NH Romance Writers Blurb Contest

New Hampshire RWA 2024 Blurb Contest

The New Hampshire RWA 2024 Blurb Contest is now open for Entries!

Authors, send us your blurbs. Check out what you can win. Romance Readers, come judge! We need your expertise!

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Come Join my tour blitz. Comment and enter a chance to win a GC. Find great book sites and books! CHECK OUT AN EXCERPT OF LOVIN’ YOU Crazy below the list:

August 8: Literary Gold
August 9: The Avid Reader
August 10: Hope. Dreams. Life… Love
August 11: Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
August 12: All the Ups and Downs
August 15: Novels Alive
August 16: Rogue’s Angels
August 17: Westveil Publishing

August 17: Long and Short Reviews
August 18: Fabulous and Brunette
August 19: Sandra’s Book Club review

August 19: Travel the Ages

ENJOY THIS EXCERPT FROM: LOVIN’ YOU CRAZY

-Somebody was following her. A shiver of warning ran up the back of Tommie Murphy’s neck. In her rearview mirror, the beam of headlights mimicked her actions as she increased and decreased her car’s speed. Add the fact that she was lost in the small city of Sebastian, Florida, and, well . . . she wasn’t having a good evening. 

Her stomach grumbled and ached with nerves. She dragged in a large breath and inhaled the lavender air freshener she’d hung on the rearview mirror. It was supposed to possess a calming effect. The scent wasn’t working well. She should hit an intersection soon and could figure out her location and lose her shadow.

Besides, a vehicle behind her in the middle of nowhere didn’t mean anything sinister. She’d spent too much time worrying about Roy Davis, and she was on edge. Every day, she regretted that she’d trusted the ex-police chief. His kind, fatherly act had encouraged her to believe in him. Mistake. She’d gotten too close to him and suffered for it. Roy had suffered too. He was in prison, and his friends were hanging low. She was safe.

And I’m alive. Others weren’t as lucky. Once she had enough money, she would move away where nobody knew her past. Now the darkness wrapped around her, offering little comfort. Clouds shrouded the moon and stars in the sky. The headlights revealed oaks, palms, and bushes lining the way. 

Lights from an approaching car caught her attention. She tightened her grip on the smooth steering wheel and concentrated on driving until the other driver disappeared in the blackness. 

Stay focused. Charming Arturo at dinner is my number-one priority. Once I find my way to his house.

She’d worn the deep blue dress that she’d bought from a secondhand shop. The original price tag was attached when she found it. She kept it in the closet for special occasions. She’d included a necklace her host, Arturo Alvaro, would recognize. By most standards, she’d overdressed, but not for what she had in mind. 

Tommie slowed her maroon, decade-old clunker. She’d saved a part of her pay from her former job at the Aloha Surf Stop to buy her used hatchback because her surfboards and gear fit inside. Instead, she should have purchased a car with a functioning GPS system.

Hold it. Her phone had one! Why hadn’t she thought of that before? She stretched her arm around the two-tone yellow and indigo surfboard between the front seats––as far as the shoulder harness allowed. Her fingers scraped against her cell and knocked it to the floor next to the door. Thud.

Great. She straightened, exhaling a resigned huff. Spot a clearing and pull over to get her cell.

As the vehicle tailed her, she was reminded that she wasn’t alone. Muttering, she rounded a curve. On the side of the road, a well-lit store and fuel pumps beckoned to her. Civilization. She veered into the lot and stopped. Tommie tensed. Where was her shadow? Seconds ticked to a minute. A pickup truck lumbered past.

She could have sworn it had been a car trailing her, but what could she tell in the dark? Maybe the driver had turned around for some reason. She massaged the knot in the back of her neck.

In the large, storefront window, a clerk lingered by a register. Relief swept over her. With luck, the market employee would be able to direct her. She squared her shoulders. She wouldn’t let her imagination ruin her plan for Arturo Alvaro. He was in for a big surprise. 

I hope you enjoy our get-together, Arturo. I will.

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Lovin’ You Crazy

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B69CD39G/ Available now!

Murder suspect Thomasina (Tommie) Murphy gambles on her childhood friend, an untested, smart PI to clear her name and bury her secrets.

Tommie Murphy is shocked to discover her dinner host shot dead in his elegant, Florida home. As the police examine her past relationship with a jailed convict, she becomes the prime suspect in the homicide. While Tommie pushes fast-forward on changing her impetuous lifestyle, a death threat left on her car warns that the killer has plans for her, too. Desperate, she turns to her former next-door neighbor, PI Jace Jackson. Yet, if she wants his help, she’ll have to break the promise she made to herself, never trust a man.

Jace knows he’s in trouble the moment Tommie, his long-time crush, suddenly shows up. She’s looking for something, and he always has difficulty denying her requests. When she proposes hiring him, he refuses. After all, he investigates cheating spouses and insurance frauds. However, the challenge of her case and Tommie’s need for protection persuade him to finally accept. As days pass, he worries she’s hiding evidence. Soon, he discovers the truth that nothing is what it seems, especially the woman he secretly loves. SPOILER ALERT: THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TRAIL OF SECRETS-Book 1 in the Love, Lies & Mystery series.

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COMING SOON: Lovin’ You Crazy–Love & Lies in Paradise, Book 2

by Nora LeDuc

Murder suspect Thomasina (Tommie) Murphy gambles on her childhood friend, an unproven, smart PI, to clear her name and bury her secrets.

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CHRISTMAS at the EASY BREEZY by Nora LeDuc––PREVIEW

CHRISTMAS at the EASY BREEZY IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AND AT WALMART.COM.

Chapter 1

“Hold on!” Darcy Malone clenched the steering wheel and slammed on the brake, but nothing stopped her skid into the four-foot snowbank.

The right bumper of her Volkswagen thudded against the frosty mound. A  jolt rippled through her. She sat frozen. The rustle of falling flakes grew in her ears. Slowly, the fear cleared from her brain.

She released a breath of relief, and the cramp in her neck eased. Darcy glanced at her daughter in her rear child seat. “Eve. Are you okay?”

“That was fun,” Eve exclaimed in her squeaky voice. Her pink jacket was halfway off her shoulders, and cracker crumbs spotted her purple shirt.

Only a five-year-old would declare an auto accident fun, Darcy thought. “Luckily, I was driving slower than a turtle.” They were safe. That was what counted.

And if Darcy’s GPS was correct, they’d landed in Tuckaway Valley in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The town where her mother grew up. Soon, she’d meet her mom’s side of the family. Someday, this might be her home for the holidays.

She’d spent nearly three decades wishing she had a house full of relatives for those big and little celebrations. Her dream was about to come true.  She had ten days to impress them.

Despite her doubts and the likely fender bender, a small thrill rose in Darcy’s chest. She already imagined upcoming gatherings. Eve running around, giggling by the fireside. Everybody asking Darcy for her eggnog recipe. The one drink she vowed she would someday attempt to make from scratch.

“Can I get out?” Eve asked.

“Let me look.” Darcy shifted into park and cut the engine. She unbuckled her seatbelt and stretched over to the passenger-side window. At least, they were parked under a streetlight. With her bare hand, she wiped the condensation off the cool, damp glass. She squinted and tried to make out the details of a building in between the falling flakes. About six feet away, the red letters of a neon sign shone through the sheet of white. DINER.

The pitter-patter of wet flakes smacked against the windshield. In the overheated car, the odor of Cheerios permeated the interior. Darcy’s stomach growled. Besides snacks and potty breaks, they’d done little other than travel. “I spy food ahead. Supper is calling us.”

“Yay.” Eve clapped her hands. Her mittens, snapped to her jacket cuffs, flapped in the air.

Darcy rolled her shoulders, stiff from today’s ten-plus-hour drive and the stress of playing “guess if we’re on the road or not.” Not the best start to her two-week vacation. The Nor’easter had surprised meteorologists and Darcy by arriving a day earlier than predicted. It was a relief to be safe. She couldn’t wait to stand on the ground where her parents had met. 

She wished she had more memories of them. She was five when her mother and father passed away in a car accident. Her dad’s distant Uncle Frank had taken her to live with him. A confirmed bachelor, he was the last member of the Malone line. He had raised her with the help of nannies and a series of girlfriends. Most of them had drifted out of Darcy’s life.

Uncle Frank had told her little about her parents except that they had run off to marry when Darcy’s grandmother disapproved of her daughter’s future spouse. Mother and daughter never reconciled. Darcy often wondered why.

“Mommy, I want a grilled cheese.”

At the sound of Eve’s clear, steady voice, Darcy swallowed and the tension flowed out of her. She shifted around to face her. “The snow gods are watching over us. We can walk over to that restaurant.”

“Eat!” Eve’s hand flew up in her eagerness.

Before Darcy uttered that magic word “wait,” her daughter was out of her seat. The kid was too expert at escaping those child restraints. 

“I like snow.” Eve’s wide blue eyes glimmered with happiness. She pressed her forehead to the window to stare outside.

