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Labor of Love Blog Hop

From sweet to dark, divas of romance work their fingers to the bone for your reading pleasure in the Labor of Love Bloghop from 9/4-9/6. Come join me and enter to win a Kindle with new, heart-pounding titles just for you!

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Happily ever afters only come after heart-breaking work, and this Labor Day weekend, we are celebrating our written labors of love by giving our readers a chance to win a brand-spankin' new Kindle with our personal bests. That's right, you could win all of our books! Aren't you excited? We are! So here's your chance, just click the link below to enter our giveaway:

Since this a Labor of Love blog hop, I decided to feature my book that was truly a labor of love. Once during a vicious blizzard in the mid-90's, I got bundled up and took my dad's dog outside for a walk. When faced with a wide landscape of snow piled higher than he was tall, Champ chose the path of least resistance and peed on my leg. I was, let's say, heated. A decade later, the lazy mutt :) passed away and while dealing with more grief than I had anticipated I wrote a short story about a tabloid reporter getting peed on by the werewolf she was tracking. But I couldn't write THE END. The characters wouldn't let me go and that short story grew into my first full-length book:

FATED SOULS



Investigative journalist Maggie O’Connell went from hard hitting exposés to alien abductions in the blink of an eye, but she did it with style. Her next big lead takes her to northern Minnesota hot on the trail of a werewolf and straight into the arms of Aidan Gael, a horse rancher with many more secrets than he has friends. Maggie may get her story but the man who shares the wolf’s compelling green eyes may end up with her heart – provided they can keep each other alive.


Sensuality level: Behind Closed Doors

Enjoy this excerpt from FATED SOULS:

She watched as the wolf sauntered closer. She followed him with her eyes as he passed by. He really was insanely large. She guessed him at nearly four feet tall and probably near six feet in length. His pelt was beautiful, thick and gray with the occasional fleck of black and silver. The urge to reach out and run her fingers through his pelt was intense, but Maggie thought it would be rude, so she simply watched in awe as he settled down about a yard in front of her. Laying his massive head on his paws he cocked his head to the side and watched her.

”Would you have known I’d been to your little clearing if I hadn’t left the chew toy? Wolves have very sharp hearing and sense of scent; you would’ve been able to smell that I’d been there, right? You’ve been watching over me, haven’t you? That’s really sweet but very human behavior.” The wolf snorted. “Did you think that was funny, offensive, or did you simply get some pollen up your nose?

“This is bizarre; I’m interviewing a freaking wolf, like you can answer my questions. What are you going to do, stomp your foot four times?” This time she saw the humor in the eyes and heard the chuckle. “So you were laughing at me the other night.

“I’m assuming of course that you can understand everything I’m saying to you. Maybe I’ve finally lost what little sense God gave me. Or, I could be sleeping. That is very possible. I tend to have very vivid dreams. Of course, if I were dreaming, you’d probably be answering me with a vague Australian accent not unlike Hugh Jackman’s.

“Well, dream or not, I guess I should introduce myself. The name is Maggie, and if it’s not too much trouble could I feel your fur? I mean, not like pet you. You’re far too beautiful and free to be treated like a pet; you were very National Geographic the other night. But your pelt just looks so soft…” Maggie trailed off, rather embarrassed by her rambling to a creature that wasn’t likely to understand a word she was saying. She started puttering around her small camp and was looking down at her hands trying to figure out why she felt embarrassed when his muzzle bumped her under her elbow.

Despite his size he had moved silently across the forest floor; she’d not even realized he’d stood let alone crossed the few feet between them. But here he was, those startling green eyes only inches away, inviting her to touch him. Maggie ran her hand along his side and felt the muscles corded underneath the silky fur. “Wow,” she said as she threaded her fingers through the strands. She’d repeated the motion several times when she heard a low rumble in the wolf’s throat. The closest comparison Maggie could make was a cat purr. “You like that?” In answer, the wolf licked her cheek with his dry, raspy tongue. Maggie laughed. “Who said I kiss on the first date?

I have so many scenes in this book that I just love, including the pissing episode that started it all and a game of twenty questions that tickles my fancy, but this is the first time Maggie gets to actively interact with the wolf. And it always makes me feel good. If you enjoyed the excerpt above, you can get Fated Souls for $1.99 on Amazon before the next book in the series - Fated Hearts - is released later this month!


Post a favorite anecdote about a family pet in the comments below and on September 7th one lucky commenter will win an e-copy of Goddess of the Hunt, the first in my erotic spy series, Covert Passions.

 

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Thank you for join joining our Labors of Love Blog Hop. To see who's participating, click the link below and work your way through our participating authors:
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Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...


