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C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 164
June 8, 2015
Tell Again Tuesday The Single Best Piece of Marriage Advice Ever Given
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
We don’t normally pimp stories from magazines but could not pass this up since we believe the article to be correct. At least the information rings true to our way of thinking and we’ve been married 45 years as of this coming Saturday.
The Single Best Piece of Marriage Advice Ever Given
Lisa Grunwald @lisa_grunwald June 5, 2015
Know someone saying ‘I do’ this month? Here’s what to tell them
First, some numbers: I’ve been married (to the same person) for twenty-seven years. Those twenty-seven years have included six in which we were researching an anthology about marriage. That anthology (The Marriage Book: Centuries of Advice, Inspiration, and Cautionary Tales, from Adam & Eve to Zoloft) is 560 pages long. Those 560 pages include 529 entries that we arrived at after scanning—honestly—tens of thousands of books, poems, newspaper articles, letters, postcards, photographs, and songs.
So after all that searching, I’ve been asked to name the one—just the one—best piece of advice that my husband and I would offer a newly married couple.
Are you ready? With the caveat that there are 3.7 pounds of other wisdom in our book, this is it. It was written in a notebook in 1909 by the poet William Butler Yeats when he was 44:
For the rest of the blog go to:
http://time.com/3909505/marriage-advice/?xid=newsletter-brief
June 4, 2015
Friday Features Linda Bradley Maggie’s Way
Welcomes
Linda Bradley
Author of
Maggie’s Way
Linda Bradley shares with us a little behind the story, story. Take it away Linda:
When Maggie and Chloe came to life, so did I. It was the year I found my voice, determined to share their story. It was the year I battled cancer, began a new marriage, and discovered that with a little faith dreams can come true. I met Debby Gilbert, owner and editor at Soul Mate Publishing at a Greater Detroit Romance Writers meeting. When she heard my pitch for Maggie’s Way, her words stayed with me. This one will speaker to readers. –Debby Gilbert
This whole process has been one big circle of Karma. Everything from Jane Porter emails, sending notes back and forth with Claire Cook, then meeting Lori Nelson Spielman and discovering quite by accident we have a most beloved mutual friend has been a whirlwind.
An inspirational card that hangs near my desk reminds me to persevere as I read, hammer out ideas, make connections, and start over, again, and again. The author is unknown, but it reads, If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.
I believe!
Linda Bradley
Maggie’s Way: Women’s Fiction
Blurb:
Middle-aged, Maggie Abernathy just wants to recuperate from cancer during the solitude of summer vacation after a tiresome year of teaching second grade. Maggie’s plans are foiled when precocious seven-year-old, Chloe McIntyre moves in next door with her dad, John. Maggie’s life changes in a way she could never imagine when the pesky new neighbors steal her heart. With Maggie’s grown son away, her ex-husband in the shadows, her meddling mother’s unannounced visits, and Chloe McIntyre on her heels, somehow Maggie’s empty house becomes home again.
Tag Line: “Sometimes you have to lose your way to find yourself.” –L. Bradley
Cover quotes:
“Linda Bradley’s fresh voice will keep readers riveted from beginning to end. Bradley delivers a heart-warming story full of disarming honesty and beautiful drama…This one stands out!” –Jane Porter New York Times and USA Today best selling author
Author Review:
“Maggie’s Way is a heart-warming tale of love and loss, fear and friendship. With charming characters and a moving plot, Linda Bradley’s lovely debut gently reminds is that it’s never too late for second chances.” –Lori Nelson Spielman, International Best Seller, Author of “The Love List” and “Sweet Forgiveness”
Bio:
Linda’s inspiration comes from her favorite authors and life itself. Her women’s fiction highlights characters that peel away outer layers of life to discover the heart of their dreams with some unexpected twists and turns along the way. Her writing integrates humor found in everyday situations, as well as touching moments that make readers connect with her characters. Maggie’s Way is her debut novel, in her Montana Bound Series. She is currently working on Maggie’s Fork in the Road and Maggie’s Montana.
Linda has an Associates Degree in Interior Design and a Master’s Degree in Reading and Language Arts with undergraduate work in Elementary Education and Fine Arts. She wrote and illustrated a children’s book titled, The Hunter for her Master’s Degree. Linda is a member of RWA, as well as the Greater Detroit Chapter of RWA.
Linda has two grown sons, lives with her husband, and rescue dog in Royal Oak, Michigan.
You can follow her on:
Twitter: @LBradleyAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-Bradley/389688594534105
Website: http://www.lindabradleyauthor.com/
Thursday Threads The Highlander’s Accidental Bride
Welcomes
The Highlander’s Accidental Bride
On Sale 99¢ through June 7th
Genre: Scottish Historical Romance
Heat level: sensual
Blurb:
Chaos reigns between the Scott and Barde clans in 14th century Scotland. To end the generation’s long feud, King Robert II of Scotland decrees Eaden, Laird Scott, and Lady Miriam Barde wed with all haste. When marriage negotiations break down, King Robert threatens Eaden with the loss of his lands and title. Forced to take matters into his own hands, the laird kidnaps his bride, only to find the young woman he mistakenly drags to his marriage bed is not Laird Barde’s daughter, but her lady companion.
Mary Marsh fights for her freedom from the laird and the unwanted marriage, refusing to accept her new life as Lady Scott. Realizing his error, Laird Scott develops an attachment to the feisty young woman he has accidentally married. Can he win her heart and convince her she is more than just a ‘duty’ to him? Or will the bond forged between the lady’s companion and the laird be destroyed by secrets and a feud that will not be laid to rest?
Hook:
Shocked to find herself married to the laird, Mary sees little to recommend her new life as Lady Scott. Until Laird Scott sets out to prove their accidental marriage was no mistake.
Excerpt:
King Robert frowned fiercely. “What have ye done?” he asked, his voice hard.
“I’d tried speaking to Barde and doing things the traditional way. He was less than enthusiastic and mentioned hell freezing over as the only possible wedding date. His daughter was equally certain she’d no’ marry into the Scott clan.” Eaden shrugged. The feud between their families was generations old. He hadn’t wanted a Barde bride, either. “So I kidnapped her, carried her back to Scott Castle, and we married the same day.”
King Robert sat bolt upright in his chair, shocked surprise clear on his slack-jawed face. “Ye kidnapped her?” He wheezed, unable to inhale a proper breath, and pointed an accusatory finger at Eaden. “Ye actually forced her to marry ye?”
“Nay, Sire. I simply saw ‘twas done in a timely manner and without bloodshed.”
“How certain are ye her father is not, this instant, standing before the walls of Scott Castle, demanding his daughter be returned to him? Are ye trying to promote peace or war?”
Eaden gave an exasperated snort. “He cannae cry foul. I have the papers ye signed. And I have men keeping an eye on Barde.” He shifted in his chair uncomfortably. “The marriage is irrevocable. She is now well and truly my wife.”
King Robert collapsed back into his chair. “Do ye no’ ken the ruinous upheaval yer actions could provoke? ‘Tis true I commanded the marriage. I know how ye dinnae favor the alliance. But kidnapping the lass is a far cry from having the marriage properly planned and executed!”
The king stewed for a moment, as if consumed in vigorous contemplation. At last he shrugged. “Scott.” His voice invoked not Eaden’s friend, but Robert II, King of Scotland. “Inasmuch as ye have followed my orders to the letter, if not their actual intent, I hereby commit yer title and land to ye and to yer descendants.”
He leaned forward and clasped Eaden’s shoulder. “I hope ye dinnae have cause to regret yer hastiness.”
Eaden winced. He already did.
Buy link: http://www.amzn.com/B00BMFPT12
Where to find Cathy MacRae
Website: http://www.cathymacraeauthor.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cathy.macrae.58
Twitter: @CMacRaeAuthor
June 2, 2015
Wednesday Special Spotlight Leave Yesterday Behind Lauren Linwood
Shines on
Leave Yesterday Behind
By
Lauren Linwood
Blurb:
Callie Chennault vaulted to fame on the nighttime soap Sumner Falls, but after a decade of playing the same role, she is ready for a new acting challenge. When Callie is attacked by a stalker on the streets of New York, she takes a leave of absence from the show and returns to her roots in Aurora, Louisiana, to heal both physically and emotionally and determine her next career move.
Former professional baseball pitcher Nick La Chappelle has also come to Aurora to lick his own wounds after a messy divorce. A Cy Young winner and one-time ESPN broadcaster, Nick longs for the quiet of a small town in order to write murder mysteries under a pen name.
Sparks fly when Callie believes Nick is taking advantage of her great-aunt’s hospitality, but they resolve their differences—and surprise themselves by falling in love. Their bond is tested when both Nick and Callie become the focus of a serial killer nicknamed Lipstick Larry. Can they outwit a murderer bent on seeing them dead and survive to build a lasting relationship?
Excerpt:
Maybe she should take a cab home. But her subway station was only a block and half away. It would be foolish to stand out in a downpour after nine at night when she could duck in and be on her way downtown in a couple of minutes. Callie liked that people left her alone on the subway. A few sometimes stared at her and frowned, wondering if they’d ever seen her before. Most turned away, not quite able to place her.
After all, she left Jessica behind at the studio every day. No chic clothes, Ravenous Red mouth, or fancy hairstyle. She didn’t often get recognized in real life unless it was a die-hard fan. Even then, most New Yorkers were cool about it and simply ignored her.
Chill out. Just move.
“Jessica?”
She turned automatically and saw a man standing behind her. He was probably the reason she’d had the feeling of being followed. He seemed a little out of breath, as if he’d been keeping up with her awhile. It had happened before. She knew it would happen again.
And always with this type.
He was non-descript in every way—average height and build, brown hair, glasses. Harmless looking. Dopey grin on his face, like he’d hit the lottery because he’d actually had the balls to speak to the crush of his daydreams. She knew enough to be firm. Give him a brief little personal moment, a smile and her signature on something, and get back to her life.
Then a quick flash of John Lennon signing an autograph for Mark David Chapman zipped through her brain. He’d been average, too.
And he’d killed Lennon hours after someone snapped a photograph of them together.
“You don’t look like Jessica up close.” His voice was silky, almost caressing, yet the tone was definitely disappointed.
Her pulse quickened. She took a step back to put a little distance between them and brushed against a brick wall.
“I like to give my skin a rest away from the studio. All that heavy make-up and hairspray can cause a girl some damage.” She kept her tone calm and friendly as she glanced over the man’s shoulder.
No one was in sight.
“I want to see Jessica. She’s my favorite.”
He pulled something from his pocket and held it up. “Put this on. It’ll help. It’s the perfect shade.” He smiled shyly. “I’ll even let you do it. You’re the expert.” He reached out and grabbed her wrist and laid the item in her hand before letting go.
Chills ran through her as she opened her palm. In it lay a gold tube of Jessica’s signature Ravenous Red.
Buy Link: http://amzn.com/B00WXJIXP0
Lauren Linwood’s Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.laurenlinwood.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laurenlinwood
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LaurenLinwood
Blog: http://www.laurenlinwood.com/write-up-my-alley/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Linwood/e/B00CSSG8BC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1406670019&sr=8-1
June 1, 2015
Tell Again Tuesday The Confederacy’s Lost. Now What? Linda Pennell
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
History does tend to repeat its self as can be seen in this interesting post from Linda Pennell.
The Confederacy’s Lost. Now What?
Have you heard about Americans who are choosing to become permanent expats or giving up their U.S. citizenship altogether? Apparently this is a very small, but growing, trend among those who are disenchanted with life in the United States. Emigration from the U.S. is not, however, a totally new concept. In the aftermath of the American Civil War, upwards of forty thousand Southerners decided they would not live with the terms of Reconstruction and the economic ruin they faced. Instead, they chose to immigrate to…
For the rest of the blog go to:
https://historyimagined.wordpress.com/2015/05/15/the-wars-lost-now-what/
May 28, 2015
Friday Feature Sins of the Heart Sarah Hoss
Welcomes
Sarah Hoss
Author of
SINS OF THE HEART
Today we are talking with the hero and heroine from the book Sins of the Heart by Sarah Hoss. Abigail Crenshaw is an antiques dealer who likes to search through flea markets for that one of a kind item. Grant MacFie is the Scottish Laird of Clan MacFie.
Welcome Abigail and Grant if I may call you by your first names?
They both answer at the same time in the affirmative.
How about we start with a simple question? Abigail, how did you two meet?
We met on line through a chat group about antiques. I was looking to learn more about antiques and he was looking for a stolen heirloom, though I didn’t know it at the time.
A stolen heirloom, we’ll save that for later. We can tell there is some chemistry going on between you two but Abigail, what attracted you to Grant?
Since we met on line, I was first attracted to his easy conversations and when he called me Star Shine the first time, my heart melted.
Grant, what first attracted you to Abigail?
For me, it’s the same, though, I wasn’t looking for love, I was looking for a thief. (He turns to Abigail) But, seeing how she stole my heart, looks like I was successful.
Ah ha, so when was the first kiss? (Abigail drops her eyes and blushes, but Grant replies.)
In her kitchen right after dinner.
So, there were fireworks in the first kiss?
Abigail, looks at Grant and a small smile turning up the corners of her lips says, “I know there was for me.”
“Aye, definitely.” Grant response with a glint in his eye.
Grant what was your first date?
We went out to eat.
What do you remember the most about it, Abigail?
The mixed emotions of being shy and nervous as if meeting him for the first time, yet a part of me was comfortable because I knew him from talking to him for so long on the internet. It was all kind of strange.
