C.A. Milson's Blog, page 22
December 18, 2024
Waiting For a Girl Like You
My job is to prevent the drama, not be the drama…
Waiting For a Girl Like You
By Katie Delahanty
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Women’s Fiction
Being a bridesmaid-for-hire doesn’t exactly pay off law
school loans, though the job gives Gwendoline Watson time to indulge in her
passion: writing for her music platform Shut Up & Sway.
But thirteen subscribers don’t add up to a lucrative career,
so Gwen agrees to work overtime at a destination wedding to pay for her cat’s
emergency surgery. There could be worse ways to make money—or so Gwen thinks
until she lands on the dreamy Italian coast and learns the groom is the first
love who broke her heart.
Duncan Avila is a wedding singer with a modern yacht-rock
vibe whose voice can make any bridesmaid fall at his feet. Except the one he
really wants.
Between hilarious day trips to matchmake the mismatched
bride and groom and swoony late-night schemes to help Duncan’s dreams come
true, is Gwen destined to always be the bridesmaid in life and love? Or is
everything she ever wanted right there in front of her, just waiting for a girl
like her?
This delightful rom-com set to a yacht rock playlist will
keep you laughing and singing along through the last dance.
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Katie never knew she was a writer. As a child, she loved old
movies, costumes, fashion, playing dress up, and books. Lots of books. On her
quest to play make believe for a living, she decided she wanted to be a fashion
designer. After satisfying her practical parents by graduating from UCLA with a
BA in Communication Studies, she went on to pursue her design dreams with a
Professional Designation in Fashion Design from FIDM. She spent five years
helping to design romantic dresses that were sold everywhere from Anthropologie
to Nordstrom before an economic downturn led to a career shift and that
practical degree came in handy. Now in charge of the ecommerce business for In
Bloom Lingerie, she was asked to start the company blog. Not knowing what to
write about lingerie, but needing to use bridal keywords, she decided to start
a fictional serial about how a girl named Olivia Bloom, who worked for In Bloom
Lingerie, became engaged. And that’s when Katie fell in love with storytelling
and the path to make believe became clear. She hasn’t looked back since. She is
the author of the Brightside Series and the Keystone Series and would love to
connect with you at www.KatieDelahanty.com
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December 17, 2024
Wind From the Abyss
Estri’s life is shattered. Her name, her memories, her
past—gone. Pulled into a world of cosmic intrigue and divine manipulation, she
must navigate a realm where gods test her resolve.
Wind From the Abyss
The Silistra Quartet Book 3
By Janet Morris
Genre: Dystopian SciFi Fantasy Adventure
Dystopia. Novel series #2 of 4. Fantasy. Science fiction.
Allegory. Political.
Wind from the Abyss is the third volume in Janet Morris’ classic Silistra
Quartet, continuing one woman’s quest for self-realization in a distant
tomorrow.
Aristocrat. Outcast. Picara. Slave. Ruler ….
She is descended from the masters of the universe. To hold her he challenges
the gods themselves.
Praise for Janet Morris’ Silistra Quartet:
“The amazing and erotic adventures of the most
beautiful courtesan in tomorrow’s universe.” — Fred Pohl
“Engrossing characters in a marvelous adventure.” — Charles N.
Brown, Locus Magazine.
The best single example of prostitution used in fantasy is Janet Morris’
Silsitra series.” — Anne K. Kahler, The Picara: From Hera to Fantasy
Heroine.
This Perseid Press Author’s Cut Edition is revised and expanded by the author
and presented in a format designed to enhance your reading experience with
larger, easy-to-read print, more generous margins, and covers designed for
these premium editions.
**On Sale for Only $2.99!**
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**Don’t miss the rest of the Silistra Quartet!**
Find them on Amazon!
Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and
has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband
Chris Morris or others. She has contributed short fiction to the shared
universe fantasy series Thieves World, in which she created the Sacred Band of
Stepsons, a mythical unit of ancient fighters modeled on the Sacred Band of
Thebes. She created, orchestrated, and edited the Bangsian fantasy series
Heroes in Hell, writing stories for the series as well as co-writing the related
novel, The Little Helliad, with Chris Morris. She wrote the bestselling
Silistra Quartet in the 1970s, including High Couch of Silistra, The Golden
Sword, Wind from the Abyss, and The Carnelian Throne. This quartet had more
than four million copies in Bantam print alone, and was translated into German,
French, Italian, Russian and other languages. In the 1980s, Baen Books released
a second edition of this landmark series. The third edition is the Author’s Cut
edition, newly revised by the author for Perseid Press. Most of her fiction
work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also
written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or
edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles
on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and
national security topics.
