Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 36
January 15, 2024
A Bewitching Monday
In the Kitchen with Author Timothy Symington - The Sausage and Rice Special #InTheKitchen #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/48Q4foH
INTERVIEW WITH SUE C DUGAN (Walk-Ins Welcome) #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3RXbTXx
INTERVIEW - CONTEMPORARY - HER NAME WAS LOLA by Karen Janowsky #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/48BFVY6
Mamacadabra by Carrie Monroe O’Keefe Virtual Book Tour #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/4aYljLa
Character Confessions- Walk-Ins Welcome by Sue C Dugan #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/421PL32
Mamacadabra by Carrie Monroe O’Keefe #Memoir #BlendedFamily #StepParentJourney #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/48UmIAA
"Was it so impossible to believe he loved me? We dovetailed together so nicely..."
Excerpt from The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic from
@berkleypub @nicolasolvinic @NSolvinic
Available for pre-order: https://bit.ly/3YDcQHB
#nicolasolvinic #mysteryauthor #crimeauthor #thrillerwriter #criminology
“Huzza!” Toasting a New Nation, 1760-1815 by Timothy Symington #History #RevolutionaryWar #AmericanRevolution
https://fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com...
“Huzza!” Toasting a New Nation, 1760-1815 by Timothy Symington #History #RevolutionaryWar #AmericanRevolution
“Huzza!” Toasting a New Nation, 1760-1815Timothy Symington
Genre: Nonfiction/HistoryPublisher: McFarland BooksDate of Publication: September 29, 2023ISBN: 978-1-4766-9315-6 PrintISBN: 978-1-4766-5056-2 ebookASIN: BOCK62JP5LNumber of pages: 273Word Count: 125,000.
Tagline: Drinking toasts to the American Revolution and beyond!
Book Description:
During the early years of the United States, toasts captured popular sentiments regarding people and events. Sometimes they were used to spread national ideology and partisan political views. They could even be “weaponized” against political opponents, such as during the bitter election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in 1800. “Huzza!” Toasting a New Nation, 1760-1815 is a retelling of the familiar historical narrative, but toasts are used to tell the story of the events and people between the American Revolution and the War of 1812.
Amazon Mcfarland Books
Excerpt:
Israel Putnam of Connecticut, who led the rebels at BunkerHill in June, was one of the first to be singled out for honors when the warbegan. The Connecticut Gazette printed toasts from a July 25 dinner in Londonattended by the Freeholders of Middlesex. General Putnam was toasted “and allthose American Heroes, who, like men, nobly prefer death to slavery andchains.” Sons of Liberty leader Dr. Joseph Warren, who was killed on thebattlefield, received the following toast from the Field Officers of the SixthBrigade in Cambridge: “Immortal Honor to that Patriot and Hero Doctor JosephWarren, and the Brave American troops, who fought the Battle of Charlestown onthe 17th of June 1775.” This list of toasts, appearing in the August 21, 1775,issue of the Boston Gazette, or Country Journal started with a toast to theContinental Congress instead of to the British monarch. The officers raisedtheir glasses instead to all the colonies, the Stamp Act riots, Lexington andConcord, and an end to the “present unhappy Disputes.” Dr. Warren would be aconsistently toasted figure into the early 1800s.
George Washington replaced George III as the main recipientof toasts, becoming the most toasted individual in the new nation. The King wasnow the enemy. Even English supporters of colonial rights, such as John Wilkesand Edmund Burke, were replaced by American military heroes. English supportfor the rights of the colonists, however, had not disappeared. The VirginiaGazette printed toasts the London Association made in October 1775. Associationmembers wished for “axes and halters, at public expence, to all those whoattempt to trample on the liberties of their fellow subjects, either in GreatBritain or America,” and that “kings remember that they were made for theirsubjects, and not their subjects for them.”
The former British corset-maker Thomas Paine brilliantlyexplained why the colonists should no longer rely on the King to protect theirliberties. His pamphlet, Common Sense, demanded that Americans free themselvesof Britain’s control. Paine wrote that “One of the strongest natural proofs ofthe folly of hereditary right in Kings, is that nature disapproves it, otherwiseshe would not so frequently turn it into ridicule, by giving mankind an Ass fora Lion.” His words reached everyone in the colonies, and so he and his workwere toasted: “May the INDEPENDENT principles of COMMON SENSE be confirmedthroughout the United Colonies.”
