Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 8
October 2, 2025
Blog Tour: TAMANRASSET by Edward Parr
TAMANRASSET
Edward Parr
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GENRE: Historical Fiction
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BLURB:
TAMANRASSET is historical fiction set on theedge of the Sahara as the ancient world begins to fade and great empirescollide. Four strangers—a mature Foreign Legionnaire, a Sharif’s wrathful son,an ambitious American archaeologist, and an abandoned Swedish widow—becomeadrift and isolated, but when their paths intersect, the fragile connectionsbetween them tell a story of survival and fate on the edge of the abyss.Blending the sweep of classic adventure with the horror of a great historicalcalamities, Edward Parr’s TAMANRASSET is a saga about the crossroadswhere nomads meet.
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ExcerptThree:
The Basilica of Douïmès was quitea lovely site (and fairly peaceful considering the dozen native workmen whowere lazily taking measurements and digging pilot holes at Ren’s direction) yetit was not a place for great discoveries. Ren thought about the Byzantinenecropolis behind the basilica which seemed such a promising site;unfortunately, Père Delattre had reserved it for his own excavations. Renwondered how much it would cost to drain the flooded marsh in the Salammbôdistrict nearby where the Temple of Tanit was rumored to be located. As hewalked about and reviewed the work of the diggers, Ren became increasinglyirritated. Ordinarily, he thought, the Tunisian diggers preferred to doanything but work–they showed a greater interest than the professors in theminutest fragment of pottery and would stand around listening in awe to anacademic discussion of a thing they’d never heard of before. Their picks movedwith a balletic slowness of motion intended to keep even the most delicaterelic safe from harm. Ren had to remind himself again that he was lucky to haveearned this position: He had no surviving family, his father had been no one ofimportance, he had been raised on money left for him in trust. He was lucky tohave ended up in England after being orphaned, lucky to have worked with Petriein Egypt, and lucky to be in Carthage. Nevertheless, he chafed at Delattre’spedantry and the slow pace of the work.
© 2025 by Edward Parr andEdwardian Press (New Orleans, Louisiana)
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Edward(“Ted”) Parr studied playwriting at New York University in the 1980’s, workedwith artists Robert Wilson, Anne Bogart, and the Bread and Puppet Theater, andstaged his own plays Off-Off-Broadway, including Trask, Mythographia, Jason andMedea, Rising and an original translation of Oedipus Rex before pursuing alengthy career in the law and public service. He published his Kingdoms Falltrilogy of World War One espionage adventure novels which were collectivelyawarded Best First Novel and Best Historical Fiction Novel by Literary Classicsin 2016. He has always had a strong interest in expanding narrative forms, andin his novel writing, he explores older genres of fiction (like the pulpfiction French Foreign Legion adventures or early espionage fiction) asinspiration to examine historical periods of transformation. His main writinginspirations are Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Bernard Cornwell, GeorgesSurdez, and Patrick O’Brien.
Socials:
Website:https://edwardparrbooks.com/
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-parr-5808b15/
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7369165.Edward_Parr
AmazonAuthor:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Edward-Parr/author/B00GACO3NC?ccs_id=a023fe74-dd9a-429f-b56a-5cfe148dafc5
Reddit:https://www.reddit.com/user/DryCar9119AB/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/edwardparrbooks/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576965808471
Amazon: https://a.co/d/44XsoJU
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tamanrasset-edward-parr/1148255148
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GIVEAWAY
Onerandomly chosen winner will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
Blog Tour: RISING EMBER by Sara Wright
A kingdom divided will burn
Rising Ember
The Ember Crown Book 1
by Sara Wright
Genre: YA Dystopian Fantasy
Dangerous games. Kill or be killed. Can shesurvive a king's ruthless arena?
Clarissa craves an escape. An orphan forcedinto criminal acts with other kids by their caretaker, she longs to break freeand become a healer. But when an archenemy provokes a deadly confrontation, theseventeen-year-old awakens hidden powers in an explosive and fiery defense.
Seized by soldiers and taken to the capitalalong with her only friend, Clarissa trains alongside other slaves to fight inthe royal army. But surrounded by mysterious strangers and running low ontrust, the desperate captive fears graduation day will be her last.
Is Clarissa destined to die in chains?
Rising Emberis the thrilling first book in the Forbidden Chronicles YA dystopian fantasyseries. If you like strong-willed heroines, nail-biting drama, and cleanslow-burn romance, then you’ll love Sara Wright’s action-packed adventure.
