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As many of you may know, our beloved sister hostess SHARON DONOVAN, tragically passed away on 11th April 2012. We who knew her, loved her, and were inspired by her courage and determination to face head on whatever life threw at her. When she could no longer see to paint she turned to writing and showed her amazing talent in the Inspirational Romance and Romantic Suspense genres, and her story 'Charade Of Hearts' was awarded the coveted Predators and Editors Award in January 2011.

This Blog was a source of great delight to her, she was one of the founder hostesses and she contributed to the fun and silliness in her own original way, and was kind enough to let her unique creation, the hunky butler 'Oliver' join us for our Friday romp and prepare 'virtual breakfast' for the guests on the following morning. It's beyond hard to have to go on without her, but we know that she would have been the first to insist that 'the show must go on.' She is, and will always be with us in spirit.
Sharon, dear friend, we will never forget you.
The Author Roast and Toast is part of the legacy you left us. Let's raise a Toast to you as well as all our guests.
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Friday, November 14, 2014

A Case for Calamity With Our Very Own, Mac Crowne



The helicopter lands on top of an elegant high-rise hotel in midtown Manhattan. The hostess step out onto the rooftop in their most elegant little black cocktail dresses and survey their surroundings.

Lilly sighs as she looks out over the skyline. "Wow! What a breath-taking view!"

"Isn't it just lovely?" LaVerne adds.

Mac smiles, but looks just a bit disappointed.  "Thank you my sister hostesses. A party atop a hotel to celebrate my new release will be fun."

"No time to dawdle, ladies," Lyn, says as she ushers the hostesses toward an elevator that will take them down to the lobby. "We have an entire evening planned."

"Oh yes," Mary adds. "And since there is snow on the ground and New York is already
decorated for Christmas, it's a perfect time for a carriage ride through the streets of Manhattan."

"But what about my party?" Mac asks. "I don't want to miss Jane and Gabe."

"No worries," LaVerne says in her adorable accent. "The party is across town in one of the most exclusive party venues in Manhattan. This hotel is just where we'll be staying over the weekend. "Don't worry. You're going to love it."

LaVerne and Lilly each take one of Mac's arms and guide her onto the elevator. Once on the street,
the hostess climb inside a horse drawn carriage for a ride across town.

Snow glistens like diamonds under the street lights as the carriage clip-clops along to its final destination.

Outside The Plaza, the streets are already decorated for Christmas.

Mac sighs as she exits the old-fashioned carriage. "Oh my, it is beautiful."

"Just wait until you see the inside," Lyn gushes. "The ball room is the most elegant thing I have ever seen."

The hostess rush inside and Oliver greets them at the door. He smiles and then ushers them to an elegant marble staircase.
Lilly, LaVerne, Lyn, and Mary glide down, leaving Mac alone at the top. A second later, Jane Whitmore and Gabe Sutton, the hero and heroine of Mac's Christmas release A Case for Calamity meet her at the top of the stairs and arm in arm, they descend the staircase together.

As Mac and her guests enter the elegant ballroom, her sister hostesses applaud.

Mac brushes a tear from her eye and glances upward at the ceiling. Her gaze widens when she notices the elegant painting above her head. "Beautiful!" She sighs. "Everything is just perfect."

Across the room, chandeliers light a dance floor where some of her guests are enjoying a waltz while waiters setup elegant tables with gourmet meals worthy of any 5-star restaurant.


Mac looks at the place settings and smiles. "Mmm. Steak and lobster. My favorite."

"Everything looks delicious. Doesn't it Mac?" Lilly asks, licking her lips. "I can't wait to dig in."

"And just look at all those yummy cakes on the desert table." Mary adjusts "the girls" and smiles. "I should have worn my eating pants instead of this lovely cocktail dress."

Lyn laughs. "You'd look ridiculous in sweats at this swanky place. But I sure wish I could have worn more comfortable shoes." She looks down at her large, strappy heels and wiggles her toes.

"Those boats you call Birkenstocks wouldn't fit in with the decor here either," Mary says with a pout.

Mac beams as she looks around the elegant ballroom. "Thank you all for foregoing comfort for my party. I must admit, I wanted elegant to impress Gabe since he's loaded, but you ladies have outdone yourselves. This is fabulous."

"Then let's toast with a Christmas martini and get this party started," Lilly says as she waves Oliver over.

LaVenre nods in agreement. "Absolutely! I want to eat now and dance later. Do you think Jane will let me dance with Gabe."

Mac smiles. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Lyn pouts. "That's what you said when I asked how your books ends."

"I won't tell you how it ends, but after we eat, I'll share an excerpt. Just be patient," Mac says.

After the hostess find their seats, Lyn, Mary, Lilly, and LaVerne raise their glasses high. "To Mac!"






