Gouster Girl by David E. Gumpert – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

February 25, 2020 By 6 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. David E. Gumpert will be awarding a $25 gift card to Garrett Popcorn, then a Water bottle with Chicago flag for a second winner, and a Mug with Chicago flag for a third winner, all randomly drawn via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Gouster Girl is the coming of age, risky affair between Valerie Davis a cute black girl from the South Side of Chicago and nerdy white Jeffrey Stark.

While the two are somewhat smitten they are late to realize that falling in love on Chicago’s South Side in 1963 is a highly risky business for an interracial couple.

Opportunities arise for both of them to help one another out of tough fixes—he saves her from attack at an all-white amusement park and she saves him from injury in a racial brawl at their high school. But as their romance becomes more serious, so do the racial dangers. White police target Valerie as a prostitute and black gang members see Jeffrey as trying to sexually exploit a black girl. Seemingly inevitably, the blossoming romance collides head on with the realities of Northern-style racism one hot summer afternoon at one of Chicago’s most beautiful Lake Michigan beaches, when a racial protest turns ugly, confronting the couple with terrible choices.

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

Her expression had turned serious. “Okay, so I have a question for you. Why did you make me look so light in your drawing? I look almost like a white girl with a tan.”

Hmmm, she would question me on that. I had wrestled, somewhere just barely in my consciousness, about how dark to shade her. I had opted to go easy, sensing that lighter was more desired and desirable. But how to say that, without knowing the “right” answer?

“I guess I didn’t want to make you look too dark,” I started. She continued staring at me. No smirk. No grin. This was a big deal. “I thought you might be insulted.”

“So, you think I’d rather look more like a white girl than a Negro girl?”

“I’m not really sure,” I stammered. “I didn’t think about it a whole lot. I just wanted something you might like enough to want to talk to me. I’m not really much of an artist.”

“You’re not too bad, white boy.” The smirk was back. I felt like I had passed some kind of test.

I tried to take control of the conversation. “One more thing for you,” I said. “Are you an Ivy Leaguer or a gouster? You act and talk like an Ivy Leaguer. But when you hang out with guys like Booker, I’m thinking maybe you’re a gouster.” I wanted to mention Tyrone, but something told me that should wait as well.

“What do you think, white boy?”

Now it was my chance to be the wise guy. “Maybe I’ll just call you ‘gouster girl.’ You call me ‘white boy’ and I call you ‘gouster girl.’ How’s that?”

“Shee-it, white boy. Gonna hit you upside yo head and kick yo white ass all the way to 63rd Street, you call me a gousta one mo time.” She smiled slightly, as if she was impressed with her own cleverness.

About the Author David E. Gumpert grew up on the South Side of Chicago, in South Shore and Hyde Park. In the years since graduating from the University of Chicago, he has attended Columbia Journalism School and worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and an editor for the Harvard Business Review and Inc. magazine. He has also authored ten nonfiction books on a variety of subjects—from entrepreneurship and small business management to food politics. His most prominent titles include How to Really Create a Successful Business Plan (from Inc. Publishing); How to Really Start Your Own Business (Inc. Publishing); Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Food Rights (Chelsea Green Publishing), and The Raw Milk Answer Book (Lauson Publishing).

He spent ten years in the 1990s and early 2000s researching his family’s history during the Holocaust. The result was a book co-authored with his deceased aunt Inge Belier: Inge: A Girl’s Journey Through Nazi Europe (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing).

He spent much of the last half-dozen years going back to his own roots in Chicago to research and write the historical novel, Gouster Girl. While some of it stems from his own experiences growing up in South Shore and Hyde Park, he also conducted significant additional research to complete the book in late 2019.

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Balancing life and writing, or How they are intertwined by Ben Gartner – Guest Blog and Giveaway

February 21, 2020 By 8 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ben Gartner will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Balancing life and writing, or How they are intertwined

THE EYE OF RA was born from life. That sounds pretty high-falutin’ but what I mean to say is that to ask about a balance between life and writing is like asking what it’s like to balance life and good food. While not technically a requirement, life is less without it! But I understand the sentiment of the question is about how to get writing done in the midst of all our other life-ly responsibilities like working, raising children, and getting dinner on the table. My post here revolves around the last point: Dinner.

Our family makes a point to sit down and eat dinner with each other every night. It works out that way most of the time. We start with saying something we’re grateful for. For the kids, that might be “pasta” or whatever is in front of them, but sometimes there are gems from the mouths of babes. And instilling in them the practice of gratitude we hope will be something they remember as they mosey through life. While eating, we discuss our day, our highs and lows and funny parts, and generally get some focused together time. It is often the highlight of my day and something I look forward to.

In THE EYE OF RA, without coming on heavy-handed about it, the idea of a family sharing a meal is echoed a few times. It isn’t a central theme or anything serious like that, but it does speak to the prompt for this post about intertwining life with writing, how one can be a reflection of the other, and vice versa.

