Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 10

Wicked Scene on Wicked Wednesday by Lawrence E. Rothstein

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Today's guest on Discover... for Wicked Wednesday is Lawrence E. Rothstein. He's sharing a wicked scene from his book, Venetian Bind.

Scene:At the Venice casino. Su has copied some pictures from the Casino securityvideos and is confronting some of the suspects who are also at the Casino thatnight. Korb is in the card room playing high-stakes bridge. There are severalwicked characters here: The leader and enforcer of an Italian neo-fascistorganization and a woman who was an intelligence officer for Serbianparamilitaries in the Bosnian war. Of course, our heroine, Kelan Su is wickedlyclever and tough. Her boss, the corpulent Marko Korb, normally a brilliant,armchair detective, succumbs to a very wicked impulse.

Chekovastood up. “I’ve looked at your pictures. I think we’re done here.”

“I’llhave to ask your new friends about them,” said Su also rising. 

“Suit yourself, honey. But be careful.They’re not as tolerant as I am,” said Chekova.

Suwatched Chekova leave the bar and followed her out. Chekova headed straighttoward Porello who had been waiting nearby. She whispered a few words to himand nodded her head in Su’s direction.

Sustrode directly toward Porello just as he looked toward her with a heatedglare. “Signor Porello, I have some photos to show you and some questions,”said Su evenly.

“Screwyou!” said Porello with a deadly grimace.

“Ithink you’d be smarter to answer my questions rather than those of the police,”said Su.

“Idon’t give a damn what you think --- and the police, phah,” Porello spat outwith a derisive chortle.

“Oh,I think we can take care of your police protection. You should check out mypictures. I hear Pakulić really added to your fascist scum’s string offailures,” said Su with a broad smile.

Itwas too much for Porello. He lunged at her.

Screamsand the rising and falling reverberation of voices signaled a commotion outsidein the ballroom. Korb was shuffling the cards expertly, riffling them betweenhis pudgy hands. He slapped the cards down with a crack and laboriously pushedhimself up from the table. He moved surprisingly quickly in a gimpy waddletoward the door of the card room. He was sure that whatever was happening, Suwas in the middle of it.

Notto worry, he thought. Su could more than take care of herself. She wasskilled in martial arts and trained with a variety of weapons. She was hisprotection after all. He also had confidence in her discretion.

Heopened the door to the ballroom and scanned the milling throng of gamblers. Su,at over six feet and in her red dress, was easy to spot. She was standing overa large, shaved-headed man sprawled on his back. Her dress was ripped and herhair, which had been pinned up high, had come down. She was poised ready tostrike again. Korb nodded to himself as he approached Su. He was about to askher what had happened when another man stepped out of the crowd toward them. Hehad a narrow, weaselly, pockmarked face that was contorted into a grimace ofintense hatred.

“Youfat meddling fool,” the man hissed. “You and your drag queen Chink whore betterget out of Venice or you’re dead.”

Korbwas not fazed by threats or insults, but he felt his face flush and sweat breakout on his forehead. When the man suddenly turned to Su and spat in her face,Korb lost control. With his teeth bared and ears ringing, he stepped up to thecur and dealt him a tremendous backhand clout to the side of the head. The whopof the blow was audible to the entire noisy crowd which seemed to exhale inshocked unison. Without a sound, the man sank to his knees and then crumpledface down on the floor.

Asthe heat of the moment began to cool, Korb was surprised to find that, ratherthan embarrassment over losing his composure, he was light-headed with elation.Su was looking at him with her eyes wide and her mouth gaping. She shook herhead once and slowly a small smile dawned on her face. She moved to Korb’sside, put her arm through his, and began to lead him toward the lobby. Themurmuring crowd parted before them.

From: VenetianBind soon to appear from The Wild Rose Press

Venetian Bind has many wicked good gourmet dishes mentioned. Pictured are three of the Venetian
dishes from the book that I and my family made on October 29 and which will be posted on my website. 

Venetian Bind, introduces Marko Korb, afat, egotistical, and brilliant detective and his associate, Kelan Su, aChinese-American woman former Chicago police officer, licensed attorney, andmartial arts expert.  Korb, a Bosnian Jew,in the U.S. for the past 20 years and renowned for his investigative
work,arrives in Venice to investigate the murder of Stefan Pakulić a former Serbianparamilitary leader and accused war criminal. The daughter of a Bosnian expat who had rescued Korb from Pakulić’sclutches during the war is a suspect in the killing. Korb is torn betweenfinding the murderer and his sympathy for the Serbian’s killer -- the Venetianbind.

Theinvestigation leads to Pakulić’s connection with Italian neo-fascists planninga terrorist action in Venice. It takes Korb’s genius and the intrepid sleuthingof Su to find the murderer, forestall the terrorist action, and protect thedaughter of Korb’s rescuer. 

Ifyou like cerebral, intellectual detectives like Nero Wolfe or Hercule Poirot,you’ll love the brilliant, obese and sedentary Marko Korb. If you are a fan ofthe energetic and intrepid V.I. Warshawski, Carlotta Carlyle, Archie Goodwin,Perry Mason or Kinsey Milhone, you will find a home with Kelan Su in theTri-Star Investigation series.

LawrenceRothstein

Email:lrothstein3@uri.edu

Website:Rothsteinsmysteries.com

Facebook:/Rothsteinsmysteries

Instagram:@Rothsteinsmysteries

Family...the Good, the Bad, and There For You by Ella Braeme

MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome my guest today on Discover... for Muse Monday, Ella Braeme. Tell us about your new book, Ella.

There are good families and bad ones. And thenthere are those that somehow do not work, although every member tries theirbest. Something is off and nobody knows how to fix things.

In my novella Butting Heads with HerMountain Man I confront Grace with her well-meaning, but ill-advisedfamily. They want to help her, but whatever they do—they make things worse.

One of my beta-readers was outraged that Gracedid not cut ties with her family. But that’s not how family works. You can’tchoose them, you’ve got to live with them. Just because they are obnoxious youcan’t just leave, too strong are the emotional ties that connect us. 

I suppose we all know of times when our familydid something nice for us and it did not please us. Like the time I came backto my room to find the furniture re-arranged to allow for more natural light.Just I didn’t want any light where my bed was, I wanted it all at my desk. Orthe time my grandpa fixed my bike. He repaired the brake just fine—with ducttape. Now my bike was safe again, but ugly. So very ugly. Or the time I groomedmy daughters dog. It was the first time ever I did anything like that, andlet’s just say it’s a good thing that the puppy’s fur grew back.

So if you can relate to things like these, youmight enjoy following Grace moving back to her home town.

Butting Heads with Her Mountain Man is a heartwarming, small-town romancenovella with a heroine who's determined to make her dreams come true, a grumpymountain man who’s doing his best to keep her at arm’s length, and a nettlesomeaudience of townspeople buzzing with Christmas cheer, or in Lyle’s case:Christmas scowling. Light steam, HEA, no cheating, standalone.

Could this grinch with his dark scowl be thelight of my life?

Grace

I need to start afresh in my small hometown.While I am happy to be back in the mountains, the efforts of my hapless familyto help me settle in lead to me running zig-zag to avoid further disasters.Being scrutinized by the townsfolk doesn’t help either. Still, I set to work toestablish my own accounting business with all the determination that I canmuster. 

I count myself lucky when I get my firstclient—only to find out he is as grumpy as they get—and yet, I can't deny thepull I feel towards him. 

Lyle

I hate Christmas. And it shows. So I need helpkeeping my Christmas tree farm afloat. The accountant turns out to be anopinionated lover of all things holiday. Still, I can't help but feel a sparkof attraction for her. An attraction that I have no intention of owning up to.

Excerpt

When I wake up the next morning, I find myselfin Lyle’s embrace. This mountain man is a hugger! I snuggle even closer, as Iwant as much skin-on-skin as I can ever have.

A beam ofsunlight casts a splendid shine on Lyle, and I cannot resist touching him. Myfingers caress his temple and his cheek. Just as they touch the very corner ofhis mouth, Lyle turns his head a little and kisses my thumb. My body goes softin a wave of bliss.

Lyle cranks aneye open and squints at the bright light. “Morning, princess.” His voice is waydeeper than usual. Maybe he feels that heavy bliss, too?

Buy link

https://books2read.com/u/mB8gvN?store=amazon

Author Bio

Ella writes sweet'n'steamy romances that aremeant to provide short vacations from your everyday life. She loves to read,mostly romances, of course, and to putter around in her backyard, forevertrying to turn it into a blooming garden. She’s got a dog who is helpinggreatly with all the garden work by supervising everything Ella does and—forthe most part—not digging up her flowers.

Contact links

Website ■ https://ellabraeme.com

Instagram ■ Facebook

Newsletter ■ https://ellabraeme.com/newsletter.htm

Amazon author page ■   https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ella-Braeme/author/B0BKL79CSM

Smashing the Glass Ceiling #FearlessFriday by Susie Black

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Please welcome Susie Black back to Discover... Her Fearless Friday tale is for sure fearless, and I'm happy to say successful. It's a great story, so read on! And be sure to read to the end where the link to a free swimwear fit guide is just for you.

My maternalgrandmother had two favorite expressions: Man plans and God laughs, and nothingturns out the way you think it will. She believed things happen for a reason,even if we don’t always understand why. She warned me to be careful what Iwished for since I might get it. That sometimes God punishes us by granting usour wishes, and other times God saves us by not granting them. And that Godhelps those who help themselves. As I’d come to learn, my wise nana had thesecret of life down pat. 

At the end of mycollege freshman year, my dad, a ladies' apparel sales rep, got a hugeopportunity and moved my family from Los Angeles to Miami. Relocating from hipLA to “God’s waiting room” failed to excite me, and I chose not to go. 