Most colonies had already taken Paine’s advice to heart anddeclared themselves to be independent states. Members of the Virginiaconvention calling for a resolution for national independence gave toasts inMay: “The American independent states” and “The Grand Congress of the UnitedStates, and their respected legislatures.” Washington attended a feast at theQueen’s Head Tavern in New York City, where toasts were given to theContinental Congress and the American army, and to the memory of GeneralRichard Montgomery, killed in the disastrous invasion of Quebec in December1775. The final toast was “to ‘Civil and religious liberty to allmankind’—mankind, that is, except Tories.” Tories, the conservative supportersof the Crown, received extra abuse in the Patriots’ toasts: “Sore Eyes to allTories, and a Chestnut Burr for an Eye Stone.”
About the Author:Timothy Symington received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Saint Anselm College and his Master of Arts degree in American History from Adams State University. A former educator, he now contributes to the Journal of the American Revolution. “Huzza!” Toasting a New Nation, 1760-1815 is his first book.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ToastFab4
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim.symington/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Toastmaster-yu9eq
January 12, 2024
Walk-Ins Welcome by Sue C Dugan
Walk-Ins WelcomeSue C Dugan
Genre: Paranormal RomancePublisher: The Wild Rose PressDate of Publication: May 24, 2023ISBN:978-1-5092-4908-4Number of pages:336Word Count: 73,299Cover Artist: Kim Mendoza Tagline: True love repeats itself in unexpected ways Book Description:
Adult education teacher, Alison Larkin has a second chance at love after her husband is killed in a car accident. Her new love interest comes in the form of a 20-year old student called HB, whose reputation as a bad boy and poor student has everyone questioning her attraction to him. Alison finds him to be nothing like his reputation as a drug-dealer and trouble maker.
Although HB has few high school credits to his name, he is flying through the coursework in adult education. Alison learns she and HB share a memory of a dramatic rescue at a local amusement park.
HB has a secret he has yet to discover, but when he does, he must convince Alison to give him another chance at love.
Amazon BN Goodreads
Excerpt
She put the flowerson the coffee table and moved her hand toward the sofa. He sat, and she didtoo. “Didn’t you have something you want to talk to me about?”
Momentarily, he couldn’t remember what it was.
“Did you forget?” Shegave him an encouraging smile. “So much has happened. It seems like ages ago.”
Then it came rushingback to him—Dr. Sims—the things he remembered and the yearbook pictures. He satwith his hands clasped and his head down, thinking. Was now the time to tellher? He jerked his head up. “I’m not sure this is a good time to tell you whatI know.”
She frowned. “Thatsounds serious.”
“It is and a bitweird too.”
She leaned forwardand clasped her hands together. “Why don’t you tell me, and I’ll decide howserious it is.”
HB shifted on thecouch, trying to find a comfortable position. Finding none, he straightened andlooked at her. “You know I felt like a different person when I came out of mycoma?”
Alison nodded butremained quiet.
“And I wrote aboutthe rescue at Cedar Springs?”
She remained stockstill.
“I started adding oneplus one, and I came up with something bizarre out there.”
Clearing her throat,Alison finally said, “You’re scaring me.”
He noisily let outhis breath. “I’ve been seeing a counselor, and he told me about one of hispatients, Ashton.” HB paused and rearranged his thoughts. “I talked to Ashton,who told me he had tried to kill himself but failed.”
“Oh, no!” Alisoncried. “Please don’t tell me you want to kill yourself!” She leaned forward andtried to grasp his hand.
“No, I want to liveagain!” He let her touch his fingers before pulling back. Althoughcontemplating suicide might be easier than telling Alison he was her deadhusband—Robert.
“Anyway,” HBswallowed, “Ashton told me about soul walk-ins.”
“What did you say?”Alison asked, alarm creasing her brow. “Wait!” She jumped up and hurried downthe hallway while he waited. He moved his forefinger over his thumb, wonderingwhat would make her leave like that.
She returned with asmall book, sat, and clutched it to her chest as if protecting it. Then,slowly, she eased the book onto her lap and opened it.
He murmured thetitle. “Communicating with the Dead… So you believe in that?”
“I don’t know what Ibelieve. But this book mentions walk-in souls and—”
“I think I haveRobert’s soul in my body,” he exclaimed before he could change his mind.
HB didn’t mean tointerrupt her, but it just happened. He couldn’t help it. He watched as
Alison’s eyes rolledback, and she slumped over.
“Alison?” He patted her hand and then her cheeks untilher eyes fluttered open.
“How…” She looked confused. “Why?What?” She fell back on the couch. “I don’t believe it,” she said with a shakeof her head, and her features turned stony. “I think you should leave.”
“What?” HB cried. “No! No. I’msorry!” Tears immediately filled his eyes. “I knew it was a bad time.”
“What a cruel and mean joke to playon me after what I’ve gone through!” Her eyes flashed with anger, something hecouldn’t pinpoint.
“I’ll let myself out.” He jumped up.He’d blown it with Alison, and she didn’t want to believe him. And he might nothave a chance to convince her.
Sue writes five-star LitPick novels that keep readers of all ages turning pages long into the night. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, attending author events, or walking her dogs. She’s has two children and five grandchildren. Snack wise, Sue is a salty-type gal, but wouldn’t say no to an occasional chocolate kiss or two! She isn’t sure she’s a reincarnated novelist, but if she was, she’d want to be Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, or Emily Brontë. When her novels are run through author comparison sites, she gets Anne Rice through Mark Twain—quite a wide spread which makes for interesting reading (Tom Sawyer was a Vampire?). Twitter: https://twitter.com/dugan_sue/
Website: https://www.duganthewriteway.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suecdugan
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/sue-dugan-b59253123
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scduganauthor/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@user5606276508505
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January 10, 2024
A Bewitching Wednesday
In the Kitchen with Sue C Dugan, Author of WALK-INS WELCOME
#bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/48vu79O
Her Name Was Lola by Karen Janowsky - Contemporary Romance - Sometimes you have to lose your heart to gain your dream. #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3vvfvbM
Walk-Ins Welcome by Sue C Dugan - Paranormal Romance - True love repeats itself in unexpected ways #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/4aTF867
Eight Ways to prepare for your date with a superhero
Guest Blog - Her Name Was Lola by Karen Janowsky
Bewitching Book Tour Stop
https://paranormalists.blogspot.com/2...
Walk-Ins Welcome by Sue C Dugan #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/4aSmZ8G
“In The Hunter’s Daughter Nicola Solvinic pulls off a neat trick—getting us to sympathize with the daughter of a serial killer who might just be responsible for a series of murders that closely track her father’s M.O. With a deep sense of place, and enough things to go bump in the night to keep you on the edge of your toes, I was guessing who done it until the final pages.”
—Catherine McKenzie, USA Today bestselling author of I’ll Never Tell
Follow Nicola Solvinic
https://twitter.com/NSolvinic
https://www.facebook.com/NSolvinic
https://www.instagram.com/nicolasolvinic
Random Facts with Author Karen Janowsky #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/48rGXFZ
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases #Amazon #ad #CommissionsEarned
January 9, 2024
A Bewitching Tuesday
Random Facts with Author Karen Janowsky #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/48rGXFZ
Walk-Ins Welcome by Sue C. Dugan ~ Paranormal Romance #PNR #BewitchingBookTours @dugan_sue #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3vl3h5h
Eight Ways to prepare for your date with a superhero
Guest Blog - Her Name Was Lola by Karen Janowsky
Bewitching Book Tour Stop
https://paranormalists.blogspot.com/2...
Walk-Ins Welcome by Sue C Dugan #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/48JcRNV
In the Kitchen with Sue C Dugan, Author of WALK-INS WELCOME
#bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/48vu79O
"Was it so impossible to believe he loved me? We dovetailed together so nicely..."
Excerpt from The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic from
@berkleypub @nicolasolvinic @NSolvinic
Available for pre-order: https://bit.ly/3YDcQHB
#nicolasolvinic #mysteryauthor #crimeauthor #thrillerwriter #criminology
Book Spotlight ~ Her Name Was Lola by Karen Janowsky ~ #BewitchingBookTours ~ Contemporary Romance #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3RReWAr
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases #Amazon #ad #CommissionsEarned
January 1, 2024
Desert Enchantments by Laura Engelhardt #Fantasy
Desert EnchantmentsArabian Spells Fifth Mage War PrequelLaura Engelhardt
Genre: FantasyPublisher: Wandering Wave PressDate of Publication: November 16, 2023ISBN: 978-1-957778-06-8ASIN: B0CM3MMSWK Number of pages: 130 pagesWord Count: 32,000 wordsCover Artist: Rena Violet
Tagline: Prophecies, Faeries, Djinni, and Werewolves! A New Fantasy World Awaits…
Book Description:
This exciting prequel is perfect for both new readers and current fans of Engelhardt’s award-winning Fifth Mage War series. At only 130 pages, the book provides an introduction into a magical modern world filled with faeries, prophecies, werewolves and djinni. Desert Enchantment focuses on a new character, and features themes of survivor’s guilt/hope and obsessive love/self-control.
A Class Five mage, Khalid developed the only long-distance magical weapon in existence: the dreaded djinni, who spin across the deserts, destroying everything in their path. Now, he faces the kind of challenge only an Oracle could have predicted.
In Recasting Fate, we join Khalid as he attempts to rout the European invaders from the Sahara Desert. Except a faerie breezes in with an offer he can't refuse.
In Djinn Swarm, Khalid battles for self-control when he discovers that the only thing more powerful than a djinn is love.
These two novelettes are a perfect gateway into the Fifth Mage War series, introducing new characters and new cultures as the world moves inextricably toward a cataclysmic war.
Amazon
Excerpt
The first djinn emerged in the night sky:a whirlwind topped with a simulacrum of Khalid himself. Knife-sharp grains ofsand spun upward, pulled by the centrifugal force of the air that formed theconstruct’s lower half. Khalid swallowed down bile as he looked at hiscreation. The djinn’s outstretched arms were frozen in a gesture of welcome,but its unblinking eyes were indifferent to the suffering it was about tocause.
If only he could create a livingconstruct, he wouldn’t be forced to watch oversized statues of himself wreakingdestruction. Before Sabha, he used to revel in the fact that his enemy wouldknow he had been the mage who had killed them. Now, the sight of his giant facein the sky made him sick.
Two more djinni coalesced, draggingroiling storms of colored lightning behind them like fringed capes. Malik shutthe spellbook, words of congratulations on his lips. But his face fell, hiscompliments silenced before they could be uttered. Khalid’s heart rate sped upas he followed his vizier’s gaze.
The three djinni should have been flyingnorth over the dunes to the enemy encampment, spinning tornados of wind andlightning beneath them. Instead, the constructs hung suspended in midair, theirlower whirlwinds frozen into a stillness as eerie as their unmoving humanoidtops.
A rush of air rippled Khalid’s headscarfand robe, but the desert was suddenly silent. He could no longer hear the raspof wind over sand.
Eurus, Khalid realized, his grim fearsinking into actual dread.
The glimmering white-gold outline of awoman’s face emerged in front of the djinni.
Khalid swallowed as she pressed her lipsagainst one statue-like face before dissipating back into air.
Khalid waved Malik back to the assembledguard. “Go,” he said. “Back to camp.”
But Malik pressed shoulder-to-shoulderwith him. “No one can contend against the air itself, Amir. It won’t matter ifwe stay or go.”
That’s an unfortunate truth, Khalidthought. For all they knew, Eurus existed within the very air they drew intotheir lungs. She was everywhere but only rarely took physical form.
Humans, even other faeries, were typicallybeneath her notice.
“Your djinni still don’t live.”
The East Wind’s soft voice was impossibleto locate, though they all spun around to look for her. Eurus was air, anelemental faerie born billions of years ago when the Earth’s atmosphere formed.
“Why are you here?” Khalid called, hisvoice overly loud in the stillness.
Eurus, as the East Wind liked to be called, manifested into a shadowed figurefloating cross-legged as if atop a flying carpet. But of course, Eurus didn’tneed any support to defeat gravity.
Khalid’s face covering blew off, and hecaught the red headcloth before responding.
“You told me war didn’t interest youanymore.”
“Your djinni interest me.” The elementalfaerie’s voice hovered in the air around him, pressing against him like theatmospheric warning of an approaching sandstorm.
“I’m no via-enchanter to cast spells onliving things, Lady Eurus,” Khalid reminded her.
The fae demanded honesty, and he’d toldher this many times already. “I don’t know how to make a djinn draw breath.”
“You were working hard to modify yourspells,” Eurus said. “At least until your sisters convinced you to claim theSahara for your al-Saaqib tribe.”
“I have a duty to protect the desert’speople. I can’t play with spell designs while we remain under threat,” Khalidsaid — then cursed himself when he realized he’d given her an opening.
She pounced. “I am more dangerous thanfive thousand battlemages. Bargain with me. I can steal your enemies’ breath.Blow their ships back from your shores. I can keep your lands safe from thepredators while you perfect your djinn spells.”
“I’m no via-enchanter, Lady Eurus,” Khalidrepeated. “I spent decades and only managed to integrate biomarkers into thedesign.”
His gaze flickered up. Six vacant eyesthat matched his own stared down at him in impotent stillness. Eurus’s magickheld his unreleased djinni captive. He needed her to let them fly. Let Khalidkill his enemy.
“You see how well I can keep you safe,”Eurus said, glancing upward as well. “Even from your own spells.”
Khalid hated how tempting her offer wasnow. Everyone else had perished at Sabha. It had been a Pyrrhic victory, but avictory nonetheless. If she didn’t release his djinni, this battle would end inan actual defeat.
There was nothing worse than defeat.
“Do not surrender, Al-Amir,” Malikwhispered. “With or without the djinni, we will prevail!”
“Surrender? Who said anything aboutsurrender? I’ll be your hired hand, Amir Khalid ibn Hawwa al-Saaqib!” Eurus’svoice hung slyly in the air as she fluttered down into a full bow, her thinframe splayed across the sand before him.
Khalidstared down at the elemental faerie. No sane person made a bargain with afaerie, but then, no sane faerie stalked a human.
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About the Author: An avid sf/fantasy reader, Laura Engelhardt writes the kind of book she likes to read: fantasy with intricate worlds and complex characters facing moral dilemmas. She started writing plays in college, then moved to Germany, where she continued to write while teaching ESL to executives. After moving back to the U.S., she supported her playwriting by teaching ballroom dance and working retail. Deciding that living in her parents’ attic wasn’t for her, Laura went to law school and then spent the next seventeen years as a lawyer and compliance officer in New York City. In 2017, she quit Wall Street and began helping people resolve disputes as a mediator and arbitrator. She now lives in New Jersey with her family.
Website: https://lauraengelhardt.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/5thMageWar/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5thmagewar
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19426998
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December 22, 2023
A Bewitching Friday
The Bridge to Magic by Alex Thornbury - Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/4axSLIg
"I could accept the idea that someone would copy my father.
I could even accept that it could happen in this jurisdiction, near my father's regular hunting grounds.
But a small, selfish, terrible part of me hoped it was him that he was back with me once more."
Excerpt from The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic from Berkley Publishing Group . Now available for pre-order: https://bit.ly/3YDcQHB
#nicolasolvinic #mysteryauthor #crimeauthor #thrillerwriter #criminology #criminologymastermind #crimefiction #crimethriller #crimenovels #detectivenovels #suspensenovels #thrillerbooks #murdermystery #mysteryseries #whodunit #mysteryreads #bookcommunity #mustread #bookrecommendation #bookish #booklovers #readinglist #bookclub #bestseller #newrelease
Spooky Writer’s Planner – Deck the Halls with Books
Get organized this year! #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/474Q6CV
Christmas Extravaganza for Spooky Writer’s Planner by Loren Rhoads and Emerian Rich (GIVEAWAY)…… #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/47fuDHk
Bah Humbug Mate Mystic River Shifters Book Seven by Delta James - Paranormal Romance - Will a charade under the mistletoe lead to a real love story? #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3vb9uRo
Boss Level by Allyson Lindt - Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza
#bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3TSIMr9
Her Fake Fiancé is Her Childhood Sweetheart’s Husband
Boss Level by Allyson Lindt
https://amzn.to/49VNt8R
Will a charade under the mistletoe lead to a real love story?
Bah Humbug Mate by Delta James
https://amzn.to/3GQBjRx
Are you a horror author who wants to take your career to the next level? Do you write dark fantasy, paranormal romance, spooky poetry, or morbid nonfiction?
Would you like to advance farther in the direction of your dreams?
Spooky Writer's Planner by Loren Rhoads
https://amzn.to/3tyBrSx
When only the wrong paths remain, do you walk or get left behind?
The Bridge to Magic by Alex Thornbury
https://amzn.to/48jHOrE
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases #Amazon #ad #CommissionsEarned
December 21, 2023
A Bewitching Thursday
Pecan Shortbread Cookies by Delta James, Author of Bah Humbug Mate #MysticRiverShifters #PNR, #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3v9EwsS
Christmas Extravaganza for The Bridge to Magic by Alex Thornbury (GIVEAWAY)…….. #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/47bCMfX
“Mom found me there one fall night, barefoot and in my nightgown, stroking the velvet above the deer's nose and whispering to it:
“You can't be dead. You're too beautiful.”
Excerpt from The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic from Berkley Publishing Group. Now available for pre-order: https://bit.ly/3YDcQHB
#nicolasolvinic #mysteryauthor #crimeauthor #thrillerwriter #criminology #criminologymastermind #crimefiction #crimethriller #crimenovels #detectivenovels #suspensenovels #thrillerbooks #murdermystery #mysteryseries #whodunit #mysteryreads #bookcommunity #mustread #bookrecommendation #bookish #booklovers #readinglist #bookclub #bestseller #newrelease
Spooky Writer’s Planner by Loren Rhoads #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3NCQvFM
Enter the world of “Djinn Enchantments.” Khalid developed the first long-distance magical weapon: his dreaded djinni who destroy everything in their path. Now, he faces the kind of challenge only an Oracle could predict.
Desert Enchantments by Laura Engelhardt #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/4795WfM
Her Fake Fiancé is Her Childhood Sweetheart’s Husband
Boss Level
Three Player Tag-Team
Book Six
Allyson Lindt #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3TuUO9R
Spooky Writer’s Planner by Loren Rhoads and Emerian Rich - Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza
https://serenasynn.blogspot.com/2023/...
Her Fake Fiancé is Her Childhood Sweetheart’s Husband
Boss Level by Allyson Lindt
https://amzn.to/49VNt8R
Will a charade under the mistletoe lead to a real love story?
Bah Humbug Mate by Delta James
https://amzn.to/3GQBjRx
Are you a horror author who wants to take your career to the next level? Do you write dark fantasy, paranormal romance, spooky poetry, or morbid nonfiction?
Would you like to advance farther in the direction of your dreams?
Spooky Writer's Planner by Loren Rhoads
https://amzn.to/3tyBrSx
When only the wrong paths remain, do you walk or get left behind?
The Bridge to Magic by Alex Thornbury
https://amzn.to/48jHOrE
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases #Amazon #ad #CommissionsEarned
December 20, 2023
A Bewitching Wednesday
The Bridge to Magic by Alex Thornbury - Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/487Tj5S
“Mom found me there one fall night, barefoot and in my nightgown, stroking the velvet above the deer's nose and whispering to it:
“You can't be dead. You're too beautiful.”
Excerpt from The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic from Berkley Publishing Group. Now available for pre-order: https://bit.ly/3YDcQHB
#nicolasolvinic #mysteryauthor #crimeauthor #thrillerwriter #criminology #criminologymastermind #crimefiction #crimethriller #crimenovels #detectivenovels #suspensenovels #thrillerbooks #murdermystery #mysteryseries #whodunit #mysteryreads #bookcommunity #mustread #bookrecommendation #bookish #booklovers #readinglist #bookclub #bestseller #newrelease
Spooky Writer’s Planner by Loren Rhoads #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3NCQvFM
Enter the world of “Djinn Enchantments.” Khalid developed the first long-distance magical weapon: his dreaded djinni who destroy everything in their path. Now, he faces the kind of challenge only an Oracle could predict.
Desert Enchantments by Laura Engelhardt #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/4795WfM
DECK THE HALLS WITH BOOKS HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA - BOSS LEVEL by Allyson Lindt #bewitchingbooktours https://buff.ly/3RQX1LB
Bah Humbug Mate by Delta James - Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza https://creativelygreen.blogspot.com/...
Her Fake Fiancé is Her Childhood Sweetheart’s Husband
Boss Level by Allyson Lindt
https://amzn.to/49VNt8R
Will a charade under the mistletoe lead to a real love story?
Bah Humbug Mate by Delta James
https://amzn.to/3GQBjRx
Are you a horror author who wants to take your career to the next level? Do you write dark fantasy, paranormal romance, spooky poetry, or morbid nonfiction?
Would you like to advance farther in the direction of your dreams?
Spooky Writer's Planner by Loren Rhoads
https://amzn.to/3tyBrSx
When only the wrong paths remain, do you walk or get left behind?
The Bridge to Magic by Alex Thornbury
https://amzn.to/48jHOrE
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases #Amazon #ad #CommissionsEarned
December 19, 2023
The Bridge to Magic by Alex Thornbury - Deck the Halls with Books Holiday Extravaganza
Here in Australia we celebrate Christmas in the summer. Forsomeone who was raised in the northern hemisphere, I still cannot get my headaround that strangeness. Another interesting fact of the Aussie festive seasonis that our favourite and traditional desert for Christmas is the pavlova. Thetradition is said to have started in the 1920s when the famed ballet dancervisited Australia and New-Zealand and one ingenious hotel pastry chef createdthe desert in her honour.
There are as many recipes for this dish as there areAussies. Amongst them, my absolute favourite is the Cherry and Coconut Pavlova.For us here, who walk upside down relative to our Northern cousins, December isthe season for fresh cherries down in the cool south, and coconuts up in thehot northern tropics. So what better way to celebrate turning the seasons ontheir heads than by combining cherries and coconuts into a tropical Christmasdessert? This is what I will be making this Christmas inthe sweltering heat of the summer.
The credit for this recipe must go to www.delicious.com.au.
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Ingredients
6 egg whites 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar 2 tbs cornflour 1 tsp white vinegar 1/3 cup (30g) desiccated coconut 300g jar good-quality cherry jam, room temperature, stirred to loosen Fresh cherries & baby mint leaves, to serveCoconut cream
500g sour cream 100g thickened cream 100g coconut cream (cream taken from the top of the can. Reserve remaining cream for another use) 80g icing sugar mixture 2 tbs Malibu or coconut essence Method1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Draw a rough 18cm x 33cmrectangle on a piece of baking paper and use to line a large greased oven tray.
2. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixerfitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed to soft peaks. Withthe motor running, add 1 tbs sugar every 30 seconds and continue whisking untilwell incorporated. Whisk for a further 5 minutes or until the mixture is thickand glossy and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Add the cornflour and whisk until combined, then whisk inthe white vinegar. Fold through coconut. Place the meringue into the centre ofthe rectangle and, using a palette knife, spread the meringue into the shape ofthe rectangle with waves and swirls on top.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 100°C. Bake the pavlova for 1hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until dry to touch. Turn off the ovenand let cool in the oven overnight or until cooled completely.
5. For the coconut cream, whisk the creams and sugar in astand mixer to soft peaks, then fold in the coconut liquor. Refrigerate untilready to use.
6. Place meringue on a serving platter and spread with cream mixture.Drizzle with loosened jam and scatter with extra fresh cherries and mint leavesto serve.
The Bridge to MagicThe Sundered Web Book OneAlex Thornbury
Genre: FantasyPublisher: Shadow Lore PublishingDate of Publication: 21st February 2023ISBN: 978-0-6454970-0-7ASIN: B0B9GCXY5KNumber of pages: 369Word Count: 105,000Cover Artist: Alejandro Colucci
Tagline: When only the wrong paths remain, do you walk or get left behind?
Book Description:
An award-winning debut for lovers of traditional fantasy and the readers who crave the dark, disturbing and original.
Men thought they had won the war against magic, when a demi-god had sundered their realm and banished magic and its keepers to the deadlands. But then another terror was born. Nothing can survive the approaching Blight. Terren, the last refuge of mankind, now stands alone in its path. Only the bridge across the great chasm offers any hope of escape... for some.
Elika has long feared the bridge to the Deadlands. It had taken her parents, and the lives of more poor fools than she could count. What's there for them anyway on the other side but more suffering and death? Though the gods had abandoned them, the king and his priests will stop the Blight. They just need to destroy every echo of magic, the source of the Blight. Then she discovers that the biggest echo of magic is hiding inside her, and through her it seeks to enact the will of its own.
Accused of being a mage, she is hunted and hated. Many doubt her loyalties. Her gang turns against her. The one man she thought she could trust and love, abandons her. Everything she knew about her past shatters, as long-buried secrets about her true birth emerge. Worse still, she may not even be human. She must race to find a way to purge herself from magic's hold. But as time runs out for the city and her magic only grows in power, can she sacrifice herself to save the last of humanity and all that she loves?
Therewas a time before the bridge was forged, but those stories had been mostlyforgotten. The dark history of that bygone age was now buried in the archivesof the priests. Only the echoes of it remained on the tongues of minstrels anddrunks. Elika had heard them all and each tale seemed more terrible andunimaginable than the other.
Thosewere dismal times of endless wars—men against magic, magic against men. Thetime when even the storms and rains were at the mercy of magic and its ficklemoods. It might snow in the summer, or the hot winds might carry sand uponthem, burying entire cities. Honest travelers feared to ride through theforest, lest the trees attacked them. A farmer might wake up to find his riverflowing the wrong way or dried up altogether. Those days were gone and mighthave been forgotten, but for this stark reminder before Elika’s eyes.
Andwho had not stood before the dark bridge in their last moments, facing thatchoice they all must one day make?
Likethat hoary, old codger in the ale-stained uniform of the city’s Blue Guard whohad stood before the bridge for nigh on an hour; unsteady on his legs, his sourbreath steaming in the crisp, winter night, drinking deeply of the cheap gin,which was as likely to kill him by morning as what he now faced. He took a longswig out of his bottle as he braced himself for the unknown fate ahead.
Elikasat huddled in the doorway of an abandoned house, watching him, needing to knowwhether he would reach the other side or die crossing. Her ears filled with thehowling winds rising from the great chasm, and she did not need to imagine whathe was thinking, staring as he did at the monstrous bridge and the lifelessbank beyond, for she was thinking the same—surely it is better than whatremains at our back. Better than what approaches.
Sheclutched the cloak tighter around herself against the biting gust of windtrying to rip it from her. She had scavenged the woolen cloak some days agofrom a dead beggar, and it still smelled of his mustiness. She pulled up herknees to her chest and clamped her icy hands under her arms.
Thestone wall was cold at her back. Her breath steamed. She waited and watched theold guard take another wobbly step toward the bridge, seeking courage in hisgin-dulled mind. He took another gulp, stared at the empty bottle in surprise,then threw it aside with a foul curse. The bottle hit the frozen ground androlled off the edge of their world into the chasm, to fall for eternity in thatendless darkness.
About the Author:
Alex Thornbury is an award-winning author. She grew up in Cheshire UK, and developed deep love of history and fantasy thanks to the many castles she visited as a child. Though she grew up to be an Alchemist by trade, she never stopped fantasising about other worlds, dragons and epic battles.
Website or Blog: https://alexthornbury.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alex-thornbury
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.alexthornbury
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