Blurb:
For Jane Whitmore, agreeing to switch identities with her best friend seems like innocent fun, but spending a romantic night in Paris with a man who doesn't know her real name turns out to be a lark gone bad. When their one night of passion proves to have lasting results, tracking down Gabe Sutton and telling him he’s about to be the father of her child is just another calamity Jane would rather avoid. After years of avoiding long-term romantic entanglements, Gabe has found a woman he might just be able to build a life with, only to have her disappear. When he finally finds her, his belief in happily-ever-after staggers under the weight of deception, and looming fatherhood leaves him with two choices: fight her for custody of his future child or cling to the promise of true love.

Excerpt:
“Michael said you were lovely. He didn’t do you justice.”

Chaos erupted in her belly as if thousands of butterflies had suddenly taken flight. Setting down her glass, she dismissed the manic fluttering and dragged in a calming breath. The dark-haired devil sitting across from her with intent green eyes and a come-to-me-baby drawl would fluster any woman with a pulse, even one with a natural cynicism for situations like this. She might be a round plug in a family of square holes, but she’d been raised in the world of corporate finance and recognized his words for what they were. Gabe Sutton thought he was flattering the daughter of a very powerful business associate. As the only daughter of Thomas Whitmore, CEO of Whitmore Financial Industries, Jane had been on the receiving end of similar praises over the years…for exactly the same purpose.

A wry smile curved her lips. “That’s kind of you, but, about…my father. I’m sorry he roped you into including me tonight. He means well, but he can be pushy.”

A trace of humor flashed in his eyes. “He isn’t exactly subtle, is he?”

“No, he isn’t.” She shrugged. “We’ve met, which is what he was after. Once he learns his plan didn’t work out, he’ll move on to the next…candidate.”

He sprawled back and his thickly lashed eyes narrowed as they roamed her face. “Candidate? This isn’t the first time your father has set you up like this, I take it?”

Mac’s links:



Author bio:
Wife, mother and really young grandmother, Mac lives with her high school sweet heart husband, a neurotic Pomeranian, and a blind cat. She calls Phoenix home because the southwest feeds her soul. Though her friends claim she’s a princess, she disagrees. After all, one can’t raise two rambunctious boys to wonderful men without getting a little dirt under their nails. A lover of the romance genre, her resolve to share her stories with others was sharpened by a bout with breast cancer. Today she is an award-winning, multi-published author and seven year survivor, living the dream.

***GIVEAWAY***
To win a copy of Mac's book, all you have to do is just leave a comment and your e-mail address.
Contest ends on Sunday and everyone who comments is eligible.
(We reserve the right to waive the prize in any week when there are not enough contestants for a draw to be deemed fair and unbiased)

42 comments:

  1. Thank you for the wonderful pictures & excerpt.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  2. Wow! I know I'm a little out of it after yesterday's release, but is it Friday already? LOL You girls outdid yourselves. The party is just how I pictured celebrating A Case for Calamity. Jane and Gabe are impressed. :-)

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  3. Oops! Me thinks we got caught in a time warp. However now it is Friday so let the festivities begin! Congratulations on your release Mac,wishing you many happy sales!

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  4. LOL A time warp? Yeah, I've been caught in that for a while now. Glad it's not just me. :-)

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  5. Gee I don't think I am dressed appropriately for the party atmosphere here!!! It has been a whirlwind of a week for a lot of people and with your book release no doubt it spins just a little faster. Congratulations on it and I hope it is doing well.
    Robbie

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    1. LOL R. I've definitely been spinning, but in a good way. And any mode of dress is acceptable here, and in NYC for that matter. So glad you stopped by.

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  6. Hi Robbie - no problem, we have a whole wardrobe of virtual clothes of all sizes here at the Roast! Thanks for joining the party, and helping Mac celebrate her new release.

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  7. Hello Mac. Looks like you are having fun. Congratulations on your release. Cynthia

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  8. Mac, I hope you are enjoying your party. I think Jane and Gabe are, although it is hard to tell since they only have eyes for one another. And these martinis are to die for. So is the lobster, but the bib doesn't go with my dress. Then again, I am a slob and I don't think hot butter would look good on the dress either. lol!

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    1. LOL I think the bib is the perfect accessory, Lilly. Both of them. Hmm I may need to slow down on the martinis. :-)

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  9. Lilly, they make you wear a bib to keep food off the girls. Although that hot butter might make for a fun time!
    I hope you sell a ton Mac!!! I loved riding those carriages around NY when I lived there. Sadly, they are thinking of stopping it. Imagine the ignorance!

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  10. LOL Mary. You're so easy. The thought of you and butter together scares me. :-)

    I have family in the city and work there every February but 've never had the time to ride the carriages. I really hope they don't end them before I do. Anyone else going to conference this July? We could see how many of us we can cram in. :-)

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  11. I'd love ton ride one of those carriages - but I've read of horses being injured or killed in traffic accidents between cars and the carriages, as there is so much traffic these days. It's so sad, but the carriages do look lovely, Dave and I saw one when we were in Pennyslvania, I'd have loved a ride, but it was late at night and they weren't taking any more passengers but we had a long chat with the girl who was driving, and made a fuss of her lovely horse. It seemed very well cared for.

