Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 30
August 13, 2021
Leaving the Nest is Fearless by Marilyn Barr #FearlessFriday #shifters
FEARLESS FRIDAY
Please welcome back Marilyn Barr to Fearless Friday on Discover... I think we all have to be fearless in raising children, in guiding young people, and letting go. You'll enjoy Marilyn's post about that kind of fearlessness.
Do you remember the first time you traveled without your guardians? For me, it was the eighth-grade trip to Washington D.C. There were over 1800 eighth grade kids in my school so we were divided into teams of one hundred with an army of chaperones. Next, I traveled with the marching band to Disney World to march in the parade for their new movie “The Lion King”. Both trips were a test of my responsibility, organization, money management skills, and street smarts. This was before the days of cell phones, so staying with the group and utilizing the buddy system to go to the bathroom was a survival skill.
My son is a homeschooler, and unless another parent organizes such a trip, he will not get the experience of traveling without my husband and me. Since he was deemed “too sick for school” in 2013, the helicopter mom in me is relieved, but those trips serve a purpose in fostering independence. How can I expect him to move into a college dorm when he’s never been out of my sight? When mulling over parental decisions, I turn to my fictional town of Strawberry, KY. In the book series, my son is four years older but otherwise is true to real life. The character Henrik is homeschooled in a rural setting with another family with six boys, ranging in age from twenty to twelve.
I could use these characters to test out different scenarios for my son’s independent experiences, starting with a guy who leaves home for the first time at twenty. I had to create a need to send them somewhere, so all my worst- and best-case scenarios could play out in safety. Here’s how Susie the dolphin-shifter explains my plan in
Smoother Than Spumoni
: “While exposing our secret to the world would make us instant science projects, having an incestuous community is, well, gross. Some generations back, we joined a league of shifter packs for more social opportunities like summer internships for shifters my age. Luckily for me, none of the other packs have the same DNA lineage.”
The first victim…I mean intern is Frank Paulino Junior. When the werewolf pack’s father passed away, many of the responsibilities fell onto Frank’s shoulders. All the boys help to run the family’s pizzeria which is the social hub for the tiny town, but Frank took over the books. Throughout the Strawberry Shifters series, we have seen Frank tackle the bookkeeping, be a role model for his brothers, provide a shoulder for his mother to cry on, and kick Sluagh butt. However, we have never seen him have fun. So where should I send him? I reveal my plan in Strawberry Shifters Book 2: Round of Applause:
“It is what’s best for him and most importantly, it is what he wants. He’s only nineteen but has held the responsibilities of a man twice his age. He has earned a break, so I’m requesting he go to the Florida pack unless their leader is a jerk. I would like to think of Frankie smiling down on his son while Junior frolics on a beach.”
With his internship set at Bart’s Oyster Bar on the coast of Seagrass Island in Tampa Bay, FL, I could let my imagination run wild. Like any mom, I would hope my son found friends, fun, and new skills while away. I would want him to spend his time learning to surf, swim in the ocean, and applying sunscreen. However, this might have been too much to ask of Frank. He claps back my ideas in Smoother Than Spumoni:
“Every day someone tells me to lighten up, but I’m not wired that way. I work. I take care of my brothers. It was a conspiracy between my mother and pack leader to send me here to learn to play. They thought the ocean would bring out a carefree side I don’t possess.”
Sorry Frank but don’t forget the author of your book in that conspiracy. Poor Frank is not only unprepared for unstructured fun but meets up with my worst nightmares as a parent too. While on a date, he discovers a conspiracy to pollute Tampa Bay and cover it up with a natural phenomenon called “Red Tide”. Danger lurks around every corner. With his inability to swim, how can this sheltered werewolf keep his head above water? With the help of his perfect match, Susie Larkin, heiress to the humble Larkin’s Dairy Dip. “‘See, absolutely beautiful,’ he says, grasping my chin between his thumb and index finger. The adoration on his face warms me to my toes while his other hand captures my jaw. He tilts his head and my world tilts on its axis. I close my eyes when his eyelashes flutter down.”
With instant chemistry between the two workaholic curmudgeons, his internship isn’t all bad. A dolphin shifter can not only keep him afloat but also entertained with serious discussions on dairy price points in the restaurant industry. Travel with Frank and relive your first trip outside of your parent’s reach. Wearing water wings would make his mother happier, but they would impede Frank’s ability to be Smoother Than Spumoni, coming to The Wild Rose Press on 8/23/2021.
On Pre-order sale for $1.99 on Amazon and iTunes.
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097CLMBTM/
iTunes - https://books.apple.com/us/book/smoother-than-spumoni/id1573010468
August 2, 2021
Crossing Over to the Cold Side of Town by Lyndi Alexander #shapeshifter #Sci-Fi
MUSE MONDAY
Please welcome Lyndi Alexander to Discover... for Muse Monday. She proves cold can be hot!
