The Hardest Part About Writing by Claudia Riess – Guest Blog and Giveaway

July 9, 2020 By 11 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Claudia Riess will be awarding a $50 Amazon or BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Hardest Part About Writing

The hardest part about writing is planting myself in my desk chair and raising the lid of my computer when I’m not viscerally compelled to do so. When I know exactly where a scene is headed and how my characters are about to interact, there’s no problem: I’m already typing in the air before I even log in.

Luckily, the problem has largely been eliminated. Instead of sitting down cold at the computer, I now take a couple of preparatory steps, so that there’s an actual transitioning from the state of Not Writing to Writing. I’ve found that when a ritual series of events is initiated, after a while the end (desired) event flows naturally from it, requiring no prodding or coercion.

Here’s a typical ritual. First, I sort through the papers on my desk with notes on upcoming chapters. Some notes are scrawled on sheets torn from legal pads. Others are typed dialogue or expository bits. I separate the notes dealing with the chapter either in the works or about to start from all the upcoming chapters with a colored folder. Next, I arrange the notes in the order I anticipate their subjects will arise. After that, if there’s an upcoming historical, geographical, academic, environmental issue that requires a bit of research (the major research has already been done), I’ll Google it. (An example: My characters will shortly be boarding a private jet. I’ve never been on or close to a private jet. I look up the subject. Study the photos; read the technical matter on dimensions, propulsion, flight staff.)

The penultimate step, and maybe the most important because it’s just about as close to Pavlovian stimulus-response as it gets, is this: I prepare a hot beverage, usually tea, sometimes cocoa, and place it on a coaster in the open side-drawer of my desk (there’s no room on the top of my desk). The last step is virtually as instinctive as a dancer’s practiced leap: my body places itself in the desk chair; my fingers pinch the lid of my MacBook then raise it.

I take a sip of the beverage. I type my password and click open the doc entitled Knight Light. The higher functions of my brain kick in and I’m on my way. Sometimes I become too engrossed to ever getting around to taking a second sip.

Academic sleuths Erika Shawn, art magazine editor, and Harrison Wheatley, a more seasoned art history professor, set out to tackle a brain teaser. This time the couple—married since their encounter in Stolen Light, first in the series—attempt to crack the long un-deciphered code of art forger Eric Hebborn (1934-1996), which promises to reveal the whereabouts of a number of his brilliant Old Master counterfeits. (Hebborn, in real life, was a mischievous sort, who had a fascination with letters and a love-hate relationship with art authenticators. I felt compelled to devise a puzzler on his behalf!) After publication of his memoir, Drawn to Trouble, published in 1991, he encrypts two copies with clues to the treasure hunt. On each of the title pages, he pens a tantalizing explanatory letter. One copy he sends to an art expert; the second, he releases into general circulation. The catch: both books are needed to decipher the code.

When the books are at last united 25 years later, Erik and Harrison are enlisted to help unearth their hidden messages. But when several research aides are brutally murdered, the academic challenge leads to far darker mysteries in the clandestine world of art crime. As the couple navigate this sinister world, both their courage under fire and the stability of their relationship are tested.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Owen Grant was ebullient—“ripped with joy,” his beloved wife might have said. He smiled, remembering the flutter of her eyelids that accompanied her minted phrases. Now that she had died and his arthritis no longer permitted him to jog up a sweat, he satisfied his lust for life—which remained, five years after retirement, as vigorous as it had been in his teens—with voracious reading and clay sculpting. Today, however, he satisfied it with the Art and Antiques article that had set his heart racing when he’d come across it this morning while sifting through his mail. He stole another glance at the newsletter on the kitchen table. In the article, a used and rare book shop owner spoke about having acquired a copy of a memoir by Eric Hebborn, the infamous art forger. “It was in a carton I picked up at an estate sale,” the owner had said. “The author’s handwritten note on the title page literally blew my mind!”

Hebborn’s note was displayed in a photograph. Owen had recognized the handwriting at once. Imagine, after decades of searching for this copy of the book—placing ads in all the art magazines, later in their online versions, finally giving up—proof of it had fallen into his life as he was about to venture another sip of his scalding morning coffee.

Now it was 8:30 p.m., and there was nothing more to prepare for. Owen had contacted the shop owner—how young and breathless she had sounded!—and they had made plans to meet. He had invited his longtime friend and colleague, Randall Gray, to collaborate with him. Randall, twenty years his junior and still in the game, was more current in his knowledge of the world of art crime and eager to have a look at the book as well. Owen was on a skittering high, unable to concentrate on his usual avocations. Rather than wear a hole in the carpet pacing in circles, he opted for a walk in Central Park.

He headed for the nearest pedestrian entrance at Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street, two blocks from his luxury apartment building on 74th. There, he chose the rambling path leading to the Lake and Loeb Boathouse. It was a balmy night, on the warm side for mid-April. He might have stepped out in his shirtsleeves, but his conditioned urbanity, always at odds with his truer self, had held sway, and he had worn his suit jacket.

Aside from the couple strolling up ahead and the sound of laughter coming from somewhere south, Owen was alone. There had been an uptick of muggings lately, but his frisson of fear only piqued his excitement for the adventure shimmering on the horizon. As he walked, he silently chatted with his wife, Dotty, as he often did, so that their separation would not be absolute. He commented on the moonless night and looked up, for both of them, at the rarely visible canopy of stars. For a few seconds he was lost with her, until, without warning, he felt a hard object pressed against the back of his skull—the skull that held all memories, like Dotty’s fluttering eyelids and the smell of new clay. He knew what the object was without ever having touched one. He was a man of reason, not a fighter. He flung up his hands. “I have money. Let me get to it.”

There was no response. He reached into his pocket for his wallet—how warm the leather was against his thigh—and his keys jangled of homecomings, and the child in him whimpered please no, before the explosive pop of a champagne cork ended him and Dotty and all the rest of it.

About the Author:

Claudia Riess, a Vassar graduate, has worked in the editorial departments of The New Yorker and Holt, Rinehart, and Winston and has edited several art history monographs.

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UMPIRES OF THE OLD SCHOOL: TIM HURST by Jonathan Weeks – Guest Blog and Giveaway

July 8, 2020 By 9 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jonathan Weeks will be awarding a $25 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.

UMPIRES OF THE OLD SCHOOL: TIM HURST
At 5-foot-5, the diminutive Hurst was known to some as “Tiny Tim.” But true to the words of an iconic Star Wars character, he proved that “size matters not.” The pugnacious Hurst was known to keep players under control with both words and fists. Hailed by a writer from the The Sporting Life for “having the finest brand of keen-cutting, kill-at-a-thousand-yards sarcasm of any umpire in captivity,” his fiery temperament would eventually drive him out of baseball.

Born to Irish parents in Ashland, Pennsylvania, Hurst learned to fight at an early age. His father worked in the wholesale liquor business then purchased a horse and wagon to deliver coal. Young Tim was expected to help support the family and, as a youth, he picked slate for a local mining establishment. Rounds of fisticuffs were common among workers during lunch hours and Hurst was sometimes in the mix. His love of boxing led to multiple stints as a fight referee in the years that followed.

