Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 16
March 22, 2023
Wicked Rides by Marla A. White #WickedWednesday
WICKED WEDNESDAY
Please welcome Marla A. White to Discover... I love suspenseful horsey tales. A wicked ride. I have my copy!
Hey Brenda, thanks so much for letting me take over this Wicked Wednesday to talk about the two different wicked rides in “Cause for Elimination”. One is mechanical, the other equestrian, and each is “wicked” in every sense of the word, depending on your perspective.
The first wicked ride is Ellie May, a classic 1960s mint green and white pickup truck that remains a bone of contention in the divorce between Emily Conners and her ex-husband Nick. To Emily it’s just a way of getting from point A to point B, while Nick loves the truck so much he named it. Which was primarily the reason it was the only thing she asked for in the divorce.
For Detective Justin Butler, the ride is wicked as in the worst ride he’s ever taken. Only partially restored, the springs from the seat hit him in all the wrong places. Then again, Emily’s driving is so terrifying to the normally stoic cop he forgets about how uncomfortable he is and merely hopes to survive.
Ellie May is based on a real truck that belonged to someone who worked in the building next to mine for years. I’d stare out the window of my office and, being a horse person who yearned for their own truck and trailer, I fell in love with it. And the growl of the engine was so wicked! She started as a minor part of the story and, like so many characters in my books, demanded more page time of her own. I never knew it belonged to and always wished I’d gone next door to find out more about it. Lesson learned—grab those chances when they come along!
The other wicked ride in “Cause” is Reese, the off-off the track Thoroughbred owned by Lottie Gray, the unpredictable, mischievous socialite. After the murder of her trainer, she turns to her friend and assistant trainer to take over the ride. And as anyone who rides knows, some days are fabulous while others are disasters.
As Emily battles back from a life-altering numbers throughout the book, she has several kinds of rides. One is a romantic, fun adventure getting Justin on a horse and one is a disaster at a clinic with hunky eventing legend Dearg McGregor that breaks open the big man’s heart. Eventually, Emily will be challenged to ride past her fears or risk losing it all.
Reese is more than a little inspired by my former horse, also named Reese. A sweet, giant goofball with a bigger than life personality, I learned so much from my years owning and riding him. Not as much as Emily does, I was nowhere near her level of rider, but every fence we came to he did everything I asked for. Not that we were successful all the time; when I’d ask, “are you sure we want to go over that?” he’d oblige by answering, “I’m cool with not doing it, I’ve got nothing to prove.”
BLURB "Cause for Elimination" is an award-winning suspense/mystery/romance set in the world of equestrian eventing. Emily Conners finds her boss's dead body in their horse training stables and that's only the start of her problems. Detective Justin Butler is brought in to investigate and Emily is worried that in the process of looking for the killer he'll discover the dark secret she's keeping from everyone, even her best friend. As the search for the murderer heats up, their hearts become entangled and their lives at risk, forcing Emily and Justin to work together to find the killer before they strike again.
As a once and (hopefully) future eventer, the horse world was a large part of my life and I love introducing horse and non-horse people alike to this arena and colorful cast of characters.
EXCERPT
Lost in her own thoughts, Emily flinched when the detective broke the relative silence of the pickup’s cab, having to raise his voice to be heard over the truck’s throaty engine as they roared down the road. “You do realize I’m a cop, right?”
She glanced over and saw his white-knuckle grip on the passenger door armrest. “That’s the fourth orange light you’ve run,” he fussed, relaxing his hold to make air quotes around the word orange. “Not to mention the speeding,” he added as they charged up the freeway entrance ramp.
Who knew detectives were such wusses?
“Oh, come on, even traffic cops tell you it’s okay to go ten miles over the posted speed limit.”
“You’re going twenty miles over and that’s an urban myth. Besides, I thought all you horse whisperers were the calm, patient type.”
He shifted in his seat. When Nick refurbished the truck, he hadn’t gotten around to replacing the benchseat. Unruly springs tended to poke people in rude places. She was used to the rough ride but considering the cop’s car was so cushy it probably had heated seats, she took pity on him and throttled Ellie May back to a gentle purr, reducing the bouncing to a bare minimum. “You want scary, you should ride with a DQ.”
“DQ?”
“Dressage Queen,” she answered. “Talk about brutal. Besides, I told you before, I’m still pretty new to the horse world.”
“So, Ms. Conners, what made you want to work in a barn?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Is knowing that relevant to your investigation?”
“I’m just trying to make polite conversation,” he said with a warm smile.
It had been a long time since she’d had any type of conversation, polite or otherwise. Pam had a way of asking questions as if she cared but ended up using the information against you. And Emily had learned through skilled practice to figure out the answers her various doctors wanted to hear in order to prescribe more painkillers, but that’s not the same as conversation, is it? Maybe she needed to brush up on her social skills, but the wisdom of starting off with a cop seemed shaky at best.
BOOK LINKS
Amazon https://amzn.to/3qk7XCP
Books2Read https://books2read.com/u/b6zjM6
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/books/cause-for-elimination-by-marla-a-white
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62233827-cause-for-elimination
All Author https://allauthor.com/book/70256/cause-for-elimination/
Marla White – Social Media LinksTwitter: https://twitter.com/TheScriptFixer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marlaw825/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarlaAWhiteAuthor
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marlaw825
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21467766.Marla_A_White
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/marla-a-white
March 15, 2023
Chocolate Martini Sisters Hit the Road #BookTour #CozyMystery #GiftCard
Book tours are crazy fun. We’ve kicked off another tour with Great Escapes for Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder (Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery, book 1). You’ll learn lots about this Cozy Mystery that is already getting great reviews AND at the same time be entered in a drawing for a $20 gift card to Amazon. Hit every stop and get yourself entered and in on the fun!
March 15 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 16 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
March 16 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 17 – I’m Into Books – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 18 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
March 19 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – Novels Alive – REVIEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
March 21 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
March 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 22 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 22 – Literary Gold – REVIEW
March 23 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 23 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
March 24 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
March 25 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 26 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
March 27 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
March 28 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
It’s a birthday weekend with the gift of murder.
When Sisters Emma and Nic check-in at the storied Dulce Inn for a relaxing, birthday weekend, they don’t expect a madhouse of temperamental artists or getting entangled in two murders. Using their love of all-things mystery, and despite a surly detective who stands in their way, can the Chocolate Martini Sisters tackle the caper, unsnarl the web of secrets, lies, and vengeance to catch the killer?
March 13, 2023
A Nana, a Cozy, and a Muse by Susie Black #CozyMystery
I absolutely love hearing how authors get inspired to write, where their stories are born, and how they bring them to life. You're going to enjoy reading about how my guest, Susie Black, came to write cozy mystery.
My nana the letter writer gave me the tools to write cozy mysteries
If there is an inheritable gene for story-telling, mine came from my mother’s mother. My nana should have been a writer. No one could tell a story like her. Like many families, once my nana’s siblings grew up and left home, they scattered across the country. Nana knew the importance of keeping her family together no matter how many miles separated them. As the oldest child, Nana was chosen to write letters to family members living far from home. With the same level of dedication as the postman; come rain, sleet, or snow, war or peace, prosperous times or the depths of a national depression, my blind-as-a-bat without her coke bottle-thick glasses nana sat every Monday night at her dining room table and wrote a letter to each of her siblings. Her letters sewed the thread that kept our close-knit tribe connected.
When I was in my sophomore year of college my family moved from Los Angeles to Miami. Despite their valiant attempts to persuade me to join them, I wasn’t interested in relocating to “God’s waiting room,” and remained out west. The good news was that Nana added me to her list of weekly letter-writing recipients. Lonesome for my family, Nana’s weekly letter was an eagerly-anticipated lifeline to my family’s heart and soul. For all of us, that letter was the glue that kept our family bound together no matter how far from home one of us wandered.
The designated town crier, Nana’s letters were more like a newsletter. A date with her friends at the movies? After reading her letter, I was in the seat next to her. She reported who went, what they wore, if they were late or early; where they sat, if they had a snack, what the snack was, editorials on how much the snacks and the movie tickets cost, and every detail of the movie that was so complete, the recipient of her letter could write a decent review based on Nana’s commentary. If she described what an attendee was wearing, I could close my eyes and picture the outfit perfectly. Her descriptions were so detailed and rich, that if she was describing a meal, I could smell the wafting aroma and taste the food. Out of sentimentality or maybe a sixth sense that someday I’d need them, I kept every one of those letters. Like Nana, they were strong-willed and hearty; surviving dogs, a child, countless moves, several major earthquakes, and a devastating house fire. I had no formal creative writing training when I decided to leverage my experiences as a successful ladies’ swimwear sales exec into a writing career and pen my first manuscript. I had a story to tell, but no clue how to tell it. I instinctively pulled the carefully wrapped packets of letters out of the storage box and re-read every one of them. I could picture Nana at the dining room table writing the letters. I heard her voice inside my head speaking to me. My long-gone, full-service nana had given me all the tools I needed. I re-packed the letters, started to write, and thanks to Nana, I never stopped. Death by Sample Size, my debut cozy mystery, won two awards. Death by Pins and Needles, book two in my Holly Swimsuit Series has already received rave reviews. Somewhere in the great beyond, Nana is smiling with her approval.
Who wanted Lissa Charney dead? The list was as long as your arm….but which one actually killed her? The last thing Mermaid Swimwear sales exec Holly Schlivnik expected to find when she opened the closet door was nasty competitor Lissa Charney’s battered corpse nailed to the wall. When Holly’s colleague is wrongly arrested for Lissa’s murder, the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth sticks her nose everywhere it doesn’t belong to sniff out the real killer. Nothing turns out the way she thinks it will as Holly matches wits with a heartless killer hellbent for revenge.
Death by Pins and Needles Excerpt
A dozen swimsuits picture-framed Lissa’s battered, bloody corpse like a museum exhibit. Ringed with matching black and purplish-blue shiners, her wide-open, sightless eyes stared into space as though surprised by her situation. No kidding. That made two of us. I was no doctor, but you didn’t need a medical degree for this diagnosis. No need to take her pulse. One thing was for sure, Lissa Charney had made her last sales presentation.
Naturally, I burst out laughing.
Buy Links:
Amazon:
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-by-pins-and-needles-susie-black/1142836329?ean=9781509246779
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/search?search=Death+by+Pins+and+Needles
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Death+by+Pins+and+Needles&qid=GqIgEv6TpY
Susie Black biography
Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Fashion & Foul Play Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries. She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan 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 be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.
Looking for more? Contact Susie at:
Website: www.authorsusieblack.com
E-mail: mysteries_@authorsusieblack.com
March 7, 2023
Wicked Wonderful Travel by Margot Johnson #romance #travel
WICKED WEDNESDAY
Thank you, Brenda, for inviting me to be your guest this Wicked Wednesday. I’m happy to join you for some mid-week fun based on the wicked travel adventures in Let it Simmerand in my own life.
So glad to have you, Margot. What a great idea for a series. Please tell us about it.
Merilee’s tours are inspired by my love of my home province of Saskatchewan, Canada and the many wickedly wonderful places to visit here. Many people are familiar with Canadian tourist attractions like Banff and Niagara Falls, but here are just a few of the scenic and exciting options you’ll find in Saskatchewan… Moose Jaw, SK – a city with a small-town feel, I set my first book, Love Takes Flight, there. Legend has it that Al Capone hid out in tunnels under the city, and it has a great mineral spa for a relaxing soak.
Waskesiu, SK (Merilee’s latest destination) – This touristy town sits on the shores of a lake in Prince Albert National Park in Northern Saskatchewan. Our family visits every year to breathe the fresh, pine-scented air, hang out at the beach, and watch for wildlife. Elk often cruise the town, and you might see a bear along the road.
Madge Lake, SK – Another beautiful lake setting in Saskatchewan where our family has started anannual holiday tradition. A nice beach, golf course, and miniature golf course appeal to all ages.
Eastend, SK – This small town is best known for the nearby discovery of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton nicknamed "Scotty" in 1994. A few years ago, my husband, Rick, and I stayed in a country cottage and had fun exploring the area.
Regina, SK – a city of about 250,000, it’s the capital city of Saskatchewan with many attractions including beautiful Wascana Park and the RCMP Heritage Centre and police training academy.
Have you visited Saskatchewan, Canada? If not, I hope you now have a new destination to add to your travel wish list. What’s a special place near you or a place you love to visit?
About Let it Simmer, book three in the Merilee Tours series… A sensible, mature widow like Susan doesn’t belong on a tour bus seated next to her high school crush. Thirty years later, Phil is as charming and handsome as ever, but she doesn’t need a new partner, especially not a love-’em-and-leave-’em guy.