I have any number of writer friends who are deep into creating cozy shapeshifter stories with cats, dogs, wolves—all sorts of furry friends. I mean who wouldn’t want to curl up with a life-sized rug to keep you warm at night?
My tastes, however, trend to sci-fi over fantasy, and so when I decided to write a shifter romance, of course I chose reptiles. 😊 Now, I get that herpetology isn’t for everyone. But Griff isn’t merely some iguana. His kind are human-sized, intelligent, and many of them have bad intentions for the local human population. In human form, Griff is sexy and protective, and willing to rip out the throat of anyone who threatens detective Kylie Sanderson. He senses her strong duty, her determination, and commits to saving her and her people. So it’s Kylie who must keep her body temperature warm to sustain that of Griff, and he has no trouble raising those degrees.
If you’re feeling adventurous this weekend, why don’t you curl up with a hero who’s a bit cold-blooded in A Small Degree of Hope by Lyndi Alexander?
Blurb
Even the smallest degree of hope can spark love.
Against her wealthy father's demands, and the usual blockades of a male dominated profession, Kylie
Sanderson proves worthy of her position as lead investigator of planet Andan's Scientific and Investigative Research Taskforce. Someone is killing Andan's women in an attempt to mutate them into reptiles. Kylie makes it her mission to discover who's behind the murders and prevent more grotesque deaths.
Shapeshifting lizard Griff comes to Andan to stop his brethren from mutating other planet's women into mindless breeding stock. Overcoming Kylie's suspicious and defensive nature proves difficult, but he must in order to help the SIRT team thwart his planet's scientists.
When Kylie is abducted and becomes the first human to survive the transformation, it's up to Griff to rescue her so SIRT can restore her human form. On the run and desperate to unravel the mysteries of Kylie's past to solve the crimes of their present, can she and Griff forge a future for themselves?
Buy Links:
Excerpt: At twenty-six, Kylie knew she shouldn’t be subject to her parents’ wishes any longer, but there was something about William Sanderson that just didn’t bear defiance. He ran his business like a dictatorship, and his family, too. Living under his thumb in their luxurious home, with its special privileges, servants and perks had been a learning experience for the future government agent. She’d learned survival skills that served her at SIRT. Very few people had the power to intimidate her. Only the Colonel’s icy blue stare still shook her foundation. But she did her best not to let him see it. And most of the time she just tried to stay away from him.
I’m much too busy with this case to go now. He’ll understand that. Stick-to-it-iveness. Laying my work ethic on the line.
But it wouldn’t hold him off for long.
The ride to work triggered memories of those minutes sitting with Griff in front of Hawthorn’s the night before. A faint smell of baked, dry earth lingered, slightly acrid, but as the air conditioning started to process the air, it faded quickly. What an odd smell. It reminded her of something just outside the easy reach of her memory.
Next time I see him, I’m taking him down.
Book trailer: https://youtu.be/fi6OBXl4V6U
Author Bio
Lyndi Alexander always dreamed of faraway worlds and interesting alien contacts. She lives as a post-modern hippie in Asheville, North Carolina, a single mother of her last child of seven, a daughter on the autism spectrum, finding that every day feels a lot like first contact with a new species.
Author Links
Website and Blog https://lyndialexander.wordpress.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lyndialexander13/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4185290.Lyndi_Alexander
Amazon Author Page
https :// www . amazon . com / Lyndi - Alexander / e / B 005 GDYPU 2/ ref = dp _ byline _ cont _ ebooks _1
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lyndi-alexander
Smashwords | Lyndi Alexander https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lyndialexander
July 26, 2021
Using Who You Know
Bringing Characters to Life by Margot Johnson #romance #MuseMonday
MUSE MONDAY
Please welcome Margot Johnson to Muse Monday on Discover... Love is always a favorite topic of Muse Monday. Tell us more, Margot.
In Love Leads the Way, the story and characters are fiction but draw on some of my experiences at work and at home. I’d love to have lunch with Tessa and compare notes on strong leaders, single parenting, family quirks, and cute golden retrievers. One key difference is I didn’t meet my handsome husband at work! I formerly worked for a major company like Tessa and delivered programs to help people dig deep and improve their leadership skills. I can relate to Mark, too because I tend to be a private person who doesn’t open up easily.
Tessa and Mark both support a mother with dementia which brings some tough but also light moments. My dad died of complications from Alzheimer’s, so that part of the book is close to my heart.
My old dog, Sophie, is the inspiration for the dogs in my books. I find characters take on lives of their own and influence the direction of the story. I love it when a character surprises me.
Love Leads the Way
She coaches him in team leadership…but do they both need lessons in love? Single mom Tessa Shore runs a successful leadership program at work and supports a mother with dementia. She can handle any challenge in her jam-packed schedule as long as nothing spins out of control…especially her feelings.
Engineer Mark Delaney is an expert on pipelines at the same company, but his interpersonal skills need a makeover. Advancing to an executive job requires enrollment in a leadership course he doesn't think he needs.
When their professional and personal issues entangle, life at the office gets a lot more complicated. Romance is impossible…or is it?
Excerpt:
Pacing around Crescent Park in moonlight trimmed with stars, Mark breathed fresh air and slowed his erratic heartbeats from the shock of Tessa’s invitation. Apparently, the woman who directed the class with the precision of an air-traffic controller could flex…at least, a little. She wanted to spend extra time with him, and he couldn’t refuse.
“I didn’t think we’d bump into other participants at this late hour.” She hugged tighter her windbreaker against the cool breeze. “We won’t mix business and pleasure. I’m strictly off duty, and so are you.”
“Okay, Tessa, whatever you say.” Zipping higher his jacket, he strode and sniffed moisture riding the wind. Guilt tiptoed around his collar, and he couldn’t escape the feeling this outing was a bad idea. He should avoid her, except in class, yet he accepted her invitation. But why did she break her own rule and contact him?
Where to buy my books:
Or your favorite online bookstore
Facebook:
https://twitter.com/AuthorMargot @AuthorMargot
My new website is coming soon: margotjohnson.ca
About Margot Johnson Margot Johnson grew up in a family of writers and has always loved books and writing.
She is the author of LOVE TAKES FLIGHT and her new release LOVE LEADS THE WAY.
Before turning her focus to the fun writing life, Margot held leadership roles in human resources and communications. 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!) She lives in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada with her amazing husband and adorable golden retriever.
Bringing Characters to Life by Margo Johnson #romance #MuseMonday
MUSE MONDAY
Please welcome Margo Johnson to Muse Monday on Discover... Love is always a favorite topic of Muse Monday. Tell us more, Margo.
In Love Leads the Way, the story and characters are fiction but draw on some of my experiences at work and at home. I’d love to have lunch with Tessa and compare notes on strong leaders, single parenting, family quirks, and cute golden retrievers. One key difference is I didn’t meet my handsome husband at work! I formerly worked for a major company like Tessa and delivered programs to help people dig deep and improve their leadership skills. I can relate to Mark, too because I tend to be a private person who doesn’t open up easily.
Tessa and Mark both support a mother with dementia which brings some tough but also light moments. My dad died of complications from Alzheimer’s, so that part of the book is close to my heart.
My old dog, Sophie, is the inspiration for the dogs in my books. I find characters take on lives of their own and influence the direction of the story. I love it when a character surprises me.
Love Leads the Way
She coaches him in team leadership…but do they both need lessons in love? Single mom Tessa Shore runs a successful leadership program at work and supports a mother with dementia. She can handle any challenge in her jam-packed schedule as long as nothing spins out of control…especially her feelings.
Engineer Mark Delaney is an expert on pipelines at the same company, but his interpersonal skills need a makeover. Advancing to an executive job requires enrollment in a leadership course he doesn't think he needs.
When their professional and personal issues entangle, life at the office gets a lot more complicated. Romance is impossible…or is it?
Excerpt:
Pacing around Crescent Park in moonlight trimmed with stars, Mark breathed fresh air and slowed his erratic heartbeats from the shock of Tessa’s invitation. Apparently, the woman who directed the class with the precision of an air-traffic controller could flex…at least, a little. She wanted to spend extra time with him, and he couldn’t refuse.
“I didn’t think we’d bump into other participants at this late hour.” She hugged tighter her windbreaker against the cool breeze. “We won’t mix business and pleasure. I’m strictly off duty, and so are you.”
“Okay, Tessa, whatever you say.” Zipping higher his jacket, he strode and sniffed moisture riding the wind. Guilt tiptoed around his collar, and he couldn’t escape the feeling this outing was a bad idea. He should avoid her, except in class, yet he accepted her invitation. But why did she break her own rule and contact him?
Where to buy my books:
Or your favorite online bookstore
Facebook:
https://twitter.com/AuthorMargot @AuthorMargot
My new website is coming soon: margotjohnson.ca
About Margot Johnson Margot Johnson grew up in a family of writers and has always loved books and writing.
She is the author of LOVE TAKES FLIGHT and her new release LOVE LEADS THE WAY.
Before turning her focus to the fun writing life, Margot held leadership roles in human resources and communications. 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!) She lives in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada with her amazing husband and adorable golden retriever.