Buy Rising Ember to ignite destinytoday!
**Get signed& special editions with maps, bookmarks & sprayed edges at Sara’s Store!**
Sara Wright isthe author of The Progenitor Chronicles and Forbidden Chronicles,a YA dystopian fantasy series packed with rebellion, elemental powers, andclean slow-burn romance.
She currentlylives on Earth, her favorite vacation planet, with her husband and their veryopinionated fur baby. But most days, she’s off exploring shattered kingdoms,star-spanning civilizations, and the occasional multiverse with her lifelongcompanions: Imagination and Creativity.
Raised on bedtimestories and fueled by a steady diet of fantasy, sci-fi, and a sweet topping ofromance, Sara now writes tales for readers who crave action, heart, and hope.When she’s not writing, you’ll find her cycling, hiking, or singing dramaticallyto songs she swears are soundtracks to her books.
Website * Facebook * Instagram * TikTok * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $10 giveaway!
October 1, 2025
Blog Tour: SHYLA'S INITIATIVE by Barbara Casey
SHYLA’S INITIATIVE
Barbara Casey
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GENRE: Fiction
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BLURB:
Thirty-five-year-old novelist, Shyla Wishon, fearsthat her life is spinning out of control since her recent marriage to CarlCores. First, her overbearing new mother-in-law moves to Florida in order to beclose to her son, followed by a steady stream of visiting relatives who becomea constant intrusion on what was once her time to write. To make matters worse,Carl’s two grown daughters refuse to have anything to do with her, and eventhough Carl has a good job, bills are starting to pile up.
Shyla tries to cheerfully accept theresponsibilities that come with a new marriage and the inevitable adjustments,but the stress is leaving her with constant migraines, a lack of energy, and,worst of all, a loss of creativity.
Shyla leaves her home in West Palm Beach to spendtwo weeks in Naples where she teaches creative writing each summer at the IbisInstitute of Writing. When she arrives, her friend, Jayne Sinclare, presidentof Ibis, invites Shyla to join her for lunch. Mariela Fanjul, whose family hasjust donated $100,000 to the Institute, and the Fanjul family attorney, TerrySawyer, who is a big fan of Shyla’s published work, are also invited. MarielaFanjul has signed up for Shyla’s course, and is writing a novel based on herfamily’s Cuban heritage and their Santerian beliefs.
As Shyla works with Mariela, she becomes entangledin the ancient Regla de Ocha involving soul transference and animal sacrifice.It is through these beliefs and a remarkable series of events that eventuallyallow Shyla to escape her present life and become a totally new person.
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ExcerptThree:
Shyla noticed that there had alsobeen a change in Carl’s attitude and temperament as well as her own. Beforethey were married, they had been able to talk about everything, the good aswell as the bad. Nothing was unfixable because the two of them were pullingtogether toward the same goal. Now she had the feeling Carl was keeping thingsfrom her, turning to his mother instead. It was making her defensive andsuspicious. The intimacy they had shared in the beginning of their relationshipwasn’t as strong now, if it was there at all. Carl still said and did the samethings. He frequently told her how much he loved her, and he usually did littlethings around the house like help vacuum or do the dishes. He was wonderful atfixing things when they got broken as well. But he seemed impatient; he becameirritated easily. She felt a distance—an awkwardness—between them now thathadn’t been there before, and it made her uncomfortable and jittery. It were asthough she was being snatched from her own life and forced to live another.Somehow each of the many defining layers that she had carefully nurtured andadded over the years to complete her identity at this point in her life weregradually being stripped away and sacrificed, one by one, just like the petalsfrom a flower. The person who was left had headaches and anxiety. The personwho was left, she didn’t even recognize.
She remembered reading once thatwhen someone is faced with a sudden loss of a loved one, the overwhelmingfeeling is that of helplessness and isolation. She had felt that way when herfirst husband died of a heart attack. One moment he was healthy and vibrant;the next, he was dead. For months after his death Shyla existed in a state ofsemi-conscious numbness—seeing and hearing and even responding to everythinggoing on around her, but feeling nothing. That was what was happening now, onlyshe was the one who had died. She didn’t want to feel this way or to be leftout; she had too much to give. After all, the reason for getting married in thefirst place was because she and Carl loved each other and wanted to share asmuch together as possible. But this feeling of secrecy and separation and theconstant demands from the outside on her time and energy was beginning to takeits toll on her health and her marriage.