This isn’t really a spoiler, but sorta: In the book, one particular meal is mentioned—Tilapia Barley Stew—that is adapted from a real recipe used by the ancient Egyptians according to Cooking in Ancient Civilizations by Cathy K. Kaufman, with some liberties added. I share it here now with you. As a family, we tried this together and my kids loved it. Bonus for the chef (me), it was super easy to prepare…

TILAPIA BARLEY STEW

– 1/2 cup barley (rinsed to remove surface starch)
– 3 cups water (from the Nile if you can swing it, but make sure to filter it first)
– 4 green onions, sliced
– 2 tilapia fillets, cut into bite-size chunks
– 2 cloves of garlic, minced
– salt to taste

Boil the barley in the water, then simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any foam (starch) that rises to the surface. Add the tilapia. Cook for approximately 10 minutes on medium. Add the scallions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Enjoy like John and Sarah and the ancient Egyptians.

Exploring a mysterious cave in the mountains behind their house, John and his sister Sarah are shocked to discover they’ve time traveled to ancient Egypt!

Now they must work together to find a way back home from an ancient civilization of golden desert sand and a towering new pyramid, without parents to save them. The adventures abound—cobras, scorpions, a tomb robber, and more! The two kids have to trust each other, make friends who can help, and survive the challenges thrown at them . . . or be stuck in ancient Egypt forever.

For readers graduating from the Magic Treehouse series and ready for intense action, dive into this middle grade novel rich with meticulous historical detail.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Up ahead, almost like an optical illusion in the rocks, a black oval dissolved into the mountain. It seemed to shimmer in the fading sunlight.

“What . . . is it?” John asked, taking a step back.

Sarah moved forward. “It—” She stepped closer, hunching to get a better look at the dark shape about the dimensions of the full-length mirror they had on the back of their bathroom door. “It looks like a cave. Cool!”

“Careful, Sarah. We shouldn’t go in there.”

“That’s a great idea,” Sarah said, standing upright and walking toward the mysterious black shape.

“No, wait, I said we shouldn’t go in there.” John turned to walk away. But he couldn’t leave his sister. “We should get Mom and Dad.”

“I’ll just peek in,” Sarah said, standing only an arm’s length from the entrance. “It definitely looks like a cave, or maybe an old mining tunnel or something. I don’t remember this from before.”

“Come on, Sarah.” John’s tone sounded more urgent now.

Sarah stepped closer, slowly, her lips parted and her eyes fixed on the cave.
Without another word, Sarah stepped across the threshold, and her body disappeared into the black.

About the Author: Ben Gartner is the author of adventure books for middle graders and thrillers for adults. His writing for both audiences shares an ability to grab readers by their neurons for a thrilling ride, maybe even teaching them something in the meantime. Ben can be found living and writing near the mountains with his wife and two boys.

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

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The hardest part about writing is… by Roger Peppercorn – Guest Blog and Giveaway

February 18, 2020 By 20 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Roger Peppercorn will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble 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 hardest part about writing is…

The hardest part about is more than a few things. The easy part is finding a topic that moves you. I think writers in general don’t struggle much with what to write about. There is a story each of us wants to tell but the hardest thing I think is to find your voice. There are hundreds of thousands of wordsmiths today and finding a voice that is unique to you and that captures the imagination and steadfast interest of the readers are hardest part of writing.

From the earliest of days philosophers and storytellers have found a way to leave lasting impressions that have stood the test of time. From Socrates to Whitman and Harper to Rowling the words they put on the blank page have lasted and inspired generations of storytellers through today and will inspire writers to the end of time. Their voices are as unique as the stories they craft.

To find it you must allow the words to appear on the page and without the noise of the world around you. You will know your own voice when you get out of your own way long enough to let the story come out of you.

I said there are few things and one of the other hard thing to do is knowing when to end the story and when to stop tweaking it. When I wrote my first book I read, deleted, added, moved and changed it so much that I realized at some point that I was one key stroke away from delete all. You always think there is something to add or delete. Put it down, let the story breathe for a bit and the next time you pick it up read it for the pleasure of the story. If you get lost in a story you have written then you’ve done your job. Give it over to the editor and let them help you make it better.

The last hard thing about writing almost anything is your readership or the lack of one. And then there are the comments sections. I have gotten reviews that give me the impression I may just be the next great American novelist and I have gotten reviews that point in an entirely different direction and make me rethink my choses in life.

The point is this not everything you write or create will resonate with an audience. Your voice is in there somewhere just let it come out and when you are through it won’t be perfect but it will be yours and you will have gotten something across the finish line that few people accomplish.

Thank you to Long and Short Reviews for a spot in your guest blog
Roger Peppercorn

With the drop of a judge’s gavel, Walt Walker has finally lost everything. The badge and gun he used to carry and the moral certainty of right and wrong, good and evil that used to keep him grounded. Now Walt, sans gun, gets his badges from an Army Navy store. He spends his days in South Florida, working for a boutique insurance firm as their investigator. He spends his nights in dive bars, trying to forget the mess he has made of his life.