Grant, where will the two of you live?
We will live in Scotland as I am the clan chief of Clan MacAfie.
Thanks for sitting down with us and sharing a little about how you met. Since they will be living in Scotland, if you want to get to know Abigail and Grant better you will have to read Sins of the Heart by Sarah Hoss.
Now for a little bit more about the book and where to get a copy.
TAG LINE- In searching for a stolen heirloom, he found something more valuable.
BLURB
Abigail Crenshaw is an antiques dealer searching for the perfect item. When she stumbles across a warriors shield at a flea market, she knows she can’t leave without it.
Grant MacFie is the Scottish Laird of Clan MacFie. When he discovers his great grandfather’s shield has been stolen, he will stop at nothing to get it back and punish the one who stole it.
Now, in America he has found the shield but discovering the truth behind who stole it and falling in love with Abigail could cost him his life. How far will he go to get the shield back?
Buy Link: http://amzn.com/B00U38ME5S
EXCERPT:
“I promise ye, Mr. MacFie, that we are doing everything in our power to get yer stolen item back to ye and yer clan.”
Grant stopped pacing to regard the police officer. “Aye, I know. The shield is dear to me.”
“If I may be so bold, Mr. MacFie, why do you think your cousin stole the shield?”
“That, Sir, is a very good question. I’ve sat for hours pondering that question and I can’t come up with anything. He was a good man- honest and faithful.” Grant picked up the fireplace poker and stirred the embers. “I don’t get it.”
After a few more moments of discussing details, Mr. MacDonald left. Grant walked to his desk and sat down. Maybe it was time to do a little investigating on his own.
Picking up the phone and flipping through his rolodex that sat on the corner of his desk, he stopped at a familiar name.
After punching in the number, he sat back in his chair and kicked his long legs onto his desk.
“Ramsey, this is Grant. I have a job for ye.”
Buy Link: http://amzn.com/B00U38ME5S
AUTHOR BIO:
Sarah Hoss grew up believing she could try anything and if she set her mind to it, she would succeed. Sixteen years of dance lessons, Cheerleading, and school plays proved to her that her parent’s words rang true. Writing was no exception. Reading the Outlander series made her fall in love with time travels and the historical places books could take her. Always a child with a vivid imagination, she realized as an adult, she could put her imagination to good use and began writing. Marrying her very own hero, they live in Indiana in the town where she grew up. They have three beautiful children and one hyper dog. When Sarah isn’t writing, she enjoys gardening, camping, and watching her kids’ play sports.
Where to find Sarah-
Website- http://www.sarahhoss.com/
Blog- http://www.heart-of-romance.blogspot.com/
Twitter- @SarahHoss1
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Hoss/237219983049037
Thursday Threads Highland Deception Meggan Connors
Welcomes
Highland Deception
By
Meggan Connors
Title: Highland Deception
Heat Rating: Sensual
Genre: Historical Romance
Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J3D2JS6/
Blurb:
When Kenneth Mackay, long-banished rogue and thief, returns to the Mackay holding at the request of his brother, he has no idea what he might find. He certainly doesn’t expect to be confronted with his twin’s imminent death, or with the plan his brother has concocted.
Ten years before, Malcolm made a tragic mistake, and, to preserve the family name—and his own skin—he allowed Kenneth to take the fall. Now that he is dying without an heir, Malcolm plans to atone for his mistake: by giving Kenneth his life back. All Kenneth has to do is assume his brother’s identity. But complicating matters is the unexpected return of Lady Isobel Mackay, the daughter of an English marquess and the wife Malcolm didn’t want.
Isobel barely knows the husband who abandoned her even before their marriage, and she’d long since given up hope on having a real marriage with him. Yet when she returns to the Mackay holding far earlier than expected, she finds her husband a changed man. Despite the hurt between them, Isobel’s heart responds to this man who cares for his entire clan as if there were family. Who, for the first time, cares about her as if she is, too.
Falling in love with her husband had never been part of Isobel’s plan. But when their future is suddenly in peril, Isobel must find a way to save him—from himself and from the deception threatening to tear them apart.
Excerpt:
She ignored Grant’s angry protests behind her and ran for her husband’s bedchamber. Slamming open the door, she stumbled inside.
Malcolm lay in the great bed. Alone.
Alone. She tried not to speculate about what meant.
His breathing was shallow, as if he’d been running. As the door bounced back and closed, his sky-bright eyes shot up and met hers.
No, not sky-bright. Darker, the color of the forget-me-nots that bloomed in the gardens in spring. The color of the night sky as it lightened with the first rays of dawn.
“Milord.” She gasped for breath.
Malcolm had never looked at her like he did now. This time, when he studied her, it was as if he didn’t dislike what he saw.
Being honest with herself, Malcolm had never disliked her. After all, the term dislike implied a depth of feeling he almost certainly lacked.
“Wife.”
Isobel flinched.
Grant was suddenly at her back. “Sir, I apologize. She’s faster than you’d think.” He laid a hand on her shoulder, as if to steer her from the room.
She shook him off.
“Indeed.” Malcolm smiled, and a charming dent in his cheek appeared.
How had she not noticed that before?
“We will leave at once.” Grant took her by the arm.
She wrenched out of his grasp. “I’m not going anywhere. Not until I have my audience.” She glanced around the room and saw no sign of Malcolm’s mistress.
“Lady Mackay,” Grant began.
Malcolm held up his hand. “‘Tis fine, Grant. I can always make time for my lady wife.”
Isobel barked a hollow laugh, alleviating the ache, just a little.
“Are you certain?” Grant’s eyes shifted from Isobel to Malcolm and back again. A wrinkle formed between his brows, and the muscle in his cheek worked as he ground his teeth together.
He’d only ever done that when he was agitated or anxious.
But there was no reason for that, as Malcolm had never truly cared enough to keep secrets from her in an attempt to spare her feelings. Nor had he ever forced others to do the same.
Malcolm’s eyes met Grant’s, and something passed between the two men. Her husband gave Grant a clipped nod. “If you’ll excuse us, Grant.”
Grant released his breath slowly. His eyes narrowed first at Malcolm, then at Isobel. Scowling, he bowed his head. “Mackay,” he said stiffly. He turned to Isobel. “Lady Mackay.”
Isobel watched him go then waited until the door had closed behind him. “So, where is she?”
Malcolm arched a dark brow. “Where is who?”
“You know. Her.”
He lifted a single shoulder, as if she didn’t have a right to know. “I doona ken.”
The silence that fell between them was deafening, damning.
Finally he said, “Your arrival was unexpected.”
She breathed a mirthless laugh. “I have no doubt.” She expected him to look ashamed, but his expression didn’t hold even the slightest hint of remorse. She swallowed against the betrayal rising in the back of her throat and tried again. “Why are you abed?”
“I’ve been ailing. Naught to fash yourself over.”
She approached his great bed tentatively. “Ailing how? Has your cough worsened?”
He glanced down at his coverlet and then brought his gaze back to her face. “For a time, aye. I believe I’m on the mend now.”
Isobel pressed her hand to his forehead, then his cheek. His skin felt cool beneath her palm, if a little damp.
His breath hitched, then he cleared his throat. “Satisfied? As you can see, I am on the mend.”
“Perhaps,” she whispered. She ran her hand around to the back of his neck, then descended to his back.
He wore a thin linen shirt, unsuitable for the cool nights of the Highlands in late fall. She placed her hands between his shoulder blades. He was thinner than she remembered, but there was no mistaking Malcolm’s unique strength.
“Breathe,” she said, and then reminded herself to do the same.
“I hardly think—”
“If you want me to leave you be, you will appease my curiosity. Breathe.”
Malcolm tilted his head up and studied her.
She fought the desire to look at him for as long as she could before meeting his gaze. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw something in his eyes she hadn’t seen before.
Curiosity.
“Breathe, milord.” Heat spread up her neck to her face, and, to keep her free hand from shaking, she clenched a fist. The warmth of his body seeped through his nightshirt, scalding her hand not with fever but with something else.
The corners of his lips tilted upward before he smoothed his features. He paused for a moment too long, then held her gaze as he took an extended, deliberate breath.
She shoved the raging emotions aside and forced herself to view him as a person who needed her help.
She felt no hint of the cough that had been nagging him before she’d left.
Swallowing hard, she slid her hand between the linen and his skin, against his chest.
His heart rate kicked up.
“Breathe.” She struggled to force the word out.
I feel nothing. Nothing. He needs my help.
She closed her eyes and listened to his breathing, feeling the rise and fall of his chest beneath her hands, the steady beating of his heart. His skin scorched hers.
Her mouth dried, her tongue thick and heavy. She removed her hand. “You seem to have mended nicely.” Even to her own ears, her voice sounded strangled.
His gaze searched her face. “Aye.”
Isobel cradled her hand against her chest and stepped back from the bed, nearly tripping over her own feet. “I will leave you now, sir.”
Malcolm gave her a clipped nod. “Very well, my lady wife.”
“I—I will be in my chambers should you require me.”
He didn’t laugh, as he normally would have. “Then I shall find you there if I do. Or I will send for you.”
She backed up a few paces, bumped into a trunk, and immediately turned her attention to her skirt, trying to smooth wrinkles undoubtedly permanent from long days of travel. It was better than looking at Malcolm.
“By your leave.” Her eyes locked on the floor as she dipped into a hasty curtsy and fled.
The moment the door closed behind her, she put her back against the cold, stone wall, cradling the hand that had touched him as if she had injured it.
She’d touched his skin, felt the heat of his body, and the responding heat of hers.
He hadn’t forced her hands away. He hadn’t mocked her.
Instead, for the first time since their marriage, he’d called her wife.
Where to find Meggan Connors
May 26, 2015
Wednesday Special Spotlight IT’S IN THE BLOOD Juanita Aydlette
Is shining on
IT’S IN THE BLOOD
By
Juanita Aydlette
Scheduled for release on June 17th
BLURB
When Gabrielle Madsen accompanies her parents on a three month trip to Africa, she is in for a pretty unique summer. As a botany major in college, her first interest is to hopefully discover a new plant species during her visit. Her discovery, however, tips her world on its axis.
Being a very naïve and dangerously curious young woman, she accepts a sight-seeing invitation from strangers that she met in her hotel lobby. This little escapade sets off a chain of events that changes the course of her life forever.
She instantly falls for one of the group’s members named Joshua Van Ness. Very quickly, their relationship excels.
Joshua and his twin sister, Christina, are descendants of an ancient Brazilian tribe, and they have a secret. Gabby’s curiosity about Josh heats up and puts her life in danger. Will the dark forces that wish to possess Josh and his sister—view Gabby as an extra bonus?
Is this summer love worth the risk?
EXCERPT
“Wait, Gabby!”
I looked back but continued to run, treading the sharp rocks that stabbed at my arches. I was being tailed at a safe distance by the young boys from the village, carrying their metal-tipped weapons. My foot got caught on a vine and I went down face-first. My cheek throbbed violently and I wiped away a sticky substance with the back of my hand. Opening my eyes I realized I had bumped my face, falling on Josh’s knee cap. He was lying on his back with blood smeared wounds and muddy clothing nearly torn off. He was conscious, but not one area of his body appeared to have escaped injury.
“Help him!” I sat on the wet ground and placed Josh’s head in my lap. The village kids looked on in horror at his left eye—swollen closed, and his right pectoral muscle—hanging open like a partially peeled banana. They did an about-face and widened the distance between us.
“Will they be, okay? I didn’t mean to scare them.”
“They’re much better off than some of us.” Mike frowned at Josh.
“Goddammit, Josh,” Chris shouted. She knelt down beside us and inspected his oozing wounds. He opened his eyes, looked past me and scowled at Mike.
“Why did you bring Gabby here? They attacked the village. It’s too dangerous here for her and you know it.”
“We went to her house looking for you after you stayed gone so long.”
“No way were they gonna leave me behind,” I said. Wait a minute—they who?” Josh hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Two lionesses came across the river.” He moaned in pain as Christina wrapped him with some tape that she had in her back pack. “It’s very rare that a pride would cross the river like that—unless they’re being driven.”
“They’re in search of a new leader, maybe?” Mike lifted his eyebrows while rubbing his newly grown chin hairs. “They could have escaped from the cat sanctuary, though.” He gave Josh a side glance.
“Whatever the reason, the villagers have always been safe here and now they’re not. The lion’s territory ends at the river and they will not cross over again—two of them won’t, at least.” Josh realized the impact he exuded with that statement and he anticipated my next question. This was as good a time as any to let on that I knew his secret, but I wasn’t prepared for things to backfire on me.
“How far are we from the village—can you walk?” Mike reached down to help him up.
As Josh lifted his head, the puncture wound on my leg from one of the large thorny bushes started bleeding. He raised his body up and gazed into my eyes, wiping away the stream of blood with his finger and placing it into his mouth. He smiled. My body shivered as he stroked my cheek, and he marveled at my confused expression.
“What’s wrong, Josh?” He didn’t answer, he just stared.
A rustling in the bushes caused us to switch to defense mode. We turned towards the noise, armed with back packs, scissors and a nail file. Four tribesmen stepped out from their positions behind the trees. They carried a bed made of animal hides wrapped securely around two poles.”
“Your ambulance waits,” Mike said. We helped Josh up and loaded him on the cot. His back exposed deep gashes as well. Chris tied some gauze around my leg when I stood up. No significant amount of blood was present, but the insects were having a field day. The men lifted him up and began walking and the three of us followed close behind.
“Were you expecting this, Chris?” I examined her face with scrutiny.
“Expecting what?”
“You expect me to believe that you just happened to have packed gauze, antibiotic cream, bandages and suture scissors in your back pack? Give me a little more credit than that!”
“Gabby, you don’t understand.”
Watch for the release of this book from Soul Mate Publishing.
May 25, 2015
Tell Again Tuesday Writer’s Block Soap Angela Christina Archer
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
Here is another way to address the issue we all run into when writing. That lack of words coming out of the finger tips to the keys to make them appear on the screen to be recorded for posterity.
Writer’s Block Soap? #writing #amwriting #writerslife #writertips #author
Posted on May 18, 2015 by authorangelachristinaarcher
“Lube the mind. Or the body. Wait, what? Lather the body. Not lube. Freudian slip. So the wordsmith’s well has run dry? Try this specially-crafted Writer’s Block soap. If this soap doesn’t help you churn out regurgitated ideas and probably a vampire, I’ll eat my hat. It’s a fedora, by the way. Cool vampires wear fedoras now. Put that in your crack pipe and smoke it. Or in your book. Either way, you’re gonna need this soap ASAP. Your ideas are terrible.”
*Thump*
I’m sorry, I just fell out of my chair from laughing. If you are wondering if this is an actual product…
For the rest of the blog go to:
http://angelachristinaarcher.com/2015/05/18/writers-block/
May 21, 2015
Friday Feature Joanne Guidoccio A Season for Killing Blondes
Presents
Joanne Guidoccio
Author of
A Season for Killing Blondes
Joanne has graciously agreed to sit down and answer a few questions for your information and enjoyment.
Could you please tell our readers a little about the book you have brought with you to share today?
A Season for Killing Blondes is the first book in the Gilda Greco Mystery Series. Based in Northern Ontario, these books feature a fifty-something Italian woman, her relatives, deserving and undeserving men, and food.
Food, relatives and Italian just seem to go together. How did you come up with the concept for this book?
In 2004, I was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. While receiving treatments, friends shared inspirational and comedic books and DVDs. But all I wanted to read were cozies, those delightful murder mysteries that include a bloodless crime and contain little violence, sex, or coarse language. I read voraciously, often finishing a cozy in one or two sittings. Toward the end of treatments, I came up with a storyline for my own cozy – A Season for Killing Blondes.
Logline: A brunette lottery winner never has an alibi when dead blondes turn up in dumpsters near her favorite haunts.
Brunette with no alibi sounds intriguing. With our third book coming out the end of the month we’ve started on the fourth in our series. What are you working on now? Do you have a release date for this book?
A Season for Killing Blondes is now available for pre-order. It will be released on June 12th. In August, Soul Mate Publishing will release The Coming of Arabella, the sequel to Between Land and Sea. Right now, I’m working on the first draft of Book 3 in the Mediterranean trilogy, The Making of a Mermaid Psychic.
Some writers like quiet when they write, others want music. Which one are you?
I cannot write amid any chaos – auditory or otherwise. For that reason, I can only write at home.
On occasion we will have music playing in our individual writing spaces, but never when working together. Couldn’t hear ourselves thinking. Tell us about your writing space.
Originally, I had designated my den as a writing space, but I felt too confined and relocated to an empty space in my large living area. Whenever I need a break, I swivel my chair and take in the majestic trees outside my window.
Do you have a favorite book? (Or books since it’s always hard to whittle it down to one.
I have eclectic tastes and enjoy reading contemporary women’s fiction, cozy mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, self-help, and memoirs. Some of my favorite authors include Ann Patchett, Ann Lamott, Ken Follett, Jane Green, Maeve Binchy, Gail Bowen, Louise Penny, Adriana Trigiani, Louise Hay, and Dr.Christiane Northrup.
When we take a break we sit down to watch some TV together. What’s your favorite television show currently running? Favorite show of all time?
When I started writing full-time, I downgraded to basic cable. While my selection is limited, I still have access to my favorite series – Downton Abbey, The Good Wife, and Madam Secretary. During my teens and twenties, I loved watching the Mary Tyler Moore show.
Downton Abbey and Madam Secretary are two of our favorites. So for a little fun, let’s fire out some quick questions and see what your responses are.
Favorite food?
Greek—souvlaki, spanakopita, moussaka, baklava…
Favorite singer or band?
Love these beautiful voices – Liona Boyd, Barbara Streisand, Olivia Newton John
Favorite season?
Whenever I look out at Nature’s breathtaking fall palette, I am inspired and invigorated to start anew. Anything and everything is possible during the cool, crisp days of autumn.
Favorite flower?
Red Roses
Favorite color?
Purple
Mug or teacup?
Teacup. I have fond memories of afternoon tea with my mother. Whenever I visited, I looked forward to a proper tea with porcelain cups, silver spoons, and fresh pastries.
Joanne, thanks for being willing to take our questions on and sharing with our followers. Now, followers, it’s your turn to find out about Joanne’s book. If you like what you read below, go over to Amazon and buy a copy of A Season for Killing Blondes.
Blurb
Hours before the opening of her career counseling practice, Gilda Greco discovers the dead body of golden girl Carrie Ann Godfrey, neatly arranged in the dumpster outside her office. Gilda’s life and budding career are stalled as Detective Carlo Fantin, her former high school crush, conducts the investigation.
When three more dead blondes turn up all brutally strangled and deposited near Gilda’s favorite haunts, she is pegged as a prime suspect for the murders. Frustrated by Carlo’s chilly detective persona and the mean girl antics of Carrie Ann’s meddling relatives, Gilda decides to launch her own investigation. She discovers a gaggle of suspects, among them a yoga instructor in need of anger management training, a lecherous photographer, and fourteen ex-boyfriends.
As the puzzle pieces fall into place, shocking revelations emerge, forcing Gilda to confront the envy and deceit she has long overlooked.
Trailer
Excerpt
Carlo had removed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his light blue dress shirt. His tie lay on the desk. The rumpled look suited him to a tee. And his large black-rimmed glasses accentuated those unforgettable blue eyes. Bluer than blue. Sky blue. Cornflower blue. Robin’s egg blue. Years ago, Adele Martino and I had come up with thirty-seven descriptions of Carlo Fantin’s eyes when Mrs. Gillespie assigned one of her Monday morning English composition exercises. As I tried to recall the other thirty-three, I realized that Carlo was speaking to me.
“…he’ll be taking notes as well.”
Darn! Another officer in the room, and I had missed his name and more importantly, his title. Was he a detective or a constable? I’m sure Sofia would know. In the meantime, I better stop daydreaming and start listening. I nodded in the direction of the beefy officer. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Expertly trimmed moustache. A big bear of a man who reminded me of Magnum P.I.
Carlo cleared his throat. He was ready to get down to business. Police business. “It appears that Carrie Ann was your first client. You haven’t opened this office for business yet. How did that happen?”
My heart raced as I spoke. “After Sofia and my mother left…I’m not certain about the time…um…I…I heard a knock at the front window. I looked up and saw Carrie Ann. Hadn’t seen her in ages.” I paused and then added, “Still wearing the same pageboy hair style and that blonde color—”
Carlo waved his hand. “Stick to the facts, please.”
I felt myself reddening as those piercing blue eyes bored right through me. “Oh, sorry. Um, I let Carrie Ann in.”
“And?” Carlo said when I hesitated.
I shrugged. “We just talked for a while, then, uh…” I closed my eyes and tried to recall the conversation. But nothing concrete came to mind, only Carrie Ann’s infectious laugh and bubbly compliments about the decorating scheme. When I opened my eyes, the other officer offered me a water bottle. I thanked him and gulped down half the contents.
“You scheduled her for a session tomorrow morning,” Carlo said as he held up my appointment book. “Carrie Ann is…was considered one of the best interior designers in town. Why would she need counseling from you?” His dark brows drew together in a suspicious frown. “Were you planning to tell her to give it up?”
Buy Links
Amazon (Canada) – http://is.gd/t0g1KZ
Amazon (United States) – http://is.gd/jADjPp
Amazon (United Kingdom) – http://is.gd/8mknFJ
Amazon (Australia) – http://is.gd/r843iX
Kobo – http://is.gd/BpO9gY
Bio
In high school, Joanne dabbled in poetry, but it would be over three decades before she entertained the idea of writing as a career. She listened to her practical Italian side and earned degrees in mathematics and education. She experienced many fulfilling moments as she watched her students develop an appreciation (and sometimes, love) of mathematics. Later, she obtained a post-graduate diploma as a career development practitioner and put that skill set to use in the co-operative education classroom. She welcomed this opportunity to help her students experience personal growth and acquire career direction through their placements.
In 2008, she took advantage of early retirement and decided to launch a second career that would tap into her creative side and utilize her well-honed organizational skills. Slowly, a writing practice emerged. Her articles and book reviews were published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories. A member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, and Romance Writers of America, Joanne writes paranormal romance, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.
Where to find Joanne…
Website: http://joanneguidoccio.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joanneguidoccio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjoanneguidoccio
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneguidoccio
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jguidoccio/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7277706.Joanne_Guidoccio
