Lessons I Learned from My Heroine by Kathy Strobos – Guest Blog and Giveaway

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Lessons I Learned from My Heroine

One of the key messages I learned from my heroine was what she learns along the way as career (and dating) advice: “If you don’t ask, you’ve already got the no. You might as well ask and try to get the yes.” I can’t remember where I read this as career advice, but it is so important. It’s not always easy to do, but I am trying.

I also love the whole “Find a Boast Buddy” (“Find a Boast Bitch” to quote exactly) advice that she gets after reading Feminist Fight Club by Jessica Bennett. Studies show that women don’t look good if they brag about themselves, but they do look good when they do it for their colleagues. So, women should find a boast buddy, and each can brag about the other. It’s something I think women do instinctively when friends with colleagues.

And I love Winnie’s advice to Audrey to make sure she controls the narrative about her when involved in office politics. I also love the message of the importance of having good friends cheering you on and women supporting women.

Also, I do think it’s important to go for what you want, but also to step back every once in awhile and re-assess and think about what you really want and if your current goals are in line with your vision of your future.

I wish I knew some of these lessons back when I was working in a corporate environment.

I also like that Audrey pursues Jake by sending him gifts with notes. I’m all for it!

When a workaholic lawyer meets a fun-loving music marketing executive for opposites attract, friends-to-lovers adventures, which partnership will she choose?

Workaholic lawyer Audrey Willems is not going to take any chances with her bid to become a partner at her New York law firm—especially with only six months until the decision.

Until she bumps into Jake—her new neighbor.

Jake is a fun-loving music marketing executive who might just be The One.

He’s funny, caring, supportive—and able to kill water bugs in the bathroom.

But Jake will never date a woman married to her job. His father was a workaholic lawyer who never had time for family.

And she’s just got the case of a lifetime—the one she needs to win to make partner. Working 24/7 at the office may not even be enough hours to pull off a victory.

If only she had not met him now.

Audrey is determined to prove that she can juggle
work and romance—even if managing court cases, candlelit dinners, and bike rides around Manhattan is a lot harder than it looks. She keeps canceling dates for yet another case crisis.

But when making partner is like a game of musical chairs and the last seat is a business-class alone, which partnership will she choose?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Jacket on the back of the chair. Check.

Desk light on. Check.

Now, Ms. Willems, your mission, should you choose to accept it: Get out of the office on the sly. Audrey snorted silently at her own badly-played movie line. She stuffed the Save the Children t-shirt she’d gotten from a Central Park Zoo benefit in her Tory Burch brown leather satchel, added as many legal pads as could fit, and plumped the bag to look like it held at least four case files. She casually leaned the bag against the side of her desk, in view of her open office door.

The excited chatter of the exiting assistants filled the hallway. She typed up the Popflicks engagement letter and then entered Popflicks as a new client into the law firm database. Yes. Her pulse quickened.

The office was now quiet. She put an uncapped red pen in the middle of a legal pad on her desk. It looked like she’d be right back. The scene called for something more. If only she had a permanently steaming cup of tea. She poured a bottle of water into a glass.

She should depart boldly, but leaving early was frowned upon by the partnership powers-that-be. They might even think she needed another assignment. She definitely did not. She had just landed Popflicks. She had stayed until 11 p.m. every night this week. Okay, so I’m not always very good at saying no. But now was not the time to say no to a partner—not when she’d been working so hard for seven years, her life on hold. Now that she was in the homestretch, she could practically see “Audrey Willemson, Partner,” embossed on her law firm’s business card.

About the Author:Kathy Strobos is a writer living in New York City with her husband and two children, amid a growing collection of books, toys and dollhouses. She grew up in New York City and graduated from Stuyvesant High School and Harvard-Radcliffe University magna cum laude. She previously worked as a lawyer. She left law to pursue her dream of writing fiction full-time and getting in shape. She is still working on getting in shape.

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To Entice a Spy by Diane Scott Lewis – Spotlight and Giveaway

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In 1794, Widowed Countess Eseld Trehearne seeks revenge for the brutal death of her female companion during a Paris riot. On her return to England, Eseld delves into espionage to defeat the French rebels.

Baron Robert Penhale, Eseld’s childhood love, rejoins the Secret Services after his wife’s death. He’s determined to protect England from the revolution terrorizing France.

A ruthless French spy fights for the common man while disguised as an English aristocrat. He’s intent on revenge against those who oppose him.

With the spy stalking them and Robert in fear for Eseld’s life, the fate of the couple verges on disaster.




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“Don’t you wish to celebrate with us, Citizeness?” A drunken man with pocked cheeks spewed spittle in her face. “Where’s your tri-color cockade?”

“I’ve lost mine.” Eseld swept her hand to her collar and winced. “Please excuse us; we’ll celebrate later.”

