Search Results for: A Symbol of Time

She’s the One Who Cares Too Much by S.R. Cronin – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

April 9, 2021 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. S. R. Cronin 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.

Coral, the second of seven sisters, has been hiding her affair with the perfect man until her older sister can get her life together. But the perfect man is getting impatient and now she’s gotten pregnant. Coral decides it’s time to consider her own happiness.

But what does she want? The perfect husband turns out to be less than ideal. She adores the small children she teaches but the idea of being a mother fills her with joy. Meanwhile, her homeland is gripped by fear of a Mongol invasion and she can’t stop crying about everything now that she’s with child.

Then a friend suggests the ever-caring Coral possesses a power well beyond what she or anyone else imagines. Does she? And why is the idea so appealing?

When Coral’s big sister loses faith in the army and decides to craft a way to use magic to save Ilari from the Mongols, she decides Coral’s formidable talent is what the realm needs. Can Coral raise a baby, placate an absent military husband who thinks he’s stopping the invasion, and help her sister save her homeland?

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

When Ryalgar arrived at the farm a few days before my wedding, I was happy to have someone to talk to about something other than the upcoming ceremony.

I hung up the freshly washed bedding as she rode up with Sulphur. Once she gave Sulphur her horse to tend to, she hurried over to me, standing behind billowing the sheets with me so we could talk privately for a few minutes as the smell of fresh soap surrounded us

“I’ve learned more about luskies for you,” she whispered, even before she greeted me.

“There’s no need for that.” My reply was cold. Of all the things we needed to talk about, this power I didn’t have was low on the list.

“I’m not so sure. There’s a persistent rumor that we Velka can recognize a luski, but it’s not true. It takes another luski to tell. And it takes another to train a new luski, too.”

“Okay. Why would this matter to me?”

“Because your friend could be right. I’ve learned not all luskies are mothers, at least not in the real sense of the word. The rare man has this talent. A few childless women do, too. It has to do with being a nurturer.”

“So ….”

“So one way to know if you have the talent is to examine how you feel about it. If the idea maybe scares but excites you, odds are good your reaction is for a reason. What I’m saying is based on what I’ve learned, I was wrong. You really could be a luski.”

Just hearing Ryalgar admit to me she’d been wrong was quite an event in our relationship. Yet, this was hardly the time to focus on that.

“I’m getting married in three days. I don’t need this now.”

She gave me a sympathetic look. “You don’t have to do anything about it. I’m looking for a luski to talk to you. They’re hard to find; most go to extraordinary pains to hide what they can do. But I’ll find one.”

I didn’t know what to say.

“Thanks. I think.”

About the Author:Sherrie Cronin is the author of a collection of six speculative fiction novels known as 46. Ascending and is now in the process of publishing a historical fantasy series called The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters. A quick look at the synopses of her books makes it obvious she is fascinated by people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had.

She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels. She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how odd she is.

All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case.

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The End Of October by Lawrence Wright

March 9, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The End Of October by Lawrence Wright
Publisher: Penguin Random House UK
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

In this riveting medical thriller–from the Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author–Dr. Henry Parsons, an unlikely but appealing hero, races to find the origins and cure of a mysterious new killer virus as it brings the world to its knees.

At an internment camp in Indonesia, forty-seven people are pronounced dead with acute hemorrhagic fever. When Henry Parsons–microbiologist, epidemiologist–travels there on behalf of the World Health Organization to investigate, what he finds will soon have staggering repercussions across the globe: an infected man is on his way to join the millions of worshippers in the annual Hajj to Mecca. Now, Henry joins forces with a Saudi prince and doctor in an attempt to quarantine the entire host of pilgrims in the holy city . . . A Russian émigré, a woman who has risen to deputy director of U.S. Homeland Security, scrambles to mount a response to what may be an act of biowarfare . . . Already-fraying global relations begin to snap, one by one, in the face of a pandemic . . . Henry’s wife, Jill, and their children face diminishing odds of survival in Atlanta . . . And the disease slashes across the United States, dismantling institutions–scientific, religious, governmental–and decimating the population. As packed with suspense as it is with the fascinating history of viral diseases, Lawrence Wright has given us a full-tilt, electrifying, one-of-a-kind thriller.

A race-against-time thriller as one man must find the origins for a new killer virus that has brought the world to it’s knees.
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I’ve not read many “end of the world” or “plague” type thrillers in the last eighteen months or so for the simple reason it feels rather like we’re currently living on one of those stories and I’m feeling pretty weary of it all. But I kept on seeing good reviews for this novel and it’s in a bunch of the stores lately so I finally caved in and bought a copy because I usually really enjoy them. I’m pleased I did because this was a good story – even if many factors of it hit rather close to home right now.

Considering this book was written before Covid-19 was a reality – let alone in pretty much every major headline worldwide – I feel the author did a remarkable job, both with his research but also with a pretty fair guess as to how a lot of the politics and medical bodies worldwide would react. A major factor in my enjoyment of this story was also that even though the book is quite political and medical focused – as you would expect in a plague type of mystery-thriller story – I feel all the major characters were highly relatable. The author has a really good and relaxed style of voice and writing and this made many of the characters really enjoyable to me, I could easily empathize with them and the situation they found themselves in and even some of the smaller characters, like Bambang, who were from a different culture, a different religion and a completely different walk of life, the author showcased Bambang in such a way I could not just see where his choices and actions came from, but why he made these decisions and I could easily relate to him despite our lives being completely different. It was a lovely feeling and really got me hooked into the story.

