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Ten Self-promotion Actions to Market Your Book by Karen Hulene Bartell – Guest Blog and Giveaway

June 18, 2024 By 16 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Ten Self-promotion Actions to Market Your Book

For me, marketing is the nightmarish counterpart to the dream of writing. Ugh! Promoting my books is the hell to the heaven of authoring them. I’d much rather keep “plugging away” at finishing a chapter than “plugging” myself on social media. But despite dreading self-promotion, I’ve learned a few marketing tricks over the years to make the task less onerous.

Authoring a book is no easy task, nor is getting / having it published. According to various sources, roughly three percent of people who begin drafting a novel ever finish it. And only twenty percent of those completed novels are ever published.

So if you have a published book, congratulations! Pat yourself on the back and take a bow! You are one of an elite minority!

But can you rest on your laurels and stop there?

Nope. Marketing your book is just as important as writing and publishing it. Whether you’re self-published or you work with an indie publisher, small publisher, or a major house, your next challenge is your book launch, and book launches require your 3Ts–talent, time, and treasure.

Because my bread-and-butter job has been technical writing in MarCom–Marketing Communications–for over twenty years, I’ve done almost all my own marketing for the past 26 of my 27 published books. Am I a multi-billionaire? HAH-LOL! BUT let me share ten relatively easy actions that authors CAN take to self-promote their books.

Take Ten Self-promotion Actions!

  1. Create an author website (https://karenhulenebartell.com/)
  2. Create an Author Central page on Amazon (com: Karen Hulene Bartell: books, biography, latest update)
  3. Create a Goodreads Author page (https://rb.gy/qyvrev)
  4. Accumulate blurbs for your book from trusted friends and acquaintances.
  5. Add your book’s title and link to your automatic email signature.
  6. Trade guest posts on your blog with other authors https://karenhulenebartell.com/f/january-newsletter
  7. Accumulate Amazon book reviews https://rb.gy/haasnb
  8. Gather Goodreads book reviews https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204849593-kissing-kin
  9. Write self-promotion articles for LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:share:7152697619885051907/
  10. Create a launch team by asking trusted friends and acquaintances to read / review your free book on Amazon and Goodreads. (That’s right. I said FREE. Quid pro quo. A favor for a favor.)

Complete each of these actions in the six to eight weeks prior to your book’s release–one task at a time. Each action is doable, and if you complete all ten, I promise you’ll raise your book’s visibility.

Happy self-marketing!

 

Maeve Jackson is starting over after a broken engagement—and mustering out of the Army. No job and no prospects, she spins out on black ice and totals her car.

When struggling vintner Luke Kaylor stops to help, they discover they’re distantly related. On a shoestring budget to convert his vineyard into a winery, he makes her a deal: prune grapevines in exchange for room and board.

But forgotten diaries and a haunted cabin kickstart a five-generational mystery with ancestors that have bones to pick. As carnal urges propel them into each other’s arms, they wonder: Is their attraction physical…or metaphysical?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Our shoulders rubbed each time we moved. The downy hairs on the back of my neck tickling from the electricity passing between us, I shivered as the currents barreled down my spine.

“Cold?” Eyes wide, he caught my gaze.

I opened my mouth to speak but, forgetting what I meant to say, lost myself in his inviting brown eyes and could only nod.

He reached his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close, sharing his body warmth.

With the faint scents of leather and saddle soap wafting from his jacket, his nearness was intoxicating, and I was tempted to lean into a kiss. Yet huddled together on the bone-chilling ledge, I gazed instead at the rugged wilderness surrounding us, content to savor the sweet ache of longing. If more is meant to be, it’ll happen.

Then thoughts of Cody froze me like a blue norther. Why did he come to mind?

****

So close, Luke felt the rise and fall of her chest each time she breathed. Her hair tickled his ear, raising goosebumps–and possibilities. If she turns toward me or gives any sign…But her sigh signaled something else. He side-glanced to read her mood, but she stared at the scenery, apparently oblivious of his rising libido.

“Want…” His voice cracked. Clearing his throat, he tried again. “Want some water?”

“Sure.” She turned her head quickly, her hair brushing his cheek with a citrus scent.

About the Author:
Author of the Trans-Pecos and Sacred Emblem series, Karen is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life, who writes multicultural, offbeat love stories. Born to rolling-stone parents who moved often, Bartell found her earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was her passion. Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, she began writing her first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating her own happy endings. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Karen resides in the Texas Piney Woods with her husband Peter and her “mews”—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.

Facebook | MeWe | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Website | Email | Amazon Author Page | Instagram | BookBub Author Page | LinkedIn

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Fitting the Financier by Rebecca Austin – Spotlight and Giveaway

December 15, 2023 By Leave a Comment

 

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Robecca Austin who is celebrating today’s release of Fitting the Financier, a Man of the Month novella.

If opposites attract, she’s made for me. She’s my match.
The perfect combination of sassy, sweet, and sexy. She’s also my daughter’s best friend, off limits.

I have no plans to visit the small town or partake in the festivities of mistletoes and pumpkin spice lattes this Christmas. For good reason. One look into her stormy gray eyes and I’ll want no one except her to fill the void in my life.

But when Naomi needs an investor that’s more ruthless than nice, how can I say no?

She thinks I’m helping her out of charity, but she’s wrong. I can crush bullies, and using that power is the distraction I need to break my forbidden desires for her.

The MAN OF THE MONTH CLUB is a steamy small-town collection featuring a new hottie (or two!) every month. In 2023, escape to Candy Cane Key, Florida, and celebrate ALL the holidays with your favorite group of romance authors and their delicious men. Can’t wait to see you there!

Enjoy an Excerpt

“You’re staring.” He passes me a pouch.

“Am I?” The peanuts are warm in my hand. The scent of caramelized sugar tickles my nose.

“Now you’re flushing. If I didn’t know better I’d say you’re having naughty thoughts about the side of my digits.”

I choke on a nut. My eyes water. “I think the reference is to shoe sizes.” I make a point to glance at his snickers.

“Twelves, baby.” He wiggles a brow.

This time I chomp on the nut before it goes anywhere near my throat. “I was thinking your hands belong to a mechanic not a person working in city hall.”

“Give me half a chance and I can show you what these hands are good for.”

“Travis…” I flush, not because I’m a prude, but because despite the lovely evening, Charity’s dad is at the edge of my thoughts. I blame Charity for mentioning him, for convincing him to visit Candy Cane. Most of all, I blame myself for falling for a man who didn’t know I existed beyond being his daughter’s best friend.

“Get your head out of the gutter,” Travis says with a smile that I wished set my heart on fire. “I noticed you didn’t have any Christmas decorations up yet. Any later and the entire town will write to the big man himself.” He glances around him, then whispers. “Or worse, put a complaint in with the city.”

I groan. He’s only half joking. Candy Cane had a Chrsitmas committee of four grandmothers that took their positions as seriously as the mayor. There hasn’t been a change in membership since Carter was president and unless one died, their word is law when it comes to Christmas.

“I’ve just been—”

“Hey, no need to explain.”

But I want to. Want to share my good news with someone other than Charity. “I recently received good news that will help my business.”

“That’s amazing.”

“And nerve racking but it’s an opportunity to grow.”

“You’re not trying to let me down easily, are you?” He searched my face.

I shook my head. “No.” This is my chance to have a fresh beginning all around. It is definitely time I put a stop to this madness I feel for Nathan and get a hold of my love life. I realize that I went about my dating life the wrong way. Pushing Travis away or engrossing myself in work isn’t the answer to forgetting Nathan Dawan. Dating is. Nights like tonight are. We are at the end of the path. The end of a beautiful evening. “Sorry it took so long to make tonight happen.”

He paused, taking my hand. I stared at our hands. This was nice in a gentle, reassuring sort of way. My middle didn’t flutter from the mere thought of him and his name didn’t have my pulse racing. “You’re worth the wait Naomi Waters.”

We’re caught in a loop of staring into each other’s eyes. I will myself to relax, drown in the blue sea staring back at me but all I see are Nathan’s dark intense eyes that mimic the howling winds of a category four hurricane.
Travis leans in and my stomach flutters. The feeling is so unexpected that my eyes widen instead of closing in anticipation of our first kiss and I gasp. He tosses his peanuts aside to cup my cheek. My lips part to tell him to wait…that I’m not ready, but no words escape.

Not a single one.

The distance closes between us and I slam my eyes such, too afraid he’ll see my thoughts for another man in my eyes. The first kiss I’d shamelessly envisioned having with him.

“You really shouldn’t litter,” came an icy tone.

Shit. Shit. I’m even hearing his voice. Squeezing my eyes tighter, I pucker my lips like a tenth grader and concentrate on what is about to happen.

“Naomi!” Nathan growls, the sound bouncing behind my eyelids. I try harder to block him out. He’s only in your imagination.

I count to five and wait.

About the Author: Robecca Austin is the author of happy ever after romance stories. She enjoys crafting tales of sassy heroines and alpha heroes that have a soft center.

She writes historical romance and billionaire romance stories.

You can find her outside enjoying nature and lots of sunshine when there are no bugs. When she’s not writing her next novel, she’s busy battling Cystic Fibrosis and hugging family. She lives and works in Canada.

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Book Me, Baby by Tamrin Banks – Spotlight and Giveaway

August 2, 2023 By 1 Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Tamrin Banks who is celebrating today’s release of Book Me, Baby, part of the Candy Kane Key series.

Hartley Hanover:

Oooh! I hate that man! Booker Sloan is the most uptight, arrogant, annoying man I’ve ever met! He even has the nerve to arrest me for not filing a permit. A permit! And when it turns out that I did file it, it just got lost in the shuffle….does he apologize? Heck no! He proceeds to tell me all the things I do wrong every single day of my life! I’m surprised he doesn’t yell at me for breathing!

But when I’m alone at night…why do I keep thinking about him? Why does the occasional sadness on his face make me want to fix whatever’s wrong in his universe? Why can’t he stay out of my dreams and keep those dang handcuffs to himself?

Booker Sloan:

I know I messed up and I should apologize. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did. But something about that dang, sweet woman just has me so screwed up that every time I open my mouth the worst things come out!

It’s not her. It’s me. And I know it. But I feel like if I give her one little inch, the gorgeous woman will take every piece of me I have left. I’m barely hanging on and if I have to push her away to protect myself? Well, that’s just how it’s got to be.

So why does it bother me so much when a new man in town shows a little interest in the petite, sunny woman who’s got me tied up in knots? She’s not encouraging him. In fact it seems like she’s running away from him.

So how come I still want to punch his grinning mouth and grind him into dust under my boot heels and then haul her over my shoulder and make sure she understands that she’s mine?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Laughing, I reach over and hug little Edward Reese. He hugs me back hard. He is just the sweetest boy.

“Now, I know that you’ve been waiting for this book!” I pull it from behind my back. “Surprise! It came in early and I made sure to set it aside for you!”

“You are the best, Miss Hanover!” His huge, gap-toothed smile makes my heart light.

He hasn’t had an easy time of it lately. His dad got hurt while driving home from work last month and broke his leg so the whole family has had to pitch in to help. Even nine year old boys. So he hasn’t been able to spend as much time in the library as he usually does and he loves to read.

“You just get it back to me when you’re done. Doesn’t matter how long. I’ll take care of it.”

His little round cheeks flush and his freckles disappear in a wash of red. “Thank you so much, Miss Hanover. I can’t wait to read it!” He dances off and his mom smiles at me, watching his light steps before she turns back to me.

“We really appreciate you doing this, Miss Hanover. We’re all working really hard. And Sam is worried about him.” She nods her head at Edward.

I can’t even speak, my throat tight with my own tears. But I clear my throat and say, “I’m glad. I hope that this helps him relax a little bit.”

“It will. Thank you.” She moves off and I turn back, groaning when I’m faced with the last person I want to see.

“Sheriff? How nice to see you.”

His arctic blue eyes glare at the setup on the sidewalk. “I talked to you about this last month with the Christmas in July to-do. You cannot block the sidewalk like this. And did you get a permit this time?”

I nod my head and sigh. “Yes, I did. Last month when you had your hissy fit.”

He stands up straight and pushes his broad shoulders back and I feel that little pull in my belly that I absolutely hate! Why the fuck do I have to react like this around this man?

I mean, sure he’s hot. His light brown hair is thick and gleams in the sunlight. But it’s so tamed that it almost doesn’t look real. His body is tall and tanned, muscles upon muscles to drool over. I jerk my brain back in line.

No, not drool over. Dread. You dread seeing this man. He smiles at me and I growl under my breath.

“Can I see it?”

“I don’t have it on me.” He nods his tawny head at me. “I’ll be back then.”

He steps away and I see him on his little radio talking to someone and I roll my eyes and turn to Mrs. Cassidy, discussing the latest thriller that she just read that I recommended to her.

“I loved it, Miss Hanover! So good! Do you have any more like that?”

I’m nodding at her when I feel a big hand grab my wrist and pull it backwards. My mouth falls open when I see that the Sheriff has a hold of my wrist.

“What the heck are you doing? Get off of me!” I try and pull away and he grits hit teeth, his firm jaw tensing.

“Stop resisting.”

“What are you doing, Sheriff?” Mrs. Cassidy’s mouth is hanging open and she’s glaring at him like he’s mugging me.

“I’m arresting her for disturbing the peace, not having a license for a demonstration and now resisting arrest.”

“You must be joking,” I huff, staring at him.

“Nope.” He grabs my other hand and pulls it behind my back, clicking the handcuffs on my wrists. The cold steel against my skin makes me shiver and freeze in my tracks.

His blue eyes look me up and down and I swear there’s some kind of emotion there that I don’t understand. I don’t think I want to understand it.

I just want him to get away from me and leave me alone. And take his handcuffs and shove them where the damn sun doesn’t shine!

About the Author

I’m a mother of three who works for a school district as a cafeteria aide but I’ve also had a lot of different hats over the years. Divorced single mom fresh out of the military working nights in a plastics factory all the way to teaching cardio kickboxing and zumba at the YMCA.

I’ve been married to my honey bunny for 22 years now. He’s absolutely the best and tries to keep me in check as much as possible because I am a crazy person that stacks too much on her plate and then does it all no matter what. Even if it drives everyone nuts!

I love the kind of romances where you know what you’re getting. I don’t like happily for now. That just feels like cheating to me. I also don’t like love triangles. I’m an easy girl and I like my books like I like my men…lol! Uncomplicated. So if you’re reading my books, you know that no matter what, there’s a happily ever after!

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Sooner or Gator by Mae Harden – Spotlight and Giveaway

May 6, 2023 By Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Mae Harden who is celebrating the recent release of Sooner or Gator, a Man of the Month Club novella.

JACKSON

“What do you need?”

That night was supposed to change everything… and it did. Just not in the way I had hoped.

I was there on the worst night of Harper’s life. The night her world came crashing down, bringing with it the crushing responsibility of raising her own sister when she was still practically a kid herself.

For seven years, I’ve been exactly what she asked for. I’ve been biding my time, but nothing stays the same—even on an island where it’s perpetually Christmas—and time is officially up.

HARPER

“A friend.”

The love of my life sleeps ten feet away from me, just on the other side of that wall. He doesn’t know how I feel about him, of course.

That would just be crazy.

Jackson has always been my rock, which is exactly why he can never know how desperately I want him.

Sure, every grin he throws in my direction sets off a storm surge down below and makes my heart race like sandpipers on the beach, but that’s not an excuse to blow up our carefully balanced lives… right?

Enjoy an Excerpt

I’m on the verge of asking Haley why she bought more wine glasses when we have a perfectly good set in the cabinet, but as she hands me one, I realize they’re only mostly stemless.

“You know most people use bottle toppers to save their wine, right?” I laugh, eyeing the stubby stem with its rubber gasket before pushing it into the opening of what is now, quite clearly, a bottle not meant for sharing. Experimentally, I tip it sideways and watch an inch of deep burgundy liquid pool in the bottom of the glass.

“Bottle toppers, much like bookmarks, are for quitters,” Haley says with a mischievous grin. “Besides, aren’t you always harping on about how important it is to finish what you start?” She looks extremely proud of herself as she tips back a hearty glug of cheap Cabernet.

“But, more importantly, you’re both wrong. Trailer Park Shark is the one with Tara Reid, but it was the douche-canoe developer who flooded the trailer park, and I’m ninety-nine percent sure she’s the S.B.T.S.”

“Back up.” Tizzy raises a hand like she’s about to ask the teacher for a bathroom pass. “You know I can’t with your movie shorthand.”

“Sole Big Tittied Survivor,” Haley sighs heavily.

“Okay, but that’s not exactly a common abbreviation,” Tizzy replies, copying Hayley’s sigh as dramatically as she can possibly manage.

Some people have incredible memories for languages or history, but no one can match Haley when it comes to movies that came out decades before she was even born.

The windows and doors are open to let in the spring air, and over the cacophony of tree frogs croaking and crickets chirping away outside, I hear car tires crunch on the gravel drive.

Craning my neck as far as I dare, I spot a familiar, black jeep. It’s more rust than paint thanks to the salty Florida air, but as its tires come to a halt in their well-worn spots, I can’t help grinning. In the fading light of the orange sky, the profile of my other best friend, Jackson Beauregard, is clearly visible as he climbs out and grabs his things.

Tizzy quirks an eyebrow at me as I straighten Haley goes on. “…and the poor-man’s Tommy Lee Jones, a.k.a. Robert Davi did not appear in Trailer Park Shark. He was, however, in the 2011 classic Swamp Shark where he starred opposite a busty blonde played by the O.G. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I swear to God, if one of you so much as whispers the name Sarah Michelle Gellar…” My little sister waits for one of us to match her encyclopedic knowledge, but we all know it’s not going to happen.

“Kristy Swanson! Come on! Okay, extra credit points: Robert Davi was one of three villains in which beloved 80s adventure movie?”

Tizzy and I stare blankly at each other while simultaneously tipping our bottles toward the sky.

“The Goonies,” a deep voice supplies from just outside. “Come on, kid. Give us a hard one next time.”

Grinning, I tip my head backward over the couch just in time to see Jackson coming through the screen door. “‘Bout time,” I sass. “We were about to start without you.”

“No, you weren’t.” Jackson laughs, shaking his head as he drops his keys in the bowl where they always go. He hangs his backpack on its hook and drops onto the couch next to me, making me bounce as all six-and-a-half feet of him bottoms out the springs.

