Elizabeth Delisi's Blog, page 8

Tina Gayle Shares Her #RomanticIdea

Blurb for Summer’s Growth.

In the spirit-haunted Winston estate in Ohio, rooted in time and occupied by the lingering ghosts of a great family, the torch is about to pass...
Mattie Winston, sober, sensible, and steady, has served as Keeper to the family for decades. Amber Harrison, hovering on the edge of flunking out of college, unsure what she wants out of life, has barely even heard of the Winston estate. The family, however, has decided that it's time for the changing of the guard. These two exceptional women soon find themselves dealing with violence, murder attempts, and old family mysteries while each finding the love of her life. Two romances and a growing friendship, all twined around a brooding family tragedy, make for an outstanding paranormal mystery offering depth and charm beyond the commonplace. The growing love of Amber and Carter and of Mattie and Quincy offer readers a tender and engaging first novel in a winning new paranormal series.
Excerpt:Was she insane? Why agree to spend time at a place she’d never been before with people she didn’t know?Fear and eagerness warred in her stomach. Breathing rapidly, she inhaled the scent of her peppermint gum. The crisp fragrance reminded her of her grandfather’s breath mints, and she took another deep breath to calm her shaky nerves. Past the point of no return, even if the adventure ended up to be a free trip to nowhere. Whatever happened she’d see it through. The soft leather seat cooled her skin. Tired from her long trip to Ohio, she leaned her head on the plush headrest. She used the relaxing motion of the car to recover some of her energy and turned her head to view the landscape outside the car.Different from Southern California, no lollypop trees or car-packed freeways met her gaze. The road supported only a few cars moving along at a steady pace. Calm pastureland lined the highway with wildflowers dancing in the wind. Large limbs darting in every possible direction, small leaves announced spring to the world with their bright green foliage. No structures marred the view or broke the serene pleasure of the unencumbered land. Yet, they’d only left the airport a few minutes ago.Her mind wandered to the place where they were headed. She shot her silent driver a quick glance. She’d questioned the portly old gentleman about Winston Manor when she’d first arrived. He’d said they needed to get going and refused to comment beyond that. Once in the car, she’d tried again. Her blue eyes caught his in the rear view mirror, and he assessed her value before glancing away. Amber brushed her long, blonde hair back off her shoulder and tugged on her cotton tee shirt to straighten out the wrinkles.“How long until we arrive at Winston Manor?” she asked. He didn’t respond, almost as if he hadn’t heard. Unwilling to be rude, she decided to settle back in her seat. The answers would come once she arrived at Winston Manor.

Read First Chapter of "Summer's Growth"
Purchase ebook at: Amazon |
Bio:Tina Gayle grew up a dreamer and loved to escape into the world of books. After a number of different jobs, she decided to try her hand at writing. Her romantic novels touch the heart and explore the heartaches of falling in love and being a woman. Married thirty years, she and her husband love to travel and play golf.  If you’d like to read the 1st chapter of her books visit her website.

Find Tina Gayle everywhere

Home - www.tinagayle.net
Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Goodread - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle


Romantic Idea –

Buy your lover a balloons instead of flowers and give them as a special gift.

HEART SPELL

HEART SPELL, my contemporary romance anthology, is due to be released on June 21. But if you pre-order it at Amazon, you can get your copy for only 99 cents! What a bargain!

Here's the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Spell-Anthology-Elizabeth-Delisi-ebook/dp/B01EYXDJSS

You can also visit HEART SPELL at Tirgearr Publishing: http://tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Delisi_Elizabeth/heart-spell.htm and check out my other books while you're there.

Here are the blurbs for the three stories in HEART SPELL:


A CUP OF CHRISTMAS CHARM

Chloe Lange’s heart somersaults when Zack Martin walks into her New Age store, “Chloe’s Charming Gems.” He’s looking for the perfect Christmas gift for his sister, and she’s only too happy to help. But when he asks her out on a date, she gets cold feet. After all, she’s a single mother raising her four year old daughter, Amanda, and she has the store to run. Besides, all men are untrustworthy—she learned that when Amanda’s father took off as soon as he discovered Chloe was pregnant.

Zack Martin wants a woman in his life, and Chloe Lange fits the bill perfectly. But when she turns down his offer of dinner, he figures it’s for the best. Every minute he’s not at work he spends with his sister, Hope. She was born handicapped, and since the death of their parents, she’s his responsibility. Not that she’s a burden—Hope’s sunny smile and optimistic personality make life with her a joy. But the last thing he needs is to get hung up on a woman only to find she can’t accept Hope as part of the equation.

Can the spirit of Christmas, with the help of Hope and Chloe’s eccentric Aunt Saidie, bring together two hearts aching to be filled?

LOVE'S REDEMPTION

Mara Parker’s heart is bleak as Christmas approaches. Her husband, Stephen, was killed in an automobile accident and now will never see his unborn child. Mara has retreated into her shell in the cabin on the mountains she and Stephen shared. Then Doub Swanson, a camper in need of a roof over his head during a snowstorm, shows up at her door. He brings joy into her life, makes her smile, gives her a feeling of security. But is Doug who he seems—or is he after something more than shelter from the storm?

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

When Brett Newman accompanies his brother Bryan into Violet Webber’s wedding shop, The Cupid Connection, Violet figures Brett’s the best-looking man she’s seen in a long time. But she knows his type: the hunk with all the women hanging off him, who uses women and discards them as if they were tissues. Violet’s amazed to find he’s just as cynical about love and romance as she is. She’s even more astonished to find herself falling in love with him, despite her best intentions. Can Cupid remove the blinders from Violet’s and Brett’s eyes and the padlocks from their hearts?

#RomanticIdea from Author Victoria Pinder

[image error]
Check out the latest books from guest author Victoria Pinder. Then scroll down to see her list of favorite Romantic Ideas for this summer!
Author Name: Victoria Pinder
Book Title: Favorite Coffee, Favorite Crush
Date Published:  Rereleased April 30, 2016
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Purchase Link: Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SrKB7I
Synopsis:

Penny moves back to Miami to start her new job. She must start on Monday, so she has a list of things to accomplish.A: Find a place to live.B: Avoid her mother.C: Reconnect with old high school friends. There was her best friend, Sandra, the dramatic Eva, the dark Michael, her half-brother Wyatt, and her old high school crush Jay.Jay had never looked twice at her except as a partner in math league, but at least these people respected her.Jay spots Penny immediately and sets a plan in action. He needs her to pretend to be his date this week. She’s practical minded and stable, which is what he needs his investors to see in him.Penny’s caught in a whirlwind of plots. Her gold digging mother, Jay’s, Jay’s mother whose out to stop him, and her own plans are being thrown off course. Worst of it is that she’s falling for Jay, all over again.
Contact InformationWebsite: http://www.victoriapinder.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victoriapinder1Twitter: https://twitter.com/victoriapinder
Author Bio:
Victoria Pinder grew up in Irish Catholic Boston before moving to the Miami sun. She’s worked in engineering, after passing many tests proving how easy Math came to her. Then hating her life at the age of twenty four, she decided to go to law school. Four years later, after passing the bar and practicing very little, she realized that she hates the practice of law. She refused to one day turn 50 and realize she had nothing but her career and hours at a desk. After realizing she needed change, she became a high school teacher. Teaching is rewarding, but writing is a passion.During all this time, she always wrote stories to entertain herself or calm down. Her parents are practical minded people demanding a job, and Victoria spent too many years living other people’s dreams, but when she sat down to see what skill she had that matched what she enjoyed doing, writing became so obvious. The middle school year book when someone wrote in it that one day she’d be a writer made sense when she turned thirty.She’s always been determined. She is amazing, adventurous and assured on a regular basis. Her website is  www.victoriapinder.com.Member of Florida Romance Writers, Contemporary Romance, Celtic Hearts and Savvy Authors.
For a free novella of Returning for Valentine’s Please Click here: http://victoriapinder.com/returningforvalentineshorttimeoffer

Excerpt:
“Home, sweet, err…coffee.” Getting out of her car, Penelope brushed her worn jeans to get out a small wrinkle. Not that it mattered. She smelled the coffee drawing her to the door. The delicious aroma of freshly brewed java that could wake her up waited inside. Gainesville had coffee shops, but nothing that held her heart like this place. In high school, this place was her mecca. Her stomach grumbled for the familiar drink.The coffee shop looked almost the same as it had years ago, except for the aluminum tables and wooden chairs with red cushions. She remembered the plaid chairs and brown tables, but the place still calmed her, like she was coming home.She stepped up to the counter. “I’ll have a cinnamon dulce nonfat latte, please.”Leaving Gainesville after college had always been the plan. Just never back to Miami, but she’d changed. She could live here now.She checked her lip gloss while she waited for the latte at the counter.When she accepted the promotion from part-time to full-time, she knew she would have to face her mother and the catch of the month, Lars, her mother’s plastic surgeon. What that woman would do for a free tummy tuck.The job she’d accepted had offered to triple her salary, provided she moved to the Coral Gables office. Somehow, she’d avoid her mother until necessary. What was the man’s name with money this week? Penny ignored that last call, knowing the man with the largest wallet always took precedence over whatever Penelope needed. She watched the barista get the nonfat milk and finish her latte. She’d succeed here, now. She had to.She’d call Sandra, Eva, John, and Michael later. Wyatt, her half-brother, was stationed overseas, so she’d wait for his weekly call. These people were her real family. The man handed her the latte. The first sip gave her the strength to do this. The tightness of the ride dissipated while she tasted her liquid savior. Sighing, she tasted heaven, the wake-up to her day.“Penelope.”Though the unmistakable voice was deeper, she knew who it was without even turning. Her high school crush, who never noticed her beyond her brain. Pulling at her pink tank top, she wished she’d worn better clothes. “John Jay.”His steely blue eyes and sandy blond hair were the same color, but his build had grown more muscular. The leanness of his youth had given way to broad shoulders and hard, muscular arms. He had a straight, faded scar on his left cheek that was new—probably a bar fight. Rich boy wore his fancy, perfectly fitted polo and jeans, and was definitely hotter with age. His million-dollar smile and devastating dimples sparked a warm flush that sped through her all the way to the tips of her toes.“I’m going by Jay these days. It’s less formal.” He winked at her, turning off his tablet and pointing her to his table.“It’s a good name, but I still prefer Dimples,” she teased. “It’s what I called you on online whenever I needed you.”His rich, deep laugh sent that familiar spark through her. Damn. Rich boy knew his effect on women, including her. He could manipulate her when she went quiet, but she’d learned a lot in college. She’d not let him weaken her. 
* * *
Romantic Ideas to spend this spring with your favorite guy…Visit an art museumWalk on the beach (I know cheesy but it’s what my husband likes to do when we’re bored)Go food shopping together and pick out something for each other to add to the cartPlan a vacation or a cruise for a year away and talk about what you want to see or do (sometimes the planning is the fun part.)Watch a movie together while snugglingTake a dance class and use a Groupon couponVisit a winery or local agriculture (perhaps apple picking)Rent a boat or a canoe or kayak and hit the water (Or water ski if you’re adventurous)Picnic in a local park somewhereGo online to one of those places where you get coupons, like Groupon, and pick something together that you’ve both never done… in Florida they have everything from helicopter rides to hot air balloons.

HEART SPELL Featured

My contemporary romance anthology, HEART SPELL, is being featured today (Thursday, June 2nd, 2016) at www.ebooksoda.com. Check it out! And for more info, visit HEART SPELL at Tirgearr Publishing: http://tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Delisi_Elizabeth/heart-spell.htm

Listen to SINCE ALL IS PASSING

Oh my goodness, something wonderful has happened. Will Hughes, an amazing Voice Over artist, has produced a narrated excerpt of my book SINCE ALL IS PASSING. It gives me shivers just to listen to it.

Please take a few minutes to check it out yourself:

http://www.willhughesvoiceover.com/st...

Awesome, isn't it?