Happily single, Phil tags along to celebrate his matchmaking mom’s eightieth birthday. She’s embarrassingly persistent, but maybe she’s right he should, finally, settle down with the right woman.
Susan only wants a little family time with her two cousins and a scenic vacation to Northern Saskatchewan…so why does she feel like a fluttery teenage girl? Can Phil spark even more excitement than games, scenery, and wildlife?
Author Biography:
Margot Johnson writes feel-good stories of dreams, family, and romance.
She is the author of two sweet romance novels, LOVE TAKES FLIGHT and LOVE LEADS THE WAY, and three novellas, LET IT SNOWBALL, LET IT MELT, and LET IT SIMMER. Her characters can't possibly find their happy endings...or can they?Before turning her focus to the fun writing life, Margot held leadership roles in human resources and communications. Her motto is "Dream big and work hard."
When not writing, she loves to connect with family and friends, volunteer with SK Writers Guild, and walk at least 10,000 steps a day (except when it's minus 40!)
Margot lives in the Canadian prairies with her husband.
Contact Margot here:
Website: margotjohnson.ca
Facebook: MargotJohnsonAuthor
Twitter: @AuthorMargot
Find Margot’s books here:
Welcome the Chocolate Martini Sisters #NewRelease #giveaway #cozymystery
RELEASE DAY!
It’s a birthday weekend with the gift of murder.Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder, the first book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters mysteries is officially out in the world. Kicking off our release is a week long book tour with Silver Dagger Tours and a giveaway.
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Recently widowed, Emma Banefield looks forward to a getaway birthday weekend with her free-wheeling sister, Nicole Earp, sipping chocolate martinis at the peaceful, historic Dulce Inn. When a rude stranger, a nasty food critic, and a madhouse of temperamental artists greet them, all hope for a tranquil weekend evaporates faster than dew on a hot desert morning.
Overlooking the riotous atmosphere is doubly hard after Em discovers the body of a hotel guest, and a second murder affects Nic personally. Now, entrenched in a caper that pits them against a surly detective, they cozy up to a hotel staff hiding dangerous secrets to uncover clues to the killer.
Using their smarts and love of all-things mystery, will the Chocolate Martini Sisters solve the crime ahead of the obstinate Chief Detective or find themselves trapped in the middle of a third murder?
You can enter to win at every stop while learning more about the Chocolate Martini Sisters.
Mar 7
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
Tina Donahue Books - Heat with Heart
Mar 8
A Reader's Book Corner – REVIEW ON PODCAST
Lisa Everyday Reads – GUEST POST
#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
Mar 9
Manic Scribbler – GUEST POST
Indie Author Book Reviews – GUEST POST
Mar 10
Journeys with Jana – GUEST POST
Beyond Romance – GUEST POST
Denise Dekker – GUEST POST
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin
Mar 11
FUONLYKNEW – GUEST POST
4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼
Books all things paranormal and romance
Mar 12
Twirling Book Princess – GUEST POST
A Wonderful World of Words – GUEST POST
Mar 13
Mar 14
Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author
March 2, 2023
Shy Guy With a Killer Line by Mark Love #mystery #FearlessFriday
It takes a fearless act of courage for a shy guy to make that first move. How perfect to have it inspire a story for a novel. You'll enjoy this post by guest, Mark Love. And it's his real name too.
In my youth and well into my twenties, I was always a little awkward around women. It was rare for me to engage a young lady in a conversation that lasted more than a couple of sentences. Perhaps that’s why this rash situation remains captured in my memory more than two decades later.
I had dropped my car off at the dealership to get some repairs made. It was a Friday in the spring, so I was riding my motorcycle while the car was being worked on. I returned shortly after five. The plan was to pay the bill, then drive the car off the lot and park it at the restaurant next door. I would take the motorcycle home and have someone bring me back later to retrieve the car.
There was a long line of people. You had to pay the cashier first, then wait in another line for a porter to bring out your car. Standing directly in front of me was a pretty, young woman with long blonde hair. She was wearing a navy-blue business suit with a skirt, stockings and black high heels. I was in jeans, boots, and a black leather jacket. To my amazement, we started talking. For once, my awkwardness disappeared.