July 23, 2021
New Author, Fun Book
https://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/...
A Journal and a Story by Susie Black #CozyMystery #AmateurSleuth
FEARLESS FRIDAY
Please welcome brand new author, Susie Black. She's written a fun book, and below you can read her equally fun post!
I learned many invaluable life lessons from my wise Nana, but the two that have been the foundation of how I live my life are that nothing turns out the way you think it will and that things happen for a reason, even if you don’t always understand why. The way my career turned out is proof-positive Nana was spot on: I had planned a career as a journalist, but life had other plans. Right after my college graduation, our family had an emergency while my apparel sales rep Dad was at a trade show in Atlanta. When no one from his companies could cover for him so he could attend to the emergency, dad asked me to help. Despite having absolutely no background or interest in his business, this was my dad, so of course, I said yes. After giving me a half-hour crash course in how to sell ladies’ apparel, dad left me alone to muddle through running the trade show. When he returned three days later he was taken aback at how many orders I’d written. To my utter astonishment, he offered me a job as a sub-rep. No one was more surprised than me when I passed on graduate school, accepted dad’s offer, and moved cross-country to Atlanta in less than a week.
When I began my apparel industry career as a sales rep in the deep southern states, I was the ONLYwoman traveling a territory. I had to prove myself to everyone in the industry every day. Retailers, as well as manufacturers, doubted my ability to do the job or last more than a season. I proved all the doubters wrong and broke every glass ceiling.
Like the protagonist in my Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, I am a ladies’ swimwear sales exec in the greater Los Angeles area. From the beginning of my career, I have kept a daily journal chronicling the interesting, quirky, and sometimes quite challenging people I have encountered as well as the crazy situations I’ve gotten myself into and out of. My daily journal entries are the foundation of everything I write.
As a female who has succeeded in a historically male-dominated industry, it was important to me to write about the apparel business from a woman’s point of view. All of my characters are based on real people, and the central characters are all strong, successful women who have beaten the odds. Holly Schlivnik, the main character in the Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, is based on me with some poetic license taken, of course. The plots and premises of my stories all take place in the fast-paced ladies' apparel industry. The premise behind the story in Death by Sample Size is what if a buying office big shot in the apparel industry was so universally disliked, that when she was murdered, there were so many potential suspects that it wasn’t a question of who wanted her dead, it was a question of who didn’t. Somewhere out in the great beyond, Nana is smiling. She was right; things rarely turn out the way you think they will but they do happen for a reason. I got into the rag biz because I was destined to write about it.
DEATH BY SAMPLE SIZE
Everyone wanted her dead…but who actually killed her? The last thing swimwear sales exec Holly Schlivnik expected was to discover ruthless buying office big wig Bunny Frank's corpse trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey with a bikini stuffed down her throat. When Holly's colleague is arrested for Bunny's murder, the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to find the real killer. Nothing turns out the way Holly thinks it will as she matches wits with a wily murderer hellbent for revenge.
BOOK LINKS:
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Sample-Size-Hilarious-Whodunit-ebook/dp/B093F24T3F/
BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-by-sample-size-susie-black/1139356591
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/Susie-black
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57877534-death-by-sample-size
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?pcampaignid=books_read_action&id=k8swEAAAQBAJ
I Tunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/death-by-sample-size/id1564686461
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Death+by+Sample+Size
TARGET.COM: https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=Death+by+Sample+Size
Susie Black biography Born in the Big Apple, Susie Black now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit 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? Reach her at mysteries_@authorsusieblack.com
Also Find Susie Here:
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/Susie-black
Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheHollySwimsuitMysterySeries
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57877534-death-by-sample-size
Instagram: Susie Black (@hollyswimsuit) • Instagram photos and videos
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorsusieblack-61941011
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hollysusie1_saved/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/@hollyswimsuit
July 20, 2021
Christmas in July #sale
IT'S CHRISTMAS IN JULY
Calling all holiday-themed readers! It’s more than evergreens and twinkly lights at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven’s fifth annual Christmas in July Fête. 44 Christmas, Hanukkah and holiday-themed books featured plus a chance to win a $75 Amazon (US) gift card.
I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My book, The Power of Love and Murder, is featured today, July 20. Wait until you read what I love most about the holidays and why The Power of Love and Murder is a perfect holiday read. You won’t want to miss it.
Find my book here in the event: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/the-power-of-love-and-murder-cijf
Bookmark this event and tell your friends:
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/christmas-in-july-fete
This is the Rafflecopter Direct Link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db7750119
Open internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US account to win.
Runs July 1 – 31
Drawing will be held on August 2.
July 17, 2021
Christmas in July
ON SALE $1.99 The Power of Love and Murder
July 14, 2021
Weddings and Murder
