C.A. Milson's Blog, page 109
August 24, 2022
THE MADNESS OF MERCURY
This post ispart of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
The Zodiac Mysteries feature San Francisco astrologer, Julia Bonatti, who never thought murder would be part of her practice. In The Madness of Mercury, Julia’s outspoken advice in her newspaper column, AskZodia, makes her the target of a recently-arrived cult preacher who advocates love and compassion to those less fortunate. But the power-hungry preacher is waging war on sin and his Army of the Prophet will stop at nothing to silence those who would stand in his way. Julia is at the top of his list.
Read an Excerpt
Zora was walking in circles around the table, murmuring to herself. Nikolai had donned purple robes and placed several large candles around the room. He cut a very impressive figure. He caught my eye and winked. Gudrun and Eunice were closeted upstairs in Eunice’s room, while everyone else waited in the parlor. I was fairly certain Nikolai would put on a good show. Depending on what happened, I just hoped it wouldn’t be too upsetting or disappointing for Evandra.
Zora turned to me, “There are strong energies close by. I feel sure we’ll have some communication tonight. Julia, will you ask everyone to come in, please.” I nodded and left the room. I found Reggie chatting happily to Alba in the front parlor. She nodded occasionally, but seemed distracted. She looked frightened and I was sure she was only here under duress.
Richard led Evandra slowly down the stairs and into the library and helped her sit. Her face was flushed with excitement. Richard sat next to Evandra and Dorothy took the seat on the other side of her aunt across from Reggie. Alba hesitated in the doorway but finally took a seat at the round table next to Reggie. I sat on Reggie’s other side. When we were all seated, Nikolai and Zora sat down across the table from each other. Outside the rain pelted furiously against the library windows. I caught a flash of lightning and the lights in the chandelier flickered for a moment. It happened so quickly I wasn’t sure I hadn’t imagined it.
Nikolai had turned off the lights in the front parlor and dining room. A small lamp was still lit in the front hallway. No light could reach us in the library. Candlelight cast eerie shadows against the bookshelves and ceiling. No one spoke a word. We waited for Nikolai’s instructions. He stood and raised his arms. In a booming voice, he spoke. “As I pass through the vays, I feel the presence of the gods. They are vith me and I vith them forever.” He glanced around the table at each of us, and finally with a nod from Zora, said, “May vee in this circle be protected from any and all harm.”
Nikolai sat down. “Please. Take hand of the person next to you.” He reached over and took Richard’s hand on one side, and Alba’s on the other. He nodded once to Zora. “Be patient everyone, and vhatever you do, this is most important, do not break circle.”
Zora closed her eyes, breathing slowly and deeply for several minutes. We watched her intently. No one spoke a word or appeared to breathe. Nikolai studied Zora’s face. After several interminable minutes, Zora’s head dropped to her chest, her breathing was faster.
Nikolai spoke. “Is someone here? Do you haf message for us?”
We waited. Zora continued to breathe rapidly. Nikolai asked again. “Is anyone vith us tonight?”
Zora raised her head slowly, her expression had shifted. She rose higher in her chair, her head slowly turning from side to side with a coquettish air. Her neck appeared to lengthen. “I’m here. I’ve been trying . . .” I stared, not sure if what I was seeing was a trick of the light.
Dorothy gasped. Nikolai shot her a warning look.
“ . . . to reach you.”
“It’s Lily!” Evandra cried.
I glanced at Reggie and Alba. Reggie’s mouth hung open in disbelief. Alba looked frightened, as if she were about to flee the room.
Nikolai spoke, “You haf message for us?”
“Yes.” The voice was not Zora’s normally rough tone. It was several octaves higher. The skin on my arms prickled. What was happening? I struggled to stay in this reality. Could Zora really be channeling Lily’s spirit?
“Danger.” Zora’s head dropped to her chest.
“What nonsense,” Dorothy muttered her breath. Richard shushed her.
Nikolai spoke, “Danger for whom, spirit?”
Zora raised her head, her eyes were blazing, “For all.”
“Lily!” Evandra cried.
Nikolai asked again, “Vhat danger?”
Still in that girlish voice, Zora spoke, “Danger . . . death is planned.”
A tremendous thunderclap struck, shaking the entire house. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky beyond the library windows and threw the stone statuary in the garden into high relief. A cold draft swept through the room. The candles flickered in the sudden rush of air and were extinguished. Evandra cried out and collapsed in her chair.
About the Author:
Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries featuring Julia Bonatti, a San Francisco astrologer who never thought murder would be part of her practice: The Madness of Mercury is the first in the series. Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the national bestselling Soup Lover’s Mysteries from Penguin Random House. You can find her excerpts and recipes in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Connie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, The Crime Writers Association and Sisters in Crime.
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Connie di Marco will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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August 21, 2022
Gavin: Last Man Standing – Book 6
Gavin: Last Man Standing – Book 6
by Kathryn Hills
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Sweet Contemporary Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SERIES BLURB:
You know who he is… the confirmed bachelor. The fellow who claims no woman will ever tempt him enough to succumb. Cupid will never hit his mark.
Well, guess what? We’ve got fourteen feisty heroines who are about to change their minds.
Series Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZXNJWY5
Available Exclusively on KINDLE UNLIMTED
BLURB:
Sometimes making waves is the only way to chart your true course.
Gavin Hart’s intentions are noble. He’s putting all his energy and every penny he’s got into the marine science education program he devised with his grandmother, a world-renowned environmentalist from Cape Cod. Big boat, special equipment, and a crew of salty characters—everything is ready to launch. All he needs is the backing of his influential family. Turns out that’s the one thing he won’t get—unless he agrees to settle down and marry the woman of their choosing. A self-proclaimed bachelor for life, he’s never been tempted. That is until he meets Sophie.
High school science teacher Sophie Martin is only subbing in town for a few months. Yet the allure of the Cape—its nautical charm and off-season ambiance—has her wishing she could stay longer. Not to mention she’s falling for a local man with a heart of pure gold. They have a lot in common, including a passion for inspiring young minds. Too bad her days there are numbered. Plus, her boyfriend back home is hinting at a ring. Should she return to her previous life? Or is she brave enough to upend everything and take a risk on a man she barely knows?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ZSPTSXC
Available Exclusively on KINDLE UNLIMTED
EXCERPT
Students spilled out into the hallway, and Sophie followed, shutting off lights, and locking the door behind them.
Laura Adams—her best friend and fellow teacher—sauntered up beside her. “Fancy meeting you here, Ms. Martin,” the sassy woman teased. “Well, tell me, how was your first week teaching high school science?”
The two women walked together toward the gymnasium, dodging teenagers, flung-open locker doors, backpacks, and sporting gear.
“I was nervous at first, but now I’m much more confident. The kids are all great.”
“Hey, hey, hey, no running in the halls,” Laura bellowed at a group of boys, speeding past them, shoving one another. She glanced Sophie’s way, instantly switching gears. “Some of us are going out tonight. You should come. I’ll introduce you to some nice guys. We’re meeting at the Galley Hatch.”
At first, the invitation appealed to Sophie, yet the idea of being introduced to “nice guys” made her balk. Laura was a notorious matchmaker, and that was the last thing she needed. “I shouldn’t. I promised my aunt I’d spend time with her since I’ve been gone all week. I think she’s having a hard time adjusting to being alone all day again. She keeps talking about adopting a cat or a talking bird.”
“Oh. Bummer. Offer stands if you can get away. Text me, and I’ll save you a seat.”
They entered the gym together and lingered in the double doors.
“Impressive,” Sophie said, adding a sigh of relief when she saw her class wasn’t climbing the walls. “Nice turnout of exhibitors.”
Laura casually looked around. “You should check it out since it’s your first time. Make the rounds with your kids.”
“I think I will.” Sophie went to leave, yet she ran smack into someone rushing past them with a box.
“Whoa! So sorry,” the person was quick to say.
She stepped back, and her gaze fell upon the one person she never expected to see up close and personal. “You,” she said in disbelief.
Hunky boat guy tipped his dark-haired head. “Do I…know you?”
The smooth, masculine sound of his voice washed over her like a warm summer wave. Sophie blinked up at him, her mortified expression reflected in his mirrored sunglasses. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“Miss… Are you okay?” A sexy little smile turned his lips.
Surprised laughter bubbled out of Laura. “Who’s this?”
The man set his box down and removed his shades.
Both women gaped.
Crystal blue eyes. Stark against his suntanned skin.
“Gavin Hart. I’m exhibiting today. Well, I’m supposed to be. As per usual, I’m late. Can either of you ladies help me find my table?”
“Sophie will,” Laura blurted out, and she gave Sophie a little shove in his direction.
Gavin’s smile widened showing bright white teeth. “Excellent. Thank you, Sophie.”
She spun and narrowed her gaze on Laura. “What about my kids?”
Laura shrugged. “They’re fine. You’re fine. This man is obviously fine.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Hauntingly romantic… Unless she’s writing sweet!
The rich history and many mysteries of New England are the perfect backdrop for many of KATHRYN’s books. Winding roads lined by old stone walls, forgotten cemeteries, grand homes with shadowy pasts…all sparks for her imagination. Whether it’s a quaint seaside town or the vibrant city of Boston, it’s easy for this “hauntingly romantic” author to envision the past mingling with the present. No surprise, some of Kathryn’s favorite stories include ghosts! Sprinkle in some magic, and you’re off on a great adventure.
When not writing, this best-selling author is reading, researching, gardening, or cooking up something special in her chaotic kitchen. She shares her colonial home in the north woods with those she loves most – her wonderful husband, daughter, and three crazy dogs.
Website: http://www.kathrynhills.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKathrynHills
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorKathrynH
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kathryn-Hills/e/B01LBDCVVU
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kathryn-hills
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
The authors will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host via Rafflecopter.
Enter to win a $20 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
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August 9, 2022
JIMMY – Book Blast
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
I call on the fates to bring my love to me. As I will it, so mote it be…
What if those simple words plus a name on a scroll could guarantee true love? Karey’s determined to find out if the spell, Summon a Bad Boy, works, and she knows just who she’s going to ask for. Jimmy McCreadie. The tattooed man makes her weak in the knees — he’s every naughty desire she’s had come to life. She’s nothing like the women he dates, and far too shy for her own good, but she’s not giving up.
Mix a bad boy with some magic and have faith. Anything’s possible. Karey’s desire just might come true.
Read an Excerpt
As he rounded the corner, he collided with a stack of books, knocking every volume onto the floor. “Fuck,” he muttered. “Damn fool.” He had knelt to pick up the mess when he spotted Karey coming toward him.
“Let me help you.” She picked up a few of the books. “I keep telling them this display is dangerous.” As she stood, she locked gazes with him. “You.”
“Me?” He tucked the books under his arm.
“You’re him.” She blushed, and her eyes widened.
Shit. This usually turned into him being escorted out for potentially causing trouble or being accused of theft. “I wasn’t looking where I was going. I’m sorry. I’ll go.”
“No.” She put the novels on a nearby table. “You’re the man from the tattoo shop.”
“Tattoo You? That’s me.”
Her blush deepened. “You’re quite the artist. I admire your work.”
“You do?” Did that sound dumb? “Thank you.”
She hesitated. “Would you like some coffee? I’m lousy at brewing, but I can pour it for you? On the house?”
“I’ll gladly pay for it. I’m the one who caused the trouble by knocking over those books, but yes, I’d love a cup.” He followed her over to the coffee counter. “Thank you.”
“Here.” She pulled two mugs from the rack. “Have a seat.”
He settled at the counter where she’d directed him and waited. His hands shook. The last woman to invite him to have coffee with her was Jackie, his ex-wife. He’d dated a few times since the divorce, but only one-night-stand kinds of dates. Nothing of substance. But with Karey, he felt a connection, even stronger than the one he’d felt when she looked at him through the window of his store. When she smiled, a piece of his heart melted.
“Here.” She placed two mugs on the table. “My name is Karey. I didn’t know if you’d want cream or sugar. I can get them if you’d like.”
“Black is fine.” Karey. He liked the way her name sounded. “I’m Jimmy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Jimmy.”
About the Author:
Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.
When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library.
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Megan will be awarding a prize pack featuring a bracelet and necklace made by the author to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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August 3, 2022
HUNTED Book Blast
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
A tough special forces operator who’s never run from a fight. A woman about to give him the biggest battle of his life.
Marine Raider Jake Skinner has a nose for trouble. He never expected to find it in a beautiful woman adrift at sea. But once he has her in his arms, he knows he’s never letting her go.
Caroline only had one rule when it came to dating – no military men. When the sexy Marine pulls her from the ocean, her resolution goes to war against his resolve to break through her walls – and goes against her own secret longings.
As a drug cartel sets its sights on Caroline, Jake is determined to move heaven and earth to keep her safe. But if Caroline can’t learn to trust her heart, it could spell the end for them both.
Meet the men of Alpha Squad. Protective, strong-willed, and tough, they go hard after what they want. And when they set their sights on a woman, they’ll use every weapon in their arsenal to make her theirs. Each book in this series is a fast, steamy read, full of pulse-pounding action. Dive into this series today!
Read an Excerpt
She pressed herself closer, the ice of her skin leaching into his chest.
He’d take it. If he could take all the cold from her, exchange it with his heat, he would.
Her eyelids fluttered. With what looked like immense effort, she finally opened them a crack. Pale blue eyes met his.
He rubbed her back. “You’re okay. You’re safe,” he murmured. “Can you tell me your name?”
She opened her mouth, but only a harsh rasp came out. His gut clenched as she licked her lips, swallowed, and tried again.
“Caroline,” she whispered.
Tony cleaned a patch of skin with an alcohol wipe, inserted the needle, and taped it to her arm. He held the saline bag in his hand and gently squeezed.
She swallowed then winced.
“Water.” He didn’t look to see who handed him the plastic bottle. He held the water to Caroline’s lips and slowly tilted it up.
She greedily sucked the liquid down. The look of betrayal she shot Jake when he took the bottle away almost had him laughing. Her face was so expressive, her spirit seemingly undiminished by her ordeal.
“You can’t drink too much at one time,” he told her. At her continued scowl, he relented and gave her a tiny sip more. He put the bottle down. “Caroline. Sweetheart.” He dragged his thumb over her bottom lip, catching a stray drop of water. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“He tried to kill me,” she whispered.
Jake looked at Tony, meeting his narrowed gaze. His friend’s jaw went hard, his nostrils flaring. He’d heard her words, as well, and if there was one thing his squad wouldn’t stand for it was a man hurting a woman.
Jake leaned back against the rail as the boat sped towards the marina. The itch between his shoulder blades was finally gone. He looked down at the woman in his arms. Now he knew what his intuition had been trying to tell him.
Trouble had been coming.
And it had landed in his lap in the form of a woman.
About the Author:
Allyson Charles lives in Colorado. She’s the author of sexy and funny small-town romances, including the Pineville Romance series and The Forever series. A former attorney, she happily ditched those suits and now works in her pajamas writing about men’s briefs instead of legal briefs. When she’s not writing, she’s probably engaged in one of her favorite hobbies: napping, eating, or martial arts (That last one almost makes up for the first two, right?). One of Allyson’s greatest sources of happiness is that she now lives in a city that has a Cracker Barrel.
Allyson Charles also writes steamy historical romances under the name Alyson Chase, and paranormal romances under the name A. Caprice.
Allyson Charles will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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August 2, 2022
AN IMAGINARY AFFAIR
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
An Imaginary Affair is a collection of sensitive and sensuous poems for poets and non-poets who appreciate the challenges and intricacies of being human.
The poems touch on key human elements, such as love, desire, passion, memory, loss, and gratitude. The poet celebrates the joys, and pains inherent to a woman’s heart, while honoring the wisdoms and tones of Neruda’s poetry. Some of the epistolary poems are directed to Neruda in response to his riveting poems.
“In this intimate collection of poems, Diana Raab pays tribute to the sensual physicality of Pablo Neruda’s work and to her own real and invented lives. With unvarnished honesty, An Imaginary Affair celebrates a woman’s heart and mind through a handful of odes, epistolary poems, and the idea that memory and anticipation can sustain and nourish us; even drinking a glowing hot toddy is transformed into a meditation on how an ordinary act can awaken desire. Her unvarnished honesty gives equal attention to matters of mortality, where loss is lyrically considered (“…will you run from me / when trains sleep at their stations”), and also explored in the spirit of open curiosity (“How long does it take / for a pine casket to disintegrate / in this caving land…). These poems remind us that to be alive is to try and balance joy and lament, and how through this effort we more deeply inhabit the world and ourselves.” –Emma Trelles, author of Tropicalia and Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara
Read an Excerpt
Please Don’t Forget Me
I want you to know
one thing:
if there is ever a day
when you begin to think
about my place in this world
and if I could live without you —
stop in your tracks,
and look the imprints
your feet made in the sand
where you and I walked together
arm in arm, side by side
shoulder touching shoulder.
You are ingrained in my brain
like every kernel of sand
that lies beside the largest ocean
in this world where we inhabit
two sides familiar, yet foreign
to one another. But, in the end,
I had to let you go: when you love
someone it’s what one must do —
set them free to do what they need
or want, and when they want
to do it, whether it is with you or not—
while always keeping in mind
I will never in my lifetime or yours
stop loving everything about you.
About the Author:
Diana Raab is an award-winning, memoirist, poet, blogger, inspirational speaker, and workshop facilitator. As the author of nine books of nonfiction and poetry, Raab teaches workshops on writing for healing and transformation, inspiring others to use creativity for healing and self-discoveries. Her 2 latest books are WRITING FOR BLISS: A SEVEN-STEP PLAN FOR TELLING YOUR STORY AND TRANSFORMING YOUR LIFE and WRITING FOR BLISS: A COMPANION JOURNAL, available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Publisher’s Weekly says this about WRITING FOR BLISS: “This thoughtful and detailed primer…targets pretty much anyone interested in writing a memoir.”
Raab has written over 1000 articles and poems including her contributions to Psychology Today, Thrive Global, Wisdom Daily and many others. She has taught at UCLA Extension, the Santa Barbara’s Writer’s Conference, 1440 Multiversity, Hugo House and others.
Her chapbook, An Imaginary Affair: Poems Whispered to Neruda is written in response to his work.
Diana Raab will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
July 31, 2022
POTION – Book Blast
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
#WitchesBeBitches
A Contemporary Retelling.
Eight years ago, the wicked witch held Hansel Lucas Jaeger and his sister, Melrose, captive. They barely escaped with their lives. Now, with high school, a garage band, and a part time job, Lucas finally feels normal.
But everything changes when Lucas sees his awkward, loner sister, hanging out with Star, one of the hot and hated popular girls known as The Bitches. At first, he’s just confused, but when he sees the tarot cards between them, he’s reminded of the curse the witch cast on Melrose.
His fears escalate when Star warns him about two witches from school who plan on using his sister for a ritual. Lucas wants to trust Star; he needs someone to confide in since Melrose thinks his fear of witchcraft is irrational. But Star is unpredictable and has toyed with his emotions before.
As Lucas searches for answers, more mysteries begin to unravel about Melrose’s childhood, Star’s motives, and his own family legacy. Lucas will have to make life and death decisions; but whom can he trust, and how do you rescue someone who doesn’t want to be saved?
Read an Excerpt
He knew why he had to destroy the card, sort of, he had felt the threat in his bones. What he couldn’t understand was why Melrose didn’t sense anything wrong. “Don’t you remember what happened in the woods?” he said easily, glancing at her to see if there was any spark of memory.
She shrugged. “No, I don’t, not really, and I don’t want to.”
Melrose had managed to block out the first eight years of her life, and his mom called him the forgetful one. “Well, I do, but what I forgot, or pushed aside, until that moment in there, was the curse.”
“Curse? Really? There’s no such thing as curses. Come on.”
“I don’t know what else to call it, but the witch made you say that rhyme.” He squeezed his eyes together, trying to remember. “Something about transforming Venus into a witch in eight years.”
Silence seeped into the backyard. They both turned their attention to the fire when it crackled, old trash igniting.
“Melrose, think. It’s been almost exactly eight years—”
“So what?” she spat.
“I think you’re Venus.”
Melrose crossed her arms and huffed. “So, I’m a planet?”
“Your birth name,” he said, trying to ignore her mocking tone. “Your real name. I know you don’t remember, and I never mentioned it because I was trying to put all that behind me, too.”
“I think I would have remembered if that was my name.”
“Really? But you don’t remember anything else? Whatever. Your name isn’t important. What I’m trying to tell you is that something is sketch.” He pointed toward the house. “You gotta stay away from anyone who plays around with that witchcraft shit so you don’t trigger … you know.”
About the Author:
Dorlana Vann loves taking elements from fairy tales (characters, mood, moral, plot) and mixing them with a paranormal element and then dropping them in a contemporary setting.
She has several supernatural fairy tale inspired stories, including novels, a short story collection, and Kindle Vella series. Her latest adventure is A Witchy Fairy Tale series; book 1: Potion.
Besides writing, life is all about family, food, book-club, BBQ team, festivals, trivia (even though she’s horrible at it), and drinking on patios – All of which she shares on Instagram
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Dorlana Vann will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
July 28, 2022
Book Blast LOVE BLOOMS IN MORNING STAR
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
As Jo Fussner keeps the Marketplace humming, her heart dances with a joyous secret. Jo and Michael Wengerd, a shy nursery owner from a nearby town, have fallen hopelessly in love. When Michael buys a courting buggy, Jo is sure a proposal will follow. But she’ll have to work hard to gain her mother’s approval—because the widowed Drusilla Fussner is convinced that marriage will bring her daughter nothing but heartache.
To win Jo’s hand, Michael enlists his father’s help in convincing Drusilla to give the marriage her blessing—and perhaps even open her heart to new happiness of her own. . . . But just as Jo and Michael’s hope for their future grows, an even bigger obstacle looms. The Amish elders vote to forbid any maidel from working once she marries. Now Jo must choose between the beloved store she’s put her heart into, and the man she can’t live without. Conflicted, Jo will have to trust that anything is possible when true faith guides the way.
Read an Excerpt
Jo was soon pulled out of the ceremonial spell the bishop wove with his words, however, meeting Michael’s gaze again. It had been such a blessing when she’d spotted him earlier this morning, striding toward her. As he’d done in her fondest dreams over the winter, he’d held out his hands and she’d grabbed them as though she’d never let them go.
“I have a surprise for you, Josie-girl,” he’d whispered. “Right after the wedding, you’ll see it.”
Josie-girl. The sound of Michael’s unique endearment had made her eager heart turn somersaults. How was she supposed to pay attention to the wedding ceremony while she wondered about the surprise he’d promised?
