Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 79
May 4, 2024
Review: RED-BLOODED MAN (erotic manga)
A young man moves in with hisbrother and wife. Once he sees how hot the wife is, he can’t help fantasizingabout her and her huge, milk-filled breasts. It’s sweet how he’s there for herwhen she gets sick. Will he be able to control himself when he has to pumpthose huge things? Too bad the poor guy had too many near-missus on this one.Sexy imagery though.
Rating:4 stars
May 3, 2024
Blog Tour: FOWL PLAY by Monique MacDonald and Carla Howatt
It's all fun and games until yourgoose gets cooked.
Fowl Play
TheMaddy Whitman Mystery Series Book 1
byCarla Howatt and Monique MacDonald
Genre:Humorous Cozy Mystery
It'sall fun and games until your goose gets cooked.
MaddyWhitman, the sharp-witted aficionado of the storage auction world, ison a rollercoaster ride through hilarious mishaps and heart-poundingtwists in "Fowl Play". When she stumbles upon a peculiarMexican mask in a storage unit she bought at an auction, sheunwittingly sets off a chain of events that lead her straight intothe heart of a gripping mystery. With danger lurking around everycorner and a kidnapped woman's life on the line, Maddy must decodecryptic clues left by a cunning killer.
Astensions soar and the clock ticks, can she untangle the web ofdeception before it's too late? Packed with humor, suspense, and theirresistible charm of its female sleuth, "Fowl Play" is amust-read adventure that will leave you guessing until the very end.
Amazon* Apple* B&N* Kobo *Books2Read * Bookbub* Goodreads
Writing Fowl Play
When writing the lighthearted whodunit “Fowl Play,” we knewthat we wanted it to be a
series and we’ve already outlined the next four books, withseveral more in the works.
As Maddy and her friends began their antics, we had such afun time coming up with
various scenarios and humorous possibilities, that wequickly realized that there were
many stories we needed to tell.
The original concept for the book was as a psychologicalthriller. Maddy started as a
much more serious character and the crimes were much moreheinous. But we quickly
realized that the idea of a woman who bought and sold thecontents of storage units
was prime for all sorts of shenanigans and we changeddirection.
We knew we were on to something when we found ourselvessitting during our plotting
time and laughing ourselves silly. Our ideas come from ourreal lives and experiences.
Monique was born to Lebanese Egyptian immigrant parents andbrings this perspective
when writing about characters of diverse backgrounds. As awriter of psychological
thrillers, Carla brings her experience of how to plan amystery. Both authors live in
Edmonton where the story is located and can bring in-depthknowledge of the area.
Edmonton as a story background has surprisingly beenunderutilised. This city has so
much hidden character that easily lends itself as theperfect setting.
But how do two separate and distinctive writers cometogether to create a story that is
funny and entertaining? The number one thing is to be ableto accept feedback. Both
Carla and Monique respect each other’s skill and talentenough to know that if they
disagree with something the other has written, it is okay tosay so. For example,
something may not fit with the author’s perception of how acharacter would behave. It’s
important to be able to have that discussion and iron outexactly what the character’s
attributes and thoughts might be in each situation.
It is also necessary to know that when something isimportant to one author, the other
author needs to respect their position. For Carla andMonique, they have a shorthand
where if a change doesn’t matter to them, they just say ‘Nota mountain.’ This lets the
other know that while they don’t agree with it, it is not amountain they are willing to die
on. Also, if they say “I’m taking a stand on this,” then theother author knows it is very
important to them. From there, it is time for a discussionon what compromise is
possible. Their personalities mesh well, they both know thatthis is work, and that
differing opinions are not personal. That’s very importantand reflects in their co-
authoring relationship.
CarlaHowatt lives in Alberta, Canada where she helped raise fourchildren, two husbands and a few pugs. A communicator at heart, Carlais also a proud introvert, port inhaler and dark chocolate hunter.
Herpets Carrera, Mercedes, Enzo and Mufasa keep her laughing and herhusband keeps her smiling.
Montreal-born, Edmonton-raised,Monique M. MacDonald started writing at her grandmother'skitchen table the moment she could scribble with a crayon. Thiseventually led to using a keyboard as a columnist for severalnewspapers and magazines.
