Diane Bator's Blog, page 47
April 10, 2021
Alison Lohans releases Timefall and Don't Think Twice
Welcome to Canadian author and fellow TWUC Write-In writer, Alison Lohans! I'm so thrilled I've been able to meet Alison virtually and excited to get to know more about her.
I’ve been writing all my life. From age 9, I knew I wanted to become a writer. Always an avid reader, I loved exploring ideas and places through books. Writing my own stories, addressing unanswered questions and other topics of interest, opened this door far wider. By age 12 I’d already received so many rejections that I knew I’d better train for a more secure job! What else did I love? Music, and playing in groups! Therefore, I’d be a band teacher and write! After graduating from high school in Reedley, California where I was born and raised, I went on to earn my B.A. in music at California State University, Los Angeles. Soon after graduating, I immigrated to Canada with my late husband, Michael. It was the Vietnam War era – and, raised a pacifist, I felt a strong need to leave the US. While my husband completed his Ph.D. at the University of Victoria, I worked as a pharmacy assistant and, at the same time, completed my Postgraduate Diploma in Elementary Education.
When a job offer at the University of Regina brought us to Saskatchewan, I worked three years as an elementary school band teacher – a job I deeply loved, but let it go when we started a family. From then on, I was a full-time mom-and-writer; my first young adult novel came out in 1983 with Scholastic Canada. Life has a habit of throwing curve balls. My husband passed away of cancer; I re-partnered and my second son came along. Always, I had the luxury of being able to write – and now was able to address some of life’s traumas (cancer, bereavement) in my young adult novels, also writing early chapter books for kids aged 7-9. Mystery of the Lunchbox Criminal (Scholastic Canada, 1990) was written in instalments that literally went to school in my older son’s lunchbox, for the class to read. Along the way I earned my M.Ed. degree at the University of Regina, which was useful in a rather indirect way, teaching music to senior citizens and, more significantly, teaching writing (first by correspondence, and later in person). It also came in handy for writing workshops; for manuscript evaluations; and for when I served as Writer-in-Residence at Regina Public Library, in 2002-03.
At the moment, my name is on 26 books for kids and teens, as well as more short stories, nonfiction pieces, and poems than I’ve been able to keep track of. Some of these have won awards, which always makes a person feel great! Part of this writing business that I love is talking to school kids. Since my first book was released in 1983, I’ve given more than a thousand readings in schools and libraries, and have had the privilege of touring several other parts of Canada thanks to Canadian Children’s Book Week, and other organizations. For three consecutive years I had the great honour of sharing my work with kids in far-northern Saskatchewan, most of them in First Nations reserve schools. Editing is something else I’ve been doing, about five books’ worth. And I have to put in a plug for the wonderful connections available through my several writers’ groups.
I’m happily living in Regina, Saskatchewan with my dog Sebastian and two finches. Here, there are countless opportunities for community involvement in the arts. Pre-COVID lockdown, in addition to all my writing activities, I was playing three different instruments (also singing) in something like nine different community groups, and still doing a bit of music teaching. International travel has been high on my list of favourite things to do, as it opens my world and heart, and often feeds into my writing. Lockdown of course has brought enormous changes, but the myriad online opportunities are keeping me busy as ever – and it’s good for the writing!
https://alisonlohans.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Alison-Lohans-785910764809127
What is your latest release?
My latest release is a re-issue of my YA speculative fiction novel Timefall (autumn, 2020) through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing program. It’s a post-apocalyptic time travel novel featuring two principal characters: Katie, a teen mom in present-day Regina; and Iannik, who has flawed Sight, and is the last in the line of Seers a thousand years in the future. Katie’s baby Tyler is, in fact, “the T’laaure”, the long-prophesied infant who is needed to ensure survival in the future. Psychic phenomena play a central role throughout.
The creation of this novel spread out across 36 years, off and on, from its origins in 1984 as a random image that just wouldn’t let me go. It found print in a couple of previous incarnations, but in both cases, the initial publishers eventually closed up shop: first, as Collapse of the Veil and Crossings (Bundoran Press, 2010; 2012), and then again in a much-revised version as Timefall (Five Rivers Publishing, 2018), which was a finalist for the 2019 Prix Aurora Award. This latest edition is further edited, and combines aspects of the two previous incarnations.
What are you working on now?
Several projects are presently on the go:
The 1-Dogpower Garden Team, a picture book illustrated by my cousin Gretchen Ehrsam, is in process for 2021 release with Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing. Germy Johnson’s Stolen Skateboard, a resurrection of a long-out-of-print early chapter book (Skateboard Kids, Roussan Publishers, 1999) will be coming out sometime in 2021 through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. Caught in the Crossfire, a short fully-illustrated historical fiction book intended for classroom use with middle years students, is awaiting publication with Pearson Education Australia, as part of their next upcoming MainSails Literacy Series. The intended publication date was 2019, but the entire series was postponed. Murder at Glencoe, an adult time-slip novel featuring Scotland’s 1692 Glencoe Massacre, has been in progress for the past several years. Free to Come Home, also in progress for a few years, is a YA historical novel, sequel to This Land We Call Home (Pearson Education New Zealand, 2007 / then Australia) which won the 2008 Saskatchewan Book Award for YA literature. Free to Come Home tackles the difficult plight of Japanese American citizens upon their release from the World War II internment camps. I will need to find a new publisher for this novel. I’m also working on miscellaneous short stories, and have two completed romance novels for which I’m seeking a publisher. Further, it’s likely that there will be a sequel to The 1-Dogpower Garden Team, now still in its earliest phases. Additionally, my plan is to do KDP re-releases of the other books in my “Germy Johnson” series: Germy Johnson’s Secret Plan; Germy Johnson’s Piano War; andGermy Johnson’s Lunchbox Mystery.Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
From my earliest childhood, my mother, Mildred Lohans, encouraged me with my writing. She had hopes of publishing picture books – and when I was 4 years old, actually had me illustrate one of her manuscripts! When I was 10, my mother took me to the library and checked out Writers Market, encouraging me to submit my stories to children’s magazines – so I acquired quite a few rejections before my first acceptance at the age of 12. Mother never published a book, but did publish some poems over the years. Later on, several teachers encouraged me to move ahead with my writing. I’m absolutely delighted that one of them, Mary Lou Nevins, found me on Facebook and friended me! Now in her 80s, she still celebrates every success I post!
What would you say are your strengths as an author?
I like to think I have a good eye for detail, and that I get deeply inside my characters, making it easy for readers to connect. I also know how to pare things down, with strong word choices, for a vivid and tight narrative.
How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?
I make a point of intending to write every day, and to push things forward a bit each time – but don’t always succeed. Mid-evening is usually firm writing time, in addition to other writing slots that get worked into my day. I really enjoy structured writing opportunities! This might mean intensive work at writing retreats, where fellow writers are also slogging away in their rooms. Or it might mean Zoom writing sprints with other writers – which I’m enjoying a lot right now, courtesy of The Writers’ Union of Canada. Additionally, one of my writing groups has a strong online component thanks to Facebook: every now and then we have monthly writing challenges, where we check in every day and report our progress (as well as our dilemmas and frustrations). For these, I like to set a daily minimum word count for new writing. Setting realistic goals is important in that I’m most likely to follow through. Recently, that has included finding market deadlines and writing new short stories to submit to the ones I select.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?
At this point I’m transitioning away from writing primarily for young people, and am most interested in writing fiction exploring the psyches of middle-aged and aging women. I’m interested in doing a lot more short fiction, some of it leaning into fantasy and speculative fiction (a genre in which I’m finding a gap regarding protagonists who are older women). This said, I presently have three middle-grade and/or YA novels-in-progress (two of them stalled in chapter 5). I owe it to myself, and to these stories/characters, to complete these books. IF I’m able to find (or create) markets for my completed romance novels, there are more ideas I’d like to explore in that genre. Additionally, I can foresee continuing to craft a few picture book stories and possibly a few early chapter books for ages 7-9. Finally, I’m determined to take more control over my own work. Given the many marketing uncertainties during the past decade or so, I plan to do more risk-taking in terms of self-publishing. As a colleague said recently, “I’m getting older – and I’m not willing to sit around forever waiting for the market to decide if it wants my books.”
TIMEFALL
What if you're a teen mother, and your baby is needed a thousand years in the future?
What if you're last in a long line of Seers, and survival depends on your flawed Sight?
Two worlds are poised on the brink of collapse:
Katie has few friends and lives with her baby, her mother, and her bratty younger brother. Then she falls into another world….
Iannik is last in a long line of Seers. When his mentor passes away, who's left to help him? Everyone fears his unruly powers….
Can Iannik summon the infant T’laaure from the doomed, distant past to save Aaurenan?
Is Katie’s baby the one who holds all the answers?
Finalist, 2019 Prix Aurora Award, Young Adult Novel
BUY: (paperback)
https://ourlittlebookshop.bigcartel.com/product/timefall-by-alison-lohans
or
(ebook)
DON’T THINK TWICE
1967: Shy Jan Carlson doesn't fit in, in Sierra Vista, a conservative Central California farming town. The Vietnam War rages. Friends’ brothers get drafted. The daily pledge of allegiance becomes a test of conscience, as progressive leaders are felled by assassins’ bullets. When a family with two brothers about Jan’s age moves in next door, everything begins to change.
1997: A middle-aged Jan is living in Canada, desperately trying to reach out to her runaway teenage daughter. Consumed by anxiety and fear for her daughter's safety, Jan writes down the account of her own teenage rebellion as she falls in love with brothers Tim and Rob, a tumultuous time when irrevocable choices are made. Love, betrayal, politics, death, and difficult choices all come to play in this complex novel.
Finalist: 1998 Saskatchewan Book of the Year Award
Finalist: Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award
Canadian Children’s Book Centre “Our Choice” starred listing
Resource Links “Best of the Year” notable list.
BUY: (paperback, autographed)
https://ourlittlebookshop.bigcartel.com/product/don-t-think-twice-by-alison-lohans
(ebook)
https://www.amazon.ca/Dont-Think-Twice-Alison-Lohans-ebook/dp/B0067QU984
April 8, 2021
Dwayne Clayden's new release Goddess of Justice
Congratulations to Dwayne Clayden on his new release:
GODDESS OF JUSTICE
Brad Coulter has really done it this time!
By Calgary’s own Dwayne Clayden
Official Book Launch At Owl’s Nest Books in Calgary
April 22, 2021!
The book will be available worldwide, in digital and print formats across all platforms!
A series of seemingly unrelated deaths have occurred around the city. When one is an obvious homicide, Detective Brad Coulter gets the case. Coulter has barely started investigating when more murders take place. It is clear that the killer not only understands Crime Scene Unit protocols but also has special forces military skills—or training in a Tactical Unit. During the investigation, Detective Coulter realizes he has a connection to some of the victims. Then the Crime Scene Unit discovers evidence that points to Coulter as the murderer. Now hunted by his own police service, he has to clear his name.But the killer has other plans.
Amazon.ca: Goddess Of Justice (The Brad Coulter Series Book 5) eBook: Clayden, Dwayne: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
Amazon.com: Amazon.com: Goddess Of Justice: A Brad Coulter Novel (9781989912041): Clayden, Dwayne: Books
Kobo: Goddess Of Justice eBook by Dwayne Clayden - 9781989912058 | Rakuten Kobo Canada
Owl’s Nest Books: Owl’s Nest Bookstore (bookmanager.com)
Other Books In The Brad Coulter Thriller Series:
CRISIS POINT
OUTLAW MC
WOLFMAN IS BACK
13 DAYS OF TERROR
About Dwayne:
writes crime thrillers. Dwayne was born and raised in Calgary,
and resides in Bowness.
Crisis Point, Dwayne’s first novel, was a finalist for the 2015 Crime Writers of Canada, Arthur Ellis Awards.
In his 40-year career, Dwayne has served as a Calgary Police Officer, Calgary Paramedic, tactical paramedic, firefighter, emergency medical services (EMS) chief, educator, and Academic Chair at SAIT.
Dwayne is a popular speaker at conferences and to writing groups presenting on realistic police, medical and paramedic procedures.
The co-author of four paramedic textbooks, he has spoken internationally at EMS conferences for the past three decades.
More information can be found about Dwayne at: DwayneClayden.com and at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dwayne-E.-Clayden/e/B0034PT4RI
Dwayne is available for interviews, media appearances, speaking engagements, and/or book review requests—please contact mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com by email or by phone at 403.464.6925.
April 6, 2021
Ava Sprayberrry Abernathy reveals Achievement by Possession and more!
Ava Sprayberry Abernathy
AKA
Author Dianah Brock
It all began in the foot hills of the northwest Georgia mountains, it a small town known as Kingston. There, deep in the woods on the outskirts of the small town, a little girl played in the side yard of her grandparents’ home. Over near the garden in that side yard, tiny blue and purple flowers bloomed every spring and summer. Being the only girl in the area, little Ava Sprayberry (known to her family as Dianah) played with those little flowers, giving each of them names, and designating the largest and prettiest, the princess of the lawn. There was no doubt that this little girl held quite the imagination within her young mind as she, along with her flower friends, entertained herself day in and day out.
As Ava began to grow, so did her creativity and the imagination that allowed her to escape situations she didn’t like, one of those being math class. While teachers tried to teach the least common denominator and the greatest common factor, Ava was busy with a notebook, drawing (very poorly) pictures of fairies holding magic wands, flying over fields and houses. Teachers scolded her for not paying attention to the math lessons, but admired her writing when the assignments were given.
By her Freshman year in high school, Dianah had grown to love books, and often found herself writing short stories to pass the time, instead of partying with friends or watching the latest episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. One day, her Lit/Comp teacher pulled her aside, and Dianah knew she was in trouble again. Much to her surprise, the teacher told her that she held great promise as a writer. She had talent, and it would serve her well to pay attention in class and develop her writing skills. It was at that moment, a bullied, unpopular girl who was simply “riding it out” in school, suddenly had a purpose. She suddenly had a dream. It was that day that she promised that teacher that she would be a writer, and when she published her first book, it would be dedicated to that teacher.
In 2010, after several rewrites, then Ava Sprayberry Shook released her first published novel, The Story of Michelle Brown Vandivere with vanity publisher Publish America LLC. Since that time, Ava, now author Dianah Brock has released 12 books including seven supernatural suspense thrillers, as well as five children’s books.
Ava Sprayberry Abernathy is not remarried to her husband John, and resides in Fort Payne Alabama. Working as a property manager by day, when evening falls, Ava becomes Dianah, and the writing continues. Ava is also a mother to three biological children, and two bonus children, for whom the children’s books were written.
You may find her books all listed on her website at www.AbernathyBooks.comor on Amazon buy clicking the shop kindle button.
You can also find her at: https://www.facebook.com/AbernathyBooks/
Tell us about your life outside of writing.
When I am not spending long hours late into the night working on my next book, I work as a property manager for a small, up and coming Property Management Company based out of Georgia. If I am not working, I am spending time with my family, attempting to binge shows on Netflix or Hulu, but don’t ask us what we just watched, we were too busy laughing at my husband who I believe was a comedian in a past life.
Do you have a work in progress? I have several. I don’t just write one book at once. More often than not, I’m working on at least three or four manuscripts. My current work in progress has taken me away from my fiction work as of late. I am currently focused on my first self-help book for indie authors like myself. The main purpose of this book, which I have titled “The Indie Author no Bullsh*t Guide to Marketing on a Budget,” has my full attention right now as I am planning a completed final draft, with release and launch by April 1,2021. (No, this isn’t an April fool’s joke for writers; help is coming.)
What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote, and why was it difficult?
The answer to this always has been, and always will be The Apocalypse Diaries Series. I started writing the series in 2013 after I suffered a complete mental and emotional breakdown. Somewhere before that time, I had lost myself, and writing is my therapy. Book one was my success because I’d found myself again’ the strong, independent, and optimistic woman I once had been. The most difficult section, in all honesty was the dedication in book two, (which I will release later this year) which read, “In loving memory of my cousins, Michael Anthony Sprayberry and Kenneth Grover Sprayberry (Kenny). Although your wings were ready, our hearts were not. Therefore, in this life, you both will continue to live on through the pages of this book, and any book in this series. When you are loved by a writer, you shall never die. Until we meet again. Love Always, Dianah.” Running close second in this race of the most difficult, a synopsis.
What sort of research do you do for your work?
I read books, listen to podcasts, anything that is relevant to the subject matter for the book I am working on at the time. I believe that in order to write for readers to leave their reality for a short time, then I too should leave my reality to learn. For example, if I have a character that is a nurse or a doctor, I don’t go pulling textbooks or hanging out at the local college library. I grab a medical drama novel, or something similar, and I read.
Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an author who inspires you?
I love horror suspense thrillers, anything supernatural, and even a little romance. As for authors who inspire me, I have two: Stephen King, and Laurell K, Hamilton. King entertains that dark and terrifying craving I have as far as literary entertainment goes. I love the thrill and chill his books can give. Hamilton, she inspires me because her books feature things like polyamory, homosexuality, and other things that at the time these books were being released, were still considered kind of taboo. However, she wrote, submitted, and published without fear, what she wanted, when she wanted, and opinions of others be damned. She writes to change the world by grabbing the reader’s attention with the points of fiction that we all love such as vampires, magic, action, and a good mystery. When I read a book by Laurell, it makes me fearless. While I do write books that I hope others will enjoy, I write for myself above anyone else. It’s my hobby, my “me time” and she helps me remember that.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
There were a few. The first, was a substitute teacher I had in elementary school. She grew tired of my doodling and writing during math class, as subjected I hated, and my grades reflected it. Instead of taking it away and scolding me, she told me that I had talent, and a talent like that should be developed, but not during math class. The second was in High School. Not only did she tell me I had talent, she took my work, the short stories I’d write at home and she would proofread and edit them in her spare time. She would bleed red all over my work to make it better. The day I was able to visit my old high school, about ten years after I’d left, it was an honor to visit her classroom and hand her that first novel I had promised her.
Achievement by Possession- Karen Fortenberry thought all of her dreams had come true when she fell in love with writer James Carter. However, as their wedding date nears, she learns that her dreams may actually be her worst nightmares come true. James is possessed by a demonic entity you'll hear about throughout this book. Now, she must fight to survive the night or become his sacrifice to achieve his own selfish goals.
The Story of Michelle Brown Vandivere- Michelle Brown is a struggling small business owner from a small town in Northwest Georgia. Just as it seems as though her entire world is crumbling beneath her, Michelle learns she is the heiress to a multi-million-dollar fortune. However, she soon realizes that her blessing may indeed be her worst nightmare as she faces trial full of conspiracy, romance, and even the paranormal.
The Apocalypse Diaries: The Fall- Surviving in a world where the dead walk among the living is not a simple task, especially for me. My name is Amber, and I am responsible for the lives of an entire village. When a simple training mission goes awry, I along with my two children, and a close friend, find ourselves on a new mission: To return to our village and move everyone before a horde of the undead falls blindly at out doorstep. Can we make it home in time?
April 3, 2021
An Interview with Dr. Bob Rich about his Books and Bobbing Around
Welcome to author and fellow Round Robin Blogger, Dr. Bob Rich!
Dr. Bob Rich is a figment of his computer’s imagination. Outside the computer, he is a grumpy old man with no sense of humor. Other people laugh at what he says and writes, which proves that THEY have a sense of humor.
Inside his computer, he is a shapeshifter. He can be a little boy with three arms, three legs but no head who had green skin, and liberated his people from terrible two-legged invaders from space; or a boy who didn’t know he was the reincarnation of Jesus, here in this life to fight the final duel with Bdud Mara, who invaded Earth 10,000 years ago; or he can be Bdud, whose body back home is a three-meter-long green and yellow ovoid on 12 legs, with a head on a long, snakelike neck; or he can be a 14-year-boy who hates everybody and all he wants to do is to die, but first wants to kill as many people as he can; or he can be the 84-year-old lady who turned him into the kind of boy you wouldn’t mind as your daughter’s boyfriend; or... There are really too many versions to list. You’ll just need to explore Bobbing Around.
Twitter: @bobswriting
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AscendingSpiral/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-rich-a06a3528/
Tell us about your life outside of writing.
Have you been talking with Groucho Marx? “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” Sorry, I’ve quoted this before, but I just can’t help it.
If you check out my blog, Bobbing Around you will learn that I have retired five times so far, from five different occupations. I am still going strong as a writer, editor, and most important, Professional Grandfather. That means that everything I do is working for a survivable future for all the lovely young people of the planet, and one worth surviving in.
Since 1972, a generation before I became a grandfather, everything I’ve done has focused on that, both inside and outside the dog... um, inside and outside of my writing.
Working for a survivable future means personal environmental action of many kinds, including being a member of the Australian Greens political party, building my own house and following the dictum, “Live simply, so you may simply live.” I set out the philosophy in an essay, How to Change the World.
Working for a future worth surviving in means I campaign for fairness, decency, cooperation. For example, my country, Australia, has done dreadful things to asylum seekers, and I am one of many people doing our best to fight the politicians’ criminal attitude.
Mother Teresa said, “Help one person at a time, and start with the one nearest to you.” Thanks to the internet, everyone on Earth is near to me. Although I’ve retired as a psychotherapist, I steer a great many people toward a good life, away from self-hate and suffering. They become my grandchildren, children, brothers/sisters, depending on age. This is part of my work to change a global culture that rewards and encourages the worst in human nature, particularly greed and hate, and toward the best.
Do you have work in progress?Always.
My last nonfiction book was From Depression toContentment: A self-therapy guide When I sent it to my publisher, he told me to cut it down to 50,000 words. That meant removing the best parts: several short stories, each with an explanation tying it to therapy. So, one of my current projects is a short story collection including those stories and lessons from them, with the working title Lifting the Gloom: An antidepressant primer of writings. You can read several of those stories here: http://wp.me/P3Xihq-15c
Recently, I interviewed Michael Amos who started up a new British publishing company. He impressed me enough that I submitted a book to him. He has accepted it, and we are now working toward publication within the next couple of months. He has put an incredible amount of work, care and enthusiasm into content editing, making suggestions for change, cover design and several other details. One of my current tasks is reading over his latest comments. The title will be Maraglindi, which is the name of my delightful young heroine.
Hiding within my computer is the sequel to this book, The Protector, with about 20,000 words written. When I get stuck with something else, I dust it off and ask the characters what they are doing next.
Then there is the Doom Healer series. In 2015, I was writing an essay about characterization, and wanted an example. As a result, a couple of teenagers introduced themselves to me: Bill, a scrawny kid with glasses who was being bullied at school, and Grater, a sports champion, all strength and speed, who rescued him. I knew nothing else about them. Since then, their story has grown into four completed volumes, and the fifth part-written. You can read a few snippets among the stories at Bobbing Around.
And resting within my computer are several other projects in hibernation, like the book about writing that essay about characterization was for.
What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult?Without a doubt that was the biography, Anikó: Thestranger who loved me. You can have a look at it on my blog, which has links to buying pages. The opening is at http://bobswriting.com/aniko.html
In 1956, there was a rust hole in the Iron Curtain in Hungary. My stepfather shoved me through it, then kept the rest of the family behind. This was his brilliant way of preventing a murder. We both knew that when I was old enough, one of us would kill the other.
So, my mother, Anikó, and I became strangers, in contact only through occasional letters. Even when I visited, I was definitely the foreign tourist rather than the returning local. However, on the first of those visits, I actually made friends with my stepfather. I learned his story. Compassion and even admiration replaced hate.
When he died in 1999, I knew she would not be long in following him, so I asked her to assemble material for me to write her biography. I sent her a little cassette recorder, and long lists of questions.
Indeed, she developed extreme Parkinson’s disorder. It was so bad she could hardly move. I visited in 2000 and stayed there for 6 weeks, spending much of it interviewing people. On the way home, I carried about 20 pounds of paper in my suitcase.
She died a few weeks later.
So, I had all this material, and couldn’t even look at it for two years. I’ll give you three guesses why.
When I did manage to start, it flowed, and it’s the book that took me the shortest time: about three months.
This book won several awards. My fans tell me you don’t want to start reading unless you are willing to finish it in one sitting.
What sort of research do you do for your work?
Research is fun. It is something I often do without a particular need, just for interest.
Last century, research meant spending a day in the University library. Now, it’s search engines like for everyone else. Too easy!
Both then and now, reaching out to experts has been both enjoyable and informative. After all, I am the expert many others have consulted on a wide range of issues, and asking for help is paying it backward, to twist the usual cliché.
My psychology self-help book, From Depression to Contentment: A self-therapy guide needed very little research while I was writing it, because it’s part of my expertise, and my computer is full of references I add to as I encounter them. Each major search engine has a scholar/academic branch, and I subscribe to a number of important academic journals. So, writing needed more refreshing my memory than doing research.
My science fiction novel, Sleeper, Awake is based on a lot of environmental science, which has been an interest/hobby of mine since 1972. While writing up my Ph.D. thesis, I also devised computer models that accurately predicted horror: today’s world. I knew that a major cataclysm was unavoidable, and wanted to visit Earth long after it, when hopefully the survivors had built a better society. I thought I might need a time traveler, but instead, something more in accord with the laws of physics happened: Flora Fielding, who went into cryogenic storage to escape cancer.
In 2001, this story won me an international award. It has been reissued by a new publisher, and to celebrate, I am offering FREE copies to every follower of Bobbing Around and every subscriber to my monthly newsletter. This is because I want lots of reviews for it.
My novel, Hit and Run, has a more subtle relationship to research. I am aware of a great deal of evidence on how to reform difficult teenagers, and rehabilitate criminals. I didn’t consult any of this material, and as far as I know, an old lady called Sylvia Kryz is completely unaware of it. All the same, when she coalesced within my computer, her behavior was in complete accord with what this research recommends. My wonderful team of beta readers told me that this is my best novel to date. You can have a look at Hit and Run here. Ascending Spiral depends on a different form of research. In 2007, I found a therapist I could work with (not that easy for a senior therapist). She used hypnosis to enable me to process the traumas of my infancy, but also I found myself experiencing past lives. For the next two years, I used self-hypnosis to add to this material. Ascending Spiral is a fictionalized record of all this: my life and five of my past lives.
Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an author who inspires you?
As a teenager, I found reading to be one of my two major antidepressants. I could get out of my miserable world, and temporarily become a ship’s captain during the Napoleonic wars, or one of Genghis Khan’s warriors, or Shylock (I was definitely on his side. Poor bloke got badly cheated), or Geppetto (that’s Pinocchio’s father), or lived in the little house on the prairie, or... well, you get the idea.Reading nonfiction was even more fun. I kid you not, I read every entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica in the school Library. Learning something new is fun.
When I got married, I found out that my wife, poor thing, had never heard of Winnie the Pooh, so I read her a chapter a night. But Dr. Seuss is tops in the kid-book line. My children and I can still recite The Lorax word for word.
I’ve read every book Agatha Christie, Dick Francis, Isaac Asimov (yes even the science textbooks), Robert Heinlein and Ernest Hemingway wrote. One of my favorites is David Eddings’ Belgariad.When I was working full time, I used reading as a form of relaxation, but you know the cliché, you’re more busy after retiring than before? Well, I’ve retired five times, so you can imagine. Nowadays, I get books for editing, which is work rather than reading for pleasure even if the book is excellent. And I review books regularly as a service to other authors.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?Bob Rich.
All of Bob’s currently available books are listed at https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/bobs-booklisteach with an extract you can read, a brief description, and buying links. Remember, one of them is currently available FREE to every follower of Bobbing Around, and every subscriber to Bob’s newsletter, but this offer won’t be forever. You need to do some detective work to find out which book, and how to request a copy.
April 1, 2021
Marilyn Kriete takes us down Paradise Road
PARADISE ROAD
THE STUNNING DEBUT MEMOIR
BY CANADA’S OWN, MARILYN KRIETE
Released and published by Lucid House Publishing!
The book is available worldwide in paperback!
A restless child of the 1960s, Marilyn yearns for love, hippiedom, and escape from her mother’s control. At 14, she runs nearly a thousand miles away to Vancouver, British Columbia, eventually landing herself in a Catholic home for troubled girls. At 16, she’s emancipated, navigating adulthood without a high school diploma, and craving a soulmate. When she falls in love with Jack, the grad student living next door, life finally seems perfect. The two embark on a cross-continental bicycle trip, headed for South America, but before they reach Mexico, Jack dies. Utterly shattered, Marilyn does the hardest thing she can imagine: a solo bicycle trip, part tribute, part life test. She conquers her fears but goes wildly off course, chasing her heart as she falls into a series of tragicomic rebounds. Two itinerant years later, a chain of events in Montana’s Bitterroot Mountains leads to a peace she never expected to find.
Reminiscent of Wild and Travelling with Ghosts, Marilyn’s journey portrays a life unmoored by grief, brought to shore again.
PARADISE ROAD was selected as the International Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Club’s International Book of the Month for March 2021.
Amazon.ca: Paradise Road: A Memoir: Kriete, Marilyn: 9781950495115: Books - Amazon.ca
Amazon.com: Paradise Road: A Memoir: Kriete, Marilyn: 9781950495115: Amazon.com: Books
Barnes and Noble: Paradise Road: A Memoir by Marilyn Kriete, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
PRAISE FOR PARADISE ROAD:
"Paradise Road is a fearless account of Marilyn Kriete's life of adventure. She unspools the tale of plunging into each chapter of her life with great candor and momentum. She has an uncanny knack for putting the reader by her side through each exhilaration, each heartbreak, each danger, each triumph." - Kimberley Cetron, author of Fractals: The Invisible World of Fractals Made Visible Through Theatre and Dance
"Watching Marilyn Kriete crack wide open and feel utterly wounded, only to watch her attempt to piece herself back together one mile at a time. From her happiness feeling truly ebullient to her crestfallen soul, we meet a woman furiously bicycling towards her future. Paradise Road is such a beautifully painted story, I felt as if I was with her and cheering her on the entire time."—Annie McDonnell of The Write Review
“Like Milton’s Paradise Lost and Kerouac’s On the Road, Marilyn Kriete’s Paradise Road is an epic poetic trip. I was bewitched by the language from start to finish and hoping for more.” —Judy Kirkwood, award-winning writer and author of Prelude to a Divorce
"Every once in a while, a memoir comes along that is so inspiring you want to share it with the world. Paradise Road is the very brave story of a woman, who had the tenacity and spirit to rise above all of life's sorrows and challenges. Five Diamonds in the Pulpwood Queen Mandatory Tiara of great reads!” —Kathy L. Murphy, CEO and Founder of The International Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Club Reading Nation
About Marilyn:
After a colorful life spanning four continents and 16 cities, earning her keep as cook, chambermaid, waitress, fisherwoman, missionary, speaker/teacher, tutor, and academic writing editor, MARILYN KRIETE now lives in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, with her charitable husband Henry and three demanding cats. Her poetry and nonfiction have appeared in The Lyric, Storyteller, The Eastern Iowa Review, The English Bay Review,and Brevity Blog. PARADISE ROAD is her debut memoir.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Marilyn Kriete, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
March 30, 2021
Character Guest Post with QUINN EVANS of All That Shines
This post appeared on March 23 on Christys Cozy Corners as part of my All That Shines Blog Tour. Quinn Evans has become one of my favorite characters and will be back! For now, I'd love for you to get to know her!
Hey, everyone. I’m Quinn Evans the star of All That Shines, a new mystery with my friends Sage and Laken Miller. Okay, I’m not the star. That honor belongs to my new bestie Sage, whether she admits to it or not.
I wasn’t a huge fan of being dragged from Los Angeles to Glitter Bay by my late boss Sebastian, but sometimes life takes you where you least expect to go, right? My life in Hollywood as an up-and-coming fashion designer was fun, except for Sebastian. While I left some great friends behind, I also binned a persona that I no longer wanted to be associated with.
Then I met Sage and Laken who own the beautiful Vintage Sage boutique. I have to say, there’s something to be said for being yanked out of a rut and stuck into a whole new life. For me, it was a blessing! I was a bit wary of Sage for the first few days. She was totally on edge and kept leaving the moment Sebastian and I walked through the door of her shop. Wary or not, something about her fascinated me. When someone shot Sebastian, I saw how she handled his murder with grace. Then I began to notice something else about my new friend.
Sage Miller is one of those amazing people who would rather hang out in the background and do all the work then have people notice her. Not on my watch, sister.
We needed to have a hard talk after Sebastian died. Hard for me, anyway. When I first met the girls, I went by my former name. Hamlet. Don’t laugh. I know it’s awful. I got beat up for it a lot as a kid. I guess that was why I let Sebastian bully me into sticking with it for so long. Sage and Laken were much more accepting when I told them I was a woman and wanted to be called Quinn.
It seems that when I came out with the truth, it had a bigger effect on Sage than I possibly could’ve imagined. Bit by bit, she opened her heart and her mind to more options. She even let me glam her up for our big fashion show. Can you believe it? I get it, she’s an introvert. I’m trying not to push her too fast, but I’d love for us to have a spa day and get her a total makeover. I mean, her boyfriend Andy was shocked enough to see her in a gown. Can you imagine how he’d react when she walked in wearing something slinky with her gorgeous red hair in curls around her bare shoulders?
And that girl thinks she’s got nothing on her supermodel sister. Genetics, darling! Get over it. You’re stuck with them.
Anyhow, I hope you check out our adventure in All That Shines. I have a feeling I may stick around for more fun and excitement with the Miller girls. After all, I’m broke and have nowhere else to go, so why not?
Love and kisses,
Quinn
March 27, 2021
Katherine H. Brown talks to us about Love on the Rink and Rest, Relax & Run For Your Life
Welcome to cozy and romance author Katherine H. Brown!
Katherine H. Brown is a Texas author with a love of reading and chocolate chip ice cream. Book lover and weaver of words, Katherine always has several projects going at one time but is most recently occupied with a new baby born April 2020. Katherine loves to hear from readers and often gets input from them through newsletter polls to help choose character names or book titles.
Social Media:
www.instagram.com/katherinebrownkatie
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18681694.Katherine_Brown
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/katherine-h-brown
https://www.facebook.com/katherinebrownkatieauthor/
https://www.amazon.com/Katherine-Brown/e/B078J72H8M
Newsletter sign ups: https://mailchi.mp/3ed2f71e303c/kbbnewsletterbookishinfo
What would you say are your strengths as an author?
I would say my strengths as an author are 1) neverending flow of story ideas and 2) strong characters / voice. Creating and being the characters as I write is really one of my favorite parts.
How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?
This year, I’m working on getting back into a stricter routine. My baby girl was born April 2020 so I took basically 8 ½ months off – some willingly and others out of necessity because for the longest she absolutely wouldn’t nap without being held and I had zero time for anything, not even a shower lol. Now, at almost a year, she takes a nice morning nap and I focus as hard as possible on my writing during that time 5 to 6 days a week. Because it is a short time frame, I’m planning to release more novellas this year and return to full length novels sometime when she is older and we have a more structured routine with independent play.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?
Five years from now, I hope to be releasing two to four novels per year and to have improved in tightening up my writing style so that a very low level of edits are needed. I also hope to be earning enough from my author life to help pay some of our bills, which at this point is not where my income level is yet.
If you could offer once piece of advice to a novice writer, what would it be?
Do not stop writing. I took several years where I believed what everyone said about it not being possible to earn a living or break into publishing etc. And I don’t regret them, necessarily, but I wish I had continued to write and build up stories so that when I learned more about how to go about publishing my books I had more of them to release right away.
What would you consider to be the best compliment a reader could give your book?
The best compliment that I can think of is when a reader says, “will there be another one?”
What are you working on now?
I just wrapped up the Ooey Gooey Bakery Cozy Mystery series as well as a short clean romance novella, Love on the Rink. For the rest of 2021, my plans are to work on a holiday historical cozy mystery for a Christmas anthology, and to write a wonderful book that has been brewing in my brain for years about a librarian and a journey to Ireland to save a beautiful little village that she didn’t know she was connected to. Stay tuned!
LOVE ON THE RINK (sweet romance novella)
Macy can't believe she picked up and moved from Texas to Minnesota with so little thought. Especially as she shovels snow from her driveway. Again. She wasn't prepared for weather like this.
Her first day in her new job as a nurse at Warren High School, Macy realized she wasn't prepared for walking on an ice rink or dealing with the attitude of the school's hockey coach, Kirk Wilson either.
Can Macy find what it takes to settle into her new life?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WJH3HV9
REST, RELAX, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE (Ooey Gooey Bakery cozy mystery book
Two best friends & a bakery!
Piper and Samantha are in heaven. Well, close. More like a long weekend at the O Heavenly Day Spa.
A few mysterious notes start appearing everywhere, things get uncomfortable. As spa treatments go awry things get dangerous. A threatening message convinces Piper and Sam that they have to find out who is behind all of these disasters. When the smoke alarms go off and the spa erupts into panic, the chaos separates the friends and Piper stumbles into trouble. Will someone help her before it is too late?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P1P5N2K
Also audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Rest-Relax-Run-for-Your-Life-Audiobook/B088G27S7P
March 25, 2021
Kristine Raymond's new cozy mystery Finn-Agled
Introducing...
FINN-AGLED
A wooden box gone bad in this Finn’s Finds cozy mystery by Kristine Raymond
Released independently
The book is available worldwide in digital and print across all platforms.
A secret message hidden inside of an antique wooden box, an unidentified dead body, and a mother determined to marry her off to the high school crush whom she hasn’t seen since…well…high school. There’s no doubt about it; Finn Bartusiak’s life in the seaside town of Port New is about to get interesting.
Coming into possession of a 19th-century, bronze and mahogany writing box under somewhat suspicious circumstances, Finn’s accidental discovery of a coded note leads her and Spencer Dane, bestselling novelist and love of her life (though he doesn’t know it yet), on a quest to unravel the mystery behind the jumble of letters. But they’re not the only ones interested in the cryptic message. There’s a con man on their trail, and he’ll stop at nothing, including murder, to claim the ‘treasure’ for himself.
Amazon.ca: - https://www.amazon.ca/Finn-agled-Finns-Mystery-Kristine-Raymond-ebook/dp/B07VFKJXHH
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Finn-agled-Finns-Mystery-Kristine-Raymond-ebook/dp/B07VFKJXHH
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finn-agled-kristine-raymond/1132539883
Praise for Finn-agled:
“Considering I've been a fan of Kristine Raymond for quite some time, the fact that I call this my new favorite of hers should say something. For a first foray into the cozy mystery genre she knocked this out of the park.”, Paige, Reviewer at Electively Paige
“Add to the mix one handsome heartthrob, a savvy best friend detective, and a Bassett hound and you have a tale of mystery, secret codes, and intrigue that will hold your interest and leave you wanting more!”, Reviewer at Book Lover 222
About Kristine:
It wasn’t until later in life that Kristine Raymond figured out what she wanted to be when she grew up, an epiphany that occurred in 2013 when she sat down and began writing her first novel. Over a dozen books in multiple genres later, there are a multitude of ideas floating around in her head thus assuring she’ll never be idle.
When a spare moment does present itself, she fills it by navigating the publishing and promotional side of the business. When not doing that, she spends time with her husband and furbabies (not necessarily in that order) at their home in south-central Kentucky, gardens, reads, or binge-watches Netflix.
To find out more, please visit her website at www.kristineraymond.comand follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and BookBub.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Kristine Raymond, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
March 23, 2021
A Chat with Katie O'Connor About Cupid's Christmas in Silver Creek with Bonus Excerpts
Welcome to prolific author Katie O'Connor! WARNING: Two great books and blurbs ahead!
Katie O’Connor lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She married her high school sweetheart and is living her happily ever after. She is the mother of two grown daughters and is extremely proud of her five grandchildren.
Katie’s career path has been long and twisted, with most of her life devoted to her family. She’s been a waitress, chambermaid, cashier, store manager, as well as a lab and X-ray Technician. She is an avid quilter and crafter. She finds inspiration and relaxation in the wilds of Alberta.
She’s dabbled in writing since high school because something drives her to create stories. She swears it’s impossible for her NOT to write. Unsatisfied with one genre, Katie writes contemporary romance, erotic romance, fantasy/paranormal romance and erotica. Recently, she’s crafted her first cozy mystery with the intention of publishing a cozy mystery series.
She believes in all things magical; including dragons, fairies, UFOs, ghosts, and house pixies. But most of all she believes in love, romance and hope.
Website: https://katieohwrites.com
Email: katieoconnorwrites@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/katieohwrites
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/katie...
What is your latest release?
My latest release is Cupid's Charm. A heartwarming story of a Valentine Scrooge who falls for a hopeless romantic. Olivia hates everything Valentine's, including love. Max is all about love and romance. There's no way in the world they'll ever see eye to eye.
What are you working on now?
I tend to write two books at once. On in the editing and one in creation. I'm editing an as yet unnamed story that will be a novel in my Coyote Creek series. My working title is Coyote Creek Santa, though I doubt that particular title will stick all the way through edits. I'm also plotting the third book in my paranormal mystery series, Three Moon Falls. Earth Magic follows the Hawk family and comes after Fire Magic and Water Magic. It is the third book in a four book series. Evenings, when I have nothing better to do, I'm working on a secret, non-fiction project.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
Not anyone specifically. I can't recall a time when I wasn't totally enthralled with books. I was an avid reader as a child, often staying up late, lost in worlds created by others. I started writing in my teens and was FINALLY published in my 40s. It was a long haul, but I loved every step of the journey.
What would you say are your strengths as an author?
Wow. You like to toss out touch questions. My strength is probably in creating heart warming stories with believable characters and intriguing secondary characters.
How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?
I write seven days a week. Yes, even Christmas Day. Sometimes a few words, sometimes thousands. I'm a binge writer. My best stories come when I sit down, focus and write the rough draft from start to finish as quickly as I can. My record is 46,000 words in eight days, by hand, with a pen and paper. Blessedly uninterrupted, I was able to keep the flow going which allowed me to get deeper into the characters hearts.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?
In five years, I'll still be writing and publishing. I hope to be able to mentor and assist writers as they start their careers. There isn't anything as good for the soul as helping another person fulfill their dream.
CUPID'S CHARM
The town of Rapture is Valentine’s Day crazy. It’s beyond anything Olivia Parker has ever seen or imagined. She’s out of money, has no job, and no place to live. At twenty-five, she’s way too old to move back home with her eleven siblings. Desperate, she takes the first job she’s offered, and lands in the middle of romance central. If it isn’t bad enough to be surrounded by Valentine’s paraphernalia, her landlord’s charm threatens to steal her heart and she’s vowed to stay single.
Max Reed is living a nearly perfect life. He’s got a wonderful family, and a great job as head of the local RCMP detachment. There’s only one thing missing; the woman of his dreams. Olivia Parker might just fit the bill nicely. Too bad she’s the Scrooge of romance.
With life and Valentine’s events pushing them together, it’s going to take everything Olivia has to protect herself from Max’s determined efforts to win her heart.
Excerpt:
Liv glanced at her dashboard clock. It was pushing five in the afternoon. Unless her timing and mapping skills were off, she should be nearly at her destination. A broad grin stretched across her face. She could hardly wait to arrive!
A new town, a new start.
Life was on the upswing again and she was excited to meet it head on. This was going to be the best year of her life.
There it was. The highway sign. Rapture, 1 km. One kilometer to her destination. She rounded a gentle sloping curve and skidded her car to a halt on the highway approach. Belatedly, she glanced up at her rearview mirror. Thank heavens nobody was behind her; she could have caused an accident.
She stared at the “Welcome to Rapture” sign in disbelief. Fashioned from wrought iron, it towered twenty feet high, dwarfing the highway, her car, and everything in its vicinity. Even the massive spruce trees. That wasn’t the worst of it. It was decorated in, ugh, of all things, red hearts and white swirls. It looked like Cupid had vomited up a sign. Gross. She should have expected this, after all she was moving to Rapture. Who named a town Rapture? Crazy people, that’s who.
She hadn’t even hit town yet, and she was already regretting accepting her new position of veterinary assistant without visiting town first. Still, what choice did she have? It wasn’t like she had the money to travel around searching out every prospective town or village where she was offered a job. Not that there were many. After six months of unemployment, she’d had exactly one, yes, that’s right, one, interview and she’d snatched up the position almost before the kindly grey-haired veterinarian offered it to her on a video call.
She hadn’t even taken the time to research Rapture on the internet. If she had, the job would have been a no-go, even if it meant living on the street.
She snorted at her own hyperbole. Right, as if she’d have to live on the street. She’d move back home with her parents and all eleven of her siblings. At twenty-five, she was the oldest. Six girls, six boys. It was enough to make your head hurt. She’d left home at eighteen and returned only for seasonal visits and birthdays. Outside of holidays, she’d never spent a night there after gaining her freedom. She sure as heck wasn’t going to move back into the hotel like house she’d once called home. She could have sold her car, but it was the first big-ticket item she’d ever purchased herself. Luckily, she’d scrimped and saved, and didn’t have a loan for it. She’d managed to survive on her severance pay and dwindling savings, until now. She’d even gotten through Christmas, though the gifts she’d given were small, hand crafted items, created from supplies in her craft material stash, because money was running short.
A horn tooted behind her, jarring her from her reminiscences. She waved and lifted her foot from the brake and rolled forward into a pretty picnic area beyond the sign. The car passed by and when its tail lights faded from view, she turned her attention to the picnic area. Towering pines and spruce shaded the red shale pathways. In the distance, mountains towered over the trees. Snow capped, red and white picnic tables were circled with matching benches. Small fire-pits rested a safe distance from the tables and clear of the trees. Down a well-shoveled path, she noticed a small, tightly shuttered confectionary which was probably only open during the summer. The path wandered past the building to an unknown destination. This would be a great place for a family picnic. Of course, her family would fill the entire place. The air was fresh and brisk, it smelled of pine and fresh snow with just a hint of campfire. Gosh, she loved those scents, maybe this place wouldn’t be all bad.
Slipping her eight month old Ford Explorer SUV into park, she hopped out and stretched her back. The icy wind cut through her thin sweater, stealing every degree of warmth her car had generated. Darn, in the car’s heat, she’d almost forgotten it was the end of January. Well, except for the snow-covered ditches and icy patches on the highways.
Overall, the two-day trip hadn’t been overly onerous. Rapture, Alberta was a good thirteen hours from Regina, Saskatchewan, and winter roads had tripled the time required to travel the distance. She was done. Baked. Exhausted. Plus, she was starved. The first order of business would be food and then locating her new apartment.
“Good evening.”
The deep masculine voice came out of nowhere and Liv whirled round to face the speaker.
“Um. Hi.” She squinted into the fading sunset at the tall man ambling her way.
“Everything all right?” he asked kindly.
“Yes. I’m fine.” She yanked open her car door and stepped behind it, ready to leap inside and shut him out. “Just leaving. Thanks.” Why had she added thanks? What she did was no business of his. His ready smile and attractive grin made her nervous.
He took three steps forward and stopped, mittened hands raised slightly, something rope-like hanging from his left hand. “Sorry if I frightened you. We don’t get many people stopping here this time of year, especially on New Year’s Day. I was passing by and thought I’d make sure you were okay.” He shifted left, bringing his face into the dimming daylight. His smile was soft and easy. An orange and red striped toque fashioned to hang low, down to his shoulder, ended with an enormous pompom and concealed his hair. The hat matched his mittens and scarf. He looked almost fashionable. He wore a bulky black jacket with a logo she couldn’t quite make out on the sleeve.
“Thanks. I’m fine.” She glanced around. There were no other vehicles in sight. Why was he here wandering around at the edge of town by the highway?
“I’m out for a walk,” he offered, as if reading her mind. “My dog ran away.” He waggled the leash he aloft and slowly lowered his hands.
“Oh.” True or not, the words didn’t offer much reassurance. It was time to get out of here. “Thanks for stopping. I’ll be going now. Dinner calls.” Great. Why had she gone and told him her plans? She must be more tired than she realized.
“Check out Penny’s on Seventh Avenue. She makes the best chicken stew and chili on the planet. You won’t be disappointed. And, if you see Rex, he’s a scrawny, underfed, Rottweiler, please leave a message for me with Penny. Enjoy your dinner.”
“Have a nice day. If I see your dog, I’ll let you know.” Shut up Liv. Just because the man was good looking with dark, enticing eyes, it didn’t mean you had to have a conversation with him. Hunger and exhaustion were dragging her down, stealing her common sense. She needed to eat, find her apartment and get some much-needed sleep or she’d be useless on her first day of work. She slid back into her SUV, slammed the door, and backed out of the picnic area. She would have preferred to start later, but the position started tomorrow and she’d agreed to be there, despite having to travel on New Year’s Eve and end her journey on New Year’s Day.
She’d always believed that you started a new year the way you wanted to continue it. What better way than preparing to make a great impression at a new job? New year, new town, new life. She was ready for this.
Buy Links:
:Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08SCRV57G
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SCRV57G
Currently this book is only available on Amazon.
BONUS!! KEEP READING!!
Hailey Masters returns to her hometown to mend her broken heart and move on with her life. Finding her family’s business in tatters and her parents’ marriage on shaky ground due to the actions of their former friend, Hailey embarks on a plan to save the business and ensure her family’s future happiness.
Jesse Phillips considers himself a community outcast and is reluctant to interact with people any more than necessary. When his childhood friend returns to town, he is thrust into Hailey’s life and forced to relive memories of his embarrassing past. Despite his total disdain for everything holiday related, Jesse pitches in to help with Hailey’s plans for a year-round Christmas store. Until his mother threatens to ruin everything.
Excerpt: CHRISTMAS IN SILVER CREEK
Hailey clenched her fists, raised her head and shoulders, and two-fist punched the roof of her broken down SUV. Time to suck it up and admit defeat. She’d trek the last block to Two Angels Gifts—in a minute.
“Deep breaths, Hailey.” Time for some calming yoga breathing. In. Out. In. Out. Nope, not going to cut it, not even close. She needed to go for a run to unwind. A long, slow, run; after about two miles of sprinting. A mega workout to burn off some stress as well as the cheesecake she planned on binge eating tonight. Right after she mustered the guts to climb out of this broken-down wreck of a vehicle, stretch her aching back and face her family.
Tap. Tap.
Her heart jumped into her throat and she lurched sideways in her seat to stare at the side window.
“What?” she blurted. A scruffy, blond, bearded man, in a dirty, plaid flannel work shirt, stood beside the vehicle, a questioning look on his face.
“Miss, are you okay?” His voice was muffled by the glass and her radio, but still clear.
She shut off the radio and rolled the window down half an inch.
“Thanks, I’m good.” Not that she’d admit otherwise to a stranger.
“Your engine is overheating. Don’t shut it down before it cools or she’ll boil over.”
“So, my dad told me. Thanks though.”
His brows bunched together at her abrupt response. She winced, it wasn’t like her to be rude, let alone rude to someone she didn’t know.
“Sorry, bad day. Bad week.” To her disgust, tears dripped from her eyes. She slapped them away and forced a smile. “Thanks for your concern.”
“Bad day, bad week, then your car breaks down, adding insult to injury; it has to suck.” His facial hair twitched around his mouth, like he was smiling.
Boy, this man was the master of the understatement for the month, maybe the entire year. He had it right on the money. “I’m fine. Almost home.”
“If you’re certain…” He frowned. At least she thought he did. It was hard to tell under the scruff of his beard.
She nodded. Why didn’t he just go away and leave her to her misery? “I’m fine. Thanks.”
Great, she was so bushed she could only muster three words. Twelve hours nonstop in the car did numb the body and the mind. A wiser person would have taken two days to make the trip, especially on winter roads, and she’d passed through more than a couple snow storms, shaking her nerves and rattling her calm. Would she ever feel calm again?
“Okay then.” He sounded anything but certain. He gave her another long look and ambled away.
She watched him go, strangely reluctant to see him leave. He strolled toward Beth’s Beans, her high school bestie’s coffee shop. Beth had stayed in Silver Creek after high school. Hailey had scooted off to university as fast as she could, only coming home on vacations and to announce her engagement.
Her would-be Samaritan pulled the shop door open, holding it wide while a harried mother pushed her stroller outside and urged three preschoolers to hurry out. She paused to chat with him, patted his arm and rushed away. The man stepped inside; the door whooshed shut behind his muscular shoulders. Idly, Hailey thought he must do physical labor to build such a solid frame.
With a head shake, she checked the temperature gauge. Still too hot to shut down. Double edged sword. She didn’t feel like sitting here, her body ached too badly. But neither did she want to face her parents.
She watched people come and go, some meandering, others racing past. Five minutes later, he exited the store, a small white bag and two takeout cups in his hands. He grinned at her. Or was that a grimace? He stepped closer and she recognized small laugh lines at the corner of his electric blue eyes. A smile then.
“Here’s a coffee for you, Hailey.” He offered her a cup. “And an everything bagel with plain cream cheese.”
Her mouth dropped open. She snapped it closed and squinted at him. Beneath the scruff he was vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place him.
“Cream and two sugars. Just the way Beth says you like it. She also said she’s annoyed you didn’t tell her you were coming.” He flashed a smile. “I didn’t mention the U-Haul.” He winked. “Though she can probably see it through the window.”
A warm flash rolled through her. Attraction? No. Maybe.
Gratitude.
That was it. She wasn’t attracted to him; she was grateful for his concern. After her tedious journey and flight from her ex’s duplicity, this guy’s concern was heartwarming.
“I’m sorry. Do I know you?” She asked after a long moment of staring rudely at him. Exhaustion had stolen her manners somewhere around the Canada-U.S. border.
“Jesse Phillips.”
After a moment, recognition arrived. He had his mother’s eyes; except his weren’t bloodshot from drinking. “Oh, hi,” she responded lamely, unable to hide her surprise at not recognizing a former friend and neighbor. How could she have missed seeing his identity?
His eyes went flat and expressionless. He gestured with the coffee. “Take it, and the bagel. You look like you need them. Then, I’ll leave you alone.” His tone was icy.
Buy Links:
Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Christmas-Silver-Creek-Katie-OConnor-ebook/dp/B08LHGCMKK/
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Silver-Creek-Katie-OConnor-ebook/dp/B08LHGCMKK/
Currently this book is only available on Amazon and free to read in Kindle Unlimited.
March 21, 2021
All That Shines Blog Tour! March 22 to 28
Here is the schedule for my ALL THAT SHINES BLOG TOUR
which starts today!
Please join me and the fabulous bloggers below to find out more
about this fun mystery and much more!
ALL THAT SHINES TOUR PARTICIPANTS :
March 22 – I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
March 22 – Maureen's Musings - SPOTLIGHT
March 23 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST
March 23 – Literary Gold – REVIEW
March 23 – Christy's Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 24 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 24 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT
March 25 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST
March 25 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 25 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 26 – I Read What You Write - AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 27 – Ms. Cat's Honest World – REVIEW
March 27 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 28 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 28 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
Find my book at: http://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/
