Stoking the Fire by Megan Slayer – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Megan Slayer will be awarding a prize pack featuring a necklace made by the author to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Men Wanted—because sometimes love matches need a little magic.

Andrew ‘Duff’ Wagner goes straight to the gods to get his love match made. He relies on Men Wanted, the matchmaking service run by Apollo, Artemis, and Eros to find his perfect match. He’s in love with a certain lawyer, but there can’t be enough magic in the cosmos to get them together, right?

Christian Foley knows exactly who he wants as his match, but he works with Men Wanted to find the perfect partner. He’s got a thing for Duff Wagner and won’t rest until he gets a date. Christian and Duff might have a chance if only Duff’s ex would stop butting in. When he finally hooks up with the sexy shop owner, they have to decide if their passion will go up in flames or start the fire to last forever.

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“You look happy.” Mary, his secretary, arranged the files on her desk, then rolled away from her computer. “Hot date?”

“Actually, yes. I’m heading to the baseball game.”

“You?” She folded her hands on her lap. “You aren’t into sports.”

“I love baseball.” He normally kept his private life to himself, so he didn’t discuss that he’d gone to the game the night before.

“Since when?”

“Since I went to my first game when I was six. My dad took me and it was bat day. I still have the bat, too. I fell in love with the sport, and I’m a devoted Cincy fan. Good or bad, I’m a fan.” He checked the stack of his messages. “I’m out. I need an evening with no law and lots of relaxation.”

“Why do I have the feeling you get emotionally involved in your sports? Are you going to see the Grinders game?” she asked.

“I do get invested.” The tips of his ears burned. “But I’m finally going on a date, so there’s that.”

“You are?” She applauded. “Good. I hope it works out and leads to something great.”

“Me, too.” He winked. “See you in the morning.” He strolled out of the main office to the parking lot. The firm wasn’t big and was rarely full. That’s what he loved about Mooresville―it wasn’t a big city. Everyone knew everyone else. Within hours of him going out, everyone would know he’d chosen Duff. Good. He wanted them to know. He wanted to shout to the whole world he’d picked this man.

He unlocked his car and slid behind the wheel. He should go home and change before attending the game, but he didn’t have time. He drove across town to the park. The Grinders weren’t a major league team, but they were popular in Mooresville. Their ballfield was part of the city park, meaning there was a lot of parking and seating. He wanted to be visible, so he parked under one of the lights and waited for Duff. A few people were already there, and the teams were on the manicured turf, stretching.

“You made it.” Duff strolled along the sidewalk. “I thought you’d change your mind.”

“Me? Nah.” Not a chance he’d forget to be here for this. “You’re here.”

“Did you think I’d leave you without a word?”

>>©Megan Slayer, All Rights Reserved

About the Author:

Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library.

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Journeys: the Archers of Saint Sebastian by Jeanne Roland

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jeanne Roland will be awarding a $40 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.

A barracks full of beautiful boys. A girl in disguise, living among them.

It’s the 14th century, and the longbow is king. But in the northern European principality of Ardennes, archery isn’t just the nation’s defense. It’s the national obsession.

MEET THE JOURNEYS
12 young Journeyman archers, the best in the country
2 years of public competitions, in which looks count almost as much as ability
6 will win a coveted membership in the Archers’ Guild of St. Sebastian
1 will become the prince’s new Guardsman

MEET MARIEKE
15-year-old Marieke is as obsessed with St. Sebastian’s as everyone else in Ardennes. Only it’s the middle ages, and girls just don’t become elite archers. Except Marieke’s prospects as a girl aren’t promising either, after a well-timed kick from a mule has left her with a face that’s badly scarred and ruined for marriage. But when circumstances force her to leave her old life behind and flee to the guild for refuge, there are only two things Marieke really knows about the place. One is that a mysterious accident ended her own father’s time as a Journey. The other?

There are no women allowed inside St. Sebastian’s.

Marieke knows disguising herself as a boy and infiltrating the guild means embarking on a dangerous deception. But it may be her only chance to find out the truth about her father’s past and to stop a murderous plot from coming to fruition. When the dashing young Journeyman Tristan takes her under his wing as his squire, she’s got to stay – at least long enough to help him beat out his brutal arch-rival to win the competitions.

