The Secret Cottage by Kate Ellington – Spotlight and Giveaway

May 25, 2026 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kate Ellington will be awarding a $20 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Isabel Tate yearns for the simple pleasures she took for granted before scandal rocked her family two years ago. On May Day, she’s determined to forget her troubles and enjoy herself at the Claremont family’s annual festival. Meanwhile, Robert Claremont steels himself to begin courting the haughty heiress next door, but his bashfulness is only one obstacle to winning her hand. Despite a deep sense of family obligation, he dreams of choosing his own bride. Captivated by each other from the moment they meet, Robert and Isabel are kept apart by a misunderstanding until a chance encounter leads to friendship and more. With opposition on all sides, they must overcome inconceivable odds to claim happiness.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Isabel turned her horse into the woods, directing him to a gurgling stream under a canopy of trees. The forest was quiet but for the splashing of the water, bird songs and the rustle of branches. They hadn’t been there long when Isabel heard a new sound. Hoofbeats and muffled voices. She urged her horse closer to the road, and easily heard the riders’ conversation.

“What makes you think she came this way?” a man asked.

A deeper voice answered, “Merely a guess. It seemed as good a place as any to look, but I’m thwarted again.”

“Let’s turn back, we can look for her tomorrow.”

“I’m sitting for the portrait tomorrow.”

Isabel’s pulse quickened as she recognized the deeper voice. Robert Claremont. So he’d been looking for her. Why hadn’t he come to the house? She started back toward the stream, but suddenly reason left her and she guided her horse through the trees, emerging just as Robert and his companion rounded the bend going in the opposite direction. They hadn’t seen her.

Isabel paused for a moment, thinking what to do. Go back home and hope he came to the house soon? Or seek him out for herself? Her reckless side won. Spurring her horse to a gallop, she chased after them. Robert turned in his saddle and Isabel was delighted with the look of shock on his face as she sped past him and who she could now see was Mr. Kensington.

About the Author: Kate Ellington grew up in a woodsy New England town where summer days at the lake seemed to last forever. She read her first historical romance at age eleven when a teacher challenged her to find a book in the library written by an author she’d never heard of. Thus began a life-long love of love stories.

After graduating from college with an art degree she settled in the Pacific Northwest, where she currently resides with her family.

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: , , ,

Her Silence by S.T. Ashman – Spotlight and Giveaway

May 21, 2026 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. S.T. Ashman will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

She survived the night. The truth didn’t.

Nicole gets the call at 4 a.m. Her daughter Lacey was found in the woods beside her friend’s dead husband. He was stabbed forty-four times. Lacey is barely alive. Covered in his blood. And completely mute.

She hasn’t said a word since. Not to the police. Not to her husband. Not even to Nicole.

Nicole had Lacey at seventeen and swore her daughter would have a good life. Now Lacey is sitting in a cell, and Nicole’s three grandchildren are left behind with a father who is losing it.

But Nicole knows her daughter. She isn’t a cold-blooded murderer. Guilt didn’t silence her. Fear did. Whatever happened in those woods scared Lacey more than prison.

So Nicole starts digging. But some secrets don’t save people. They destroy them.

Enjoy an Excerpt

I strode past carts and nurses, straight down the hall, and yanked open the door to room 12.
But I wasn’t ready for what was waiting inside. My body jerked back as my hand shot up to my neck. “Dear God.”

Lacey sat upright on the bed, wearing a hospital gown. A doctor stood over her, shining a light into her eyes. Two nurses flanked him.

I almost didn’t recognize her.

Her hair was soaked in dried blood. Matted. Tangled with dirt and leaves. Thick blood streaks ran down her neck and across her temple like Viking war paint. Her face and arms looked like someone had tried to wipe her clean with a wet napkin and given up halfway. Just smears of pink and red everywhere.

The bandage on her forehead was already smudged with red too.

Her eyes met mine. Brown, blank, dull. Nothing behind them.

“Sweetheart!” My voice fell apart. Tears burst out of me as I crossed the room in two desperate strides and grabbed her. Held her. Pressed her to my chest so tight nothing could tear her away again.