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  12. Great party ladies! I see Oliver looks as dapper as ever. :) Lovely venue, I dig those marble stairs! Congrats Mac!

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    1. Thanks sweetie. Don't ya love those stairs, and the lobster, and the martinis? Oh heck. I'll be back. I've made myself hungry! LOL

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  13. Mary, my girls need all the help they can get- lol! The back end is a different story. Ahh but the butter idea is intriguing! Lol

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  14. It's so tasty too!
    No mariner it has to be real butter. Imagine the fun. Mix it with a little marshmallow fluff and it's great on popcorn or bodies.
    Hmmmm. Everything is better with butter. So slippery...

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  15. Work check made my margarine into mariner. Wha??

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    1. lol It thinks it's smarter than you

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    2. Some mariners might be worth slathering in butter. I mean, what if they're hunky and smell and taste like lobster? Definitely better with butter. lol!

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    3. Taste like lobster? Now you're causing real problems here Lilly!

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  16. Mac, I really want this book, but since I can't win it, I went to the TWRP website and ordered it. FYI, people, Mac's book is half price today at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/. Woohoo! Love a good book and a good bargain!

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  17. Ok, I am REALLY annoyed. Insulted even! Here I am, living in NYC, and I didn't even get a special invitation. What a bum deal, Mac. Try and figure out a way to make it up to me….

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    1. I'll put on my thinking cap and make it up to you in July when I'm there for conference. :-)

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  18. Hi Calissa, lovely to see you. OK Mac. Let's drink a toast to 'a Case For Calamity/' Where's the mead?

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    1. I'm sure there's mead here somewhere, Lyn. This city has everything!

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  19. But Andi, I mailed your invite personally! Damn mailman must have confiscated it so he could get into the party. Everyone that's anyone wants to be here for Mac's celebration. So glad you made it, Andi and so glad Oliver let you in. He knows who to let in without an invitation and who to send away. And he knows handsome men and sister authors are always allowed in. lol!

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  20. Hiya, everyone! I'm a bit breathless. After a bit of persuading and the promise to give him back right away, Jane let me dance with Gabe. Oh, my! *fans face madly* Mac always has THE most gorgeous of heroes! Jane is one lucky woman....sigh....

    Congrats on another fab release, Mac! I can't wait to read it! xox

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    1. Yeah LaVerne. I nearly kept Gabe for myself, but hubbby put his foot down and Jane threatened mutiny. :-)

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  21. So glad you made it Andrea, and please don't blame Mac - this was her surprise party and she knew nothing about it! (Well not until we told her!) I hope no-one else's invitations have gone astray, but as Lilly says, Oliver knows who should be on the guest list and it's pretty much 'open house'! We just love having guests!

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  22. LOL Lyn, she knew nothing about it, until we told her!! Hehehe foot humor!

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  23. Well see ya'll later, I found a from Manhattan who I went to high school with on Long Island like I did. He's taking me to Central Park. Hmmmm.

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  24. LOL Mary, enjoy your - um - trip to the Park. I'm going to have to go too, but I'll be back tomorrow. What about another teaser, mac?

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  25. Hmmm. As some of you know, I love weaving friendships into my stories for my heroines. Here's a little taste from a scene between Jane and her bestie, Shae (Who was named after my G'girl after much pleading to have her name in one of my stories)

    “He doesn’t even know my name. What am I supposed to do? Walk up to him and say, ‘Hi Gabe. I’m the chick who tricked you into believing I was Michael Austin’s daughter two months ago in Paris. Oh, and by the way, I’m having your baby?’”

    “I was thinking more along the lines of, ‘Hi, Gabe. I’m the chick who snuck out of your hotel room in Paris before you could say Good morning, beautiful. By the way, I had a really good time—and six orgasms. Oh, and I’m having your baby. Want to get a pizza?’”

    Jane laughed at Shae’s cheeky grin, then shoved her fingers through her hair. “Right. That’ll work.”

    “I googled him. You’re right. He’s hawt! He left his number that morning in Paris.” She smiled slyly. “It’s in my phone. You should call him.”

    Jane snorted. “I don’t think giving Gabe Sutton a booty call would be a good idea. Besides, I’m on a sabbatical from men.”

    Shae waggled her brows. “What’s that old saying? When you fall off a horse, you need to climb right back on?

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  26. Congrats on your release, Mac. Sounds like a fun read with some interesting twists and turns. Celebrate wildly! Rolynn

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  27. Wow, thanks for the 'girlfriend' snippet Mac, I could just see it all! And hi Rolynn, so glad you could join the party!

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  28. Great excerpt, Mac. I know I'm gonna love this book!

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