A-Z Blog Challenge is Over

The A-Z Blog Challenge is over at last, and I made it through. Yay! It was difficult, but I enjoyed it. Bringing Tarot cards together with the writing process made me think harder about not only my writing, but also the meaning(s) of the cards and how they could relate to my writing.

I hope everyone who checked out one, a few or all of my A-Z entries enjoyed them.

Also, I'd like to thank Kate at Aeclectic Tarot for graciously allowing me to use card images from her wonderful site. Please check out Aeclectic Tarot and tell Kate I sent you!

Here's my badge for finishing:





Cool, eh?
Now your regular programming will resume. :-D

Guest Blogger: Author Guy Ogan

Please help me welcome Guy Ogan, author of IMMORTAL RELATIONS COMING OUT.





Blurb: IMMORTAL RELATIONS COMING OUT, third in the series by G. D. Ogan, continues to rock the foundation upon which typical vampire novels are based. Such stories, where vampires safeguard humans, are rare indeed. These vampires do their utmost to save humans and animals from not only evil vampires, but evil humans.

Ogan's insights into the powers of the immortal vampires, along with fresh takes on the complex inner workings of their existence, provide an intriguing experience for readers. In this story, a novice shape-shifter wolf meets a beautiful hybrid vampire. Good vampires set up a new coven in Southern Canada to monitor a regime intent on changing America into a dictatorship. Marxist thugs, not realizing who they are dealing with, still believe the group was partly responsible for the defeat of Communists intent on stealing oil, gold and mineral reserves from Russia; so, Washington retaliates with violence. A great deal of effort is required by the vampires to keep Canadian citizens safe. There is a vampire wedding with a handsome human; then, dangers from outer-space suddenly appear to threaten the entire earth. Can such threats be stopped?

A reader of IMMORTAL RELATIONS COMING OUT said: "Being a bit of a vampire-phile, I find myself constantly searching for the next vampire series to reach out and grab, or, more appropriately, bite me. I believe I have found my holy grail of vampire novels..."

Excerpt: Vlad Dracula is talking with one of his newest vampire friends, Gary Logan. Vlad has explained how he and other of the oldest vampires have progressed to the point where they need little if any blood. Gary has asked why the out-of-control vampires continue to attack humans.

Vlad replies (through thought transference) “They get a thrill from the hunt and then, as the life drains from their victims, it provides a rush from the feeling of power over the living.”

Gary: “If I may be so bold, have you had such feelings in the past?”

Vlad smiled and nodded slowly, "It was a very, very long time ago Gary. We were fighting what you would call 'an asymmetrical war' against Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror and his Muslim invaders who outnumbered us at least three to one. I was looking for anything to slow them down. I guess you would say I used psychological warfare by building the 'forest' of impaled enemy soldiers we had defeated in previous battles. While we had numerous successes against units of the invaders we unfortunately were unable to hold off so large an invading army. It was about this time I was changed into what I am today. I was always in the front lines of battle and routinely soaked in blood. Perhaps that is what changed me into a vampire. One of my own Generals saw me surrounded by enemies and saw blood spurting up in the air. Thinking it was my blood he sent word that I'd been killed. My dear wife was distraught and threw herself from the heights of our Poenari Castle into the Arges River below.

Then my second cousin, Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, from whom I had sought help in prosecuting the war, imprisoned me. Locked away, I soon became crazed with the desire for blood I would have otherwise found on the battlefield. Many fellow prisoners died because of it and after my escape I was a plague on the land. It took all too long before I regained some sense of my lost humanity.”

With downcast eyes Vlad thought, “Which is where the myths, legends and stories about me started – I’m afraid I earned them all.”

I reached over and patted him on the arm saying, “I’m sorry I brought up a topic that has induced clearly painful memories for you.”

Vlad smiled at me, “No, it is alright. If you haven’t heard the story before I think you need to know the type of vampire you follow. I hope it won’t detract from our relationship.”

“Never fear of my continued admiration and respect for you. You were a great leader fighting to free your people from an oppressive invader. Since you had no one to guide you after you were changed, as a ‘newborn’ vampire you did what came naturally. However, it begs the question, how did you stop?”