I admit I found the start of the story (maybe the first quarter of it or less) was a little slow moving. I strongly feel readers should stick with it though because there are a number of different, complex working parts to this story (different medical facilities, different parts of the world that are extremely important and different government/political regimes) that all need to be lined up, explained and laid out in order for the reader to fully grasp how all the dominoes fall once the virus gets out of control. Understandably there are a number of different things that all happen in tandem that need to be followed and having it all lined up correctly in the beginning is crucial. So while a part of me could see the pandemic begin to flourish and I wanted to go faster and faster the author did an excellent job really getting everything outlined clearly and all the characters introduced and ready for the explosion to occur.

In many respects this is simply a really well written pandemic story but in the current circumstances I find my enjoyment and tolerance for these stories fairly short. So the fact I really enjoyed this is testament to how well it’s written and how gripping I found the tale. Better still there is a solid “wrap up” and explanation at the end and while it was a bit of a twist (and dealt with very quickly) I was pleased that those loose ties were indeed wrapped up and we weren’t left hanging not really knowing how the outbreak happened. I’m not sure all readers will be as pleased as I was with the ending – and while I didn’t guess it, I would expect some readers probably will, but it was nice to not have dangling threads of plot and wondering for a while after I’d finished the book.

A solid and enjoyable read and one I will likely come back to another time.

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My Rite of Passage During the Summer of ’76 by H. Downing Lane – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

February 19, 2021 By 4 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. H. Downing Lane 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.

MY RITE OF PASSAGE DURING THE SUMMER OF ’76 is a riveting coming-of-age memoir about adventure on the high seas with philosophical musings that add a resonant layer of depth.

In this memoir, H. Downing Lane recalls the 25-day transatlantic sailing trip he took in 1976 as a young man, the details of the journey around Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and other locales, and reflects on its significance as a coming-of-age learning experience.

H. Downing Lane was 26 years old in 1976 when he decided to sign up for a transatlantic sailing trip into the Arctic with an accomplished captain named E. Newbold Smith. In this vivid, often exhilarating memoir, Lane draws from journal entries written during his time at sea to share an account of the remarkable voyage.

The Atlantic crossing was a 25-day affair, from Chesapeake Bay, around Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the coast of Norway. It was undertaken at a point in Lane’s life when he was feeling particularly vulnerable, as he was recovering from an accident in which he had lost an eye. He wished to “prove [his] mettle,” not to the other men aboard the boat, but to himself. As it turned out, Captain Smith was something of a kindred spirit, as he too had survived a devastating accident many years earlier. Lane provides the reader with a realistic vision of what life aboard a sailing vessel is like, from the often freezing temperatures above and below deck, to the many challenges presented by simple bodily necessities. He describes various technical aspects of working on the boat, but his language never devolves into jargon; his account is always perfectly clear and accessible.

Lane seasons the text with literary and philosophical quotes that frequently allow him to consider the greater meaning of his experience, and even of life itself. There are also numerous stunning photographs included of the boat and the various stops along the way.

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

Even in the more fantastical 1939 tale of The Wizard of Oz when the Wicked Witch of the West orders her minions of flying monkeys to attack Oz, viewers are fascinated with these flying creatures for almost the same reasons. However, in a Biblical tale when the dove returns to the ark with an olive branch, Noah realizes that land is now nearby. Here the bird is portrayed as mankind’s messenger, guide and ally. Whether symbolic or real, whether friend or foe, birds definitely have captured and intrigued man’s imagination. Would life be wonderful, feel wondrous if freedom and floating were our way of life. They float our thoughts and tickle and tantalize our dreams.

It is common knowledge that sailors always look for indicators that terra firma isn’t too far away. “Land Ho!” is music to any salt who has been at sea for any extended length of time. Whether positioned high above in a masthead crows nest or closer to sea level on the bow pulpit, crew members assigned as lookouts listen for the sounds of shoals or reefs and pay particular attention to distant, dark ominous clouds, floating branches, seaweed, shallow water, whitewater as well as the increased presence of birds. No whistling is allowed on a sailing vessel for that reason.

Granted Reindeer hadn’t been at sea for forty days and nights (even though it felt like it). Granted we didn’t have any land birds on board our ark (unless you count some crew members attempts at humor). Granted we had not shot any birds for our unfavorable conditions either. And, of course, Reindeer wasn’t ever mistaken for a fairy tale, myth or metaphor…a little out of place, unfamiliar and odd, maybe, but not something from a poet’s, director’s or devout Christian’s imagination. While Reindeer was real, it is sometimes humans’ limited perspective coupled with superstition, fantasy or imagination that creates their “reality.”

About the Author:H. Downing Lane is a retired educator, tutoring business owner, English teacher, coach and administrator who sails in his spare time. Presently he is writing a series of books that chronicle his sailing adventures.

Born and raised on the eastern shore of Maryland, he has returned home after 40 years to write. Henry taught sailing for eight years on Long Island Sound and sailed competitively on the Chesapeake Bay, crewed transatlantic to Iceland and Norway, been a crew member of a number of Annapolis – Newport and Newport – Bermuda races and sailed much of the Caribbean and Bahamas.

In 1978, he sailed the SORC around Florida. In 2008, he purchased Mystique, a 40′ leopard catamaran, and in 2013, he sailed it to Santo Domingo, the Turks and Cacaos and eventually to Florida.

In 2016, he sailed solo for 51 days through the Exumas. On another adventure he and Lainie Wrightson had a calamitous time together – losing both rudders – the basis of his second book, Bluewater Mystique.

He has chartered boats to sail the Dalmatian Coast, Belize, Abacos, Eleuthera and the Maine coast. While maintaining his blog www.bluewatermystique.com, he has written numerous blogs about life and sailing.

He is a dedicated learner and loves sharing his experiences and stories.

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Buy the book at Amazon, Indigo, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or Smashwords.

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Sweet Rogue of Mine by Shana Galen

February 16, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Sweet Rogue of Mine by Shana Galen
The Survivors: Book IX
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

A sharpshooter who’s lost his sight…

When a stray pistol ball from the battlefield took Nash’s sight, it also took his entire identity. He’s retreated to his father’s county home to lick his wounds, but his drinking and isolation have only made things worse. When Nash’s father, a powerful earl, threatens to send Nash to an asylum, his former brothers-in-arms call in one of their own to set Nash back on the right course. Nash fears he’s fallen too far and perhaps ending it all is the best solution. Until he encounters a woman in the garden singing a bawdy tune at the top of her lungs.

An outcast who sees too much…

Prudence Howard has traveled the world with her missionary parents. But after the scandal she caused in Cairo, they’ve foisted her on a vicar in the small town of Milcroft and sailed to the Far East to evangelize without her. Pru doesn’t mean to cause trouble; it’s just that being good is so very hard. When she meets Nash Pope, she’s instantly intrigued. He might be hot-tempered, but he’s handsome and unusual and arouses her interest and passion like no one she’s ever met. He might not know he needs or even wants her help, but Pru has a plan to save him.
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Together they glimpse a brighter future.

Nash is bewildered by the unconventional woman who keeps turning up on his doorstep. She tries to teach him night writing, claims a feral peacock is a momentous sign, and makes his toes curl when she kisses him. She refuses to give up on him. But though Nash finds it easy to believe in Pru, can he ever trust himself again?

I am exceedingly glad that Ms. Galen chose Nash as the next hero to find his happy ever after. When he shot (wounded only) one of his good friends in the last book, I just knew he was a man that needed saving. What happened to him was horrible indeed, but what he’s chosen to do with his life is a tragedy. If anyone needed an intervention, it was Nash Pope. To say his ‘rescuer’ was unconventional is an understatement. However, Rowden was the perfect choice. He didn’t scare easily and was committed to his friendship with the hero, even though said hero threatens to shoot him. From the first chapter I’d come to the conclusion that the unusual and unexpected were the very things that could jumpstart Nash into living again. How he came upon Prudence and what she was singing not only got the hero’s attention, but mine too. The heroine is not typical or boring, which means she fit the bill perfectly. Prudence was a delight, fun to watch and she truly livened up the storyline.

Prudence wasn’t all sunshine and bawdy tunes – she has her own issues, ones that made me feel strongly that I wanted her to find happiness too. I wanted her to be wanted for herself and I wanted that spark of life within her to flourish. Well, I later found out that the heroine has a bit too much spark, if you get my drift. Yes, she’s sweet, and her personality plays off well against the grumpy hero, but she has a secret. Personally, I think the author was genius. It was a kind of role reversal – she’s not exactly what I expected but I can tell you, Nash ends up being so intrigued by her, even though he tries really hard not to be, that he just can’t help himself. I think the push/pull of their friendship and relationship was the best part of the story. I enjoyed watching it grow and I was definitely entertained by Nash’s inability to resist Prudence. I also was happy to see that the heroine was a really wonderful plot mover – she motivated some important secondary characters to get involved with Nash’s life, whether he liked it or not. The results were storybook perfect. And fun. And humorous at times. There were SO many scenes that made me smile and grin.

Mrs. Northgate’s role is as an important secondary character. She helps Prudence grow in confidence and skill. She also plays a vital role in the drama and serious scenes that occur later in the book. I like how the author portrayed Mrs. Northgate’s personality. She ended up as being one of my favorites, after Nash and Prudence of course. There are others but I won’t mention them. I’ll let readers decide who their favorites are. Oh, wait, there’s Clopdon. Okay, his addition to the story made me grin a lot too. And giggle.

There’s quite a bit of symbolism in the story too. For instance, peacocks. Now that I think back on those scenes I can clearly state that Ms. Galen not only has a way of creating a romance story worth reading, but in this book especially, she created a romantic feeling, a mystical, optimistic, sigh-worthy ambiance that fed into the feel-good emotion I felt while heading for the very satisfying and swoon-worthy happy-ever-after ending.