Three years later,armed with my journalism degree and a blind idealism only the young cansustain, I dreamed of being a writer, but fate had other plans. A family crisisthrew me into an improbable situation. During an Atlanta trade show, my dadneeded to leave to attend to the crisis and reached out to me to take over thetrade show in his place. I pointed out the obvious to my dad…that the onlyexperience I had with ladies’ apparel is that I wore it. Nonetheless, this wasmy father…so how could I turn him down? Of course, I couldn’t. 

After only an hourof apparel sales lessons, my dad left me to run the tradeshow for three days.Miraculously, I wrote a huge number of orders and my dad offered me a job as asub rep. Graduate school wasn’t appealing, so I accepted my dad’s offer. 

Baptism by firegot me into the rag biz. My life veered off in a completely different directionthan I intended, and it would never be the same. Despite not knowing a soulthere, I moved from Los Angeles to Atlanta. After a week of training, I becamea manufacturer’s sales representative and traveled a territory comprised offour states in the deep south. 

While the majorityof people were friendly, nothing could have prepared this California kidfor the culture shock of living in Dixie. Completely foreign social mores- includinganti-Semitism and countless acts of racial discrimination- different cuisine,and a stifling hot and humid climate I never got used to made it seem as thoughI had moved to another country, and not just another state. 

Schlepping sixcanvass garment bags filled with heavy samples in and out of numerous storeseveryday…it was a tough way to make a buck, and I earned every plug nickel withmy sweat, tears, and aching back. 

As a woman workingin a traditionally male-dominated industry, I had to prove myself every day.When I started my apparel sales career, no other woman did what I did inthe deep southern states. Depending upon who you spoke with, I was eitherfamous or infamous-but one thing was certain: I was the talk of the garmentindustry. No one-except my mentor father and me- thought I’d last aseason. 

Grit and stubbornperseverance to prove them all wrong kept me going, no matter how daunting the
challenge. And prove them wrong I did- and succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.I took a sledgehammer to every glass ceiling I encountered and smashed it tosmithereens. And the bonus? I opened many doors for the next generation ofwomen executives to succeed in male-dominated industries. 

But if it wasn’tfor my nana urging me to “Keep a journal. Get all your experiences down onpaper. Maybe this is the reason you’re in the rag biz. This must be the storyyou’re destined to write,” I doubt if I ever would have leveraged mysuccessful ladies’ apparel sales career into a writing gig. 

It was my dailyjournal entries chronicling the interesting, quirky, and often challengingcharacters I encountered and the crazy situations I got myself into and out ofthat gave me the stories I’d ultimately write and thanks to Nana, my lifecompleted the destiny of its circle.

Link for Swimwear Fit Guide

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7lerp4cy1al2j0l/CHOOSING%20THE%20RIGHT%20%20SWIMSUIT.pdf?dl=0

Susie's latest great book released November 15.  CLICK HERE

Holly Schlivnik dreams of being a writer, but fate has other plans. A family crisis throws her into an improbable situation and her life will never be the same. Determined to make her own luck when things don’t happen the way she plans, the irrepressible young woman takes a sledgehammer to the glass ceiling and shatters it to smithereens. The wise-cracking, irreverent transplanted Californian goes on a raucous, rollicking rollercoaster ride of hysterical adventures as a ladies' apparel sales rep traveling in the deep South and finds herself along the way.

Susie Black biography

Named Best USAuthor of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mysteryauthor Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny SouthernCalifornia home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series,Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories assoon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garmentindustry experiences in humorous mysteries.

She reads, writes,and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that
sounds like Mildred fromMichigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals.Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t beworth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voraciousreader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highlyintelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son whoinexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.

Looking for more?Contact Susie at:

Website: www.authorsusieblack.com

E-mail: mysteries_@authorsusieblack.com

The Wickedness of Sterotypes by Karina Bartow

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Please welcome my guest, Karina Bartow to Wicked Wednesday on Discover... She presents us with a wicked theme we see and hear all too often.

My new mystery novel, Accidental Allies, features several pretty wicked schemes andvillains, but for the sake of keeping the mystery intact, I won’t reveal them.Instead, an underlying “wicked” theme wove into the story is one I know all toowell: stereotypes.

Along with its forerunners in the Unde(a)featedDetective Series, Accidental Alliesfollows Minka Avery, a detective who’s deaf and wears a cochlear implant. ThoughMinka’s faced stereotypes throughout the first two books in the series, thisinstallment truly shines a light on how other people’s biases about herdisability have factored into her career, both in the past and the present.

Nobody personifies this better than Chief of PoliceDoug Friedman. Despite Minka’s history as an accomplished detective, ChiefFriedman manifests a low opinion of her. In one exchange, he’s even bold enoughto tell her that he only views her as a showpiece that attracts mediaattention.   

The mistreatment she faces may make many readers’mouths drop, but in truth, I don’t have to reach too far to imagine this kindof rude behavior. Because I was born with Cerebral Palsy, I’ve struggled withbeing stereotyped for my whole life. Even in school, some attributed myhonor-roll-worthy grades to the fact that I had an aide to attend to myphysical needs, who must’ve been givingme academic help, as well. The majority of my aides readily admitted, however,that they didn’t wrack up the grades I earned, which propelled me to graduate seventhin my high school class.

As I was writing AccidentalAllies, I faced a similar prejudice, which hurt yet more. My spirits were soaring high because I’daccomplished my dream of becoming a published author with the release of mydebut novel. I thought my success would overturn the stigmas attached to me. Tomy disappointment, however, a guy who purchased my book at a signing had theaudacity to imply that my mom wrote the book but gave me the credit! Given Itype with just one hand and rarely, if ever, enlist assistance, this was quitea brutal insult.

Just the same, I don’t enjoy sharingexperiences like this. I’ve also had many positive relationships with peoplewho do appreciate my capabilities and treat me with respect. Thus, I never wantto come off as ungrateful or even like I have a chip on my shoulder.

In fact, I told my editor those verywords when she suggested I highlight some of the prejudices Minka encounteredthat contributed to her insecurities in Husbandin Hiding, the opening novel of the series. Her encouragement to do so,though, helped me to realize what I could achieve with my platform as anauthor. While I wouldn’t load my books full of such negative instances, I couldscatter a few in the plot to highlight the impact of stereotypes, in hopes ofhelping people view and treat others in a different light.   

AccidentalAllies Blurb:

With many disillusioned with thejustice system, several brow-raising suspects emerge right away. Minka and hernew partner, Renee, follow several tips that lead to dead ends, until they zeroin on the courthouse's former security guard. Their attempts to apprehend himsend the city and police department into chaos. Meanwhile, Minka contends withthe lingering suspicion of another party being involved. Could his accomplicebe closer than she thinks?

AMAZON BUY LINK

BARNES & NOBLE BUY LINK

BOOKS-A-MILLION BUY LINK

WALMART BUY LINK

Karina Bartow grew up and still lives inNorthern Ohio. Though born with Cerebral Palsy, she’s never allowed herdisability to define her. Rather, she’s used her experiences to breathe lifeinto characters who have physical limitations, but like her, are determined notto let them stand in the way of the life they want. Her debut novel,"Husband in Hiding," came out in 2015, followed by "ForgettingMy Way Back to You," in 2018 and "Brother of Interest" in 2022.She may only be able to type with one hand, but she writes with her whole heart! 

You can find Karina here:

Website | Facebook| Instagram| Twitter

 

From Down Under by Meryl Brown Tobin

MUSE MONDAY 

Please welcome Meryl Brown Tobin to Muse Monday on Discover... She's writing from a place I know I'd love to visit. Enjoy!

With its remoteness,turquoise sea, rugged red sandstone cliffs and kilometres long stretch of whitesands, Broome is a colorful exotic place to visit in Outback Western Australia thatgoes back to the Dreamtime. It became a pearling town from the late 1800s untilthe mid 1900s. Peopled by Aborigines, Japanese, Chinese, Malayans, Filipinos,Koepangers (East Indonesians) and Europeans, it was a truly cosmopolitan town.During World War2, it was turned into a military garrison. Now a top tourist destination in Australia attracting thousands oftourists each year, it is famous for its pristine waters, beaches,wildlife, tropical climate and spectacular colours.

Because ofits beauty, history and remoteness and my family and I had visited it a numberof times and loved it, I chose Broome in 1986 as my setting for ‘BroomeEnigma’.  On our first visit, in 1970,the caravan park had a sewerage problem and we decided Cable Beach, thenisolated and not developed, was the best place offered as an alternative.  Apart from a young couple, my family and Ihad the iconic vast white sandy beach and turquoise ocean to ourselves.

On aworking holiday in Australia's cosmopolitan Outback town of Broome in 1986,Jodie, a young book designer and artist is open to romance and adventure.

     At the holiday villagewhere she is staying, she meets Joe, a young man who works there. Despite thestrong attraction between them, the many unknowns about his earlier life keepthem apart. To try to uncover his mysterious past, they travel to Perth andback to Broome and are drawn into not only bizarre but also dangeroussituations.

     Is Joe the person she thinks he is, or ishe some alter ego? Can Jodie and Joe stop their relationship from developinguntil they have answers and know if he is free to love her?

A big gust of wind rocked the van and flung Jodie
hard against Joe. He pushed her off.
“Joe, it’s me, Jodie! Wake up, wake up!”
“Jodie, is that you?” He threw his arms around her
and buried his head in her chest.
She brushed his hair back from his sweating face.
“Take it easy, Joe. Take deep breaths. It’s okay. It’s
going to be okay.”
He stopped shaking and pulled back from her.
“What’s happening?”
“It’s the cyclone. Don’t you remember?”
Another huge gust shook the van and sent Jodie
sprawling on Joe’s bunk and into the wall.

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON US

AMAZON AUSTRALIA

AND MANY OTHER AMAZON SITES

BARNES AND NOBLE

Meryl Brown Tobinis an Australian writer who writes fiction and non-fiction for adults andchildren, poetry, educational puzzles and cartoons.  She has had 21 bookspublished and hundreds of poems, puzzles, short stories, travel and otherarticles, and cartoons published in more than 150 print and digitalpublications in Australia and overseas. Her debut novel, ‘Broome Enigma’, aromantic suspense novel, was published by The Wild Rose Press in November,2023. Details: https://sites.google.com/view/merylbrowntobin-author and Meryl Tobin - Society of Women Writers Victoria (swwvic.org.au). 

WICKED WEDNESDAYJoin me in welcoming Doug McPheters to Di...

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Join me in welcoming Doug McPheters to Discover... He has some wicked things going on in his novels for Wicked Wednesday.

Novels by Doug McPheters (@McPheters1) involve exciting andunexpected action but no cupcakes or unicorns.

 

Doug’s first thriller, “Goshawk,” is about aManhattan lawyer who started a loan-sharking operation in what was left of theSoviet Union after the Berlin Wall came down. The fund became so successfulthat the Iraqis tried to steal it to get out from under biting internationalsanctions. Iraqi assailants killed his Finnish girlfriend and others kidnappedhis two sons. The drama played out in the Manhattan courts. 

In his next novel, “Stepping on Fingers,” Lea Holderness, ayoung teacher in far Northern New York was sent to a penal colony on a remoteisland in the Chukchi Sea, north of Russia, by an American religious court forspeaking out against intrusive new Federal laws. The Movement, which fightsattemptsof the Federal government to infringe on basic freedoms, helped herescape from the prison colony. Upon her return to America, Lea rescued heryoung daughter from Federal clutches. In return, she joined the Movement’sdrive to stifle the Federal government’s unpopular plans to erase manyConstitutional rights, often in dangerous ways. 

Doug’s third novel, “Criminal Opera (a work still inprocess),” is about applying the punishments of the Nuremberg trials to thosewho organized and managed the phony pandemic they called Covid, and gainedenormous wealth from those heinous activities. The Nűremberg Codex demands thatno one be given medical treatments without fully informed consent and nocoercion of any kind. As “Criminal Opera” demonstrates, and important evildoershave admitted, the ‘vaccines’ were neither safe nor effective, and demands suchas ‘keep 6 feet apart’ and ‘no groups of more than 10 people’ were completefabrications with no scientific basis.  Now that fewer and fewer people are watching theMockingBird Media, more truth is seeping out to people too lazy to make theirown decisions. And more patriots are starting to take matters into their ownhands.

 

Doug McPheters is a native of the Northeast but lives inArizona where he plays tuba in the Central Arizona Concert Band. He served inthe US Atlantic Submarine Force where he was Chief Engineer of Tigrone(AGSS-419) and was qualified as Officer of the Deck, both surfaced andsubmerged. 

You can find out more about Doug’s books, both present and inprocess, by visiting www.mcphetersbooks.com or by message at rdouglasmcpheters@gmail.com or @mcpheters1 on X."

Dance, Dance, and Write by Chelsey M. Ortega

MUSE MONDAY

I love to dance, but I don't have the talent my guest, Chelsey M. Ortega, has. Enjoy her delightful post today on Discover... for Muse Monday.

Nothingopened up the U.S. to ballroom dance like “Dancing with the Stars”. But in mycorner of the world, Utah County, ballroom had been popular years before; andpopular at Brigham Young University decades before. And with such a longhistory, it’s not surprising that a handful of DWTS pros every season hail fromUtah County; including one of the judges and co-hosts. 

Mymom danced through the BYU ballroom program in the ‘80s, and my dad providedthe sound system for a local high school’s ballroom concerts in the ‘90s andearly 2000s. So, with that as my background, I wanted to be a ballroom dancer. 

Mymom signed me up for my first class when I was eleven. My teacher was a lady inour neighborhood who had refurbished her garage into a small dance studio.After a year with her I went on to another studio owned by my dad’s friends.After a year there, I entered secondary school, where ballroom classes andperformance teams were offered as elective classes. I spent 7th-12th gradetaking technique classes through my school and performing and competing on theschool teams. I danced for two years in college, and then chose to focus onstarting my family and finishing my academic degree. 

Iwas good enough to make the teams, but I wasn’t the best dancer on the team.Trying to keep up with
the girls who did have natural raw talent taught me hardwork and dedication. Most of my time I started out as an alternate and workedmy way onto the team and competition routines. And my Senior year in highschool, I made all three competition routines the first time, without needingto start as an alternate. It felt good to earn those spots; and the years ofnever giving up have bled over into my writing career as I took rejection afterrejection, and worked on my writing craft before The Wild Rose Press saidyes.  