Shewrites like she lives, with a sense of humor.
Website* Facebook* Facebook* X * X* Instagram *Instagram
Bookbub* Amazon* Amazon* Goodreads* Goodreads
Followthe tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$10 Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway
May 2, 2024
Blog Tour: SEVEN DAYS AT MANNERLEY by Audrey Schuyler Lancho
SEVEN DAYS AT MANNERLEY
Audrey Schuyler Lancho
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Historical Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Thesuitcase she found changed everything. The contents? An elegant dress and aninvitation in another girl's name. Twenty-three-year-old Mary would go to theball, enjoy how the rich lived just for one night, and then quietly slip backinto her real life, sorting rubbish as a poor barmaid. No harm done. Of course,there wouldn't be much of a story to tell had it turned out that way.
It's1870 in rural England, and Mary assumes the identity of the suitcase owner,Agnes. When Mary's one night at Mannerley estate turns into a seven-day,hilarious farce, she quickly makes friends, finds suitors, and keeps fibbing.Not only does Arthur, the heir himself, fall for her, but so, too, does Mr.Singh, his friend visiting from India, making advances in plain sight of theheir. Making matters worse, a former workmate recognizes Mary and extorts her:she must steal a golden watch from the heir for him or have her true identityexposed and risk being thrown in jail, which could mean death--and that wouldcertainly ruin her stolen, er, borrowed ball gown.
Theonly way Mary can get close enough to Arthur to steal his watch is viasensuality and flirtation. But as Mary scrambles to cover her tracks, her liesand crimes compound, weaving themselves into an impossible tangle. All thewhile Agnes, the real owner of the fancy ball gown, is making her wayever-closer to Mannerley.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
She swung thedoor open, pocketing her key, and grabbed the corner of her dress and held itto walk. Arthur was standing a short way off by the stairs where he had beenwaiting for her, every golden hair perfectly combed. His pocket watch’s chainglistened on his vest in the lamplight. He heard her and turned to face her.
“Your hair.It’s wild.”
“I’m sorry, Islept too long.”
“I like it,” hesaid almost too quietly, a bit raspy, and she took his arm. Once again, she washis object, and she didn’t know quite what to make of it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Audrey has always written stories. Her very first picture bookwhich she wrote in early elementary school was about a mean, grumpy toothfairy. Her first “novel”, bound using a cardboard cereal box, was written inthe fourth grade. By high school, she was writing secret novels of her own,usually naming her characters by her own initials. By her twenties, she knewthat writing was her calling––and she’s so glad you’re reading her debutromance!
Audrey lives in North Carolina with her Spaniard husband and twoyoung sons, is completely bilingual in Spanish, and enjoys church, crochet,jigsaw puzzles, time with friends, yoga, and funny movies. She’s a freelancefiction editor on Upwork, an editor at a literary agency. She also writescontemporary romance under the name Audrey Lancho. Her debut contemporary isdue out in May 2025 from Harpeth Road. You can learn more about Audrey byvisiting www.audreylancho.com and signing up for her newsletter––she promisesnot to spam you; she’ll just inform you of big happenings and new releases.Audrey also enjoys connecting with readers and other authors on X/Twitter andInstagram (@audreylancho).
AUTHOR LINKS
Website/Newsletter: www.audreylancho.com/connect
Amazon Author: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Audrey-Schuyler-Lancho/author/B0CSGN9RVG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47903487.Audrey_Schuyler_Lancho
Upwork (editorial services): https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~016edfde2663d23587
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550654740294
Twitter: https://twitter.com/audreylancho
Instagram: https://instagram.com/audreylancho
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Theauthor will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
May 1, 2024
Audio Book Tour: THE LITTER by Kevin R. Doyle
THE LITTER AUDIO BOOK
Kevin R. Doyle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Horror
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Theykept to the shadows so no one would know they existed, and preyed on thenameless who no one would miss. Where did they come from, and who wasprotecting them? In a city that had seen every kind of savagery, they weresomething new, something more than murderous. And one woman who had thought shehad lost everything there was to lose in life would soon find that nothingcould possibly prepare her for what would come when she entered their world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Audio Excerpt 3:
Click here to hear the excerpt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guest Post
What makesyour book different from any other book in this genre?
Well, thismay be a bit embarrassing to admit considering The Litter’s genre, but Iactually don’t read all that many horror novels. I do read horror short storiesquite a lot, mainly in the ones in smaller magazines, but when it comes tonovel reading, I tend more towards mystery and suspense. But while myexperience with horror novels is somewhat limited, one thing does come to mindthat I hope makes Litter somewhat unique.
Obviously,it’s a common trope of the genre that at some point there’s a big reveal.Either a big twist, sudden revelation on the characters’ part, or resolutionthat unveils the truth of whatever is behind the various happenings. Sometimes,depending on how well done it is, the reveal is a surprise to readers, andsometimes it’s not.
What I hopemakes The Litter a bit different is that it actually contains tworeveals: one I’d intended as rather obvious and one hopefully not obvious atall. More than one reader/reviewer has commented something along the lines ofthey thought they knew where the plot was going, and in terms of the first bigshocker, they were correct, probably because I specifically constructed thebook so that the first reveal is clear and somewhat foretold. My intention wasto lull the reader into thinking “I’ve got this figured out” before springingthe second reveal on them.
I’m being deliberately vague herebecause I don’t want to spoil anything. Just keep in mind the words of onereviewer who said, in terms of the second reveal, “I thought I knew where hewas going, but boy was I wrong.”
And that’s exactly the sort ofreaction I was shooting for.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
A retired high-school teacher and former college instructor, KevinR. Doyle is the author of four novels in the Sam Quinton mystery series, allpublished by Camel Press. He’s also written four crime thrillers, including Andthe Devil Walks Away and The Anchor, and one horror novel, The Litter, alongwith numerous short horror stories published in small magazines over the years.The first Quinton book, Squatter’s Rights, was nominated for the 2021 Shamusaward for Best First PI Novel. A lifelong Midwesterner, Doyle currently residesin Missouri and has loosely based the city of Providence in the Quinton bookson Columbia.
www.facebook.com/kevindoylefiction
https://booksinmotion.com/product/the-litter/
https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Litter-Audiobook/B0CX732CRY
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-litter-kevin-r-doyle/1121113060?ean=2940191538280
https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/the-litter-by-kevin-r-doyle
https://www.storytel.com/in/books/the-litter-2891144
https://www.overdrive.com/media/10543266/the-litter
https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-litter-kevin-r-doyle/audiobook/9781641925235.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
KevinR. Doyle will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly dawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 30, 2024
Blog Tour: CITY OF LIES by January Bain
CITY OF LIES
January Bain
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: hard-boiled crime mystery
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
AGripping Tale of Identity, Crime, and Survival… Claire Preston, a script readerfor a Hollywood movie studio, has recently lost her mother. Discovering she wasadopted as a baby, she goes on a perilous quest for her true identity.
Assistedby her mentor, the seasoned private investigator, Jake Sterling, Claire delvesdeeper into her past, only to unearth a labyrinth of secrets more daunting thanshe ever envisioned. Soon, she finds herself in the crosshairs of a ruthlessserial killer—an ex-Nazi fugitive evading justice for decades.
AsClaire confronts her heritage, grapples with danger, and races against time toevade the clutches of a deadly predator, she finds herself wondering: Isuncovering the truth in a city of lies even possible?
Experiencethe chilling twists and turns of a tale where identity, mystery, and survivalconverge in the heart of 1968 Los Angeles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ExcerptTwo:
Still Waters Run Deep
I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn’t care whoknew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be.
~Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep
Hollywood, October 1968
“Nice family.” The young woman who had introduced herself asClaire Preston crossed her shapely legs and nodded at the prominently displayedphoto on his desk.
“I like to think so,” Jake Sterling said, his tonenoncommittal. His new client was a looker while he was Mr. Average, averageheight, average looks, only things not average were his dogged search for thetruth and his ability to take a hit, bullet or otherwise. But for once hewished he hadn’t bothered to set out the picture of a smiling woman and hertwo-point-three kids.
“I hope you’re better at being a private eye than you are atfinding out that your wife cheats on you, with any man willing to shell out adollar ninety-five at the five and dime.” She raised a sardonic eyebrow beforeshifting her weight to her other hip. And very trim hips they were. Butapparently her brain was even sharper. He had bought the photograph fromWoolworths for exactly a buck ninety-five.
“The truth will set you free, John 8:32,” Bishop squawkedtwice, adding a little sidestep on the wooden dowel for emphasis, preening withself-importance. His shimmery green feathers caught the shafts of lightdrifting through the venetian blinds, adding an unholy glow.
“Optimistic, isn’t he?” His possible new client took out apack of Salems and nudged one out from its snug location with long slenderfingers, the tips varnished to a high-gloss red. It made him want to slip intoa matching convertible, turn up the music on the rebel song, “I Fought the Law”by the Bobby Fuller Four, and hand the redhead a mickey of lemon gin.
He couldn’t hold back the chuckle this time, though itescaped sounding more like a strangled snort. She had him dead to rights. Hepicked up his lighter, leaned forward in tandem with her, and lit the tip ofher cigarette. She laid cool fingers against his hand to keep the light steady.
“Bishop has an uncanny way of pointing out my shortcoming.Just like my father intended, no doubt.”
“Rather conflicts with the motto on your business card. Nothing but the truth.” She inhaled, fillingadmirable lungs, and blew out such a perfect concentric smoke ring he had tostop himself from applauding.
He picked up the offending item from the scarred top of theold mahogany desktop he was proud to be sitting behind. His father had spentthirty years slaving over it selling insurance, week in and week out. Heslipped the eight by ten photo in the top drawer, face down. “Clients like afamily man. Care for a drink, Miss Preston?”
She shrugged shapely pale shoulders but didn’t turn himdown. “Claire, please. It’s five p.m. somewhere, if that matters. Who’s theparrot named after?”
He reached into his bottom drawer and drew out the mickey ofJim Beam and two tumblers. Filled both with three fingers worth, half emptyingthe bottle, then handed one across the desk. Their fingers brushed again as shetook it from him. “From a quote. It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishopkick a hole in a stained-glass window.”
“Good thing I’m a redhead. Raymond Chandler, Farewell, MyLovely. You as big a fan as your father?”
“It seemed like a nice neighborhood to have bad habits in.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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January Bain firmly believes that stories unite us, that goodstories help us to discover the commonality of the human experience bysupporting values, empathy and understanding. January writes with her heart,mind, and soul, hoping that her novels will touch your life, giving you momentsof freedom as you fly with her to other worlds.
The award-winning author has had the pleasure of select novelsbeing turned into games, while her work is also available in differentlanguages.
January and her husband live in rural Canada on peaceful acreagewhere a variety of wildlife comes to visit regularly and expects to be fed andpaid attention to.
Blog Address - http://januarybainjourney.blogspot.ca/
Twitter Name – https://twitter.com/JanuaryBain
Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/january.bain
Any other social media -
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6437282.January_Bain
http://www.instagram.com/@january.bain)
Buy link for City of Lies: www.amazon.com/City-Lies-Hardboiled-January-Bain-ebook/dp/B0CW1G1SKG/ref=sr_1_1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
JanuaryBain will award a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveawayApril 29, 2024
Blog Tour: ISLAND DETOUR by Maria Imbalzano
Island Detour
by Maria Imbalzano
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Falselyaccused of wrongdoing at a Princeton Prep school, Sophie Kearns accepts atemporary teaching position at an environmental school in the Florida Keys towait out her suspension. The time away is meant to be an anxiety-free escape,but her clashes with the hot but arrogant marine biology teacher, Max Heaton,are anything but tranquil.
Maxis determined to start an environmental research institute at the school, buthe suspects the gorgeous new Lit teacher, who lacks even the most basic outdoorskills, is there to hinder that dream. Yet, something about her tames thedemons from his past, and he can no longer ignore the fire she’s lit insidehim.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
How’d Sophieend up working with women who could have been in the Sports Illustratedswimsuit issue?
She glanceddown at her own one-piece halter and smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle. Notready to venture back to the bikinis of her college days, she’d chosen alime-green hue that looked great against her tan. And even though her midriffwasn’t bare, the high-cut detail on her legs showed plenty of skin. At leastshe wasn’t embarrassed standing next to Maddie. Or the other two.
She’d come along way from the buttoned-up professor at Valen, thanks to her new friendshere. After their shopping spree in Key West, they’d made sure to complimentSophie on her new look—obviously afraid that if they didn’t, she’d go back toher old ways. And it had worked. Along with the exercise she was getting fromboating and swimming, she looked and felt like a new woman.
Stealing aglance at Max, she assumed he’d be staring at Maddie. A slow burn crept acrossher face when his gaze fell on her.
His mocha eyesblazed a scorching trail as they traveled up her legs, her torso, then stoppedat her face. She turned and looked out over the ocean, swallowing hard, tobanish this erotic discomfort. But try as she might to ignore his scrutiny, shefelt it deep down in the pit of her stomach as fingers of heat spread over herskin, doing much more damage than the sun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
.jpg)
Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporaryauthor who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in lovewith them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues havea way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves totravel both abroad and in the states. Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband--not far from her twodaughters and granddaughters. For more information about her books, please visither website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for hernewsletter.
Awards
Maria is a member of New Jersey Romance Writers andhas received many honors and awards for her work including the ACRA Readers’Choice Heart of Excellence Award, the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write TouchReaders Award, The NEST (National Excellence In Story Telling) Award, theCarolyn Award, Book Buyers Best Award, The Stiletto Reader’s Choice Award, Long& Short Reviews Book of the Month Award (3rd Place for Book of the Year),and Still Moments Magazine Reader’s Choice Award.
Social Media Links
Facebook –
https://www.facebook.com/mariaimbalzanoauthor
http://www.twitter.com/mariaimbalzano
@mariaimbalzano
Mariaimbalzano_author
Website Link
Goodreads Author Page
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276749.Maria_Imbalzano
Book Bub Profile page
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maria-imbalzano
Amazon Author Page
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FG9RI5K
Universal Buy Link
https://books2read.com/u/4D20y7
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GIVEAWAY
Maria Imbalzano will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawnwinner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayApril 26, 2024
Blog Tour: THE GNOME AND THE SEEDLINGS by Marilyn Slaughter
Illustrated by: Angel Neha
Children's Book
Date Published: February 27, 2024
Publisher: Mindstir Media
This short story is about a mother wanting balance for her children. She wants her children to spend more time outdoor exercising, running and having fun. One weekend mom encouraged her children to stop playing video games and streaming movies while sitting on the couch and spend some time in the local National Park. While at the park the children, Nathan and his sister, met a mythical and magical Gnome, named Gob. Gob the Gnome explained to the children what his role is at the National Park, and how to plant seeds to grow trees.
I chose to add a Gnome as one of the main characters because since the 1400s, folklore has described Gnomes as guards of treasure and the protector of earth. Gnomes represents stability, growth and Good Luck. My six children books all revolve around a Gnome, the protector of a local forest who became friends with Nathan and Iris.
Review: What a waste of a beautiful day!See how one mom gets her kids to drop their gadgets and go outside. Their momwas right and the hike in the forest was fun. But what happens when theseyoungsters stray too far and get lost?
A funny-looking gnome will teachthese kids how a tree can come from apple seedlings.
With cute and vibrant pictures,this was a fun read. What an educational adventure! Story is a goodillustration of the importance of trees.
Rating:4 stars
About the Author
Marilyn Slaughter is an educator with experience teaching second through fifth grades, middle school science, and social studies. She now spends time authoring books for children and adults for engagement, learning, and entertainment. Marilyn’s first six books are a set with the theme of children, with their families enjoying the outdoors; and with teachers and classmates learning about the environment. The children are introduced to a magical and mythical being in the forest and they work to save the local forest. Her goal is to provide a fun read with an entertaining way for children to learn about science.
Contact Links
Purchase Link
Blog Tour: LEGACY OF THE WITCH by Kirsten Weiss
LEGACY OF THE WITCH
Kirsten Weiss
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: paranormal women's fiction mystery
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Seeker:As societies grow increasingly fragmented, hopelessness, nihilism, and divisionare on the rise. But there is another way—a way of mystery and magic, ofwholeness and transformation. Do you dare take the first step? Our path is notfor the faint-hearted, but for seekers of ancient truths...
AllApril wants is to start over after her husband’s sudden death. She’s conjuringa new path—finally getting her degree and planning her new business in bucolicPennsylvania Dutch country. Joining an online mystery school seems likeharmless fun.
Butwhen a murdered man leaves her a cryptic message, she catches glimpses ofanother reality she’s unwilling to acknowledge. A reality where bygoneenchantments cast cryptic shadows, and the present brims with unansweredquestions.
AsApril works to unearth the mystery, every step brings her closer to a truthshe’s been evading. And to a conspiracy of hexes that may end in her demise.
Legacyof the Witch is a spellbinding, interactive tale of a woman’s midlife quest tounderstand the complexities of her own heart. A paranormal women’s fictionmurder mystery for anyone who’s wondered if there might be more to their ownlife than meets the eye…
Book1 in the new Mystery School Series featuring the UnTarot, a deck of cards formeaning making. Start reading now!
UnTarotdeck app included!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ExcerptThree:
And there was someone inside the yellow coat. Asilver-haired man.
For a moment I thought it was a bad joke, he wasn’t real.Then, heart banging, I hopped over the stone ledge.
Heedless of the brambles tugging at my clothes, of the mucksquelching beneath my shoes, I stumbled to the supine man. He lay staring withone broad hand pressed to his chest. Blood stained his neck and pooled in thehollows around him.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, fumbling for the phone in my jacketpocket.
His head turned toward me, and I yelped.
I dropped to my knees beside him. “You’re alive. It’s okay.I’m calling for help now.” What had happened to him? Had he tripped and fallen?But what had he been doing in the circle?
“Can you put pressure on the wound?” I asked. If hecouldn’t, I’d need to. I’d need a cloth, something to staunch the flow.
But first, help. Hands shaking, I called 9-1-1.
He lifted a hand and pointed toward the trees. “Lookbeneath,” he whispered. “The brotherhood.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m calling now.” I pressed the phoneto my ear. “I’m calling...” My voice faded.
His blue eyes grew as cold and impersonal as the Atlantic,and he stared without seeing at the sky. A thick dullness fogged my chest. Iwas too late. He was dead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plotting Legacy of the Witch
Plotting a mystery novel,especially one with a magical and romantic subplot, can get tricky. Not only doyou have to plant red herrings and misdirections, but you have to build abelievable romance and somehow tie the magical subplot to the main plot AND theromance. There are a lot of threads to keep untangled.
My challenge is that I’m notwhat they call a “plotter.” I don’t outline intricate plots upfront. So once Igot the idea for Legacy of the Witch, I started with the characters. Who arethey? What drives them? What emotional wounds will they have to overcome? ThenI roughly plotted the mystery—whodunit, how and why? Once I understand all ofthat, it’s much easier to plant clues and to figure out how the characters willbehave. Gradually, the outline gets denser. I plot the points in theromance—the moment the hero and heroine meet. The points where the emotionaland physical attraction begin to grow. And then I sketch out the final scenewhere the heroine confronts the bad guy.
If it sounds like there’s alot missing in there—there is! I usually only plot the first ten chapters plusthe ending, and then I start writing. As I wrote Legacy of the Witch andbuilt a better understanding of the characters and the magical world of PennDutch country, I plotted forward. And… I confess, I frequently had to go back!Because alongside all of that, my heroine, April was receiving emails from amystery school with messages and witchy exercises that reflected the challengesshe was dealing with. In some cases, I had those messages plotted out. Others Ihad to add in after the fact.
My style of “plotting” wouldprobably drive other writers crazy, but my mad method works for me. 😉
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
I believe in free-will, and that we all can make a difference. Ibelieve that beauty blossoms in the conscious life, particularly with friends,family, and strangers. I believe that genre fiction has become generic, and itdoesn’t have to be.
My current focus is my new Mystery School series, starting withLegacy of the Witch. Traditionally, women’s fiction refers to fiction where awoman—usually in her midlife—is going through some sort of dramatic change. Alot of us do go through big transitions in midlife. We get divorced orremarried. The kids leave the nest. Our bodies change. The midlife crisis isreal—though it manifests in different ways—as we look back on where we’ve been,where we’re going, and the time we have left.
Now in my mid-fifties, I’ve spent more time thinking about the big“meaning of life” issues. It seemed like approaching those issues through witchfiction, and through a fictional mystery school, would be a fun and a usefulway for me to work out some of these ideas in my own head—about change andletting go, faith and fear, and love and longing.
After growing up on a diet of Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, andAgatha Christie, I’ve published over 60 mysteries—from cozies to supernaturalsuspense, as well as an experimental fiction book on Tarot. Spending over 20years working overseas in international development, I learned that perceptionis not reality, and things are often not what they seem—for better or worse.
There isn’t a winter holiday or a type of chocolate I don’t love,and some of my best friends are fictional.
https://www.facebook.com/metaphysicaldetective/
http://www.twitter.com/kirstenweiss
https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Witch-Paranormal-Fiction-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CH3T41JS/ref=sr_1_1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
KirstenWeiss will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveawayApril 25, 2024
Blog Tour: ZIGGY'S CIGAR by Tony and Nicole Nesca
This one's for the night owls of the world.
Ziggy’s Cigar
by Tony and NicoleNesca
Genre: Graphicnovel, Literary Fiction
Onenight in the life of a security guard in an inner-city highrise.
Full of after-midnight eccentrics and fringe-dwelling streetpeople, this one's for the night owls of the world.
Searchingfor Rebellion: Two Indie Authors Form Edgy Publishing Company
Tony Nesca and Nicole I. Nesca have one question – wherehave all the fearless artists gone? Unable to find amainstream publishing outfit that suited their taste forgrittier writing, the Nescas formed their own – Screamin’Skull Press.
For the Beat Generation, controversy was the norm, not theexception. Creators like Jack Kerouac, William S.Burroughs and Lucien Carr courted debate and made careers out ofpushing the proverbial envelope with their poems, books, music andother creative expressions. Living on the fringes of society wasconsidered to be more exciting and fulfilling than conforming tothe mainstream.
Authors and married couple Tony and Nicole Nesca feelconnected to that Generation through their own work, and theirinnate understanding of what it means to be artists whose workcannot be deemed ‘conventional’ by anyone’s standards.
Currently writing, editing and publishing their works throughtheir self-publishing venture, Screamin’ Skull Press, TonyNesca and Nicole Nesca have both cultivated individual stylesbut have the same mission.
“To be frank, we see too much pushed out into the worldtoday that is bland and formulaic,” says Tony Nesca, whoseunique, humorous and lyrical sixth novel, ‘Hobo’ is out now.“Every other book is a rip-off of another rip-off. The bookstoresare packed with these endless vampire stories and dystopianfairy tales. Where is our Anais Nin? Our Hunter S. Thompson?”Our Virginia Woolf?
Screamin’ Skull Press exclusively publishes the worrk ofthe Nescas - raw, electric and with a free flowing mix of prose andpoetry, their books are explorations of freedom, art, death, love,literary experimentation and living how one chooses.
“We knew that mainstream publishers wouldn’t have thecourage to publish the kind of work that we want to create,”says Nicole Nesca. “It’s interesting – sometimes wewonder, could Henry Miller or Hemingway find success in today’smarket?
It’s as if bravery is a dirty word in literature. Fearlessness,to me, is everything to a writer. Although we have our ownstyles, I think that’s one thing that Tony and I saw in eachother when we met – that drive to find truth and peel back thelayers in our own work.”
“I think we first fell in love with each other’swriting,” says Tony. “Which was a fitting beginning to ourstory.”
Tony Nesca and Nicole I. Nesca have published 19 distinctworks through their Indie Press, and their journey toward a morerebellious future for literature continues.
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April 24, 2024
Blog Tour: MY CAREER JOURNAL by Fatemah Mirza
MY CAREER JOURNAL
by Fatemah Mirza
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GENRE: NonFiction
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EXCERPT
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Fatemah Mirza is a Certified Resume Master and a highlysought-after speaker and coach who helps ambitious job seekers findhigher-paying, more fulfilling jobs. She’s been helping job seekers since 2010when she founded CareerTuners, which is a small team of skilled professionalsfrom various industries who specialize in providing professional resumes, coverletters, LinkedIn profiles, and many more career-related services to helpambitious people land their dream jobs and achieve career goals.She has createdfree resources that have seen more than 160,000 downloads, helped hundreds ofclients increase their pay, and built a network of more than 3000 recruiters.
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GIVEAWAY
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