Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 70
July 16, 2024
Blog Tour: PROPHET'S DEATH by Robert Creekmore
PROPHET'S DEATH
Robert Creekmore
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GENRE: Southern Noir
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BLURB:
Death-cultleader Joseph Proffit has met his end! Along with him perishes the secretmethod for manufacturing indigo, the substance that imbued him with godlikeabilities.
Tothe dismay of Naomi’s family, she succumbed to the injuries Joseph dealt herduring their final battle atop the abandoned Coast Guard station, Frying PanTower, thirty miles off the North Carolina coast.
Bothof their bodies were lost at sea when the one-hundred-foot-tall structurecrumbled during Tropical Storm Gabriel.
Naomi’sbeloved companions escaped aboard her dive boat, along with Joseph’s finalvictim, who is on the verge of death.
Inthe aftermath, Naomi’s family has no choice but to rebuild their lives inhiding, fearing reprisal from the handful of remaining Apostle loyalists.
Soon,their secret, dormant conflict will be thrust onto the world stage by a wealthybenefactor who funnels his personal hatred and unfounded grievances intothrongs of ignorant followers.
Isthis the end of Naomi’s family? Without her, how will they survive?
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ExcerptTwo:
He guides the boat between the two wooden bunks of the boatlift. Nate fights his way onto the dock through the sheets of rain blastingsideways into his face. He activates the hydraulics. The lift pulls the boatout of the water and level with the dock.
The three of them drag Malcolm off the boat before Natelifts it higher to avoid the rising water.
Exhausted after moving Malcolm from the dock to the sidedoor, the three can go no further and lie him on his side atop the sofa infront of the picture window.
“We have to call home,” Nate says.
“Telling someone that their spouse is dead isn’t somethingyou do over the phone,” Herschel replies.
“More urgently,” Rebecca interjects, “we have to getelectrolytes into Malcolm. He drank plenty of water before passing out, so he’snot in imminent danger of thirsting to death. To regain some level ofconsciousness, we need to get something like Pedialyte in him.
But, no stores will be open in this storm.” “Would powderedGatorade work?” Nate asks.
“Yeah,” she responds.
Nate gets up and begins rummaging through Naomi’s kitchenjunk drawer. He excavates an old plastic container, half-filled with clumpyorange Gatorade powder. Nate mixes up a batch inside a large plastic cup with aflexible straw. Malcolm mumbles and occasionally opens his eyes. When he does,they encourage him to drink. Within the hour, he’s holding the cup himself. Hiseyes begin to regain life. He looks around, saying, “Where is the other woman?”“She didn’t make it,” Rebecca answers.
A wave of melancholy washes across his exhausted face.
“The sooner we leave, the better,” Nate says.
“Will he make the week-long boat trip back to NorthernVirginia?” Rebecca asks.
“No. That’s why I’m going to take Tiffany’s Corolla.”
“They’ll follow you,” Herschel says to Nate.
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GUEST POST
Please describe acompelling scene and why it's important.
Chapter two of Prophet’sDeath delineates a transition in family dynamics. Hours earlier, NaomiPace, the protagonist of books one and two had died valiantly fighting serialkiller, Joseph Proffit atop a collapsing structure miles offshore. He alsosuccumbed to his injuries.
With his last victim clinging to life, Naomi Pace’s three bestfriends race him to shore in her boat through the rains of tropical stormGabriel.
The cult wasunaware of this development, which gave Nate, Naomi’s closest friend, a chanceto get out of town with Joesph’s final victim, Malcolm. Rebecca and Herschel,stay to cover their tracks. Unfortunately, Nate is unable to take Malcolm, infailing health, to a local hospital because of the cult’s presence in theregion. Instead, he decides to drive him north to his home in Tysons CornerVirginia where he could be treated without fear of being discovered.
Malcolm hadbeen trapped in a small room for months and was malnourished. His hair andbeard were unkempt. His clothes were ragged and he stank horribly. However,like all people, at some point, one has to go to the bathroom, so the pairstopped at the Virginia Border rest area.
Because ofthe advancing storm, it was nearly empty, except for two vehicles, a worktruck, and a red Mercedes.
Five menstood outside smoking cigarettes. Four are workmen, dirty from a hard day'slabor, the other a college-aged young man. All shoot disapproving stares.
Minuteslater, however, it’s not the laborers who enter the bathroom to harass Malcolm,it’s the college boy.
While kickingon Malcom’s stall door, what he doesn’t expect is the feeling of the muzzlefrom Nate’s pistol being pressed against his skull. This shocks him becauseNate is a relatively short, slight man.
As Nate saidto Malcolm later, “My merepresence and asking nicely wouldn’t have made him stop. He would have seen asecond victim. However, one tends to listen intently to whoever holds a gun totheir head.”
On his knees with Nate’s pistol to the back of his head, thecollege boy begs for his life, offering all the money in his wallet.
Nate killed two cult members hours before. One murder was tosave Naomi’s life from a shooter. Nate’s second victim was a man named Levi wholured gay men, like himself and Malcolm, into the clutches of the serialkiller, Joseph Proffit.
What’s a third, then? Just one less asshole.
At the last minute, it’s Malcolm who talks him out of it bysaying, “Nate, baby, don’t do that.”
Nate tells him that Blair deserves it.
Malcolm agrees but asks what good it will do him. With that,Nate smashes the butt of the pistol against the college boy’s head, knockinghim out.
The pair flee, leaving Blair unconscious on a filthy bathroomfloor.
It’s after this that Nate takes the reigns of leadership leftover after the death of Naomi Pace.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
RobertCreekmore is from a rural farming community in Eastern North Carolina.
Heattended North Carolina State where he studied psychology. While at university,he was active at the student radio station. There, he fell in love with punkrock and its ethos.
Robertacquired several teaching licenses in special education. He was an autismspecialist in Raleigh for eight years. He then taught for four years in a smallmountain community in western North Carolina.
Duringhis time in the mountains, he lived with his wife Juliana in a remote primitivecabin built in 1875. While there, he grew most of his own food, raisedchickens, worked on a cattle farm, as well as participated in subsistencehunting and fishing.
Eventually,the couple moved back to the small farming community where Robert was raised.
Annoyedwith the stereotype of the southeastern United States as a monolith ofignorance and hatred, he wanted to bring forth characters from the region whoare queer and autistic. They now hold up a disinfecting light to the hatred ofthe region’s past and to those who still yearn for a return to ways and ideasthat should have long ago perished.
Robert’sfirst traditionally published novel, Prophet’s Debt, was a Manly Wade WellmanLiterary Award Finalist.
Hissecond, Prophet’s Lamentation, was a Lambda Literary recommendation for July2023.
Website:https://www.robertcreekmore.com/
Twitter:AuthorCreekmore
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Prophets-Death-Robert-Creekmore/dp/1962308162/ref=sr_1_1
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GIVEAWAY
RobertCreekmore will award a randomly drawn winner a $10 Amazon/BN gift card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 15, 2024
Excerpt Tour: EXILES by L.J. Ambrosio
EXILES
L.J. Ambrosio
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GENRE: Literary Fiction/Coming of Age
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BLURB:
In this final chapter, Ron's story concludes from Reflectionson the Boulevard (2023). Michael's wish was for Ron to exile himselfin the heart of Paris with its beautiful culture and citizens as theyprotest and fight for the soul of the city. Ron's journey is met withlife-affirming friendships and lessons along the way. The final book inthe Reflections of Michael Trilogy, which started with AReservoir Man (2022).
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EXCLUSIVEEXCERPT
Ron slowly walked up to his apartment stairs, anxious toplay with Rhonda, his little aging Jack Russell terrier. She scratched her noseand pawed at the door expecting his arrival, and sometimes he would sing to herthrough the door, especially songs like “My Little Buttercup.”
He opened the door, and Rhonda leaped towards him. Hegrabbed her and continued to pet her for several moments, especially under herbelly. It was always like this.
He looked at Rhonda and quietly said “You are the rock of mylife. Boy, do I love you; you want a bone?” He went to the closet, took onegigantic bone, and placed it near her mouth.
Rhonda quickly grabbed the bone, ran around the house, andhid it under a blanket on the ground. This action forced Ron to look for it. Asthis game went on, Rhonda would just bark and bark, like a chant, that her bestfriend was home. Rhonda again hid her bone, but Ron knew this is what she wouldalways do regardless.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
LouisJ. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in LosAngeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, runningtwo major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at 7Universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning filmproducer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ljambrosioauthor/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/authorlambrosio
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/louis.ambrosio
Tumblr:https://www.tumblr.com/ljambrosio
Blog:https://ljambrosio.blogspot.com/
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI2XkCETDOj_VUtCFcB74ig
Palace Marketplace: https://market.thepalaceproject.org/item/5900746
Hoopla: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/16927020
Barnes and Noble; https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/exiles-lj-ambrosio/1145295484;jsessionid=6BEBDF0D8FDBD00DC37A1EAACF96C083.prodny_store01-atgap12
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/exiles/id6482298566
Everand: https://www.everand.com/book/720323806/Exiles-Reflections-of-Michael-Trilogy
Thalia: https://www.thalia.de/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1071509419
Vivlio: https://shop.vivlio.com/product/9798990212138_9798990212138_10020/exiles
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1546995
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/exiles-65
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Exiles-Reflections-Michael-Trilogy-Ambrosio/dp/B0CZHY93GQ/ref=sr_1_1
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GIVEAWAY
L.J. Ambrosio will be awarding a$20 Amazon/BN gift card, a dragonfly necklace, or a second dragonfly necklaceto three randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour
Book Blast: TRUTH AND DARE by Ann M. Trader
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ann M. Trader will award a randomly drawn winner a $20 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
A bright and talented environmental engineer, Goldie Vreeland understands facts and figures, but Max Corda, her secret office obsession, remains a puzzle. On the eve of a business trip to a coastal island, fate intervenes, pairing her with her sexy crush. As she thinks about sharing the same space with Max for a week, her world veers dangerously off course.
Fueled by success as engineer and president of his family’s firm, recently divorced Max needs to jumpstart his life. When his father unexpectedly assigns him to Goldie’s project, his closely guarded attraction to her comes front and center. Thoughts of spending a week alone with this beautiful intelligent woman make his internal compass glitch.
Romance stirs with the island breeze, so simple when they’re hundreds of miles away from normal. But as Goldie and Max return to reality, will they discover real love is more than a game?
Read an Excerpt
“Those lips,” I said, the words slipping off my tongue.
“Excuse me?”
His question broke my trance. “Oh, Lord. I’m sorry I—”
“Wait. You feel it, too, don’t you?”
I hesitated then nodded.
Max leaned toward me. “You know, I’ve been trying to get a read on you tonight, but I’m pretty rusty at all this.”
“Let’s get one thing straight, Max. There’s nothing about you that’s rusty.”
A smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. “The word means nothing to you because you’re young and beautiful.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You really think a lot about this age thing, don’t you?”
He sighed. “I’m thirty-one, Goldie.”
“Well, lucky for you my ceiling’s a good thirty-three.”
He bit back a smile, his eyes growing softer, warmer. “I like you, Goldie.”
“I like you, too, Max.”
“I really want to kiss you.”
“So, what’s stopping you?”
“The very real possibility I won’t be able to stop,” he said with a reverent tone.
About the Author
I enjoy spending time with my family and exploring recipes on the lighter side of southern comfort foods. I’m a member of Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, and I love relaxing on my back porch to read and write. These days I take walks around my neighborhood, but when I was sixteen, I hiked the Grand Canyon with a group of friends. I love watching television dramas (in no special order): Palm Royale, The Buccaneers, The Bear, Mary and George, Emily in Paris, Outlander, Shrinking, Shogun, Bridgerton, Outer Banks, Stranger Things, The Crown, and Peaky Blinders and reading a great romance book.