At twenty-two years of age, Hurst became a professional umpire in the Central Pennsylvania League. He called plays in the Southern League and Western Association before taking a job as manager of the Minneapolis Millers. The Millers came close to winning a championship on his watch, but Hurst failed to endear himself to club executives and ended up being replaced. In 1891, he joined the umpiring crew of the National League.

Hurst was well-suited to the rowdy days of early baseball. Hall of Fame arbiter Bill Klem recalled: “[Hurst] was so tough that if a ballplayer did not like one of his decisions and challenged him on the field, Tim would say ‘OK, we’ll stop the game and go right under the stands and settle it now.’”

With a reputation for making highly accurate decisions, Hurst had an interesting way of maintaining order behind the plate. “Never put a catcher out of a game,” he told a New York Herald reporter. “If the man in back of the bat is sassy and objects to your calling of balls and strikes, keep close behind him while doing your work and kick him every time he reaches out to catch a ball. After about the third kick, he’ll shut up.”

Sometimes Hurst’s feisty temperament led to amusing results. According to historian Fred Lieb, Hurst made a call that went against Cincinnati’s third baseman, Arlie Latham, one day. Latham tore off his glove and kicked it in protest. It landed at the feet of Hurst, who promptly kicked it right back to Latham. The festivities didn’t end there. According to Lieb: “taking turns, Arlie and Tim booted the glove all the way to the outfield fence.”

On a number of occasions, Hurst’s outbursts were less than entertaining. In 1897, he was arrested in Cincinnati after he picked up a beer stein that had been tossed onto the field by an angry fan and whipped it back into the stands. The projectile hit a local fireman named James Cartuyvelles, opening a deep gash over his eye. Several years later, Hurst got into a physical altercation with New York Highlanders manager Clark Griffith during an on-field dispute. Though Griffith denied being punched when questioned afterward, his swollen lip lent little credence to that claim. Both men were suspended for five games.

In addition to his violent outbursts, Hurst was known to generate prolific streams of profanity. In 1900, multiple NL owners requested that he be banned from their ballparks due to his “ungentlemanly language.” The final straw for Hurst came on August 3, 1909. During the second game of a doubleheader between the A’s and White Sox in Philadelphia, Hurst made an uncharacteristically erroneous call on Eddie Collins. Collins was evidently safe at second base, but Hurst ruled him out, believing there had been some sort of interference on the play. When Collins protested, Hurst resorted to reprehensible behavior. In the colorful language of Philadelphia North American sportswriter, Jimmy Isaminger: “…the umpire distributed a mouthful of moistened union-made tobacco in the direction of youthful Eddie, who immediately called Tim’s attention to the Board of Health ordinance which prohibits expectorating in public places.” Fans went ballistic, throwing cushions and bottles in Hurst’s direction after the game. It took police nearly half an hour to safely escort the embattled arbiter out of the stadium.

After a full investigation of the spitting incident, Hurst was fired by AL President Ban Johnson. He had already tested Johnson’s patience earlier in the season when he traded punches with infielder Kid Elberfeld. Few sportswriters were terribly surprised by the outcome. A correspondent from The Sporting Life remarked: “Umpire Tim Hurst’s excessive pugnacity has at last landed him outside the major league breastworks—as had long been expected.”

Cast out of baseball, Hurst turned to other sports as a promoter. He later made a living selling real estate. In 1915, he died suddenly after a bout with food poisoning. He had been ill for some time before then though his condition was not considered terribly serious.

In the words of former American League umpire Nestor Chylak, umpires are expected to “be perfect on the first day of the season and then get better every day.” Forced to deal with sullen managers and explosive players, they often take the blame for the failures of both. But let’s face it—umpires are only human.

For well over a century, the fortunes of Major League teams—and the fabric of baseball history itself—have been dramatically affected by the flawed decisions of officials. While the use of video replay in recent decades has reduced the number of bitter disputes, many situations remain exempt from review and are subject to swirling controversy. In the heat of the moment mistakes are often made, sometimes with monumental consequences.

Enjoy an Excerpt

…The World Series opened in Pittsburgh with a convincing 4-1 Washington victory. The Pirates bounced back in Game 2, surviving a late Senators rally to win, 3-2. The third meeting took place in the nation’s capital, where the sale of more than thirty-six thousand tickets necessitated the construction of temporary bleachers at Griffith Stadium. Braving the elements on a cold, breezy Saturday afternoon, President Calvin Coolidge was among those in attendance.

The two teams pecked away at each other through six innings, scattering runs here and there. Facing right-hander Ray Kremer, the Senators loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh. First baseman Joe Judge—a fixture in the Washington lineup for over a decade—drove in Earl McNeely with a sacrifice fly. Right fielder Joe Harris followed with a single, putting the Senators up, 4-3.

Looking to protect the lead, Washington player/manager Bucky Harris implemented a defensive switch, moving Rice to right field from center to accommodate McNeely, who had been inserted as a pinch-runner. Firpo Marberry, the game’s first prominent relief specialist, was summoned from the bullpen. The Senators appeared to be safe from harm when Marberry struck out shortstop Glenn Wright and first baseman George Grantham in succession. But things got interesting when catcher Earl Smith came to bat.

Smith’s .313 average during the regular season was second best in the majors among players with at least ninety-five appearances behind the plate. A spirited brawler who rarely backed down from a challenge, Smith drove Marberry’s 2-2 offering to deep right field, where Rice sprang into action. The wide-ranging outfielder sprinted toward the ball and made a back-handed stab in front of the temporary bleachers. Unable to stop his forward momentum, he tumbled over the barrier into the stands and disappeared from view. What happened in the next few seconds remains uncertain.

In those days, umpiring crews consisted of four men with one being assigned to each infield station. Attending to second base that day, veteran arbiter Cy Rigler rushed to the scene to make the call. Several seconds passed before Rice reappeared. Years later, an eyewitness remarked that “it was longer than a TV station break with eight consecutive commercials.” Another spectator—a man named Norman Budesheim—claimed that Rice dropped the ball before he landed and then jostled with fans for possession. Whatever the case, Rice had the ball in his glove when he finally rose to his feet. Rigler signaled for the out and, after a lengthy discussion, his decision was supported by the rest of the crew.

On the heels of the Senators’ 4-3 win, more than 1,600 fans wrote to commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to relay their side of the story. Some even sent notarized affidavits attesting to the fact that Rice had dropped the ball. Going straight to the source, Landis summoned Rice to his hotel the following day and asked him point-blank if he had made the catch. The tight-lipped Hall of Famer replied guardedly: “Judge, the umpire said I did.” Landis mulled this over for a few seconds and responded: “”Sam, let’s leave it that way.”

About the Author:Weeks spent most of his life in the Capital District region of New York State. He earned a degree in psychology from SUNY Albany. In 2004, he migrated to Malone, NY. He continues to gripe about the frigid winter temperatures to the present day. He has published several books on the topic of baseball. He would have loved to play professionally, but lacked the talent. He still can’t hit a curve ball or lay off the high heat. In the winter months, he moonlights as a hockey fan.

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Kitty’s War by Barbara Whitaker – Spotlight and Giveaway

July 8, 2020 By 4 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Barbara Whitaker 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.

Seeking adventure, shy Kitty Greenlee joins the Women’s Army Corps. In 1944 England, as secretarial support to the 8th Air Force, she encounters her dream man, a handsome lieutenant who only has eyes for her blonde friend. Uncomfortable around men, Kitty doesn’t think the handsome officer could want someone like her.

Recovering from wounds, Ted Kruger wants to forget about losing his closest friends and have fun before returning to danger as a bomber navigator. When Ted recognizes Kitty as the girl who rescued him two years before, he must choose between dating the sexy blonde or pursuing quiet, serious-minded Kitty even though he knows he’s not nearly good enough for her.

As the war gears up with the D-Day invasion, will Kitty and Ted risk their hearts as well as their lives?

Enjoy an Excerpt

She reached out and touched his cheek. He shivered slightly. His skin felt cold, clammy.

He was freezing. v

Desperation seized her.

She needed to get him warm. His wet clothes, the chilling wind. He could die from exposure if she didn’t get help.

She released his hand and shrugged out of her sweater as she looked up and down the beach. It was deserted except for the few birds scurrying along the shore. She didn’t want to leave him, but common sense told her he needed more than she could give him.

“I’ll go get help.”

She draped her damp sweater over his chest. His eyes flew open. He reached for her. She caught his hand and squeezed it.

His eyes pleaded for her to stay.

Her insides melted. “I won’t be long, I promise.” She looked into those questioning, blue eyes. “It’s not far. I’ll bring someone to help.”

A soft smile creased the corners of his eyes and he nodded, ever so slightly.

Her throat constricted. Her breath caught and held as if she could hold onto that moment forever simply by refusing to breathe.

Impulsively, she kissed his cold hand. The odor of burnt oil and rubber lingered on his skin. “You’re safe now,” she whispered. “I must go, but I’ll be back. I promise.”

About the Author:

Barbara grew up in a small town in Tennessee where the repeated stories of local and family history became embedded in her psyche. Fascinating tales of wartime, from her parents and her in-laws, instilled an insatiable curiosity about World War II. After retiring from her sensible career in accounting, she began full time pursuit of her lifelong love of historical romantic fiction. Enjoying every minute of research, Barbara spends hours reading, watching old, black-and-white movies and listening to big band music.

Although Barbara and her husband have been longtime residents of Florida, they both still think of Tennessee as “home.”

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A Convenient Escape by Sara R. Turnquist – Spotlight and Giveaway

July 7, 2020 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sara R. Turnquist will be awarding a $30 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.

She has nowhere to go. He has nothing to lose.

Lily McAllen has known nothing but hardship and rejection. Her brother, the only person she can lean on, takes a job at the Miller ranch. Now with no ally, she is alone, confined, and vulnerable. She becomes desperate to get away…by any means necessary.

Despite his best intentions, Daniel Hayworth is drawn into a fatal mishap. He feels responsible. And is prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure Lily is cared for…even if that means proposing marriage.

Complicating matters, Geronimo and his raiding band terrorize the surrounding areas. Troubles mount and tensions challenge the growing attraction between Dan and Lily.

Will they make it to the church? Or find themselves victims of lies, disillusionment, or the ire of an Apache rebel?

Enjoy an Excerpt:

She leaned into Dan’s arm, her head on his shoulder. “I just don’t know what to do, you know?”

Dan turned his face toward hers, his lips nearly brushing her forehead.

“I can’t believe he’s gone. Really gone.” Her voice cracked into a whimper.

More tears would come.

What did she need? What did he want when faced with death?

Consolation.

Dan slid an arm around her. Now she was drawn to his chest. And he embraced her from the side.

As much as she shook, she soon settled into his arms. Did she find some measure of comfort there? In the arms of the man responsible?

He closed his eyes. This wasn’t right. But could he take away what peace she found there because of his selfish desire to share the truth?

No, he would be strong and let her pull from his strength. For now.

The truth would come later.

Dan glanced at the house. How might they appear to her father? It was not appropriate for him to be embracing a woman who was not his sister or his betrothed. Or for him to find such enjoyment having her in his arms.

As he shifted his focus back to her, he saw a curtain move. Had someone been watching?

About the Author:

Sara is a coffee lovin’, word slinging, Historical Romance author whose super power is converting caffeine into novels. She loves those odd little tidbits of history that are stranger than fiction. That’s what inspires her. Well, that and a good love story.

But of all the love stories she knows, hers is her favorite. She lives happily with her own Prince Charming and their gaggle of minions. Three to be exact. They sure know how to distract a writer! But, alas, the stories must be written, even if it must happen in the wee hours of the morning.

Sara is an avid reader and enjoys reading and writing clean Historical Romance when she’s not traveling. Her books range from the Czech lands to the American wild west and from ancient Egypt to the early 1900s. Some of her titles include The Lady Bornekova, Hope in Cripple Creek, The General’s Wife, Trail of Fears, and the Convenient Risk Series.

Happy Reading!

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Writing Hopepunk in a Grimdark World by Meredith Egan – Guest Blog and Giveaway

July 6, 2020 By 21 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Meredith Egan will be awarding a $20 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.

Writing Hopepunk in a Grimdark World

I find this idea enchanting. I think it describes something I’ve lived for a lot longer than the past few years, which is weird for an old white lady. I hope my readers find sparks of this in my novels!

The past few months have created a whole new world to navigate. In North America, and around the world, we are self-isolating, wearing masks and limiting our contacts even with the people we usually love lavishly. We are moved by an expanding awareness of how some systems in our communities are biased against our neighbours. Law enforcement and policing are being examined and are not measuring up to our hopes for our communities.

We live in interesting times! And unfortunately, after 30 years of hanging out with marginalized people, I’m not surprised…and I realize these times are challenging and sometimes scary.

So where do my ideas come from?

I work with victims of serious crimes and the people who have committed them, mostly in the field of restorative justice, I know many people who have thought about the challenges North America is waking up to. I’ve been in prisons all across Canada leading and listening in workshops and writing groups, with the goal of waking up in a world with no more victims.

Both of my books, Tide’s End – a just living novel and Just Living – a novel, take place in British Columbia, and are a mashup of crime writing, current social challenges and hopepunk.
In Tide’s End, Taylor struggles to find and rescue his little sister Jenny, who is the victim of the foster care system, and cyberporn. To do this, he has to navigate through difficult systems and situations, working with both ex-offenders and sexual assault survivors. He has to face his own struggles before he can help his sister.

And I learned about all of these struggles through stories from real victims and perpetrators who hurt and were hurt by others. I learned about how our systems marginalize both victims and offenders. I listened hard and learned to ask questions.

And I couldn’t tell these stories that were shared with me because they weren’t my stories, so I turned to writing fiction.

Every page of my work is worked with prisoners inside a medium-security prison here in Canada, and some of those writers I’ve known for 25 years. They challenge me, and my privilege and perspective, and always improve my stories. I am forever indebted to them.

And my early readers all have known victimization and/or marginalization. They, too, want no more victims.

My novels explore a place where people are complicated, and always changing, where anger and marginalization and struggle and hurt are real and affect people’s friendships, and families, and communities. It’s a place where people know what fear and safety feel like.

If you want to explore how we’ve gotten to this place, and how we can build a better society, I hope you’ll be a part of the conversation that comes from my books, and these questions.

What will our new normal look like when the pandemic stops being a threat to our loved ones?
When we start talking about ‘defunding police’ or releasing prisoners who have hurt people in the past, will our neighbourhoods be safe?

How do we, as we think about true crime, respond in ways that lead to #NoMoreVictims?

And how do we engage in the conversations that will lead to a new society, even when we also know that safety, like love, is never assured?

Join me at justlivingnovels.com to be a part of the ongoing conversations. I’d love to listen and learn from you, or your book clubs, about these ideas!

Taylor Smythe dreams of having a loving family. But first, he has to rescue his little sister Jenny from the gritty underbelly of the child cyberporn industry. Taylor journeys from homelessness in the inner city to a community in the dripping forests of the Pacific Northwest to confront the relentless pounding of his fiercest pain. Can he become the big brother Jenny needs right now, and for the rest of their lives? Tide’s End explores the many faces of sexual assault and human trafficking, and how life can shatter for those most affected – the victims. Because #MeToo is more common than we can imagine. As is #ChildrenToo and even #BoysToo. It tears apart our families and neighbourhoods. And wherever there is suffering, there are guardians and helpers who still the relentless pounding to encourage Tide’s End.

Enjoy an Excerpt

If this is what I have to do to rescue Jenny, I’ll figure it out, I thought as I drove along the dark, narrow roadway. My little sister is worth it, even if I feel like throwing up. Occasionally the overhanging trees dropped massive dumps of water onto my car. Or rather, into my car through rust holes and windows that didn’t seal. Every time there was the thunder of falling water, I ducked.

What the hell have you gotten me into, Marta? I thought, wishing daggers at the social worker who’d sent me here. Crawling further up the driveway, I turned a corner and gasped.

Holy crap, I thought, staring at the building in front of me. I’d stayed in dodgy motels. Run down apartments. But I’d never been in a place like this before. Ever. In my life. This place was huge, and gorgeous, and knew I wouldn’t fit in. I’d registered for the Survivors of Sexual Assault Retreat, but would it be okay? What would it take to blend?

The money I’d need to pay for the rest of the damned retreat was in my torn duffle. But this looked decidedly upper class, and, well…here I was hoping my junker would make it up the driveway. It’d been my home for the last three months…so not upper class.
Is this really what I need to do to get Jenny back? I’d just turned 19, and getting custody of Jenny Benny, being an epically amazing big brother for a change…that was the most important thing to me. Marta thought I’d better deal with my sexual…history first.

My mind bounced all over. Then it landed on maybe tonight I’ll get warm. Like, to my bones, warm. I smiled.

About the Author:
Meredith Egan is an author of critically acclaimed novels, Just Living: a novel and Tide’s End: A Just Living novel. The stories are shaped from her work with crime victims and violent prisoners over more than thirty years. Meredith is trained in mediation and peacemaking circles., and has been honoured to learn from many First Nations peoples. Meredith coaches writers and other creative folks and offers workshops and training through her Daring Imagination work.

Meredith is the principal at Wild Goat Executive Coaching where her clients include leaders in the automotive, technology, government and small business fields. She lives at the Groundswell Ecovillage in beautiful Yarrow, BC. with her dog Mollie, and rambunctious feline sisters Firefly and Filigree. For fun she dabbles in cooking soup for her neighbours, and soaking in her hot tub with her four adult children when they visit.

You can find Meredith through her website, and on Facebook and Twitter for information about her novels, and her coaching work. Meredith welcomes opportunities to speak with groups about justice, and writing. Her books are available through Amazon and local bookstores.

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The Background of Who’s Your Daddy? by Nancy Northcott – Guest Blog and Giveaway

June 25, 2020 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding one copy each of Kick Start by Caren Crane, Dead Run by Jeanne Adams, and Danger’s Edge by Nancy Northcott to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Background of Who’s Your Daddy?

Thanks Long and Short Reviews for having us on the blog today! You asked for a bit of background on our anthology, Who’s Your Daddy and we’re happy to provide it. The three stories are linked by a common theme – DNA results. Sometimes when you take a DNA test you find out strange, wonderful and surprising things. Sometimes, you discover a new relative. Sometimes you open old secrets and have to face the challenges those secrets bring. In other cases, the things you find out can bring danger knocking at your door.

The three authors featured in this anthology are all good friends. Jeanne Adams, Caren Crane and Nancy Northcott met when they were all finalists in the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart contest in 2006. Fourteen years and a blog later, over a drink, they got the idea for this anthology. Jeanne is an avid amateur genealogist, so her story reflects that interest. Nancy’s story follows characters from her Arachnid Spy series and Caren’s story brings in characters from her Cross Springs novels.

While each story is unique, the anthology ties together in the framework of getting unexpected results from a DNA test. In the case of Lost In Time, the information proves to be life-threatening. Derek Millington is cleaning out his late grandmother’s attic when he discovers that his long-deceased grandfather wasn’t his biological relative. Since no one still alive will be distressed by his search, Derek enlists the assistance of a professional genealogist to help him discover his real roots. Before too long, however, someone tries to kill Derek, and that person doesn’t seem to care that he nearly killed the genealogist, Alexis, too. As Alexis and Derek sift through the clues of his grandmother’s past, the attacks intensify and the police finally take it seriously. For Derek, falling hard for Alexis, it’s vitally important to find out the truth before anyone gets hurt, or worse.

With each tale of a wild DNA reveal, the stakes are high. We hope that your readers will enjoy the fun, interesting and suspenseful tales in Who’s Your Daddy And, if you like these stories, be sure to check out www.NancyNorthcott.com for more tales from the spies of the Arachnid Agency. Visit www.CarenCrane.com to find more delightful stories of small town life in Cross Springs, North Carolina. While Lost In Time isn’t connected to any of Jeanne Adams’s Urban Fantasy or paranormal romance series, it’s in the tradition of her romantic suspense tales. You can find all about her work at www.JeanneAdams.com. All three authors are on social media as well, so we hope you’ll say hi and let us know if you liked the stories!

Presenting three tales of secrets revealed and histories uncovered by DNA testing.

Brown-Eyed Boy by Caren Crane

A carpenter discovers his father isn’t actually his father. Coming to terms with the truth reaffirms his place in his family, but it also leads him to love with an old friend’s sister and helps him find a path for his life.

Lost in Time by Jeanne Adams

A lawyer learns his grandmother had a secret marriage before his father was born. With the help of a talented genealogist, he tracks down his ancestry. Will he find the truth about his grandmother’s secret before whoever’s trying to kill him succeeds?

Worth Waiting For by Nancy Northcott

A burned-out spy goes home for a holiday and re-encounters the woman he never dated but never forgot. As he and she grow closer, he learns her niece, his ex-girlfriend’s child, bears an uncanny resemblance to him. When the truth comes out, it will alter three lives.

Enjoy an Excerpt from Worth Waiting for by Nancy Northcott

Arachne opened the file on his desk. “You’ve led takedowns on four major drug rings and six sets of human traffickers in the last twenty-one months. In all that time, you’ve taken five days off. You need a break.”

“It was a long day, with a couple of badly messed-up kids in it,” Dix replied. “That guy pushed a button that wouldn’t have mattered on a better day.”

Maybe. He hoped.

“You don’t look like you’re sleeping well, per the medical staff, and your colleagues have noticed you’re on edge a lot.”

“They’re mistaken,” Dix snapped.

Arachne raised one eyebrow.

Shit. Of course he wasn’t sleeping well, not with dead and mutilated and traumatized kids walking in his dreams. Who would sleep with that going on?

Arachne continued, “There’s a reason we provide paid vacation. You have almost three years’ worth accrued.”

“I don’t need a break, sir.” Only the press of work kept the dreams at bay. But he had to offer a compromise or find himself benched—for a long time, judging by the boss’s expression. “Yeah, what those kids went through bothers me. It bothers us all. Goes with the job. A couple of days off, a chance to do some reading, maybe go to a museum, and I’ll be fine.”

“We’re past that, and medical concurs. I’m benching you, Agent Dixon. For a month.”

A month? Panic clawed at his throat. An entire month with nothing to fend off the images that haunted him day and night?

About the Authors:

Nancy Northcott’s childhood ambition was to grow up and become Wonder Woman. Around fourth grade, she realized it was too late to acquire Amazon genes, but she still loved comic books, history, and genre fiction. A sucker for fast action and wrenching emotion, Nancy combines the romance and high stakes (and sometimes the magic) she loves in the books she writes.

She’s the author of the Light Mage Wars/Protectors paranormal romances, the Lethal Webs and Arachnid Files romantic suspense series, and the historical fantasy trilogy The Boar King’s Honor. With author Jeanne Adams, she co-writes the Outcast Station space opera series.

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Jeanne Adams writes award-winning romantic suspense, fantasy/paranormal, Urban Fantasy and space adventure that’s been compared to Jack McDevitt and Robert Heinlein. She also knows all about getting rid of the bodies. Both traditionally and indie published, Jeanne has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine. She teaches highly sought after classes on Body Disposal for Writers and Plotting for Pantzers, as well as How to Write a Fight Scene with her pal Nancy Northcott.

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Caren Crane began writing warm, witty contemporary romance and women’s fiction to save herself from the drudgery of life in the office. An electrical engineer by training, she longed to create worlds where things were any color except cube-wall gray. She still works in a cubicle, but gets to hang out with witty, fabulous people whenever she’s writing, which greatly encourages butt-in-chair time.

Caren lives in North Carolina with her wonderful husband and semi-feral rescue cat. She has three fiercely intelligent, gorgeous grown children, having neatly side-stepped her mother’s threat that she would have children Just Like Her.

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The Inspiration and the Road to Publication by Douglas Solvie – Guest Blog and Giveaway

June 25, 2020 By 7 Comments

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

The Inspiration and the Road to Publication

My debut novel, My Irish Dog, was a long time coming in a sense. I always thought I could write a novel and played around with various storylines throughout the years. But nothing really clicked, and I couldn’t get my imagination to cooperate. But then a trip to Ireland a few years back provided the long-sought idea that I was beginning to assume would never come.

The inspiration…

One of the main characters and the true impetus for this book was a small stray dog I actually came upon during that trip. (I named the dog Shandy in the book, but I never knew her true name.) At that time, I did try to take some responsibility for the dog (who had no collar or ID tags), since she was alone and either had run away or had been abandoned. I took her into the village of Galbally in County Limerick. Try as I might, no one would relieve me of my new and sudden burden.

Finally, out of desperation more than anything else, I picked a random farmhouse, and unbelievably the lady there was kind enough to take the dog from me. I went back into the village immediately afterwards and then subsequently drove by the house maybe fifteen minutes later. There standing at the end of the driveway was Shandy, following me with her eyes as I drove by, almost as if she had been waiting for me to return. You had to be there to appreciate the situation, but it was really the strangest thing. And it bothered me in real life just as it bothers my protagonist Spencer in the book.

Sometime later, maybe weeks later, it occurred to me that perhaps that actual episode could be turned into a book. I began writing, and my imagination took things from that point.

I never knew what became of Shandy after that. On my second trip to Ireland, after I had decided to write the book, I went to the farmhouse again, hoping I could learn Shandy’s true fate. The house was completely empty. I learned secondhand a day or two later that a family had been living there (the same family I originally left the dog with, or at least I assume) but had packed up and left town. (That real-life episode as well became fodder for the book I had begun to write.)

I never expected to find Shandy again, and I didn’t, but it still makes me both sad and curious, wondering what truly became of her. I guess I’ll never know.

The road to publication…

I suppose I never realized how much work was entailed in writing and publishing a book. One beta reader and my developmental editor basically saved me from potentially releasing something that, when I think back now, would have been lacking and possibly even embarrassing. When you’re caught up in the process, I found that a writer’s own judgment can be deceiving. One day you think it’s good; the next you’re not so sure. Outside help was key, but even to this day I’m not so sure of the end product. Maybe not bad for a first-time novelist…but I think I can do better. I’m presently reading the paperback version of my own book. There are countless pages and chapters where I tell myself I could have done better. Perhaps that is a sickness of writers: We’re never satisfied. But at some point you need to relish in what you have; otherwise you can sit on a manuscript for eternity and never have the courage to finish the job.

I also found out that friends and family, while supportive to a degree, are certainly not as interested in your book as you are. That’s natural, I guess. But for me even getting people to read the book before it was published was like pulling teeth – a few were to cooperate, for which I am thankful, but I basically got to the point where I stopped bothering people with my little pet project. One person who did read the manuscript commented that I could use some work on my dialogue. He even sent me a copy of Hemingway’s In Our Time. I read it. Personally, I thought the usage of dialogue in that particular book was trash, but it goes to show how, as readers and writers, our perception of what is good or bad can vary drastically.

As I was getting close to finishing the book, I had to decide whether to self-publish or go the traditional route. I had read of all the trials and tribulations of trying to source an agent and then hopefully a publisher. With that in mind, I had basically decided that I would publish myself. Along the way, however, I did find one agent who showed a smidgeon of interest. Weeks of waiting to hear back (with the good news, hopefully) finally ended in disappointment. I tried a few more agents, thinking that there might be a chance, but I didn’t receive even a single response. I certainly wasn’t going to spend a year, or however long it took, trying to persuade someone to take a chance on my book. More than anything, I just wanted to publish, maybe to just say that I wrote a novel and am now a published author.

With that in mind, I got busy with final editing checks, typesetting, and every other detail I needed to cover before finally uploading the manuscript and cover to Amazon. When I finally hit that “publish” button, I was relieved and actually quite proud of myself. I finally did it! Now, purchases and reviews would be nice, and I hope those will come with time and effort. I’ve got a fair share of promotional and other ideas to create some awareness, but perhaps that is a “story” for another time.

Spencer held on to the faintest of hope, but still he knew the trip to Ireland had almost no prospect of remedying his internal dilemma. Then again, he never imagined that a chance meeting with a lost and dying dog named Shandy would change his life forever.

Step into the small Irish village of Galbally, where the unwitting Spencer stumbles headfirst into a parallel world that will test his will, sanity, and even physical well-being.

Time and promise are running out. Will unnatural forces and events scare Spencer away before he can connect again with the mysterious dog? Will he find his way forward before Shandy meets her inevitable fate? Or will suspicious locals and a nefarious Dublin innkeeper force Spencer from the village before he completes his life-altering mission?

Follow Spencer as he races to save a little Irish dog named Shandy. If he only realized that it is Shandy who is trying to save him…

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Good morning,” Spencer greeted her. “Do you remember me?”

The woman stood in the doorway and did not respond immediately. “No, I can’t say I do,” she finally said with a blank expression.

Spencer felt a wave of dizziness overtake him.

“I was here a couple of days back and dropped off that little dog, which you kindly took from me,” he said desperately. “Anyway, I have been worried about her and wanted to make certain that everything had turned out all right.”

“I’m sorry,” the woman said warily, “I really don’t know what you’re talking about or who you are. You must have made some kind of mistake. We don’t have a dog and never have. And I’ve certainly never seen you before.”

Spencer was incredulous, his smile falling slowly. He also felt a little defiant.

“Excuse me, but I was here just two days ago. I told you I had found a stray dog that I didn’t know what to do with, and you agreed to take her from me. You said your husband would deal with the matter once he got home that night.”

“Listen, you have obviously made a mistake,” the woman said. Spencer winced inside; the woman was now the defiant one. “I have a husband, but I have no idea what you are talking about. Are you sure it wasn’t some other house?”

For a moment Spencer thought he might have gone crazy. He peered through the door, and though he could hear the sound of children inside, he could not see them.

About the Author:My Irish Dog is the debut novel by Douglas Solvie and was motivated by a trip taken to Ireland and the chance discovery of a lost dog there. After spending most of his adult life living and working in Japan, Douglas is currently living in his home state of Montana. He hopes to make a new career out of writing and to travel the world, looking for inspiration for that next book, perhaps another set in beautiful Ireland. My Irish Dog is, after all, a story with a lot of unanswered questions.

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When the Villain is RIGHT! by David Beem – Guest Blog and Giveaway

June 23, 2020 By 6 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. David Beem will be awarding a $10 Amazon or BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter. Clik on the tour banner to see the other stop on the tour.

When the Villain is RIGHT!

It’s an odd concept, I know, but what if the villain of your story is right? Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons is a well-established bad guy trope, but sometimes writers surprise themselves by jumping into the getaway car and joining the search for a suitable place to dump the bodies!

The truth is, writers are every character of their books. Part of me here, part of me there, that’s a sui generis joy of writing. But in the Edger series, around the time I released book two, I realized where the final act of the story was headed, and knew I had no compelling position for the protagonist to take! The antagonist was poised to cure all of society’s woes. What could the protagonist possibly offer to compete with that?

The Edger series is a wacky superhero/spy comedy, but at its core it analyzes liberty versus control. The villain’s goal is to become the hive mind leader of the human race, mind-controlling everyone for all eternity. Which, I mean, is obviously bad, right? But what if I told you this hive mind leader wants world peace? What if the goal is to fix Washington, break us off fossil fuels, end poverty, and fix once and for all Shrek-faced Superman from Justice League? What if the writer infuses the villain with every noble goal he can think of?

The problem of proving the villain is wrong is a good problem to have. It means you’re doing something right as a writer. It also means you’ve got your work cut out for you. Writers must put as much effort into convincing readers of the side of good as they do for the side of eee-villl. Adding to this challenge was the fact that I was writing the series at a time when the world was (is?) apparently unraveling, which naturally predisposes a person to consider desperate solutions. Readers may find greater sympathy for my villain (particularly in book 3) than they expect simply because of the times they live in.

I wrote the Edger series because I wanted desperately to laugh and escape these problems. I wanted the literary equivalent of a tv action/comedy series, something with a little depth, and staunchly apolitical. As tempting as it was to pull back the curtain and reveal the villain is a republican or democrat, I resisted. The villain’s solution to our problems was a somewhat universal solution anyway. Just take control and fix it. But in searching for the “good” response to this position, what I discovered is that the real villain wasn’t a who, but a force. It is the motivating quality that drove the villain to take such drastic measures in the first place. That force is cynicism. It’s the belief we must be wicked to fight wickedness. We must hire wicked leaders because the job itself is wicked, and angels are no match for demons…

This was my lightbulb moment. Because while every good protagonist must act on the world around them, they are not actions—they are people with motivations and attributes. Sympathetic villains are delicious ingredients in our fiction, but we still need our heroes to guide us from our worst instincts. Once I understood the villain as a motivating force, the hero’s counterforce became clear.

Edger has a certain naiveté allowing him to see the best in people. He can dial down the noise, gather his friends close, and trust angels are still capable of defeating demons. A healthy naiveté is a powerful force, because it’s where courage comes from. One doesn’t storm Normandy beach expecting to live, after all, nor can one afford to be cynical about survival! Cynicism is a poisonous privilege, and a healthy naiveté is its ultimate antidote.

Edger spoiler alert: Edger’s healthy naiveté is the quality that ultimately saves the human race.

Meet Edger (Ed-jer), a twenty-six-year-old gadget retail dork destined to become the world’s first superhero! His superpower: the ability to channel the Collective Unconscious, a psychic network connecting the living and the dead. In his arsenal are the skills of Bruce Lee, the strength of Samson, the wisdom of the ages…and the dancing chops of Michael Jackson—including that one twisty foot move, crotch grab, and fedora tilt. But there’s a catch… Like every psychic super power to get administered through a hypodermic needle, this one comes with a prick. Someone seems to have misplaced the booster necessary for stabilizing his superpower. Without it, Edger has three days before his brain turns to pudding. Join our Dork of Destiny as he overcomes the world’s greatest butt, two rival Cluck-n-Pray gangs, an evil cow, a Green Bay Defensive Tackle, rifle-toting assassins—and a pair of stoners who inadvertently create the world’s first supervillain after a wild night on Twitter!

Enjoy an Excerpt

Red letters scroll across the heads-up display.

PULSE ELEVATED.

Yes, I know.

RECOMMENDATION: ACCESS COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS.

Okay…

I focus on the red circle in the HUD labeled “Collective.”

Buh… anyone in the Collective got any bright ideas?

Roaring voices deafen my ears. Billions of lights streak past. I stagger backwards. Too much! The processors in my suit narrow down possibilities. Billions become millions. Thousands become hundreds. Finally… one. Gravity triples in my limbs from the fatigue of thousands of pull-ups, flutter kicks, push-ups, and sit-ups done in a single day. I’m shivering. Can’t stop. It’s hell week in BUD/S training. In and out of the ocean. Swimming miles against the clock. Cold… so cold. Face-down in the mud; holding my breath; lifting telephone poles; trembling muscles; falling painfully on my gun; moonless nights; stalking from the shadows; rescuing hostages; do I have what it takes to make it till morning?

Heard you could use a hand, sir.

The life behind the voice completes its fast-forward. It belongs to one Lieutenant Trevor Killmaster, Navy Seal. College champion swimmer. Fifteen deployments. Eighty-seven confirmed sniper kills. I’m breathless and sweating. My tired limbs get their strength back. I try to hold onto everything I’ve seen. Killmaster grew up in a little place outside of Santa Barbara, where he met his wife and bought a home.

He wears Old Spice.

Weird.

You’re telling me, sir, Killmaster replies.

I slide onto the barstool to gather my thoughts.

You know, I’m not really much of a… sir.

Killmaster replies: You are today. Sir.

About the Author:David Beem loves superhero movies, taekwondo, and flossing. He lives in Djibouti with his family and crippling self-doubt. To help actualize David’s inner confidence, visit his website and buy all the stuff

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Bolder and Braver by Patricia V. Davis – Guest Blog and Giveaway

June 23, 2020 By 16 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be giving away a $25 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Bolder and Braver

The one gift I never expected to receive so late in life was to meet such wonderful women, all of them unique, but all the same in one way: they uplift and support other women better than any 16-hour bra.

These women are not women I would have met unless I got out of my comfort zone. That started when I moved to Greece with my Greek husband. I did that. I did it to “save my marriage.” That plan didn’t go as expected. But you know what? Getting out of my comfort zone saved me, instead. I discovered something not many of us have been told: women do not have to be exactly like you in order to be real friends. They don’t have to have the same religion or politics as you in order to have the same values. They don’t have to speak the same first language, have the same color skin as you in order to “get” you, and for you to “get” them.

Considering all that’s happening today, this will be hard to believe. But the truth is, I never set out to write the characters in The Secret Spice Cafe Trilogy as so ‘diverse.’ Their voices came to me through the women I’ve been lucky to meet in the last twenty-three years since I moved to Greece and started writing. I did meet a woman whose marriage had been arranged, as was Rohini’s in Cooking for Ghosts. I did meet a sexy, dynamic Cynthia. The character Jane is based on a woman who was my business partner in the bookshop and book distribution company we owned in Athens, called Serafim Books. We’d name it for guardian angels, because that’s what we became for each other — our own angels. We looked out for each other, helped each other through many life crises during that time, an experience I treasure to this day.

And Angela is named after another friend, (who really needs to write her own book someday). Angela was in the US military when she met and married her own Greek husband. Unlike mine, their marriage has lasted through thick and thin, I’m happy to say. Marriage to a Greek and living in Greece were the only commonalities Angela and I shared, or so people might think, at first. I know nothing about military life. Or growing up in Louisiana. Or being one half of a couple in an interracial marriage. But when we talk, which we still often do, we talk about the things that matter to both of us: our families, how much good we’re doing or not in this life, and of course, books.

And as for Sarita, the teenager in my story who has doubts about herself, her fears about being “different” — who hasn’t felt that? Or what mother, like Angela, hasn’t had to re-examine and adjust her expectations when it comes to grown children?

So, when people ask me, “How did you come up with these characters?” my answer is, “How could I not?”

There’s a problem, though. Being a white writer, I have to be very careful not to be misunderstood when I write about women of different races. That became even more obvious as I wrote about Rosemary Taylor, the vodou (or voodoo) Creole priestess grandmother of Sarita, who finally makes an in-person appearance in Book III of this trilogy. Those who read Books I and II will spot her, mentioned by other characters in both books, but we only get to meet her at last in Book III.

How a vodou priestess ends up on the Queen Mary in Long Beach to help exorcise a demon that’s lodged itself aboard is pure imagination on my part. But her essence, her being, is all inspired by more women I’ve met. In the case of the character Rosemary, I asked for and got help from women who have lived more of what my character has lived. I won’t say I got their “permission” to write about her, but I will say I checked with them on a regular basis to be sure I was writing with clarity, respect, and as much truth in fiction as possible. I wouldn’t be able to do that — write characters with such depth — if I hadn’t put myself out there to meet women who the world tells me are different than I am. Sure, in some ways, we are.

But in the ways that are most important, we’re not.

So, what do you think—want to broaden your horizons without having to travel extensively? Want to help end the hatred and fear of other human beings who seem so different from oneself? Smile at a stranger. Say hello. Start up a chat on a bus, or the underground, or while waiting on the checkout line at the market. Just try it. I can’t tell you how much richer my life is because I’ve done that, because I have talked to women and they have talked to me. When we discovered our commonalities, when we shared our experiences, our wishes and fears, that’s when we — collectively — became different: bolder, braver, and more daring, with our true friends to cheer us on.

Book One: Cooking For Ghosts

Do hearts broken long ago forever leave a tangible trace?

A Vegas cocktail waitress. An Indian herbalist. A British chemistry professor. An Italian-American widow. Four unique women with one thing in common: each is haunted by a tragedy from her past.

Cynthia, Rohini, Jane, and Angela meet on a food blogging site and bond over recipes. They decide on impulse to open The Secret Spice, an elegant café on the magnificent ocean liner, the RMS Queen Mary, currently a floating hotel in Long Beach, California. Rich in history and tales of supernatural occurrences, the ship hides her own dark secrets.

The women are surrounded by ghosts long before they step aboard, but once they do, nothing is quite what it seems. Not the people they meet, not their brooding chef’s mystic recipes, and not the Queen Mary herself. Yet the spirits they encounter help them discover that there’s always a chance to live, as long as one is alive.

An Official Pulpwood Queens Book Club Selection, and read by Ann Marie Gideon, COOKING FOR GHOSTS is an unforgettable tale of love, redemption, and divine female power.

Book Two: Spells and Oregano

A mother desperate to save her twin sons, a war veteran in torment, a beautiful young psychic with a terrible secret, a powerful magician with a shattered soul, and a Queen steeped in history and glory. These extraordinary beings cross paths and set off a remarkable chain of events in Spells and Oregano: Book II in The Secret Spice Cafe Trilogy.

Overcome by despair after a trauma when she was sixteen, Sarita Taylor has spent the past ten years isolated and lonely aboard her beloved RMS Queen Mary. Fearful of outsiders, she dedicates her time to managing The Secret Spice Café, now an award-winning restaurant. Until Luca Miceli, a man with a dark past, steps on board.

Patricia V. Davis deftly spins past and present, mystery and magic, into a potent story of passionate longing and family tragedy all at once. Spells and Oregano is a compelling tale of atonement, devotion, and undying love, set aboard one of the world’s most magnificent, haunted ships.

Don’t miss Cooking for Ghosts: Book I in The Secret Spice Cafe Trilogy. The Secret Spice Trilogy is an Official Pulpwood Queens Book Club Selection

Book Three: Demons: Well Seasoned

Dare to Believe in Your Power…
A long-lost grandmother. A stay-at-home mom. A comic book fan. A five-year-old girl with a star-shaped birthmark. And nine more.

The cast is bigger, the stakes are higher. When Sarita’s grandmother, a Vodou priestess, foresees a terrible evil, Cynthia, Jane, Angela, and Rohini reunite on a heart-rending mission to save all that’s precious to them, including the iconic ship, the RMS Queen Mary. They cannot do it alone–the priestess tells them there must be thirteen on the night of the thirteenth moon. in this life-or-death pursuit. Yet, can she be trusted?

Spiced with history and the supernatural, Demons, Well-Seasoned takes us from 1930s Glasgow, to New Orleans and Harlem in the 1950s, to present day southern California, and back again, on a metaphysical voyage that is both exhilarating and poignant. But before you embark upon this final sail with the denizens of The Secret Spice, be warned: expect to lose sleep, and keep tissues at hand. These valiant characters might just stay with you long after their story comes to a close.

Don’t miss Cooking for Ghosts, and Spells & Oregano, Books I and II in The Secret Spice Café Trilogy. The Secret Spice Cafe Trilogy is an Official Pulpwood Queens Book Club Selection

Enjoy an Excerpt from Cooking for Ghosts

Unconcerned with what her business partners were up to, Rohini was giggling with excitement. Hugging herself, she whirled in circles, then flung her arms up over her head and collapsed back in dizzy elation onto the enormous bed in the glorious stateroom. Everything was glorious. She was here. This was her room. The Secret Spice was, in part, her restaurant.

Hers.

And when she’d first seen the Queen from the back seat of Cynthia’s preposterous little car, she knew she was headed to exactly where she should be. She couldn’t stop smiling, until, abruptly, a lump formed in her throat and her eyes misted with tears.

“I made it, Zahir,” she whispered. “I made it.”

She sobered as she thought of him, of all he’d done for her, and all that she might still need to do on her own.

But that wasn’t for today. Today was for celebration and thankfulness. Getting up from the bed, she opened her case, pulled out all the little plastic sacks of spices and herbs she’d packed, and sighed with relief. Not a one had opened or torn. Even so, she could smell their pungent bouquet right through the protective wrappings. Rauvolfia, Serpentina, Jaiphal, Javitri, Khus Khus, Ashwagandha and more — why did cinnamon always smell the strongest? There were dozens of varieties that she’d stuffed inside shirt sleeves and trouser legs and white cotton gym socks, just like a drug dealer might hide a stash. The TSA had missed them completely. They’d even affixed a sticker to the top of her bag: “Checked by Homeland Security.”

About the Author:PATRICIA V. DAVIS’s debut novel series, THE SECRET SPICE CAFE, is comprised of three books: COOKING FOR GHOSTS (2016) SPELLS AND OREGANO (2017) and DEMONS, WELL-SEASONED. (2019) The audio books will be released in 2020 by Tantor Media, and narrated by Ann Marie Gideon. Patricia lives with her husband, who is both a poker player and a rice farmer, so she divides her time between southern Nevada and northern California. Say hello to Patricia at her author website.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Wikipedia

Buy the series at Amazon.

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If I’d never heard of me would I read my book? by Rob Currie – Guest Blog and Giveaway

June 19, 2020 By 5 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rob Currie will be awarding a $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. Read our review of the book here.

If I’d never heard of me would I read my book?

I would because of the storyline and the reaction from readers.

Storyline: Thirteen-year-old Dirk’s Papa left to fight with the Dutch Resistance. Then Mama died. After the Gestapo abducted his older sister, he learned they’d come for him next.

Reactions to Hunger Winter:

“As my son Jairus read through this book over the last few days, he kept exclaiming how good it was and how excited he was to delve into it each night before bed. Thank you for writing and sharing this gem of a book with us, Dr. Currie! Jairus’s rating for this read is the full five stars!!!!!”

The Corrie ten Boom Foundation operates a WWII museum in the Netherlands. They wrote, “I read this book with great interest. I would love to encourage everyone to read this book. Hunger Winter succeeds in describing a very realistic picture of the situation in the Netherlands.”

Marsha Skrypuch’s WWII books for kids are very popular, including Making Bombs for Hitler. She describes Hunger Winter as “A well-researched novel on a topic that has rarely been explored in books for young people.”

“Exciting from the very start, Hunger Winter is engaging and draws you in so that you don’t want to put it down.”

“I am 11 years old and am in 5th grade. Hunger Winter, by Mr. Rob Currie, is a suspenseful novel keeping the reader on their toes every page-turn! The story takes place in the Netherlands during World War II in the winter of 1944. I highly recommend reading Hunger Winter.”

“I really enjoyed this book because of its unique setting and exciting plot. Though recommended for middle-school aged readers, I think anyone interested in WWII history would enjoy this story. Set in the Netherlands, this book explores a side of WWII history that I had not read much about, so it was fresh and interesting to me. All in all, this was an excellent read that kept me on the edge of my seat! I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends!”

“This novel was a non-stop adventure. Perfect for mid to late grade school. Readers will journey through the hazards of WWII Netherlands, tumbling from one adventure into another, Dirk is able to outrun, out smart, out talk, and outthink his oppressors while protecting his sister. This story will engage young readers and give them perspective on a chapter of history we should never forget.”

“Very informative and an endearing book. I loved the storyline of a teenager’s plight to keep his sister safe during WWII as they were being tracked by the Nazi’s. So many suspenseful moments for these two as they worked to get to the safety of their family. The detailed depiction of what the Dutch went through was eye-opening.”

“My high school son loved it and read it without prompting in just a few days (he couldn’t put it down). This is a great read!”

“I’m a WWII history buff and I really enjoyed this. My son (age 12) said it’s the best historical fiction he has ever read and that’s saying a lot because we read a LOT of historical fiction!”

It’s the Netherlands in late 1944. Thirteen-year-old Dirk’s Papa left to fight with the Resistance. Then Mama died. When the Gestapo snatched his older sister and he learned they were coming for him next, Dirk left home in the middle of the night. He had his pockets stuffed with food, his little sister asleep in his arms, and his heart heavy with a dark secret.

Enjoy an Excerpt

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Dirk Ingelse’s eyes flew open, and he raised his head off the pillow. Who could be knocking on the front door? Gestapo? His insides turned to ice.

The pounding resumed, the sound carrying easily up the stairs into Dirk’s bedroom. It didn’t sound like the rap of knuckles—it was more like the thumping of an angry fist. Or the butt of a rifle.

It had to be the Gestapo. They had been doing more raids lately, and they often came at night. Who else would pummel the front door of the Ingelse’s farmhouse in the middle of the night and risk getting arrested?

Dirk rolled out of bed and crept to his bedroom window. Easing the curtain open a bit, he kept his face away from the window, like Papa had taught him. He couldn’t see a vehicle. But what if they hid their car? Dirk’s right hand shook.

He couldn’t hide. They would tear the place apart to find him. And he couldn’t run—they would have the place surrounded. He’d heard stories. His right hand shook harder. It had been doing that a lot ever since—

The assault on the door resumed, even louder this time. “Open up!” growled a deep voice.

Dirk turned from the window and crept down the stairs.

About the Author:Life conspired to get Rob Currie to write Hunger Winter: A World War II Novel. His father is a World War II veteran and his wife is Dutch. An award-winning author, it was only a matter of time before he would focus his writing on World War II. Research for Hunger Winter included numerous books, interviews with Dutch WWII survivors, and three weeks in the Netherlands. His investigation revealed astonishing details about the Dutch experience of the war, which begged to be turned into a book.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, he graduated from Cornerstone University and went on to earn a master’s degree and doctorate in psychology from St. Louis University. He has taught psychology at Judson University since 1987. His hobbies include playing basketball, cooking, and writing poetry.

Website

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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