Keeping her identity a secret will be hard. Living in close quarters with a pack of gorgeous boys? That will be harder still. But the hardest thing of all will be keeping the vow she makes for herself: to see Tristan become the next Guardsman, without ever letting him find out she’s a girl – a girl, who loves him.

Part Robin Hood and part Princess Bride, with a pinch of Mulan and a dash of Cyrano de Bergerac in the mix, The Archers of St. Sebastian I: Journeys is a humorous action and adventure saga inspired by late medieval/early Renaissance Belgium and packed with romance, wit, and longbow archery. Perfect for young adults looking for an immersive read and for adults who love young adult themes, Journeys is an escape into the past that reads more like romantic historical fantasy than pure historical fiction.

Unrequited love? Ugly heroines who stay ugly? Friendship, coming of age, romance, adventure, and plenty of archery competitions? A unique setting inspired by the glorious city of Bruges, with a richly imagined world set within the walls of a male-only archers’ guild? Journeys: The Archers of Saint Sebastian has it all, so if you’re looking for a great escape, don your disguise and join Marieke as she enters the forbidden world of Saint Sebastian’s, and prepare to fall in love with the Journeys – that is, the twelve best and most beautiful archers in all of Ardennes, the Journeyman archers of St. Sebastian’s.

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(Context: 15-year-old Marieke is disguised as Marek, and she’s serving as a squire to the Journeyman archer Tristan at the archers’ guild of Saint Sebastian. She’s in love with him, but she’s sworn an oath never to let him find out she’s a girl. In this scene, she fishes for information on Tristan from his aristocratic friend Gilles, one of the other Journeys competing for permanent membership in the guild).

“Would it be safe to say, then,” I continue, trying even harder to sound casual, and making sure to exclude Gilles himself from my remarks, “that the Journeys, as a group, might not have as much experience, then, as they let on?”

“Gentlemen, Marek,” Gilles says, looking at me reprovingly over his dagger, “do not discuss their sexual exploits.”

I wait. Gilles loves to hear himself talk, and if you just wait him out, he’ll usually talk about anything. It works. After a minute, he laughs. “Well, we all know now there’s at least one with absolutely no experience at all!” He chuckles, remembering Taran’s embarrassment, but I don’t care about him.

“But the others?” I press.

“Well, if you’re asking me to speculate,” he muses, and I give him an encouraging look meant to tell him that I’m doing just that, so he continues in a gossipy voice. “I’d say it’s probably a mixed bag. At least a few have probably been around the pasture once or twice, if you know what I mean. We’re a pretty appealing bunch, after all. There’s the matter of Jurian, of course,” he says sternly, and I have no idea what he means, “but for most, opportunity is rather a problem. Not everyone has had the advantage of growing up in a manor, with rather obliging servants. Girls, Marek, as you may know, have an unfortunate habit of having so many fathers and brothers. And then, there’s just no accounting for sensibilities. I’d have thought Falko, for example, was a terrible slut. But according to him, he’s sworn a vow of chastity to some unattainable lady, so there you have it. I rather suspect this is a convenient way of explaining his spectacular lack of success, but if Falko can be chaste, then anything’s possible. Speculation is meaningless.”

“A chivalrous oath to an unrequited love. Sounds more in Tristan’s line,” I say leadingly, hoping to turn the conversation to my real objective before the others get back. But mocking Falko’s vow makes me uncomfortable. In a way, I suppose what I did this morning in the chapel could be interpreted as the exact same thing.

About the Author Roland hails from Davis, California, where she spent most of her youth lounging at the pool, soaking up the sun, and daydreaming. She had a key ring that read ‘I’m running away to join the circus,’ and her favorite moment of the day was when the local movie theater went dark, and the slogan ‘escape to the movies’ appeared on the screen. As an adult, her passions include all things melodramatic and beautiful — everything from classic movies, British romantic poetry, ancient tragedy and epic, to Italian opera. She is now a professor of Classics in a small midwestern town, where she lives with her Greek husband, her fraternal twins, and a Bernese mountain dog named Franco Corelli.