Drumroll please, we have our Rafflecopter Winners! 
Our Grand Prize Kindle, accompanied by our labors of love goes to...Donna Raye
Our $35 Amazon or B&N Gift card Runner-up queen is...Ellen Beck
And our $25 Amazon or B&N Gift card princess is...Gayle Diamond
Huge congrats to all three lucky ladies! 
Don't forget to check today and tomorrow for more winners from the personal blogs.
Thank you again to all who took part to make this such a fun weekend.
Happy Holidays!

Comments

  1. We were looking for a dog at our local SPCA when we got to the last cage there was this dog setting there looking at me with sad eyes. I said this is the one we wanted. She was so happy to go home with us. The best dog we ever had. She did everything with us just loved spending time with all of us. We had her for 8 years last year she passed away. One of the saddest days of our life.

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    1. Oh Teena! Isn't it awful to lose a beloved pet?? I don't think people without dogs truly understand that grief. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. What a lovely excerpt! Your book sounds interesting.

    We chose a kitten from the SPCA. He was the one who kept on coming to us and rubbing against us, purring. We knew he was the one. This kitten has grown up now, but so far, he's brought us so much joy. He's cheeky, adventurous, loving and beautiful. When we first got him, he had such a ferocious appetite, that he used to eat our bread - even tearing open the packet.

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    1. Kathleen - I'm a die-hard dog person but after my dog passed away two years ago, the Hubz brought home a tiny little kitten who completely imprinted on me like I was her mama. Out of habit, I used dog calls. She answers to nickering and whistles but never spppt noises; and she begs for food. ;) Thanks for sharing!

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  3. We brought in a stray cat from outside, it was a kitten. We thought it was a girl and named her Lola. Well a couple of months later I noticed some things that girls don't have! lol well we so used to calling the cat Lola that we decided to keep calling him that. Thank you
    Happy Labor Day Weekend Becky!

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    1. Happy Labor Day, Linda! Years ago the oldest got a rabbit and I was advised that male rabbits spray to mark their territory when they become sexually mature. Of course I made an appt to have Moo fixed. Hours later the vet calls: Who told you this bunny was a boy??? Well, you'll have to pay for the anesthesia because SHE was under when we noticed. :) Thanks for sharing

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  4. Sorry to hear about the death of your dog. But that was one funny story. Happy Labor Day.

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    1. Thank you, Nana, and Happy Labor Day. I was so upset at the time, I hollered, "I'm not your friend anymore!" much to my mother's amusement. She called excited when she read a similar line in the book. ;)

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  5. All dogs got to heaven. Enjoy the weekend!

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    1. Congratulations Danita! You're the winner of a free electronic copy of Goddess of the Hunt. Please email me at beckyfladeauthor@gmail.com with your preferred format. Have a great Labor Day ♥

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  6. I'm the fur mom to 2 rescued JRT. THEY NEVER ARE NOT HYPER!! Haha but I love them.

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    1. 2 Jack Russells! God bless you, lol, that's an energetic breed. Happy Labor Day!

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  7. no pets

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  8. Heh. I'm totally laughing at how Fated Souls came about.
    I'm sure I could come up with an anecdote, but for now it's enough to know that I had to institute a 'no humping' rule for our dogs...sigh...

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    1. I'm humming "My Humps" by Fergie right now. LMBO

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  9. My Old man, (meaning dog) isn't doing too well. He can't get up and walk unless we help him. Hoping the pain meds kick in...Love the excerpt, Becky!!

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    1. Cathrina, our girl's arthritis got so bad her last year we had a standing supply of what the Hubz called "Doggy Dope" - it made all the difference in the world. Hope things get better for your Old Man. Enjoy your weekend and the #LOLHop

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  10. Before our two fur minxes (female labs) rescued us, we had a beautiful male lab, Stitch, who kept us for eleven years. His most bizarre behavior--he hated the water, and yet he was a LAB. You know the canine type who will do anything to play in the water? Not him, though, man he hated when we made him get in the pool. Never saw such a grump!
    Happy Labor Day, Becky and thank you for taking part in the hop!

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    1. Jami - I had a cat once that loved the water! If she got the door open while you were bathing, she'd jump in the tub/shower. Looks like our cat and your dog got their wires mixed :) Thanks for sharing

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  11. Hi, Empi ~ yeah, Souls is a different breed of shifter story (pun intended), than most I've read too. Thanks for visiting and enjoy the holiday weekend.

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  12. LOL at the werewolf christening her leg! Our miniature wiener dog thought she was a fur collar when she was a puppy.... she would climb up my arm and wrap herself around my neck, licking one cheek and thumping the other with her tail!

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  14. The Goddess of the Hunt giveaway is now closed but tune back in later today for the results of the Rafflecopter contest

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