FATED HEARTS, the first novel I finished is released today!

My first attempt at writing--after all four of my children attended school all day--is released today!!

Fated Hearts was written for Harlequin and rejected by Harlequin but very nicely and I was encouraged to keep writing.

That was six years ago, and I'm happy to say this story is MUCH better now and it's a dream to be able to share FH with the world.

Fated Hearts
By Donna Michaels
Novel/Spicy
From The Wild Rose Press
ISBN 1-60154-300-X
E-Book Rel 8/22/08
Print Rel 2/20/09
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BLURB

Thanks to fate, Jordan Mitchell-Ryan’s heart is tattered. Having kept her from the man she thought she’d always marry, the same fickle fate took away the man she eventually did. Thrown back into the path of her fist love, she finds hers is not the only heart fate has damaged.

Widower and software CEO, Cole McCall fills his days with computer codes and working the family ranch. When his visiting former neighbor sets out to delete the firewall around his heart, he discovers there’s no protection against the Jordan virus. Though she understands his pain and reawakens his soul, will it be enough for Cole to overcome his past and embrace their fated hearts?

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EXCERPT

“Wait up, Cole. I’ll walk with you.”

Broad shoulders rose and fell but stopped at the door and waited while she said her goodnights.

“Thanks,” she told him as they began their ascent upstairs. Worried about his pallor and the fatigue slumping his shoulders, she put her hand on his arm when they reached the top. “What are you trying to do? Work yourself to death?”

“Drop it, Jordan.” He yanked his arm out of her grasp. “I’m not in the mood.”

She brushed his irritation aside and searched his face. “You have to stop doing this to yourself, Cole. You need to slow down.”

“And you need to mind your own damned business.”

She ignored him. “There’s more to life than just work. What happened to that mischievous boy I knew?”

“He died.”

Her hissed breath echoed down the hall. “Cole McCall! That’s a horrible thing to say and I refuse to believe it.” She gripped his shoulders, hard. “He’s still in there and I’m going to find him. And when I do…I’m going to kick his ass for letting you take over.”

“There’s nothing wrong with me, Jordan,” he scoffed. “I grew up. You should try it.”

She released him and laughed. “Yeah, you sure got me pegged, McCall. I’m very immature and not responsible at all.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled. “Maybe you are as far as work is concerned, but you need to stop trying to change me, Jordan.” He dropped his hand and his gaze bore into hers, flashing a silent warning.

She hated warnings.

“No.”

“What do you mean no?”

“Just what I said. I won’t stop trying to change you because I don’t particularly like you. I want you gone and the old Cole back.”

He grasped her upper arms and sneered. “Too damn bad. This is who I am now. The old Cole might’ve put up with your antics but I won’t.”

Her heart raced out of control. Damn, his hands were strong…and big. They covered most of her upper arms. She drew in a breath. Not smart, her mind screamed while her nose rejoiced. Mmm…Was that fresh scent soap or body wash? Desire flooded her fluttering stomach and pooled between her legs with a sudden vision of Cole lathered and wet.

“Did you hear me, Jordan? I won’t put up with your nonsense.”

He increased the pressure on her arms, and the warmth amplified between her thighs.

Whoa. Back the reaction train up. I’m not the one who needs to feel.

She straightened her spine. “Oh no? Well, I’m not going to stop just because you tell me to, Cole. You’re way over due for an emotional overhaul and reality check. So, what are you going to do about it, Mr. Personality?”

“This.” He pinned her against the wall and pressed into her with his body.
Sensations—hot and frenzied, scorched a path to her core. The resulting shudder had her dazed, wide eyes staring up at him.

Triumph gleamed in his darkened gaze.

He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “Apparently, you like me after all, Jordan.”

Anger erupted and cancelled her yearnings.

She pushed out of his hold. “Don’t try to turn this all around and put the focus on me, pal. It won’t work. I’m not one of your unsuspecting victims. But, you’re right. There is something about you I like. Your body. Or should I say Cole’s body,” she corrected, looking him up and down. “It’s grown up quite nice. But I still don’t like you.” Pivoting on her heel, she drew in a steadying breath and walked as nonchalantly as she could to her room.

His deep chuckle echoed down the hall and rumbled through her like a Southern California tremor. It was great to hear genuine amusement from him…although she could’ve done without the Me thinks she doth protest too much remark uttered with it.

Damn sexy Texan. Okay, so I’m not as immune to him as I’d hoped. That changes nothing. Shivers covered her skin. She ignored them.