“Well… we had considered it.”

“What are we watching this week?” Jackson asks, changing the subject with about as much subtlety as a Horatio roller skating down Main Street in his favorite candy cane hot pants.

“Swamp Shark,” Haley votes.

“Literal flying sharks too much for you tonight?” Jackson chuckles.

“Maybe once I’ve polished this off…” Haley replies, raising her wine and its extra classy attachment in a toast. “But Kristy Swanson with a shotgun?” She lets out an exaggerated whistle. “I’m always in the mood for that.”

I snort. I can’t help it. “Yeah, who doesn’t love a busty blonde armed to the teeth?”

Jackson twists the top off a beer and shrugs dispassionately as he stares down at it. “I could take ‘em or leave ‘em, honestly.”

Tizzy leans over, her expression conspiratorial and eyes sparkling with mischief. Oh, fuck. Here we go, I groan inwardly. “And which part of that is uninspiring to you, Jackson? The ‘blonde’ bit or the ‘armed to the teeth’ bit? Because we know you don’t have issues with the ‘busty’ bit.”

“Fucking bluetooth speakers,” Jackson mutters, suddenly finding the label of his beer bottle utterly fascinating, but Haley is all ears.

“Wait… what happened? What’d I miss?”

“Nothing,” I say quickly, feeling my own face burn with embarrassment, even though I was just an innocent bystander in all this.

“Jackson forgot to disconnect the living room speakers from his phone last night… didn’t he?” Tizzy tilts her head, locking her eyes on six-and-a-half feet worth of blushing man.

Jackson clears his throat and gets to his feet. “Anyone want a glass of water?” Without waiting for an answer, he disappears, no doubt to let Tizzy get this out of her system.

“Tizz…” I start.I know what she’s getting at and it’s nothing new.

“Come on, Harper. Brunette roommate gets lonely and crawls into bed? You still seriously think that had nothing to do with you?”

“Of course, I do.” Admittedly, it would be easier if he was into something less… can porn be wholesome?

Tizzy would like everyone to believe Jackson and I are star crossed lovers, destined to fall for each other in some kind of epic love story that spans decades and generations and all of time and space.

I think Tizzy needs a new vibrator and a subscription to Passionflix, but I’m only a wimple away from making my vow of celibacy official, so what do I know?

About the Author:Mae Harden has a thing for spicy books, hilarious meet-cutes, mouthy women, and the kind of men who will pull your hair in bed, but run a bath for you after… if you’ve been a good girl, of course. Smut-com, rom-cum, or whatever you want to call them, Mae likes her books funny, filthy, and full of feels.

Mae lives in Virginia with her smokin’ hot husband, two kids who delight in giving out hugs and gray hairs, and a collection of fur babies that probably qualifies her as a zoo keeper. IF she had free time, she’d use it to bake, water the remaining houseplants, and do crafty shit, all while listening to true-crime podcasts.

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Love All by Liza Malloy – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 31, 2023 By 5 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Liza Malloy will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

College students Nate and Olivia are a perfect match on the courts—and in the sheets. Everywhere else, they’re polar opposites and sworn enemies. But as the chemistry builds, a figure from Olivia’s past unexpectedly pops back into her life and the couple realizes they have more in common than they thought. Are these star-crossed lovers doomed to repeat their parents’ mistakes, or can they build a life together once the final set is played?

This book is a standalone, steamy, new adult/college, sports romance, 77k words. Tropes include enemies to lovers, he falls first, and billionaire.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“You know, some people like to give others the benefit of the doubt and get to know them before assuming the worst.”

Olivia snatched the cherry from the shake that I’d set on the edge of my plate. “Some of us prefer to avoid disappointment. I’ll keep my assumptions until people prove me wrong.”

At least she was honest, I thought, oddly envious of the cherry stem as she pressed her tongue against it. “Challenge accepted.”

We left the diner, but the drive home was far too short.

“Thank you for the ride,” she said, already clutching her racket and duffel bag before I even slowed to a complete stop in front of her apartment.

“And for the excellent meal, right?” I added.

She stared dryly. “I’ll thank you for the food when you thank me for not pressing charges on the whole kidnapping front.”

I bit back a smile. Even pissed off, Olivia was captivating. “This was fun. Why haven’t we hung out before?”

“Because we have nothing in common.”

“Not true. There’s tennis, lame business majors, and douchebag fathers.”

Olivia gazed back at me and for the briefest of moments, I thought she would say something meaningful, but instead she just shook her head, dismissing whatever idea had crossed her intriguing mind.

“You can’t possibly want to spend more time with me. I’ve been a total bitch to you all afternoon.”

I wasn’t about to deny that last part, so instead I pushed my luck with a bad joke. “We could move into the back seat and you could make it up to me,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows seductively.

I’d hoped for a snarky comeback, but instead she just rolled her eyes and chuckled. “I’ll see you at practice,” she mumbled, climbing out of the car.

About the Author:

Liza Malloy writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She’s a sucker for alpha males, bad boys, dimples, and muscles, and she can’t resist a man in uniform. Liza loves creating worlds where her heroine discovers her own strength and finds her Happily Ever After. When Liza isn’t reading or writing torrid love stories, she’s a practicing attorney. Her other passions include gummy bears, jelly beans, and the occasional marathon. She lives in the Midwest with her four daughters and her own Prince Charming.

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The Adventures of a Southern (Baptist) Buddhist by Pamela McConnell – Spotlight and Giveaway

December 9, 2022 By 4 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Pamela McConnell will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

This true story is about a girl who is born up north; into a conservative, fundamentalist/evangelical family—but then becomes a Liberal Buddhist.

Her family moves back to their roots in the Appalachian south, where Pam is molested by her grandfather. She later owns her sexuality by becoming promiscuous; beginning a pattern of serial dating, marrying, and divorcing.

She is first married at 18 to another 18-year-old, who gives her a beautiful son—but he is a redneck and they have nothing else in common. Her second husband is a talented musician but turns out to like sex with men. Her third husband speaks five languages and is a Pakistani, but he beats her up. Her fourth husband is a chef who makes delicious meals but turns out to be a felon and a crackhead. Finally, the love of her life neglects to tell Pam for seven years that he is married.

In the meantime, Pam completes two degrees and works as a counselor, and then 20 years as a hospice social worker. She begins her hospice career in Southern California, where she has moved to get away from the DEEP South. That is where she converts to Buddhism. From that point, she begins to look inward for the answers to her questions about life’s meaning.

Pam leaves the country after two failed relationships, some years apart. She spends a year teaching English in South Korea and goes from there to Pakistan with her third husband. In between, her dad dies and Pam reconnects and bonds with her mom, backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. When she leaves the love of her life, she goes on Pilgrimage to India and Nepal. The meaning of her life is coming into focus.

At the end of the book, Pam goes on a trek in the Himalayas, on the Annapurna Circuit. Just over the three-mile high pass is a magical Pure Land in Muktinath, with a Buddhist temple that is dedicated to the female Buddha Vajrayogini. With a new perspective, Pam has the realization that her Enlightenment is ensured; she WILL become a Buddha someday.

Enjoy an Excerpt

I was born on a Sunday and attended my first (of many) church services that Wednesday. My first memory was gazing up at a bright globe of light, mesmerized. It was a church light and I was a babe in mom’s arms.

At the end of many sermons, our beloved pastor would give an altar call. Many would go down to the altar (a bench that one knelt before and prayed). I remember it sounded like a loud beehive: the sounds of many praying out loud; crying, shouting and whispering all over the church.

I would look around, noting the distress and fervor on the parishioner’s faces. At that point, no one was paying any attention to us kids. It seemed endless. Toward the end, someone might ‘feel the spirit’ and start jumping around or even running up and down the aisles, shouting joyfully:

“Hallelujah!”

“Thank you, Jesus!”

After that, folks would be called to stand up and testify about what God had done for them. The standard testimony for us kids was:

“I love Jesus with all my heart and I want to go all the way with him.”

We were ‘saved’ after confessing our sins and letting Jesus into our hearts as our Savior.

There was another, higher level, called being ‘sanctified.’ That was when the Holy Spirit entered you. I was saved at about five years old; sanctified at about nine. I felt full of the love of Jesus and began reading The Bible and praying.

About the Author:

Pamela McConnell, MSW, LCSW was raised in a fundamentalist/ evangelical Christian church and family. At age 34 she converted formally to Buddhism. She has recently completed a Pilgrimage in India and Nepal. Earlier, she spent two years in Asia: a year teaching English in S. Korea and a year in Pakistan with her 3rd husband. She worked as a counselor after earning a B.S. in Psychology. She worked as a hospice social worker for the last 20 years of her career after earning an MSW degree and becoming licensed as an LCSW. She is an avid backpacker and trekker, having done 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail and more than half of the Annapurna Circuit in the Himalayas.

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When Earth Shall Be No More by Paul Awad and Kathryn O’Sullivan – Spotlight and Giveaway

May 31, 2022 By 6 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Paul Awad and Kathryn O’Sullivan will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Environmental scientist Constance Roy is one of forty-nine refugees rescued from Earth’s destruction and transported to the ark spaceship Orb by an automaton race called the Curators. Twelve months have passed since their rescue. But now, with the ship’s orbit decaying, the refugees seem doomed to crash into Jupiter’s fiery belly.

In a parallel universe on present-day Earth, another version of Constance seeks answers to the questions that have haunted her since childhood: How and why did her mother die? The head of a mysterious corporation housed at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility can give her the answers, but not without a price.

Two timestreams collide when the Constance on Earth discovers that Nicolas, her son, has the ability to save the Orb and its inhabitants. Now she must battle treacherous Curators wishing to destroy Nicolas, while on the Orb, another Constance must fight to save the ship from Jupiter’s fatal pull. Only together can they save their son – and future generations of humankind.

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Constance Roy cupped her hands around her eyes, pressed them against the cold window glass, and peered into the dark vista. She squinted at the sea of stars and spotted the constellations Ursa Major and Minor, Cygnus, and her favorite, the Dog Star, Sirius. She wiped away condensation and focused on the ferocious red eye in the distance. Although she was safe in her cabin, Jupiter’s massive storm, the Great Red Spot, gave her pause. She pictured herself tumbling through Jupiter’s clouds, her suit ripped away by the three-hundred-mile-per-hour winds, her breath squeezed from her chest by the enormous pressure, gasping for air, for life, as she was wrenched into the planet’s cyclone. This terrifying event was only in her imagination—for now. She had survived the nightmare of the migration. She was one of the “lucky” ones. Unless something changed, however, in three days the ship’s life-sustaining resources and their luck would run out, and her alarming imaginings would become inevitability.

About the Author:

Paul Awad and Kathryn O’Sullivan are an award-winning husband and wife writing and filmmaking team. They have collaborated on feature and documentary films, screenplays, and a web series. WHEN EARTH SHALL BE NO MORE is their first book collaboration. Paul is a cinema professor and Kathryn is a theatre professor at Northern Virginia Community College. Kathryn is also the author of the Colleen McCabe mystery series.

Paul Awad Website | Kathryn O’Sullivan Website | Goodreads

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The Fall of Jake Hennessey by P.J. MacLayne – Spotlight and Giveaway

April 5, 2022 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. P.J. MacLayne will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Jake Hennessey deals in selling fine jewelry of an illegal nature. The thrill of getting away with it is his addiction. When he hears a rumor about a rare old book in the personal collection of a small-town librarian, he gets the urge to try a new game.

After all, even jewel thieves get bored.

But the librarian, Harmony Duprie, isn’t what he expected and the challenge becomes serious business.

In order to win, Jake’s going to have to play by a new set of rules—and make them up as he goes along—because this time, he’s playing for the rest of his life.

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Getting in had been easy. The owners had an overly-friendly dog and they’d left the doggy-door in the back entrance unfastened. Their weekly housekeeper, a heavy-set older woman who he’d spent several hours plying with alcohol and attention, had given him the basic details of the layout. He’d lured the cocker spaniel outside with bacon-flavored treats, then picked the lock on the back door.

The housekeeper hadn’t mentioned the motion-detection system in the living room. It hadn’t triggered when he went upstairs to the second floor but sounded as he came back down with the topaz and gold jewelry in a small bag tucked inside his shirt. He must have brushed through a stray beam.

Jake had covered his tracks by locking the back door on the way out. An expert could spot the scratch marks left behind by his tools, but first, they needed to look for them.

He made it outside before the cops arrived, and almost to the neighbor’s yard. Now, covered by the darkness of night, he crouched behind a bush, hoping the spaniel didn’t want his attention. Luckily, the pooch was busy trying to get the cop to play fetch with a rubber squeaky toy.

The cop’s radio squawked. He held a quick conversation, then was joined by a second officer. With the dog at their heels, they rattled the knob on the back door. It held firm. But the dog dashed inside through the doggy door and emerged with a different toy in its jaws.

About the Author:

: Born and raised among the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania, P.J. MacLayne still finds inspiration for her books in that landscape. She is a computer geek by day and a writer by night who currently lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. When she’s not in front of a computer screen, she might be found exploring the back roads of the nearby national forests and parks. In addition to the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, she is also the author of the Free Wolves adventures.

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The Democratization of the Private Market by Carine Schneider – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 27, 2022 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Carine Schneider will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Facebook, Uber, Robinhood: all were private companies at some point. Historically, there has been no way for investors to easily buy and sell shares in private companies. With the introduction of blockchain technology, digital securities, and decentralized financial solutions, the ability to grow the private market is on the horizon. Regulators around the world are rushing to catch up and understand how to protect investors who want to participate in this market. This book reviews the regulatory, technical, and societal challenges to open this asset class to more investors in the future.