Today,a little over ten years after I stopped dancing, ballroom dance is stillsomething that I cherish. I cheer on teammates who turned dance into theircareer, religiously watch DWTS, and dance in my kitchen while I’m cooking andcleaning. Latin is my favorite style: Cha Cha, Samba, Rhumba, Paso Doble, andJive. With my very favorite Latin dance being the Samba. I discovered my Senioryear that I also had a talent for American Smooth: Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot,Viennese Waltz; with Viennese Waltz being my favorite -though based on thejudges scores, Waltz was my best dance of the four. 

Sincedance is no longer a huge part of my current life, I have chosen to livevicariously through my fictional characters. When I was creating Annamaria’ssocial life, I put her on her high school dance team. But since I placed her ina tiny fictional town in Wyoming, the chances of it being realistic for aballroom team to be at her high school were slim; so she is on a dance companywhich covers jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and hip hop. Later on in the story,Annamaria meets two professional ballroom dancers… who are also vampires. Thethree become good friends, and Annamaria joins their online dancing channel. 

These scenes were some of my favorites to write. I chose the type ofdance, picked a song with lyrics that matched the planned message, andchoreographed it in my mind. Then, I had to sit down and write it in a way thatthe reader would be able to see what I saw. And I would like to share with youthe Viennese Waltz: 

Thefirst routine was a Viennese waltz. They told the story of a man and womanmeeting and falling in love. Tyler and Annamaria portrayed a couple startingoff as shy, then blossom into comfortable and loving. The entire process hadbeen so fun, like swaying through clouds.

 

TheTV showed the preview screenshot of Annamaria with her right arm around Tyler’sneck, the left trailing behind her with her left foot popped. Tyler’s right armwas around her waist, his left trailing behind him. Both leaned away from eachother in a frozen twirl.

 

The music started, and Annamariadanced into view. Tyler danced in from the opposite direction and the duetbegan. They spun and swayed, Annamaria’s light blue dress swirling around her,the rhinestones catching the light. For the last verse of the song, Annamariacompleted a seamless onstage costume change by using magic to replace her bluedress to a flowing white gown. Their human audience would think it was justsuperb editing. 

BONDWITCH

Eighteen-year-old Annamaria Lyons has never left her smallhometown of Harrison, Wyoming. She has lived with her aunt, Trinity, since herparents died when she was two years old. Trinity has been a wonderful guardianwith one exception—she won’t allow Annamaria out of the house after sunset.That is, until the night of senior prom. Annamaria's long-lost sister arrives,bringing with her a world full of hidden family secrets and the supernatural.

 

Forced to flee her childhood home without a proper goodbyeto her human life and first love, Annamaria immerses herself in the magicalworld. New friends and a new suitor challenge her original dreams for thefuture, and when she finds herself caught in the middle of a centuries-oldconflict, Annamaria must decide to rise above it or give in to the darkness. 

Bondwitch can be purchased here:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Bondwitch-Chelsey-M-Ortega-ebook/dp/B0CF6H8NYC?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143894193?ean=9781509251940

Bio:

Chelsey M. Ortega is a teacher by day and award-winning author by night. History is her first love, and any story involving magic and romance, her second love. She especially loves witches and is still awaiting her acceptance letter to a well-known school. Chelsey received her Bachelor's in History Teaching from Brigham Young University. In addition to writing, Chelsey teaches high school U.S. History and ELD. She lives in Utah with her husband, three children, and two cats. Follow Chelsey at www.chelseymortega.com.

 

 

 

 

Girls Just Want to Have a Fearless Adventure by Terry Segan

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Fun and Fearless both start with F...hmmm...I think my guest, Terry Segan, might have something. Enjoy her Fearless Friday adventure on Discover...

Girls just wannahave…a manatee adventure! When my traveling partner suggested our next girl’strip be to Crystal River, Florida, to check off an item on her bucket list, Idove right in—literally. In the winter months, Crystal River is home to many ofthese sweet mammals. So, a few years ago, we traveled to Florida in mid-Januaryto see for ourselves.

 

While the hotel we stayed in was dated (think70’s—I’m sure the bedspreads and shag carpeting were time-warped in nightly),all the rooms faced the bay. The gorgeous view was worth putting up with the‘vintage’ furnishings and dim lighting.

 

Since the manatees were more active in the morning, we booked anearly tour. We tried not to think that 7 a.m. translated to 4 a.m. for our westcoast bodies. At the dive shop we watched a short video on manatee etiquette,a.k.a. how not to get arrested for disturbing or tormenting the docilecreatures. We then donned wet suits—no easy task unless you have feline flexibility.The tour guide claimed the water remained a comfortable 72 degrees, and hewasn’t kidding. Wearing a mask and snorkel, we slipped into the river using apool noodle for buoyancy. The water felt like a warm bath.

 

These creatures were amazing! They’re like giantpuppies with sweet faces that drift through the brackish water. And yes, theyare roughly the size of a cow! We got to bob around and observe several, somegetting playful and bumping into us, despite our trying to stay out of theirway. The last ten minutes of our hour-long swim, I had one following me. Ifinally named her Louise and dubbed her a member of our girls’ trip. 

The second day’s tour consisted ofkayaking. I originally suggested renting kayaks and going on our own. My friendpointed out that she would prefer NOT to get eaten by alligators if we gotlost. Never thought of that! I booked a tour. Being led by a guide, I was surehe would sacrifice himself if we were set upon by alligators. Luckily, wedidn’t have to test this theory. Our guide used a stand-up paddle board toeasily spot manatees for us. In one area, a manatee nosed our guide along bypushing his board from behind. 

This trip became the inspiration formy recent release, Manatee Soul, The Marni Legend Series Book 2. The maincharacter, Marni, drags her reserved sister into similar tours and othersketchy situations as they assist a lost soul who’s looking for closure. While mostof the setting is fictitious, establishments were inspired by my experiences inCrystal River. 

Book & Bioinfo: 

MANATEE SOUL byTerry Segan – Release date: October 16, 2023 

Blurb: 

Marni Legend hasembarked on the most perilous journey of her life—a vacation with her sister.The women are like two peas in a pod, providing each pod came from a differentmother ship. One day into their Florida adventure, Marni questions her choiceof travel partner. Gloria strives to understand her carefree younger siblingwhile kayaking and snorkeling without chipping a nail. 

With nothing buteternity on his hands, Phil insists the sisters resolve the circumstances ofhis untimely demise. The wise-cracking spirit leads them on a trail filled withbartenders, bikers, and the promise of a hidden treasure. 

Her greatestchallenge will either be enduring a week with Gloria or surviving the thugssearching for the stolen booty. Can Marni figure out who to trust, who toavoid, and who she’d most likely want to be trapped alone in an elevator with? 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Manatee-Soul-Marni-Legend-Book-ebook/dp/B0CF6HFHKD

Barnes &Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143894199

Author Website: https://terrysegan.com/ 

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerrySegan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrysegan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeganTerry

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorterrysegan 

Terry Segan,originally from Commack, NY, now resides in the desert where she’ll neverrequire an ice scraper or snow shovel again. The beach is her happy place, butany opportunity to travel soothes her gypsy soul. The stories conjured by herimagination while riding backseat on her husband’s motorcycle can be foundthroughout the pages of her paranormal mysteries. Growing up immersed insarcastic humor and science fiction movies, Terry’s goals are to cause her readersto laugh out loud, cry with joy, or cower under the covers wondering if thenoise under the bed was real or imagined.

Reading and Reviews (Gallant and Black)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'llshare my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read islimited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook atnight for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. BesidesRomantic Suspense and mystery, I read crime and law novels, once in a while atrue story, WWII historicals, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past.Maybe you'll discover a new book or author.

Desperate Alliance by Jannine Gallant

Astolen painting leads to a second chance at love—if they survive.

When Annalise Quintrell discovers a painting at the Philadelphia museum whereshe works—a masterpiece she authenticated—is a forgery, her career is on theline. Confident she didn’t make a mistake, Annalise is convinced someone stolethe original. But with no proof, will anyone believe her? The only way tosalvage her reputation and her future is to find the missing painting. Theproblem is, she has no one to turn to for help—except her ex-fiancé.

Rory Cavanaugh made the worst mistake of his life, not when he got caughtrobbing an art gallery, but when he withheld the truth about his past fromAnnalise. Unable to forgive his lies, she cut him out of her life—and herheart—for good. But now she desperately needs his help, and Rory will doanything to make amends for hurting her. Because convincing her to take himback seems like a fantasy.

As Rory and Annalise work together, following a trail of clues in their searchfor the lost painting, long-suppressed feelings bubble to the surface. Can sheget beyond her anger and heartache and find a way to forgive him? Or will thecriminal determined to stop them at any cost make them both pay the ultimateprice for love?

My Review:

Jannine always delivers agood story. This one felt a little different than her regular suspense plots aswe made our way through the artworld instead of the wilderness. But she navigatedthe landscape convincingly. The story was good, and her characters imperfect.And that’s a good thing. Rory has led a less than honest life, but he had hisreasons. Annalise is stubborn and unforgiving. They have depth and that added a good dimensionto the story.

AMAZON BUY LINK

SaveMe by Molly Black 

FBI Special Agent KatieWinter is no stranger to frigid winters, isolation, and dangerous cases. Withher sterling record of hunting down serial killers, she is a fast-rising starin the BAU, and when a woman is discovered in the middle of a frozen lake,Katie is the natural choice to partner with Canadian law enforcement to track thekiller across the brutal and unforgiving landscape.

But tensions run high between Katie and her newCanadian partner, and time is running out before the killer’s trail goes cold.The case also conjures the demons of her own past: Katie’s younger sister, vanishedyears ago on the shore of the very same lake, a case that remains unsolved.

Can Katie keep her demons at bay long enough toenter a killer’s mind and stop him before it’s too late?

Or will this diabolical monster outwit her inhis game of cat and mouse?

My Review:

This story held my attentionmost of the time. The problem between Katie and her new partner, and the why ofit was so vague I had trouble understanding. The disconnected plot lines withthe partner and her sister bothered me. Small stuff like typos were alsodisconcerting. It wasn’t a bad story but could definitely have benefited from agood editor. And by the way, I'm in the minority in my opinion of this book, so if you're a Molly Black fan you won't agree. If she's new to you, I encourage you to check the page on Amazon and the reviews there.

AMAZON BUY LINK

Interview with a Ten-Year-Old Author #kidlit #puppylove

Today, I have a special guest, Sadi Belle. Sadi and I (writing under the name of Brenda Sue) collaborate on our children's literature series about a little girl named Sadi and her dog Max. Sadi brought the idea to me last year, and I liked what she had in mind. I hadn't written kidlit before, but she had faith in me. I had faith that with her gigantic imagination, she could create the stories for me to write. We released the first book October 10, 2023. The book is beautifully illustrated by Terri Schultz. sadi and max Have the Best Christmas in the Entire World is an illustrated chapter book for children ages six to ten. Sadi agreed to do an interview for us:

Brenda: Hi Sadi. Tell us, how did you come up with the idea for your firstbook? 

Sadi: I don’t really know. It just kind of came to me Youknow I was happy about getting a new puppy and just let my imagination flow. 

Brenda: Max is the special puppy in your book. Tell us twofun facts about the real Max. 

Sadi: Well, first of all he thinks he’s human. He likes tosit on our patio chairs even though we have dog beds outside. And he has thisreal special toy he loves. It is a little hedgehog that is gray just like him,and he hasn’t destroyed it yet. He definitely thinks that toy is the best toyin the entire world. 

Brenda: What is the mainthing you want readers to take away from your book? 

Sadi: Oh, that’s a hardone…but if I have to pick, I would say how breeds of dogs with bad reputations,especially pittys, aren’t all bad. I like to say it depends on the owner. If,take a golden retriever, is put in a bad situation where a person is mean tohim or he is taught to be mean, he will be mean because he’s an animal. Pitbulls, the bully mixed breeds, are good protection dogs. They might look scarybecause they have muscular necks and big, strong looking jaws. But they aregood family dogs too. So the next time you see a dog and you think he might bemean, well, don’t judge a book by its cover. 

Brenda: Can you tell us one thing readers can look forwardto in book 2? 

Sadi: Max will be growing definitely as a bigger dog and abetter dog. And seeing his relationship with his two sisters, Gabby and Xena.He calls them his sisters. You’ll see how Max and Gabby love each other andthey play and go on walks. Gabby seems kind of rough, oh, she is a softy forMax. 

(Brenda aside: Max and Sadi have something special happen tothem in book two which will cause some amazing adventures. Maybe Sadi didn’twant to give away her latest great idea, but I had to clue you in to be lookingfor a twist in this story.) 

Brenda:What do your friends and family think about you publishing a book? 

Sadi: Myfriends did not believe me at first. They said things like “I’ll believe itwhen I see it” and “your nana is not an author” and boy did I prove them wrong.They are now really happy for me, and my teacher reads the book to the classevery day.

 

Brenda: You’re in 5th grade. What’s your favoritething and your not so favorite thing about school? 

Sadi: My favorite thing…I mean, does anyone really LOVEschool? But I have to say science. We always do fun projects. My least favoritething—that’s easy—HOMEWORK. 

Brenda: What do you like to do when you aren’t creatingstories to write about Sadi and Max? 

Sadi: Uh, I like to play video games like Sims 4 and Robloxand obviously play with Max. I also play with my dolls and enjoy basketball andwhether I like it or not, HOMEWORK. I mean, I don’t like it, but it has to getdone. 

Brenda: Is there anything you’d like to tell us that Ididn’t ask? 

Sadi: Oh, yeah, a little more about my dogs. First up,Gabby. Gabby is related to Xena and they are fourteen years old. Gabby loves tofollow my mom around and whines when Mom leaves the house. Xena, like Imentioned, she is fourteen and enjoys eating, sleeping, and swimming. Oh, andbarking. Max just turned two only a week ago. He enjoys going on rides andanything that involves water. And anything with me even when I don’t want himinvolved. He loves to play fetch.

Brenda: Thanks for being my guest today, Sadi. Let's tell everyone where they can find our book.

Sadi: It was fun! Our book is on Amazon, and you can get the print book in color or black and white. It's in eBook too. 

You can find the book here: BRENDA SUE'S AMAZON PAGE

You can find us on BookBub: BOOKBUB

BIOS:

Sadi Belle is ayoung lady of grade school age with an imagination beyond her years. She livesin Arizona with her dad, mom, and three dogs. When she isn’t playing with herdogs or championing their causes, she enjoys drawing, playing basketball,dolls, and world-building computer games.

When Brenda Sue isn’t writing children’s stories, she is BrendaWhiteside, the award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozymystery. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and herhusband have settled in Central Arizona. They admit to being gypsies at heartso won't discount the possibility of another move. They share their home with arescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes.