Marilyn Brant's Blog Archives

For over 10 years, I kept this blog active...now, it's simply the archives of posts past 😃. Still, if you take the time to scroll through a few, I hope you'll enjoy them! Comments are no longer accepted, but any original ones remain. For more information about me and my writing, please visit me on my Website (MarilynBrant.com) or on Facebook & Twitter. Best wishes!!
xo
Marilyn ❣

p.s. In the spring of 2018, I had the pleasure of releasing a second edition of my 2010 women's fiction book, FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE... Check out the lovely updated cover! How did the years zip by so fast?!

COMING HOME - Arriving September 10th!

ADVANCED PRAISE:
“I love coming home to Mirabelle Harbor! This duet is my favorite of the whole series, truly the best for last. I have enjoyed my time in this cute little seaside cove and I am a little sad it has come to an end. I adore everyone in town, including Rick and Abby from Rocket Man but Chandler and Jaleina's story was just so different than all the others. I feel Marilyn outdid herself in Someone Like You. She was able to capture the passion of Jaleina's culture and the determination of a man who knew what his heart always wanted. Sweet and sexy, a romance so passionate, it had me blushing!” ~Margie’s Must Reads

COMING HOME: A Mirabelle Harbor Duet featuring Rocket Man & Someone Like You will be out soon! The ebooks are available for pre-order on Amazon, B&N, iBooks, and Kobo—they’ll be released September 10th—and the paperbacks are out right now: Here!!

This is the final chapter in the Mirabelle Harbor series, and it's a thrill to know that it's ready for you all to read :). I truly hope you'll enjoy this last installment!!

Check out my website for excerpts from each novella and here are the book details below:

There’s double the trouble in this romantic story pairing when ex-lovers, Abby Solinski and Chandler Michaelsen, both return to their hometown of Mirabelle Harbor, only to find that the happily ever after they thought they’d given up may, in fact, still be a possibility…just not with the person they’d expected!

ROCKET MAN
Abby had a crush on “Rocket Rick” Zimmerman way back in high school, but he was her brother’s best friend and graduated a couple of years ahead of her, leaving town for an international life of top-secret, science-nerd intrigue. She didn’t understand a fraction of what he did professionally, and he wasn’t allowed to tell her anyway. Abby, meanwhile, meandered around the country with her then-boyfriend, Chandler, eventually winding up alone and working at a couple of part-time jobs in Florida. She’d resigned herself to being single forever and living on the sunny Gulf Coast, a thousand miles away from her Midwestern origins.

But when her parents need her help back in Mirabelle Harbor, she flies home for a week and runs into Rick again, who’s back in the Chicago area for a big physics convention. Immediately, she’s caught up in a surprising game of “Booster Ignition and Liftoff,” where the object seems to be an answer to this scientific question: Just how fast can things heat up between them without somebody getting burned?

SOMEONE LIKE YOU
As for Chandler, he had no intention whatsoever of coming back to Mirabelle Harbor. When he and Abby broke up, he headed north on his motorcycle from Sarasota to Atlanta, and a life on the road was how he wanted to roll. But then his twin brother, Chance, goes and gets himself engaged, and the groom insists that Chandler needs to be the best man. Fine. He’ll drive back for a few days, for the sake of his twin, but no one had better expect him to stay in town. Of course, that’s before he knows his dream woman—beautiful bookstore owner, Jaleina Longoria—is going to be at the wedding.

Jaleina is not only eight and a half years his senior, she’s also the ex-fiancée of his eldest brother, who’d broken up with her to marry someone else years earlier. That never stopped Chandler from considering Jaleina to be his Ultimate Fantasy. Getting her to stop thinking of him as the restless teen boy he’d once been, however, is going to prove quite a challenge. Especially since the restlessness is still there, even though he’s now a very passionate—and very determined—full-grown man.

Sometimes what you think you’re returning to isn’t what you’d really left behind. COMING HOME, a pair of Mirabelle Harbor stories.

**NOTE: All of the romances in the Mirabelle Harbor series take place over roughly a two-year time frame, and every book listed below can be read as a standalone story. Details on each book and links to excerpts & extras can be found on my website HERE.

Year One:
Take a Chance on Me (Chance & Nia) – April/May
The One That I Want (Julia & Dane) – June/July/August
Stranger on the Shore (Marianna & Gil) – June/July/August
You Give Love a Bad Name (Blake & Vicky) – September/October

Year Two:
Going for It - Kindle World Bonus Story (Trevor & Tina Marie) – June
One Night Love Affair (Sharlene & Declan) – July
Rocket Man - Coming Home (Abby & Rick) – October
Someone Like You - Coming Home (Chandler & Jaleina) – December

Final Mirabelle Harbor Book - Coming in September!

This fall, it'll be three years since I started writing the Mirabelle Harbor series, and the final book to wrap up the Michaelsen family's (and their friends') romances will be released then!!

To date, there are five books (Take a Chance on Me, The One That I Want, You Give Love a Bad Name, Stranger on the Shore, One Night Love Affair) and one crossover novella (Going for It) in this contemporary romance series. The final two novellas -- Rocket Man & Someone Like You -- will be combined into one book called Coming Home. (Story summary and cover to be revealed soon!!)

This has been such a fun journey as an author, and when I was writing the final pages of the last book, I felt myself missing these characters already... And yet, it's time to give them their happily ever afters, and it's time for me to begin a new project I'm just as exciting to write 😃. Hope you'll be ready for that next adventure, too!!

If you'd like details on the Mirabelle Harbor stories, please check out the series page on my website HERE. Hope you're all having a wonderful May!!

💖 💖

99-Cent Sale for ACCORDING TO JANE - This Week Only!

BIG BOOK SALE!!!!!!!! 

For this week only, the ebook edition of ACCORDING TO JANE is available on Kindle – Nook – iBooks – Kobo for just 99 cents!!  

If you haven't yet read my award-winning, bestselling debut novel, I hope you'll check out the links and grab a copy while it's discounted to $0.99 (regular price $5.99). 😊 If you've already enjoyed the story and would like to help spread the word, please share the buy links and sale news with other friends who you think may enjoy the book as well -- it's the only scheduled sale for the novel this year!

Here's a little bit about the story:

In Marilyn Brant's smart, wildly inventive fiction debut, one modern woman in search of herself receives advice from the ultimate expert in matters of the heart: Jane Austen. 

It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. From nowhere comes a quiet "tsk" of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost takes up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there. 

Over the next two decades, Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the frustrations of adolescence and into adulthood, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go--sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane's counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham. 

Still, everyone has something to learn about love--perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie's head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending...

ACCORDING TO JANE ~ A Novel About Pride, Prejudice & the Pursuit of the Perfect Guy

**Note: This book has adult language and content and is recommended for mature audiences.** 

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WINNER of the Romance Writers of America's prestigious Golden Heart Award, the Single Titles Reviewers' Choice Award, the Aspen Gold Reader's Choice Award, and the Booksellers' Best Award.

Named one of the 100 Best Romance Novels of All Time by Buzzle.com.
A #1 Kindle Bestseller!

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PRAISE for the Novel:

"Brant infuses her sweetly romantic and delightfully clever tale with just the right dash of Austen-esque wit." ~Chicago Tribune 

"Fresh, original, and lots of fun." ~Barnes & Noble Review 

"A charming book." ~Family Circle 

"A warm, witty and charmingly original story." ~Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author 

"An engaging read for all who have been through the long, dark, dating wars, and still believe there's sunshine, and a Mr. Darcy, at the end of the tunnel." ~Cathy Lamb, author of What I Remember Most 

"This is a must-read for Austen lovers as well as for all who believe in the possibility of a happily-ever-after ending." ~Holly Chamberlin, author of Tuscan Holiday 

"What an unexpected, uplifting, and urbane debut novel! To paraphrase Jane Austen's character Lady Catherine, Marilyn Brant has given us a treasure... Like Austen, Brant excels at characterization offering a heroine in Ellie Barnett that I could totally identify with, and a hero in Sam that is so endearingly flawed that any woman worthy of her worn out VHS copy of the 1995 Pride and Prejudice miniseries will be happy to swoon over. Subtly powerful and amusingly acerbic, you will be gently reproved into agreeing in the power of love to transform us all." ~Laurel Ann Nattress, Austenprose, editor of Jane Austen Made Me Do It

If you'd like to read an excerpt, check out this one on my website HERE!

ENJOY!! 💕

One Night Love Affair is Here!

Just out today on Amazon and BN, and available for pre-order on Apple and Kobo (to be released March 1st), ONE NIGHT LOVE AFFAIR is finally here!!

This is the 5th story in my Mirabelle Harbor series, and it's a stand-alone romantic novella featuring Sharlene and Declan 💕. I've been waiting so long to be able to give them their happily ever after, so it's a thrill to get to share this fast-paced and sexy story with you all!

Here are the details on the book and a short excerpt for you to enjoy:

After her first marriage ended in a divorce that left her heart in tiny shreds, Sharlene Michaelsen Boyd vowed to keep her distance from men, at least emotionally. An occasional one-night stand wasn’t out of the question, though, and with her closest friends hooking up with new loves, she finds herself in the mood for a little male company... Being the only sister with four brothers, not to mention the glue holding the Michaelsen family together after the death of their parents, Shar is used to being strong and in control. She’s a junior high English teacher who's persuasive, personable, and who knows just about everyone in the center of Mirabelle Harbor society, including her brother Blake’s super-sexy buddy, Declan Night.

As a former pro hockey player turned sportswriter and businessman, Dec has had his share of relationships, mostly meaningless, short-term flings. He always thought Blake’s little sister was a hottie, but he knew she was off limits—until one Friday night when the stars aligned and the opportunity to hook up presented itself. Shar’s intentions couldn’t have been clearer: This was for One Night Only. But, for the first time in his life, Dec wonders if, maybe, there isn’t something to be said for sticking with just one woman. Especially if that woman knows how to fulfill his every sensual fantasy.

Could one sizzling night turn into a love that has a shot at lasting forever? ONE NIGHT LOVE AFFAIR, a Mirabelle Harbor story.   

*Note: This is a steamy romantic novella with adult language and situations, and it's intended for mature audiences.*

Books in the Series:

TAKE A CHANCE ON ME (July 2015) - Chance & Nia

THE ONE THAT I WANT (July 2015) - Julia & Dane

YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME (Jan 2016) - Blake & Vicky

STRANGER ON THE SHORE (June 2016) - Marianna & Gil

ONE NIGHT LOVE AFFAIR (Mar 2017) - Sharlene & Declan

More coming soon!

Bonus Novella - GOING FOR IT (May 2016) Kindle Worlds crossover story - Tina Marie & Trevor

For info on each of the Mirabelle Harbor books, check out the series page on my website HERE!

Story Excerpt:

The only excuse Shar could give for what she said next was that she’d had half a bottle of wine at The Lounge, one jumbo margarita and three whiskey sours here at Max’s, and she hadn’t gotten laid in more months than she could count. Her ability to think straight was definitely impaired and her willingness to filter her thoughts was even more limited. 

“What’s stopping us from sleeping together?” she asked him. “I mean, Dec—” She glanced around the room. “Aside from you, there’s no one here that I’d want to pick up. You’re hotter than anyone else in the bar. It’s only because of Blake that I wouldn’t flirt with you.”

“Same here!” Dec banged the bar counter with his fist for emphasis, making their drink glasses rattle. “I would’ve hit on you in a heartbeat, Shar,” he sort of slurred. “Because you’re a seriously sexy woman. But Blake—man, he’d have my head. He told me, like four or five years ago, that he’d kick my ass if I touched you or even looked at you funny. And I believed him. So that was that. I mean—”

“Wait. My brother told you not to go near me? Not to touch me?”

“Damn right he did. Why do you think I never flirted with you? I’d already lost a couple of teeth in hockey games. I didn’t wanna lose any more.”

Shar sighed. “Well, Blake’s interference when it comes to you is ridiculous,” she said, feeling the full force of indignation hitting her. “We can make out or hook up if we want to and not be stupid about it or get overly attached or anything.” A statement that seemed to make perfect sense after multiple drinks and very few hours of sleep.

“I know, right? We should show ‘em how it’s done,” Dec suggested.

“Yeah,” she said.

"Yeah," he said back. Then he studied the almost empty whiskey glass in his hand, set it down, and eyed her warily. “Sharlene, do you really mean that?"

***

Wishing each of you a wonderful end of February, and here's hoping spring is right around the corner!! 😎

STRANGER ON THE SHORE is Available Now!

The newest story in the Mirabelle Harbor series is available in ebook and paperback now, and I'm so excited by this release!! For anyone who hasn't yet read the premise, here's the back-cover blurb:

On the verge of turning forty and having just lost her job, Marianna Gregory flees Mirabelle Harbor for the summer with little more than a suitcase, her beat-up car, and the blessings of her good friend Olivia Michaelsen. Her ex-husband is living a new life in California. Her college-aged daughter is spending her vacation with her boyfriend in Michigan. And the house Marianna once called her own finally sold, so she has nowhere to live in Illinois now anyway.

However, her wealthy sister Ellen owns an empty bungalow on the beach in Sarasota, Florida, so Marianna turns to the sea for a chance to go shelling, regroup, and figure out what to do with this new chapter in her life. She doesn’t bargain on having to face down several family crises while she’s away, nor does she count on meeting a handsome beachcomber who bears a striking resemblance to Elvis. Just as surprising is the craft project she gets roped into volunteering for and the new group of friends who might just change the way she views the world and her future.

The most unexpected gifts can be found where the land meets the sea. STRANGER ON THE SHORE, a Mirabelle Harbor story. 

**AVAILABLE NOW on Kindle, Nook, iBooks, and Kobo in ebook form, and in paperback on Amazon and B&N!!

A few lovely reviewers have already said:
“The summer on the beach and the stranger on the shore is more than a shallow summer read. Though light with characters who keep you in stitches, as only Marilyn knows how to write about, each one adds her piece of blessing to the recipe for a wonderful story with a magical ending.” ~Blogging Under the Shade Tree

“I have fallen in love with Ms. Brant’s Mirabelle Harbor series, and its characters. #4 in the series, Stranger On the Shore, is no exception. A FUN. Sexy. Perfect Summer read. For the beach. Or just a lazy Summer day.” ~Brandy

“This one just makes me crave the beach.” ~Austen Coffee & Music

“Have thoroughly enjoyed the Mirabelle Harbor series and this story is no exception. Marilyn’s descriptive language makes you feel like you are at the beach feeling the sand between your toes…I highly recommend this story.” ~Deborah

"Sincere and emotionally charged. This wonderful story had me in its grip and transported me to the delightful Sarasota...The descriptiveness throughout the novel was mesmerizing and brilliant." ~Vee

“I have enjoyed every book so far, and I am looking forward to what’s to come next.” ~Gina Rose

**If you’d like to read an excerpt, I have one HERE and another one HERE.**
Hope you'll enjoy reading this book half as much as I enjoyed writing it!!

GOING FOR IT - Out Today!!

In this crossover novella between my contemporary romance series (Mirabelle Harbor) and my friend Erin Nicholas's contemporary romance series (Sapphire Falls), my characters Trevor and Tina Marie have a whirlwind love story...

This is one of the launch books for Erin's Sapphire Falls Kindle World, which means it's a digital-only release on Amazon, but it's a standalone novella that can be read independently of either series. And it was a lot of fun getting to take Trevor (who's one of Blake Michaelsen's friends from YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME) on a road trip to Nebraska, where he could finally meet the redhead of his dreams!

Here is the summary of GOING FOR IT:

Mirabelle Harbor meets Sapphire Falls...

Journalist Trevor Cayne is working on the biggest feature story of his career, and he’s on a road trip from his home in the lakeside Chicago suburb of Mirabelle Harbor to Colorado Springs to get the final details. But a quick stop to see his grandmother in Sapphire Falls threatens to derail his carefully constructed plans. Between Gram and her friends, the weather whims of Mother Nature, and the most stunning redhead he’s ever laid eyes on in his life, he may not make it further than the western edge of Nebraska.  

Aspiring singer-songwriter Tina Marie Moran has vowed to leave Sapphire Falls for Nashville after this week’s big fireworks—she’s not even waiting for the Annual Town Festival to come to an end. She’s put her music dreams on hold for long enough and has no intention of postponing her plans yet again, least of all for another potentially untrustworthy man. But between her loving but meddlesome relatives and friends, a broken heart that’s in desperate need of mending, and a handsome stranger who can play her body like a virtuoso lead guitarist, she may find herself engulfed in a new passion that’s as strong as her love of music.

When it comes to their creative lives, both Trevor and Tina Marie know all about GOING FOR IT—but are they willing to put that same drive into what just might be the love of a lifetime?

Hope you'll enjoy it!!!

KINDLE EXCLUSIVE! Buy it here: