never be? Jump on over to Clever Fiction. I'd love to have your feedback.
Secret Shame by Linda Boulanger at Clever Fiction~Short Stories for the Real World

Up For The Challenge

I've been away too long! It was a difficult summer but, at last, I've started writing again. I've accepted the challenge and submitted my first story over at the Clever Fiction weekly challenge.  The prompt was A Key, Noon, & Falling Leaves. My offering was called The Key To Happiness. Here are the first couple of paragraphs to whet your appetite. To read the rest, jump over to the all new Clever Fiction site and feel free to leave me a comment as well as take some time to enjoy the other submissions. Hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as it appears we enjoyed writing them. Here's my excerpt...


That did it! They’d done it again with their laughter and hugs. It had zipped the spring right out of my step … again. I was sick of it!

He smiled at me and looked away as I walked by. She said hi, her eyes filled with playfulness. She’d been teasing him about something. I nodded, thinking I’d be all happy camperfied too if I had a guy like that. I sighed and turned up the walkway to my place. I was glad our units weren’t side-by-side so I didn’t have to share a stoop with them or listen to their happiness through the walls.

Huh. I hadn’t noticed the railing was loose. I’d have to report that to the landlord … which meant a call to my dad.


Read the rest at Clever Fiction ~ Short Stories for the Real World

Enjoy some pics form my Dreamstime Play Album

      

   

All Pictures/Designs are Copyrighted

Original photos Purchased from Dreamstime.com

I have a secret...

I'm sharing a bit more about Gabe Saunders, the main male character of The Forget Me Not Spot, over on that book's blog - but I have a secret about him... He has a cousin and that cousin just married the Ice Princess! That may not mean a whole lot to you at this point, but it's pretty exciting to me because it means another story idea is exploding on the pages of yet another notebook that will eventually get passed along to my wonderful transcriptionist (who also happens to be the best mom in the world).  Taking a note out of the playbook of the amazing Jaimey Grant, Ice Princess will also weave in characters from The Escort and, in a round about sort of way, maybe even Claire and Garrett from Arms of an Angel (think horse in need of a place to pasture).  I hope you'll take the time to get to know Gabe a bit more while Hayden continues to take form on the pages of my 1 subject, 70 sheets, College Ruled Spiral Notebook!

Updates of an Author Kind

I've updated my author website a bit.  I've tried to make the Home Page more of a landing pad to direct visitors to where they might want to go.  Not to get that confused with telling you where to go should you decide to visit! My latest baby, Arms of an Angel, is still commanding center stage, but I've also made it easier to check out my blogs, my other books, my works in progress, and the new group I'm co-moderating with the talented Jaimey Grant, Love With The Lights Off.

Speaking of Blogs and Works In Progress... I've added a little teaser excerpt on The Forget Me Not Garden Spot blog about Felicity's impression as she sees a first photo of Gabe.  I've also posted the first chapter of The Forget Me Not Spot on the Book's Page under Works In Progress on my author website.  I hope you'll take a moment to read them and look over the changes I've made.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on them...

Honor - among friends

I am pleased to be a part of breathing life into a new book ... mind you, I did the "easy" part in that I just helped publish it and present it to the world.  The "real" work came from the heart of a dear friend, Laura J. Miller.  You might better recognize her as the wonderful Regency Romance author, Jaimey Grant.  Inside and out, Jaimey/Laura is a lovely woman with abundant talent.  Not only is she a fantastic author, she's also an outstanding cover designer.  I urge you to nose around her author website, blog (she has others that you can link to from her main blog), and her Design Site as well.

Jaimey Grant's current release, Honor, is an amazing book about one woman's plight to overcome her fear of men caused by something that happened to her.  She falls in love, but falling in love doesn't make the fear disappear. It's a touching story with my favorite: a happy ever after ending and, as always, Jaimey Grant's writing skills are outstanding.  If you haven't read her work, this would be a great beginning!

Consider joining us for the release of Honor.  You may find out more over at the Novel Launch Website, via the TreasureLine Books Blog, on FaceBook, or even Jaimey's Author Blog.