Jordan Mitchell-Ryan never failed a case and Operation Heal McCall would be no exception.

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Thanks for reading,

Donna Michaels
Author of Romaginative Fiction
www.donnamichaelsauthor.com

Hero...inspiration...

Wild Rose Press Editor Guest Blogging Today!

Ever wonder what an editor looks for in a story?

Well here's your chance to get the inside scoop with one of the Yellow Rose editors from The Wild Rose Press, Stacy D. Holmes, Senior Editor of the contemporary cowboy line. Yeehaw!

I had the pleasure of working with Stacy on two Yellow Rose stories:

Ten Things I'd Do For A Cowboy - an LASR Best E-Book Short Romance 2007 Nominee

Fated Hearts (e-rel 8/22/08 Print 2/20/09) which just received a NOR Reviewer Top Pick

Thanks for helping me achieve them, Stacy!

So if you're interested in writing contemporary westerns (cowboys), check out what Stacy has to say:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What draws us to a Cowboy?

Cowboys are one of the original Alpha males. They are hard, solitary, driven by the law of the land, rugged, strong, and mysterious. Whew....sorry, hot from just thinking about them LOL.

But! Not all cowboys are Alpha—and that’s what I love about the modern day westerns. Beta cowboys, those hunky ranch-hands, good ol’ boy neighbors and smiling, Stetson wearing two-steppers are just as big and adding a wonderful variety to cowboy stories these days.

In the Yellow Rose Line of the Wild Rose Press (http://www.thewildrosepress.com/) we look for both of these heroes....and the women strong enough to corral their hearts. First and foremost, we want a good story with a strong romance.

Fresh ideas with interesting plots will capture our attention as well as good solid writing. From an editor’s point of view, I can’t express enough how important it is to have someone else look over your work and proof it for the simple things like spelling and grammar. The story could be great but may be hard to find amongst a poorly proofed manuscript.

Along with regular submission, we also have a special series that took off like a freshly branded bull! Wayback, Texas is a small town that hosts a rodeo every Saturday night and we’ve invited authors to write about the characters in this town. We’ve had some fantastic stories released already and a wonderful response—so much so that we had to create its own home at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waybacktexas/ so that we could list the details of the town for easy access to potential authors of this series. If you want to write for this series, the best thing to do is join this loop and then read the available stories to really get a feel for the town.

One of the unique things about The Wild Rose Press is that we offer short stories. Those short enough to read over a lunchtime break to those that only take an afternoon in the sunshine. Personally, I would love to see more short story submission here in the Yellow Rose line along with the longer pieces.

Best of all, if you’ve ever wanted to sample a cowboy...er a cowboy story LOL, we have a Free Read available right now on our website at The Wild Rose Press. Marry Me, Cowboy, is a fun little story that you can get...FOR FREE! Free cowboys....could there be anything better?




Click HERE to download for Free!

While you're there, check out the other wonderful Free Reads and great stories from the terrific authors at The Wild Rose Press!

Thank you so much Donna for letting me share your blog today! If anyone has any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll be popping back to answer them for you!

Stacy D. Holmes, Senior Editor, Yellow Rose, The Wild Rose Press

Check out my FREE READ with The Wild Rose Press

Would you like to sample my writing? Are you new to E-books? See how painless they are and start your cyber bookshelf with my Free Read today!



Wayback When
by Donna Michaels

Way back when Kaydee Harper was young she fell for Jensen Ballard but he treated her like a kid sister. Now, years later, Jensen’s in Wayback for the local rodeo. Can the bull rider resist the stubborn cowgirl or will she bring him to his knees in under eight seconds?






(Wayback When is a little glimpse into TWRP's terrific Rodeo Cowboy Series set in Wayback Texas. Like cowboys? Then check out the wonderful stories in the Wayback Series at TWRP!)


Click HERE to download WAYBACK WHEN for free...right Now!!

Afterwards, have fun browsing the many romance genres and lengths at The Wild Rose Press. There are a lot of wonderful books from myself and fellow WRP Authors to stock your new cyber shelves. Let us keep you in the read.

And remember, Save a Tree--Read an E-book!

Please feel free to drop me a note at donna_michaels @ msn. com (minus the spaces) and let me know what you think of Wayback When. I'd love to hear from you anytime!

Thanks, and Happy Reading!!

~Donna Michaels

MY FIRST PRINT RELEASE!!

