Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 44
March 20, 2020
Writer to Author: Fearless Journey by Dee S. Knight #FearlessFriday
FEARLESS FRIDAY
I love author stories and how they got to where they are. Let's listen to one of my favorite guests, Dee S. Knight.
Fearlessly going where no man has ever gone before…
That's how it felt the first time I submitted something I had created—fresh, from my own little pea-brain—to a publisher for the first time. I imagine I'm not alone in that. To submit your work to a publisher—or anyone—for a critical review is one of the scariest things a person can do. Yet, being fearless is a requisite for being an author.
In the dictionary, the definitions for author and writer are pretty similar. But I want to separate them. I want to say that "writer" is someone who puts something to paper (or disc or the cloud). It can be a book, a short story, a white paper, anything, really. A writer's intention might be just to amuse himself/herself, and perhaps never show their work to another person. An "author" is someone who creates a product using the written word for others to read.
I have a friend who wrote the opening chapters of a book and asked me to read it for feedback. Like an idiot, I said okay. Reading another person's work—a friend's work—can be a touchy thing. You want to be honest and yet not risk the friendship. So I tried to be diplomatic when I told my friend that something she had included in her writing might keep her from being published. "Oh, I don't care about that," she said. "I write for myself. I don't intend to send this to a publisher." Okay, I thought. But then, why ask me to read it? In my heart of hearts, I thought my friend was fearful. I think she wanted affirmation that her book could be published, but she was afraid of sending it off and finding out that it couldn't. And maybe it would have been published. She'll never know because she wasn't fearless enough to send it off.
Haven't we all had that fear? Haven't we all had rejections and had to pull ourselves together and try again? Authors are often thought to be introverts and solitary people. It's true to a point. But we can't be mice, cringing in the corner when it comes to our work. For that, we engage with the outside world or we would never be read. And creating, honing our craft, publishing, and being read is what all the effort is about. For that we must be fearless.
When asked for advice to give new writers, I usually say to write, write, write. But I should add to that, to be fearless enough to send your finished, polished work to an agent, editor, or publisher. Without that final step, using my definitions, you might be a writer, but you won't be an author.
Be fearless!
Burning Bridges is a book I’ve been fearless about three times! Right after I wrote the book, I sent it to publishers and agents. There were no bites (though there were nibbles), so I sent it to a well-known online publisher. I received the rights back last year and have now published it myself.Consider the role of strangers in our lives. An unknown postman in Virginia hides a bag of mail one day. His simple action set in motion untold consequences for many others—strangers—all over the country. How many bridges were burned in that forgotten mail pouch?
Sara Richards’s world is rocked when three love letters from 1970 are delivered decades late. The letters were written by Paul Steinert, a young sailor who took her innocence with whispered words of love and promises of forever before leaving for Vietnam. Sara is left behind, broken hearted and secretly pregnant, yearning for letters she never received.
Then Paul died.
Now, years later, she discovers the betrayal wasn’t Paul’s, when her mother confesses to a sin that changed their lives forever. How can Sara reveal to Paul’s parents that they have a granddaughter they’ve missed the chance to know? Even worse, how will she find the words to tell her daughter that she’s lived her life in the shadow of a lie?
Picking her way through the minefields of secrets, distrust, and betrayal, Sara finds that putting her life together again while crossing burning bridges will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.
Buylink: mybook.to/BurningBridges
About Dee S. KnightAfter a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website (www.nomadauthors.com). Fortunately, Dee’s high school sweetheart is the love of her life and husband to all three ladies! Once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity.Author links:
Published on March 20, 2020 00:30
March 18, 2020
The Monsters Are Real by Augustina Van Hoven #fantasy #paranormal
WICKED WEDNESDAYJoin me in welcoming Augustina Van Hoven to Wicked Wednesday. The idea that there is truth in fiction, in our myths, gives me the chills. Read on!