Ronald Jacobs always preferred the title Human Resource Manger to Hitman. But now that he’s retired, he can concentrate on living in the shadows as a respectable gentlemen farmer. Far from the reach and pull of his past life.

Their transgressions are behind them but a chance encounter and a failed assassination attempt sets the two of them on a collision course of violence and retribution. Hunted by contract killers, the law, and corporate bag men, they are pursued across the unforgiving adobes and the sweeping vistas of the Mesa Valley in Western Colorado.

Survival means putting their past in front of them and their differences aside, because in this world the only thing that matters is to cast not others on the devil’s side of heaven, lest you be cast in with them.

Enjoy an Excerpt

A little after midnight on a clear and cold morning in March, Jimmy Dix parked his car three miles from the farmhouse. From here it would all be on foot. The sky, dark and overcast, would cover his approach to the farmhouse situated in the adobe desert, fifteen miles from the little town of Loma, CO. His target presumably would be asleep and unaware of his impending death.

Big Max Benson had been clear in his instructions. The job had to be tonight. Jimmy hadn’t bothered to ask why. Fifteen thousand dollars had been more than enough to silence any idle curiosity he may have had. And the promise to convert all the red ink that bore Jimmy’s name in Big Max’s ledger to black had been the clincher. He had driven fifteen hours in a rental car he had picked up in a hotel parking lot just outside of Billings, MT. In the trunk, Big Max had left a cut down 12 gauge shotgun, an AR-15 and a 9 mm pistol. Each weapon had come with more than enough ammo to do the job. Jimmy had brought along his own set of NVGs for the nighttime raid.

He sat in the car, staring out the windshield, thinking about the three mile hike he had in front of him. The car heater was cranked up to high. The dashboard clock read 12:02; the hike would take him about an hour. He thought about the task at hand. After he arrived, he would need probably thirty minutes to scout his final approach plus maybe another fifteen to twenty minutes to get set up. Maybe another five minutes to carry out the job. Jimmy did the math in his head and figured that worst case scenario, he would be back in the car no later than 4 a.m. This would leave him more than enough time to get clear of the area. Jimmy smiled at the thought of coming in under the cover of darkness, killing someone and then leaving under the same veil before any cops showed up.

About the Author: Roger Peppercorn has suffered for the better part of his life from wanderlust and this need to see the other side of the horizon has taken him to all parts of the world. The people and backdrop of his travels have served as the inspiration behind his characters and storytelling.

As a child, his mother taught him to read and write. His father’s collection of Louis Lamour novels provoked the fantastical images in his mind and the romance of the written word. In the seventh grade, his history teacher brought the characters of a bygone era alive. From that point on, Roger began to hone his skills in storytelling. After high school, Roger took a course in creative writing that was taught by a long haired hippy in a Hawaiian shirt.

Roger’s grandmother used to tell hypothetical tales of traveling across the plains in a covered wagon, the woes of having a son sent off to war, and the larger-than-life man she met at Pea Green Hall who later became her husband.

His first two novels “On The Devils Side of Heaven” and “The Sometimes Long Road Home” take place on the western slopes of Colorado, in the sleepy town of Fruita, where he grew up. They center on the strained relationships and sorted histories of three characters – Walt, Ronald and Jessica, and violence that erupts around them.

Roger is married and is a father of four beautiful children. He currently calls South Dakota his home.

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Restart in Bristol by Sedona Hutton – Spotlight and Giveaway

February 14, 2020 By 8 Comments

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

He’s a hot mess. She wants stability. Will these childhood sweethearts risk another pass at love?

Veterinarian Holly Nicholson longs to put down roots. And with a growing practice and pending nuptials to a handsome doctor, her dream future is finally within reach. But when her NASCAR racing high-school steady rolls into town, Holly’s heart takes an off-track excursion.

Curtis “CC” Clark burned out from life in the fast lane. Switching gears, he moves to a small town in search of some cosmic signpost to reveal his destiny and crosses paths with the only girl he’s ever loved. But he’s worried fate sent him into the pits when he finds out she’s engaged.

Between working at the same animal shelter and her engagement crumbling, Holly can feel old desires stirring. But before they can pick up speed, CC gets his big chance for a high-profile comeback. And returning to the road may mean giving up his beloved forever.

Can CC and Holly find common ground and take their love across the finish line?

Restart in Bristol is the third standalone novel in the Racing Hearts in Serenity contemporary romance series. If you like bad boys with a heart of gold, strong women, and a touch of new age spirituality, then you’ll adore Sedona Hutton’s fun, sexy romance.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Curtis Clark stepped back to scrutinize his work. The split rail fence he’d just built was kick-ass…the rest of his life, not so much.

Taking a gulp of water, he frowned. Life was like a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from. Two months ago, he’d been living the dream racing in the NASCAR Truck Series, and now he was doing random carpentry jobs. He rubbed at the tight feeling in his chest and got back to work. He’d just placed the next piece of wood when something fuzzy brushed against his leg. He jerked back and then laughed when a wriggling black Lab squeezed in between him and the fence.

“Hey, there.” CC squatted down to rub the Lab’s neck and was rewarded with a doggie grin. “Where did you come from?”

The dog licked his face, eliciting happy memories from CC’s childhood. “You’re a sweet girl,” he cooed after taking a peek to determine gender. “Are you a stray?”

“She’s not a stray.”

His mind and body vibrated like his truck engine at the beginning of a race. He hadn’t heard that female voice in over ten years, but it was ingrained in his heart and his soul. He couldn’t turn around, couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe.

Holly Nicholson—his high school sweetheart, the love of his life…the woman who had shattered his heart.

About the Author:

Author Sedona Hutton finds inspiration in the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, where she lives with her husband and curly-coated retriever. In addition to writing, she’s a Reiki Master and a certified Chopra Center Meditation instructor. She enjoys reading, yoga, gardening, and experiencing the great outdoors on boats, motorcycles, and Jeeps. Sedona pens a “Peace, Love, & Joy” blog on her website.

Sedona’s novel, Cloud Whispers, was a Finalist in the 2018 Readers’ Favorite Contest, an Official Selection in the 2018 Summer eBook Awards for New Apple Literary, Shortlisted for the Books Go Social Best Indie Book of 2018, and a Bronze winner in the 2019 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Nora’s Promise was awarded the Bronze medal in the 2019 Reader’s Favorite Contemporary Romance category and was a Finalist in the 2019 NIEA contest. The Perfect Lap was the 2019 Reader’s Favorite Contemporary Romance Finalist.

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Essays from a Dysfunctional Family by Casey Bell – Spotlight and Giveaway

February 14, 2020 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Casey Bell will be awarding a free eBook copy of the book as well as a free eBook copy of the book A Family of Strangers to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Two books in one (Kinda Sorta). Something Different. Essays from Dysfunctional Families is a fictional book which contains essays from ten different American residents. The book is written by fictional writer Dean K Brent. The book Literary Betrayal is a fiction written by Casey Bell, which tells the story of the aftermath of Dean writing the book Essays. Betrayal explores the possibility of what people might do if they discovered a bestseller written by a relative/friend is based on their life.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Michael R.
Goshen, Indiana

I was born and raised in a town in Indiana named Goshen. I have one brother and one sister, both younger than me. We grew up in a home that was very confusing. I did not understand at the time I was a child why my parents did what they did. They very well knew how to act like the best Hollywood actors, but were never professional actors. My father was a construction worker. He brought back pretty good dough. We were never needy. When he came home though he was tired, very tired and he spent not much time with us (his children). Every now and then he would take us to the park and sometimes to exciting places such as: zoos, museums, sporting games, and sometimes the theatre. My mother on the other hand worked part time as a seamstress. She was home more often and she would take us out more often than our father. The only thing that had me; that had all of us confused was there constant change in characters. After living with them for some time you just got used to the routine. On Friday and Saturday nights we were left home alone. At first, I wasn’t sure where my parents were going, but as soon as I reached an age where I could understand; it was clear. Not knowing exactly, but I knew it was a bar or club of the sorts. They came home drunk and sometimes high.

About the Author:

Proud Uncle Casey Bell has authored two Young Adult books, three General Fiction, three Non-Fiction, two Short-Stories, one Horror, one book of Poetries, five Children books, one book of collection of Art, and has produced four Word Search books. Twenty-two books in total, but has no intentions of slowing down. He enjoys sharing stories, ideas, and art that cause people to think beyond the box. Not only a writer, but also a playwright, graphic designer, fine artist, and fashion designer.

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Making a Make-Believe World Believable by Jamie Marchant – Guest Blog and Giveaway

February 13, 2020 By 8 Comments


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

Making a Make-Believe World Believable

Fantasy literature transports you from the mundane world into the strange and the magical. How does it do this? By making that world believable, in its setting, its use of magic, and in its characters. To transport you, the fantasy world must be as complex and rich as reality. While I don’t like works that give long lectures on the history and geography, a sense of both must be present in the fantasy world—this sense preferably arising naturally from the needs of the plot and unfolding bit by bit. For example, in The Goddess’s Choice the way we learn about the longstanding animosity and history of warfare between Korth and Lundia is through the king’s pressure on the crown princess Samantha to marry. King Solar believes her marriage is necessary to maintain the fragile peace between the joined kingdoms. The history and culture of the joined kingdoms flow from and enhance the story’s central conflict.

Magic is an essential element of fantasy; yet to be believable, any system of magic must be both consistent and limited in scope. When the limitations on the wizard or sorcerer are clearly established, tension builds as he or she must work within those limits. The existence of magic doesn’t allow the writer to cheat. My hero’s Robbie’s magic lies in the ability to connect to the mind and body of another. It only works on living things. He can’t suddenly have the ability to warp metal even though that would be convenient. The use of his magic also depletes him physically, so he must be wise in its use. His strength is also his vulnerability.

