Stairway to Heaven by Alex Stevens – Q&A and Giveaway

October 13, 2022 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A $50 Amazon/BN GC will be provided to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What is something you’ve lied about?
Being in love with someone.

Who is the last person you hugged?
My fiancee

What are you reading now?
The Silent Blade, Eight Dates, US

How do you come up with the titles to your books?
This is a very difficult process. In this series every title is a song, so the music creates an actual ballad, and the title has to be appropriate for the book, as well as something I’d actually like listening to over and over again. Still haven’t picked the third book’s title yet.

Share your dream cast for your book.
So Jack Graven for me is always going to be my buddy Brad Hackworth. Michael Fassbender for Tyler Graven. Idris Elba as Lucifer, who might be able to play Richard as well, not sure if this should be two different people or not. They look different in the book, but they’re the same person. I have no idea who could play Masha. And Jeong Ji-hoon for Jin, as long as he still looks young.

Corporal Jack Graven should be dead. Murdered by a vengeful angel at his own father’s funeral, Jack is resurrected and returns to life carrying a terrible secret: he is the Archangel Gabriel reincarnated.

Jack’s not the only one with secrets. His older brother, Lieutenant Colonel Tyler Graven “Demon of Kyoto”, has just inherited his father’s fortune and legacy as Lord of War, with no intention of stopping there: Tyler will someday rule the world.

The brothers reunite their elite military unit, “The Four Horsemen,” with Tyler’s longtime flame Colonel Diana Levitas and the mysterious Lance Corporal Jin Xialong. Together they seek to uncover the truth of Jack’s past life and propel Tyler to his impossible destiny.

Thrust into a supernatural war, the Gravens find salvation through the Black Muramasa, a cursed black katana and the only weapon that can destroy immortals. As they uncover more mysteries behind the ancient blade, they come face to face with the Devil himself, but in the most familiar of faces. Their pasts, presents, and futures all linked, the Four Horsemen must end the war once and for all to survive with their souls intact. Failing could mean the end of the world.

A follow up to the explosive first book in the Ballad of Fallen Angels series, “Sympathy for the Devil,” Book 2 is an action-packed, gun-slinging adventure that packs the punch of a military thriller with high-stakes supernatural intrigue.

enjoy an Excerpt

Her body reclined before me in the soft satin sheets as a pale canvas draped against blood-red curtains. The early morning rays of light warned me that our time together would soon finish, this thought leaving a sadness in me stronger than the sadness of being with her. This sadness rose and fell like her bosom with each breath taken, eating away at my lustful desire to touch her. Instead, I gazed at her slumbering form, wondering if our time together was simply another adventure or if she harbored true feelings for me. Perhaps it was simply revenge for the lies she had been told. Another breath, another desire, then sadness. Then again.

Shame.

The word echoed repeatedly through my mind.

Seconds morphed into minutes, minutes into hours. I stared cautiously at the beauty of her backside, and her lean body inhaling and exhaling. My own breathing harbored a more physical pain than the betrayal I had wrought, the bullet wounds and cracked ribs popping painfully with every exhale. My pain soon blended into a chaos of emotion that swirled within me, a lustful desire for her competing against the shame of betrayal the act brought.

How can I look Tyler in the eye after this?

Perhaps the betrayal came from Tyler himself.

Did he know it was a trap?

About the Author:Alex Stevens is a Marine Corps Veteran with two deployments and a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Interdisciplinary Studies program, a unique undergraduate degree that caters to students with various interests of study. He is also an advent traveler and philosophy enthusiast who has spent a lifetime studying religions, with a focus on Non-denominational Christianity. Alex spends most of his time going for walks, spending time with loved ones, and when the juices are flowing, writing. Fantasy fiction is his great escape from the mundane and he likes to create fantastical realities that are blended with non-fictional people, places, and events.

Facebook

Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Daughter of Belial by Jennifer Juvenelle – Spotlight and Giveaway

October 12, 2022 By 5 Comments

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

Some Family Trees Should Be Burned. . .

Greer Girls are special. Greer Girls are rare. Greer Girls are central to the secret Order of Belial.

Sophie Greer knows none of this. All she knows is that her now ex-boyfriend cheated on her, she’s alone working in Paris, and her mysterious billionaire boss, Edward Hughes, is way too interested in her life.

But when Sophie is kidnapped in Moscow while on a business trip, she’s plunged into the dark underbelly of the global elite and a sinister secret society with deep ties to her family; ties that lead to revelations darker than anything Sophie could have imagined.

Betrayed by the man who raised her, and targeted by the illustrious Hughes family, only one thing is certain—family history can be deadly. If Sophie is to survive, she must decide who to trust and what to believe, or risk being crushed beneath the weight of the all-powerful secret Order of Belial.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Smoke from the other vehicle’s engine fills the back seat. Coughing, I cover my nose and mouth as I desperately search for a solution. The whole right side of the vehicle is smashed in. There’s no getting out that way. I’m considering trying to break the back left window when I spy the dividing curtain swinging in the cool fall breeze.

Tugging the makeshift divider aside, I peek into the front to see the driver hunched over the steering wheel, unconscious. If I move carefully, I might be able to climb around him to get out the driver’s side. I’m about to make my move when the back door squawks open. A large gust of fresh air rushes into the banged-up vehicle. My head swivels to assess the new arrival.

No. It can’t be. A trillion queries rise and fall as I look upon my assailant—my savior? It’s too much. Between the plane ride, the abduction, and being left alone to rot for a week in a gaudy prison then carted out like a virgin for sacrifice, I’m spent. Where does it end?

There’s a popping sound as my mouth forms a tiny O in stunned surprise. Edward, looking like James Bond in a classic European-cut suit (probably Armani) and a light-grey dress shirt, unbuttoned at the top, is standing in the open doorway, hand outstretched in a gesture of chivalry as if these were the most natural circumstances under the Russian moon. I give him a blank stare.

“I told you I’d find you.” His silky voice floats past my ears, rattles around in my brain and down to my chest, where it nuzzles itself snugly into my heart.

About the Author

JENNIFER JUVENELLE is a Native American/French author born in Hollywood, raised in Detroit, and fashioned in France. Formerly an actress and model, Jennifer now splits her time between crafting psychological thrillers and the magic of motherhood. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Jennifer made healing from trauma a priority when her life became untenable. Daughter of Belial is the unexpected product of her journey from trauma to triumph. An eager explorer, she currently lives in a remote Mexican seaside-jungle village with her debonair Aussie author husband and their young son.

Facebook | Instagram | Website

Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Advice for Writers by Harry Duffin – Guest Blog and Giveaway

October 12, 2022 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Harry Duffin 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.

Advice for Writers

There are several things you need if you are going to be a writer.

There first is dealing with rejection. Because it happens to every one of us. Remember J.K. Rowling was rejected by twelve publishers before she was accepted. If she had given up after the twelfth, the world would never have heard of Harry Potter. Carrie by Stephen King was rejected thirty times! So, the first thing to accept is that you will be rejected, a lot of times. Accept that, feel sad for a moment, have a drink maybe, then move on.

Secondly you need a lot of persistence. It took me twenty years of submitting my work before I made a living as a writer. Over those years several friends told me to give up, and I nearly did, a few times. But if writing is the thing you want to do more than anything else, carry on. You might never make it to the top of the best-seller list, not many people do, but with self-publishing anyone with a few hundred quid can produce a book; your book, which you can put on your shelf. Even if it doesn’t sell all that well, maybe you can give it as a birthday or a Christmas present? It’s a unique gift.

Remember rejections are not about you, though it generally feels like it at the time. After a few rejections you realise that it’s your writing that is rejected. And there are many reasons for that. Maybe it’s not very good. Maybe you didn’t find the right agent for that type of book. Maybe you didn’t market it well enough.

When your work is rejected, look at it again. Maybe you could do better? If someone is good enough to tell you what they think is wrong don’t just dismiss their comments. They may have a point. Or they may not. You have to decide which, because it is your work after all. You have the ultimate choice.

You also need a bit of luck. Put yourself around so you know what’s going on. You have to be in the right place at the right time. I had nearly given up the idea of being a writer when I got a three-month contract reading scripts at the BBC. I learned about a new soap being developed and I rang the script-editor every day for two months, before he asked me in at asked me to write a dozen storylines. He and the producer loved them, and I became a member of the first writing team on EASTENDERS.

So put yourself about. Meet other writers, go to conferences, book fairs, anywhere where you might meet that one person who can help you make the next step.

In May 1939, when Professor Carl Mueller, his wife, Esther, and their three children flee Nazi Germany, and find refuge on the paradise island of Cuba, they are all full of hopes and dreams for a safe and happy future. But those dreams are shattered when Carl and Esther are confronted by a ghost from their past, and old betrayals return to haunt them.

The turbulent years of political corruption leading to Batista’s dictatorship, forces the older children to take very different paths to pursue their own dangerous dreams.

And – among the chaos and the conflict that finally leads to Castro’s revolution and victory in 1959, an unlikely love begins to grow – a love that threatens the whole family.

Having escaped a war-torn Europe, their Island of Dreams is to tear them apart forever.

Enjoy an Excerpt

The deck was already full of passengers, mostly standing in silence. Like Anna, taking their last look at the island. She found a space at the rail facing the shore, as the rising sun turned the grand buildings of the Presidential Plaza to gold.

The ship was divided between wailing and deep silence. Somewhere Anna could hear a rhythmic chant –

‘We cannot sail. We must not die -’

Anna choked back tears. How she longed to set foot on the island. To walk under the palms, to be lost in the bustle, the sounds, the music of these vibrant people. She stood silently, the tears hot on her cheeks. She looked past the line of police boats to the shore and remembered her first sight of the island. It had looked so welcoming, so free. She could make out the line of tall palm trees beyond the harbour, their long fronds waving in the gentle breeze. She had never stood beneath a palm tree. Were there coconuts clustered at the top? She’d never know, now.

‘We cannot sail. We must not die -’ continued the chant.

But they were to sail. Were they also to die?

The ship’s klaxon startled them all. A long, mournful moan. A deeper silence followed the deafening noise. Then the panic and the prayers rose again, louder, from deep inside the ship. Suddenly, the note of the engines changed, higher, louder, more insistent. Anna knew it couldn’t be long now.

About the Author: Harry is an award-winning UK screenwriter, who won the Writers’ Guild Award for Best TV serial, while writing for Granada Television’s ‘CORONATION STREET’. Before that, in 1985, he was on the first writing team for the BBC’s ‘EASTENDERS’.

Before beginning his career writing drama for television, Harry spent a dozen years working in British theatre, as stage manager, writer, designer and director, working with actors such as Nigel Hawthorne, Anne Reid and Lesley Manville.

After script-editing the BBC’s HOWARDS’ WAY, he freelanced for series like DISTRICT NURSE, THE BILL, BOON, THE BRETTS, EMMERDALE.

In 1994 he became Head of Development at the UK independent company, Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment. As the script executive he was responsible for seven major television series, included ‘SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON’ starring RICHARD ‘JOHN BOY’ THOMAS, and ‘TWIST IN THE TALE’, featuring WILLIAM SHATNER. He also wrote the film, RETURN TO TREASURE ISLAND.

In 1998 he was the co-creator of the UK Channel Five teen-cult drama series ‘THE TRIBE’, which ran for five series, numbering 260 episodes. ‘THE TRIBE’ has been sold world-wide, and all series is on YouTube.

His first novel, CHICAGO MAY, is the first book of a two-part series. He has also written JAIL TALES, about his wife’s 20 year career in the prison service, and the novel BIRTH OF THE MALL RATS, the prequel to THE TRIBE.

He has just finished his third novel, ISLAND OF DREAMS, to be published on December 1st 2022.

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Amazon Author Page

The book will be free.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

The Muse by Iris March – Guest Blog and Giveaway

October 11, 2022 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Iris March 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.

The Muse

Hello! It’s an honor to be featured on Long and Short Reviews! Thank you so much for having me! Today, let’s talk about the muse.

My most recent novel, The Story That Made Us Stronger, was released in late September, just a few weeks ago. It’s the story of Connor, a nurse training for a half marathon who becomes obsessed with a tiny, abandoned building on his regular running route. He shares his obsession with one of his patients in the stem cell replacement ward. That patient and other people in his life help him research the building and encourage his half marathon training.

This book was the first one I wrote and the first time I felt the tug of the so-called novel writing muse. I’ve since authored a second book (although it was published first) and have more writing projects on the horizon. I have always wanted to write a book, always knew I had at least one in me. I was an English (and Biology) major and have always done a lot of writing for my career. But I never thought I could write so much and stay committed to one storyline and set of characters to complete a full novel.

But the muse struck me and hasn’t left me since.

That first inspiration was in the form of dealing with the anxiety of my sister having cancer with being pregnant with twins. I needed more than just journaling to work through the worry. And so I started writing about Connor and wrote my sister’s story within his. Her character is that encouraging stem cell replacement patient. I found that I could in fact write so much that it was an entire book’s wroth of a story, could commit to a set of characters. It was the characters that kept me going. I had to figure out how to get them to the end of the book: make the discoveries about the building, run the half marathon, finish the stem cell replacement therapy. It was my sister’s story and I had to finish it. I carved out time to write and really just felt obsessed with the story and the people in it as I wrote.

A new set of characters and a setting kept coming to me while I ran on my own regular running route. When I set out to write another book, the muse remained with me. This time, I found that keeping a log of how many words I wrote daily helped me stay committed. And I was equally obsessed. But the story didn’t do what I wanted. The characters kept reacting a bit differently than I thought they would when I put them in situations. That kept me wondering what would happen. It was like I was reading the story half the time, not writing it.

So I consider my muse to be the characters in my books. I feel committed to them and finding out what happens. In both my novels, I knew how they would end but I needed my characters to get there. I couldn’t leave them hanging!

Learn more about me and my books at my website.

An abandoned building. A motivated runner. A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer survivor.

Connor Jackson has been training for a half marathon for the past six weeks. Katie Brandt has been training to beat cancer for the past 50. When Connor discovers an intriguing secret in a tiny, abandoned building on his running route, Katie finds that the mystery is what she needs to help her get through her three-week stem cell replacement procedure. Together, Conner and Katie must find the strength to achieve their personal goals and, in the meantime, expose the many past lives that the tiny building led.

Enjoy an Excerpt

The Runner
Connor Jackson

I’d run past it probably a thousand times.

An especially windy thunderstorm had covered my regular paved running trail with slippery leaves, twigs, and a few larger limbs on a late August afternoon. As I was running the trail, avoiding the more slippery sections, a door that I’d never noticed before was ever-so-slightly crooked, leaving it ajar. Mind you, I was running when I caught this dark shadow next to the door in the corner of my eye, and I almost tripped. Instead of hitting the ground, I sidestepped and took that moment to stop, pretend to tie my shoe and adjust my socks, and push my sweaty brown hair out of my eyes. I refused to be one of those guys with a man bun, but maybe I just needed to get a new haircut.

As I was messing with my shoes, I looked up at the building. It was small, probably only ten feet long by ten feet wide, a red-brick structure with a huge pole an inch away from it that was taller and thicker than any nearby telephone poles. At the tip of the pole was a piece of metal, strapped on and reaching even farther into the sky. There was a rusted chain-link fence around the building, with a few small trees and weeds within it. You could tell at one point that green plastic had been wrapped around the links, but it was long gone. The building was about fifty feet away from the trail, with plenty of trees between it and me, including a huge tulip poplar that I often noticed while running, and a bunch of maples. Breaking up the brick on the west side of the building, facing up the trail, was a wooden door with no window, adorned only by a worn doorknob. And now the hinges seemed to have broken a bit, the wood warped and pulling away from the frame about half an inch.

I was kneeling and staring for too long. A woman wearing blue sunglasses and walking a dog that looked like Lassie gave me a bit of a sideways look. I adjusted my shorts and stood up to continue running, with a lot more on my mind.

About the Author:Iris March grew up the oldest of three sisters whose names all began with the same letter. Her sisters are still her best friends. March works in the sustainability field and also writes cozy mysteries in the Succulent Sleuth Series. She lives in Ohio with her husband, young son, and three cats.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

Buy the book on Amazona Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Hope, Strength and Courage by Kathryn Lee – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

October 10, 2022 By 3 Comments

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

This book has been a self-reflective journey of a medical doctor as an ordinary person going through ordinary life’s ups and downs. In epistolary form, its articles were written during the special time of her first year of training to become a general practitioner/family physician, including making the tough decision to give up hospital specialist training, “withdrawing” from fast-paced hospital work, transitioning to working from a metropolitan hospital to a rural community clinic, witnessing and getting used to a younger sibling’s growing up, and being independent from a close and loving family. Some also feature a promotion of the author’s new academic career at the start of the COVID 19 pandemic and how it was perceived. The book shows a journey of love, strength, perseverance, purpose and encouragement. Lots of anecdotes, lots of stories, lots of quotes. With love and respect.

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

In this car crash, I certainly suffered physically and a little bit emotionally, but spiritually and by the grace of God, I gained so much. I see things differently now, and I understand not to take anything for granted, especially the people around me and the relationships I build and can use to honour God and bring peace, love, and joy to others. I know God loves me, and He protected me during this incident so I can bring testimony and continue making a positive impact in this world, and in this short life we all live. God is the provider of hope, strength, and courage. He is also the provider of true peace. His words carry transformational power and bring dramatic life changes and breakthroughs. Dude, it is with love and gratitude that I shared with you what the past two weeks have been like for me. You were right. I should not be here on this Earth after that accident, and if not for the grace of God, you might be mourning the loss of your sister and preparing for my funeral instead of enjoying conversations with me. Think of the stress! You would have to deal with my rental place in Meadows Field, my mortgage in Riverdale and the care of Mum and Dad, in addition to what you already stress over in your own work. But God is good, and He is faithful, and He did not leave you in that situation. Recount your blessings, and immerse yourself in the love of God through His words, grace, and peace. Like a song I sang at Church today, “I am still in His hands”; yes, Dude, you and I are still in His hands. We are all in His hands, so our lives can be abundant, fulfilled and with purpose. As in Romans 8:37, “In all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.”

About the Author: Kay Li is a medical doctor. A Christian. A daughter. A sister. A student in life university. An ordinary person in an extraordinary world.

Website | Goodreads

Buy the book at Amazon AU, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository, Chapters Indigo, Kobo, Smashwords, or iBooks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Cause for Elimination by Marla A. White – Spotlight and Giveaway

October 10, 2022 By 4 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Marla A. White 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.

Reclaiming her life after a devastating riding accident, equestrian Emily Conners’ world shatters again when she discovers her friend and boss laying in a stall with a smashed skull. Now jobless and with a handsome cop underfoot investigating the case, she’s torn between wanting the killer found and keeping her own secrets safe.

Detective Justin Butler always gets his killer, but this victim has a stampede of enemies and few leads to go on. Stonewalled by the tight-knit equestrian world, he looks to Emily for help, but she’s strangely reluctant. Is she hiding something, or is she afraid of their growing attraction?

As the search for the murderer heats up, their hearts become entangled and their lives at risk, forcing Emily and Justin to work together to find the killer before they strike again.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Dennis snapped on his own set of gloves and gestured toward the woman standing just outside the stall-cum-office. “Nice coat she’s got on. Didn’t you used to have one like it?”

“That’s Emily Conners. She found the body.”

“And so what, it’s a new gimmick? Everyone who reports a murder wins a free Blueberry coat?”

“It’s a Bu—never mind, you philistine. What was I supposed to do? We took her coat and shoes as evidence.”

Dennis wanted to say, you mind your own business and solve the crime, not take every hard-luck case you see under your wing. Nobody, not even Justin, had big enough wings to take in all the strays they met in this line of work. Instead, he left it alone. It was a lesson every cop had to learn for themselves.

Justin ignored his unspoken disapproval and took a sip of coffee. Instantly, his face scrunched up in an expression of pure horror.

“Don’t blame me. It was the only coffee I could find around here,” Dennis said while he checked out the office. “Hey, you take the horse out of the stall, add a ceiling fan, crappy furniture from the local office supply store, and a phone and you’ve got—a stall minus a horse.”

“People who live in glass cubicles,” his partner countered. “I kind of like the Feng Shui, it’s very grounding, especially with the window—”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s facing south and angled toward the moon, whatever,” he scoffed.

About the Author:

Marla White is a story analysis instructor at UCLA and writing coach who lives in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Kentucky (go Wildcats!), where she took her first horseback riding lesson. After dabbling in hunters, barrel racing, and weekly trail rides, she fell hopelessly in love with the sport of eventing. She conquered Novice level before taking a break to pursue novel writing but hopes to return to the saddle someday soon. Her first novel, “The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder,” was published in 2021 followed by the first two books in her Keeper Chronicles series. When she’s not writing, she’s out in the garden, hiking, or putting together impossibly difficult puzzles.

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Buy the book at , Amazon, Book Bub, or All Author.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Advice for Writers by Marie McGrath – Guest Blog and Giveaway

October 10, 2022 By 9 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Marie McGrath 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.

Advice for Writers

I am surprising myself by picking the topic of advice for writers, because inside I still wonder what makes me qualified to give such advice. But, these are a few things I wish I could have heard and really listened to when I was beginning to write. The first, is READ. Read everything, but most importantly read within the genre you wish to be a writer. Don’t just read one or two books and call it quits, but read hundreds. The more you read, the more themes you discover and the more you internalize plot structure within that genre. Books do better when these nods to the genre/structure are taken into account. Readers expect a romance to have a happy ending. If you deprive them of one, they won’t be happy. Secondly, it is important to get more eyes than just yours on the book. You are entitled to your literary voice, but it is so hard to catch things and get better in the beginning unless other people are reading it and giving you feedback. It doesn’t mean you have to take everything they say and do it exactly how they say it, but it is beneficial when you are finding your voice and strengths as a writer. Thirdly, write what you would want to read. Passion in writing for me is so important. I believe that if you aren’t enjoying your story, then others won’t either. Will everyone love your book? No. That’s an unlikely goal, but they really won’t enjoy it if you don’t either. So don’t just write a book to appease others, make sure you are excited about it and that energy will translate into the story.

Falling in love with a senior was risky … especially when he was your best friend’s brother.

Allie Duncan started sophomore year with two aspirations, make her school’s volleyball team and keep her crush on Hunter Baylor, her best friend’s brother, a secret. If Mia found out, she would feel betrayed. The crush was useless anyway. Hunter was a star basketball player and she was a nobody. Or so she thought until his attention was piqued after Allie went on the Baylors’ summer vacation. When Hunter goes to homecoming with Allie’s sophomore rival, she’s devastated and her confidence is destroyed, especially after his date tells her the Baylors pity her. Hunter tries to make it up to Allie, which leads to a kiss, leaving Allie confused.

Can she push this crush out of her heart to save her friendship? Or is Hunter worth the risk?

Enjoy an Excerpt

“You came out to the shore without Mia? That’s dangerous in the dark.”

“So did you.”

“And?”

“And what? I’m some defenseless girl who needs a chaperone?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

I retreated to my flip flops and plopped into the sand. I kept my gaze on Hunter’s back as he stared into the water. Of all the places on the beach, he had to stand at this one? This was my escape from my feelings, and I hated that the other part of me was secretly excited that we were here … alone. What did I expect to happen? I was his sister’s best friend. Some useless sophomore. This was just a convenient spot, directly in front of the house.

I stood and slipped my feet back into my flip flops. “I’m heading back. Have a goodnight.”

“Duncan, wait. I didn’t mean to crash your walk and then insult you.”

“No harm done, Hunter. I should head back anyway.”

“I can walk with you.”

I waved the flashlight, sending it haphazardly across his chest. “I’ll be fine. Enjoy the view.” I turned to walk back.

I would be lucky if I could sleep picturing what could have happened on that beach. What I wished would happen. If only we were different people, and it wasn’t forbidden.

About the Author Marie McGrath lives in a small rural town in Maryland. She hopes to inspire others with her stories. Her favorite genres to read are YA Romance and Contemporary Fiction. She loves the color turquoise, tigers, and listening to music.

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

What Kind of Writer Am I? by Katie Groom – Guest Blog and Giveaway

October 5, 2022 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Katie Groom 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.

What kind of writer am I?

I’m a time traveling writer.

I never write in order. My characters probably feel as if they are in one of those reverse bungee slingshot rides at the carnival, bouncing all around every which way, in the abyss that is my brain.

I do not start with a scene that’s at the beginning or the end — in the off chance that it does end up that way, it’s because I’ve discovered that I need to stop there and move on to another book in the series after writing all of the other scenes. I pick one that is somewhere in the middle that calls to me, and I write in a random pattern around that. Sometimes the scene that I start with never even makes it into the book. The very first thing that I wrote for Fixed Moon took place in London and was based on a real-life date that I had there — this never made it into the book.

As I write more, I also go back and edit what I’ve already written, so my characters have to revisit what they just went through yesterday or the day before, and sometimes it changes — just like memories sometimes gain a new light as one ages and experiences new things. Sometimes they become more vivid. More gruesome. And, rarely, they become happier.

There have been times where I’ve written something in Hugh’s point of view and had to re-write it in Zoie’s — and that throws them for a loop even more because it’s as if they’ve invaded each other’s memories. They get a taste of what the other is going through — even though they aren’t supposed to know.

What’s even worse is when I write something for the story I’m working on at the time, but it doesn’t work, so I pull it out and save it in my “bits and pieces” folder only to have a story completely unrelated utilize it. Imagine those characters as they find themselves placed into a stranger’s memory. It’s like dropping the little figure into Google maps and just walking around, trying to find the nearest airport, as if it was the latest social media challenge.

But the characters do fight back a little. I’ve written a scene about Hugh, and I didn’t like the decision he was making. I deleted it and started over, changing things but still getting us to that crossroad. He made the same choice again. And a third time. And a fourth. So, on the fifth time, I let that be the way that the chips fell.

Somehow the stories all fall together, and I swear that it’s some sort of witchcraft. It somehow starts as a group of scenes all tied together by the worked ELEPHANT (font sized 60; note: I use “elephant” so that I can quickly search and find all of the spots with missing pieces — unless, of course, I’m writing about elephants), but it finds its way to a cohesive story. When all is said and done, the characters will get to live their stories in order every time the book is opened by a new reader, without getting jostled around on a slingshot carnival ride.

After breaking her engagement and traveling 800 miles to start her life over, literature student Zoie is ready to live her life within the books she reads and the worlds she creates on the page. She will live her life solo — only her stuffed animal Judy by her side.

Werewolf and literature professor Hugh has long been wary of letting people into his life, even for someone who’s almost 200. His life in Birmingham, Alabama, and his only two friends in the world are enough to keep him content. Not happy, but as near as he figures is possible.

Neither is ready for the literal sparks that fly when they meet. But Hugh knows those sparks mean his heart belongs to Zoie, whether she wants it or not. Desperate to prove he’s worthy of her, Hugh takes Zoie to places mortals are forbidden, drawing dangerous attention to them both.

Now, together with their closest friends, Hugh and Zoie fight against ancient foes and even more ancient laws for their lives and their love.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Stevie placed her hands in front of her as if she was holding a big beach ball and closed her eyes. The boat shook ever so slightly and then the water started to rise above the sides of the boat.

Terrified that they were going to take on water, Zoie latched onto Hugh’s arm. She watched as either the water continued to rise above the boat or, maybe, the boat was sinking below the water.

As the water arched over their heads and created a ceiling, a fish fell at their feet. “Do I release it back or will that be an issue?” Zoie picked it up and waited for the signal — a nod from Stevie. Then she tossed it back towards the wall of water before it wiggled out of her hands.

The boat travelled further down into the depths of the ocean, slowly at first — as Stevie gauged Zoie’s potential reaction to increased pressure around the boat. The water grew a darker and darker blue until the only light was what was held in their own bubble.

Zoie was standing at the edge of the boat, holding the railing, when she saw a small light. She leaned forward to get a better look. Squinting her eyes, she tried to make out what was holding the light. She leaned further forward only to be inches from the wall of water — and inches from many rows of giant, pointy teeth.

Jumping back, she gasped and placed her hand over her mouth.

About the Author:Katie Groom grew up in rural Pennsylvania, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Business Management from PITT and her master’s in Employment and Labor Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 2016, she decided to move to Alabama in order to avoid as much snow as possible (and to advance her career in Human Resources).
When she isn’t working, Katie enjoys reading, writing, jokingly critiquing movies and TV, and campaigning that the plural of moose should be meese. She also loves to take in live music (especially Hanson) and traveling, with the goal of reaching each of the continents. Katie’s favorite pastime, however, is spending time with her beloved Shih tzu, Delta.

Cinnabar Moth Author Page | Twitter

Buy the book at Cinnabar Moth or Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Meeting Death by Howard Brown – Guest Blog and Giveaway

October 5, 2022 By 4 Comments

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

I met death.

In fact, I met death twice. Against overwhelming odds both times, I lived to tell this story—which is why I won’t waste time telling you anything but the most essential truths in these pages. Meeting death shines a clarifying spotlight on one’s life. In actually confronting death, all the superfluous stuff that usually fills our days is burned away. What becomes clear as we grapple tooth and nail with death is a glimpse of the true purpose of the life we’ve been given in this world.

What is the purpose of a good life? First, a disclaimer: In answering this question, I am not pretending to be one of the world’s great sages. What I can do is the same thing you can do. I can tell you my story—with all of its laughter, warm embraces, crazy brainstorms, daring leaps of faith and cliffhangers. By the end, you will recognize how much our stories are connected. You may discover that all of us are part of a much bigger story—or, we might say, a much larger circle.

So, what is the purpose of a good life? What is the message you’ll find shining through all of the stories in this book? It’s a question I was forced to answer when I met death each time. Wrestling with death month after month was so bone-wearying that I had to answer this core question each morning just to climb out of bed: Against all odds, why should I go on living? Millions of cancer patients like me know this haunting question all too well. Some days, it feels easier to just lay back, surrender and give up.

When I faced that question the first time, I was surprised by my own answer. I realized how completely my confrontation with death was stripping away all of the inconsequential noise in my life. Why should I live? One easy answer to that question that I could have voiced is a cry of defiance mixed with regret: “Because there’s so much more I want to get!” But, no, I never said that. I never got lost in that trap, because that answer really is a first step toward letting cancer separate us from the people surrounding us—narrowing our focus to all that the disease may be taking away from us as individuals.

My honest answer always was: “Because there’s so much more I want to give.” On my worst day—and there were hundreds of worst days—that was always my answer.

Why should I live?

Because there is so much more I can give.

In Shining Brightly, Silicon Valley pioneer, cancer survivor and interfaith peacemaker Howard Brown shares keys to resilience for successful entrepreneurs, patient advocates and community leaders. He shows us how to reach out through our families, our communities and around the world to form truly supportive connections and friendships. From Howard’s career as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, to his conquering metastatic stage IV cancer twice, to his compassionate outreach as a peacemaker, to his love of sports—this ultimately is not one man’s story. Shining Brightly is a story shared by countless men and women—and may wind up changing your life as well. With each true story he tells in the pages, Howard invites readers to picture how they might join him in shining more light in our world.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Sprinkled through all the adventures in this book—some of them ordinary, heartwarming family stories and some of them so remarkable you will be tempted to call them miraculous—there are truths like this one Bubby Bertha was trying to explain that morning on the sidewalk in Worcester, Massachusetts. There are more to come, but here are four of these truths as we set out on our journey together in these pages:

• Each of us has our own special light.

• We shine more brightly when we share our light with others.

• True resiliency—the kind that is strong enough to overcome trauma at seemingly impossible odds— rests on letting in the light of others.

• As our light circles the world, we illuminate and celebrate our diversity.

I’m sharing these truths right away so that perhaps you’ll turn down the corner of this page and flip back to it from time to time. This is your book as much as it is mine, after all, and I wrote it with the intention that you will mark it up and return to its pages occasionally for inspiration. Plus, as you read through these chapters, you’ll find lots of ideas for fun and inspiring things you can do to shine your light in the world.

About the Author:Howard Brown is an author, Silicon Valley entrepreneur, interfaith peacemaker, two-time stage IV cancer survivor and healthcare advocate. For more than three decades, Howard’s business innovations, leadership principles, mentoring and his resilience in beating cancer against long odds have made him a sought-after speaker and consultant for businesses, nonprofits, congregations, and community groups. In his business career, Howard was a pioneer in helping to launch a series of technology startups before he co-founded two social networks that were the first to connect religious communities around the world. He served his alma matter—Babson College, ranked by US News as the nation’s top college for entrepreneurship—as a trustee and president of Babson’s worldwide alumni network. His hard-earned wisdom about resilience after beating cancer twice has led him to become a nationally known patient advocate and “cancer whisperer” to many families. Visit Howard at ShiningBrightly.com to learn more about his ongoing work and contact him. Through that website, you also will find resources to help you shine brightly in your own corner of the world. Howard, his wife Lisa and daughter Emily currently reside in Michigan.

Website

Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

In the Mood by MW Arnold – Spotlight and Giveaway

October 4, 2022 By 3 Comments

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

During a hectic couple of weeks in February 1944, the girls of the Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery Club must face devastating personal loss amongst their number. A member of an illegal faction blackmails Betty, whilst a mystery at Mary’s ancestral home threatens to cause more trouble than anyone thought possible. In the midst of what should be the happiest of times, the portents seem to be catching up and little is what it seems to be. Can the girls find the strength to battle forces both internal and external, yet still maintain their dignity and friendship?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Jane slumped back into her seat, tore the headset off, and threw it onto the desk next to the radio she’d been about to attack. “I suppose you’re right. It only makes sense if she can’t receive what we’re sending. If I didn’t know her voice so well, I’d think someone was playing a trick on me.”

“Plus,” Betty added, “it’s on our frequency.”

Jane nodded in agreement. “Still, remind me to tear her off a stripe when she gets back…calling Hamble. This is Aston.” She ended with a nervous chuckle.

Betty joined in, eventually saying, “Still, you’ll have to give her points for originality, if nothing else.”

“I’ll give her something, all right,” Jane replied. “I’ll give her…”

“Mayday! Mayday! This is First Officer Aston. Am under attack by two Me109s!”

Jane and Betty stared at each other with open mouths, as the shocking statement blared out of the radio’s tiny speaker in Thelma’s unmistakable voice. When she’d simply been trying to get through earlier it had been in her normal, albeit frustrated, tone. Now unmistakable panic coursed through it.

The radio came to life again, only the first thing they heard this time was the chilling staccato chatter of gunfire! “I repeat, this is First Officer Aston of the ATA! I’m under attack. Rudder control is gone! My port engine’s on fire! Am going down, roughly northeast of Oxford…”

White as a ghost, Jane automatically made a grab for the microphone, “Thelma! This is Jane Howell. Do you receive? Over.”

After a few seconds, a voice came out of the speaker, barely audible, yet clearly that of their desperate friend, “Jane? Is that…”

And then, deathly silence…

About the Author:

M W Arnold lives near Northampton, UK and is known to his family and friends as, Mick. He was in the Royal Air Force for 16 years, visiting many different countries and very much enjoying himself. If he ever meets the Queen, he will have to thank her. He began writing as these characters needed their own voices. For a few years now, he’s been a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, a wonderful group of writers who’ve welcomed this bloke into their fold with open arms.

Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Mystery/Suspense, Romance Tagged With: , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »