Because this title is currently on sale for 99¢ and because I love the song:

How could I pass this up? The title caught my attention and then the subtitle sucked me right in.

I arrived at the hospital emergency room at midnight and was ushered directly into a curtained exam cubical where I was diagnosed with appendicitis. They moved me from an exam cubicle to a longer-term bed still in the ER while the doctors tried to get permission from my insurance company to do surgery. I asked them to let my friend know that she could leave. She had work in the morning.

Permission from the insurance company turned out to be a problem. The hospital’s MRI machine was broken and the insurance company insisted on an MRI before they would allow me to be admitted for surgery. Meanwhile, I was curled on my side in the ER being pumped full of antibiotics and pain medication. This is another weird thing you’re going to have to believe. In the ER in Abu Dhabi, you have to pay for medication out of pocket. Once you’re admitted, insurance covered everything, but every time the nurse came to give me a shot in the ER, she brought a bill. Fortunately for me, as soon as my friend arrived at school and told my principal where I was, she was sent to sit with me. She took charge of my wallet. While we waited, we listened to the doctor on duty make angry phone calls on my behalf and I made jokes about taking the appendix out with a spoon if someone would get me one.

At 7 that day, 27 hours after I first got ill, I was taken down to the MRI machine. When the nurse wheeled me into the MRI room, there was a big chunk of machinery in the bed. My nurse said, “I hope you don’t expect me to know where that goes.” He and the tech looked at me and I said, “l don’t know either.” Twenty-seven hours of excruciating pain and I was no longer at my witty best. They sorted it out, the MRI was done, and I was admitted. At 9, the nurse came in and announced that they needed to prepare me for surgery. My friends, who had been sitting vigil with me all day, were kicked out of the room so I could be prepared. To be honest, I don’t remember a lot about this. I think the relief that it was nearly over caused me to blank out a little. I do remember being wheeled through a warren of tile hallways by my friendly Filipino nurse and parked outside the operating room. The surgeon hollered out that he would start soon and for some reason I said, “okay, I trust you.” At that point witty was just a memory.

The next thing I remember, I was being delivered back to my room. Two of my friends had waited and I could hear them talking to the two nurses in the room. I heard one of my friends say, “what’s this?” I looked because she happened to close to my head. She was holding a bag with what looked like a hot dog in it.

The nurse said, “that’s her appendix.”

My friend made a horrified noise, but I lost track of the location of the bag. My friendly Filipino nurse poked his head in and asked if I remembered who he was. I would remember that guy if i bumped into him today. He made a really awful experience much more bearable.

More next week.

I love disaster movies, but for some reason I didn’t see this one until recently and I was pleasantly surprised. More heart, more fun, the entire East coast gets wiped out in a tidal wave. What more can you ask for?

This is weird, but you will have to trust me. The school year for the kids ended one month before the school year for the teachers. The kids would just stop coming. During that time we would work on projects, socialize, and clean up our rooms. At the kindergarten we organized an annual trip to Dubai Mall. We would rent a bus and all the teachers who wanted to would ride to the mall and go shopping for the day. The second year I was there I went and it was the last time I went (with school anyway.)

Everything was fine until about 2 o’clock. My friends and I were shopping, we had lunch, and about one I started to not feel so good. I paid close attention to where all the bathrooms were in case of an emergency. By two, I was not capable of walking anymore. I had determined the location of the best bathrooms being next to Bloomingdale’s not far from the Caribou coffee, which would not mind if we took up a couple of chairs for several hours. I curled into a chair and lay there miserable and my friends took turns keeping me company.

At five, we were supposed to meet the rest of the teachers to go home. My friends and I were prompt. Several of the other teachers were not. The bus did not leave until seven. I had prepared for the ride with two vomit bags, which I needed. I curled on the bench seat of the bus in misery the entire ride home and went straight to bed hoping it was food poisoning that would go away by morning.

At 11:30, I woke up feeling just as miserable as I had all day. It was a sharp pain about the size of a quarter on my abdomen. I’m a bit of a hypochondriac, so I always think the worst, but I do you have access to the Internet. My sinking feeling was appendicitis. My brother-in-law had appendicitis and ended up confined to the couch for 6 weeks while my sister cleaned out the incision twice a day. So I Googled and Google agreed. It was time to seek professional help. I called my friend and told her, “I think something is really wrong with me. Can you take me to the hospital?”

It’s a long story, so more next week.

Once & Again

book 2

She was once his secret desire… Will she be again?

Father Aiden, an ex-marine and new priest, falls in love with Maylynn, but he struggles to stay away from her. He’s successful for many years, though he can’t keep her out of his dreams.

Then one day she shows up for a pre-marital counselling session with her fiancé, Davis. Aiden soon realizes Davis isn’t who he says he is, but what does that mean for Maylynn, and for himself?

Will be released August 4, 2016 from Inkspell Publishing.

Add to your to-read on Goodreads.

Author Bio:

M.S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband Corey in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com.

To receive news on upcoming releases, sign up for email updates on her website.

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Once, book one

Will be released July 2, 2016 from Inkspell Publishing.

Her first and also her once.

Jonathan and Rebecca’s paths cross at exactly the right moment, when each most needs to hear what the other has to say.

But Jonathan is three days from entering the priesthood, and Rebecca leaves him to his peace. But he is unable to find peace.

Without each other’s comfort and strength, they must each struggle to forge a new path, with only memories of the one day that changed everything.

But are they able to forget and let go?

Once & Forever, book three

Will be released December 2016 from Inkspell Publishing.

Eden, a nun, is constantly struggling against her dark past of living on the streets, and her attraction to Trace, an ex-convict farm worker. After a twelve-year separation, Eden is finally reunited with her brother, Thomas, but why hadn’t she reached out to him in all those years? As Eden and Trace grow closer, confessing their pasts to each other, will they be able to resist getting too close?

Excerpt:

“You’re studying to be a priest?”

He made himself meet her eyes. “I am a priest.”

She let go of his hand and stepped back.

Her smiled was tight. “I’m glad you found your path.”

Quiet.

He couldn’t quite read her expression. The distance between them felt like a gorge chiseled into the earth.

“Are you all right, Maylynn?” he asked.

“I’m really happy for you.” Then she added, “Father Aiden.”

For some reason, her words stabbed him in the gut. He usually liked when people used his title—it seemed to imply a certain amount of trust.

“I’m sorry, Maylynn.” He wasn’t entirely sure why he was apologizing. He just didn’t like to see her uncomfortable.

“I’m happy for you,” she repeated.

Then he realized what the problem was. He hadn’t anticipated this.

He moved closer. “I’m so sorry.”

Her forced smile finally dropped. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“It didn’t occur to me…”

“That I might be attracted to you?”

“Yes.”

“Why aren’t you wearing your collar?” Anger prickled the edge of her voice.

“My mother’s last wish was that I find my father. I’ve been following her notes. She was convinced he was somewhere in this area.”

“Wait… Your mother’s name was Adalina?”

He nodded. With the number of times the shelter was mentioned in the notes, he figured his mother and Maylynn had met.

A pause.

Anger flashed in her eyes. “You still should’ve told me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why’d you play with me like that?”

“I swear that wasn’t my intent.”

“You knew damn well what was going on. Was it a game—see if you still had it? If you could still get the chicks?”

Under the anger in her eyes, he saw the hurt. He swore he could feel it exactly, as if it was his own.

He shifted even closer, just in front of her. “I’m sorry,” he said again. His voice lowered, quieted. “I didn’t see what you were feeling because I was fighting so hard myself. I still am.”

“Fighting what?”

“What I felt the first time I saw you, what I’m still feeling.”

She waited, glaring at him.

“I’m attracted to you,” he said. “Intensely.”

I’m not a fan of pranks. I’m more of a pun person. And the Hooters that pulled the toy yoda prank? What jerks.

Thyme Wilde doesn’t make long-term decisions—until she falls in love with one…

Easily bored and quickly distracted, Thyme enjoys her freedom, so being a temp at her sister’s company is the perfect job. But when she takes a position as a nanny, she instantly falls in love with the five-year-old princess named Maddie—and just two months later, Maddie’s parents are killed in a plane crash, leaving Thyme in an unfamiliar role of responsibility.

Multi-millionaire architect Grayson Montgomery lives in the lap of luxury—but at a cost…

Being the sole heir of his family’s fashion empire and his father’s architectural firm, Grayson has never lacked for anything. But in return, he must stay subservient to the matriarch of his family—his grandmother—and date the heiress of their largest business partner. The only freedom Grayson has is his architectural designs, which are his true passion.

One day changes Grayson’s future forever…

A lawyer summons Grayson to Maine for the reading of the will of a woman he once knew. He doesn’t expect to be named the father of a five-year-old orphan. Then he meets his newly-discovered daughter—and her incredibly sexy nanny.

While acting as Maddie’s loyal nanny, Thyme develops feelings for her new employer that are more than professional. And after several passionate nights with Grayson, it’s clear the feeling is mutual.

When it’s made evident Grayson sees her as a convenient placeholder, Thyme must push aside her desires and put Maddie above herself—even if it means sacrificing her heart to do it.

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1VwklKF

AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1Uz52kR

THE WILDE SISTERS – SWEET ON YOU, Book 1

AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1RdPboe

AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1WnR6bA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Marianne Rice writes contemporary romances set in small New England towns. Her heroes are big and strong, yet value family and humor, while her heroines are smart, sexy, sometimes a little bit sassy, and are often battling a strong internal conflict. Together, they deal with real life issues and always, always, find everlasting love. When she’s not writing, Marianne spends her time buying shoes, eating chocolate, chauffeuring her herd of children to their varying sporting events, and when there’s time, cuddling with her husband, a drink in one hand, a romance book in the other.

Limitless Publishing: http://www.limitlesspublishing.net/authors/marianne-rice/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarianneRiceaut

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mariannericeaut

Website: http://www.mariannerice.com/

Seemed like a good idea. It’s been cold lately and I needed something to warm me up.