We each paid the cashier, then moved to the next line. The conversation continued. Just before her car was brought forward she turned to speak with one of the dealership’s representatives. My eyes traveled down her figure and I was staring at her shapely legs. She turned back to me. I was caught in the act. Her expression told me it hadn’t bothered her.
From somewhere in the depths of my brain, a line shot from my mouth without any hesitation. “I would pay to shave those legs.”
At that moment, her car arrived. She acknowledged the porter and started towards her vehicle. Just before climbing inside, her eyes locked on mine.
“How much?”
Before I could answer, she got in the car and drove away.
I never got her name and never saw her again. But that memorable exchange was priceless. I used that for a scene in “Your Turn to Die”.
The main character is Detective Jefferson Chene (pronounced Shane). Most people call him by his last name. Chene has dated, but always struggled with relationships. Although he excels as a detective and solving difficult crimes, the complexities of dating leave him baffled. Recently he has begun dating Simone. They met when her roommate was murdered by a serial killer. This connection makes Chene careful. They are slowly getting to know each other.
YOUR TURN TO DIE
It was supposed to be a friendly round of paintball. But blood, not paint, covers Kyle Morrissey's body. Though admired by the public for his charity, the businessman was no choirboy. Could it be that more than one person wants him dead?
Sergeant Jefferson Chene and his detective squad catch the case. With two new faces on the team, he finds himself in the unfamiliar role as mentor. He is also cautiously beginning a relationship with Simone Bettencourt, the beautiful woman he met while pursuing a serial murderer.
Complicating the case are two retired gangsters, a fortune in jewels, and Detroit's history of organized crime. But the squad must utilize every resource available to catch a killer.
BOOK LINKS:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MPPYY31/
https://books.apple.com/us/book/your-turn-to-die/id1449415728
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/your-turn-to-die-1
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43907286-your-turn-to-die
https://www.bookbub.com/books/your-turn-to-die-by-mark-love
https://www.audible.com/pd/B07PYYZKDJ
Find all of Mark's books and learn more about the author here: AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
February 26, 2023
#Erotica and Happy Endings by Stella Grae
MUSE MONDAY
Please welcome Stella Grae to Discover... What a fun post. And I just love the last line in her excerpt, so read to the end for a zinger.
A common question writers have to navigate is “How did you come up with the idea for this story?” It’s a fair question. When discussing seeds of ideas concerning erotica, I find people fall into two categories: those who don’t ask because they’re afraid of the answer and then those who do ask because the answer could be a wild ride into another life that might be fun to try on…at least for a little while. I didn’t begin my writing career thinking of erotica as a viable outlet, but it came to be in quite an interesting way. Most authors pull some part of themselves into a work, even if it’s just their own personal fantasies. Just Call Me Confidence and its sequel, which I’m working on right now, were both born of a failed relationship. I was about to have another birthday and the realization hit me: I might have lived half of my life already. There were exotic (or dangerous!) trips to take, interesting people to meet, and dancing in stilettos to be done. I was lonely in my relationship at the time, but didn’t want to do anything stupid, so I created characters and situations that were based a little on reality, but twisted them to create the kind of relationship that I actually wished I had had. The relationship fizzled, but the plot sizzled, as they say.
While not every story can have a happy ending, every story has the potential to be mixed with fantasy. What you do with that is your business. But I know this: fantasy can sometimes be the one thing that keeps us sane, and our inner stories that we tell ourselves alive. And sometimes, fantasy and reality collide. In that case, I’ll channel my inner Just Call Me Confidence protagonist, Jenna, and leave you with some wise words of advice: Not every story is meant to be a reality, but every story can be the chrysalis for a newfound confidence.
BLURB
Jenna Craig is a 40-year-old freshly-minted “hot momma” looking for a little love in her post-divorce life. After a night out with her cougar tribe, she wonders whether she’s still got “it”—the double-takes from the college clowns at the bar quickly put her doubts to rest. Though she may be alone, she knows she’ll never be lonely.
Jenna’s newfound confidence is buoyed by some swim club eye candy: Travis the lifeguard. Hot trysts in the locker room leave her wondering if she might want something more. When her naughty, new boy toy introduces her to his friend, Collin, Jenna is engulfed with waves of emotion that she thought she might never feel again. With two younger men vying for her heart, will she choose the perfect guy for right now, or the man who could give her another shot at love?
