All Things Returned Blog Tour

I'm taking the latest installment of  Anton and Lenora on tour!The lovely Krista Ames at Bridging the Gap has extended the tour, so there'll be lots of opportunities to join me at some of the stops along the way for fun and prizes.

April 14-25

 14  Melissa Keir 

 15  A Passion for Romance

 16  Fiction Witches  

 17  Mary's Cup of Tea  

 18  Harlie's Books  

 18  Roast and Toast party

 19  Gemini Girls
 20  Brooke Blogs 

 21  Romancing the Pen Today
 21  Margo Bond Collins  

 22  Room with Books 

 23  Reviews by Crystal
 24  London Scribbles
 25  Fall into Reading Reviews 

#SneakPeekSunday--All Things Returned releases tomorrow

It's nearly here! Tomorrow is the day All Things Returned, part three of the Anton and Lenora historical series, comes out to meet the world.
I hope you'll enjoy it and it's companions, Sweet Lenora and To the Wind.

Meantime, here's a sneak preview of the beginning of the story--

Anton pulled off his cravat for the second time. “Foolish speck of clothing—like to choke the life out of a man.”

He fumbled with it until I took the scrap of silk and tied it around his neck, sealing my action with a kiss. “You should try wearing a corset.”

“I think we should pull off all of these confounded garments and run about like babes in Eden,” he said, nuzzling my neck.

I dearly would have liked to take his suggestion. “We have to attend. For our own sakes and for Edward’s.”

For a more extensive peak, please Click Here

There's more on All Things Returned Here

And more on Anton and Lenora Here

#BookTrailer: All Things Returned

All Things Returned, part three of the Anton and Lenora series, comes out on April 7.
Here's the brand new trailer for the book--

Anton and Lenora Boudreaux have settled into an idyllic cottage overlooking San Francisco Bay. They’ve left trouble behind them and found happily ever after—family, friends, and a business that has every expectation of being successful. Until the Willow sails into port.

The captain of Willow, Jacob Lowell, is privy to secrets that threaten Lenora’s reputation and Anton’s life. When Anton sails to Seattle on a business enterprise, Jacob tries to blackmail Lenora, threatening to expose all he knows and forcing her to make decisions that will test her love of Anton and her life with him.

Five Stars for To the Wind!

To the Wind received a five star rating from Reader's Favorite!

"As in the first novel, Sweet Lenora (Dark Heroes), Ute Carbone captures the reader's interest immediately with an adventurous, emotional tale of a sailor's life on the sea as they follow orders from bosses within the trade business of the California gold rush era. It also tells of incredible love, heartfelt compassion, and the pure admiration a young couple can have for one another. Ute Carbone's To the Wind has a bit of everything in it, making it appealing to many types of readers. It is a short story written so skillfully and descriptively it is as though you are watching a movie screen rather than reading a book." Michelle Robertson for Reader's Favorite Reviews

Read the entire Review HERE

To the Wind The Journey Continues In this sequel to Sweet Lenora, Anton and Lenora sail away from trouble in Rio de Janeiro only to encounter new problems. With only half a crew and a first mate that is hated and feared, they venture to San Francisco plagued by threats, mutiny,and illness. As they arrive at their destination, the ghosts of the past come back to haunt them and may prove to be the greatest menace of all. At each turn, the love they have forged is tested. Will it prevail?    Available at: Amazon Champagne Books Kobo Read more about the book on the To the Wind site To the Wind has been nominated for a RONE as best historical novella. Reader voting is in a few weeks Meantime, Reader voting for Afterglow, in the best contemporary (general) category is going on all this week. You can vote HERE

#Snippet Afterglow--Mitch and India

Update! Reader voting for best contemporary, the category in which Afterglow was nominated, begins March 17  and runs through March 23.

You can vote HERE

Because Afterglow was nominated for a RONE award this week, I've gone back and dug out one of my favorite snips from the story. Mitch and India have become friends--and maybe, just maybe, Mitch is looking for more


Here's the snippet--

“How’s Allie?” Mitch asked the next day when I went to pick up more shoes.

“Hurt. Angry.”

“I told her it was hard. I was pretty upset when my parents

split.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“And you get over it. I was totally annihilated when my

marriage split, but I got past it. It’s been two years now.”

“You were married? And divorced?”

Mitch nodded as he opened the door to his storage room. “Yup. You’re in good company. I know what it’s like to be the walking wounded.”

“What other secrets are you keeping from us, Dr. Tinker?”

Mitch turned on the light and stood holding the pull string. “Not that many,” he said softly. “No more than your average guy. If you stick around, I’ll share a few with you.” He smiled, but there was a hint of something else in his eyes, concern maybe, or longing. It matched my feelings and that made me a little uncomfortable.

“Like what, for instance?” I said, wanting to melt the discomfort away. It worked. The smile rose into his eyes .

 “I’ll tell one if you will,” he said.

“I like gravy on my French fries,” I said.

“Yummy. I sing along with my iPod when I’m alone.”

 “What kind of music?”

“Springsteen, mostly. No fair, that’s two. You owe me one.”

“The River is one of my favorite albums.”

“And?” he raised his eyebrows, waiting.

“Okay. I really like to finger paint. And sometimes after school I paint at a kid’s art easel.”

“Landscapes or portraits?”

“Portraits mostly. Your turn.”

“I still watch Scooby Doo.”

“Hallmark commercials make me cry.”

“I had a huge crush on you when I was ten.” The room went very still and we stood there staring at each other. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s fine. You’re not ten anymore. Heck, I’m not thirty anymore.”

“I have changed considerably. You haven’t. Not really. Not that much.” He turned towards the shoes. “So, how many boxes do you think your trunk can hold?”

Find out more about Afterglow HERE

#SaturdaySnippet Bell's Accident from Dancing in the White Room.

I've got a few more excerpts from Dancing in the White Room to Share. In this one, Mallory remembers what happened the first time Bell tried a descent down the West Rib of Denali. He's gone to try again, and Mallory is upset that he would.  This is the reason why--

It’s been five years, and I can still hear Roddie’s voice. “We had to grapple him down. Copter’s won’t go that high. We’re shipping him off to Anchorage.” When I didn’t say anything, he added, “Hope I didn’t worry you, love.”

After we hung up, I called the airlines and booked the first flight to Anchorage. They had Bell in a room by the time I got there. He looked like he’d been the loser in a prizefight. One eye was swollen shut, one hand bandaged because of frostbite on two fingers.

I was trying at the time to unhinge an awful fear, the awful thought of Bell as fallible, as vulnerable. It sat in my head, reinforced by tape and bandages and the blistering on his face. It sat there and I couldn’t shake it. It still sits there, this heavy pulsing gravitational thought.

When I think of Bell on Denali, this is the picture I get. Bell vulnerable. Bell fallible.

For more, please go check out Dancing in the White Room on my website