Have you ever wondered why all cultures on earth have the same myths and legends? Men who can turn into animals, men who drink the blood of others, elves, fairies, magic? That was the question I asked myself when I started my new book, The Hidden. Since all cultures have stories about these creatures there has to be some basis. I went on the assumption that there are so many stories because these creatures are real. That brought up the next question, what are their intentions?So many stories have at their base, the concept of good versus evil. In my story there is a villain. Even though he is introduced, it’s his minions who put my hero, the vampire Valerian DuCharme, and heroine, Lily Montgomery, in danger.
Excerpt:Karl glanced over at Lily. “Are you sure you know how to shoot that thing?” he asked. Lily tried to hold the rifle steady. Between the snow, the wind, and the cold, she had trouble keeping the wolf she was targeting in her sights. “Yes, I can shoot. My father used to take me duck hunting when I was a teenager.”“Did you ever hit anything?” Karl kept his eyes on his target, the other wolf.“I have a trophy on my mantelpiece that says I did.” The wolf was using the large rock in front of it as a shield. But it didn’t quite fit. At times, parts of its tail, legs, and sometimes even its head showed. With the rifle and scope, she knew she could hit the animal if it came for her.A piercing howl sounded in the wind.“I see only two wolves. Where’s the third?” Karl shifted his aim.“I don’t know; I’m still aiming at the same one.” A yelp sounded from behind them, and the missing wolf ran past them. The piercing howl sounded again, only closer this time. A moment later, a fourth wolf came into view.“Oh, crap.” Karl moved to target the new wolf.Lily nearly jumped out of her skin when Valerian’s voice sounded behind her.“Need a hand?”“What are you doing up?” Karl asked. He tried to hide it, but his relief sounded in his words. “I got bored.” Valerian scanned the four wolves. “Didn’t I teach you not to play with strange animals?”“Yeah, well, nobody told them.” Karl shifted his position again. “There are more weapons in my duffel bag, if you want to make yourself useful.”Valerian smiled. Karl had a good mix of courage and gall; he’d chosen his assistant well.
The Hidden, releases on March 24th
The monsters are real
For most of her life, Lily Montgomery had thought the creatures that inhabited her dreams lived on only in the pages of the horror novels she wrote. Until she was kidnapped by a vampire and forced to go on the run from werewolves and other shapeshifters. And from her emotions. For, against all reason, her heart was also at risk of being captured by the vampire.
Valerian DuCharme had been turned into a vampire against his will. But in the turning, he did not lose his charisma or his caring. Now the enforcer for one of the princely houses of the Community, he tried to ensure the safety of anyone who came within range. And of many who didn’t. But it was all reflex, until he met Lily. And emotions he hadn’t felt for hundreds of years surfaced.
Amazon: CLICK HERE
Apple: CLICK HERE
Barnes & Noble: CLICK HERE
KOBO: CLICK HERE
Augustina Van Hoven was born in The Netherlands and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, dog and two cats. She is an avid reader of romance, science fiction and fantasy. When she’s not writing she likes to work in her garden or in the winter months crochet and knit on her knitting machines. Website: https://augustinavanhoven.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/augustinavhoven
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/Augustina-Van-Hoven/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/augustinavhoven/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=augustina+van+hoven&i=digital-text&crid=UB2V9AGQJ51D&sprefix=Augustina%2Cdigital-text%2C346&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_9
Bookbub page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/augustina-van-hoven
Published on March 18, 2020 06:55
March 16, 2020
Pot of Gold #Giveaway #StPatrick'sDay
MUSE MONDAY
Post-War Dreams is on sale for $.99 for the first time ever on KINDLE, NOOK, AND iBOOKS. This book will transport you back to those romantic 1940s.World War II has ended and the soldiers are coming home. After years of following her crop worker father, motherless Claire Flanagan is also coming home. If she can keep her father in one place long enough, she plans to follow her dreams to Hollywood. Until she meets Benjamin.
Benjamin Russell has been working since he was fifteen to support his mother and siblings. What he most wants in life is to own a construction business and take care of the family his father abandoned. The last thing he expects is to fall for his younger sister’s best friend.
Life, however, throws cruel twists and turns into the path of romance. And when an unrequited love seeks revenge against Claire, and Benjamin learns his ex-girlfriend is pregnant, will lost dreams of a future together be the only thing they have left?
AMAZON BUY LINK
BARNES & NOBLE BUY LINK
APPLE
AND it's also being featured on NN Light's Celebrate Ireland promo where you could win 17 books. You have to check it out! You could WIN 17 books!
Here's the link to discover great books and enter to win: POT OF GOLD EVENT
Published on March 16, 2020 15:56
March 13, 2020
We're Lucky 13 What's Your Number?
Do you have a lucky number? Does Friday the 13th freak you out?
FDW and I have long considered 13 our lucky number. Here's why.
Many years ago, we made the decision to leave Phoenix for Minnesota. When FDW flew to Minneapolis for his job interview, he sat in row 13 on the flight there. When he checked into the hotel room the company secured for him, his room number was 13.
FDW aced the interview and left ahead of me to begin his new job. I had to sell the house and take care of all those things that accumulate after years in one place. The company that hired him arranged a place to live. He moved to a high rise apartment for six months in downtown Minneapolis. You might guess what his apartment number was...1313. And I know
this is pushing it, but he started to work on the 13th.
We've never had such a run since, but that year set us up for eighteen wonderful years in Minnesota. We loved Minnesota and considered 13 an omen of good luck from there forward.
If you have a lucky number story, I'd love to hear it.
FDW and I have long considered 13 our lucky number. Here's why.Many years ago, we made the decision to leave Phoenix for Minnesota. When FDW flew to Minneapolis for his job interview, he sat in row 13 on the flight there. When he checked into the hotel room the company secured for him, his room number was 13.
FDW aced the interview and left ahead of me to begin his new job. I had to sell the house and take care of all those things that accumulate after years in one place. The company that hired him arranged a place to live. He moved to a high rise apartment for six months in downtown Minneapolis. You might guess what his apartment number was...1313. And I know
this is pushing it, but he started to work on the 13th.We've never had such a run since, but that year set us up for eighteen wonderful years in Minnesota. We loved Minnesota and considered 13 an omen of good luck from there forward.
If you have a lucky number story, I'd love to hear it.
Published on March 13, 2020 00:30
March 12, 2020
Tips, Myths, and #ThursdayThoughts #50years
I ran into a fun article for the over fifty crowd. And even if you aren’t over fifty, you might be awed by how long these things have been around. My guess is you’re still using, eating, or wearing stuff that’s been hanging around for 50+ years.
Birkenstocks came around in 1964 as the rage—ugly but comfortable. 25 million of them are still sold every year
The Bikini first made the scene in 1946. In 1960, the tiny suit was immortalized in the rock and roll song “Itsy Bity, Teeny Weeny, Yellow Polka dot Bikini.”M&Ms were first crunched in 1941, and they are still the most popular candy today.
Miniskirts came on the scene in the early 1960s. You can still catch that much leg on women today. The stock market is said to rise when hemlines do.
In 1965, Gatorade led the way to the sports-drink boom.
James Bond hit the silver screen in 1962. Who’s your favorite?
To Kill a Mockingbird published in 1960. A million copies a year are still sold.
The orange snack, Cheeto, came out in 1948, a World War II invention. Who can eat just one?
In 1964, Pop-Tarts hit the grocery shelves. They were named after Andy Warhol’s pop art movement. Remember the sexual revolution? We can thank the Pill, making its debut in 1960.
There’s more! I’ll share next month.
Published on March 12, 2020 14:42
March 11, 2020
Wicked Good #Sale for #WickedWednesday
I have wicked good news for you. The fourth book in the Love and Murder Series is on sale for a short time. $1.99 for your Kindle, Nook, or iBook. You really can't beat it. If you haven't read ANY of the Love and Murder Series books, then start with the last one, and you'll want to drop back and read all of them.ROMANCING THE BOOK REVIEWSThe fire filled my nostrils with smoke, I could feel the stalker and others just watching and waiting. I had goosebumps. Whether you like mysteries or romance you will enjoy this series.
Yeah! What she said.
After an abusive childhood and bad marriage, Laura Katz has finally found a home, stability…and possibly love. But her blissful refuge as nanny on the Meadowlark Ranch, miles from Flagstaff, shatters when her ex is released from prison, determined to reclaim her.Randy Silva, the Argentine foreman, has plans for his own ranch, but a nasty land grab is underway. While the battle escalates, Laura steals his heart, but there are outsiders who stand in their way. He’s in a fight for his land, and the woman he wants by his side.
Stakes are high, as the attacks on Randy and his ranch draw blood. While the vengeful ex-husband stalks Laura, a mob-backed land developer teams with a desperate gambler. Randy can’t be sure where the next attack will come from—or who will be caught in the crossfire.
So get yourself some entertainment for the weekend coming up. Grab it while it's cheap!
AMAZON KINDLE
BARNES & NOBLE NOOK
APPLE iBOOK
Published on March 11, 2020 00:30
March 3, 2020
#WickedWednesday with Lyncee Shillard #recipe #chocolate
WICKED WEDNESDAY
I'm delighted to have Lyncee as my guest blogger today. And YOU will be delighted with her post and a yummy, wickedly good recipe!Hey Hey everyone! I’m so excited to be here and share some wickedness with you. When I’m not plotting/writing murder, mayhem, and steamy sex I love to spend time in the kitchen. I enjoy cooking and I’m always looking for ways to include a ‘little’ something that makes my recipe a little wicked. Actually, my current WIP is a romance suspense called What’s In The Pie? It deals with all kinds of deadly and wicked food things. But for today’s wickedness…
This cake is standard St. Patrick’s Day thing in our house be we also enjoy it at Thanksgiving, and several other times during the year. My family would eat it all the time but it is time consuming, so I limit them to a couple times a year. I mean all wickedness should be controlled. Irish Cream Chocolate TorteWhat you need…For the cake…2 cups all-purpose flour1 1/2 cups sugar3/4 cup water¼ cup Irish cream1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa1/2 cup butter softened3 eggs 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon vanilla
For the filling…2 cups whipping cream 2 teaspoons Irish Cream2 tablespoons sugar
For the glaze…2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips2 tablespoons light corn syrup¼ cup Irish Cream
What you do…Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Set aside.Combine all cake ingredients in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth.Pour batter evenly into pans. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.Combine whipping cream and Irish Cream (okay transparent time – I’ve been known to buy cool whip and stir in the Irish Cream – actually most of the time - shhhhh it’s a wicked secret
Published on March 03, 2020 23:30
February 26, 2020
Reading and #Reviews (Gallant, Dwiggins, Henderson)
I'm a writer, but I'm also a reader. Each month, I'll share with you what I'm reading and some reviews. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a book or an eReader at night for the last hour of my day.
I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. I’m currently reading two books. The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy (a fun way to teach myself to relax and yes I’m still reading it a few paragraphs now and then) and A Riesling to Die For, a cozy mystery. I also read crime and law novels, WWII historicals, mysteries, and some main stream character driven novels.
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!
She’ll Never Rest by Jannine GallantRomantic MysteryThis is one of Ms. Gallant’s earlier novels. In this early novel, I see glimmers of the suspense novelist with which I associate the author. I enjoyed this early work immensely. Genealogist Darby turned ghost hunter falls for non-believer Logan. She’s hired by Logan’s grandfather and while researching the family tree, she discovers the identity of the spirit who haunts the family home. There are twists and turns and the ending is sure to satisfy you. AMAZON BUY LINK
River Run by Toni DwigginsMysteryThis novel is a tale woven around forensic geologists and the Grand Canyon. I didn’t know there was such a thing as forensic geologists. Rafters are missing and foul play is suspected. Cassie and Walter use pebbles and rocks to follow the clues. If you like really detailed information about rock formations and river flow within the Grand Canyon, you’ll find this story interesting. The geology details overwhelmed the story in my point of view. At times, I didn’t understand why the geologists were even involved. There is a subplot about the river being under attack that seemed forced. But if you enjoy geology with your suspense, you’ll enjoy the book.AMAZON BUY LINK
Second Wind by Alison HendersonRomantic SuspenseThe setting alone will rope you into this story. Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-Sea are vivid characters as much as the people who populate this novel. Ms. Henderson steeps us in the art world. She also weaves a great story of suspense around kinetic sculptor Laurel McDowell and her abusive ex-fiancé as well as a new love interest who happens to be a forensic accountant for the FBI. The art, the food, the love, the suspense…I recommend this read.AMAZON BUY LINK
Published on February 26, 2020 23:30
February 23, 2020
Historical Scottish Sites by Rosemary Gemmell #romance #Gothic #Suspense
MUSE MONDAY
Let me introduce you to today's guest blogger. Rosemary Gemmell is from Scotland, which I'd love to explore some day. So, let's let Rosemary take us there.Thank you so much for featuring me on your blog, Brenda – it’s lovely to visit with you! Since I’ve always lived in Scotland, I’d like to mention a couple of the real places I used for the setting of my latest novel, Highcrag, although the house itself is in a fictional location in the east coast of Scotland.
I love to explore historical sites and buildings with my long-suffering husband. Fortunately, we both enjoy walking and there’s always coffee and cake at some point. Having grown up in the beautiful west coast of Scotland, where a couple of my other books are set, it was quite a change when we moved to a more central/east location to be nearer family.
However, it’s been great fun visiting new venues and using some of the locations in my writing, both in novels and in my non-fiction articles for The Highlander magazine in the US. One of my favourite
Town Hallplaces is Culross in Fife, a perfect example of a 16th century village which is so authentic that it was one of the locations used in Outlander.The ‘Palace’, which is more of a Merchant’s House, dates from the same
The Palaceperiod and really is the lovely ochre colour in the photo. The streets are cobbled and one of the hills is quite steep, though it’s worth the walk to visit the old ruins. The Town Building is significant in my novel when heroine, Cate, is trying to find out more about her ancestress who was burned as a witch in the 16th century.Another favourite location is the beautiful little village of Aberdour, in the opposite direction of Fife. We go here a lot for the coastal walks and great coffee and cake (or fish lunch) at the little
café/restaurant overlooking the beach. It was the perfect place to bring my heroine and hero for the day, to get away from the dark atmosphere at Highcrag.As I’m sure most readers know, Scotland has an amazing history and such beautiful scenery, from the Borders in the south right up to the Highlands. But it also had one of the worst witch hunts ever in the past, with thousands of women accused and killed, most without genuine cause. This research gave me the biggest incentive to write Highcrag while providing a modern Gothic Romantic Suspense novel.
BlurbWhen Cate Stewart’s life falls apart, a job cataloguing the vast library at Highcrag on the Scottish east coast sounds perfect. Especially since she has a personal interest in the notorious Scottish witch hunts of the sixteenth and seventeenth century.
But the house has a dark past that seems to affect the present. And an owner, Lyall Kinnaird, who unexpectedly stirs Cate’s damaged heart.
As the Celtic festival of Samhain approaches, when the veil between the living and dead is thinnest, who can Cate trust?
ExcerptA weak sun peeked between the drifting dirty white clouds, the light wind blowing away all dark thoughts. Striding across the nearest empty field, Cate lifted her face to the sky and embraced the day in this remote pocket of the east coast. She let the disturbing images from the old books fade away and hummed a rhyme to herself as she reduced her speed to wander and absorb the sight of the wide, empty North Sea.A little further on, she stopped in her tracks.
“The horseman,” she murmured, catching sight of man and beast staring out to sea. Was he real? Curiosity winning out, she strolled on until she was within shouting distance.
Before she decided what to do next, the rider turned his head and saw her.
She gasped when she saw the dark hair and arresting features of the man in the portrait.
But no, as soon as he trotted nearer to her, she saw she was mistaken. The similarity was undeniable but this man was not only real, his mouth lacked the arrogant set of the eighteenth-century subject, while his hair had the merest hint of grey here and there.
Averting her eyes from his wide, sensuous mouth and firm lips, she almost missed the twist of a smile as he looked down on her. Although undoubtedly a modern-day man, her heart reacted at once, as though the portrait had come to life.
Highcrag is available in e-book or print from Amazon, or you can order the paperback from bookshops or through libraries.
AMAZON SPECIAL FEBRUARY 23 TO MARCH 1 $.99
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosemary-Gemmell/e/B00U19Z4H4Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Rosemary-Gemmell/e/B00U19Z4H4
Author BioRosemary Gemmell is a published Scottish novelist of contemporary and historical fiction, and a freelance writer whose short stories, articles and occasional poems have been published in UK magazines, the US, and online. She is a member of the Society of Authors, Romantic Novelists’ Association and Scottish Association of Writers. Scotland greatly inspires some of her stories and she loves to dance!
Social Media LinksWebsite: https://www.rosemarygemmell.comBlog: https://ros-readingandwriting.blogspot.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RGemmell/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosemaryGemmellInstagram: http://instagram.com/rosgemmell
Published on February 23, 2020 23:30
February 20, 2020
A #FearlessFriday Adventure (or just business as usual) by J. Arlene Culiner
FEARLESS FRIDAY
Please welcome back J. Arlene Culiner to Fearless Friday. She always has a good story for us on Discover... and today is no exception.Having Friday the 13th as a birth date, got me off on the right foot. Since then, I’ve spent my life getting into (and out of) tricky situations.
On this day, I was in Romania, and the snow was falling heavily, obliterating everything. Snow in front of me, snow behind, snow on either side: a landscape without accent, without shadow. Even huge snow-covered stray dogs curled desperately against walls and doors.
I had just arrived, via ancient rattling train, in the city of Piatra Neamt, and was on the trail of the long-forgotten Jewish rebel poet, Velvel Zbarzher. Zbarzher was born in former Austrian Galicia in 1825, and for fifty years, he sang and caroused his way over Ukraine and Romania. Since I intended to write his biography, I needed to find his trace. Of course, I speak only a few words of Romanian and no Ukrainian — how’s that for a successful way to start?
I was now looking for the local synagogue, just in case anyone there had information about Zbarzher (although, since any information would be around 170 years old, it might be a bit shaky.) But how to find the synagogue?One building had a sign reading, Tourist Information, but it was merely a lure. Inside the small communist era shopping mall there was no further chitchat of tourism. I entered a bar, ugly and modern, with a hostile waitress and a large screen television showing semi-pornographic video clips featuring huge-bottomed women in stretch elastic. Two men, dark, sinister-looking hoodlums of some sort, but beautifully and expensively dressed, were hunched over a table, having a sotto voce conversation. With my usual ghastly mixture of odd Romanian words, French, and pidgin, I approached them: did they know where the synagogue was?
They stared at me for a few astounded seconds (who the hell was I? What did I really want?) Then looked at each other, faintly amused. And, in a mixture of Romanian, French, English, and German, told me to take a seat. Ordered me a coffee. And, albeit very disturbing-looking men, they came up trumps. One began making phone calls. “To the president of the local Jewish community.”
I could hardly believe my ears. “You know him?”
Both looked scornful. “It’s our business to know who everyone is,” said the one with a deeply scarred
cheek (a knife wound? A bullet hole?), and he handed me his phone.But the president (who, fortunately for me, spoke fluent French) was impatient. To him, I was just another tourist, a foreigner, a nobody. No, he couldn’t see me today. He was busy. I’d have to come back another time. He broke off the connection.
The two men looked at me with pity. Obviously, they considered me a loser: tough guys and probably packing guns, knives and knuckle dusters, they’d never accept cavalier treatment or an unequivocal “no”.
“This part of the world…” said the unscarred man. Regretfully, he shook his head. “People in here all think they’re superior, and that makes them unfriendly. But they’re fools. There’s no work, and there’s no money here either.”
“What about all those big houses I saw on the outskirts?”
“Black market money.” His grin was a proud one. He loved being part of the illegal world and wanted me to know it.
“We do business with all of Europe,” bragged the other.
“Okay,” said Scarface getting to his feet. “Come on. I’ll drive you to the synagogue.”
Should I have been wary? Should I have hesitated before clambering into that man’s new black mafia Mercedes? Should I have questioned his motives, or considered I was taking a risk in this country where I knew no one, and no one anywhere else knew where I was? Perhaps. But I followed that man like a lamb, and snuggled happily into the passenger seat. I was feeling extremely grateful to him. Besides, I’m far too old and ornery to be white slavery material.
We slalomed over black ice and deep snow for a while, then skidded to a sideways halt on a hilly back road.
“That’s the Jewish community office.” Scarface pointed to a long, low building. “Go ask for the president.”
“He said he couldn’t see me.”
Scarface shook his head dolefully. Clearly, he thought I was pathetic. “This is Romania,” he said with calm patience. “Just knock on the door and walk in.”
So I did what I was told, and the president I spoke to on the phone — the same man who, thirty minutes earlier, had refused to see me — was utterly charming.
So Scarface was right after all. And taking risks is a highly profitable activity.***Perhaps my very favourite literary heroine is Felicity Powers. She charges across countries fearlessly, volunteering in emergency situations, rejecting middle class comfort, and ignoring risk.
She has stood up to armed soldiers in a windy desert, corrupt police in Turkey, and seen tragic battlefields. Now, she is in San Francisco, the same city she abandoned forty years before, and is determined to again take up the long-ago romance with Marek Sumner, the delicious man she once loved so dearly.
Okay, I admit that some of those adventures I mentioned and put into the book, Felicity’s Power, are ones I experienced — doesn’t every author put a bit of herself into everything she writes? But even if I’m as resolute and daring as Felicity, I’d be lying if I said I’m as fearless.
Blurb for Felicity’s PowerSan Francisco, 1971: hippies in the streets, music and revolution in the air. The evening Marek Sumner opened his door to the wild-looking Felicity Powers, he knew nothing would ever be the same. But even love and passion couldn’t keep them together.
Forty-three years later, having lived in the world’s most dangerous places as an aid worker, Felicity is back, still offering love, passion, and adventure. Now a well-known author, Marek loves his calm life in an isolated farmhouse, and he knows their relationship would never work : he and Felicity are just too different. Besides, why risk having his heart broken a second time?
But Felicity is as fascinating and joyful as ever, and the wonderful sexy magic is still there too. Can love be more delightful the second time around?
Purchase links: https://www.thewildrosepress.com/books/felicitys-powerTeaser: http://j-arleneculiner.com/page-2-book3-felicity3-video.html
http://www.j-arleneculiner.comhttp://j-arleneculiner.over-blog.com/
https://www.amazon.com/author/jarleneculiner-quirky-romanceshttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7158064.J_Arlene_CulinerTwitter: https://twitter.com/JArleneCuliner Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jarlene.culinerPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jarleneculinerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jarleneculiner/
Writer, photographer, social critical artist, musician, and occasional actress, J. Arlene Culiner, was born in New York and raised in Toronto. She has crossed much of Europe alone on foot, has lived in a Hungarian mud house, a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave-dwelling, on a Dutch canal, and in a haunted house on the English moors. She now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village of no interest and, much to local dismay, protects all creatures, especially spiders and snakes. She particularly enjoys incorporating into short stories, mysteries, narrative non-fiction, and romances, her experiences in out-of-the-way communities, and her conversations with strange characters.
Published on February 20, 2020 23:30