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Their New Year’s Beginning by Michelle Major – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michelle Major will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

At the stroke of midnight, a stranger’s kiss changes everything…

Brian Fortune doesn’t think he will ever find the woman he kissed at his brother’s New Year’s wedding. So when the search for the provenance of a mysterious gift leads him into a local antique store a few days later, he’s stunned to find Emmaline Lewis, proprietor—and mystery kisser! Surprise turns to shock when he realizes that she’s also six months pregnant. Brian has never been the type to commit—and he’s really not ready to become a family man in one fell swoop! But suddenly he knows he’ll do anything to stay at Emmaline’s side—for good…






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“May I kiss you, Emmaline?”

Welp. There it was. He was actually asking her permission. As if Emmaline could be more taken with him, his quiet question pushed her over the edge of reason.

She was smitten. The kind of enamored that had her wondering if he might be able to hear her heart pounding against her rib cage. As if her anticipation was a palpable thing.

After a moment, she nodded, not trusting her voice.

Brian’s warm hands lifted to her face, and he cupped her cheeks as if she were precious to him. She felt precious.

He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, featherlight and controlled. Her body erupted in goosebumps and she let out a tiny moan, both in satisfaction and frustration. She reveled in the sensations swirling through her and, at the same time, wanted more.

Brian must have heard the sound—another tally in her list of embarrassments for this night—but he didn’t seem to find anything wrong with it.

In fact, it seemed to spur him on. The kiss turned deeper as he shifted both of them into a nearby alcove so she couldn’t be seen by the crowd.

He continued to cup her cheeks, the softness of his touch in sharp contrast to the hard planes of the chest she could feel under her hands. But when he lowered one hand to the small of her back to pull her closer, Emmaline wrenched away.

She could not allow herself to be pressed up against him. Not now. Not without revealing…too much.

He looked as dazed as she felt as he stared at her.

“I have to go,” she whispered, more to herself than him.

Before he could answer, she turned and ran away.

About the Author:

: USA Today bestselling author Michelle Major loves stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a happily ever after. An avid hiker and avoider of housework, she lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, two teenagers, and a menagerie of spoiled furbabies. Connect with her at www.michellemajor.com.

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Courting Mayhem by Gail Koger – Spotlight and Giveaway

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

When she was barely eight, Mayhem’s berserker powers surfaced and wherever she went, pandemonium soon followed. To teach her control, and keep her from destroying the known universe, her fathers started a training program tailored to Mayhem’s unique talents. Now she is a formidable bounty hunter.

On her twenty-first birthday, her fathers gift her with her dream vacation, which quickly turns into an unmitigated nightmare. First, she butts heads with a cranky Coletti War Commander. To complete the fiasco, the Shebu, a stone of unfathomable power, is stolen. Now Zarek, the Coletti Overlord, demands she work with the cranky Coletti to retrieve it, or her fathers will be imprisoned on a penal colony. Can her Berserker skills save the galaxy? Can she avoid falling in love with the smokin’ hot War Commander?

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The glittering blue transporter light engulfed us. It felt like my molecules were being taken apart. My molecules abruptly stopped whizzing about. The light faded and we were standing on an authorized Central Command transporter platform. My berserker senses went on high alert. My gaze locked on the heavily armed soldier scanning us for weapons. A definite threat. He was as big as Papi Sten. His battle suit fit him like a glove, emphasizing every bulging muscle. Two daggers protruded from his knee-high armored boots and on his left arm he wore a bronze warrior’s bracelet. I wondered if there was any way to get him to retract his helmet. I really wanted to know if his face matched his smoking hot body. What the hell, I’d give it a try. I clapped my hands and in Galactic Basic giggled, “Look Father. It’s the villain Count Zuckass!”

Poppa Jacob shot me a narrow sidelong glance. “No child, he’s a security guard.”

“A guard?” I peered at him for a moment and let my shoulders droop. “He is small for a warrior.”

In a deep, slightly raspy voice, the soldier said, “You are cleared to enter the theme park.”

About the author:I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Glendale Police Department and to keep from going totally bonkers – I mean people have no idea what a real emergency is. Take this for example: I answered, “9-1-1 emergency, what’s your emergency?” And this hysterical woman yelled, “My bird is in a tree.” Sometimes I really couldn’t help myself, so I said, “Birds have a tendency to do that, ma’am.” The woman screeched, “No! You don’t understand. My pet parakeet is in the tree. I’ve just got to get him down.” Like I said, not a clue. “I’m sorry ma’am but we don’t get birds out of trees.” The woman then cried, “But… What about my husband? He’s up there, too.” See what I had to deal with? To keep from hitting myself repeatedly in the head with my phone I took up writing.