Not even the nurse who latched onto my arm.

“Ma’am, you can’t be in here right now.” Her voice was sharp and demanding.

I didn’t move.

The other nurse came at me from the side. Hands on my other arm.

“You need to wait outside,” she said, yanking at me.

“Get off me,” I growled.

About the Author:S. T. Ashman is an American-German author who calls the beautiful U.S. Seacoast home. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she spent years working as a psychotherapist in the criminal justice system. The work gave her a rare window into the human mind, both the beautiful and the deeply shadowed. It’s no wonder readers often say her characters feel real enough to step off the page.

When she’s not crafting her next twisty tale, you’ll find her chasing after her kids, nose-deep in a book, or curled up late at night with a horror movie and a husband who always falls asleep on the couch before the scary parts.

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Mystery/Suspense Tagged With: , , ,

My Writing Process by Jessica Rakus – Guest Post and Giveaway

May 6, 2026 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jessica Rakus will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

I started writing as a teenager, the summer before I started high school. It was a magical time where I could write instead of paying attention in class, bring my notebook to my evening job at Walmart and jot some lines when things were quiet in the fabric department, and stay up until three in the morning reworking random scenes. Those were the days!

Now, in my mid-forties, with two busy kids, finding a single moment to even breathe is special. Hearing my own thoughts, let alone the thoughts of my characters, is a bonus.

This has obviously changed my writing process – I take the chance to write any time I can get it, including jotting down a few lines on my phone or writing on the back of a receipt I dug out of my purse. But since that becomes a disaster, I have to corral myself a bit.

I’m very much a pantser when it comes to writing, so while I have a general idea of where I want the story to end up, I mostly just let the characters get there how they want (or sometimes they end up somewhere completely different, and that’s okay). This means I can’t just write scenes willy nilly as they come to me. This has ended up in so many situations where I write a scene I love, and I can’t make it fit with where the story starts going, and then I have to set that scene aside and just read it by myself and think of what could have been. I have to write the whole story in order, beginning to end. Once that’s done, I can slow down and go back in and find moments that need more and let myself toss random lines in, or remember that I really wanted a scene where two of my characters meet for the first time simply because I think that moment would be funny, even though it doesn’t serve the plot, given that the whole story happened without it.

I do find that I hit a wall around the 75% finished first draft stage, which I think is tied to writing the story start to finish – I would argue the 75% mark of most books is where the book hits a wall. It’s usually a moment of calm before the storm that is the climax of the book. The climax is the fun part! The part where everything is going well for the characters is boring! Let’s ruin their lives, come on! But all in all, this process works for me, and it got me here to Haven Strong. I hope you love the book, and the journey they took me on.

Josephine Grant lives a charmed life – a husband, three perfect children, strong bonds with family and friends in the small town where she’s lived her entire life. She’s the helper, the hostess, the one who always shows up. The person who can do it all.

Then the bus carrying her son’s basketball team crashes, and Jo’s husband and son are among the lives lost. Now she has a new identity. Widow. Single mother. Woman who lost everything. Grief begins to tear apart the place that’s always been her home. Infighting among friends. Gossip and rumors. Wounds that may never heal and bonds that just might.

Now Jo has to rebuild her life, but as the person who thinks of herself as the helper, asking others to help hold her together is impossible. Jo must learn to lean on others as she learns to stand on her own.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Josephine Grant?”

The grocery bag in my hands threatened to fall. He was here for me.

I’d known it since I first saw him, and praying I was wrong had done nothing.

I swallowed hard before turning. “Yes?”

He didn’t speak again until he’d navigated the driveway and stood in front of me. I set down the bag of groceries; my shaking hands and knees had rendered holding things impossible.

“Could we step inside for a moment to speak?” he asked.

I glanced toward the door. “My daughters are inside.”

He nodded, seeming to understand my concern. Whatever he had to say, he didn’t want them to overhear any more than I did.

“Mrs. Grant, I’m so sorry. There was an accident earlier today involving a bus. Two of the people on the bus were identified as Stephen and Matthew Grant.”

No. No no no.