Janet says: ‘People often ask what book to read first. I
recommend “I, the Sun” if you like ancient history; “The Sacred
Band,” a novel, if you like heroic fantasy; “Lawyers in Hell” if
you like historical fantasy set in hell; “Outpassage” if you like
hard science fiction; “High Couch of Silistra” if you like far-future
dystopian or philosophical novels. I am most enthusiastic about the definitive
Perseid Press Author’s Cut editions, which I revised and expanded.’
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December 16, 2024
Sherlock Holmes V
A must-read for
Sherlockians, history enthusiasts, and anyone eager to uncover the hidden
layers of Victorian England.
The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes
Essays on Victorian England Book V
by Liese Sherwood-Fabre
Genre: Nonfiction History, Literary Criticism
Rediscover Victorian England’s forgotten history and culture.
Volume V of The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes explores the
cultural, scientific, and historical allusions found throughout Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle’s famous detective stories. This collection of essays unpacks
twenty-four topics mentioned in the original mysteries, from everyday details
like hats and plumbing to complex issues such as international spying, the
binomial theorem, and relations with Russia. Through such insights, readers
gain a deeper understanding of the Victorian world in which Holmes operated.
Other essays explore both the familiar and the obscure, touching on subjects
like the KKK’s presence in England, the significance of whaling, and legal
concepts like insanity and blackmail. Unique cultural topics—such as the role
of curry in the British Empire, the rise of bohemianism, and the Victorian
obsession with rejuvenation through animal hormones—reveal the rich complexity
of the era. The collection also features a bonus essay on Sarah Cushing
from The Adventure of the Cardboard Box, offering fresh insight into one
of the most sinister characters in the Canon.
Whether examining automata, wax figures, or the legal definitions of murder and
suicide, The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes provides a
compelling lens through which readers gain a deeper understanding of the
historical and social backdrop of the Holmes mysteries.
A must-read for Sherlockians, history enthusiasts, and anyone eager to uncover
the hidden layers of Victorian England.
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Master of the Art of Detection
A Collection of Sherlock Holmes Short Stories
By Liese Sherwood-Fabre
Genre: Mystery
Decipher.
Deduce. Deliver.
Sherlock Holmes, the most cerebral of detectives, finds his deductive powers
put to the test in this intriguing collection of cases. Each adventure presents
a web of secrets, clues, and deceptions. Only his highly honed observational
skills lead him to the truth.
In a locked-room murder, did the victim succumb to “The Curse of Kisin?” And
how had the daughter of Squire Northridge disappeared from her own locked
bedroom? Can Holmes, an ocean away, determine if a missing treasure hunter ran
off with Jean Lafitte’s fabled buried plunder? The disappearance of a beloved
dog is an adventure filled with whimsy and humor, as are the return of Lady
Frances Carfax and the howling dog of Baker Street.
Holmes’ unrivaled deductive powers rise to the test with each case. He shines
as the consummate master of the art of detection and will captivate from
beginning to end.
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Liese Sherwood-Fabre is an award-winning author known for her meticulously researched
works of historical fiction and mystery. With a background in social sciences,
she brings a unique depth to her characters and settings, particularly in her
acclaimed series The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes, which
explores Victorian England through the lens of the famous detective’s world.
Her essays delve into the cultural and historical intricacies of the era,
uncovering hidden details that enhance her stories’ authenticity. Her fiction
weaves real historical events and social insights into suspenseful plots,
creating immersive narratives that captivate fans of both history and mystery. An avid traveler and lifelong scholar, Dr. Sherwood-Fabre combines curiosity and expertise to craft stories that transport
readers to fascinating past worlds filled with intrigue and insight.
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December 15, 2024
First Drive
Grab your hat,
step into your boots, and strap on those spurs.
Your cow pony is saddled up and
ready to ride the trail from San Antonio to Abilene.
First Drive
A Seph Vermillion Western Adventure Book 1
by David Fitz-Gerald
Genre: Historical Western Adventure Fiction
Grab your hat,
step into your boots, and strap on those spurs. Your cow pony is saddled up and
ready to ride the trail from San Antonio to Abilene.