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Currently, US residents who want to invest in the private market need to have a certain net worth to participate. Under the cover of this exclusive private club is access to investment opportunities, supporting innovation, and extreme risk. As the private market has grown, the types of investment instruments and the complexity of the investment structure has increased significantly. Unlike investing in the public market, investing in private ventures can be complicated and requires an understanding of securities law, tax strategy, and, in many cases, future technology that can only be envisioned by innovative entrepreneurs. The key characteristics of the private market are: • Less company regulation • Limited public reporting requirements, especially for smaller companies • A lack of information symmetry • Only investment professionals, or the ultra-wealthy, can invest (accredited investors) With the changes in technology solutions, the advent of new financial solutions, and a change in the way some founders approach building their companies, these characteristics may change as the private market grows. Dan Gallagher, General Counsel of Robinhood and a former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner, describes the private market as “a vibrant ecosystem.” Capital is key to growth in a private company, and it can come from various sources — professional individual investors (sometimes called “angel investors”), venture capital firms (VC firms), friends and family, and crowdfunding campaigns. Private equity (PE) is sometimes confused with private company investment. PE firms tend to acquire mature companies and recapitalize and re-organize their targets. PE firms generally aren’t looking to make individual investments alongside other investors. For the purposes of this book, we will mostly focus on non-PE owned companies, although we do discuss liquidity in PE funds. The private market is attractive because investors in privately held companies hope to quickly increase the company’s value, then sell their stakes later through a buyout, trade sale, recapitalization, or listing on a public market via initial public offerings (IPOs).

About the Author:

Carine Schneider, FGE (Fellow of Global Equity) is an experienced and well-connected leader in the private market and global compensation industry with deep experience working in consulting, technology, and financial services. She is the President of AST Private Company Solutions (AST PCS). She was named one of the 100 Influential Women in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley Business Journal and one of 17 “Women to Watch” in 2017 by Brown Brothers Harriman Center on Women and Wealth. Carine was formerly the President, Nasdaq Private Market and has been the founder and CEO of Global Shares, CEO of Certent, and Partner at PwC. She has also held senior level positions at Morgan Stanley and Willis Towers Watson. She was the founding Executive Director of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP) and founded the nonprofit Global Equity Organization (GEO) where she is now Chair Emeritus, after serving as Chair for eighteen years. She 103 started her career as Manager of Shareholder Relations at Oracle Corporation where she assisted in the IPO. Ms. Schneider was born in The Netherlands and received her degree in psychology and sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is a frequent speaker at conferences around the world, including at President Obama’s 2016 Global Entrepreneurial Summit, and has authored various articles and chapters in industry publications. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Professional Business Women of California (PBWC). In 2019, she received the UK ProShare Award for Service to Employee Share Ownership.

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Their New Year’s Beginning by Michelle Major – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 3, 2022 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michelle Major will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

At the stroke of midnight, a stranger’s kiss changes everything…

Brian Fortune doesn’t think he will ever find the woman he kissed at his brother’s New Year’s wedding. So when the search for the provenance of a mysterious gift leads him into a local antique store a few days later, he’s stunned to find Emmaline Lewis, proprietor—and mystery kisser! Surprise turns to shock when he realizes that she’s also six months pregnant. Brian has never been the type to commit—and he’s really not ready to become a family man in one fell swoop! But suddenly he knows he’ll do anything to stay at Emmaline’s side—for good…






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“May I kiss you, Emmaline?”

Welp. There it was. He was actually asking her permission. As if Emmaline could be more taken with him, his quiet question pushed her over the edge of reason.

She was smitten. The kind of enamored that had her wondering if he might be able to hear her heart pounding against her rib cage. As if her anticipation was a palpable thing.

After a moment, she nodded, not trusting her voice.

Brian’s warm hands lifted to her face, and he cupped her cheeks as if she were precious to him. She felt precious.

He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, featherlight and controlled. Her body erupted in goosebumps and she let out a tiny moan, both in satisfaction and frustration. She reveled in the sensations swirling through her and, at the same time, wanted more.

Brian must have heard the sound—another tally in her list of embarrassments for this night—but he didn’t seem to find anything wrong with it.

In fact, it seemed to spur him on. The kiss turned deeper as he shifted both of them into a nearby alcove so she couldn’t be seen by the crowd.

He continued to cup her cheeks, the softness of his touch in sharp contrast to the hard planes of the chest she could feel under her hands. But when he lowered one hand to the small of her back to pull her closer, Emmaline wrenched away.

She could not allow herself to be pressed up against him. Not now. Not without revealing…too much.

He looked as dazed as she felt as he stared at her.

“I have to go,” she whispered, more to herself than him.

Before he could answer, she turned and ran away.

About the Author:

: USA Today bestselling author Michelle Major loves stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a happily ever after. An avid hiker and avoider of housework, she lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, two teenagers, and a menagerie of spoiled furbabies. Connect with her at www.michellemajor.com.

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