“I married again and she helped me overcome the constant thirst, giving me some of her own blood, and she brought me back to God.”

With tears in my eyes I thought, in reply to Vlad, “Women are clearly the superior gender, without them we men would be little better than wild beasts. “

Purchase links:

Book #1: http://amazon.com/dp/B006ZCBT6G
Book #2: http://amazon.com/dp/B00A4IEHL6
Book #3: http://amazon.com/dp/B00G5BQS18

Z is for Zest

I thought about saying, Z is for Zombies, figuring that's a big deal right now. ;-) But zombies don't work with my theme.

So I am finishing up the challenge with Z is for Zest. Zest as in gusto, hearty enjoyment, immense satisfaction. That's exactly the feeling you want your reader to have when he/she has read the last word on the last page of your book and put it down with a satisfied sigh. Because if your reader has that feeling of zest, he/she will be on the lookout for your next book, and the next after that.

Today's Tarot deck is The Goddess Tarot. Here are a couple of sample cards from this deck:

 
 
Card images courtesy of Aeclectic Tarothttp://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/goddess/ 
I asked the cards what kind of element is most important in the ending to my book, and how to entice a reader into buying my next book. The card I drew was  the Nine of Staves. This card indicates a task that's almost finished. So near, and yet so far! There's still much to accomplish before I'm through. 
This tells me I need to keep the suspense going until the last scene, last paragraph. The reader must be in some doubt about whether there will be a "happily ever after" ending or not right up until the end. That will leave my readers saying "Wow! That was an awesome book! Can't wait to read her next one."
I hope you've enjoyed this series of posts about using Tarot to develop your writing. I've had fun doing it. Try the Tarot with your writing...you'll be amazed at what you get!

Y is for You're in Charge

As we approach the end of the A-Z Challenge, the letter Y reminds us that YOU are in charge of your writing. You may have heard lots of rules, telling you never to do this, and always do that. And in general, those "rules" are there because they work well.

But...for every rule, there's an exception. Or a rule-breaker! If you've written a passage, chapter or book and are being told to change things, think hard and long. If you read what the experts say and still feel your rule-breaker works, then go with it. That's how stand-out stories come about!

Today's Tarot deck is The Tarot of Durer. Here are a couple of sample card images:

 
 Images courtesy of Aeclectic Tarothttp://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/durer/ 
I asked which aspect of my story is most likely to benefit from bending, if not breaking, a rule or two. The card I drew is the Six of Wands. It indicates the part of the book where the hero/heroine is about to succeed in overcoming their difficulties and reaching their goals. Perhaps the method of success is different than usual; or maybe the choice of partner or companion. In any case, the road to success should be paved with broken rules!

Dianne Noble, Guest Author

Please help me welcome today's guest author, Dianne Noble! Tell us a little about yourself and your book, OUTCAST.





The first time I ever went to Kolkata (then known as Calcutta) was over half a century ago. I knew nothing then of the infamous Black Hole where British people were imprisoned in a tiny dungeon by the Nawab of Bengal and, allegedly, 123 died by suffocation. Or of the Calcutta Cup which is awarded to the winner of the Scotland/England game in the Six Nations Rugby. It started in India and the trophy was made there with melted down silver rupees and decorated with an elephant and cobras.
I sailed to Singapore with my family when I was seven and the first place we stopped was Port Said in Egypt where there were snake charmers and men wearing what looked like nightgowns. Coming from the grey deprivation of post-war Britain the hot sunshine and vivid colours were intoxicating, and I was beside myself with excitement when we travelled along the Suez Canal. Walls of sand on both sides of us,  and men in robes riding camels. We stayed a while in Yemen and also Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) but there were no calls at Indian ports.
Three years later the canal was closed and we made the journey back to England, in December, on a Hermes propeller plane. It took almost three days with stops at virtually every country on the way for re-fuelling. There was an emergency landing in Italy because the wings had iced over and the additional weight was dangerous. Compared to today when I can fly direct to India from a local airport in great comfort other than being a bit cramped, air travel in the 1950s was basic. Cabins were not pressurised, the engine noise was deafening and flights were at low altitudes which meant no escape from turbulence. We were supplied with sick bags made from heavy duty paper and they got a lot of use.
One of our stops was Calcutta, at Dum Dum Airport, so called because it was the birthplace of the infamous bullets which spread on impact to cause maximum damage. It was night time and hot, the humid air thick with whirring insects. We were offered black sausage and fried eggs for supper but few were able to stomach it. My kid brother, only three, screamed in fright when he was taken to a hole in the floor toilet and held over it. He – and I – found our bladders totally unable to co-operate.
Many years later, as an adult, I went back to Kolkata and spent several months teaching English to the children who lived on the streets. The place had changed so little in all that time, other than to fall into further dilapidation. When I was first in India, in 1957, India had been independent for just ten years and most of the infrastructure had been intact. Now, many of the city’s buildings crumble like stale cake, neon lights reflect on lakes of sewage, the roads and railways are at breaking point but there’s still something magical about Kolkata – and all of India – which keeps me coming back.
EXCERPT     A week passed and although her thoughts often flew to Priyanka she tried to concentrate on the remaining girls. The fuzz on their scalps was developing into hair, giving their little faces an elfin look. She could see them now as individuals. Sanghita and Aanya were very alike with pretty faces and long lashes. Khusboo, skin much darker than the others, remained withdrawn. Pinky, the cheeky one, was of a sturdier build than the others and with a manner which Rose’s Irish grandmother would have called bold.     Rose and Maria had a routine now, took it in turns to teach writing in the mornings, while the other shopped, went to the Internet Café or the ATM for cash. At lunchtime they shared the cooking and afterwards, while the girls slept, they swept the floors and did the washing in a bucket, before pegging it out round the back. It always dried before dusk but smelt of exhaust fumes and worse. Rose missed the sound of washing snapping on the line in a good wind, and the fresh, outdoors smell when she brought it in. When the girls woke it was talking time, reciting parrot fashion - ‘Never did me any harm,’ said Maria – numbers, colours, parts of the body, animals from badly drawn pictures.     ‘Pity I couldn’t grab the books from the orphanage,’ said Maria with a sigh. ‘Wasn’t fast enough.’And then it was playtime. Maria showed them how to throw the tennis balls against the wall and catch them. Rose cut off a length of rope and demonstrated skipping.     ‘My God,’ she said, gasping for breath, ‘didn’t realise how unfit I was.’ She stopped, bent over, while the girls giggled. ‘OK,’ she said. ‘You try.’ She cut the rest of the rope in sections and watched as they tripped, fell, cried, sulked, until with shrieks of joy they mastered it.     ‘Look, Aunty, look!’All except Pinky who didn’t seem to have any idea of rhythm. She stamped away and kicked a ball up and down the room.Rose sank to the floor and wiped her face.     ‘Is it me, or is it hotter today?’     ‘Middle of Feb and coming out of winter - it’ll get warmer every day now. And I’ve only got three weeks visa left which means you must have five.’Rose nodded slowly. If she planned on remaining in Kolkata, overstaying her visa, she’d have to make a trip home fairly soon.     ‘The next volunteer,’ she said, ‘when’s she coming?’     ‘A couple of days before I leave, so we can do a handover. Have you thought what you’re going to do, Rose?’     ‘I’m stopping here.’ She didn’t know she’d decided until the words left her mouth, then felt relief. ‘Yes. I’ll go to the airline office tomorrow. A week at home will be enough, sort things out with Hannah, set up a contract for her…’     ‘What about Ellie?’Rose shrugged.    ‘When I got that email about Finola being pregnant I told her she’d have to make the best of it.’ She sighed. ‘She’s twenty and a mother to be. She’ll have to sort herself out.’     ‘You’ll want to see your first grandchild, though.’Maria’s voice was gentle and tears pricked behind Rose’s eyes.     ‘Of course…but I can’t do both.’     ‘So you’ve chosen the girls?’     ‘It seems so. Wasn’t a conscious decision, it just appeared.’***     She lay awake that night, making plans, too excited now to sleep. Even with the café overheads and Hannah’s wages the takings would be more than enough to fund this place. And maybe, in the summer when the income rocketed, maybe she’d be able to find better premises here, have a fridge and more rooms. And when she came back from her trip home, she’d bring posters, flash cards, books and a radio for the girls so they could dance. It would have to be a wind up one because of the erratic power but she’d find one. Her mind was so full that the grey light of dawn was beginning to filter through the shutters when she at last fell asleep.     Woken by a knock at the door. She jerked upright on her mat, pulled away the net shrouding her face and looked around. No sign of anyone, all the mats neatly rolled away. The sound of splashing from the bathroom then Maria’s head appeared.     ‘Good morning at last. Thought you’d died.’ With a sunny smile she waved towards the door. ‘It’ll be the man for the rent.’Rose scrambled to her feet, retrieved her money belt from beneath the mat and staggered to the door, pushing her hair out of her eyes, yawning hugely. The wood felt hot from the sun beating down on it. She opened it and heat rushed in, wrapped itself round her bare legs. Nobody there. Tutting, she squinted up the alley one way and then the other. The usual traffic, people, a motor bike. As she began to close the door she heard a mewling sound, like a cat. Looked down to see a baby girl at her feet, red and naked.
BLURBRose leaves her Cornwall café to search for her daughter in the sweltering slums of Kolkata, India.
In the daily struggle for survival, she is often brought to her knees, but finds strength to overcome the poverty and disease, grows to love the Dalit community she helps.
But then there are deaths, and she fears for her own safety.
Her café at home is at risk of being torched, and finally, she has to make the terrible choice between her daughter and the Indian children.Buy links:Amazon (universal link): http://mybook.to/outcastBarnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/outcast-dianne-noble/1123400384iBooks UK: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/outcast/id1083130105?mt=11iBooks US: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/outcast/id1083130105?mt=11Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/search?Query=9781311691910Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/614347?ref=cw1985
 
