Cathrina Constantine's Blog, page 36

#CelebrateTheSmallThings #TBMarkinson #NewRelease

T B Markinson's New Release
Look at this fantastic cover!!!


Graduate student Lizzie Petrie feels more comfortable around books than people. Although an expert in the Hitler Youth, she’s a novice in love. Her former lesbian lover is blackmailing her, and not even those closest to Lizzie know the full story of their abusive relationship.When visiting high school English teacher Sarah crosses Lizzie’s path at the campus, their attraction is instant, but not without complications. As they start to spend more time together, suspicions arise from both women in this sexy piece of LGBT fiction.Plenty of good-natured teasing takes place between lovers as well as between PhD students in this lesbian contemporary romance. No relationship path ever runs smoothly, and oftentimes, those who can’t keep their mouth shut hasten necessary confrontation.Lizzie finds herself buried in a mess of lies in this romantic comedy. The harder she tries to keep Sarah and the rest of her friends from finding out the truth about her first girlfriend, the more endearingly clueless she becomes. Excerpt: 
“Do you think I’m pathetic?” I asked Ethan as he added gobs of sugar to his Starbucks house blend.          He dipped his head almost a foot and peered at me through his spectacles. “How am I supposed to answer that?”         “Honestly. Do you think I’m pathetic?”          Ethan maneuvered his lanky frame past three untidy tables and I followed, grimacing at the messiness of the place, until we settled on one that was almost clean. It was a little after ten on Saturday, and although it was quiet now, the early morning rush must have taken the staff by surprise. Two teenagers leaned against the counter, dazed and confused.          “Okay, what’s got your panties in a bunch this morning?” Ethan set down his coffee, took off his coke-bottle thick glasses, and cleaned them with a cloth.          “The other night, William and Janice got on my case about how long it’s been since I experienced The Big O.” I didn’t bother whispering the last part. Aside from the employees behind the counter, the place was deserted.          “The Big O?” He hitched up one of his thin eyebrows.          “You know. In bed.”         “Oh, you mean the last time you had an orgasm.” He wiped both eyes with his fingers before replacing his glasses. “And?”         “And what?”         He snorted. “When was the last time?”         I scratched my chin. “Not sure really. Meg.”         “That was well over a year ago.”         “Good grief. Not you as well. For someone who doesn’t like sex, I didn’t think you would gang up on me, too.”          “Gang up on you?” He laughed. “I’m just curious.” He ignored my comment about not liking sex. With the exception of coffee, Ethan disliked fluids of all types, but especially bodily fluids. It made me wonder how he’d managed to get married. “And their comments got you thinking?” he added.          “Yes. I mean no. Maybe,” I stammered. “I just keep thinking about it.”         “About what? The Big O or not having anyone in your life?” As usual, Ethan hit the nail on the head.          “Just the other day, I ran into one of my former professors. This guy is ancient, in a wheelchair, and he smells like an old person who’s about to move on to the next world. Out of the blue he started telling me about how he and his lady friend went to the movies. I was flabbergasted. How did he have a lady friend? I don’t even have a pet. Not even a goldfish.”          “Do you want a lady friend?” Ethan’s tone bordered on teasing.

Buy Link: 
Amazon US

Amazon UK
Amazon Canada
Amazon Australia  
 Goodreads

About the Author: T. B. Markinson is an American writer, living in England. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order.Mailing List:Get the first book in the series, A Woman Lost , for FREE by signing up to TB’s Readers’ Group here.Links:
Twitter        Facebook        Blog        Goodreads     Amazon Author Page

Hop over to Lexa Cain's to join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The EdgeTonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog
This Week I'm Celebrating New Life and again, I'm asking for prayers.
My daughter's expecting Baby #2. Little Sam is going to have a sister or brother in February!!! However, since the beginning, there's been a few problems.

I Believe in the power of Prayer!!!

And that's why I'm asking for few prayers for not only Niki's unborn baby, but for ALL unborn babies with Birth Defects.

Thank you and God Bless!!!

#IWSG Insecure Writer's Support Group

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html
Join Alex J. Cavanaugh and a multitude of writer's in this monthly hop to help support one another!

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
The co-hosts for December are:
Sandra Hoover, Mark Koopmans, Doreen McGettigan, Megan Morgan, and Melodie Campbell! 

My book, Wickedly They Come is being re-released on Dec. 19, 2015. This book was my debut novel and I'm so happy to have it re-edited from start to finish. I've learned a lot about writing over the years, and needless to say ~ I'm still in the learning phase.
Even after I edited Wickedly They Come the hundredth time, my new publisher sent the ms for another edit. And I had to chuckle when I received the manuscript back from her. Comments like ~ "this isn't a sentence" and "comma splice" and "you might want to fix this paragraph"
I thank God for wonderful editors, and even then, we still find typos and mistakes. I have to come to terms that nothing, nothing is perfect.


Do you find yourself slapping your head in frustration over errors and typos?

Prah, Constantine & Baryeh Reviews #christmas

For the month of December our review team decided to read a seasonal book.
Julie wants only one gift this holiday season, but it’s going to take a Christmas miracle to make her wish come true.

Julie Hamilton loves Christmas. It’s her favorite time of year, from the cinnamon smell of freshly baked mince-pies to the excitement of buying gifts for family and friends, decorating the tree, and hanging stockings for Santa Claus on the mantelpiece.
This Christmas promises to be extra special because she’s expecting the perfect gift--her first baby--on Christmas Eve.
However, a chance encounter turns her world upside down, and soon, she’s praying for her very own Christmas miracle.
Can the spirit of the Christmas season and the kindness of strangers find a way to make her wish come true? 
Cathrina's Review:
I loved the cover of The Gift and the blurb was enticing. 
However, The Gift was not what I expected. The author 
Joanne Clancy fooled me. Having a first baby for Christmas is 
precious. (I know I had two myself in December) While The 
Gift begins on an upbeat note, especially with the baby's 
birth, the reader sees something coming, and hopes it 
doesn't. To ease any worries, I will say the baby is healthy, so 
don't get upset. It's something else that happens. 

Since I never leave spoilers, I will say The Gift is a fast easy 
read. 
Now let's head over to Nana Prah and Empi Baryeh to read 
their reviews.

#CelebrateTheSmallThings

Hop over to Lexa Cain's to join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

This week is all about Family, Friends, Food and Thanksgiving!!!

I'm blessed to have food galore. And I pray for all the people around the world who have empty stomachs.

Have a wonderful weekend!!! 

#Thanksgiving

Since I'll be quite busy preparing for the upcoming celebration, I'm posting this a bit early.


Our family gathers for a big thanksgiving meal complete with a mammoth turkey, stuffing, and the tradition fixings such as homemade cranberry relish, sweet potatoes, apple pies, and pumpkin pies. 

We say grace and dig in and stuff our bellies until we can't move. There's plenty of conversation, laughing, giggling, and the clatter of forks and knives scraping the plates. It's a great sound!!
 After most of the dishes are cleaned desserts are served for round two.


The boys normally hit the television to watch sports and the kids and ladies play games. Sometimes the boys join us.

I'm Truly Thankful for All of God's Grace and Blessings. 


Do you have any family traditions that you celebrate for Thanksgiving? Please Share.
**HAPPY THANKSGIVING**

#CelebrateTheSmallThings

Hop over to Lexa Cain's to join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

I'll be visiting my son in Pennsylvania this weekend. Please forgive me for not hopping around the blogsphere.

I'll return on Monday and try to catch up.

Have a Great Weekend!!!

#BOOKS Lexi Ostrow~Venessa Kimball~Nana Prah~Tara Robinson

Leena has been in love with her boss, Nick DeMarco, for almost eight years. But he's never given her any indication that she was special to him. Their relationship was close, but rarely outside of a business function. So when he invites her to be his fake girlfriend at his family's Christmas week she is thrilled and ready to show Nick just what he's missing out on, her only wish for the Christmas season. 

Nick wouldn't admit it to anyone except his brother, but his assistant Leena is the only woman he's had feelings for in quite some time. He didn't want to seem like a powerful boss trying to seduce his employee so he had ignored his desire for her for the past five years. When the opportunity to take her to his family's chalets opens he takes it, intent on seducing her. 

When things begin to heat up with Leena and Nick, both are pleasantly surprised. But a winter storm traps them in the chalet just as Nick's older brother Jake arrives. When he makes no attempt to hide his attraction to Leena the whole vacation becomes heated. What will happen when the storm lifts, will the assistant have gotten a her Christmas wish? 
Amazon Buy Link:http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Assistants-Wish-Book-ebook/dp/B00QFXTCC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417491942&sr=8-1&keywords=the+assistant%27s+christmas+wish&tag=smarturl-20




Just a few short weeks after the school shooting that rocked Braxton Springs, life has resumed. School is back in session, and, with it, the students who bullied Gavin Ferguson into bringing a gun to that fateful pep rally. 
But life can never return to normal for Evan and her friends. Gavin is still in the hospital. Asher and Nikki are planning futures away from home. And Brody is pulling away from them all, leaving Evan feeling more alone than ever. 
Just when she thinks she’s gotten control of her emotions and secrets, the spirals strike again. Evan struggles to regain her life free of medication and control the urges to fall back into dismantlement. But Brody’s hot-and-cold attitude confuses her, just as the community’s forgiveness to the bullying elite creates a bitter rock around her heart. 
Will the suffering inflicted upon Evan and her friends throw her back into a spiral, threatening the life she has rebuilt for herself? Or will she rise above the tragedy and loss, reviving the life she thought she could never have? 
Reviving Evan offers an insightful look into the lives of six teenagers thrust together by shared grief, and how those lives are individually affected by love, loss, and painful mistreatment by others.

Amazon Buy Link:http://www.amazon.com/Reviving-Evan-Dismantling-Companion-Novella-ebook/dp/B017Y9743K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1447454731&sr=1-1&keywords=Reviving+Evan


Extraordinary midwife, Esi Darfour, is looking to get married. She’s a master matchmaker but has no luck when it comes to her love life and has yet to find a man worthy of her. Until she has to deal with gorgeous Dr. Adam Quarshie outside of work.

Adam is a player who refuses to get married—ever. His interest lies more in getting her into bed than in having any kind of committed relationship. Esi’s matchmaker instincts warn her to run in the other direction as quickly as possible, but her heart insists she stay…get closer…and see if what they feel for each other can change his mind.

Amazon Buy Link:http://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Mine-Nana-Prah-ebook/dp/B00U50Z28K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1447763987&sr=1-1&keywords=destiny+mine+nana+prah



In 2082, androids are an essential part of daily life. Some are helpful, some would make better toasters, and some are so human-like they’re creepy. Back in Atlanta, Detective Cooper’s latest client has him searching for her boyfriend who she thinks was replaced by a simulation, an illegal clone android. The guy also happens to be a popular new congressman. 

To make matters more complicated, Cooper keeps crossing paths with his ex, FBI Agent Geri Harper, as they seem to be looking for the same guy. Cooper knows he’s getting close when Geri is kidnapped, but when she resurfaces in Washington and goes on a killing spree, he knows it isn’t her. Now under suspicion himself, Cooper must find the real Geri to prove her innocence, not to mention hunt down the powerful villain behind it all. Never a dull moment.
Amazon Buy Link:http://www.amazon.com/Simulation-Travel-Novel-Tara-Tyler-ebook/dp/B015BMLPLE/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1447764288&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=simulation+tara+robinsons

#CelebrateTheSmallThings & DYSTOPIA AUTHORS COLLIDE

Hop over to Lexa Cain's to join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Last weekend turned out to be heart wrenching. I had to say goodbye to Kitty. (her real name) She was God's gift to us for 20 years. She loved to snuggle and lay over my wrist while writing or next to me on the chair. After having that little fur ball around for 20 years, I miss her terribly. There's a small void in the house. And now we're dealing with an old dog that can barely walk. I'm afraid we might lose another love soon. 
:(





Happy November, Readers!

Whether you love or dread thoughts of the end of the world, there's no denying, this is one hot genre! This week, I’m joining Ellery Kane and some of the best of the best for fun, prizes, and most awesome of all, books! Some of these authors may be familiar, some may be new, but they are all amazingly talented and ready to party! And if you're wondering about that amazing giveaway, read on to the end of this newsletter on how to win a Kindle!

So what are we doing?

A Facebook Party!

Join us from 5:30-10PM EST on November 13th. There will be games, giveaways, and great discussions so don't miss out. Join the Dystopian Authors Collide Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/524438607725392/

Book Sales and Spotlights!



Check out the books of our authors! Some are free, some $0.99, but they are all spectacular. Authors Include: Sara Furlong Burr, Christine Redding Manzari, Cameo Renae, Chrystalla Thoma, David Litwack, Kim Wells, SJ Pajonas, Angela Cavanaugh, Grace Hudson

You can see them all here: www.ellerykane.com/dystopian-authors-collide/

And the Giveaway!



In addition, we’ve pooled together to bring you a mega giveaway, including a Kindle!

Enter here: www.ellerykane.com/dystopian-authors-collide/

And don’t forget to come hang out with us on Friday!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

#RealmsFaire #LadyCathrina

Pray Tell, today is Lady Cathrina of Canterbury's Joust Day! Lady Cathrina of Canterbury has a Tarnished Knight who will Joust for her Honor and hopefully set her free from the Tower!


Pray tell, Lady Cathrina of Canterbury needs thou CHEERS to resonate in Tallas!!

Let the Joust Begin!!

To Win the Joust, help my Tarnished Knight Copy & Paste:Pray tell, The Lady Cathrina of Canterbury will be freed from Tallas!!And fly to The House Of MPAXwhere you may paste your comment.And then swiftly ride to the other dueling sites Riddle Me This ~ Dueling Bards ~ Phasers ~ Unicorn Hunt ~ Who Roams Here? ~ Beware the Vortex ~ VelociRaffle ~ The Hero’s Dilemma ~ Stockade Brigade ~ Hall of Doors ~ The Joust ~ Drench-a-Wench/Soak-a-Bloke

#RealmsFaire #LadyCathrinaofCanterbury

Pray Tell, it's a New Day for  Lady Cathrina of Canterbury


The villagers of Tallas are revolting. Pray tell, my evil captor is furious with the ensuing Joust for Lady Cathrina of Canterbury's freedom. An unexpected Knight in tarnished armor has sworn to set Lady Cathrina of Canterbury Free! Or die trying! Please ride on the wind to The House Of MPAX and help my Knight in tarnished armor. 
Copy & Paste this comment:Pray tell, release Lady Cathrina of Canterbury from the Tallas Tower!
Visit Here to Win Prizes:http://velociraffle.blogspot.com/


Now take up your sword and shield or hitch up your dragon and visit more dueling sites:

Riddle Me This ~ Dueling Bards ~ Phasers ~ Unicorn Hunt ~ Who Roams Here? ~ Beware the Vortex ~ VelociRaffle ~ The Hero’s Dilemma ~ Stockade Brigade ~ Hall of Doors ~ The Joust ~ Drench-a-Wench/Soak-a-Bloke