Meet Your Mate

By Donna Michaels

220 Pages Spicy

ISBN 1-60154-148-1

Buy Link for The Wild Rose Press

Buy Link for Fictionwise

Buy Link for Amazon

Buy Link for Barnes & Noble

Read Reviews

View Trailer

BLURB

Ex-Army Ranger Capt. Jack ‘Dodger’ Anderson would rather run naked through a minefield in the Afghan desert than participate in a reality television show, but when his brother Matthew begins to receive threats, Jack quickly becomes Matthew’s shadow. As if the investigation isn’t baffling enough, he has to contend with the addition of a beautiful and vaguely familiar new contestant.

Security specialist, Brielle Chapman reluctantly agrees to help her uncle by going undercover as a contestant on the Meet Your Mate reality show. Having nearly failed on a similar assignment, she wants to prove she still has a future in this business. But when the brother of the groom turns out to be Dodger, the object of her secret desire from an embarrassing prior undercover case, her job becomes harder. Does he recognize her? And how can she investigate with their sizzling attraction fogging her brain? Determined to finish the job, she brings the case to a surprising climax, uncovers the culprit and meets her own mate.

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Thanks for reading.

In honor of this print release, I'm holding a fun contest involving pictures of my Heroes being match to pictures of my Heroines. Click HERE for all the details and to view the prize: Genuine Garnet Necklace and matching Earring.

Donna Michaels

Author of Romaginative Fiction
www.donnamichaelsauthor.com

Multi-Author Contest: WISHING FOR A SPRING ROUND-UP

A hint of spring is in the air. In horsey circles, spring means it's time to kick up our heels and celebrate life. In keeping with the season, we've rounded-up thirteen authors with horses in their books. The Wishing for Spring Round Up is all about great books, romance, and horses. Come and celebrate spring with these authors and win free books.

To enter –
The list of questions is posted at each participating author’s website. Contestants must visit every website to find an answer to a question. Compile your list of answers in an email to contest@juliannastephens.com. The contest opens on March 1 and closes on March 16. Winners will be notified via email by March 20. One entry per contestant.

The prizes –
Each author will donate either a download or a print copy of her book. For print books, a snail mail address will be required. Winners will be randomly chosen from entries with the correct answers.

Enter today and win!

Here’s a sneak peek at my question:

What's the name of the ranch where wild mustangs transition in TEN THINGS I'D DO FOR A COWBOY?

Here's the Contest Link for the full details:

http://www.donnamichaelsauthor.com/springroundupcontest.htm

Good luck!!

Donna Michaels
Author of Romaginative Fiction
www.donnamichaelsauthor.com

VALENTINE'S DAY DO-OVER PART II: THE SIBIINGS is Released!!

Round 2 for Eros has begun! And he thought last year was bad...


Valentine’s Day Do-Over Part II: The Siblings
by Donna Michaels
85 Pages-Spicy
$3.00
Available at The Wild Rose Press



Blurb

Eros, God of Love, thought bringing soul mates Ivy Valentine and Roman Hartt together last year was tough, until he met their siblings: Mia and Race.

Forced to suffer the same do-over fate his younger brother endured last Valentine’s Day, Racine Hartt must share the holiday madness with his worst nightmare—his beautiful superior, Major Mia Valentine.

Mia doesn’t have time for irresponsible men in her life and is not happy to discover she’s stuck in a repeat Valentine’s Day with the handsome, yet chauvinistic Captain Racine Hartt. With her sister’s wedding day in jeopardy of never arriving, Mia looks for someone else, anyone else other than the sexy Captain to fill the slot.

How many days will it take this military minded couple to look past their preconceived notions and see into each other’s hearts? Can Eros accomplish this miracle? Or will the world repeat Valentine’s Day forever?


Excerpt(First 2 and 1/2 pages)

“If I hear hon or sweetheart one more time, I swear I’m gonna choke down a grenade and spit out the pin!” Race Hartt had a headache and knew he was about to make it worse. He didn’t care. He had to get out of there.

Deliberately head-butting the swinging kitchen door, he winced against the added pain but continued to stomp through his mother’s kitchen and family room before he found solitude outside on her deck.

Pacing the ten-by-ten wooden floor, he sucked in deep, calming breaths. How could his family expect him to endure two days of this lovey-dovey crap? I can’t do it. Exhaling the rose- scented air brewing from his mother’s abundant garden, he reached for the phone hooked on his belt.

He’d already served two tours in Iraq, but surely his Commanding Officer could find another conflict and deploy him. Anything had to be better than this torture. Okay, technically he couldn’t just pick up on a moment’s notice; he wasn’t part of the quick strike Brigade, but maybe his C.O. could assign some sort of task important enough to get him out of this pre-wedding/wedding crap.

A school. Or no, wait! He was Army Supply. He could travel to one of the armories up north for equipment.

“Where the hell’s…” He frowned at his empty belt loop. “My phone?”

“Racine Hartt!”

Raquel Hartt’s pretty features darkened as she stepped outside and shut the French door. Spine stiffer than her mouth- uh oh - she meant business.

“You get back inside and be nice to your brother and his future family.”

“Aw, Ma! Do you have to call me that? You make me sound like I just ran five clicks uphill in full gear.” He grimaced. No one but his mother got away with calling him his full name without receiving a special five-knuckled kiss. Well, her, his C.O. and superior officers, of course.

Her expression softened.

“But I love your name. Why, your father, God rest his soul, his heart was racing the night we—”

“Mom!” His hand flew up, palm vertical. The jerking movement intensified his nauseated stomach and throbbing head. He masked the accompanying wince behind a grimace and firm tone. “Do not finish that sentence. My stomach is already queasy from Mr. Softie and his merry Valentines giggling and laughing like girls in there.” He pivoted around to grip the railing and drew in more rose-scented air.

“Race, honey.” His mother joined him and cupped his shoulder. “Most of them are girls, except for your dad’s brother, Uncle Max, and Ivy’s two uncles.”

“Whatever.” He continued to grumble.

Mostly because she was right. The handful of cousins and aunts from both sides really weren’t bad. On a good day, he’d have no trouble suffering their company, but today wasn’t a good day.

He’d stayed out until dawn entertaining the dancer he’d hired to perform at his brother’s bachelor party last night. When it was obvious Rome wanted nothing extra from the pretty blonde, Race hated to see a good dancer go to waste, so he took her home—literally.

His less-than-stellar mood was a direct result of being forced to come here at the God-awful hour of eleven in the morning for some sort of brunch. A chore very taxing on his barely recovered body, not to mentionon his brain.

Just what was brunch anyway? An excuse to combine two meals? This was not how he wanted to spend his Valentine’s Day. And that was another thing…

“Ma.” He twisted until his hip rested against the rail. “If today is Valentine’s Day, one year since Rome and Ivy met, why didn’t they want their wedding today? Rome’s so mushy, I would’ve thought V-day would’ve been a shoe-in. Why tomorrow?”

“They said it was because February fifteenth was technically the start of their new life together. Works out great for the HarttBeat Foundation’s Annual Valentine’s Day Masquerade, though. We’re able to include the rehearsal dinner.” She glanced at her watch. “Which starts in less than seven hours.”

After his dad died, his mother started HarttBeats Foundation, a charity targeting heart disease. Every year they held a successful costumed charity ball. Although proud of his mom, Race wasn’t a fan of Valentine’s Day activities or the highly overrated holiday.

He straightened as a thought occurred. “Do you need help setting up? I can run there right now.”

She laughed and patted his chest. “Wow, such eagerness. Where was that attitude last year? I had to practically pull your teeth to get you to help out.”

“Well, I didn’t have an afternoon filled with females gushing and giggling over chiffon organs and Andy Hardy shoes looming over my head”

She laughed harder.

What’d I say?

“Its chiffon organza and Pierre Hardy,” she explained.

“Isn’t that what I said?”

“No.” She giggled.

“Whatever. So do you need my help? Can I go to the Masquerade early, Mom? Please?” He purposefully widened his eyes and blinked.

“Yes, you can go with me. No need to flash those baby blues, you rogue.”

“Thanks, mom.” He bent down and kissed her cheek.

“Now come on back inside. The Valentines are nice people. And you haven’t even met Ivy’s sister yet. Mia should be here any minute. She’s lovely, Race. You should’ve shown up at the planning sessions. After all, you’re going to be standing up with this girl. I would’ve thought you’d at least like to meet her first.”

“Nah.” Not if she’s anything like the Major Valentine who’d transferred to the depot two months back. He’d rather be flogged and boiled in oil. Overexposure to that type of frozen female could cause frostbite—and he liked his extremities.

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Thanks for reading. Click HERE to and scroll down for details on the Two Part VDDO Part II Contest.

Donna Michaels
Author of Romaginative Fiction
http://www.donnamichaelsauthor.com/