“We’re still trying to figure out exactly what happened, but emergency personnel at the scene did everything they could for everyone. I’m sorry to tell you they passed away at the scene.”

My legs gave out and I collapsed to the ground. Cold seeped through the knees of my jeans, but I didn’t care. My head dropped, my forehead settling into the gray slush that lined the driveway.

The officer crouched beside me as a sob burst from my throat.

“Is there someone who can come stay with you?”

Crumbled on the ground, I struggled to extract my cell phone from my back pocket, but I lacked the strength to pull myself up. Finally I got it. Through the blur of tears, I fumbled to find the button to make a phone call. Instead I landed on random apps, frustration adding to the crush in my chest.

The officer took my phone gently from my hand. “What name?”

“Esther Franklin,” I replied. “My mother.”

He stepped away, and without someone standing over me, I could no longer stop the tears. I sobbed into the cold gray concrete, praying my daughters wouldn’t come looking for me.

About the Author Jessica Rakus is a debut novelist, after many, many years of writing practice. She currently lives in Louisiana, after living briefly in seven other states.

Website

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Mainstream Fiction Tagged With: , , ,

Versions of Nirvana by H.C. Turk – Spotlight and Giveaway

May 4, 2026 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. H.C. Turk will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In order to save her family, an 18th-century witch entertains suicide, thereby entering a coma-like trance that lasts 300 years. In this magical state, she reaches into the future to guide other people who long for redemption.

England, 1710. Young Alba knows she is a witch, but the term means nothing until her mother is executed for witchcraft. Then Alba enters a trance that causes everyone around her debilitating emotions, just like Alba’s. The trance, which is Alba’s magic, does not appear again until years later when her mentor is arrested and sentenced to death. Panicked, Alba stabs herself in the heart. Instead of dying, she enters a “false sleep” (coma), a state of spiritual consciousness. Hoping to find peace for others, she seeks similar souls in the future.

Germany, 1942: An American soldier is mortally wounded. In his final moment, he experiences the glory of a beautiful life, if only in his dreams. He enters a spiritual realm filled with warm family adventures, metaphysical escapades that are alternately hilarious and horrific, yet always lead away from anguish. Directed by Alba’s unseen influence, Andrew fights for solace, and wins.

Indonesia, 2003: A young American woman on a Western Pacific island must relive an ancient, tortuous journey through a primitive environment in order to redeem the foreigners in the country. Influenced by a power she can only sense in her heart (Alba), Connie seeks a solution of acceptance instead of rejection.

Told with humor and compassion, the heart of the book is the longing to find peace despite haunting failure, and finding joy in helping others achieve the same.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Though I am obligated to share my story of survival, the forces compelling me to do so are impossible to suss, being infinite and immortal. Hereby accept my testimony, which I create for the benefit of my peers, on behalf of the Creator.

By “Creator,” I do not refer to the deities worshiped by the world’s disparate cultures. Understand that the greatest creative force in the universe is not all gods, but all goodness. My story is additionally difficult to convey because there you are, believing that witches are atheists. You would know more about God if He had given you the power of magic as He did me.

We need not begin with my appearance, though people expect this. What we see of others is the first thing we know of them, prior to grasping their generosity or avarice. Very well, then, I am average in appearance for a British lady in her teens. My mother, even at her end, was average in appearance for a British wench in her eighties, though her true age was half that again.

“At her end.” We are getting to that. Only now can I get away from that, after being blessed with redemption, which is a most holy form of magic.

I was born on Man’s Isle in the Irish Sea, sinners’ names used by witches, who are too naive to invent languages or coffee houses. (“Sinner” is the name witches have for those people of societies and cities.) Witches celebrate neither anniversaries nor holidays, and since our calendar consists of the seasons about us, I know not my date of birth, my numerical age. Suffice to say that the year of our Lord is 1700 and something, the “something” part a variable when the future is no different from today.

About the Author: H. C. Turk is a writer, sound artist, and visual artist. His novels have been published by Villard and Tor. His short fiction, sound pieces, movies, and visual art have appeared in numerous magazines, websites, podcasts, and film festivals. He used to paint houses (not as an art form.)

Book Video | Website | BandCamp | Substack | Facebook

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , ,

The Art of Book Covers by Raven Howell – Guest Blog and Giveaway

April 29, 2026 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Raven Howell will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Art of Book Covers

During childhood, I fell in love with Shel Silverstein’s books. Even at a young age, I was conscious of how appealing his book covers were. Most of them taunted the reader’s curiosity with stark, playful black and white artwork involving kooky, wiggly drawn children and other magical meanderings. Even the font styles had a consistency throughout his book catalog.

As an adult and full-time writer, I understand how these imageries on the Silverstein book covers set expectations for what was inside. His covers displayed consistent author branding designed in intriguing, creative ways. And if font styles communicate tone, his suggested a mix of zany and comedic.

You may know that book covers are key to snagging a potential book buyer’s attention. Up to 75% of consumers decide on purchasing a book based on its cover design. And we’re talking the artwork has a mere 4-5 seconds to garner attention, so you can imagine how important it is if you’re a book creator.

Professional illustrations on the outside usually indicate high-quality on the inside, but the opposite is true also. Amateur artwork can deter a book buyer. The psychological impact of several elements makes a profound difference. Things like the typography, colors used, the imagery, and even the hierarchy (like the areas your eye is directed to first) all determine whether the book will sell or not.

As a children’s author, I enjoy watching and following along the trends in current book cover art for the kids’ communities. My recent picture book, WORD UP! was illustrated by Joe Rocco. Joe’s a professional American illustrator and designer with 25 years of experience in editorial publishing, animation, and work centered on children’s publications. His experience and sophisticated sense of using high-impact vibrancy birthed an eye-catching and fun electric blue/neon yellow, quirky book cover for us.

Children’s book covers in general used to have a much more cluttered feel and look. Today the trends in books with children in the story line are toward authenticity – depicting diverse ethnicities and abilities, and a wider variety of emotions.

Books with environmental themes lean toward expansive landscape (or seascape) imagery. Many have a hand-drawn effect, artwork with a tone of warmth.

For humorous books and early readers, the trend is toward standout characters paired with character expression, and abstract images. And I love the kids’ books with interactive fonts – they’re integrated into the artwork itself.

Designers are using more white space to aid in visual clarity. Neon-pastel shades are taking over the traditional primary colors, and many book covers are created for phone scanning, allowing characters or story sequences to animate.

We’ve come a long way from when Shel Silverstein was writing and illustrating books, but regardless of technical advances, and creative evolution, if a book touches your heart, whether that’s because the cover invited you into the story or not – I hope you revel in the inspiration!

Words are the windows through which children view the world. Familiar, uncommon, short and sweet, long and quirky; words make all the difference.

In Word Up, discover how a word packs a punch and possesses the power to heal, hurt, help, and humble. Watch children learn how to choose words wisely, and to recognize that sometimes, the simplicity of kindness itself is expressed in gentle silence.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Words are mighty!
Words are strong!
We write them,
Speak them,
Sing our song.

I hope you learn new words today,
And think about the ones you say.

About the Author: Raven Howell is the author of over 25 picture books for children. She’s a writer for several children’s magazines. Raven contributes The Book Bug column for Story Monsters Ink magazine, is the Arts & Crafts Director of Kids Corner, and Publishing & Creative Director with Red Clover Reader. She is a contributing author for Reading is Fundamental SoCal and I Am a Promise Books, and a story book writer for world-wide educational programs.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Author and Poet Facebook Page | Pinterest | LinkedIn | TikTok | Bluesky | Amazon

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , ,

10 Things Most People Don’t Know About Me by Jenna Jaxon – Guest Blog and Giveaway

April 28, 2026 By 2 Comments

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

10 Things Most People Don’t Know About Me

I think this is such an interesting post topic because we all want to know more of the nitty gritty details about our favorite authors’ lives, right? Well, here are some of the little known facts about Jenna Jaxon. (Some of these things you may know if you’ve read my blog over the years, but several of them are things I don’t think I’ve EVER told my readers.)

1. When I was a senior in high school, I was on the fencing team (even then I loved the romance of swordplay). The coach was technically not an associate of the school (he taught fencing at the local YMCA and all of us took lessons from him there) and so rather innocently I flirted with him and right after my 18th birthday, started dating him. He was ten years older than me (not a problem in my book as historical heroes are often much older than the heroine) and was very intelligent and good looking. We dated for about three or four months before he broke it off to date a woman closer to his age. I wasn’t really crushed, but it did sting a little.

2. This is related to number one above: after taking lessons from my fencing coach for almost a year, I qualified for and actually competed in the USA Fencing National Championship.

3. Also related to number one above: Because I was the only girl on our high school fencing team, I ended up as a contestant for Homecoming Queen that year! I’m still amazed when I look at that yearbook and I’m in the pictures with all the other contestants. (I was SO not that girl.)

4. The very first live theater production I ever saw was my high school’s production of Oklahoma! when I was about thirteen years old. A friend of mine was playing Will and I still remember the scene where Will was trying to get his $50 back so he could marry Ado Annie. Fast forward 10 years and I saw my first Broadway musical, Sweeney Todd with the original cast. It’s still my favorite musical.

5. The first time I went to Ireland, I kissed the Blarney Stone (which may have given me mono!).

6. The first story I ever wrote was a six-page masterpiece called Miss Priss Finds a Kitten. They say write what you know and I’d grown up with cats all my life. So, in the third grade, I wrote and illustrated my very own story about cats.

7. I cannot stand beer. Cannot drink it. It tastes like what I imagine swamp water tastes like. Even when I was going to England (a college class for 3 weeks in May my senior year) for the first time and the tour director made all of us try lager and lime (mine ended up half lager, half lime) I still couldn’t drink it.

8. I met my husband when I was hired to do a show with him for the Army. We fell in love working on the production and playing Space Invaders together.

9. In 2015 the university I work for did a production of Little Shop of Horrors, one of my favorite musicals. I wanted to be in the chorus, just so I could sing the song “Skid Row” but my boss, who was the director, told me I could be on Skid Row as a bag lady ONLY if I also played the role of the first customer at the flower shop—a character who had lines. I am not an actor, I don’t like being on stage at all usually, but I wanted to be in the show so badly I said yes. I had fun with it—but I was terrified every night when I went on and had to say lines.

10. This is one that actually a lot of people know: I began writing romance because I became gluten-intolerant. And when I went on a gluten-free diet, it gave me so much creative energy I had to put it somewhere. I read Kathleen Woodiwiss’s Everlasting about that time and when I finished the book I said to myself, “I could write something like this,” and sat down and started writing my first book. And the rest, as they say, is history.

A scandalous mistake…or a wicked way to happiness?

Hoping to compromise herself, Lady Amantha Easton sneaks into the bedroom of her would-be suitor only to find a total stranger there—a totally handsome, charming stranger to be sure—but not at all the man she plans to marry. She leaves his room with her reputation intact—barely—only to fall victim to the gentleman’s charms in a public place. Now Amantha must face the fate she’s tried to avoid—marriage to a man who will never love her.

All Rafael Beauregard wanted was a warm bed and a good night’s sleep…but what he got was an unexpected romp with a beautiful vixen and a fiery kiss that left him wanting more. An excellent trade, except now he’s got to marry Lady Amantha, one of the most willful women he’s ever met. So Rafe’s challenge is to persuade her that marriage to him might be the best thing for them both…once he convinces himself.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“What is it, love? What’s wrong?”

“Father,” was all she could get out at first.

“You went to see him? He didn’t agree to grant your request?”

Amantha nodded and sniffed. Rafe reached into his breast pocket and produced a handkerchief. “He g…gave me a choice. Marry you or…or be put in p…prison.”

“Prison!” What kind of monster would threaten his own daughter with prison? And what kind of power did such a man wield? “He’s going to send you to Newgate? On whose authority?”

“His own authority.” She wiped her eyes and nose then clenched the square of linen in her fist. “And not Newgate. Not a real prison. But he will turn his northernmost property, Woolston Lodge in Northumberland, into a prison. He will send me there tomorrow, with no clothes and no friends, just a jailor and armed guards for the rest of my life.” Tears threatened again and Rafe pulled her head back to his shoulder.

“Shh, love. Don’t think about it. We won’t let that happen, will we?” She shook her head and nestled deeper. The small movement of acquiescence shot straight to his heart. He could fix this. “I am afraid, though, that I’m going to have to change my mind about our marriage.”

She sat bolt upright, terror widening her eyes as she stared at him.

Damn. He hadn’t meant to frighten her even more. His own fault for drinking that second brandy.

“Shhh.” He ran a gentle thumb down her delicate jaw line, cupping her chin and pulling her face close enough that she had to look into his eyes. “Amantha, I just meant I now want to marry you more than anything in the world.”

About the Author: Jenna Jaxon is a best-selling author of historical romance, writing in a variety of time periods because she believes that passion is timeless. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, Jenna has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all these elements into her own stories.

She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets–including Olive, an almost silent cat, Earl Grey, a very curious bunny, and a Shar-pei mix dog named Frenchie.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | TikTok | BookBub | Amazon | Twitter

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: , ,

My Friends and I Spot Series by T.X. Troan – Spotlight and Giveaway

April 23, 2026 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. T.X. Troan will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Perfect for curious minds and sharp eyes, these interactive puzzle picture books encourage creativity and exploration while fostering a love of reading. Can you and your friends find everything that lurks in these places? Get ready for unforgettable adventures filled with magic, mystery, and a whole lot of fun!

Fantasyland (Book 1) Blurb

Join Evan and Page on an enchanting adventure in My Friends and I Spot Fantasyland: A Puzzle Picture Book! From creepy spiders lurking in shadowy corners to shimmering butterflies fluttering through sunlit glades, this captivating search-and-find journey invites readers of all ages to step into a vibrant world brimming with delightful surprises and mysterious wonders.

Perfect for curious minds and sharp eyes, this interactive puzzle picture book encourages creativity and exploration while fostering a love of reading. Can you and your friends find everything that lurks in this place? Get ready for an unforgettable adventure filled with magic, mystery, and a whole lot of fun!

Time Travel (Book 2) Blurb

Embark on an exhilarating journey with Jason and Mary as they navigate through unexpected challenges and captivating experiences.

This children’s book combines fun dialogues with engaging search-and-find illustrations to offer young readers an exciting exploration of imagination and adventure throughout various periods and places in time. Each page will not only encourage reading but also develop observation skills and spark curiosity about history, science fiction, and the ocean’s mysteries.

About the Author Thuan Doan is an award-winning author of the Sophia Freeman series. He conceived his first middle-grade fantasy novel, Sophia Freeman and the Mysterious Fountain, during a trip to Gabriola Island, British Columbia in the summer of 2013. Then he took his work and settled in a small town of Enderby, where it’s peaceful and quiet.

Thuan is writing under a pen name of T.X. Troan. “X” stands for Xu, his grandmother’s name who passed away. And “Troan” is a combination of his parents’ names.

“No matter how this turns out, I want my family to be a part of this wonderful journey.”

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , ,

The Process of Producing a Children’s Book by Eva Legre Zigre – Guest Blog and Giveaway

April 22, 2026 By 2 Comments

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

THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING A CHILDREN’S BOOK

As a new author, I am amazed by all that goes into producing a children’s book.

Upon my first visit to the city of Temecula, California, I was struck by the beauty and lushness of the parks and wineries, for which Temecula is known. The longer I stayed, the more I became aware of the community. The people were very friendly, and a simple conversation while waiting in line or sitting on a bench at a park gave me insight into the pride and love people had for this small inland community.

I was easily accepted as a transplant and encouraged to explore more of the city, and so I did. There were so many places, hidden and out in the open, that took my breath away or had me vowing to visit, my list of places to go to in Temecula became extensive.

I share all of this because it is the inspiration behind my new children’s board book, ‘RJ’s Adventures in Temecula’. Well, that and my son, whom the main character is inspired by.