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The Abandoned by Jake Cavanah – Spotlight and Giveaway

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

Once an uninhabited island off the California coast, the government used Morple to quarantine minorities during the sonoravirus pandemic from 2030 to 2045. At its conclusion, Morple became the country’s fifty-first state. This is where sisters Robin Karros’ and Ariana Jackson’s tragic journey began. As two of the first children officials checked into and raised in a state-run program responsible for inflicting severe abuse on Morple’s youth, they shared hardships that strengthened their bond. After a social revolution put an end to the program and freed them, Robin and Ariana went their separate ways. Now that it is 2089 and each has achieved prosperity, their paths intersect after spending the latter portion of their lives apart. Even though it goes against protocol, Ariana reestablishes a relationship with her older sister and integrates with her family. In doing so, she risks her marriage and husband’s business interests, but it causes her to realize she must make up for her life’s biggest mistake. It soon becomes apparent the fate of Robin, Ariana, and others has been more intertwined than they ever could have imagined.

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NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I chose this because it reveals Robin has experienced hardship in her life without giving too much detail, and because it ends with her saying “persistence prevails,” one of Robin’s best attributes and a theme.

Robin wiped her hands on her apron before reaching out to hold Jimmy. As she situated him in her arms, his eyes widened as far as they could and gazed up at the beautiful mystery woman. When they locked eyes, Robin became nostalgic. Memories of Jonathan around this age were some of her fondest. Robin had just been released from the state’s custody and was on her way towards winning her fortune that served as her escape from a bleak future Morple designated to certain members of society. Bobby Karros had just entered her life and embraced her and all the baggage she warned him about, the first sign of his admirable character she fell so hard for.

“He is such a good baby, but I feel like his daddy’s absence is already affecting him,” Taylor said.

Despite their current differences in class, Robin and Taylor seemed very alike.

“Well Taylor, you’re doing a great job,” Robin said, unsure if she should pry on what happened to Jimmy’s father, “The fact you’re here shows you are seeking the necessary help for the benefit of not only him, but for you, as well. Be proud of yourself.”

“His daddy was so excited when he was born, just ecstatic. Then when Jimmy was about six months he was just gone. I haven’t seen him since, and that was six months ago. Life wasn’t always kind to us, but I thought Jimmy and our relationship outweighed the bad. I guess I was wrong.”

Taylor’s tears fled down her face, drying up on her mask. It was clear she needed someone to talk to, and Robin made herself available to her. She didn’t expect to come across someone who on the surface appeared to live in a different reality than Robin, but really, their paths seemed to be quite similar.

“Jonathan, my son who Jimmy reminds me of, was four when his stepfather went missing. Sixteen years ago. One day I came home, and he was just gone. Nowhere to be found. Jonathan and my youngest son Moe were both crying in their rooms, petrified, but the authorities and I couldn’t get any information out of them. Moe was just a baby, and Jonathan’s brain development is behind for his age, so they couldn’t help us out, but it was obvious something horrific happened. It’s hard for him to process things, but by looking in his eyes I could tell he saw what happened. Whatever occurred that day was clearly a traumatic experience for them.

“But unfortunately, we’ll never know what happened. All I could do was to keep being the best possible mother I could be. That’s what my boys needed, so that’s what I did.”

Robin gathered from Taylor’s facial expression she was not expecting them to have much in common. Ever since getting her life together, Robin was regularly met with skepticism and surprise by those she shared her life experiences with. She didn’t boast or even acknowledge it, but she knew her impressive physique and natural beauty were the reasons others assumed her life had always been a breeze. One of Robin’s primary goals was to serve as a symbol of hope for women like Taylor, which is one of the reasons Robin dedicated so much of her time to helping the likes of Taylor out. If a little girl who suffered unimaginable amounts of trauma could grow up to be what Robin was, then anyone could.

Including Taylor.

“Doesn’t it anger you why he left?” Taylor asked.

“It angers me he isn’t here, yes, but I’m not sure if he left. Coming home to find my boys crying the way they were tells me something worse happened, but I will probably never know for certain. All I can do is focus on the now and keep pushing forward. If there’s one thing Morple has taught me, it’s persistence prevails.”