I know I’m being gushy about this book. I really enjoyed myself. It’s not all fun and lightheartedness though. There is a bit of villainy aimed at Prudence so that created drama, intensity and suspense. Then there is the threat that Nash might end up in an asylum. It’s a race against time to convince everyone that he can be saved. So many details, so many other aspects to this novel, it’s hard to avoid spoilers. This book is chock full of good stuff.

I’ll end my review here. I could go on and on because Ms. Galen packed a lot of depth and details within this book’s pages. Sweet Rogue of Mine is an excellent read, a great addition to the series and it’s going on my keeper shelf.

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Abnormally Abbey by Allan Evans

February 9, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Abnormally Abbey by Allan Evans
Publisher: Immortal Works
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Paranormal, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Being a spook magnet is not as glamorous as it sounds.

There’s something seriously wrong with the summer camp 14-year old Abbey is sent to. It’s not just the troubled kids, or the clueless camp counselors or even all the ghosts–yeah, the ghosts have found her there too–but now there’s a mysterious symbol that keeps appearing at all the worst moments. Abbey is not a happy camper.

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Imagine showing up for church camp only to realize something has gone terribly wrong!

The paranormal elements of the storyline were handled nicely. I liked seeing how gradually the plot built up to them. There were brief moments of paranormal activity in the beginning, but the author saved the most exciting scenes for much later on. This gave me plenty of opportunities to anticipate what might happen next which is one of my favorite things to do with this genre.

I wasn’t such a big fan of the romantic subplot or of Abbey’s love interest himself. This book was already so filled with twists and turns that there wasn’t much space for the romance to develop. There were also certain aspects of the backstory of Abbey’s love interest with that concerned me as well. He didn’t truly seem to understand the serious nature of the things that lead to him being sent to this camp, and that made me wonder if he was actually a safe person for her to be around. These aspects of the plot should have been developed much more fully. It took me a long time to figure out if the narrator was writing them as a cautionary tale, a genuine romance about two romantically inexperienced teens, or something else entirely.

It was nice to meet characters gradually. The camp Abbey’s father picked out for her had a lot of different teens and adults staying there, so it was nice to be introduced to people as they became important to the plot instead of all at once. This made it easy for me to keep track of everyone and get to know them before the storyline sped up and Abbey gathered more evidence about what was really happening at this strange summer camp.

Anyone who loves ghost stories with a spiritual bent should give Abnormally Abbey a try.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Siddhartha by Hermann Hess

December 3, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Siddhartha by Hermann Hess
Publisher: New Directions
Genre: Non-fiction, inspirational
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

This classic novel of self-discovery has inspired generations of seekers. With parallels to the enlightenment of the Buddha, Hesse’s Siddhartha is the story of a young Brahmn’s quest for the ultimate reality. His quest takes him from the extremes of indulgent sensuality to the rigors of ascetism and self-denial. At last he learns that wisdom cannot be taught–it must come from one’s own experience and inner struggle. Steeped in the tenets of both psychoanalysis and Eastern mysticism, Siddhartha presents a strikingly original view of man and culture, and the arduous process of self-discovery that leads to reconciliation, harmony and peace. Considered to be a classic of 20th-century fiction, Hesse’s most celebrated work reflects his lifelong studies of Oriental myth and religion.

This philosophical book deals with a man’s journey of finding himself, written in novel form. It was written in the early 1920s, published in the U.S. in the 1950s and became a story with influence in the sixties.
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Siddhartha wants to know the meaning of life, of his (everyone’s) existence, and he goes out there experimenting with different ways of life. Early on, he joins a group of those who turn away from society and abstain from all the things that make life comfortable. He learns some things and makes a stop toward his spiritual progress, but something is still missing.

Interestingly, he goes out into the real world with nothing but the clothes on his back. He’s intelligent and works his way up in the world, finally becoming a man of means. He even has a beautiful lover. By the time his hair turns gray, he decides he has more to learn and gives it all up. He goes to lead a simple life with a man, the ferryman of the very important river.

The ferryman is spiritually advanced, and Siddhartha learns a thing or two from him. This story is rich in literary figures of speech such as metaphors, similes and the like. It is beautifully written, and its symbolism gives readers much to ponder. The river is itself a character, and as Siddhartha finds himself, the river comes into play.

It is a short book that allows readers to get inside the story. Entertaining, it is also filled with profound meaning. Even though Buddhism is the faith of choice here, the book has much to say to anyone.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Icon by Carla Golian

November 20, 2020 By 1 Comment


The Icon by Carla Golian
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

One day Victoria comes across a book “La Très Sainte Pyramide” (The Most Holy Pyramid). Her world turns upside down as disbelief and intrigue grasp her; the author is none other than the legendary ascended master, The Count of Saint Germain, and it is a new publication. Mysteriously she becomes compelled and obsessed with this book of the master’s alchemical great work and has to get to the bottom of it. She journeys through Paris to hopefully find the alchemist. In Paris, a love story begins.

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This exciting story starts out with Victoria having a mystical experience. The sensations she experiences are dramatic, and the descriptions make it easy for readers to understand. There is some telling and not showing though.

Later, Victoria discovers the fascinating, multi-talented Prophet while reading a book she picked up from a metaphysical bookstore. This leads her on a quest to find him. She is an interesting character, a believer, and her faith underlines the story. However, she sometimes asks questions of people that will make them raise a brow, such as asking the modern-day publisher if the author is alive and if he is the same Count, which lived in the 16th century.

The author does well with descriptive settings, allowing readers to become immersed in places. Adding views of present day Paris with sprinkles of history does much for the setting and mood. Victoria is a good detective, searching for and following clues. There are wonderful discoveries and twists and turns in this story, and subjects with depth. A touch of religion and spiritualism underlies the tale. It also takes a lovely romantic turn.

The book becomes increasingly more emotional and touching because Victoria is a romantic yet sensible woman who knows what she wants. To top things off, the ending was quite satisfying.

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Moon in Bastet by E.S. Danon – Spotlight and Giveaway

October 1, 2020 By 4 Comments

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

A memoir turned into thrilling fiction; Moon in Bastet is based on the life of author E. S. Danon. The story follows a fourteen-year-old girl named Eva, an orphan living in the Negev desert of Israel who is working as a custodian of Cirque Du Christianisme. Her life is controlled by a volatile drunk named Bella who favors a group of equally volatile teenage bullies over her and her own safety or sanity.

Bullied, neglected, and alone – Eva’s only friends are an odd, thirteen–year–old Sephardic boy named Jack and a small cohort of Bedouin sister-wives. On the brink of giving up on life, Eva stumbles upon a mysterious cat in the middle of the desert. Or really, did the cat stumble upon her?

Together they must fight to stay alive, win the battles thrown at them, and Eva must learn to not only lean on others but to trust in herself.

Filled with mystery, magic, and symbolism – Moon in Bastet is a story of resilience, survivorship, forgiveness, and women empowerment. This is a work filled with Jewish mysticism that can be enjoyed by people of all races, ages, and religions everywhere.

Enjoy an Excerpt

A mosaic of moonlight drifts over the breaking waves. Designs illustrated in silvers whisper a story by the observant full moon. Anticipation rips through the midnight air as an assortment of shells wash ashore, decoration for the celebration at hand.

Several fawn play inside of a tidal pool, tripping over each other’s hooves, while various crabs scurry to find cover. The does watch from the spartina covered marshes, less willing to get involved in the gambol of their children. A lone buck stands guard near the subtle alchemy of the ocean as the moonlight shimmers off his bone-white rack.

Soft pitter-patter echoes towards the beach: red, brown, gray, and white paws scurry stealthily through the wooded oasis. Streaks of fur can be seen flashing underneath the breaks in the treetops – Evergreens, Oaks, and Pines say their hellos as the creatures of the night began to gather at the shoreline.

A menagerie of insects hurry amongst the mossy forest bottom, following the outlines of fresh animal tracks.

Worker bees open their eyes and groggily buzz from the confines of their honeycombs; each of them carrying a parcel of honey. Together they dance in unison around the honeycomb, mimicking the sound of trumpets with their wings. The Queen Bee abruptly emerges to monitor her brood before inspecting herself: Every bristle is in place, held by honey made gel. Soon, the bees follow a parade of centipedes and worms traveling below.

A white wolf breaks through the trees; his body illuminated against the thick wall of forest at his back. Dozens of wolves emerge from behind him as he lets out a single howl, just before catching sight of the buck standing guard. Both alpha males nod in recognition of each other as an amber painted pup runs excitedly ahead of the pack, all too excited to meet the fawns in the tidal pool. The pup breaks through the water’s edge before tumbling down a small embankment of peat.

Flop!

She yelps with glee as water springs up all around her, turning rocks and snails upside down with her snout. Some of the does prop their heads up to inspect the noise as the fawns cautiously approach the pup.

In no time, the children are engaged in a pretend search and rescue mission with each other.

What will they find in nature’s watercolor tapestry?

The white wolf takes position next to the buck; both creatures now standing guard of their families.

Dolphins jump through the churning waves several feet away as a caravan of sea animals emerge through the crashing surf.

First come the sea turtles: Moving leathery, black boulders covered in mountainous ridges march forward, followed by mini, starburst-colored ovals. A single hawked sea turtle is the last of his kind to emerge, carrying a sand dollar – a token of appreciation – within his beak.

Next the seal pups begin wobbling onto shore, their mothers following close behind. Like watching fireworks in the sky, the pups reflect in awe of the celebration on shore from their discotheque eyes. Their mothers quickly nudge them forward, making way for the rest of the cohort.

Within moments, dozens of horseshoe crabs and whelks begin to make landfall.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Queen Bee flies ahead of her workers until noticing that her soldiers are slowing; she calls out to them, ordering them to keep moving.

The time has almost come.

A group of squirrels overhear the Queen Bee’s calls, prompting a tizzy among lofty tree branches. Mr. Snow Owl comes to attention as they frantically collect acorns. He plucks a feather from underneath his wing before flying past the squirrels and towards the shoreline.

The time is near.

Gifts begin to pile around a mound of mud within the chasms of the tidal zones: a sand dollar, the owl’s feather, and now randomly placed acorns. A garden snake slides through the mess, shedding his skin – followed by the molting of a lobster nearby.

A shadow crosses the moon then, just before various species of birds clatter to the ground below. A swan lands last with a bellow of her song, and in unison, the wolf pack returns the call. The dolphins respond to the melody by becoming more calculated in their movements, smoothing into a perfect rhythm with the songs now being sung by the ever-growing crowd of Mother Nature’s tribe.

It’s as if a drum is being played:
Boom.
Boom Boom.
Boom.
Boom Boom.

A heartbeat.

The expanding mound blooms into a large circle consisting of multiple sections. The inner circle holds the gifts, the middle circle shelters the juvenile animals surrounded by their mothers, and the outer circle consists of the older animals.

The time is almost here.

Queen Bee breaks through the woodlands and is met by a breeze. In response to her arrival, the congregation pauses briefly… only to erupt in song. The guardians at the shoreline bow their heads, kneeling onto their two front legs in order to greet the Queen Bee.

After kissing both guardians on their foreheads, she signals to her crew to make their final descent. A cloud of buzzing wings hums as they approach the middle of the circle with caution, then the inner circle. The Queen Bee ferociously shakes her wings and immediately, her workers dive down to smother the exposed mud in honey.

It is almost done.

The animals steadily move in a counterclockwise circle.
Tick.
Tick.
Tock.
The rhythm of the creatures becomes increasingly sonorous.

Off in the distance, the figure of a goat and her kid can be seen approaching.
Tick.
Tick.
Tock.
Mother goat and her child meticulously walk through the outer circle of churning animals. They are meandering through the middle circle when the wolf pup howls in excitement. Startled, the young kid topples over the hill of trinkets and slides into the patch of honey-soaked mud. Mother goat follows, spilling a drop of milk at her kid’s annoyed squeal.

Everything stops.

Even the air seems to have come to a halt.

Mother goat nudges her kid back over the trench of gifts and into the middle circle where they wait.

Everything waits.

Minutes go by before even the faintest touch of a breeze can be felt. The Queen Bee’s wings twinge at the coolness; she gazes towards the inner circle’s center. The white wolf and the buck move to stand beside the Queen when enervated rumbles suddenly upset the milk and honey-soaked patch. Something is trying to break through the surface…

Without warning, peat erupts from the patch: then two budding leaves climb their way through the film.

Swan sounds her horn, signifying that the deed has been done.

The Moon child has been born.

Finally.

About the Author:

Elizabeth Danon received her B.S. in Marine Science from Stony Brook University before working as a Marine Biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service. She traveled the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and Gulf of Mexico: collecting data aboard commercial fishing vessels and dredges.

When that didn’t pan out to be the glorified job that she expected, finding herself covered in shark snot and fish scales daily, Elizabeth became a technical writer. In her spare time, she began doing standup comedy after taking comedy bootcamp with the Armed Services Arts Partnership. At this time, she married the most wonderful man who also provides most of her joke writing material. Unfortunately, because he’s Indian he has also enabled her Maggi addiction… Like she needed that on top of her already long-standing iced coffee issues.

Her favorite show is Schitt’s Creek, as she feels a special bond to her fellow comedians – and Sephardic brethren. Growing up half-Jewish herself, Elizabeth eventually converted to being full-Jewish with Temple Israel as a student of Rabbi Panitz.

Her enriched, but complicated, heritage has been an inspiration for most of her creative writing. Being an Aries, she has always felt like a leader and has therefore integrated her feminist beliefs into her work, albeit dropping every women’s studies course that she ever elected in college.

Additionally, her writing has an unmistakable international presence. Elizabeth wanted to discover as much as she could about her Sephardic Heritage and went on Birthright, followed by her independent travels to over ten other countries… carrying nothing but a red bookbag.

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Beverly Hills Torture by R.W. Buxton – Q&A and Giveaway

August 3, 2020 By 10 Comments

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

If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

There is one thing that stands out the most when it comes to school. I wish I had paid more attention during those long boring classes on grammar. Of course they don’t make kids diagram sentences anymore, but if I knew all those funny little quirks of sentence structure and what all the parts are, it would make the editing process significantly easier. Let’s be honest, who knows what a hidden verb is. While I honestly never cared before I now wish I knew.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

The most difficult part of being a writer is marketing, but since the question is about the artistic process, I’ll answer that too. I plot and outline my novels because for me that makes writing them go much faster. The challenge for me is usually the middle. I go into a new project with a clear beginning and end so writing act one and act three are pretty easy. It’s the middle part, act two, that always seems to trip me up. Bridging the gap between the beginning and end. What path do the characters take? What events should propel them along the way?

Some people would say just write and see where it goes. I took this approach with my first novel and ended up with an inflated manuscript that I cut over twenty-thousand words from. That’s a lot of extra work to just throw away. Sure I got through act two, but what a tremendous waste of time.

The middle is like the doldrums in the ocean, but you definitely don’t want that. The action and story need to move forward. You don’t want to leave your readers floating aimlessly in an ocean of meaningless words.

Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

I wouldn’t say I purposefully hide secrets, but I often use symbolism that on the surface might be taken one way, but there are multiple ways to interpret it and often I’m not thinking of the most obvious when I write it. So people may just see the obvious, but if they think about it, there will be more to it.

If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?

I think the proper question is if my writing paid for itself what would I do for work? As it is, I’m a web developer full time spending hours writing boring code for websites that are less than interesting. Assuming my writing was extremely successful, and I didn’t have to spend my days writing code, I would pursue a career as a nature photography artist.

If I’m not working, or not writing I spend much of my time out walking trails photographing nature. Surprisingly, some of my photographs have even won awards in some contests I’ve entered. To be honest, making money in nature photography makes writing look easy.

Whether it’s writing or photography, a career in art or creativity would be what I would pursue.

What has been your hardest scene to write?

Without a doubt, the most difficult scene I’ve written to date is in the third novel of the Erin Kinglsy Saga. Since it hasn’t been published yet, I don’t want to spoil any of the fun, but the story took me to a place where my only way out was to do something terrible to one of the characters. I wrote it, changed it, rewrote it with at least a dozen different possibilities but none of them worked. I had to do it. As an author all the characters are your creation, even the villains. So it’s not without great regret when you do something awful to one of them.


A frantic middle of the night call jolts Gerry from his quiet, but lonely life, back into a world fraught with dangerous creatures of the night. Erin’s frenzied call leads Gerry across the country where he finds himself immersed in the luxuries of Beverly Hills and the seedier side of the Hollywood strip.

Sadness and longing grip him as he finds a blood-spattered room and Erin is nowhere to be found.

Alone in a strange city with nothing to go on can Gerry find and save Erin? Or is this the end of something never meant to be?

Her past has caught up with her and he’s her only hope.

With a group of trusted friends Gerry takes on the impossible and gives everything to save Erin.

Beverly Hills Torture is the second novel in the Erin Kingsly series. Be sure to check out Capital Thirst.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Nicolas walked back to the door. He turned and said, “This is a mistake. Mark my words.”

Erin watched him go, then sank to the bottom step of the grand stairway. Her head fell into her hands. This wasn’t the last she’d hear of the High Priestess. More messengers would come. Maybe they wouldn’t ask politely. Maybe they would try to force her. Maybe it would just be more groveling fools like Nicolas. Whatever happened, she wouldn’t give in to them. She wandered back up the stairs into her bedroom. The room she never slept in. It was her retreat though. She picked up the picture of her and Gerry again. He was so happy, and so was she. She saw it in both of their eyes. Honest and genuine happiness. Something she lost. It had been a year since things fell apart. It still felt like the first night alone.

She set the picture down and flopped on the bed. She lay back and tried to forget. But she couldn’t. It was still too real, too raw. Tears rose again and slid down her face. They were lost in her hair, and she stared at the ceiling. There was nothing she could do about her past decisions.

The only way to go was forward. Unfortunately, it would be a painful path.

About the Author:I love a good paranormal read, something about the un-dead haunts the fringes of my mind. Mix in romance, love, loss, and you have a great story.

I voraciously read everything, fiction, and non-fiction but always find myself turning back to the darker stories. I’ve always wanted to write and the dream became a reality with Capital Thirst, and the remainder of the Erin Kingsly novels.

I spend most of my days designing and building websites, but my free time is devoted to my wife, family, and cats. Yes three grown children and three cats. Things can be hectic.

For fun you might find me driving winding roads with the top down or out photographing nature.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | BookBub | Goodreads

Buy the book for only $0.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, or Kobo.

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What kind of writer am I? by Tina Donahue – Guest Blog and Giveaway

July 10, 2020 By 4 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Tina Donahue will be awarding a $10 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What kind of writer am I?

Anyone who’s familiar with writing will recognize this question – are you a plotter or a pantser? For me, the answer is simple and complicated. I’m definitely a plotter (the simple part) with some pantser elements (this is where it gets complicated). Let me explain.

The longer I write, the more I realize how much I have to learn. Each book creates its own unique problems that have to be overcome (more on that later). To make my journey as painless as possible, I plot out everything from beginning to end. The ending is especially important. If I don’t know where I’m going, how in the world will I get there? I equate writing a book to driving from Los Angeles to New York City. Sure, I could hop in my car and head east. Eventually, I’d get there. However, if I map out a route first, I’ll arrive much faster. That’s what plotting does for me before I write. I like to know my characters’ histories, what makes them tick, why and how they’ll react to conflict. Without that knowledge, I’d be writing blind and would have to keep going back to add or change things in earlier chapters. That’s exhausting.

However, I’m also a pantser at times. No outline can tell an author every single thing that will happen in the book. When the characters take over, and believe me they do, they determine what the next step will be, whether it’s a conflict I hadn’t thought of, a new character that adds extra oomph to the story, or countless other things no one could predict.

As to the unique problems I mentioned earlier… When I first started writing PNR (paranormal romance), I thought I was in heaven. Imagine creating a world with no restrictions and all those amazing powers. Except I soon found out there were limits just like in real life. If I write in chapter one that a paranormal being has a certain power, but then in chapter six she or he can’t use it to get out of trouble, readers will wonder why. Quicker than you can imagine, I realized that PNR has its own set of rules that I had to abide by. Sort of like Superman and kryptonite. If it can kill him in one scene, why not in another? As an author, you had better have a good explanation or reason. Otherwise, your story doesn’t have a prayer.

To me, writing a book is like giving birth. Pure terror, misery, and then unimaginable joy when it’s all over and you have your baby.

Don’t ever trust a demon. Unfortunately, Megan has learned that lesson too late. The deal she made to save her sister’s life has landed her in hell about seventy years early. And now she has three sexy demons trying to tell her what to do.
Nope. Not going to happen.

These guys have never had to deal with such defiance. Andros figures she’s due for some erotic discipline, which he’ll happily provide. Racan’s pure alpha, his hardcore plans include bondage and submission. Quiet yet intense, Vespar expects endless kink to spice up their carnal play.

Who would have ever expected she’d end up falling for them? Too bad demons can’t be trusted…because someone is trying to kill the magic and threatening her stay in this lusty world.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Even during her worst days, Megan Wynters never believed this would happen.
I am so screwed. Afraid to budge, she stood paralyzed in a garish room decorated in more gold and mirrors than Versailles, a weird symbol she couldn’t decipher painted on blood red walls. Displayed throughout the cavernous space were countless marble statues depicting nude men and women screwing or going down on each other or…Thunderous bass from a death metal tune pounded through the wall to her left, the pornographic paintings there bouncing on each deafening beat.

She curled her upper lip, turned and flinched. A guy who hadn’t been in here a second before, sat in the throne-like chair behind the humongous desk. Early thirties or so, he had hazel eyes, and thick blond hair that fell in soft waves to his shoulders. Those suckers and his chest were beyond broad, his well-toned muscles straining against his black silk shirt. Her stomach fluttered at the astounding picture he created, and then her insides clenched when she recalled where she was. That didn’t keep her from eyeing him further. The sun or a tanning lamp had tinted his complexion gold, while his features… Not only were they masculine, but beautiful enough for an angel. Down here? In fucking Hell? Given his great looks, she had to be anywhere but there. Her pulse ticked up. Hope surged. Someone moaned.

The statue to her right was climaxing. Jeezus. The writhing life-sized figures weren’t stone but people, or demons, or something animate. The pure white woman threw back her head and wailed. The pasty guy kept pumping his cock into her. God, god, god. This definitely wasn’t Heaven. But not quite the other place either, considering the coolish air circulating, causing goose bumps to rise on her arms. Rattled and wary, she faced the guy, and then jumped. Two other men, also early thirties, stood on either side of his desk. Both took her in from her mouth to her boobs and lower. Much lower. Unexpected heat rolled through her, her folds creaming at the guys’ raw male appeal, appreciation for their physical gifts stealing her breath and—

Hold it. She couldn’t be turned on by them. It’s a trick. They’re fucking doing this to me because they’re…

Uncertain what they were, she cringed at the possibilities, but still couldn’t glance away.
The one to her right was tall and luscious, his skin olive, his longish black hair combed back. He wore a black tee and low-slung jeans, no shoes or socks. If this were Hell, he should have cloven hooves, not large feet and long toes. Maybe this was purgatory? Please, please, please. That part of the underworld, or whatever they called it, might be bearable.

A pendant hung around his neck boasting a dark red symbol—the same as those on the walls—against a black circle. The blond guy sported an onyx ring on his left forefinger displaying an identical design. Which means? Her stomach rolled and wouldn’t stop. She didn’t want an explanation on what the symbol signified. It might kill her dream this wouldn’t turn out too bad. The third guy had a tat on his left pec showing the exact figure. He’d dressed in black leather pants and biker boots, no shirt, his light brown hair worn short, skin bronzed. Her ears buzzed in approval then rang from unease. The blond smiled, producing deep dimples in his cheeks. Her knees weakened at his normal, friendly greeting. The way a mortal guy would show delight at seeing her and that this could lead to something good. Conversation, a few laughs, then other great stuff. If they behaved nicely, she wouldn’t mind. Damn, she hadn’t had fun in forever.

Another statue climaxed.

Holy hell. Snapped back to reality, she remembered her presence here was a colossal blunder she had to straighten out. Her mouth was so dry she struggled to speak. “I don’t know who you guys are, but—”

“Andros.” The blond touched his thumb to his chest then inclined his head to the shirtless guy.

“Vespar.” He gestured to the one without shoes. “Racan.” His smooth baritone caressed and enticed. “And you’re Megan.”

She wasn’t admitting to anything.

About the Author:Tina’s an Amazon and international bestselling novelist who writes passionate romance for every taste – ‘heat with heart’ – for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. She’s won Readers’ Choice Awards, was named a finalist in the EPIC competition, received a Book of the Year award, The Golden Nib Award, awards of merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competitions, and second place in the NEC RWA contests. She’s featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.

On a less serious note: she’s an admitted and unrepentant chocoholic, brakes for Mexican restaurants, and has been known to moan like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally while wolfing down tostadas. She’s flown a single-engine airplane (freaking scary), rewired an old house using an ‘electricity for dummies’ book, and is horribly shy despite the hot romances she writes.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter

Buy the book at Amazon.

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