Of the many places I visited in Temecula, only thirteen attractions are included in RJ’s Adventures in Temecula, because I didn’t want the book to intimidate young readers, and since it is a board book, the pages can get expensive. If I had unlimited funds, though, my book would have featured at least 30 different places in Temecula.
Since I wanted to keep the book about the community, I hired two great artists from Temecula; first being my photographer, who took hundreds of pictures as we searched for the perfect shot of the sites I had in mind. Second was my illustrator, who drew from the photographs I chose, adding RJ’s character as she went.

The entire time I was in contact with the various attractions to ensure that permission was granted, images were approved, and contracts were signed, allowing me to sell and promote my books using their likeness.

I was blessed to receive some advice from city officials, business owners and a few children’s book readers and writers, which opened doors with a printer, libraries, and bookstores. This kept me encouraged because, though I was able to share this in a short article, the process took close to a year.

Still, I kept reminding myself why I started this journey and what I wanted to see come out of it, and that gave me the encouragement to keep moving forward. Now I have a beautiful book that my children and others in my community can read for years to come.

If you’ve had a chance to visit Temecula, California, you’d be one of many who have had the privilege of watching hot air balloons take flight during sunrise and descend at sunset, walking the grounds of one of the most beautiful rose gardens in California, and visiting a rare and noble tree that looks to have stood the test of time. You will find some of the most popular and heavily visited sights in Temecula, beautifully illustrated and captured in child-like conversation.

RJ’s Adventures in Temecula is a vibrantly colored board book featuring thirteen of Temecula’s most visited attractions. The illustrations jump off the page, offering children fun images to look at while learning more about Temecula, California’s historic sights.

Beware. Your child may ask to visit some of the attractions presented in this 20-page book, such as Professor Pennypickles’ Workshop or the Sugarplum Zoo and Chocolates. Come visit for a week, but first, do your research and take this adventure around Temecula, California with RJ.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Hello Friend!

My name is RJ.

Welcome to the beautiful and sunny city of Temecula. Today is a great day to show you around!

Are you ready for an exciting tour?

About the Author: Eva Legre-Zigre is a children’s book author passionate about writing stories that reflect the beauty of communities. Inspired by years of experience as a nanny and a volunteer teacher, she crafts engaging stories that encourage creativity and wonderment in children. Her passion for community, culture, and finding beautiful differences in various states throughout the country gives her the desire to share those unique and exciting places with children.

A resident of Temecula, California, known for its wineries, Mrs. Legre-Zigre was inspired by her own child to find and highlight family- and child-friendly attractions in her city. Some of these attractions are featured in her debut book.

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , ,

:IGY6 by Dean Sali – Spotlight and Giveaway

April 20, 2026 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dean Sali will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

;IGY6 is more than just a self-help guide, it is a beacon of hope for those in the military and beyond. Whether you are a soldier, a veteran, or someone who supports them, this book provides invaluable insights and practical advice that can make a real difference. Readers will find solace in the shared experiences and learn how to navigate the complexities of PTSD towards a better, more fulfilling life.

Enjoy an Excerpt

I’ve wanted to write ;IGY6 for some time now. I have complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and I’m lactose intolerant. It’s a heavy list, and my doctor, a gastrointestinal specialist, calls me his medical miracle because he’s never had a patient with this combination. Lucky me.

PTSD can be extremely difficult, but doing nothing about it is a big mistake. If sharing my experience helps you to take a step I waited too long to take, then it’s worth every word.

“;IGY6” stands for “I got your six,” military slang for “I’ve got your back.” But there’s much more to it than that. The “6” is your six o’clock position—your back— and “got your six” is a pledge to be there for each other. The semicolon at the front is a symbol from the suicide prevention initiative called Project Semicolon, and it represents a pause instead of an ending, a reminder that your story isn’t over.1 When paired with IGY6, the semicolon sends a powerful message to those living with PTSD: “You’re not alone, and we’ve got your six.” A related movement, the ;IGY6 Foundation, highlights the sobering statistic that an average of twenty-two US veterans die by suicide every day.2 Imagine a world where we all watched out for each other. That’s the promise at the heart of this book.