About the Author:

Jake Cavanah is passionate about writing imaginative stories that include messages he wants readers to apply to their own lives, utilize to better understand others, or both. If after reading his work people find themselves more capable of seeing particular situations they encounter from another perspective, he accomplished his goal.

When Jake is not writing he is reading, golfing, playing tennis, cooking, or enjoying the company of his dogs Murphy and Sophie with his girlfriend Scout. Aside from becoming a full-time author, one of Jake’s main aspirations is to move to Oregon and start a family.

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Tales of a Mermaid Gone Over the Deep End by Teresa Fischtner – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

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

Advance praise (payback) for Teresa Fischtner:

“Well, this is a little embarrassing. I didn’t actually read the WHOLE book, but it’s probably pretty good. I’m not sure what she said about me, but you should know—SHE shot me in the back on my 19th birthday!”
– Ronny Fischtner (author’s son)

“I love my mom and I love MOST of this book. It should be noted that my bowling has improved, I’ve given up hockey, accounting is for nerds, pancakes is food for super heroes and no one needs to count how many boyfriends I’ve had.”
– Malyn Fischtner (author’s daughter)

“I’m pleased to be the source of so much humour for my wife. I just wish she didn’t feel the need to publish it.”
– Ron Fischtner (author’s husband)

“It was the last class of the evening that I was teaching, and we were doing our stretches, and at the surface of the water I noticed a single floating nipple happily bobbing away on its own. Unsure if its owner was still in the water, I quietly asked the nearest lady, “Excuse me, could you just pass me that nipple over your right shoulder?

“There I held a lovely C-cup breast that went rogue. I made posters for the lost breast (seriously, I made missing boob posters). No one claimed her. I introduced her to all the instructors, but no one recognized her (honestly, they all look the same after a few years at the pool). No one ever claimed Betty (yes, we gave her a name). Betty stayed on the teachers’ table in our special little box for a long time. Eventually, like all good boobs, she wrinkled up, lost her bounce, and sagged lower and lower in the box until we all forgot how much fun she was when we first found her.”

This is a feel-good book of true short stories about me, my family, friends, and my aquafit business, Over the Deep End. We all have stories to share, and the true ones are always the best. I’m sharing some of my most vulnerable moments, some of my greatest moments, and some of my saddest. Hopefully, in one story or another, you find something way better than me—you might find you. We all have a story and a different way to tell it. I hope telling my stories helps you tell some of your own.

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I met Pam at the pool. She had been using a therapy pool in London while she was still in recovery, but now she had to find her own water therapy. We don’t have a chair lift or a ramp for our pool, but that wasn’t going to stop Pam. We don’t have wheelchair parking or automatic doors, but that wasn’t going to stop Pam. I had never worked with anyone confined to a wheelchair, and that didn’t even make her flinch.

Pam was able to get herself into a standing position, and then I would work her feet to get down the steps. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t pretty in the beginning, but now, years later, we move together like professional dancers (dancers with two left feet wearing clown shoes). The first time she got in the water, she was able to walk the length of the pool holding a noodle at the surface. Her moves were jerky and took all the energy she had, and it was freaking amazing! It was another Terry Fox moment for me—I was in awe of her.

We got her in the deep end and tethered her to the wall. If she could walk, then she could run, and run she did. She was coming to the pool three times a week and getting stronger all the time. Of course, she joined Bert’s therapy class; she had two therapy swims a week and one regular aqua fit class. I love it when she arrives at a new class in her chair, and everyone in the water wonders, “How the hell are they going pull this off?” and then we do. She quietly has the respect of everyone in the water, no matter what class she is in. It is no big deal, just Pam taking an aqua fit class. She inspires a lot of people.

Every year at the pool, we host a “Water Running Marathon.” It is a fundraiser, and each year, we pick a new charity. It is a one-day event that people sign up for a forty-five-minute time slot in the pool for which they water run the entire time. We have instructors on deck to help motivate and good tunes to keep them on pace to water run five kilometres in the forty-five minutes. It is a pool party with a purpose. We raise money and awareness for charities that tend to go unnoticed. It is always a pretty magical day. When Pam started coming to our classes, I asked if she wanted a spot in our marathon, and of course she did. Not only did Pam want a spot, but she also put together a team of water runners and got pledges for our charity. I was always proud of our water running marathons but never prouder than when Pam rolled through the doors.

Life can feel like it’s really slapping me around sometimes, and I have two good legs. Every time I think of Terry Fox or dance Pam into the pool, I’m not just thankful for my good health, but I’m thankful for theirs. People with different abilities are people with different opportunities for greatness.

About the Author: Teresa Fischtner is an “aqua entrepreneur.” After 25 years working in accounting, she changed careers and started teaching aquafit at her family pool. Customers come to “Over the Deep End” for full body workouts in deep water and they leave with a sense of community and friendship that Teresa has created, and all her mermaids and mermen continue to nurture.

This is Teresa’s first book; she writes from her heart with honesty and humour. Comments and kindness always welcome at teresa@overthedeepend.ca.

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Haunted Water by Jo A . Hiestand – Spotlight and Giveaway

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

Cameron Rutter drowned two months ago in a lake on a Cheshire moor. Some say a morgen—a spirit who drags men to a watery grave—was responsible. Others say it was the phantom Grey Lady. The police say Gareth Gynne was the guilty one. Whoever—or whatever—killed Cameron needs to be sorted out. And ex-police detective Michael McLaren is asked to do just that.

McLaren’s not keen on delving into the mystery. The accused is the nephew of McLaren’s nemesis, Charlie Harvester. And if there’s one thing McLaren doesn’t want to do is to associate with another Harvester, no matter what generation he is.

Suspects and motives are as tangled as the mere grass. Did a villager kill Cameron, opposed to his crusade to keep the moor in its pristine state? Or did someone previously arrested by Cameron kill him in revenge?

Or was the morgen really responsible?

Can McLaren discover the killer, or will he too become a victim of the haunted water?

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McLaren glanced through the large windows consuming the front wall of the shop. “The mere’s where Cameron was found, correct?”

“Yes. Dwfn Mere.” He angled his head slightly, his eyebrow raised. “How’s your Welsh? You know what dwfn mere means?”

“Mere is pool or lake. Well, some small body of water like that. Dwfn throws me, I’ll admit.”

“Dwfn means deep.”

McLaren nodded. “Sounds intimidating. Deep pool.”

“At least the early residents thought so. But even if it’s not deep, it’s supposed to be haunted, which might be worse.”

“It does change the feelings, I agree. Haunted water versus deep water.” He eyed Gareth and his forehead wrinkled slightly. “Haunted by what?”

“A morgen.” Gareth screwed up the corner of his mouth, frowning. “I’ve always wondered if the villagers named the water first and then the morgen came along to live there, or if they encountered the morgen first and then figured she had to live in a deep lake to avoid scrutiny.” He seemed to force a smile, but McLaren detected a serious look in Gareth’s eyes.

“This is the first I’ve heard of the morgen. I didn’t know Heywood Heath was thought to have one.”

“Your knowledge of Welsh extends to morgens, then.”

“The female water spirit who drowns men.”

Gareth nodded. “I know how it sounds, but there are many people around here who swear the water is haunted. They won’t go near it.” The little remaining humor had gone from his face and voice. “Sometimes I think they’re right. I could almost swear she killed Cameron because I sure as hell didn’t.”

About the Author:Jo A. Hiestand grew up on regular doses of music, books, and Girl Scout camping. She gravitated toward writing in her post-high school years and finally did something sensible about it, graduating from Webster University with a BA degree in English and departmental honors. She writes two British mystery series—of which two books have garnered the prestigious N.N. Light’s Book Heaven ‘Best Mystery Novel’ two years straight. She also writes two Missouri-based mystery series that are grounded in places associated with her camping haunts. The camping is a thing of the past, for the most part, but the music stayed with her in the form of playing guitar and harpsichord, and singing in a folk group. Jo carves jack o’ lanterns badly; sings loudly; and loves barbecue sauce and ice cream (separately, not together), kilts (especially if men wear them), clouds and stormy skies, and the music of G.F. Handel. You can usually find her pulling mystery plots out of scenery—whether from photographs or the real thing.

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Letting Go for Love by Kris Francoeur – Spotlight and Giveaway

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

Dot Murphy is not living the life she had planned.

Married at eighteen to her first love, her life had seemed perfect until the only man she had ever loved was killed in a tragic car accident, leaving her alone to raise their two young boys.

Years later, Dot meets the one man to get under her skin emotionally and hormonally, Sebastian Boone. Boone falls hard for the auburn-haired mom and artist, but she is hesitant to do anything that will take her total focus off her boys.

Can Dot trust Boone enough to allow him to fully be part of her world? Can she love him, body and soul, and still be the mom she wants to be? Is their love strong enough to survive?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Dot sat on the edge of her bed, her feet dangling above the cold floor of her room. Was she really getting up this early on Thanksgiving? God, a day to sleep in as long as she wanted seemed like a fantasy. She was so tired.

About the Author: My name is Kris Francoeur, and I am an author, educator, speaker, wife, mom, grandmother, and farmer living in Vermont. I love to spend time with my family, travel, hike, kayak, knit, spin (fiber), garden, cook, and love time with my bees, alpacas and chickens.
Currently, I have published three romance novels with Solstice Publishing, and Letting Go for Love was published by Willow River Press in November. My first three romances are written under the pen name of Anna Belle Rose, and they can be purchased in paperback format through my Book Store page on this website, or in e-book or paperback on Amazon.

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

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Behind the Mask by Thomas Grant Bruso – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Thomas Grant Bruso 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.

Seventeen-year-old Jesse has a babysitting gig at the Linderman’s house on Halloween. He loves watching Christie and Dylan and is thrilled to see them dressed up in cute, creative costumes. When he arrives at their house, Jesse knows it will be a fun-filled night of pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating.

But Jesse quickly realizes Halloween is not only about candy, pumpkins, and scary costumes. It’s known for tricks and ghoulish things and can bring out crazies. While trick-or-treating, he notices a strange person wearing a glow-in-the-dark mask watching him from the shadowy street.

The rest of the night turns into a cat-and-mouse game of survival. Strange things start to happen at the Linderman’s residence, setting Jesse on edge, making him apprehensive somebody might be taking the spirit of Halloween too far.

Will Jesse survive the things that go bump in the night, or will he become just another tall tale this Halloween?

Enjoy an Excerpt

I leaned my forehead against the doorframe and closed my eyes, waiting a beat. When I opened my eyes, I watched the vehicle reverse and slowly pull out into the street, braking for children running by. The headlights bounced up and down as the vehicle’s wheels rolled downhill along the raised trajectory of the driveway.

As I watched the car drive off, its red taillights blinking as if in warning, my chest tightened like a clenched fist for some indeterminate reason, and an uncomfortable heaviness settled inside me. I let the curtain fall from my slippery fingers back into position, and I leaned against the wall to catch my breath and bearings.

I climbed the stairs and relieved Christie, telling Dylan he had to dry off, dress, and get into bed. He turned on his brotherly charm and debated with me about bedtime. “Your mom and dad were strict about what time you had to be in bed,” I told him.

“Just go to bed, Dylan,” Christie yelled from her bedroom.

Dylan sat on the bathroom floor, pouting and wrapped in a towel, as I drained the tub and put away his toys. “I’ll read you a story before I turn out the light,” I said.

“Batman, please,” he begged.

“Dry off and get into your pajamas.”

He stood and stomped out of the room.

“Stop being a baby!” Christie yelled from down the hall.

“I ain’t a baby!” Dylan shot back.

“I’m not a baby,” his sister corrected him.

I stepped out into the hall to referee their sibling mudslinging. “I can skip story time,” I said to both of them. “Is that what you want?”

A unison of “Nos!” shot out into the hall from their open bedroom doors, the only unanimous decision they’d made as brother and sister that night.

…

I read to Christie, who couldn’t keep her eyes open for more than five minutes. I gave Dylan a glass of water and set it on his night table. I ran my hand through his floppy brown bangs that had been spared from the vomit, and he fell fast asleep from the steady, relaxing raking gestures of my hand in his hair.

As much I enjoyed story time with the kids, I couldn’t wait to delve into my quiet corner of the house with a cup of tea. I wanted to start on my homework, especially after Dylan’s stomach-churning episode.

I pulled the comforter up around his back and reached over to shut the lamp off. I left the Godzilla nightlight lit up across the room and cracked the door open ajar. I checked on Christie one last time before heading downstairs. I poked my head into her room to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. After I’d finished reading Dr. Seuss to her, she told me that she didn’t sleep well when her parents were not home.

I told her that I’d be downstairs, and if she woke up scared to come down, I’d fix her a glass of milk. She felt safer with the door wide open, she told me. I wished her goodnight and crept downstairs to the kitchen.

I microwaved a cup of water and brewed one of Mrs. Linderman’s decaf black tea bags for five minutes while I rummaged in my bookbag for my math homework. Before sitting at the kitchen table, I plated three chocolate chip cookies from Mrs. Linderman’s fresh-baked stash.

I blew on the hot tendrils of steam wafting up from the teacup and dunked a cookie. My empty stomach growled at the aromatic chocolaty smell. I looked around the silent kitchen, chewing and dipping. Peace and quiet, finally, I thought, resting my elbows on the tabletop and sitting hunched forward under the yellow globe of light from the stained-glass ceiling lamp hanging overhead, savoring the deliciously sweet dessert.

Without Christie and Dylan talking and nagging and carrying on about something, I felt my thoughts winding down, the wheels in my mind slackening to the speed of a snail. My heightened anxieties dwindled like the setting sun. I worked on the half dozen Algebra questions for class, showing my work on separate pages in my notebook, and struggling with a few questions when a sound from outside jerked me out of my reverie.

I looked up and stared down the hall leading into the living room. Shadows danced beyond the drawn lace curtain on the front door. I thought I heard footsteps on the porch steps, but it was the wind tugging on the screen door, yanking it open, and slamming it against the side of the house.

I thought I had locked it.

About the Author:

Thomas Grant Bruso knew at an early age he wanted to be a writer. He has been a voracious reader of genre fiction since he was a kid.

His literary inspirations are Ray Bradbury, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Ellen Hart, Jim Grimsley, Karin Fossum, Joyce Carol Oates, and John Connolly.

Bruso loves animals, book-reading, writing fiction, prefers Sudoku to crossword puzzles.

In another life, he was a freelance writer and wrote for magazines and newspapers. In college, he was a winner for the Hermon H. Doh Sonnet Competition. Now, he writes and publishes fiction, and reviews books for his hometown newspaper, The Press Republican.

He lives in upstate New York.

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Soft Heart by Megan Slayer – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Megan Slayer will be awarding a prize pack featuring a necklace made by the author to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Can two broken souls be repaired with a lot of love and a little power from the gods?

Leto, the goddess of motherhood and womanly demure, wants to be anything but bashful. Working in Las Vegas in the music business has proven she can’t be coy if she has desires, but the man she loves isn’t available. What’s a goddess to do?

Help break a curse, that’s what.

Tommy has loved Leto since the day they met, but he never thought she’d want to be with him. He’s also got a girlfriend. When his girlfriend leaves him for his brother and curses him, it’s up to Leto and Tommy to admit their deepest desires—they want to be together.

There’s just the matter of breaking that pesky curse…

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Ha,” Missy said. “I curse you to stone.” She laughed and walked away with Duncan. “Jerk.”

She’d really done it—she’d left him for his brother. His stomach roiled. How could she be so cruel? She knew he and Duncan didn’t get along. How had his life fallen apart so fast?

He moved to push off the railing, but his limbs refused to cooperate. What? He tried to look at his hand, but he couldn’t lift his arm. “Leto.” He needed help. Was he having a stroke? “Leto.”

Could she hear him? Crap. Where was everyone? In the recording studio, in the sound-proof room…

Leto rushed out to the patio. “Tommy?” She spotted him and her eyes widened. “Oh, no.”

“What…?” His voice faded. No, no, no. Where had his voice gone and why in the hell couldn’t he move?

Leto patted her thigh and nodded. “This is bad. This is very bad.”

No kidding. Why wasn’t she calling someone? How about the ambulance? The guards? He tried to open his mouth, but he seemed frozen.

Leto trembled. “I’ll be right back.”

Call the medics, he wanted to scream. He glanced at his hand. His skin had turned ashen … like stone. Oh, crap. He must be dying. Why couldn’t he move? Missy hadn’t touched him, so she couldn’t have poisoned him. What was going on?

Leto returned a moment later with Hera.

“He’s been cursed. I know curses and this is a problem, but I don’t know how to fix it,” Leto said. “What do we do?”

Hera stroked his arm. He felt her, but also seemed like he was looking at himself without being in his body.

Hera sighed. “This appears to be a curse and he’s screwed.”

©Megan Slayer, 2021, All Rights Reserved

About the Author:

Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library.

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