The experienced Ms. Craig is certain of one thing: She better bring the confidence to pull off the choice of her desire.
EXCERPT “I’m glad we’re friends, and that you think nothing of racing to my house to help me with my man woes, and my panties. But you know what I appreciate most?”
“You appreciate my sarcastic, brutally honest, down-home wit?”
“No, the fact that you don’t judge me or what I do, or don’t do. You’ve never said you think I’m acting like a whore.”
Fielding hugs me and doesn’t let go. Patting me on my back she responds, “I’ll never stoop to calling you a whore because you’re simply acting like a woman with a man’s morals.”
Stella Grae is an unassuming English professor, copyeditor, and copywriter living in Lexington, Kentucky. She’s the author of the short story “Power Play” that was originally published in the website erotica journal Oysters and Chocolate. In her spare time she enjoys sipping on bourbon, nibbling cheesy grits, and philosophizing about love and sex in her blog, “Bone Up,” which can be found on her website: stellagraeerotica.weebly.com…along with other sexy tidbits. This is her first erotica novel. Website: https://stellagraeerotica.weebly.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sgraeerotica/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SGraeErotica
AllAuthor: https://stellagraeerotica.allauthor.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/159637845-stella-grae
Email: stellagrae@proton.me
Amazon Central Author Page:
February 23, 2023
Book Tour & Giveaway #giveaway #NewRelease
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Wild Horse Peaks Novels officially kicked off with the first book, The Art of Love and Murder, releasing 2/21/2023. A wild ride of a book tour begins today. Every stop is different and you can win a gift card. Hope to see you there.
Wild Horse Peaks is a second addition series that is sure to bring you lots of entertainment in the romantic suspense genre.
Feb 23
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
Feb 24
Journeys with Jana – GUEST POST
Musings of an Independent Artist – GUEST POST
Feb 25
Fairy Tales to Thrillers – GUEST POST
Readers Roost – GUEST POST
4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼
Books all things paranormal and romance
Feb 26
FUONLYKNEW – GUEST POST
#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog
Feb 27
A Wonderful World of Words – GUEST POST
Word Processor, Romance, Cats, Kids and Creed
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
Feb 28
Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'
Mar 1
Mar 2
Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author
Indie Author Book Reviews – GUEST POST
Tina Donahue - Heat with Heart
February 16, 2023
Fearless Friday Humanitarian by Anne Fowler #fearless #humanitarian #memoir
FEARLESS FRIDAY
Talk about fearless! My guest today, Anne Fowler, is the definition of fearless. Enjoy her post:
For Fearless Friday the question asked was, “Have you done something that's rash or life changing (moved across country, quit your day job?)” I think my answer definitely qualifies me to participate! In 2001, I uprooted my life in Toronto where I was a successful business owner, sold both my home and company leaving behind an over 30- year career in human resources. Why? So I could relocate to Honduras, a country once dubbed by the BBC as “the murder capital of the western world!” When I first travelled there on a medical brigade in 1993, the Honduran people captured my heart. I was hooked and spent the next 7 years driving my staff, friends and family crazy with my obsession to retire and become a “do gooder!” What exactly would I be doing? Didn’t have a clue other than I would live for half the year over an El Progreso eye/dental clinic for the poor, one that I had become associated with from several previous mission trips; then, the remaining 6 months at my Canadian cottage acting like a normal retired person. Oh in my HR mind I had a vague idea of what was needed at the clinic; updating their administrative procedures, hiring and training more staff, improving overall efficiency and increasing the number of patients, but I knew that until I was actually living there I couldn’t assess the situation properly. I continued my annual 2 week medical brigades right up until it was time to pack in my “old life.” The only exception to my usual brigade participation occurred in October1998 when Hurricane Mitch, the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, hit Central America, devastating Honduras. For the second year in a row, two weeks prior to the brigade’s start, I had travelled to Guatemala to study Spanish. Even now 25 years later I can still visualize the devastation caused by Mitch. On November 7, I was transported by military helicopter from Guatemala to San Pedro Sula. As we flew over Honduras nothing could have prepared me for the devastation that I viewed from the air.