She swore silently as she’d forgotten to use her roughest French. Her tricolore had been swiped by a scrubby boy near the entrance gate.

Hester held aside her cloak, displaying hers. Eseld gripped her friend by the shoulder and rushed with her into a narrow passage, which turned at a right angle. The hotel was located in a court, at number 8. Dank air filled her lungs as her pulse hammered.

“That one sounded like a ci-devant,” the drunk accused, his shout echoing after them. “I want to know what they’re up to.”

He and his slouching friend ran after them, boots beating on the cobbles.

“We should’ve brought a pistol, if we owned one,” Hester said with a gasp as they hiked up their skirts and bolted.

The two men were on them in a few seconds, in a waft of perspiration and cheap wine. The first drunk, in his ragged black coat, grabbed Eseld and swept off her hood. “She’s a pretty one. With witch’s red hair.”

“Please, let us go.” Her lips trembled, but more with anger than fright. She struggled to stay calm. “We are loyal citizens. You have no reason to harm us.”

“I’ll wager your skin is soft.” The drunk shoved her up against a mold-stained wall.

About the Author:

Diane Parkinson (Diane Scott Lewis) grew up near San Francisco, joined the Navy at nineteen, married in Greece and raised two sons in Puerto Rico, California, and Guam. She’s a member of the Historical Novel Society and wrote book reviews for their magazine. She’s always loved travel and history and has had several historical novels published. Her most recent is the Oyster War Novel set in the 1950s: Ghost Point.

Her spy novella, To Entice a Spy, set in England during the French Revolution—two former lovers chase a ruthless spy; will love rekindle as murder stalks them?—will be released on October 11, 2021.

Diane lives with her husband and one naughty dog in western Pennsylvania.

For more on her books visit her website.

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Zandra: My Daughter, Diabetes, and Lessons in Love by Janet Hatch – Spotlight and Giveaway

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In this truly inspiring memoir, Janet Hatch shares her compelling story of raising her strong-willed daughter who, at age eleven, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. From the beginning of her life, Zandra experienced being different as a result of dietary restrictions, but nothing would prepare her for the tumultuous feelings that Zandra’s diagnosis would bring. Janet’s story chronicles the day-to-day life of raising a child through the teen years and into young adulthood, while reconciling her own insecurities.

After experiencing complications and additional illnesses from diabetes, Zandra’s life became uncertain and bleak. When she learned of the death of her friend from diabetes, she began to spiral downward. This is a love story between a mother and daughter and demonstrates that although the bond may be challenged, it was created to endure. From travelling to Iceland in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association to receiving her beloved diabetic alert dog, Cinnamon, this story is one that will encourage all those who love a child, to look beyond fear and see beauty in every challenge.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“What’s the reason for your visit?” The admitting nurse at our tiny local hospital was staring at me impatiently while my eleven-year-old daughter, Zandra, shuffled nervously at my side.

“She’s showing signs of type 1 diabetes,” I explained, the words sounding unbelievable as I said them out loud.

“Well, we’ll see,” the nurse huffed in frustration. “We don’t appreciate people looking up “Doctor Google” before they get here; that’s the job of the actual doctor.” She tapped heavily on her keyboard while processing the paperwork. “We don’t have time for everyone who thinks something is wrong because they looked it up on the internet.”

Normally I would be upset at being administered a tongue-lashing, but this time I was too worried about Zandra. I wanted my theory to be wrong, and I’d take a curt retort any day over being right this time.

After spending what felt like several hours in the waiting room, the doctor finally appeared. He commented on Zandra’s appearance. He noted the dark circles under her eyes, her underweight frame and pallid colour. He immediately ordered a blood requisition, and within a half hour he returned to give us her diagnosis. “Her blood sugars are extremely elevated, and she has ketones in her urine,” he explained. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but she has type 1 diabetes.”

About the Author: JANET HATCH is a mother of four who lives in Camrose, Alberta. She is passionate about using her experience of raising her diabetic daughter to support parents and caregivers through the emotional twists and turns of what can be a difficult journey of having a child with a serious illness. She is a lover of animals and enjoys spending time in nature with her dog, Axel.

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Inked and Sweet by Megan Slayer – Spotlight and Giveaway

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READ THE BLURB


Dante Malachi screwed his life up to epic proportions. His addictions nearly killed him before he hit rock bottom. Getting kicked out of the Malachi family was his motivation to clean up his act, but leaving his old life behind meant leaving her, as well. Rona’s the one he never forgot.

Rona never wanted to see Dante again. She blames him for the bad in her life — but also most of the good. When he comes back into her orbit, she knows she has to let him in — or get rid of him for good.

When a bomb threat throws them together, it’s up to Rona and Dante to decide if they want to extinguish the desire between them or reignite their fiery passion.

READ AN EXCERPT


Copyright ©2021 Megan Slayer

Dante drove away from his brother’s guest house and growled. How dare his brother throw him out? How dare his brother demand he stop stealing money from the family? So he had no claim to the money and had treated his brothers shabbily, but Jesus. They didn’t have to throw him out.

Maybe he did deserve to be removed. He’d acted like a real jerk to Kelly, Martin’s girl, and spent so much money on worthless shit — drink, drugs, tattoos… He’d run roughshod over his life.

God, he was awful.

He’d been a man on the run — from his life, his family, the explosions he’d set off. He wanted someone to hurt in the same way he had. No one knew the truth, and he hadn’t shared many details. Why should he? His attitude had pushed everyone away.

He drove off and didn’t look back. Screw ’em. His brothers didn’t want him around, then fine. He’d show them he wasn’t just one thing — a screw-up. So his ex-wife and daughter hated him. So they refused to let him see his grandson.

Fine.

He’d become someone on his own. No more illegal stuff. No more expecting others to do the work for him.

He’d do it.

He had no choice.

Dante left his old life behind in search of a new one. He had business skills and the ability to talk to people. He’d find something and survive.

He wasn’t that old and had time to do something different with his life.

He owed it to his brothers to change and become the man they knew he could be. Besides, he owed it to himself to be better than his past.

MEET 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.

Find out more about Megan and Wendi at: http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm

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Website http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm

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Buy Links:

https://www.changelingpress.com/inked-sweet-malachi-brothers-3-b-3197
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Willow’s Ridge by Gisèle L Grieves – Spotlight and Giveaway

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Life as a young adult can be exciting. We seem braver and are willing to explore life, love, friendship and our sexuality. Ally is no exception.

Journey through Ally’s life as she goes through trials and tribulations, love and happiness, fear and devastation. Just when life for Ally seems to be nearly perfect, one phone call changes everything.

Enjoy an Excerpt

It is the perfect place—just a little pub off the beaten path. But they have beer and whisky, and they have amazing burgers. Something that needs to be known about me is my love of food. I love to cook, and I love to eat. Thank God for my ADD, which makes me go nonstop and melts the pounds away as I enjoy my food.

We talk and laugh for a few more hours, enjoying each other’s company at the pub. It feels so easy, which is a little scary. I’m waiting for the weirdo to come out; no one can be this perfect.

After dinner, he drives me back to the park to get my car. I left it there when we decided to drive together to the pub. He is such a gentleman; he runs around the car insisting on opening my door. He takes my hand to help me out and walks me to my SUV.

I stand there, palms starting to sweat, unsure how this date will end. The silence is killing me. I want to know what he is thinking. Finally, he turns to me and reaches for my hand. He looks into my eyes, reaches behind me and pulls me into a passionate kiss. I am not expecting it, but oh, when those lips make contact with mine, my body catches fire. His kiss is passionate but so gentle. When he finally loosens his hold, I wrap my arms around his neck, stand on my tippy toes and pull him in for a more urgent kiss. I gently thrust my tongue into his mouth, tasting the ice cream he had for dessert. My body is aching for more. I want to see and feel more of him. His body tells me he also wants more. Even through his jean shorts, I can feel his hardness pulsing against my stomach.

He finally breaks away, almost gasping for air. He looks a little frazzled but is grinning from ear to ear.

“Ally, I want to see you again. I had an amazing time and would love the opportunity to wine and dine you properly.”

I am out of breath. Of course I want to see him again.

“I would love that,” I respond a little breathlessly.

About the Author:Gisèle was born in a small town in Northern Ontario and now resides in the most southern part of the province. She has been married for 16 years and has 4 wonderful children. Gisèle has had many careers over the years, ranging from truck driving and selling insurance, to working in schools and cattle ranching. No job has ever mattered more to her than being a mom. Gisèle started writing to give her something to do once her kids were in bed. She also has a vivid imagination, and writing gives her a way to get her thoughts out. What started out as a guilty pleasure has turned into is something much bigger. She is excited to share this second novel with her readers.

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The Majewski Curse by Lisa Dianne McInnis – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

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In her debut novel, Lisa Dianne McInnes urges us to explore the meaning of loss, the evil side of human nature, and the infinite power of love and rising above it all.

Between the years 2012 and 2017, like a pile of dominos, Lisa Dianne McInnes watched her life collapse as one traumatic tragedy after another took away her loved ones, leaving her to learn just how quickly life can fall apart.

An extraordinary memoir full of depth, compassion, and unimaginable strength, The Majewski Curse is the harrowing true story of the separate yet intertwined tragedies of Brandon, Devon, and Derek Majewski’s deaths and the multiple conspiracies surrounding their family’s search for truth.