Seph Vermillion
grew up dirt poor. As long as he can remember, he’s been pushing a plow and
arguing with a mule. A couple of times a year, a trio of bandits ravage the
family farm and make off with their savings.
Pa never returned
home after the war. Seph’s siblings have been gone so long, he doesn’t remember
what they look like. When Ma dies after a long illness, Seph trades the family
farm for a horse named Sheriff. The kid next door tells Seph about the Deatherage
Longhorn Cattle Ranch. The allure of adventure beckons. They partner up and hit
the trail. Lacking skills, they are the last cowboys hired and agree to work
for half pay.
The outfit’s top
hand, Stoke Moreland, pranks, taunts, and threatens Seph. Why does the seasoned
cowboy seem intent on driving him off? Seph doesn’t know much about
self-defense, but he is tired of being a victim and feeling violated. How long
can he turn the other cheek?
The trail is
fraught with hazards from perilous river crossings to the mother of all
stampedes. When they realize they’re being tracked, followed, and hunted, a
growing sense of doom overwhelms the fledgling outfit of cowboys who are still
wet behind the ears. The outlaws that plagued Seph’s past have followed them
and they are determined to take the herd. Their plan is simple: pit the cowboys
against each other, pick them off one by one, and stampede the beeves.
Since they left
San Antonio, the drovers have looked forward to whooping it up at the end of
the trail. That was before somebody began killing cowboys. Now, Abilene seems
like an impossible dream. Will anybody make it to the end of the trail?
Grab your
slicker, fetch your bedroll, and swing up into the saddle. Sign on with the Dagger
D, Angry R brand—First Drive is calling your name.
**FREEBIE
ALERT!**
**Get the
freebie prequel Farewell to Poesta Creek here!**
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/8i8386a45t
** And look out on the horizon for book 2 riding in soon! **
Dead Heat
Coming May 2025
David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books,
including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave
is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue
Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of
the Historical Novel Society.
Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an
Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s
highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four
thousand feet above sea level.
Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no
surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous
trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses.
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FOR YOU I’D BREAK
FOR YOU I’D BREAK
Hannah Jordan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
When Rowan’s two-year marriage ends with a crash, she returns home to Peace Falls, VA, riding shotgun in her sister’s 1990 Cadillac hearse. Everything about her is damaged: her heart, her pride, her bank account, and her spine—thanks to a tourist, a Segway, and finding her husband getting busy with her boss. But Rowan is determined to reclaim her career and city life as soon as she recuperates and lands a new job.
Caleb “Cal” Cardoso didn’t notice wallflower Rowan in high school, but the former football star, and Peace Falls’s newest physical therapist, can’t take his eyes off the stunning redhead now. Too bad he’s sworn off relationships. After his last hookup purposely tanked his online reputation, Cal stands to lose his job if a single patient leaves his care. Which is why he can’t let Rowan switch to another practitioner, despite the friction between them, and why he definitely can’t act on his growing attraction.
Rowan agrees to remain Cal’s patient if he helps her younger brother train for football tryouts. Though Cal hasn’t touched a football since the accident that killed his best friend, he agrees, and as Cal helps heal Rowan’s body, she begins to heal his heart.
For You I’d Break is a small town romance with a hefty dash of spice, a HEA ending, and a cast of memorable characters, including a goth sculptor who secretly loves to decorate cakes, a fearsome-looking felon with a heart of gold, a hothead with a sweet side, a karma-devoted barista who collects damaged pets and first dates, and a lovable dog with more emotional sense than everyone put together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Being a wallflower makes you thirsty, so parched for attention your heart feels brittle. Then after years—or in my case a lifetime—someone finally sees you. The exquisite feeling seeps deep, the attention saturating your life. So, you jump, headfirst. The red flags go unnoticed. Declarations of love tossed as lightly as petals. Maybe you marry him, like I did. Maybe you bloom in domestic bliss with a house in the suburbs and two adorable kids. Maybe a dog. Bare minimum a pet turtle.
I wasn’t so lucky.
After two years of marriage, instead of house hunting in the outskirts of DC, I was riding shotgun in my sister’s 1990 Cadillac hearse, headed back to Peace Falls, VA, with everything I owned stuffed where a coffin ought to be.
I’d cried so much in the past three hours, I could barely make out the foothills rising in the distance. My throat was raw. Crumpled tissues littered the floorboard, and lint covered my leggings.
The tears surprised me. Apart from a couple of late-night phone calls to my mother after I left the hospital, I’d held it together pretty well. I was too busy tying up the loose ends of my life in DC to feel anything but stressed. The moment Poppy arrived to drive me home, the tears started and built with every box, bag, and lamp we slid into the hearse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Hannah Jordan grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia but wound up in South Jersey after falling in love with her complete opposite. She’s got all the degrees of a “serious” fiction writer but only smiles when she’s writing romance.
She lives with her husband and two daughters in a picturesque town outside of Philadelphia where she enjoys reading in all genres, especially the spicy ones, and confusing people with her half-Southern, half-Northern accent.
The first book in her Peace Falls Small Town Romance Series, For You I’d Break, launched July 17, 2024.
Website: https://hannahjordanauthor.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hannahjordanbooks
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hannahjordanbooks
Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/You-Id-Break-Second-Romance-ebook/dp/B0D5VNSHF3/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top
Free to read on Kindle Unlimited.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q & A With …
Tell us about you as a person.
I grew up in southern Appalachia and now live in the Philadelphia suburbs, so I have a pretty unique perspective of both places. I also confuse the heck out of people with my half-southern, half-northern American accent.
I’m neuro-spicy. In fact, my husband is the only neurotypical member of the family, so sometimes, I think we accidentally gaslight him into thinking our quirks are the norm. Like, that light is too loud! (Sensory process dysfunction). Or it takes an hour to fold a load of laundry or do an unpleasant task (ADHD time distortion).
I’m an introvert who fakes being an extrovert so well, people think I am. I’m extremely loyal and supportive of the people I let into my life. I’m still best friends with the extrovert who adopted me on the first day of third grade.
It takes a lot to make me angry, unless someone did or said something to hurt someone I care about. Then, I’m basically a dragon.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
Tylor Swift. I’d bring my daughters with me because we didn’t get to see the Eras tour, and that’s about the only thing I can think of that would top that for a Swiftie.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
The book began as a dare, specifically a challenge to write a romance in one month. I confessed to a writer friend that I’d always wanted to write a romance novel, a very different genre from my usual work. She had a partial draft of a paranormal romance she wanted to finish, so we dragged our third friend along for the ride. And just to be clear, the book went through over a year of revisions and rewrites, but the first draft came together in January 2023. I expected to be very busy that month. I didn’t expect to love every minute of it. I fell in love with the characters, the story, and the thrill of writing something I couldn’t wait to read myself. In short, I was hooked. And just to be clear, the book went through over a year of revisions and rewrites, but the first draft came together in one calendar month.
What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their latest book?
Become an engaged member of writer communities. I’m stressing the “engaged” part. Many people just blow into in-person or online groups, shout about their book, and leave. That’s a mistake. Some of the best opportunities I’ve received in my career came from other writers, many of whom I’ve helped before or since. Romance readers are voracious, so supporting and promoting other authors doesn’t cannibalize on your own book sales. Working with other authors is also the cheapest form of marketing since it usually only requires your time and audience.
List 5 things on your bucket list.
I crossed two off when I published For You I’d Break (publish a book and own my own business).
Here are a few remaining ones:
• Learn to play guitar
• Travel to Australia (I swear, that one was actually on the list)
• Learn Spanish
• Live without a physical address for six months
• Attend Sewanee Writers’ Conference
Any final thoughts?
Please leave your honest reviews! (Not just for me, but for any writer you want to support). We love hearing what readers think, and it really helps others discover our work. One thing I love about the romance genre is the community aspect between readers and writers (who are usually rabid romance readers themselves). It’s really incredible, and I’m thankful every day that I took that friend’s dare.
December 14, 2024
New Zealand
A tale of treachery, lust and conflict, it spans almost 500
years and covers the respective discoveries of New Zealand by Pacific Islanders
and Europeans.
New Zealand: A Novel
By Lance Morcan
Genre: Historical Romantic Adventure
New Zealand: A Novel spans almost 500 years and
covers the respective discoveries of New Zealand by Pacific Islanders and
Europeans. From the outset the two stories are interposed. It starts in the
1300’s with the departure of Islanders from Hawaiki in search of land far to
the south.
The hardy, brown-skinned people who arrive here first call
themselves Maori and they call their new home Aotearoa –
land of the long, white cloud. The fascinating, eventful and sometimes violent
lives of descendants of those first arrivals are traced through the centuries
until the arrival of Europeans aboard Captain James Cook’s bark the Endeavour.
Cook names the new land New Zealand.
Maoris call the white intruders pakeha. Their
arrival heralds a clash of two vastly different ideologies as European
civilization collides head on with indigenous culture.
The misunderstandings, tension and bloodshed that follow are
relayed as seen through the eyes of one of the Endeavour’s youngest and most
engaging crewmembers, Surgeon’s Assistant Nicholas Young, as the vessel embarks
on its historic circumnavigation of the country.
Amidst the life-threatening challenges Nicholas faces at sea
and on land, the young man finds true love when he meets Anika, a beautiful
Maori princess who steals his heart.
**Get it FREE Dec 14th &
15th!**
New Zealand novelist and screenwriter Lance Morcan is a
prolific author with more than 35 published fiction and non-fiction books to
his credit as well as several screenplay adaptations of his work. A former
journalist and newspaper editor, he regularly writes in collaboration with his
son James Morcan, and their books are published by Sterling Gate Books.
The father-and-son team’s published books include the new
release horror Silent Fear (A novel inspired by true crimes) and the
bestselling historical adventures White Spirit, Fiji: A Novel and Into the
Americas. They also have several series including The Orphan Trilogy, an
international thriller series, the globetrotting action-romance series The
World Duology, and the controversial non-fiction franchise The Underground
Knowledge Series, which includes Genius Intelligence and The Catcher in the Rye
Enigma.
Several of their books have been regular visitors to
Amazon’s bestseller lists over the years.
An additional non-fiction title they’re especially proud of is
Debunking Holocaust Denial Theories, which was written in collaboration with
Holocaust survivors to document the genocide.
Lance’s first solo-authored novel, a historical
adventure-romance titled New Zealand: A Novel, was published late 2024.
Spanning almost 500 years, this novel covers the respective discoveries of New
Zealand by Pacific Islanders and Europeans. From the outset the two stories are
interposed. It starts in the 1300’s with the departure of Islanders from
Hawaiki in search of land far to the south. Researching and writing this epic
was literally half a century in the making for Lance who described the task as
“A labour of love that spanned 50 years.”
The Morcans’ production entity Morcan Motion Pictures has a
number of feature films in early development, including adaptations of Silent
Fear, Into the Americas and White Spirit.
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December 13, 2024
P.O.O.F. Please
Love is Magical. Let it POOF into your life.
Just like this cover reveal!
P.O.O.F. Please
Twilight Temptations Book 2
by D.G. Carothers
Genre: LGBTQ M/M Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
I’ve got a wild tale for you. Their meeting? Total “oops, my bad” moment, if
you catch my drift. Let’s just say, I may have given fate a little nudge! But
don’t fret, Tiki and Amalesh are in for a fabulously happy ending. *winks*Thikoz aka Tiki – a Dragonkin, Sassy Dragon Esthetician, who is dominant and
longs to find his mate.Tiki has countless fantasies about what his ideal partner would be like. He can
only hope that when he finally encounters his mate, they’ll be eager to delve
into the numerous interests on his Must Try Before I Die list.Amalesh – a Vampire, Rare Blood Procurer, reclusive introvert, who simply
wishes to be left alone with his collection.When Amalesh is thrown into Tiki’s path, almost literally, he realizes that the
world he has observed from a distance is far more enjoyable as an active
participant. It only takes a few hundred years and an energetic, dominant
dragonkin to uncover that little truth.P.O.O.F. Please! is set in the world of Bloodlines of Fate. Twilight
Temptations are instalove, high heat, low angst stories that feature
various creatures and a guaranteed HEA.Twilight Temptations is a continuous series and while each story can be read
alone it is best to read them in order.
**Releases Jan 23rd – PreOrder Now!**
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Within the shimmering guise of a mortal walks D.G.
Carothers, a dragon of cunning intellect. A weaver of LGBTQIA Romance and Urban
Fantasy tales, this enigmatic being revels in crafting narratives that dance
between realms.
D.G. stands resolute in their commitment to unfurling tales unfettered by
constraints. For in their eyes, love transcends all boundaries, a truth woven
into the very fabric of their creations.