Website: http://www.annmtrader.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/annmtrader
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ann-m-trader
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annmtraderbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21925238.Ann_M_Trader
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anntrader5
Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Dare-Wonder-Wildflowers-Book-ebook/dp/B0D3JG5KQ8/ref=sr_1_1
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Blog Tour: THE SECRET COTTAGE by Kate Ellington
THE SECRET COTTAGE
Kate Ellington
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GENRE: Historical Romance
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BLURB:
IsabelTate yearns for the simple pleasures she took for granted before scandal rockedher family two years ago. On May Day, she's determined to forget her troublesand enjoy herself at the Claremont family's annual festival.
Meanwhile,Robert Claremont steels himself to begin courting the haughty heiress nextdoor, but his bashfulness is only one obstacle to winning her hand. Despite adeep sense of family obligation, he dreams of choosing his own bride.
Captivatedby each other from the moment they meet, Robert and Isabel are kept apart by amisunderstanding until a chance encounter leads to friendship and more.
Withopposition on all sides, they must overcome inconceivable odds to claimhappiness.
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ExcerptThree:
When Robert reached the manor he crossed the echoing greathall and mounted the curved staircase to the second floor. He strolled throughthe long gallery under the painted eyes of the many Claremonts who had livedhere before him. Thornwood Manor had been home to Robert's family forgenerations. Originally a mere fortress, it had undergone countless changesover the centuries. At the end of the gallery Robert pushed aside a tapestryand followed the corridor leading to his father's rooms in the most ancientwing of the house. The dark stone walls and perpetual chill suited his fatherwell.
Mr. Claremont didn't look up when Robert entered the roombut remained sitting at his desk, reading a letter.
“You wanted to see me, Father?” Robert prompted after someminutes.
His father tucked the letter into a drawer and removed hisspectacles, fixing his gray eyes on Robert. With his dark hair, tall statureand rugged features there was no mistaking who Robert took after. His brotherWilliam had inherited the fair hair and almost unearthly beauty of theirmother.
“I've engaged an artist to paint your and William'sportraits. He writes that he’ll arrive next week.”
Robert nodded. “I presume that's not all you summoned mehere to tell me?
Mr. Claremont stood and walked to the fireplace, handsclasped behind his back. After gazing into the flames for a moment he turned toRobert. “Margery Penrose will be here today. I want you to win her.”
“Win her? Surely she'll have some say in the matter."
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Kategrew up in a woodsy New England town where summer days at the lake seemed tolast forever. She read her first historical romance at age eleven when ateacher challenged her to find a book in the library written by an author she’dnever heard of. Thus began a life-long love of love stories.
Aftergraduating from college with an art degree she settled in the PacificNorthwest, where she currently resides with her family.
Katewrote her first romance when she was sixteen, then set her pen down for yearsuntil another story floated into her head out of the clear blue sky. She jottedit down, just for fun, but soon it took on a life of its own.
https://www.facebook.com/kateellingtonauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29720924.Kate_Ellington
https://www.instagram.com/kateellingtonwrites/
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GIVEAWAY
KateEllington will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawnwinner.
a Rafflecopter giveawayJuly 14, 2024
Review: BROKEN IN LITTLE LEAF CREEK by Cindy Bell
A dead body by a broken tractor.The dynamic duo of Little Leaf Creek was on the case. Could the shoddyrepairman have ticked off the wrong customer this time?
As always, it was interesting tosee all the possibilities in this case. Who was the killer? And what did ithave to do with all the vandalism that was going on?
Another good little mystery byCindy Bell!
Rating:4 stars
Review: THE EMANCIPATION OF VERONICA MCALLISTER by Shawn Inmon
After she dies, VeronicaMcAllister wakes up in the 1950’s. There, she reverts to the quiet teen thatalways apologized to her stepmother. This story with this character didn’t grabme like the Joe Hart tale. First of all, I couldn’t empathize at all with her.I found her to be too prissy. Second, the prose just felt long and unamusing.Eh, this one was a bad one. Too boring!
Rating:1 star
Review: A NEW FEAR by R.L. Stine
Part one was rather intense with afrantic escape from a blazing asylum by a desperate woman and her infant son.Freed, her mission was to escape the curse of the Fear family. The details inthe scenes were much grosser and bloodier than you would expect from a typicalR.L. Stine story. In fact, it feels more like Stephen King. I must admit that Ireally didn’t care for the gruesome details like the rats biting off the eyelids. Yuck! I wanted to get through Part 1 so I could get to Part 2 to see ifit would keep my interest. So far this was just okay. This young mother seemedto be like a freaky Carrie with all those scary powers.
In part 2, the boy is fully grownand is reunited with his family amulet that gave his mother all those evilpowers. He will find out who he really was and who is father was. The last partcontinues the story okay as the son learns he is a Fear. The rest of the readwas too long (I had to skip parts just to get through it.)
I was curious to see how thisended though. So that is how Fear Street was re-built and how it opened up allthose Fear Street stories. This was okay.
Rating:3 stars
July 10, 2024
Blog Tour: THE MAKER OF WORLDS by David Litwack
THE MAKER OF WORLDS
David Litwack
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GENRE: Fantasy
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BLURB:
Ifyou had the chance to remake the world, what kind of world would you choose?
Whentragedy strikes Lucas Mack's young life, he desperately yearns to escape itssorrow, and takes an improbable leap through the mythical maelstrom. Ratherthan splashing down on the far side like his neighbors, he's transported to amagical realm where he has the power to redefine not only who he is, but theworld in which he resides.
Ashe stumbles about trying to find his way, he meets Mia, an equally troubledfellow pilgrim. With the help of a mystical guide and an aging wizard, theynavigate the enchanted land while learning to control their newfound powers.Yet this realm is more complex than they expected, with seasoned sorcererswho've been corrupted by the sinister side of magic.
Limitedby natural law and seduced by magic's power, they are tested as never before.Will the gift of magic bring renewed hope or drive them to the edge of thevoid?
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ExcerptThree:
After fighting through a tangle of brambles, I broke throughto a clearing highlighted by a grassy lawn. Behind it loomed an immenseredwood, so tall as to suggest the abode of a fairytale giant. Most distinctwas its girth, the size of a rich man’s cottage. The hummingbird hesitated amoment before flying to the far side, pausing every few paces to wait for me.
I drifted into the clearing like a penitent entering acathedral. The tree had an aura to it and something more, the slightesttrilling as the wind blew. As I came closer, the sound was joined by a tuneplayed by some instrument, like a fiddle but more exotic.
I eyed the tree, wondering at the source of the music. Thehummingbird edged near, so close I sensed the breeze from its wings on my face.Its humming became a murmur, and the murmur a whisper, almost forming words ina language too rapid to understand. It buzzed about my head, doing all butpushing me along, flitting back and forth, frustrated at my reluctance toproceed. At last, I followed.
With the fingertips of one hand brushing the bark, I circledthe tree, its circumference beyond my ability to measure. I crept forward,shuffling one foot after the other, until I reached the far side. As I turnedthe final bend, I gasped.
A door.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Theurge to write first struck at age sixteen when working on a newsletter at ayouth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the wildnight when lightning flashed at sunset followed by the northern lights ripplingafter dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter’s editor, a girl with eyes the colorof the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line betweenreality and the fantastic.
Usingtwo fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into histwenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue acareer, in the process — and without prior plan — becoming a well-knownentrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies.When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.
Davidcurrently lives in the Great Northwest and anywhere else that catches hisfancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful everykeystroke for the invention of the word processor.
Website:https://davidlitwack.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/david.litwack.author
Twitter:@DavidLitwack
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/davidlitwack
Buylinks:
Amazon:https://geni.us/themakerofworlds
Barnes& Noble: The Maker of Worlds by David Litwack | eBook | Barnes & Noble®(barnesandnoble.com)
Kobo:The Maker of Worlds eBook by David Litwack - EPUB Book | Rakuten Kobo UnitedStates
Apple:The Maker of Worlds by David Litwack (ebook) - Apple Books
Smashwords:The Maker of Worlds (smashwords.com)
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GIVEAWAY
David Litwack will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN giftcard to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Book Blast: SHUSHAN PORTAL by Gloria Pearson-Vasey
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Gloria Pearson-Vasey is awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
After her sister dies, Meara Deleaney invites her bereaved nephew, Jackson, to accompany her on a book tour to Canada's Atlantic provinces. Fearful of leaving the security of her apartment, Meara bolsters her courage by recalling the imaginary dragons she and her sister slew as children behind the hollyhock hedge.
As they travel in a motorhome from park to park and bookstore to bookstore, Meara and Jackson are unaware of the manipulating forces intent on preventing their return home. They do, however, realize they are being stalked and therefore welcome the company of another touring author, criminology professor Bartholomew Wolfe.
A long-standing professional relationship between the authors builds to romance and a persuasive invitation to seek shelter at the professor's lodge. However, to reach the lodge, Meara—now accompanied by her nephew, niece and mother—unsuspectingly travels through a portal which exits in a future dimension near a fortress.
From there, the family is escorted under guard through dangerous territory to a lodge where metaphorical dragons lie in wait, and security comes at a price.
Read an Excerpt
The captain of the Waterbug announced they had left the Kingdom of the Great Lakes and crossed into the Territories of the Dúns. There the amphibious ship extended its legs and climbed an embankment where their next conveyance awaited them…
Within minutes of leaving the river behind, Gabe informed them they had come up against the invisi-barrier surrounding Ravensglen.
“As the name implies, an invisi-barrier cannot be seen, but it’s impenetrable to outsiders,” said Gabe.
They penetrated the barrier and passed through the west gate of Ravensglen, not far from the quarantine hut. The hut was a charming sod-covered cabin with round windows which Gabe opened to admit fresh forest breezes and scents.
“Are we safe here?” asked Meara, peering into the surrounding trees.
“You are completely safe within the boundaries of Ravensglen,” said Gabe.
It was then that the youngsters noticed them loping fluidly toward them.
“Look at the dragons!” shouted Penny. “One, two, three, four, five!”
“I think those are wolves,” said Jackson, his eyes widening.
By now, everyone was at the windows, peering out to get a good look at the canines. Large and magnificent, with grey coats tinted with white and buff, the wolves encircled the cabin, tails wagging and eyes bright with excitement.
Meara was mesmerized by the largest wolf, which regarded her with pale green eyes. Then it turned away and, followed by the others, disappeared into the trees.
“Even if those aren’t dragons, we could still be behind the hollyhock hedge,” said Penny hopefully.
“I believe we are,” said Meara.
About the Author: Gloria Pearson-Vasey weaves contemporary issues into her novels, and likes a story - be it literary fiction, historical fantasy or science fiction - to be authentic and end on a note of hope.
A member of The Writers' Union of Canada, Pearson-Vasey has also penned non-fiction books on autism and pilgrimage.
The author feels blessed for experiencing the joy and chaos of merging child raising with career, camping, travel and pets.
She lives in a picturesque Ontario town, and enjoys reading, music, country drives and time with family and friends.
https://gloriapearsonvasey.com
https://www.facebook.com/gpvwrites
https://x.com/rvwriter
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6517389.Gloria_Pearson_Vasey
PURCHASE LINKS FOR SHUSHAN PORTAL
https://amazon.com/dp/1779417861
https://amazon.ca/dp/1779417861
https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/shushan-portal-behind-the-hollyhock-hedge/9781779417862.html
https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?keywords=9781779417862
https://www.waterstones.com/book/9781779417862
https://www.abebooks.com/products/isbn/9781779417862
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July 8, 2024
Blog Tour: BROKEN FORTUNE by Aly Mennuti
BROKEN FORTUNE
Aly Mennuti
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GENRE: Contemporary Women's Romance
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BLURB:
ElizabethSunderland—a forty-three-year-old wife and mother of two teenagers—is theoldest of five children in a blended family that never quite blended. The onlything that has held them together is the iron will of their wealthy parents:Benjamin Sunderland, a venture capitalist, and Kate Bernard, a partner of ahedge fund. Together, Benjamin and Kate create and rule over a Manhattandynasty of which their children each bear their own unique scars.
Elizabethhas been trying to keep the family together since she was ten years old, hopingto convince everyone they have more in common than just their fortune. Thisstance will be put to the ultimate test when Kate dies with one final request:that the family travel together to the island of St. John and spread her ashesin the ocean. However, Kate’s plan to fix the family will involve more thanjust a family trip to the sea.
Asthe hidden secrets and quiet betrayals built up over thirty years begin toripple and crash like the ocean surrounding the sinking family, Elizabeth notonly faces each of her sibling’s personal inflection points—moments that couldlead to reconciliation or ruin—but she has to face her own demons that havelaid dormant. What happens next will shock Elizabeth into recognizing a realityshe had no idea existed.
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ExcerptTwo:
“How much money did you get?” Paul drops in, trying not toseem as outright aggressive as my other siblings but still trying to ferret outthe information.
“It was nothing,” I say, trying to shut this conversationdown.
“Oh, it wasn’t nothing,” Benjamin says. “It was over fivemillion dollars.”
Everyone at the table looks ready to either spill theirdrink, fall off their chair, or turn me upside down to try and shake the fivemillion out of my pockets.
“Can I have some?” Winnie says, shifting her attention forthe first time this evening from my father to me.
“No,” Benjamin says sternly to Winnie. “Your mother isgiving that back.”
“What about,” Paul says, daring to get between Benjamin andhis money, “if you give us all five million dollars, so Lizzie doesn’t feel soalone. I mean…I’m sure my mother left something for all of us and Lizzie’s justcame through first.”
“No,” Benjamin says. “Lizzie won’t feel alone when I have itback. Because none of you are getting any extra money. Everything that wasKate’s is now mine. That’s what we decided. And upon my death—which should benoted, won’t be happening anytime soon—you will all receive the entireinheritance split into five.”
“Wait,” Paul says, clearly upset. “Wait. She’s our mother.Mine. I’m her son. I mean, no offense to your kids Benjamin, but me…and Julian,we should get something now. Not have to wait until you die. You’re not myfather.”
Paul’s words visibly cut through Benjamin, like anunexpected knife in the back. Even I can’t help but wince on hisbehalf—considering he’s spent the last thirty-three years trying to convincePaul he’s a reasonable, viable father. Meanwhile, he’s made not onecorresponding overture in my direction, relegating me to the status of just anafterthought that will always linger…
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
AlyMennuti has always had two passions: philanthropy and literature. She satisfiedone of those by being an executive at an international nonprofit consultingfirm and has helped a diverse range of high-profile clients reach theirphilanthropic goals.
However,she's always had a desire to express herself creatively and carve out her ownrole as a writer in a writing family. Finally, upon turning 40 (and with twochildren hitting their teens and deciding Mom is really uncool and not neededto hang out with anymore) she had the time and head space, to tell her firststory.
BrokenFortune is her second novel. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband,Nicholas Mennuti, a novelist and screenwriter and their two children, Charlieand Lilly.
https://www.instagram.com/alymennutiauthor
http://www.twitter.com/alymennuti
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CLKJQW27/
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GIVEAWAY
AlyMennuti will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