Our team members from North America were unable to come. The airport was inoperable with mud and water reaching to the second story of the terminal building. I joined volunteers and local medical personnel at a crisis centre set up at the Lions Hall in the centre of one of the hardest hit cities, El Progreso. And the people came, thousands of them. Many had lost everything and they all echoed the same physical complaints; they were completely traumatized psychologically. Each day, we worked long hours until we couldn’t stand any longer. The lines never seemed to get shorter and returning the next morning, there were still thousands waiting. After a few weeks, some of us were able to venture outside the city in an attempt to provide medical aid, blankets, clothing and food to surrounding devastated communities. The conditions encountered were akin to looking at photos of Hiroshima. My two- week brigade turned into a two month Honduran stay and I didn’t return to Toronto until just before Christmas. Was I exhausted? Absolutely. Did the experience change my mind about moving to Honduras? No one was surprised to hear it had only solidified my determination.
The day finally arrived in October 2001 when I said goodbye to friends and family and moved to the clinic in El Progreso. I know I had previously said that I couldn’t properly assess the situation until I was there on the ground. Boy, did I ever miscalculate THAT situation, I’d had no idea just what I was getting into!! It soon became clear that simply increasing staff numbers and updating systems were the least of my challenges. Besides moving from a 4,000 square foot home to a 12X16’ room over the clinic, there was the small issue of communication and my Spanish language skills proved less than fluent. Fortunately, there were a couple of bilingual people on the clinic’s staff who enabled me to forge ahead. Some things worked, some were dismal failures. But I persevered and wrote some pretty good programs, many of which are still in operation 22 years later.
“The Plan” to stay in Honduras no more than five years changed as I came to realize that this was where I was supposed to be. In 2005 I purchased property, built a home in the north coast village of El Porvenir and headed out into uncharted territory for a new challenge! My existing projects were introduced into the community and we developed many more. Please visit my web page to see details. http://anne.honduranhope.net Although I’ve slowed down (I AM after all 82!) I remain active, still “plotting” new ways to improve the lives of our Honduran people. I didn’t plan to write another book after my memoir “I’ve Worn Many Hats,” was completed, but I was persuaded to help fund our latest project, a town “bookmobile, by putting together a compilation of selected “adventures” experienced by some of our young international volunteers!
I am often asked “Have you ever regretted upending your life to move to Honduras all those years ago?” My answer? Not for even one minute! Of course I have had regrets, but they had nothing to do with pursuing my passion for the Honduran people.However, I have come to realize that each of us needs to recognize that “who” we are is the sum of choices we’ve made in our lives. What one chooses to do with that knowledge determines their path going forward. I am very happy with the path I’m on!
To order “I’ve Worn Many Hats”
For Canadian readers: Paperback – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1778350321
eBook – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/BO9HDN55FV
For US readers: Paperback – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1778350321
eBook – https://www.amazon.com/dp/BO9HDN55FV
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1778350321
Germany – https://www.amazon.de/dp/1778350321
France – https://www.amazon.fr/dp/1778350321
Spain – https://www.amazon.es/dp/1778350321
Italy – https://www.amazon.it/dp/1778350321
Australia – https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1778350321
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Born and raised in Toronto I grew up an only child in a traditional middle class Canadian family of the 40’s and 50’s. But my life has been anything but traditional! After finishing school my career included flight attendant with American Airlines, model, travel agent, world traveller, sales and marketing and almost 30 years in Human Resources as an entrepreneur/ business owner. I closed my company and retired in 2001 to take up another role, that of humanitarian. As someone once said when they described my various life pursuits during their introduction of me as that night’s speaker, “and she’s only 108 years old!”February 12, 2023
Fearless Women and Inspiration by D.V. Stone
MUSE MONDAY
Fearless women are inspirational and create priceless muses...a great post. Read and enjoy my guest, D.V. Stone.
Hi Brenda! Thank you for having me on your Muse Monday blog today. I'd like to share how fearless women are inspirational in the fiction world. When I thought about being fearless, I tried to think of adventures I took. I’m sort of the boldly go kind of person. I’m at an age where I’m a bit more cautious due to common sense, but I’m always up for a new escapade. We’ve chatted before about fearlessly living a normal life which sometimes takes guts to get up every morning and live the day. I don’t consider being ‘fearless’ with lack of fear but plunging on in spite of it.
My newest book has that kind of character. When I sought an inspiration, the first female that came to mind was Amelia Earhart. This pioneer of aviation for everyone, not only women, was born in 1897. That was one-hundred and twenty-six years ago. Can we say we’ve come a long way baby?
The other night on the news they interviewed women who were doing a high speed jet flyover in honor of the 50th anniversary of women being allowed to become naval aviators.
Our past is chock full of women who propelled us forward. One of my favorite movies is Hidden Figures. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson had key roles in moving our space program forward. They had a lot to fear.
It’s people like this who change our world for the better. Where would we be without Clara Barton who marched into a battlefield and receive a bullet through her dress sleeve while ministering to a dying man.
All these women I’m certain struggled with fear. But overcame it by determination and heart. So, who is Zahra Corbyn of Sea Hunter? She is a college professor of antiquities, an underwater archeologist, and a leader in her small sphere after World War II.
She had to overcome her fears after being attacked and nearly drowned. She faces down anyone who would mess with those in her care. She is a woman in a time where new and exciting possibilities were opening up for those who would boldly go.
The picture of me is after climbing a tower in Vermont above the canopy. My hubby is not a fan of heights so stayed below. I was nervous climbing by myself. I have a few medical issues but when I reached the top, there was nothing to think about but the beauty of our world.
What say you? Who do you think of in history or today that inspire and move the human race forward?
Sea Hunter: A Paranormal, Action Adventure, Romance on the High Seas
Release Date 3/16/23
Independent publication
Part of the Mortar and Pestle series of seven books by various authors
ASIN B0BRYJLLW1
Pages 159
Purchase link Sea Hunter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRYJLLW1
Link to series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS42PKHZ
Link to Free Sample of series https://dl.bookfunnel.com/b1ytv2r7nq
Link to Trailer https://youtu.be/juQwaRm4aEw
A wisp of smoke, a swirl of promise, a breath of destiny…a message within the Mortar & Pestle for those who want to believe. Throughout time people have sought their heart’s desire. But true love is often elusive. Carved with ancient Norse runes, the Mortar & Pestle shows paths to happily-ever-afters. Once you capture the Mortar & Pestle’s scent of magic, you’ll want to read all seven individual romances.
Sea Hunter:
On the turbulent high seas, an archeologist must protect a historic shipwreck from treasure hunters—not fall for one.
Zahra Corbyn.
I’m a Sea Hunter. As an underwater archeologist and professor of antiquities, it is my duty to stop treasure hunters and looters from raiding Sea Wraith. But fate is a funny thing. Now I find myself working with Jack Alexander, a treasure hunter, to protect history from a known looter. Did my heart’s desire change?
Captain Jack Alexander.
I’ve been told women on a ship are unlucky, but this one has the two pieces of the map I need to finally claim Sea Wraith. Now I find myself in a deal that makes me one-third partner with her and a known scoundrel.
Can the two unlikely allies work together while safeguarding their hearts against the power of the Mortar and Pestle?
If you like Lara Croft and Indiana Jones, you’ll love Zahra Corbyn and Jack Alexander.
Bio D. V. Stone is an award-winning, multi-genre, traditionally and independently published author. She writes books people want to read. Whether romance or fantasy, contemporary or mid-grade, her stories are about the importance of friends and family. About overcoming obstacles while often with humor.
Around the Fire is a popular weekly blog where she introduces both established and new authors giving an insider’s look into their lives and books as well as tidbits about her own life.
Now retired, she is a full-time author and incorporates her life experiences into her books.
As a former Emergency Medical Technician, she volunteered in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. At the same time, she worked as a professional EMT in a women’s state prison. She was the proprietor of a coffee shop and a small restaurant/ice cream stand in the years that followed. After those, she was a manager in an animal emergency hospital, while her last position was in a human medical office.
When not behind the wheel of 2Hoots—a 41-foot long 13.2 feet high 5th Wheel camper, she rambles around town in Northern New Jersey in a white Camaro. She also loves travel and history.
D.V. is a wife to an amazing husband, mother to one son, and not your average grandma to three beautiful grands. A woman of faith, she believes and trusts in God.
“My greatest pleasures are spending time outside with friends and family, cooking over the open fire, sipping a glass of wine, and reading.”
Hali, her rescue dog, always reminds her to let readers know, “Woof, woof.” Which is loosely translated as support your local animal rescue.”
You can learn more about D. V. by following her on social media.
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