1 Project Semicolon. “Our Mission.” Project Semicolon

About the Author:Dean Sali is a resolute advocate for personal growth, resilience, and inner healing. With a background in the military and law enforcement, he has faced intense challenges that tested his strength, confidence, and sense of purpose. He served on a UN tour in Rwanda in 1994, an experience that deeply shaped his perspective on trauma, recovery, and the human spirit. His journey with PTSD has given him firsthand insight into the struggles of rebuilding from within, and he has spent years exploring methods of healing, including chi exercises, mindfulness, and reconnecting with nature.

Beyond his professional experiences, Dean is a devoted father of four, with a granddaughter on the way. His writing is deeply personal, offering practical guidance and heartfelt encouragement to those seeking clarity, confidence, and peace. Through his work, Dean hopes to inspire others to embrace their own healing journey and discover the strength they already carry inside.

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Non-Fiction Tagged With: , , ,

House of Cards: Surviving Munchausen by Proxy and a Mother’s Web of Lies by Phillippa Mann – Spotlight and Giveaway

April 13, 2026 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Phillippa Mann will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A raw and unflinching memoir of survival, truth, and transformation. Phillippa Mann takes readers deep into the fractured world of a girl who grew up living with a monster–a world where love and fear shared the same face, and silence became a means of survival.

Through heartbreak, chaos, and betrayal, Phillippa’s voice emerges from the shadows as she begins to piece together a life that was never hers to begin with. Her journey is one of courage and reckoning, of facing the unbearable truths that shaped her, and finding strength in vulnerability.

More than a story of pain, House of Cards is a testament to the power of healing and self-forgiveness. It reminds every survivor that bringing hidden truths into the light is not the end – it’s the beginning of reclaiming your story and rebuilding the foundation of who you were always meant to be.

Enjoy an Excerpt

As I embarked on this new chapter of motherhood and marriage, I began to re-evaluate some of the stories I had been told since childhood. How could my dad have been in bed with another man if he was married to my mother? And if he was gay, why would he marry my stepmom and then later adopt my little brother, further building a life with her? It didn’t even make sense in my mind.

He often reminisced about our family camping trips and his visits to us. I recall wondering whether his twin brother had merely shared those memories with him and why he had not wanted to see us when we were little, as it was obviously my dad I was visiting as I got older. Eventually, I mustered the courage to initiate a conversation with him. When my baby was approximately six months old, I wrote a letter to my dad expressing my need to ask him some questions and inquiring if he would be willing to visit for a discussion. He promptly called me upon receiving the letter to arrange a time for his visit.

I had prepared a list of inquiries, including whether he had been unfaithful to my mother, if she had discovered him in bed with another person (I lacked the courage to specify it was with a man), and whether he had a twin brother named Christian. He firmly denied all these allegations. Part of me wishes I had probed further or engaged in a more profound dialogue regarding my concerns; there was so much to unravel from those topics, yet at that moment, I felt content with the answers I received. For a while, I did not dwell on it too much, as I was preoccupied with my new baby.

I returned to work a few afternoons each week, and my nan would take the bus to my home to care for my son. I recall one day returning home to find his diaper on backward, and I thought about how challenging it must have been for her to fasten the sticky tabs at the back. My nan was an incredibly kind woman, and my son was undoubtedly the apple of her eye; she clearly cherished her time spent with him, and I wish she had been around longer to watch all my children grow up.

About the Author Phillippa Mann is a Canadian author who is passionate about helping others find healing through shared experience.

Her memoir, House of Cards:
Surviving Munchausen by Proxy and a Mother’s Web of Lies, explores the emotional journey of growing up in chaos and reclaiming strength through forgiveness and self-discovery.

Family is at the heart of everything Phillippa does. She and her husband share a love of creating together, and their children and grandchildren inspire her every day to live with gratitude, laughter, and purpose. When she’s not writing, Phillippa can be found playing with her Corgi, Glenn, crafting handmade gifts, baking cookies and cupcakes for her family business, Sweet Lavender Designs, which she started in memory of a dear friend.

She is currently working on her next creative project, a heartwarming children’s book titled Hop Hop and the Great Garden Adventure, inspired by the wonder and imagination of her grandchildren.

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Buy the book at Amazon.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Non-Fiction Tagged With: , , ,
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