BIO
I think I became a reader before I could walk. While other people had childhood memories, I amassed a vocabulary. I was born into a service family and at the tender age of seven found myself on the Dunera, a troopship, sailing for a three year posting to Singapore. So began a lifetime of wandering – and fifteen different schools. Teen years living in Cyprus, before partition, when the country was swarming with handsome UN soldiers, and then marriage to a Civil Engineer who whisked me away to the Arabian Gulf.

Most of the following years were spent as a single parent with an employment history which ranged from the British Embassy in Bahrain to a goods picker, complete with steel toe-capped boots, in an Argos warehouse. In between I earned my keep as a cashier in Barclays, a radio presenter and a café proprietor on the sea front in Penzance.

Ten years ago I flew to Kolkata, West Bengal as a volunteer to teach English to street children in the slums. I stayed for several months and kept a journal, primarily so that I could download the horrors I saw daily. A kind of de-briefing. Not that it was all bad, the children had a huge capacity for happiness which was truly humbling.

It was this diary that grew into a novel and I was thrilled when Tirgearr Publishing brought it out as an ebook March 2016. It has already attracted a number of five star reviews. ‘A richly told tale, emotive and evocative.’ ‘Has it all – humour, pathos, spirituality.’

I have two further novels in the pipeline, Oppression, which is set in Cairo, Egypt and tells the story of a forced marriage and One Hundred Hands Outstretched, again based in India.

My website www.dianneanoble.compromises ‘Atmospheric Settings, Women under Pressure’ and this is what I try to deliver. If you are a fan of books by Victoria Hislop or Rosie Thomas you’ll probably like mine.

My travels have taken me to China, Egypt, Israel, Guatemala, Russia, Morocco, Belize and my favourite place, India. I keep copious notes and constantly dip into them to ensure my settings are authentic.

I live alone, when not travelling, in a small Leicestershire village. A happy life for me is writing or reading – with breaks for chocolate and mugs of tea – and occasional visits to the theatre.

Links: Website: http://www.dianneanoble.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianneanoble Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dianneanoble1 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianne-noble-183a143a *****GIVEAWAY!Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here: http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/dianne-noble/
Enter here: Rafflecopter