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December 12, 2024
TIS THE SEASON TO FEEL INADEQUATE
‘TIS THE SEASON TO FEEL INADEQUATE
Dorothy Rosby
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Humorous Essays
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Christmas comes but once a year; chaos never ends! Happy Halloween, merry Christmas and joyful Lumpy Rug Day. That’s real, by the way. Lumpy Rug Day is celebrated every May 3, though “celebrated” might be too strong a word. It’s the American way to create a celebration for everything, then turn it into a chore or worse, a nightmare. ’Tis the Season to Feel Inadequate is a collection of humorous essays about how we let our expectations steal the joy out of Christmas and other holidays and special events. It’s understanding for those who think Christmas form letters can be honest—or they can be interesting. And it’s empathy for anyone who’s ever gotten poison ivy during Nude Recreation Week or eaten all their Halloween candy and had to hand out instant oatmeal packets to their trick-or-treaters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
from essay: Merry Christmas from the Envyofall Family
There are two things that make me feel like a boring person. Actually there are more than two, but the ones that come to mind this time of year are writing a Christmas letter and reading everyone else’s.
When I write a letter I come to the painful realization that the year has flown by and I’ve been terribly busy but I haven’t done a thing worth mentioning. Worse, when I read all the newsy holiday letters I receive I think the writers must have had more days since last Christmas than I had, and apparently more money, energy and ambition as well.
I don’t think I’m alone in my feelings of inadequacy either. Consider the following actual letter I made up. You’ll see in brackets what an unfortunate reader might be thinking as she reads this holiday greeting from the Envyofall family.
Merry Christmas from the Envyofalls!
We hope your year was as wonderful as ours was! [I’m pretty sure it wasn’t.] We started the year with a January vacation in Hawaii. [Now I know it wasn’t.] Since the children are both doing so well in school we decided taking them out for two weeks would be acceptable, and they enjoyed themselves thoroughly. [I’ll bet their teachers did too.]
In June Maxwell and I celebrated our twentieth anniversary with a month in Italy. [What a coincidence! My husband and I celebrated our anniversary in June too—at the Olive Garden.] You can see photos of both vacations on our family website. [You can see our vacation photos too—if my phone is working.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Dorothy Rosby is an author humor columnist whose work regularly appears in publications throughout the West and Midwest. Her humor writing has been recognized by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, the National Federation of Press Women and the South Dakota Newspaper Association. In 2022 she was named the global winner in the Erma Bombeck Writers Competition in the humor writing category. She’s the author of four books of humorous essays.
Website: https://dorothyrosby.com/
https://www.facebook.com/rosbydorothy
https://www.goodreads.com/dorothyrosby
https://www.instagram.com/dorothyrosby/
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578295520
Audible https://www.audible.com/pd/Tis-the-Season-to-Feel-Inadequate-Audiobook/B0CBW57GYM
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
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Q & A With …
Tell us about you as a person.
I’m an introvert who apparently passes as an extrovert, judging by how many people don’t believe me when I tell them that. I’m number nine of ten children, but the mother of an only child, my son. I love fur babies and I’m currently mom to Sebastian the kitty, my muse that mews. I’m a big fan of chocolate, diet soda and mystery novels. My husband and I enjoy camping and we love to dance together. We’ve even taken dancing classes though you can’t tell by watching us dance. And when I’m not writing books, I’m writing a humor column which runs regularly in publications across the West and Midwest. I live in Rapid City, South Dakota which is on the edge of the beautiful Black Hills and is about 20 miles from Mount Rushmore.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
As an introvert, I don’t think I could bear to hang out with anyone for an entire day. But if pressed on the point, I’d choose Erma Bombeck, one of America’s most loved humor columnists. Before she died in 1996, she wrote 15 best-selling books and published more than four thousand syndicated columns in 900 newspapers. As an author and humor columnist myself, I’d love to have a little of her genius rub off on me.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
My two favorite types of humor are self-deprecating and observational and one thing I’ve observed in myself and other people is how we suck the fun out of holidays. We turn every celebration into work. We compare ourselves to other people and always come up short. We set unrealistic expectations and heap stress on ourselves in the name of celebrating. It’s all very sad, and oh so inspiring for a humor writer.
What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their latest book?
There are so many ways to promote books these days and what works for someone else’s genre might not work for yours. That’s why, next to writing, I think the most important thing a writer can do is to keep educating themselves about marketing, publishing and the business side of things. And one of the best ways to do that is to network, both online and in person. The members of a supportive writers group may have knowledge about your particular genre, marketing, publishing and the business of writing that you can draw on.
Similarly, writers conferences provide learning opportunities in all of the topics I just mentioned. Plus they give you the chance to meet agents and publishers as well as other writers who can partner with you in both writing and marketing collaborations down the road.
Anything else you’d like to share?
‘Tis the Season to Feel Inadequate is my fourth book of humorous essays but it’s the first one I decided to record. I’ve done voiceover work so it wasn’t a completely farfetched idea, but recording 50,000 words isn’t the same as recording 30-second commercials and 20-minute videos. I had a giant learning curve, a ton of work and a few missteps along the way. But it all paid off. Overall I’m happy with the book and hoping to record another one down the road.
List 5 things on your bucket list.
I’m not one of those people who aspires to skydive or climb Mt. Everest. But I do have some big goals. There are four more books I want to write and one of them is well underway. For some reason I can’t explain, I’ve decided I want to learn Spanish. There were no languages taught in my school when I was growing up so, llevo un año estudiando español y he aprendido mucho. Or, I have been studying Spanish for one year and have learned a lot. At least I think that’s what I said. 
Also I’d like to visit all 50 states at some point. I’m more than halfway now. And just once before I die, I’d like to get my checkbook to balance on the first try.
Any final thoughts?
Have a wonderful holiday season!! And take it from me, you are more than adequate!
The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder
When Mel O’Rourke traded in her badge for a spatula,
she had no idea baking could be so hard…or deadly.
The Starlight
Mint Surprise Murder
By Marla A. White
Genre: Holiday Cozy
Mystery Audiobook
After injuring
herself on the job as a Los Angeles cop, Mel O’Rourke leaves the force battered
both physically and mentally. Looking for a fresh start, she moves to a quiet
mountain town and opens the Babbling Brook Inn. Excited for her new life, Mel
decides to participate in the town’s holiday cookie contest, but her newfound
joy crashes when one of her guests turns up dead in her lobby.
dies, her cop sense kicks in. The local Sheriff tells her to stand down, but
with her own life in danger, Mel won’t back off. With everything on the line,
she has to push through her own fears to catch the killer before more bodies
drop, perhaps even her own.
Get the Audiobook at:
Or you can get the ebook:
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads
Marla White is an award-winning novelist who prefers killing people who
annoy her on paper rather than in real life. Her first full-length mystery
novel, “Cause for Elimination,” placed in several contests including Killer
Nashville, The RONE Awards, The Reader’s Favorite, and finishing second in the
Orange County Romance Writers for Romantic Suspense. Originally from Oklahoma,
she lived in a lot of other states before settling down in Los Angeles to work
in the television industry. She currently teaches at UCLA Extension and
gives seminars about the art of script coverage. When she’s not working on the
next book, she’s out in the garden, hiking, cheering on the LA Kings, or
discovering new craft cocktails.
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The Northern Witch Series Box Set
The quirky, best-selling Urban Fantasy Series.
When a Witch-in-Training falls for a Demon-Possessed Soul…
#LGBTQ
The Northern Witch Series
The Complete Box Set
by K.S. Marsden
Genre: YA LGBTQ Urban Fantasy
he takes on more than he could ever have imagined. Up until now, he has been
ignorant of the magical dangers, demons and monsters that his coven defend
against.Everything changes when Damian moves to Tealford. He is everything Mark has
ever wanted, but he comes with his own cursed life.Luckily, Mark has the support of his friends and family… as well as the
handsome newcomer.Containing the full 6-part series:Winter Trials (Northern Witch #1)Awaken (Northern Witch #2)The Breaking (Northern Witch #3)Summer Sin (Northern Witch #4)A Dark Fate (Northern Witch #5)All Things End (Northern Witch #6)
**On Sale for Only .99cents for
December – Get it Now!!**
Kelly S. Marsden grew up in Yorkshire, and there were two
constants in her life – books and horses.
Graduating with an equine degree from Aberystwyth
University, she has spent most of her life since trying to experience
everything the horse world has to offer. She is currently settled into a
Nutritionist role for a horse feed company in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
Her first book, The Shadow Rises, was published in January
2013, and she now has several successful series under her belt.
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$10 Amazon
