New Review for Hand of Fate

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:15:00 +0000

Yes, I'm smiling this morning. Opened my inbox to find a wonderful review from Zee of Firepages for my latest short, Hand of Fate. 5/5 stars! Thank you so much, Zee!

Here's a snippet of what she had to say:

“This whirlwind romance is action packed, adventurous, and also has a bit of humor that made turning the pages of this short very satisfying!”

Lisa Alexander-Griffin is one of my very favorite authors because she writes powerful stories that stay with you even after time has gone by. With her collection of phenomenal titles, I was not surprised that I loved Hand of Fate right away.

Hand of Fate is an action packed tale with a story line that runs quite deep for a short. I loved Karina’s whirlwind romance with Josh. Those two were meant to be together, but I also appreciated that this was no Cinderella tale, and how Karina and Josh really communcated their feelings to overcome adversity. It was their leap of faith that made this short really shine! For those of you interested in reading more by Lisa, I strongly recommend Danielle’s Touch and Shattered Illusions, both of which I have reviewed.

Click here to read the full review

Blurb

Amidst the Christmas glitz and glitter, Karina Withers enters the mall. Unease prickles her spine. Seconds later, a gun blast echoes through the building. Shoppers rush for the exits, trampling Karina.

Detective Josh Deloroso responds quickly, dragging the beautiful woman to safety. Attraction sizzles between them. But he has a job to do first. The shooter must be stopped. Unfortunately, when the chaos ends, the /real/danger begins.

Dark truths unravel. Passions explode. Fate plays its hand.

Can their relationship weather the storm of deceit? Or will a photo in the shooter's wallet end Josh and Karina's chance for love?

And, if you haven't already grabbed a copy of Hand of Fate, it can purchased at Passion in Print, Amazon, Fictionwise and All Romance ebooks.

And then it's Winter

Sat, 02 Oct 2010 19:25:00 +0000

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young, married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went.

And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is..the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well...seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like...

But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they move slower and I see an older person now. Lots are in better shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be.

Each day now, taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will..I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!!

But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over...its over....Yes , I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done ,,,,,things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done.

It's all in a lifetime....

So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!!

Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!

'Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after.

Make it a fantastic one.'

BE HAPPY!!!----BE THANKFUL!!!!!

I did not write this, but was deeply touched by the words and thought I'd pass it along.

Hand of Fate

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:55:00 +0000

Hand of Fate will release December, 2010 at Passion in Print. Thank to Lex Valentine at Winterheartdesign, the cover art is fabulous. Seems she has an eye for knowing exactly what I want. :)

Passion in Print

Blurb

Dark truths unravel. Passions explode. Fate plays its hand.

Can their relationship weather the storm of deceit? Or will a photo in the shooter’s wallet end Josh and Karina’s chance for love?

~**~

No Writing This Week...

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:30:00 +0000

But between babysitting four kids, sifting through the galley of Danielle's Touch and working in the garden, I did manage to put trailers together for my latest Pink Petal Book release, and my August release of Danielle's Touch at Passion in Print. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy! :P

Shattered Illusions

Danielle's Touch

Creative Writer Blogger's Award

Mon, 24 May 2010 03:55:00 +0000

Thanks to Rebecca Vickery of:

http://www.rebeccajvickery.blogspot.com/ for passing this award to me. I really don't know what to do with it, except to post and see what happens. lol.

Oh-boy! Am I gonna have fun thinking up some lies. After this, I'll have to go incognito. :cool:

Here are the rules: I'll tell either six truths and one lie, or six lies and one truth about myself, and you get to sort them out. Please leave a fun or silly comment. Everyone so far has offered a prize, so here is my gift to the winner.

Please be sure to leave a comment. BecauseWednesday, May 26th, in the evening, central time, I will pull one name from a hat and that commenter will receive a download of A Celtic Lover's Magic.

But first, I'm supposed to pass this award on to seven other "creative writers" who I'm sure will blow you away with their bald faces lies. teehee.

Here goes:

Now, on to my "creative" list of seven things about me. To make your search easier, I will tell you that six of the following are lies and only one is truth. Please choose which is which and leave your comment for fun and a chance to win a free ebook.

1. I love wintertime.

2. I've been married more than once.

3. I'm a professional ice skater.

4. I have five children, but no grandchildren.

5. My dog's name is Spot.

6. I earned my red belt in karate.

7. I hate cats.

Come on now...let's have fun!!!

Time for a winner!!

First of all, I want to thank you all for participating. The game was fun, the guesses interesting. Second, there were six lies and one truth.

No, I'm not a professional skater. Hubby and I will share our thirty-fourth anniversary June 5th. I have three children and three grandchildren. My dog's name is Shiloh. I have two cats, Nat and Chloe, and I totally despise winter. The truth is...I have a red belt in karate. :)

Okay, now for the winner. I put all the entries into a little red bowl and shook them up. My daughter drew out a name. And the winner is..........

Karen Michelle Nut!

Again, thanks to everyone who played. :) And Karen, I'll be sending you a copy of A Celtic Lover's Magic soon. Hope you enjoy the read.

Now available at Pink Petal Books!

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:55:00 +0000

Now Available at Pink Petal Books!

Purchase Link

Blurb:

After a ten year stint in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, a changed Cage Sinclair returns to his hometown. Hell-bent onclearing his name, trust is nonexistent—especially with the woman who loved and betrayed him in the same breath living in his deceased father’s house.

Caught off guard by the man's sudden appearance, and intent on protecting her son, Morgan O’Riley levels a shotgun on the amber-eyed stranger’s impressive chest. But with the revelation of Cage’s identity, caution shifts to desire, and on its heels, gut-wrenching trepidation.

Blackmail is an ugly word, and although Morgan still yearns for the love of her life to return, her own fear helped railroad him into prison. She has kept her silence to protect someone near and dear to her heart, but now that Cage is back, can he forgive her weakness as a frightened young woman or understand the reason behind her actions once a secret she’s carried for years is unearthed?

Inconceivable danger lurks in the shadows,but behind closed doors, embers ignite and old passions flame.

Amidst betrayal, deceit and shattered illusions, will the truth tear them apart or bind them together forever?

Excerpt:

Cage Sinclair cut the pickup’sengine and stepped onto ground he’d never thought to see again. He breathed deeply, his lungs filling with fresh mountain air and the scent of pungent pine. The amber glow of a full moon illuminated the old homestead andsurrounding landscape. Anticipation rushed through his veins.

Home.

Bittersweet memories flooded his mind.He’d left wearing leg irons and cuffs. For ten years, he had longed for the open fields and rolling hills he’d explored as a child, the security andtranquility they had offered. He’d found love here, but had lost it, too.

A warm yellow glow spilled from thefront windows of what should have been an empty house, lighting his path. Tense and his body on full alert, Cage eased toward the front steps.

Tiny hairs prickled on his neck.Hesitant, he stepped to the porch. The rickety plank flooring groaned under hisweight. A coyote howled in the distance, a lonely sound echoing through the trees. With the house key in his hand, he pulled open the screen door. Barely attached by one hinge to the frame, it creaked loudly.

Who the hell—

A twig snapped. Trepidation slithered up his spine. He spun around to find a twelve-gauge shotgun leveled at his chest. The blood chilled in his veins, his heart skipping a beat—not from the dangerous glint of blue steel—but from the woman who wielded the weapon.

“Morgan O’Riley,” he croaked through a throat gone dry. “Is that you?”

“Step down off that porch, mister,if you know what’s good for you.”

Cage held up his hands and with calculated caution, acquiesced. Until she recognized him, he presented danger,and the determined gleam in her eyes warned him she’d fire if given a reason. Damn it, Morgan hadn’t changed a bit, but he had. His stint at Castle on theCumberland, Kentucky’s nefarious prison, had been a far cry from a stay at the Ritz Carlton. Any man who had to constantly watch his back, weathered and aged,but the woman before him had remained the same.

Her whiskey-colored hair, stilllong, shone ebony in the moonlight. He couldn’t see her eyes but remembered all too well their sky-blue hue. Mesmerized, he feasted his gaze on her body, about which he’d fantasized on many a lonely night.

“What are you doing here, Morgan?”

“How do you know my name?” She tooka hesitant step forward, squinted up at him.

Raspy laughter pushed from his throat. “Don’t tell me I’m that easy to forget. Hell, I may have changed, andit’s been an eternity since I held you, but how could you ever forget what we shared?”

Her body stiffened. “Cage?”

The muscles in his shoulders relaxed and he smiled. “Yep. One and thesame.” He nodded toward the shotgun. “You had me worried for a moment. And Ican’t say I appreciate that pointed at my chest, no matter who wields it.”

She stepped back, lowering the weapon.

“It’s really good to see you.” He moved closer and raised a hesitant hand.

“Why did you come back?” she whispered.

He dropped his hand to his side.“To right a wrong. I was innocent then. Still am.”

Morgan’s delicate featureshardened. “Sheriff Blakely testified otherwise.”

“And I’ll prove he lied.” Cravingto touch her, he stroked his mustache with his other hand and waited for his erratic pulse to calm. “You never answered my question. What are you doing here?”

“Your father invited me to stay.”

“Why would he do that?” Taken aback by her revelation, Cage shrugged off a sudden sense of betrayal and shored his resolve to unearth the truth.

A guarded look flitted over herface. “He had his reasons.”

Anger shot to his core at thequiver in her voice. Hell, she couldn’t be afraid of him. “Do I need an inviteto enter my own home?” He chuckled in an attempt to ease the growing tension.

“Of course not, but be quiet.Trent’s asleep.”

Cage paused mid-step, jealousy knotting his stomach. How could she bring someone else here, into his own home,after what they’d shared? The ache in his heart intensified. Jaw clenched,emotions masked, he trailed after her into the house, turning to face her. For the first time in ten years, he savored having her close enough to touch. She’d only grown more beautiful with time.

Unsure where he stood with her, or what she thought, he followed her into the kitchen. With each sway of her hips,his groin throbbed in memory. Merciful God. He clenched and unclenched his hands. No way would he ever forget the satin of her skin, the way she’dmoved beneath him, or her soft moans of pleasure.

Two stories

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:05:00 +0000

Two Stories BOTH TRUE

STORY NUMBER ONE

Many years ago, Al Caponevirtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything frombootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a goodreason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was themoney big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, heand his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong.

Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence,there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done.

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface"Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblanceof integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. But, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still."

STORY NUMBER TWO

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.

He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he wasairborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.

He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.

His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only onething to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes.Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.

Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29.His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade,and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.

Eddie and his Dad were from St. Louis

Once A Cowboy

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:30:00 +0000

Once a Cowboy by Linda Warren

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A sexy P.I. helps a cowboy discover his true identity. In the process she learns about love, life and how secrets can shatter a life almost beyond repair. But she also learns that holding onto anger only slows the process of healing a wounded heart and accepting the love of a lifetime.

I really enjoyed Once a Cowboy and would recommend it to anyone.

View all my reviews >>

Interview with Romance Examiner Maddie James

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:40:00 +0000

Please check out my first interview ever with Romance Examiner Maddie James. Although I was nervous the interview turned out pretty well. lol.

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-4981-Romance-Novel-Examiner~y2009m8d27-Lisa-Alexander-Griffin-and-A-Celtic-Lovers-Magic

Our New Baby

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:25:00 +0000

Lately, we've lost a couple of our beloved kitties. Pets that we cherished. But living in the country as we do, outside pets sometimes disappear.

My husband is not much for house animals, but by some twist of Fate we talked him in to shopping for a new inside cat. First we stopped by Pet Smart, found one that was very friendly and would make a good companion, but not quiet what I was looking for. Covue wandered off about a year ago, and even though we searched and searched, he never returned. A beautiful white ragdoll, fierce and graceful, loving and attentive. I miss him still.

We continued on to Petco where adoption animals are displayed, a few at a time. I walked into the glassed in area. A large white feline with gorgeous blue eyes blinked back at me, rubbed her face against the glass, and I fell in love. She had fur longer than Covue's, but the same beautiful white. Something drew me to this kitty like none of the others had. I guess because she reminded me of him.

A worker unlocked the cage, let me hold her. Everything I wanted done to our next kitty had alread been done to this beautiful creature. She was spayed and declawed, litterbox trained.What more could I ask for? Her shots were up-to-date. She was very friendly, needed a companion and so did I. So...I gathered her up and took her home. Although nervous at first, Cloe has a wonderful disposition and she's settling in nicely.

If you're looking for a new pet, check out your nearest pet store. These adoption animals need homes, and someone to love, who will love them back. Help save a life. You'll be glad you did.