She knew that her resentmenttoward her mother-in-law was building because of Pilar’s unrelenting requestsof Carl. The woman didn’t seem to understand or care that she and Carl mightwant time for themselves. Shyla tried hard to suppress those feelings, though.After all, Pilar was Carl’s mother. They had only just reunited a few monthsearlier after being estranged for years. Shyla could see how Pilar would wantto spend as much time as possible with her son. What bothered Shyla, though,was that she seemed to want to relive the past, without Shyla, and to pick upwhere she and her son had left off as though nothing had changed. But thingswere changed. For one thing, Carl was now married to Shyla.
As a writer, it was natural forShyla to keep things inside of her, avoiding conflict except when she expressedit on paper. She would keep this inside of her and deal with it the best shecould. What she couldn’t suppress, however, were the headaches which werefrequently followed by severe anxiety. Out of everything, the one thing thatfrightened her the most was the feeling she was losing control. Always beforeshe had a plan on how to move forward, no matter how bad things were—even whenher first husband died. Now she felt frustrated and weak. She couldn’t makedecisions and her energy had plummeted. Looking back she realized she had beenstruggling with this for over six months, and still she was losing control.
The worst part of it was feelingthat somehow in losing control over her life, she had also lost her ability towrite. She was convinced of it. Just as she would start to work on an idea fora new short story or perhaps the outline of a novel, something would comeup—another visiting relative, more errands to run, another meal to cook, andmore bills to pay. There were always more bills. It felt as though a door hadbeen slammed inside of her, and behind that door just beyond her reach was hercreativity. She would go through the same routine each morning, getting Carloff to work, the breakfast dishes done, beds made, house straightened, and thengo upstairs to her office. When before she would crank out at least fifteenhundred words a day with regularity, now she would sit in front of her computerand stare at the blank screen until the worry of having to run errands or cookdinner took over. She hated it. And she couldn’t blame anyone but herself. Thatwas one of the reasons why she had insisted on going to Naples and teaching theclass at Ibis. It was the annual summer retreat, and maybe by being aroundother writers again she could somehow unlock that door. It would be good to seeher friend, Jayne Sinclaire, again as well. It had been much too long.
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THE TRANSFERENCE OF SHYLA’S SOUL
Thirty-five-year-old novelist, Shyla Wishon, fears that herlife is spinning out of control since her recent marriage to Carl Cores. First, her overbearing new mother-in-lawmoves to Florida in order to be close to her son, followed by a steady streamof visiting relatives who become a constant intrusion on what was once her timeto write. To make matters worse, Carl’stwo grown daughters refuse to have anything to do with her, and even thoughCarl has a good job, bills are starting to pile up.
This is the situation Shyla findsherself in as she packs to leave her home in West Palm Beach and drive toNaples where she teaches a writing course each summer. On the way, she decidesto stop by Carl’s office to try to smooth things over from their latestargument. When she gets to his office, she finds him in the embrace of hisoffice-mate—an attractive Hispanic woman.
Completely devastated, she rushes outand heads for Naples. What she doesn’t realize is that she has been chosen by theorishas, those emissaries who rule over every force of nature and everyaspect of human life, to become the high priestess of the ancient Santerianreligion Regla de Ocha. Traditionally, this has been passed down throughthe generations, grandmother to mother, mother to daughter. But the daughterhas an incurable illness, and a new woman—Shyla—will have to replace her. SinceShyla isn’t in the blood line, the only way this can be accomplished is throughsoul transference.
The scene below describes what happenswhen the soul transference takes place. Shyla is driving through a rain stormto Naples, and the driver of the red sports car is Mariela Fanjul. She hassigned up for Shyla’s course, and is writing a novel based on her family’sCuban heritage and their Santerian beliefs.
* * *
Thethunder rumbled a little louder and the wind picked up out of the west as therain continued hammering the roof of Shyla’s car. She was reminded of the nighther first husband died while she stood by helplessly watching the paramedics asthey futilely attempted to resuscitate him, and how only a few weeks laterHurricane Andrew slammed into the southeast coast of Florida. Her parents wereliving in Homestead at the time, but had come up to stay with her since she wasalone and all the forecasts were predicting the storm to make landfall at WestPalm Beach. It was two days later that they learned about the “wobble” in thestorm’s path, ironically sparing West Palm Beach but causing a direct hit onHomestead. She and her parents drove south, dodging felled trees, liveelectrical wires, and tons of trash and debris littering the highway until theyeventually reached the pile of rubble that had once been her parents’ home.Even the bark had been stripped from what remained of the trees. The sun was sobright that day, it seemed garish and mocking, shining on so much devastation.Everything was eerily quiet and still. There was no sign of life anywhere otherthan a dog who was rolling in the dirt nearby yelping either from injury orfrom the shock of having everything familiar and loved snatched away bysomething it didn’t understand. This memory, too, like the others, slowlydisappeared into the darkness.