But one thing Jo knew, as surely as she could bake cinnamon rolls: Michael had returned to Morning Star loving her even more than when Mamm had sent him and his dat away at Christmas. Michael and Nelson weren’t renting the Fussners’ dawdi haus anymore, but the Wengerds were back in her life, and they intended to move forward with the plans they’d made during her visit to their home in Queen City last December.
Life simply didn’t get any more exciting than that.
About the Author:
In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 60 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.
Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
July 26, 2022
Last Star Standing
Last Star Standing
by Spaulding Taylor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Thriller (speculative)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Aiden has always felt like an outsider. After the rebel assassin is captured and imprisoned by the world’s galactic overlords, he awaits execution. Then a mole working for the occupying regime alerts him to a plot that could destroy the entire resistance…
Engineering a daring escape, Aiden’s growing feud with the new rebel leader leaves him out in the cold and smouldering with resentment. Faced with deceit and betrayals on every side, he recruits a group of overlooked outcasts and stakes everything on one last mission.
Can the restless, reckless Aiden take a stand long enough to save humanity from enslavement?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Lips parted, the woman pressed eagerly forward. The target smiled at her but instead selected a pudgy lad of about six. He passed a skinny guy – who looked, the poor sap, practically broken-hearted. He was almost upon us. My heart sped until it seemed ready to jerk straight out of my chest. Choose me. Choose me. CHOOSE ME.
The Enlightened One seemed – or was it only my imagination? – to be gazing directly at me. Pushing swiftly past Petra I extended my hand. He turned, made a strange gesture, almost of benediction, then wired the back of my hand with that thick blackened stump. An instant surge of heat pulsed up my arm and throughout my torso. Then a wild swirl of fuchsia-slashed-with-orange flashed beneath my eyelids, as if the same stars, fiery and spot-lit against the black, had been injected into my brain. My every corpuscle felt fired, an almost intoxicating sensation, especially after the chill of the poison. I half-stumbled, almost squashing a smallish alien, and only saved myself from falling at the last second.
Through a haze – my eyeballs felt as if they were swimming in flaming waterfalls – I saw Petra and moved towards her. Of course. She couldn’t risk being stamped, in case the creature died too fast. As we walked the ornate brand began to swell on my hand – a warming, tightening feeling. The sense of strangeness accelerated, though this might have been from my borrowed DNA, the chilled poison in my blood, or the fiery stamp. But nothing could dent my happiness, because – I’d done it. I’d assassinated The Enlightened One.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Alice (Spaulding Taylor) McVeigh has been published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary fiction, by Unbound Publishing in action/adventure and by Warleigh Hall Press in Austenesque fiction. Her novels have won Gold Medal/First Place is the Global, eLit and Pencraft Book Awards, been runner-up in the Independent Press Awards, finalists in the Eric Hoffer, Rone and Wishing Shelf Book Awards and selected by Shelf Unbound as one of the “top indies” of 2021. Two of her novels are currently finalists in the CIBA Book Awards (the Cygnus and Goethe Awards). Her most recent novel (Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation) was just selected as Editors’ Pick “outstanding” on Publishers Weekly.
A professional London cellist, Alice lives in London and Crete with her professor husband: their only child is completing her Masters in Chinese Literature. They also share two miniature long-haired dachshunds and an incurable addiction to tennis.
Links:
https://linktr.ee/ASTMcVeigh
Facebook: (me) https://www.facebook.com/alice.mcveigh.5/
(author me) https://www.facebook.com/alicemcveighauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcveigh.alice/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/astmcveigh1
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Mcveigh/e/B07TDKZPVT/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk OR
https://www.amazon.com/Spaulding-Taylor/e/B08TRLNW31/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk
Amazon.co.uk: www.amazon.co.uk/Alice-Mcveigh/e/B07TDKZPVT?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1610184384&sr=1-1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1108881.Alice_McVeigh
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-mcveigh-59ab1718/
pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/astmcveigh/_saved/
tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alicemcveigh0?lang=en
Video for Last Star Standing:
https://www.tiktok.com/@alicemcveigh0/video/7092364955680279813
Sales link: Book will be on sale for $0.99 during the tour.
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
Enter to win a $50 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
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INTERVIEW 5
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
I never eat desserts. My favourite flavours are all savoury.
Which mythological creature are you most like?
A dragon. A red one.
First book you remember making an indelible impression on you.
Lord of the Rings. Outside of Bilbo’s revolting poetry, it’s perfection. (Note: I always skip Bilbo’s poetry, it is lousy.)
How do you develop your plot and characters?
I don’t. Instead, I allow them to develop, just like people in real life. I sit back and enjoy the ride.
Describe your writing space.
My husband and I – our “kid” is 25 – live mostly in London but we also own a home in Crete, by the sea. In London my study is filled with cello music, and pretty small. In Crete I’m fifty metres from a Mediterranean bay. Which I find just a little more inspiring…
July 25, 2022
Book Blast COMPLICATING ROY
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Complication doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.
Duke Charles needs a break. He’s tired of life on the road and never having a place to settle down. He decides to head to Norville for a rest in his childhood home. Once there, he realizes his life isn’t quite so relaxed—he’s not only inherited the house, but a cat to go with it. When his friend from high school sends him on a date, he finds out how complicated life can be…in a good way.
Roy Mars likes his life as an artist. He paints, sells work and takes his cat, Raphael, for walks through Norville. He channels his emotions into his art…until he goes on a date and meets Duke. His uncomplicated life gets thrown into chaos, not least because Duke has rabid fans who insist on knowing every detail of his life.
Can Roy handle a little complication in the form of Duke, or will he quit before he finds his forever?
Read an Excerpt
Roy sighed. “You’re doing well with your side of the equation. I hear you’re good with your side hustle, too.” He had to ask subtly about getting a date. Unfortunately, he had no subtlety.
“My dating thing.” James laughed again. “Oh, doll, yes. I love when I pair people and it works out, but I do have a sixth sense about it. You know?”
“Yeah.” He hated sounding so withdrawn and sad, but why lie about the truth? “Would you know who to hook up with me?”
“You’re looking for a date? I thought you had a boyfriend. Not Mikael, but Donny? No, was it Bernard? Shit. Who were you dating?” James asked.
“No one. That’s why I’m asking for you to help me. I’ll pay.” He needed to do something to get out of his lonely rut.
James stopped cutting. “I don’t charge. I should, but the matchmaking is me strictly trying to find the right guy for you.”
“Do you have any suggestions?”
“I do.” James resumed styling Roy’s hair. “But I want you to trust me.”
“I do. Completely.”
“Good. I want you to go to Club Jester on Tuesday—in five days if you can’t count—at nine in the evening and go to the Viper suites. All you have to do is say you’re there because James directed it and they’ll let you back. I know Amos and he owes me, so it won’t be a problem.”
“Who am I meeting?” He tamped down his excitement. He hated blind dates, but he couldn’t wait to see who James had picked.
“It’s a surprise, but trust me that this is exactly who you need,” James said. “Think you can do that? I can tell you’re tired of being on your own. I couldn’t name your boyfriend, and I know everyone, so that means you haven’t had one for a while.”
“True.”
James spun him around to look at his reflection. “Well? What do you think?”
He never doubted James would make him look good. The cut and style worked with his face. But the date… Did he trust him? “I think I’m excited to go to Club Jester.”
“Perfect.” James removed the cape. “You’ll love him.”
“I hope so.” He didn’t take many leaps of faith, but this felt right—like he was looking at his future. It sure looked rosy.
About the Author:
Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.
When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library.
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Megan will be awarding a prize pack featuring a bracelet and necklace made by the author to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Enter to win a bracelet and necklace set handcrafted by the author – a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 21, 2022
Disaster Dates – Winner 4theatre Film Festival
Very stoked to annouce Disaster Dates is a winner at the 4Theatre Film Festival for Best Comedy 2022!