“I’m glad you approve of the frosty stuff cause there’s lots of it. Those boots will get a workout today.”

“C’mon. Let’s go.” Eve scooped up her well-worn toy, Bunny, from her booster chair. 

Darcy climbed out. Luckily a plow must have passed not too long ago. The cold flakes chilled her feet in her knee high black boots. The wind whipped her skirt around her legs. Tingles of excitement raced through her until she stepped away and glanced at the spot on her car that had landed in the bank. She couldn’t be certain of the damage until she pulled out and got a good look.

Darcy flipped the back of the seat down and leaned in to help her daughter, who held her green stuffed animal. Giggling, Eve pushed off and leapt into her mother’s arms.

Together, they rounded the front of the classic red VW. Darcy couldn’t complain about the auto. She’d bought it off Craigslist the day before they left New York. The small engine had chugged through the blizzard like a bulldozer.

“Are we there?” Eve tilted her head back for a glimpse, causing her hood to slip off and the icy sleet to hit her cheeks. She squinted and turned her cheek into her mom’s jacket.

“We’ve only gone six feet. Besides, nothing stops the Malone girls. Does it?”

Eve recited the last line of their motto. “You and me.”

At the entrance, Darcy placed Eve down. A lit sign in the window grabbed her attention. “We’re at the Easy Breezy Diner.” She pointed. “Nice wreath on the door.”

“Pretty.”

A poster advertising Midnight Merriment was taped underneath the decoration. She read the flyer out loud.

“Come to a Family-Friendly Celebration on December 23, Downtown Main Street, 5pm to Midnight. Enjoy Sleigh Rides, Music, and Food. New Discounts on Store Items Every Hour.”

“Do they have toys?” Eve asked.

“I don’t know. Sounds like a mini fair. That’s ten days from now. We might be gone by then, but we’ll find out about this Merriment.”

A bell jingled as they entered. She and Eve stopped on the large welcome mat. Darcy scanned the dining room and assessed the business as her Uncle Frank had taught her.

Yes, thanks to Uncle Frank, she had money to pay her bills. Two months ago, he’d surprised Darcy by marrying and becoming the devoted stepfather and grandfather to his wife’s children and their offspring. Now he spent all his free time with his new family or studying his stock profits and bank accounts. That’s when Darcy became certain she’d go after her dream and find her mother’s family. Who would have thought that a week after she started her online search cousin Eddie would pop up on her screen?

Eve moved restlessly next to her. Darcy pushed away the thoughts of her uncle to examine the diner. Quaint and charming were her first thoughts. It was just like the restaurant she imagined eating at with her mom’s relatives. No customers, but there was a blizzard of course. The eatery contained a long counter with six wooden stools and enough red and white Formica tables to serve thirty to forty people an hour. At least ten to fifteen dollars a plate––

“Hello. You out walking in the snow?”

At the end of the counter, stood a rangy man wiping his hands on a beige hand towel. He greeted them in a welcoming voice that made her want to kick off her boots and settle in one of those red-cushioned metal chairs with him next to her. His straight dark hair tumbled over his forehead—a little overgrown by Manhattan standards. But she wasn’t in the city. If she needed another reminder, she had only to consider his clothes. He was dressed in jeans and a denim shirt. Was he a waiter or the cook who had stepped out from the behind the stove for a break? Whoever he was, his friendly manner drew her into the room.

“Are you?” His coffee-brown eyes filled with curiosity as he focused on her.

“What?”

“Out for a stroll?”

He was good-looking, no denying it. All right, clear your mind. You’d think you never saw a man before. “If you call wading knee-deep through snow a walk, yes, we are. I caught your glowing sign through the storm.” She whirled to the window and back, suddenly feeling foolish for pointing out the obvious. She ran her fingers through her hair while she sought a topic that would show she possessed a brain.

“Yeah, we’re a breakfast and lunch place, really. Last meal served by two in the afternoon. During the storms, I keep the coffee on for the plow guys. Figured if any brave souls were out, they could stop in, too. And here you are. Sit down. I’ll bring the menus.” He grabbed a couple off the countertop.

“One is fine.” She stomped her feet on the welcome mat to shake off the clinging snow and to give herself a second to gather her composure.

Eve copied her. They crossed the black and white patterned floor to the nearest table and took off their coats. Darcy hung them on the back of the chairs and drew out a seat for Eve. Her daughter climbed up, pulled off her boots, and sat with her legs tucked underneath her.

Their greeter returned and handed the printed list of offerings to Darcy. Over his casual clothes, he wore an apron. “I’m Leo, and I’ll take your order on this wintry December day.” He fished out a folded navy baseball cap from his overall pocket and plunked it on his head. Next, he dug out a pad of paper and removed a short pencil from behind his ear.

“Hi. I’m Darcy Malone.” She gestured to the love of her life. “This is Eve.”

“I’d like a grilled cheese sandwich,” Eve told him. “Please. With white cheese.”

“Sorry, she’s got a thing about color.” Darcy cruised the food offerings and tried to define the scent of the man hovering by her shoulder. What was it? A cooking spice? The fragrance was so heavenly it made her want to bake, or at least turn on the rarely used oven.

“Not a problem. Would you care for something to drink with your meal?”

“Milk.”

“Chocolate?” He raised a brow.

“White.”

“I guess I should have called that one.” He turned to Darcy.

“I’ll have the same as she ordered except add a few fries to my plate.” She made a sweeping wave with her hand in the air. She inhaled a deep breath and caught the aroma of her favorite beverage. “Is the coffee ready?”

“The beans arrived at the grocery store this morning. Risked my life to beat off the crowds panicking in the aisles before the blizzard hit. Ground them minutes ago.”

“People act the same way in New York when that five-letter word is spoken.

“Storm?” he guessed.

She leaned forward and whispered, “Fresh.” When he wrinkled his forehead, she added, “The beans were fresh.”

“Oh, yeah.”

He didn’t seem a fan of her humor. 

“So you’re from the city?” He stuck his pencil behind his ear.

“Apartment in Brooklyn, but I spend most of my time at work in the Big Apple.”

He took her menu. “Let me guess. This young lady loves to play in the snow, and you didn’t catch the alert that the snowstorm would move in early.”

“You about nailed it.” True, she’d expected a few flakes at the most today.

“I’m five,” Eve declared, picking out the pink and blue sugar packets from a wire holder.

“Well…congratulations. I’ll get your order started in the kitchen. Don’t worry,” he tossed over his shoulder. “I make a mean grilled cheese sandwich.”

“Not too nasty,” Darcy joked.

But he’d disappeared behind a door near the counter.

“Mommy, how many?” Eve pointed to the small sweetener packages she’d arranged.

“Four.”

“Yes.” She shot her fist upward, copying her mother’s exaggerated gesture when Eve got an answer correct. She began rearranging the paper packets into piles.

A series of white tiles above the wainscoting on the far rear wall snagged Darcy’s attention. They were about six inches square with various scenes drawn in black. Some featured a building: town hall, corner store, or a church. One showed children holding hands in front of a school. Another depicted a row of houses with smoke spiraling up from chimneys into the sky.

She’d never seen that kind of decoration before. Different. A sign hanging over them read, “Winter in Tuckaway Valley drawn by the elementary students.” She’d remember that idea for her next restaurant renovation.

Darcy dug her phone out of her purse and scrolled through, looking for a text from cousin Eddie. She found nothing from him. Maybe the service in this mountainous area was poor. Unfortunately, she found one from her ex-husband, Josh. Most likely, he wanted to remind her for the hundredth time that Eve was spending Christmas afternoon and night with him and his new wife, Zareena. She shut off her cell. She prayed the pain leftover from the divorce would disappear someday soon.

The roar of an engine interrupted her musings. In the window, an unusual plow appeared on the street. Yellow lights lit the cab section. A boulder sat on the cargo rear-end as though weighing the vehicle to the ground.

“I see a truck.” Eve stared out the pane.

Darcy waited for the operator to swerve away from her Volkswagen or to lift its blade. It continued on a straight path, pushing the growing accumulation toward her car. She leaped from her seat. They’d never get out until spring. “Oh, no. No!”

Darcy yanked the door open and ran outside to the corner snowbank. “Stop.” She flapped her hands in the air.

A blast of the horn came from the truck. The driver waved as he pushed an enormous mound against her small vehicle and continued onward.

Stunned, she stood staring at her walled-in car. The drifts had risen faster than a New York cabbie’s taximeter.

“You’re not wearing your coat.”

She turned to her stern-faced daughter in the open doorway. Her voice mimicked Darcy’s. She even pointed her finger.

Suddenly Darcy felt the frigid air penetrating her black sweater. “Yeah, I should have put on my jacket.” Rubbing her sleeves, she tramped over to her daughter. “Come on, sunshine. Let’s go wait for our food.”

Goosebumps rose on her skin. She hugged her arms over her chest and walked inside with Eve. Stomping her boots again, she was thankful for the indoor warmth.

“Everything okay?” Their server-chef, Leo, stood a few feet from her.

“Nothing that a sturdy shovel can’t cure. Do you have one I can borrow? My car was plowed in a few seconds ago.”

“Oh, sorry. I thought you were on foot from the hotel or I would have warned you.” He narrowed his eyes as though she’d shaped-shifted into a strange creature. “You drove in this blizzard? Through Hairpin Turn, up on the ridge?”

“I…guess.” Was that unusual? They were in the North Country. “The roads weren’t bad if you went about two miles per hour. There was only us and the town crews, which reminded me how everyone else was staying home. Yeah, easy.” She rolled her eyes. “But we made it. From your expression, I’m glad I couldn’t see how high up we’d climbed. I’m not great with heights. I force myself to drive over bridges.”

“Then, you should be ecstatic you missed Hairpin’s view. The elevation and the sharp curve are tough on the best of days.”

“Ew.” Going back could be rough. She’d worry about it later.

He was studying Darcy from her knee-highs to the top of her hair. Was something wrong? No, her shoes weren’t practical like his work boots, but she didn’t live in New Hampshire. If he worked in Manhattan, his type of footgear meant he was a construction worker, a drug dealer, or a cool rock star.

He was still taking her in. Her cheeks heated. Were they turning red? “You mentioned you should have told me something,” she reminded him to divert his attention.

He met her gaze. “No parking on the streets during a snow emergency. Though we haven’t had a December Nor’easter like this in ten years.”

“I’m so happy I’m here for this one.” Just her luck. “How far is the Grand Mountain Hotel?”

“About a mile. You easily can walk it except in this weather. On foot, it might feel twice that distance. You can leave your car here. Nobody will bother to dig it out to tow.”

She frowned. “Thanks for the words of reassurance. I’m meeting relatives, and they recommended I stay in town.” She allowed the fear she’d pushed to the back of her mind to surface. Had her cousin worried she’d overstay her welcome if she checked into the hotel he ran? Okay, she was overthinking things.

“Any other good news?” she asked.

“I can get you a ride.”

A loud beeping blasted their ears.

“Uh-oh.” Eve said from her chair, re-piling her sugars. “Mommy, are you trying to cook? I smell something burning.”

Darcy turned toward the kitchen where smoke seeped through the crack underneath the door.

“Your meals!” Leo whirled around and ran.

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BEACH KISSES & SUNSET WISHES BLOG TOUR

PLEASE DROP IN AND ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER! 

Aug 31
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Beach Kisses & Sunset Wishes by Nora LeDuc

Frankie McKinley’s last three relationships went up in flames. Now she vows to resist the lure of romantic Last Chance Beach and take a break from men. She’ll concentrate on her dream of opening a brick-and-mortar gift shop. Her best friend insists Frankie needs to relax and enjoy life. Have a Fling. But Frankie’s not into casual hookups until the morning her gaze lands on the handsome tourist, Sean Thomas-Michaels. A man she deems fling worthy. Will he agree?

ORDER NOW-Get 14 Fabulous Romance writers and their stories for .99!

Last Chance Beach~ Beach Kisses & Sunset Wishes by Nora LeDuc
Order 14 Romance Authors and their stories for only .99. Don’t miss them. Pre-order now for delivery on August 4th … just in time to hit the sand and surf! Or, the backyward getaway! #romancegems #contemporaryromance #99cents

Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End – Author and Book Order
Hot August Night by Joan Reeves
Something New by Liz Flaherty
I Do…Again by Nancy Fraser
The Man in Gull Cottage by Caroline Clemmons
That One Summer by Maddie James
Romancing the Spouse by Jan Scarbrough
Blue Summer Sky by Kathleen Lawless
Hangover Husband by Bonnie Edwards
One Last Shot by Marcia King-Gamble
Secondhand Hearts by Kathryn Hills
Perfume Paradise by Connie Vines
Dreams of the Past by Laura Hunsaker
Beach Kisses & Sunset Wishes by Nora LeDuc
Can’t Buy Me Love by Hannah Rowan

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Thanks to all who clicked to follow me on BookBub. It was wonderful to see all the clicks. I hope you were a winner.

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Follow Nora LeDuc on Bookbub

You could win a free gift card just for following Nora on Bookbub. Nothing to lose. Just click and follow me. Then you can see lots of my books and others too!!

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Trail of Secrets

Thanks to all who reviewed my book and/or dropped in to comment on my Review Tour for my newest release Trail of Secrets. this story is the first in the Love & Lies in Paradise series. Each book will be a stand alone. Below is my gorgeous cover.

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