Fora moment, she stepped outside of herself, observing and mentally recording.Even as a child she had been the one to remain on the outside of whatever washappening so she could watch the interaction of people and events take place.Many times she wondered if that childish curiosity, and her ability to removeherself from any situation in order to objectively observe and scrutinize it,is what had determined that she be a writer. Or had she been born a writer, andthat was the reason for her passion to observe life separate and apart. Thatwas the place where she was now. Separate and apart. She watched her handsgripping the steering wheel, she felt the warmth of the tears on her face, sheobserved the blinking lights of on-coming traffic. And she felt an unbearable,crippling pain, like that yelping dog after the storm.
Shylareached the city limits of Naples, but she didn’t notice. Neither did shenotice the pick-up truck skidding through the intersection as she approachedit, just before it slammed into the small red sports car. She had fallen backinto the dark hole where she couldn’t feel or think. Only when the airbagexploded into her breasts, crushing her chest and ribs, did she realize she hadbeen involved in an accident.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Originallyfrom Kane, Illinois, author/agent/publisher Barbara Casey attended theUniversity of North Carolina, N.C. State University, and N.C. Wesleyan Collegewhere she received a BA degree, summa cum laude, with a double major in Englishand history. In 1978 she left herposition as Director of Public Relations and Vice President of Development atNorth Carolina Wesleyan College to write full time and develop her ownmanuscript evaluation and editorial service. In 1995 she established the Barbara Casey Agency and since that time hasrepresented authors from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan.In 2014, she became a partner with Strategic Media Books, an independentnonfiction publisher of true crime, where she oversees acquisitions, day-to-dayoperations, and book production.
Ms.Casey has written close to two dozen award-winning books of fiction andnonfiction for both young adults and adults. The awards include the NationalAssociation of University Women Literary Award, the Sir Walter Raleigh LiteraryAward, the Independent Publisher Book Award, the Dana Award for OutstandingNovel, the IPPY Best Book for Regional Fiction, the Book Excellence Award,among others. Several of her books have been optioned for major films.
Heraward-winning articles, short stories, and poetry for adults have appeared inboth national and international publications including the North CarolinaChristian Advocate Magazine, The New East Magazine, the Raleigh (N.C.) News andObserver, the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Sunday Telegram, Dog Fancy, ByLine, TheChristian Record, Skirt! Magazine, and True Story. A thirty-minute television special which Ms.Casey wrote and coordinated was broadcast on WRAL, Channel 5, in Raleigh, NorthCarolina. She also received specialrecognition for her editorial work on the English translations of Albanianchildren’s stories. Her award-winning science fiction short stories for adultsare featured in The Cosmic Unicorn and CrossTime science fiction anthologies. Ms. Casey's essays and other works appear inThe Chrysalis Reader, the international literary journal of the SwedenborgFoundation, 221 One-Minute Monologues from Literature (Smith and KrausPublishers), and A Cup of Comfort (Adams Media Corporation).
Ms.Casey is a former director of BookFest of the Palm Beaches, Florida, where sheserved as guest author and panelist. Shehas served as judge for the Pathfinder Literary Awards in Palm Beach and MartinCounties, Florida, and was the Florida Regional Advisor for the Society ofChildren's Book Writers and Illustrators from 1991 through 2003. In 2018 Ms. Casey received the prestigiousAlbert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award forher extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishingand other areas. She makes her home on the top of a mountain in northwestGeorgia with three cats who adopted her: Homer, Reese, and Earl Gray - Reese’sbest friend.
http://www.barbaracaseyauthor.com
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GIVEAWAY
BarbaraCasey will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
Blog Tour: TRAILRIDGE by Kevin Wolf
Mystery
Date Published: Aug 1, 2025
Narrator: Greg O'Donahue
Run Time: 6 hours 24 minutes
Guy Hogan and his wife planned to share their dream home in Colorado but cancer his took her from him. The mountains became his refuge and each day he hoped the next cast of his flyrod will chase away his loneliness.
Then he finds a man’s body in his favorite trout stream.
Learning why the man died becomes a quest to fill his emptiness. Hogan befriends a young woman as empty as he. Their path leads to a ring of poachers killing elk for their antlers, a break neck car chase across the twist and turns of the highest paved road in the United States, and the fury of a mountain flash flood.
But the young woman is not what she seems. Will her deadly secrets force Hogan to become the very thing he despises? The challenge is as treacherous as Trail ridge Road.
About the Author
Purchase Today
September 30, 2025
Blog Tour: HIDEOUT by A.M. Holloway
She trusted thesystem to keep her safe.
Now it might get her killed.
Hideout
The FBI Tampa Mystery Series Book 2
by A.M. Holloway
Genre: Clean Romantic Suspense, Mystery Thriller
She trusted thesystem to keep her safe. Now it might get her killed.
She vanished into Witness Protection. Now, she’s running forher life.
When FBI AgentRay Smithson gets a frantic call in the dead of night, he knowsexactly who it is—Mary Beth, the woman he once swore to protect. It’s been overtwo years since she disappeared under a new identity, but her terrified voicerips open feelings Ray thought he’d buried for good.
With his trusted partner, Micah French, Ray races across Florida to find her before thepeople hunting her close in.
But nothing makes sense—how did they track her down?
Why has her former handler gone missing?
And could Mary Beth unknowingly be holding the key to something even moredangerous?
As long-hidden truthssurface, Ray must face his past and protect the woman who never left his heart.
Enemies are closing in, trust is fragile, and the only chance at survival maybe a hideout in Tampa—if they can reach it in time.
Hideout in Tampadelivers gripping Christian suspense packed with danger, loyalty, and secondchances—perfect for fans of fast-paced FBI thrillers with clean romance andenduring faith.
**On Sale for Only .99cents Sep 26th-30th!**
Revenge
The FBI Tampa Mystery Series Book 1
Love, Bullets, and aSecond Chance — Will They Survive the Crossfire?
When FBI Special Agent Micah French joinsa high-risk pursuit through the streets of Tampa, he never expects the day toend with his partner shot and the woman he once loved holding his partner’slife in her hands.
Finley Herald, the surgeon who broke his heart a decade ago, now lives inTampa. She’s saving lives at Tampa General and possibly risking her own when avengeful cartel leader wages war against the agents involved in his brother’sdeath.
As bullets fly, allies fall, and a trail of revenge stretches from Mexico toFlorida, Micah must navigate a storm of violence, betrayal, and second chances.
Every decision could be his last, and Finley’s reappearance threatens toshatter the emotional defenses he’s spent years building.
This book is a gripping blend of action,faith, and romance, where love may be the deadliest risk of all.
A.M. Holloway is an author of clean murder mysteries wherecrime and suspense take hold. Her catalog spans five series. A.M., who ismarried, relies on her husband's expertise in the CSI field to ensure accuracyin her books. She was born and raised in Georgia but now lives in CentralFlorida. When not writing, you will find her with her family, enjoying theoutdoors, or sitting in her favorite chair, daydreaming about her next book.
Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $30 giveaway!
Hideout
Blog Tour: A Gilded City trilogy by Jane Loeb Rubin
A GILDED CITY TRILOGY
by Jane Loeb Rubin
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GENRE: Historical Fiction
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BLURB:
Inthe Hands of Women, (June 2023) takes the reader on an electrifying ridethrough the dawn of the 20th century, delving into the restrictive state ofwomen’s rights, backroom abortions, the plight of immigrants to the Lower EastSide of NYC and the prison system at Blackwell’s Island, all through the voiceof a young OB/Gyn, Tillie’s younger sister, Hannah.
Threadbare, (June 2024)is a historical novel written as a tribute to Jane Rubin’s great-grandmother,Mathilda (Tillie), who died from a ‘woman’s disease’ in the early years of thetwentieth century. It explores the ultra-conservative late Victorian era througha Jewish female character living among the poor, struggling to build a garmentcompany and pushing back against antisemitic and misogynistic values dominatingthe time. She acquired wealth, only to have life upended by a cruel, unexpectedchallenge.
Over There (June 2025)brings four family members of Threadbare and In the Hands of Women, all doctorsand nurses, into The Great War, each facing down authentic challenges of theperiod. Meticulously researched and crafted on four stages, the reader experiencesthe jarring reality of trench warfare, magnificent rise of the AmericanHospital in Paris, unimagined medical innovations owed to the dedication ofhealthcare workers, and the universal, frightening impact war has on children.
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Excerptfrom OVER THERE:
Bill yelped, igniting the crowd. “Damn sure she’s right. Wegotta all have a purpose when we go home or we’ll be hiding from the world,hitting the drink.”
My chest filled with excitement. At that point, an air ofmagic transformed the men. These brave fellows still had fight left. One afteranother, they shared ideas and new dreams for professions: mechanic, factoryworker, farmer, writer. I listened, awestruck, to these incredible men talkabout purpose, about finding work and meaning again. An inner voice, one thatnever gave up, called to them, pulling each to find a reason to forge forward.It was the next step in clawing their way to recovery…
Bill sidled up to me. I turned to him, “What’s on your mind,son?”
He paused a moment and whispered, “Don’t look now, but haveyou ever heard the new guy say anything? I noticed something odd, no chart atthe end of his bed…”
I raised my shoulders, my hands open. “No, I haven’t. Butyou know, sometimes it takes a while for speech. And Bill, you should not besnooping in anyone else’s chart. What’s up?”
Bill leaned into my ear, his voice lowered to a faintwhisper, “There’s a reason there’s no chart. Watch out, Doc. I heard himmumbling in his sleep last night—in German.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Author, Jane Loeb Rubin has won numerous awardsincluding the Historical Novel Society's First Chapters short list for OverThere, released May, 2025 by Level Best Books. She will be speaking at numerousFlorida events as listed on her website.
With an extensive healthcare background Ms. Rubinbegan writing in 2009 after a serious cancer diagnosis. She now has a four-bookdeal with Level Best Books (Threadbare-2024, In the Hands of Women-2023, OverThere-2025, The Hat Trick-2026), following the fictional life of hergreat-grandmother’s family.
In the Hands of Women, (June 2023) takes the readeron an electrifying ride through the dawn of the 20th century, delving into therestrictive state of women’s rights, backroom abortions, the plight ofimmigrants to the Lower East Side of NYC and the prison system at Blackwell’sIsland, all through the voice of a young OB/Gyn, Tillie’s younger sister,Hannah.
Threadbare, (June 2024) is a historical novelwritten as a tribute to Jane Rubin’s great-grandmother, Mathilda (Tillie), whodied from a ‘woman’s disease’ in the early years of the twentieth century. Itexplores the ultra-conservative late Victorian era through a Jewish femalecharacter living among the poor, struggling to build a garment company andpushing back against antisemitic and misogynistic values dominating the time.She acquired wealth, only to have life upended by a cruel, unexpected challenge.
Over There (June 2025) brings four family members ofThreadbare and In the Hands of Women, all doctors and nurses, into The GreatWar, each facing down authentic challenges of the period. Meticulouslyresearched and crafted on four stages, the reader experiences the jarringreality of trench warfare, magnificent rise of the American Hospital in Paris,unimagined medical innovations owed to the dedication of healthcare workers,and the universal, frightening impact war has on children.
The Hat Trick, Ms. Rubin’s work in process (May2026) transports her family characters into the mid-1920’s in the years beforethe Borscht Belt in Sullivan County, NY.
Ms. Rubin, a graduate of the University of Michigan(BS, MS) and Washington University (MBA), retired from a 30-year career as ahealthcare executive to begin writing full-time. She lives with her husband,David, an attorney, in Northern New Jersey. Between them, they have five adultchildren and seven grandchildren. Ms. Rubin’s work is available at all on-lineretailers, Indigo Books, select Barnes and Noble Book stores and upon requestfrom Level Best Books.
Readers Favorite Review:http://www.readersfavorite.com/book-review/over-there
Website: http://www.janeloebrubin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janeloebrubinauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janeloebrubin/
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GIVEAWAY
Jane Loeb Rubin will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BNgift card to a randomly drawn winner.
September 29, 2025
Blog Tour: MIKE by S.R. Wyatt
The Firefighters of Station #8
Romantic SuspenseDate Published: 05-07-2024Publisher: Love Endures
A profession that has made him a confirmed bachelor - A teacher who spends her nights dreaming of Mr. Right. Passions soar and desires burn hot, yet each is afraid to surrender to love. The first book in the saga. 5 Men - 5 full length books. Together, the hero and heroine overcome their inner conflicts to achieve love completely unaware there is a more dangerous peril—one man’s revenge.
About the Author
Samanthya Wyatt writes sizzling hot romance with suspense. Intensely emotional characters with a deep passionate love for friends, family, and most importantly—between the hero and heroine. This best selling/ award winning author has 14 books published traditionally and independently, in historical and contemporary romance. Under the pen name S. R. Wyatt, she has set flames to the pages of the popular Firefighters of Station #8 series. Additionally, she has written a book of one family’s struggle based on true life events.
Samanthya left her accounting career and married a military man traveling and making her home in the United States and abroad. She now lives in the Shenandoah Valley. On a sunny day, you can find her and her husband driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway or going to classic car shows in their 1969 Mustang convertible, and 302 Boss Mustang. She loves long walks, and a book to read on a sandy beach. Starbucks is her favorite drink, and she likes hearing from her fans.
She invites you to lay the worries of the world off your shoulders and get lost in the pages of a romance, where you embark on a journey with the hero and heroine, become involved in a dream, plunge into a world of fantasy, and live an adventure your heart can share.
Go to my website, sign up for your free ebook of BEN - The prequel to The Firefighters of Station #8
Contact LinksWebsiteFacebook
Purchase LinksAmazonBarnes and NobleKoboiBooksSmashwordsUniversal Link
Blog Tour: STONE OF FAITH by Margaret Izard
STONE OF FAITH
Margaret Izard
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GENRE: Paranormal Romance
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BLURB:
The heart’s most extraordinary battle is the onefought for love.
Haunted by a family legacy that threads magicthrough the ages, Captain Ewan MacDougall and his ghostly crew sail betweenworlds—freeing enslaved people. A worthy goal, yet he longs for what eludeshim—true love. When he crosses paths with a legendary siren of the sea, boundto a cruel, power-hungry madman, Ewan finds the woman destined to claim hisheart.
Trapped and forced to use her voice to lure shipsinto the clutches of evil, the spark in Ewan’s eyes awakens hope in Lorelei’ssoul—a chance to break free and protect her Fae family. Yet, the wicked monsterholding her captive will stop at nothing to kill the human who touches andloves her as no one has ever done before.
Will the fated connection they share break thechains of dark magic or claim two more victims in a quest to find the Stone ofFaith?
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ExcerptThree:
“Come lass, let me hold ye.” Ewansat and settled her onto his lap. He took her in his arms, and she rested herhead on his shoulder like she had when they lay side by side before. She hummedwithout magic as he rocked her a bit, content in his care.
“My da holds my ma this way whenshe’s sad.” He squeezed her once. “My ma says his care chases her tears away.”Lorelei exhaled, thinking of home and her people.
The humans were so different.“What is your family like?”
Ewan chuckled. “A pain in the asssometimes.” She sensed a teasing manner in his response. He took a deep breathand let it out. “Loving, caring, kind people they are.” He chortled. “I have asister, a twin. We got into so much trouble when we were young.” A whispertickled her ear. “Still do.” She smirked, thinking of her eleven sisters andall the antics they pulled in their youth.
The teasing reminded her that Ewanhad mentioned someone earlier. “Who’s Mrs. A? Your mother?”
Ewan grunted. “She acts like it,but no. She’s the housekeeper, but more than that. She’s family.”
The way he said that word familyseemed to resonate in his soul. His feelings reached her, what the meaning thatthe word was to him. Sure, in her realm, she had her sisters and her father.But the way Ewan spoke of his. The way his emotions vibrated, spoke of so muchmore. She craved that—wanted more than anything to have someone feel that wayabout her and her about him.
Ewan sat back till their gazescame even. “Ah, see, lass.” His thumb skimmed her cheek. “No more tears. That’show I like to see yer face, Lorelei, tearless.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How do your characters evolve in thestory?
Ewan MacDougall’s Evolution
Ewan starts as a hauntedman—bearing the MacDougall legacy, the weight of family sacrifice, and thepressure of retrieving the Stone of Faith. His sense of duty is sharp, but hecarries self-doubt about whether his strength is enough to stand against theforces that destroyed generations before him. His initial identity is tied toservice, lineage, and survival.
Through his connection with Lorelei, Ewan softens without losing his steel. Hebegins to see himself not only as a warrior but as a man with a heart, worthyof love and loyalty. His sense of humor and tenderness emerge in privatemoments with her, showing readers his depth. He also confronts the dragon-firein his blood and the pull of the Fae, embracing both sides of his heritageinstead of fearing them.
By the climax, Ewan has transformed into a true leader—one who no longer servesonly for duty’s sake but for love, faith, and hope. He accepts the mantle ofprotector, not just of his people but of Lorelei. His soul bond with herconfirms that his worth is not measured only in victory, but in devotion andsacrifice.
Lorelei’s Evolution
Lorelei begins as a trapped siren,bound to serve dark forces by using her voice against her will. Thoughoutwardly powerful, inwardly she feels powerless and resigned to fate. Shemasks vulnerability with allure and strength, but her hope has nearly extinguished.
Meeting Ewan sparks the first realdefiance in her heart. His refusal to see her as a monster forces her to lookat herself differently. With him, she discovers her identity beyond being atool of enchantment—her compassion, her courage, her longing for freedom. Herarc shifts from object of captivity to active heroine.
Lorelei claims her voice fully—no longer as a weapon of the enemy, but as herown power. She sings for freedom, love, and the breaking of chains. Byembracing her bond with Ewan, she evolves into a queenly figure, a woman ofagency and strength who helps turn the tide of battle. Love does not weakenher—it empowers her to rewrite her destiny.
Their Relationship’s Evolution
Sparks fly from the beginning, but their bond is forged in tension. Ewan seespast the siren’s beauty into the soul beneath; Lorelei sees in him the rare manwho does not seek to use her but to understand her.
Their relationship grows in moments of trust—sharing food, stolen laughter, andperilous journeys. Their chemistry is undeniable, but it is trust and sacrificethat deepen their connection into love.
Their bond is tested when Loreleirisks everything to break free of her chains, and Ewan risks everything toprotect her. Their love becomes the weapon against the dark Fae’s corruption.
Together, they embody the book’s theme—faith. Faith in love, in destiny, and inone another. Their evolution from haunted warrior and trapped siren tosoulmates united by choice completes their arc, leaving them as both lovers andleaders.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
MargaretIzard is a multi-award-winning author of historical fantasy and paranormalromance novels. She spent her early years through college to adulthooddedicated to dance, theater, and performing. Over the years, she developed alove for great storytelling in different mediums. She does not waste a goodstory, be it movement, the spoken, or the written word. She discoveredhistorical romance novels in middle school, which combined her passion forromance, drama, and fantasy. She writes exciting plot lines, steamy love scenesand always falls for a strong male with a soft heart. She lives in Houston,Texas, with her husband and adult triplets and loves to hear from readers.
Readerscan email me at: info@margaretizardauthor.com
SocialMedia Links
https://www.facebook.com/mizardauthor
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https://www.threads.net/@mizardauthor
TheStone of Doubt Book Swag Box
Insidethe box
TeardropLab Sapphire Necklace
Signedcopy of the book.
LargeStone of Doubt book bag
SmallStone of Doubt book bag
Insulatedwine glass with Stone of Doubt logo
Dublinshot glass with etched Stone of Doubt logo
Stoneof Doubt bookmark
Stoneof Doubt recipe card
WildRose Press (publisher) 2025 calendar (While supplies last)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
MargaretIzard will be awarding a Stone of Faith Book Swag box (a $100 value) to arandomly drawn winner.
September 27, 2025
Review: SEX AND VIOLENCE Vol. 2 by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
In “Daddy Issues,” a younggirl tries to seduce her mom’s new boyfriend as a test to his infidelity. Butwhat happens when he fails that test? BAM! Loved it! The illustrations herewere cool!
I didn’t really get or liked“Red Dog Army.” “Filter” was a little better, but still not very good. Really,the best one was “Daddy Issues.” I wish we would’ve gotten more of that story.That being said, I would check out more Sex and Violence.
Rating:4 stars
Review: LONG LOST SISTER by NL Hinkens
Piper was hanging on by herfingernails to make rent and other expenses. It was only recently that shefound out about a long-lost sister who seemed to be well-off. Piper didn’t wantto make contact because, she, by contrast, was such a mess. Nonetheless, shetakes a risk and meets her sister, who seemed cold and harsh. Turns out hersister’s life wasn’t all that glamorous. Apparently, Callie was stuck in anabusive marriage with a man who may have assaulted one of Piper’s friends incollege and may have caused his own daughter’s disappearance. Whoa! Things getmore complicated when Piper and Callie have to cover up her husband’ssuspicious death. The sisters are soon wracked with guilt and worry thatsomeone will find out what they did.
Even though this is long, it’sdefinitely a read you get into. Callie may be Piper’s sister, but she was stilla stranger. Should she really put herself a risk for a stranger? And who knowswhat Callie and her in-laws were truly capable of? Yep, that Callie was a liar,but was she also a murderer?
This read grips you ‘til theend. A good read!
Rating:4 stars
