Attending
Author Allie Marie
Hello,
readers!
I’m Allie Marie and I’m happy to join the IRC Countdown to Valentine’s Day! I’ve been coming to IRC since 2015, and look forward to seeing everyone in 2022.
Since February is associated with love and romance, what better way is there than to enjoy books that convey messages of the heart? I’m one of the lucky ones who not only writes about romance, but lives it too.
Do you have Valentine’s Day traditions? Early on in our marriage, my husband and I exchanged all the “traditional” gifts of the holiday. You know, the red roses, the candy, silk underwear with hearts for him, and lace for me. Even a special diamond necklace or ring when finances were better.
But when I realized how ridiculously high-priced roses or other flowers were for this and a few other holidays, I asked him to please not spend the money any more. And I didn’t need the candy! (Jewelry was always fine until I had more rings and bracelets than I have appendages for.)
The wonderful thing about my husband is that he often bought those things (especially the lacy underwear) year-round anyway, not just for a special holiday It was not unusual for him to have flowers delivered to my work desk on a Tuesday afternoon in March, or bring some in from the yard after he mowed the grass in July. Trust me, those carried as much, or more, messages of love than the expected tokens that can be over-priced pressure points.
Nowadays, as we get older, our tasters have changed. A card with a heartfelt hand-written message makes us happy, as long as we have each other. We take a little trip somewhere, or celebrate with a nice dinner a few days before or after the crunch on February 14. However you celebrate this year, I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day with lots of love and romance!
Now, what about those romance books we all love? I didn’t set out to write romance novels. After I retired as a police officer, I had planned on using my experiences and knowledge to write whodunit mysteries. Instead, my venture in writing began after I discovered colonial ancestors in my family tree. They got into my head, and I used research to help me create colonial characters who haunt present day people. Think paranormal with a dose of romance thrown in!
So instead of suspense thrillers, my first series, the True Colors Series, are historical mysteries that are full of haunted happenings, secrets from the past, and modern-day strong heroines and hunky heroes who figure out the clues while they fall in love. The books have won several awards, and inspired a spin-off series, the True Spirits Trilogy.
An unexpected turn came as I wrote a story intended to be a standalone. Return to Afton Square still has the paranormal elements but involves a WW1 German sailor and an American girl in Portsmouth, where my other books are set. As that story progressed, I brought back some of the characters from the True Colors and created a bridge between True Colors and True Spirits. An interesting sidenote for Return to Afton Square is that a member of IRC won a contest to name a secondary character who actually became very important to the WW1 era parts of the book! I won’t name names here, but you’ll recognize who it is when you read the book! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NPF1HD
The first book in the True Spirits Trilogy is Barley and Lace, and releases on March 15. You don’t have to read the first series to start with that book, or the standalone. Barley and Lace is available for preorder at: https://www.amazon.com/Barley-Lace-True-Spirits-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B09QY6YCVT.
I am excited to be in a list-aiming charity anthology titles Heroes with Heat and Heart, Volume 2. In this collection, 20+ authors have come together to fire you up with steamy romances that feature first responders inspired by the real-life heroes that protect us every day. Just .99 and all proceeds go to Grassroots Wildland Firefighters organization. This anthology will release on June 28, 2022, and is already listed as a #1 New Release on Amazon! Your purchase can help us retain that status as we work toward making the bestseller list on release day, and help our charity, by pre-ordering before June 28. Whether you read on Kindle or any another device, the links are available at: books2read.com/Heroes-Heat-Heart-2
I also have contributed short stories to several anthologies, including an epic fantasy female dragon fighter in Tournament of Reckoning, a Christmas story with a surprise twist in It’s a Wonderful Life After All, and my first murder mystery, Grape Minds Drink Alike.
Although the majority of my books are historical mysteries with ghosts and time travelers, there are plenty of romantic elements in my books, with steam and sizzle that don’t take away from the focus of the story. I like my books to have happily-ever-after endings, but it doesn’t mean it is always easy for the characters to get there!
The Tree Colors Series and the upcoming Barley and Lace have garnered multiple awards, including an IRC Best Book.
You
can find me and my books through the following links.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Author-Allie-Marie-846744515375049
https://www.amazon.com/Allie-Marie/e/B017MXZSUO
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19636919.Allie_Marie
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allie-marie
https://books2read.com/u/47Q16j
Would you like to meet Allie Marie in person and others like her? Please visit our website to find out how and where. https://www.indieromanceconvention.com/
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