For me, the most important element in creating a believable fantasy world lies in the characters. A believable world must be peopled with believable characters. In reality, few people are without flaws, but few are so bad that they have no redeeming qualities. Fantasy characters must be equally complex. Heroes must not be completely virtuous, and villains at least need sound motives for their villainy. Robbie is burdened with anger, and Samantha is headstrong and somewhat insensitive. On the other hand, Argblutal believes (with some justification) the throne is rightfully his and that he’d be a better king than a eighteen-year-old girl. When I read a novel, if I can believe a writer’s characters, I can forgive other inconsistencies with the work, but if I cannot believe the characters, nothing else the writer does can redeem the story. Depth of character is the key to believability in the make-believe world of fantasy.

“Magic, love, hate, torture, heroes, and a story that will never stop blowing your mind!” Cheree~For Love of Books

The three volumes of The Kronicles of Korthlundia plus The Ghost in Exile: A Korthlundian Kronicle brought together for one low price. In addition to the novels, the collection features several bonus short stories, previously available only to members of my readers’ club.

The Goddess’s Choice–In a world where the corrupt church hides the truth about magic, the fate of the joined kingdom falls on the shoulders of two young people from opposite ends of the social hierarchy.

Crown Princess Samantha’s life begins to fall apart when she starts seeing strange colors around her potential suitors. She fears that she’s going insane–or worse that she’s defying the Goddess’s will. Robrek is a lowly farm boy with incredible magical powers. He has been biding his time waiting to get revenge on those who call him a demon.

Thrown together by chance, they must overcome their differences to fight their common enemy Duke Argblutal, who, with dark magic, is slowly poisoning the king’s mind and turning him against his own daughter. Time is running out for those chosen by the Goddess to prevent the power mad duke from usurping the throne and plunging the joined kingdoms into civil war.

The Soul Stone– A match made by the goddess is threatened by an Ancient Evil.

As Samantha and Robrek prepare for their marriage and coronation, they are met with opposition on all sides. Not all believe that the peasant sorcerer is worthy to be king, and the young couple must perform delicate political maneuvers to prevent the joined kingdoms from breaking apart.

As the church splits over opposition to their union, an unseen force is poised to release an ancient evil that was last defeated a thousand years ago. When the Soul Stone is broken free of its bonds, all life in its path succumbs to its power. How much will the new royal couple have to sacrifice to free the joined kingdoms of its evil?

The Ghost in Exile—A special Kronicle outside of the series that tells the story of Darhour. The novel takes place at the same time as The Soul Stone. The Ghost is going to hell. Not even the goddess can forgive his sins: assassin, oath-breaker, traitor (an affair with the queen earned him that title). No one can ever learn the princess is his daughter. To keep this secret, he flees to the land that turned him from a simple stable groom into an infamous killer.

His mission now? To find evildoers and take them to hell with him. But when an impulsive act of heroism saddles him with a damsel who refuses to be distressed, her resilience forces him to question why he really ran from his daughter.

The Shattered Throne– Queen Samantha’s spirit brightens as the festival of renewal approaches. The Ancient Evil that drained life from the land has been destroyed, and life is returning to the joined kingdoms. The birth of her heir gives her even more reason to celebrate. But a coup orchestrated by the unlikely alliance between a freedom-loving count and a fanatical church shatters both her plans and the ancient throne itself.

With her infant daughter missing and death and destruction spreading, Samantha finds herself faced with an impossible choice: save her daughter or her people. Already torn between a mother’s love and her duties as a queen, Samantha learns that an even greater danger threatens: the goddess herself is fading. What sacrifices will Samantha have to make to stop an evil god from taking Sulis’s place?

Enjoy an Excerpt

He returned to the horses, loaded the supplies on Wild Thing, and rode in silence to the abandoned stable. Robbie led the horse inside. When he lit the lantern he kept there, he let out a whistle of amazement. The horse was a bronze-colored mare that looked more like it was forged out of metal than living flesh! But the horse’s impossible color wasn’t the only thing that struck Robbie. Sores spotted the beast’s body; puss and blood oozed from under the saddle. The horse’s coat was matted with dried blood. Her ribs stood out in stark detail. How could anyone neglect a horse so badly? “Where could you have come from, girl?” Robbie could feel a wail building up inside the horse, so he hurried to take the armor and other equipment off her back, unsaddled her, and removed her harness.

“I don’t think you’re a demon. But I don’t know what you are. By the look of the armor you must have been some knight’s lady. But what happened to him? Sores like these don’t form overnight. If he’s still alive, he obviously doesn’t deserve a lady like you. So how about it? Will you be my lady?” He paused at the sound of his own words. Milady. “I had a lady once. For one day, that is. My brother didn’t approve—I’m sure he wouldn’t approve of you, either.”

About the Author:Jamie began writing stories about the man from Mars when she was six, and she never remembers wanting to be anything other than a writer. Everyone told her she needed a back up plan, so she pursued a Ph.D. in American literature, which she received in 1998. She started teaching writing and literature at Auburn University. One day in the midst of writing a piece of literary criticism, she realized she’d put her true passion on the backburner and neglected her muse. The literary article went into the trash, and she began the book that was to become The Goddess’s Choice, which was published in April 2012. Her other novels include The Soul Stone, The Ghost in Exile, The Shattered Throne, and The Bull Riding Witch. In addition, she has published a novella, Demons in the Big Easy, and a collection of short stories, Blood Cursed and Other Tales of the Fantastic. Her short fiction has also appeared in the anthologies Urban Fantasy, Of Dragons & Magic: Tales of the Lost Worlds, and Waiting for a Kiss. She claims she writes about the fantastic . . . and the tortured soul. Her poor characters have hard lives. She lives in Auburn, Alabama, with her husband and five cats, which (or so she’s been told) officially makes her a cat lady. She still teaches writing and literature at Auburn University. She is the mother of a grown son.

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The Perfect Lap by Sedona Hutton – Spotlight and Giveaway

February 12, 2020 By 11 Comments

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

His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line?

AJ Ryan is a publicity nightmare. After a questionable photo surfaces and his biggest sponsor threatens to pull out, the NASCAR champion admits it might be time to hit the brakes. Thankfully, his new no-nonsense image consultant knows just where to start… too bad she revs his engine so loudly he can barely think straight.

Ella Fisher’s career is a welcome distraction from her poor taste in men. Fresh off another easily avoidable heartbreak, rehabbing AJ’s career is just the diversion she needs. But when the pulse-pounding client actually listens to her advice, Ella wonders if there’s more to the man behind the hot mess.

When Ella is granted guardianship of three boisterous children under the misconception that she and AJ are a couple, AJ surprises her by going along with the charade. Before long they find themselves in a make-shift family that feels more real than pretend.

As their professional relationship takes a hard turn for the personal, a single overheard conversation could make it all go up in flames. Will Ella and AJ’s romance hit the wall, or will love take the checkered flag?

The Perfect Lap is the second standalone novel in the Racing Hearts of Serenity romance series. If you like bad boys with a heart of gold, strong women, and love stories with a new age twist, then you’ll adore Sedona Hutton’s fun, sexy tale.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“I bet you have a beautiful smile,” he drawled, then lowered his mouth to hers.

She should have pulled away—she didn’t know this man from Adam. But everything inside her protested. After gazing into each other’s eyes, she felt like she knew him intimately.

His lips were warm and tingly, his kiss pure perfection…and he drew back way too quickly. He blinked those deep blue eyes and gave her a lazy grin. “I knew it.” He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her lower lip. “Beautiful.”

That’s when she realized she was smiling.

He rose, and she gave him a quick once over, taking in the sexy stubble on his face, the taut muscles of his chest, his lean physique. As good old-fashioned lust rolled through her like a quick-moving thunderstorm, she silently bemoaned her situation. This was a hell of a time to have a newly implemented man-ban.

“Keep smiling.” Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he winked at her. “It suits you,” he added in that low, sexy drawl. Then he sauntered off.

Her breath caught as she spun around to gape at him. He’d just kissed her and now he was leaving? She contemplated calling him back, then reconsidered. She had other fish to fry.

Even so, she couldn’t stop herself from tracking his every move as he swaggered toward the party, his backside looking every bit as fine as the rest of him. Pressing a hand to her chest, she let out a slow exhale. Even though she was one-hundred percent committed to her man-ban, she could admit—at least to herself—that the sexy, charming stranger had intrigued her.

About the Author:

Author Sedona Hutton finds inspiration in the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, where she lives with her husband and curly-coated retriever. In addition to writing, she’s a Reiki Master and a certified Chopra Center Meditation instructor. She enjoys reading, yoga, gardening, and experiencing the great outdoors on boats, motorcycles, and Jeeps. Sedona pens a “Peace, Love, & Joy” blog on her website.

Sedona’s novel, Cloud Whispers, was a Finalist in the 2018 Readers’ Favorite Contest, an Official Selection in the 2018 Summer eBook Awards for New Apple Literary, Shortlisted for the Books Go Social Best Indie Book of 2018, and a Bronze winner in the 2019 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Nora’s Promise was awarded the Bronze medal in the 2019 Reader’s Favorite Contemporary Romance category and was a Finalist in the 2019 NIEA contest. The Perfect Lap was the 2019 Reader’s Favorite Contemporary Romance Finalist.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads

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Sentenced to Shakespeare by Iris Dorbian – Spotlight and Giveaway

February 10, 2020 By 8 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Iris Dorbian will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

“Sentenced to Shakespeare” is a contemporary young adult novel set in suburban New Jersey. The story revolves around Leah, a smart and sensitive 15-year-old girl who is pushed too far by a bully and snaps. Arrested for assault and battery, Leah is sentenced to an unusual form of rehabilitation-she must take and complete a Shakespeare workshop or else risk incarceration. Ostracized by her classmates, abandoned by her only friend, Leah finds comfort and solidarity with the other juvenile offenders in this same program, with one offering her something she’s never experienced before–love.

Enjoy an Excerpt

With each insult, Leah felt like she was shrinking more into herself until there was nothing left but a shell of a person.

Then, there were the prank phone calls: the stupid breathing, the hang-ups, and the taunting texts, each a deeper stab in the heart.

“Hey, hottie! How many boyfriends do you have?”

“Don’t you vomit when you look at yourself in a mirror?”

“You really are a joke. I’d kill myself if I were you.”

It got to a point where Leah couldn’t cry anymore. Either her tear ducts were worn out from crying so much or she was numb. And, even if she did cry, that would only make Dede and her followers ridicule her even more.

Sometimes, if the weather was permitting, Leah would hide near the local VFW hall rather than go to school, which was within walking distance to her house. It was safe to play truant there as usually, no one was around on the weekdays. Within the bowels of a staircase that’d slope into the subterranean entrance of the building, she’d seek refuge. Her legs splayed out on the concrete, Leah would huddle in the corner, staring at her watch, waiting for each minute to pass into the oblivion of another minute until she knew her parents were out of the house and on their way to work. Then she’d return to the safety of her home, away from Dede and the harassment. Free and happy.

About the Author:

Iris Dorbian is a professional business and arts journalist whose credits include Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Crain’s New York Business, Venture Capital Journal, Buyouts, Investopedia, DMNews, Jerusalem Report, the Forward, Playbill, Backstage, Theatermania, Live Design, Media Industry Newsletter and PR News. She is the former editor-in-chief of Stage Directions magazine and author of “Great Producers: Visionaries of the American Theater,” which was published by Allworth Press/Skyhorse Publishing in August 2008; and “Sentenced to Shakespeare,” which was published by Milford House Press, an imprint of Sunbury Press. Her personal essays have been published in Blue Lyra Review, B O D Y, Embodied Effigies, Jewish Literary Journal, Diverse Voices Quarterly, Adanna Literary Journal, ThisSpace.org, Skirt! and Gothesque Magazine. A New Jersey native, Iris has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.

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The Brothers’ Band by Liza Malloy – Spotlight and Giveaway

February 6, 2020 By 9 Comments

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

Bookworm Lily Mitchell vowed never to date another musician, but Dylan Parker is nothing like the stereotype. Sure, he’s mysterious and sexy, with a flashy car and serious bedroom skills, but he’s also smart, hardworking, and humble. He shares Lily’s passion for classic literature and constantly surprises her with romantic gestures. Their steamy relationship moves at whirlwind pace, and Lily has never been happier.

It’s all so perfect that at first, Lily wills herself to ignore the emerging red flags. As her worries about Dylan increase, she finds friendship and comfort in his brother and bandmate, Thomas. But Lily soon discovers that as much as Thomas cares for his brother, he’s also fallen hard for her.

As Dylan spirals further out of control, Lily must decide what she really wants, and whom she is willing to hurt.

Enjoy an Excerpt

My favorite coffee shop was a block from the subway station, and as soon as I reached the street level, I felt the rain. It fell in sheets, soaking everything and everyone in its path. It was a quiet shower, not just in the way it barely made a sound as it pelted the concrete and metal comprising Midtown West Manhattan, but also as it seemed to mute the normal noises we New Yorkers expected of our surroundings…the honking, the chatting, the clanking of machinery.

I smiled at the beauty of it, but once the first drop hit my hair, I shrieked and ran as fast as my Louboutin heels could carry me. Traffic forced me to stop at the next light, but I resumed my dash as soon as the intersection cleared, weaving haphazardly amidst a crowd of people holding everything from newspapers and briefcases over their heads. I was comforted only by the fact that clearly, no one else had thought to bring an umbrella today either.

Finally, with the coffee shop in sight, I smiled again, only to have the heel of my shoe stick in a drainage grate.

I grunted, apologized to the people whose path I was blocking, and tugged, but the shoe stuck firmly. I needed a better angle to unwedge the shoe, and the only way to achieve that would involve stepping out of the shoe and placing my bare foot on the dirty sidewalk. Unable to stomach that option, I futilely wrenched harder. My clothes and hair were already drenched, and the water pooling around my forehead was starting to drip into my eyes and obscure my view of the trapped shoe. My pride had taken a hit, but I had to retrieve my shoe without harming it. Sure, it was last year’s design that I’d bought on sale, but any Louboutin, even one on sale, was a chunk of change.

Suddenly, the rain stopped. I glanced up, as though expecting to see that God himself had performed this valued miracle, but instead, I simply saw an umbrella held firmly over my head. A man, the bearer of the umbrella, crouched down beside me.

“Let me try,” he offered, in a dreamy British accent. With a quick twist of his wrist, the shoe popped free. I stumbled backwards as the shoe came loose, and the man steadied me gracefully, a quick “whoopsie daisy,” escaping his lips.

About the Author

Liza Malloy writes contemporary romance, women’s fiction, suspense romance, and fantasy. She’s a sucker for alpha males, bad boys, dimples, and muscles, and she can’t resist a man in uniform. Liza loves creating worlds where the heroine discovers her own strength and finds her Happily Ever After. When Liza isn’t reading or writing torrid love stories, she’s a practicing attorney. Her other passions include gummy bears, jelly beans, and the occasional marathon. She lives in Hamilton County with her four daughters and her own Prince Charming. Her books Sixty Days for Love, For Love and Italian, and Forbidden Ink are available in paperback and ebook, and can be found on Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. More updates and fun bonus content available on her website.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterst | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

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

Buy the following books on Amazon:

Sixty Days for Love

For Love and Italian

Forbidden Ink

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Far Reaching Consequences by Anya Summers – Spotlight and Giveaway

February 5, 2020 By 9 Comments

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

Phoebe needs a second chance at life.

In the aftermath of the devastation from her failed marriage, Phoebe returns to her old stomping grounds to open her own bed and breakfast. Starting over is the bravest thing she’s ever done – or so she thinks. But opening her front door to find a blast from her past on her front porch changes all that. The teenager she’d once known has become a jaw-dropping, dominant man in his prime.

He wasn’t looking for a relationship until she blazed back into his life.

Graham runs his own construction business, remodeling homes, and building brand new ones. When his buddy gives him a lead on a new project, he never expects to run into Phoebe, the woman he shared a single kiss with eons ago. Nor is he prepared for the Dominant in him to stake his claim before the end of their first meeting. He wanted her in high school but there had been too wide a gulf separating them. Now, Graham will stop at nothing until he makes her his. But there are larger forces at work, attempting to tear them apart.

When everything Phoebe holds dear becomes a target, Graham will risk it all for the one woman he knows he can never live without.

Publisher’s Note: This steamy second chance romance contains elements of power exchange. While it is the second in the Crescent City Kings series, it can be enjoyed independently.

Enjoy an Excerpt

The rubber soles of Phoebe’s taupe-colored work boots squeaked against the golden cinnamon hardwood floor. Daisy’s paws clicked as she trotted beside her. Phoebe would have to trim Daisy’s nails again. The plantation itself was in sad disarray after decades of neglect. In some ways, the plantation was strangely like her life—or at least the way it had been, until she made the commitment to fix it. For the last thirty years, this place had stood vacant and unloved. The previous owners had been unable to sell the property and unable to invest in her upkeep. This grand old lady had become a dilapidated ruin of a bygone era.

Phoebe hoped to fix this place up, just like she had her life. She believed, with a bit of elbow grease, she would be able to turn the plantation back into a showpiece—one for which people would pay for the experience of staying there. New Orleans and the surrounding area was a pre-eminent tourist destination that Phoebe planned to capitalize on.

She eventually wanted her own airport shuttle for guests. But that was getting ahead of herself. The first step was a complete renovation.

It was only recently that Phoebe had been able to actualize her dream of owning Riverland to renovate it into a fully operational bed and breakfast. She’d used the inheritance her late grandpa, Ralph Mackenzie, had bequeathed her in his will a year ago. The tidy sum he’d left her had been enough to buy this place outright, along with the small acreage surrounding the old plantation, with money left over for the needed renovations.

Financially, it would be tight at first until she started having paying guests. That was why she waited tables at the strip joint Bayou Sin on Bourbon Street in the meantime. Not because she loved wearing skintight clothes with men trying to grope her, but it helped supplement her income.

This plantation was infused with all her hope for the future, one that belonged to her and her alone.

As she reached what had once been a grand entrance, with its heavy, double oak doors the same warm cinnamon as the floors, she drew the right-side door open, a greeting on her lips as she spread them in a fake smile like the one she wore serving drinks. Daisy’s whole body vibrated, her attention directed at the man on the opposite side of the door. The initial punch of fear disintegrated as she studied him and memories dulled by time and distance surfaced.

He was tall, a good six two, and built like a professional baseball player with broad shoulders and a head full of dark chestnut hair that was a few weeks past needing a trim. His button-down ivory dress shirt was rolled up to his elbows, leaving his tanned, brawny forearms bare. The shirt was tucked into a pair of well-worn blue jeans with a brown leather tool belt slung around his lean waist.

But it was the man’s eyes, artic blue, making her think of frost and snow, in the tan, slightly weathered face that caused a bell of recognition to sound through her and made her lips curl into a genuine smile.

“Graham? Graham Layton, is that really you? You’re the contractor Dante recommended?” Joy filtered into her voice as she stared at the blast from her past. It had been almost nineteen years since the night of the winter formal in high school. The night she had always considered one of the best of her life.

About the Author:

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.

Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.

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