Happy Mother's Day

I don't know if there are many mothers out there that could be as happy as I am this 2011 Mother's Day.  It's not because I sort of slept in until almost 8:00 am -- though I desperately needed that.  It's also not because I have played on the computer all morning without getting "the look" from my husband that says "is that all you ever do"??? -- he's being a bit too understanding if you ask me!  It isn't because I got to spend the day yesterday roaming around the town of Independence, KS -- though that is one of my favorite things to do. It's always relaxing. It's not even because I just found out my sister who is battling cancer is going to be at my mom's today and I will get to see her and hug her -- I am extremely excited about that as I have NEEDED to do that for a while now.  No.  Those are all things I could be and am happy about.  But, the main reason is ... and this will come as no surprise to the majority ... I have all four of my children with me to celebrate today.  ALL FOUR!

Those of you who know me or have been following know my oldest daughter (16) had to have brain surgery not so long ago due to a massive brain hemorrhage.  This six month ordeal has been the hardest and yet most awe inspiring time of my entire life and, as additional facts have unfolded, we have realized more and more just how fortunate we are to have her with us still.  On Friday, her Drama class performed their monologues before the entire group.  It's a small and intimate group, as the teacher recommended Katherine participate in the class at the High School to get her back into the classroom (she's in 10th grade.  This is the 11th/12th grade class).  Since it is across town, I get to stay and observe instead of running back and forth (gas is almost $4.00/gallon, you know!). I LOVE the class.  I LOVE watching the students perform.  I LOVE that so much of what the instructor has to say about acting/plays fits writing as well.  But, that's not why I'm so happy either.

When that Friday class was over, the instructor hugged Katherine and reminded her what a miracle she is, not only because she is here but because her brain works!  I won't share the rest, but I did walk out of that room all teary-eyed.  I was reminded all over again of an ambulance ride filled with tears and prayers and my sister's texts reminding me of God's promises and that my initial prayer had been not only that Katherine survive but that all her smarts remain intact.  We received her report card last week.  It was filled with straight As!

We'll be taking her back to Mayo in MN soon for her 3 month check.  She'll see her Neurosurgeon, a team of doctors, and get a new cat scan so they can actually see what's going on in there.  I'm expecting a great report.

So, you see, having all four of my children with me this year is definitely worth celebrating.  I couldn't be happier this Mother's Day and I'm hopeful each of you will find that happiness surrounding you today.

The Forget Me Not Spot

I'm working on a new story and it's pretty exciting -- for me anyway :) Hopefully, as I progress I can share bits and pieces of it; however, it will have its own blog: The Forget Me Not Blog. It's a place where I'll keep you updated on the book with information on the writing process, the characters, the story in general, excerpts from the book, and even gardening tips from others. Today, I revealed my vision of the main characters and gave away a little bit of information on the story ... a very little, though I promise there's more to come.

If you want to follow along, jump over and become a Follower. Read the first two posts to find out more about what's going on inside The Forget Me Not Spot.

What A Great Day!

I love that I can say "it's a great day!" even though the air conditioner went out in my vehicle as we're nearing 90 humid degrees in Oklahoma and I've got way more on my to do list than I could possibly get done. But, you know what? I can say it and I am! I'm working on a new story and it's coming together nicely. Yes, I know I'm supposed to be finishing the edits on A Marriage of Necessity but, for some reason, I keep pushing that one back. It's a super special story and maybe, just maybe, it's not its time yet! Not sure, but I'll keep you posted.

Anyway, the new story is currently called The Forget Me Not Spot and I'm pretty excited about it. It popped into my head one day when I was emailing back and forth with my friend, award-winning author Andrew E. Kaufman (do you love how I ALWAYS get that award-winning and that we're friends in there? I'm hopeful his success will somehow rub off!). We were discussing plants he could use to landscape the yard of his new home (complete with acreage, horses, and a pool in sunny southern California, no less), when the idea just blossomed (sorry!). I ran it by a couple of other friends and then began to let it bloom (go ahead, roll your eyes). There will be a blog attached to this one that is specifically related to the book: http://forgetmenotgardenspot.blogspot.com/ This would be a great time to start following! I just revealed my images of the main characters, Gabriel Saunders (yummy) and Felicity Anderson (sweet) on my FaceBook page and will probably share them on the blog very, very soon.

So, circling back to Andrew E. Kaufman ... you didn't know we were going to do that, did you?! Well, we are so that I can tell you I've got a copy of his bestselling While The Savage Sleeps and we're giving it away on the TreasureLineBooks Blog. Yes!!! Giveaways of Drew's books are rather rare so you'd do well to take advantage of the moment :) It's a great book, if I might say so myself. Though you might want to consider reading it while your sweetheart is nearby. The only catch ... the giveaway is TODAY ONLY so you need to get over there and comment.

What? Okay, okay. I'll be quiet so you can go. TreasureLineBooks.blogspot.com. Go. Go already!!!

Giveaways

The Goodreads Giveaway is over and Arms of an Angel is on its way to the winner. Congratulations to Beth Martin of North Carolina. Doreen Mcgettigan in Pennsylvania, Rachelle Adams in Utah, and Tiffany Davis also from North Carolina have won copies as well. The book is also making its way through the Goodreads Group: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book where, I must say, I am enjoying the interaction with a great group of readers and other authors. (Authors, if you are interested, I'd suggest checking them out - they're an author friendly group!).

Arms of an Angel is just one of many books included in a Virtual Treasure Chest of books on my friend, awesome author Jaimey Grant's blog. Over 25 ebooks will be given to one lucky winner on April 1 ~ no fooling! Jaimey is celebrating her 2 year blog anniversary. She knows how to celebrate right!

And please don't forget to stay tuned as we gear up for the continuing of the Parade of Authors on the TreasureLine Books blog. Learn more about the TreasureLine Authors as well as enter for a chance to win more books! We love giveaway!!!

What do you get when you fall in love...

What do you get when you fall in love? I'm sure that is debatable. Remember the old song that said you get enough germs to catch pneumonia? Then there are all those sayings about what love means - like love means never having to say you're sorry and stuff like that. I guess those are some of the things you could get when you fall in love.

In the real world you can get a lot of things out of falling in love. Anyone who knows me, even a little, will know I am in love with the idea of love. I read romance. I write romance. And, if there's an aaaah involved, I'm there! I simply love love.

In the world I create on paper, I expect one thing and that is for my main characters to fall in love and to somehow find a happy ever after. (Okay, so maybe that's two things...just go with me here). I guess the happy ever after is something I've always wanted and expect in the real world so it seems reasonable it would spill over into my written world. I do my best to create that and to offer it to my readers. One reviewer recently posted the following:

"I still like happy endings, and Linda never fails her readers on that! It's good to know you can count on authors to deliver a good story with a good ending."

Another reviewer wrote of my Arms of an Angel that "the ending is a gift you will want to keep with you forever".

I like that. Their words let me know I've accomplished what I set out to do.

So what do you get when you fall in love? Well, if you fall in love with my books and my characters, you get a roller coaster ride to a happy ever after ending, guaranteed. My characters definitely fall in love, bumpy as the trip may be at times, and they do end up happy. I sure hope that somewhere along the way, you'll decide to take a ride in my world. If happy ever after sounds good to you, you're on the right track. Join me...

For more information on my writings, be sure to visit my website: LindaBoulanger.com, follow me here at my blog, and "like" me on FaceBook. I look forward to seeing you!

Linda Boulanger, Author ~ leading the way...

I am pleased to lead the way as the Parade of Authors begins over at the TreasureLine Books & Publishing blog. Find out a bit more about me as an author, my works in progress, and enter for a chance to win a copy of Arms of an Angel by simply leaving a comment (winner announced Saturday, March 5 so don't delay). I look forward to seeing you over there. Make sure you follow there as well, as the parade continues with some really great authors and additional giveaways.

Here a Post, There a Post...

Over the last few days it seems as if I've done an awful lot of posting! I was invited to take part in the LASR Valentine's Day party as well as being interviewed by Deanna Jewel over at her blog. They were both a lot of work...but great fun as well. If you missed the posts and would like to catch any of them, I'll put the post titles and links below. A couple of them have excerpts from Arms of an Angel, one has an excerpt from my up and coming A Marriage of Necessity (a very short excerpt but one of my most favorites), and of course the interview goes in depth into a bit more about me and my writing. I hope you'll take some time to enjoy a couple of them. And, while you're at it, drop down and read my Valentine's Gift ~ a short story titled The Lucky Ones. This is its first time in print!

Interview by Deanna Jewel ~ Yep, it's all about ME!!!

Tears Can Touch The Heart ~ contains excerpt from A Marriage of Necessity

Pants or No Pants ~ You've got to read this one if for no other reason than to see Mr. Yummy! (it's actually a post about inspiration, believe it or not.)

Falling in Love with a Cover ~ chit chat about the publishing process

Are All First Kisses Sparks and Fireworks? ~ let's talk about kisses (and share Claire and Garrett's first kiss from Arms of an Angel)

Love Can Be So Playful ~ a really fun, playful excerpt from Arms of an Angel

The Lucky Ones ~ My Valentine's Gift to You

Being a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, I couldn't let Valentine's Day go by without sharing some kind of love! I thought about it off and on all day, finally deciding on a short story that I wrote a while ago. It was supposed to be included in a short story collection I was working on ... but I took a turn and ended up in the executive seat of my own publishing company instead of finishing the book! Still, I pull out these stories from time to time to enjoy -- they're my favorites because...they all deal with love. I'm thinking someday I'll have to finish compiling them. For now....I hope you'll enjoy this one as my Valentine's Day gift to you ~ my way of sharing the love!

The Lucky Ones ~ a short story by Linda Boulanger

Marci’s Mom had unknowingly planted the seeds of doubt in Marci’s head several months before. Marci had mentioned all the weight her husband had lost and how good he was looking. Hot, if you could say that about a forty-eight year old man. She was feeling pretty lucky to have him.

“Maybe he’s having an affair,” Connie Gordon had teased. “Men do that, you know. They reach middle age and suddenly the pastures look greener across the way.”

She was joking and Connie, Marci, and Marci’s older sister Diane had laughed. Marci had never been fearful that Greg might stray; partaking of the fruits of another woman. She’d been lucky that way.

Yet here they were at a company event and Marci was finding herself more and more concerned that perhaps her mother’s words had been true. Greg continuously circled them around to where one Danielle Stevens was in his sights. She certainly had eyes for Marci’s husband…and a bright smile and a pat on the back and a hand ran down his arm.

Greg returned the flirtatious behavior unabashedly, making Marci extremely uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure but she suspected others were noticing too. She thought the looks she was receiving from his coworkers were looks of pity and warning.

At last she found herself in a near-secluded spot with her husband whose eyes still searched for the young, attractive, 30-something Danielle.

“I’m going home,” Marci hissed, removing the name badge they’d been required to wear and throwing it at her surprised husband.

“What? Why?” He grabbed her arm as she turned to go.

“Oh, please! Heaven forbid I stand here and be humiliated any longer. Now I know why I never come to these things with you! And to think I busted my rear to look good for you so you’d be proud to have me at your side. What a fool I am.” She breathed deeply fighting back unwanted tears as she tried to free her arm. “Let go! Go find your precious Danielle.” She jerked free. “And don’t bother coming home.” She yelled back as she wheeled and began to walk away.

“Marci!” He matched her steps.

“Greg?” Danielle called as they passed the little group she was with. “Everything okay?” Marci heard her ask. She could hear Greg’s voice and knew he’d stopped to talk to the younger woman which fueled her irritation.

Greg was at her side again before she reached the exit. She felt his hand close around her upper arm, trying unsuccessfully to stall her forward movement. There was no stopping the hurt-filled, determined woman. She burst through the front doors with Greg in tow.

“Marci! What is going on? Why are you so angry? What did I do?” Marci turned on Greg, her eyes wide with disbelief at his cluelessness. She studied her husband, trying to discern if he truly was that dense.

“You’re unbelievable Greg. You have two advanced degrees and you direct a top notch group at a major corporation that deals with highly sophisticated equipment. You’re joking right? You know exactly what you’ve done. Jerk!” Marci was seething. Greg shrugged and shook his head.

“Maybe you could ask Danielle and she could….oh, Greg, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee….maybe she could fill you in.” Marci chided, mocking Danielle’s giggly little voice. She rolled her eyes and turned again to make her way to where they’d parked. She fished in her little bag for the keys.

“You can’t be serious, Marci. You’re acting as if you think I’m interesting in Dani. That’s absurd….”

“Dani is it now?” she interrupted.

He stared at her, bewildered. “Marci! She’s a co-worker. And she’s well connected.” He acted as if that should clarify everything.

“Yeah, she’d like to connect with you, Greg, and everyone in your office except maybe YOU is well aware of that fact! Stupid, stupid, stupid me.” She peered into her hand bag. “WHERE are my KEYS?”

Greg chuckled, pulling the keys from his pocket and jangling them before her. “We came together, Marci.”

Marci grabbed for the keys but he stepped back, laughing at the sheer, unmasked emotions on his wife’s face.

“Give me those keys and GO AWAY!” she demanded with a stomp of her high heel-sheathed foot.

“Not gonna happen, Marci, may love and you know why?” She glared at him. His smiling face was as disarmingly handsome as it was when she first met him. She felt that familiar tremor of desire course through her body. She breathed deeply as he walked toward her, stiffened as he slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her to him. He released her with one hand and used it to tilt her chin up. He kissed her now trembling lips softly and wiped the lone teardrop from her cheek.

“Because I love you, Marci. Only you, always you. I’m sorry you misunderstood and that it hurt your feelings. Did you happen to notice who Dani…Danielle was with? Stan Golden. Marci, Mr. Golden holds the purse strings to my next project. I was playing games all right. But not with Dani. With Stan. Everyone knows how I feel about you, Marci. Didn’t you see them all looking at me like I’m the luckiest man on the face of the earth?” She’d thought they’d been looking at her as if she was an idiot for not knowing her husband was having an affair with a colleague. Marci still wasn’t completely convinced. Greg could tell.

“You look amazing, Marci and, in case you didn’t notice, I’ll bring to your attention the fact that I never left your side the whole evening.”

“Yeah, I noticed. I was right there watching you ogle and be mauled by Miss I’m-thirty-and-look-awesome.” She tried to pull away as another tear streaked down her cheek, but he held her tight.

“She did look awesome.” Marci shot him an are-you-for-real look and he laughed. “But you look awesomer. And you are the one I’m going home with whether you like it or not. Now if you’ll let me help you into the car, I’d love to take you home now. And on the way, I’d be happy to tell you just how much I love you and exactly what I’ve been thinking about doing with you since our children are staying at your mother’s and we’re alone all night for the first time in a very long time. And I will tell you I will very much enjoy doing those things with you and will NOT be thinking about Dani or any other woman besides you while doing them. And I’ve never considered sharing such said events with anyone but you. Enough said or shall I continue?” he asked as he felt the tension in her body begin to ease. “I can continue but I’d really rather drive home and quickly at that.” He kissed her quite passionately leaving her in a twixt between breathlessness and laughter.

“I’m so silly,” she said as he helped her into the car and slipped around to the other side.

“Yes you are. It’s one of the things I love about you.” He booped her nose and started the ignition.

The happy, laughing couple did not notice Danielle Stevens near the entry as they drove by. But she noticed them. With a smile she turned to another co-worker. “I hope I can make someone that happy someday. He’s a lucky man.”

“Yes, and his smile will be even bigger on Monday when he finds Golden’s decided to increase his funding for the Cross project. He’d have told Greg tonight if they hadn’t left in such a hurry. Wonder what happened to make them skip out like that?” She smiled and elbowed Danielle conspiratorially before they headed back to rejoin Stan’s group.

Stan smiled at Danielle as she walked up. She patted his back and he leaned close to her.

“I’m glad you came back.” He ran a hand down her bare arm. Danielle breathed deeply, clearing her head of all thoughts of the unavailable Greg. She’d heard he was a happily married man though his wife seldom came to company events. She’d begun to have her doubts but the evening had proved her wrong. No matter, she thought as she turned her overly bright smile up to the man at her side who received it eagerly. Stan Golden, a superior, though not directly over her. Still, he was well connected. He wasn’t bad looking, he was always fun to be around and…there was no ring on his finger. Another lucky guy perhaps? If his smile was any indication, he certainly seemed to think so. Danielle felt pretty satisfied with the way the evening had progressed. Not at all what she’d hoped for but so much more than she’d expected. She thought of Greg and the way he’d looked at his wife and how Stan was looking at her. It was more than an evening office flirtation. She felt sure of that. And she was feeling pretty lucky herself right then.


Across town Marci had a sudden urge to call her mom and tell her thanks for nothing and thanks for everything at the same time. She giggled as Greg nuzzled her neck and she thought of the look on his face when she’d thrown the name badge at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she answered with a smile. “I was just thinking I’m glad to be one of the lucky ones; especially in your arms tonight.”

Arms of an Angel Book Trailer

I have a new video trailer for my newly released Arms of an Angel. I'm pretty excited about it and I have to say working with Pat Sipperly of Arizona Video Company was wonderful, as it always is. I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch the video and let me know what you think. The experience of getting this book into the hands of readers has been remarkable. A big thank you to those of you who have read it and an extra hand of applause for the ones who took the time to review. GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! Enjoy the trailer!

Nearing the end of the journey with great expectations

January has been a very busy month. As a publisher, TreasureLine has many books either being released or on the verge of release. Those books take time! As an author, I released my own "Arms of an Angel" ~ a contemporary romance novella on Kindle. I made a few revisions to the paperback copy but hope to have it in hand for release right before we leave...

Leave? Yes, we are preparing for yet another leg of our unwanted journey through my daughter's illness...hopefully the last leg. We made a whirlwind trip to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota a week ago and, after consulting with a pediatric neurosurgical specialist and his team and receiving the results of an MRI Angoigram, we have decided that she will have the surgery to remove the AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation) in Minnesota. It's a LONG trip and will require that we stay up there for a minimum of 2-3 weeks, however, the procedure will be less invasive and her recovery time will be shorter overall. The doctor seemed extremely competent and Katherine felt very confident putting her life in his hands. She was even more pleased to find out she would not have to have a metal plate in her head for the rest of her life. They won't have to shave her head either, though oddly enough, that didn't really bother her!

I've had numerous people ask me if there is a way they can donate to help with expenses. I will tell you, we are blessed with good insurance, though as you can imagine, there's a lot insurance doesn't cover. Assistance is always appreciated though I would never want anyone to feel obligated or pressured. We firmly believe God will provide, whether that be by the hands of those who donate or some other means. If you choose, the site is available by clicking THIS LINK. Regardless, please keep us in your prayers. We will be traveling on my birthday and the surgery will be the Friday after so I'm expecting her swift recovery and full restoration to be the best birthday present ever! I can't imagine anything a mom could want more :-)

It's Official

I created a self-imposed deadline for myself to have my book released before we left to take my daughter to the Mayo clinic. As of late last night, it is available on Amazon Kindle...we leave on Monday! I'm pretty excited and, I have to say, I'm loving the feedback I'm receiving. Here is just a smattering of what people are saying:

*I'm 2/3 of the way through this book - used 1/4 box of tissues. Couldn't you have at least warned me? I have to fix breakfast, had to put the kindle down - I am bummed...do they really need to eat at a time like this? Ok - I will stop the ramble - Linda, I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!

Posted a short time later: Ok...I'm done...eyes are swollen. This book is wonderful. I just have to stop crying!!! Claire's journey to find her self worth and happiness was so beautiful. I loved Garrett with his wit and compassion....what a man!!! God does put people in your life for a reason....I'm very happy I have "met" you.

*It is easy to feel like you know the characters because of the way you write.

*You are a very talented writer. I love reading your work! You know I am a sucker for happy ever after.

A big thank you to for all the congrats and for those who let me know they are enjoying the book.

My New Cover

Well, I did it! Yesterday, I finally revealed the cover of my upcoming book. The story has passed the pre-readers' tests with flying colors and the comments coming in on the cover...WOW! Very exciting. Now to get it formatted and onto the shelves!

I felt as though I HAD to get this book out there and NOW. If you're a writer, you'll understand. In light of all that is happening in our lives, it made my decision to push other things aside to get done vitally important to me. This creation has been my salve, my escape - a means to help me keep from shutting down. And, I have to say, I love this story. I'm a happy ever after person and Claire, though not at all the most celestial being ever, embedded herself into my heart and I wanted a happy ending for her. I wasn't all that sure as I was writing it that she was going to get it! One of the characters in the book sums it up pretty well:

"Charlie could only hope she’d live long enough to learn to believe in herself. She was a beautiful woman with a heart of gold and a generosity to match, but the way she lived…He shook his head and looked up toward the heavens. Claire needed to find her place in this world. She needed someone to help her, and fast."

I hope you'll take a moment to celebrate with me as well as jumping over to my new author website to read an excerpt. The book should be available in eBook format in the next couple of weeks and in paperback by the end of the month -- fingers crossed...and maybe toes too?!

And, about that cover...It was created by my amazing friend, author Jaimey Grant ~ aka Laura J. Miller. Visit her site, An Author's Art to see the artistic side of an extremely talented author.