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

We sat and stared blankly at each other—frozen in our pain—for what felt like hours, even though only a minute or two had passed. I felt the room begin to close in on me, and for the first time in my life, I had to concentrate on breathing. There was a sudden knock on the door, and I can still recall the distinct way it reverberated through my heart.

When I looked up, I saw an officer standing in the doorway. He offered us his sincere condolences and gave us a moment to compose ourselves. He then uttered the words that floored everyone, leaving us all in disbelief.

“The woman who killed your son feels terrible about it,” he began. “She is beside herself and is practically inconsolable.”

Later, I desperately wished I could have regained my composure long enough to respond right away but instead, his words and the silence that followed still haunt me to this day.

When the unspeakable happens and your world is shaken, it feels nearly impossible to speak or react. Although the officer continued to say a few more words, nothing registered with us. All we could do was stare at him, confused, and hope for an immediate apology for his insensitivity, but one never came. We watched in bewilderment as he made a quick exit until we were finally startled out of our daze when the door slammed shut behind him. Eventually, we would come to learn what his words meant, but it would be years before everything else would fall into place.

A child’s death is every parent’s worst nightmare, and it is why the officer’s words cut even deeper. His insensitivity was our first clue—of many—that would indicate something was not right.

Sharlene Simon was driving home on Innisfil Beach Road from Dave & Busters, a family-friendly sports bar, at around 1:00 a.m. the night she hit and killed Brandon with her Kia Sorrento SUV. Brandon and his friends, Richard Esch and Jake Roberts, were bicycling back home from Tim Hortons, the local coffee shop, when Sharlene plowed into them from behind. She hit Brandon with such force that he was thrown over 350 feet, the impact of his body smashing the front end of her SUV and damaging the roof as he flew backward over the top. Sharlene’s police officer husband, Jules Simon, was following behind in his vehicle just before impact.

The boys never knew what hit them.

Brandon’s friends were much more fortunate than he was. They had survived the crash but not without significant injury to Richard, who suffered multiple injuries and fractures, including a broken pelvis. Jake luckily escaped the accident without injury since he was riding on the outside shoulder of the road. He was knocked off his bike but evaded direct impact with the SUV.

About the Author: Lisa Dianne McInnes has always been fascinated with spirituality and the human experience. She prides herself on always being committed to the truth, even when it hurts, and believes in being reliable, trustworthy, honest, and loyal to those she loves.

However, in 2012, when tragedy struck and shattered her family, Lisa’s beliefs were tested and she was forced to undergo a profound inner transformation. In doing so, she had to acknowledge the trauma of her past but chose only to remember the love her family shared. Her solid understanding and belief in the theory of mindfulness and living in the moment helped her rise from the ashes and move on with her life. She believes the past can be like a black hole: if you stand too close it will pull you in.

Today, small things like sunsets, staring out at the water, and kisses for no reason are the reasons she smiles. She believes it is the simple memories that define us, and the ones we hold close to our hearts. For Lisa, writing allows her to share her struggles and experiences with others, and by doing so she learns and grows both mentally and spiritually through the process. Therefore, with her work, she hopes to inspire her readers to join her on the journey to find inner peace and greater fulfillment in their lives.

Lisa completed her debut novel, The Majewski Curse, and is currently preparing to start writing her second non-fiction work. She currently resides in Northern Ontario with her spouse and their puppy Cooper.

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Keeper of My Dreams by Susan Leigh Furlong – Spotlight and Giveaway

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

Reid Haliburton, a skilled gunsmith, wants to control who uses his revolutionary handgun until a vicious pirate decides the gun will be his. The price of refusing is Reid’s life and those of his three young sons. Reid’s only chance to save his sons is to send them away and face the pirate’s wrath alone.

Leena Cullane Adair is stunned to find three lads hiding in her cart, and, although she only met their father a week ago, he holds her heart and her dreams, and she will do whatever it takes to keep him and his sons alive.




Enjoy an Excerpt

Still, she had to get across the road, so she took her first tentative steps. She was on a mission to reach the wardrobe mercer’s shop to buy cloth and notions, one of the reasons she and her brothers had come to this awful city. Horses, wagons, and people heading in all directions at a fast pace, none of them looking out for the others, darted around her in some sort of confusing dance unknown to Leena.

She was nearly to the shop when disaster struck.

Two young girls, herding a gaggle of geese across the muddy, rut-riddled street, arrived at the same spot as three men carrying bales of fleece coming from the opposite direction…. A chaotic mess of feathers, fleece, shouting men, and squawking geese surrounded her. Stumbling, she fell facedown over a bale of fleece now sitting ruined in the mud. She righted herself just as the geese tangled in her legs again, honking and nipping at her. …She closed her eyes and prepared herself to land on her backside.

Suddenly she felt strong arms around her waist, lifting her up. Those arms carried her safely the rest of the way across the street,… pressed against a tall, muscular man wearing a leather apron, she eventually found her footing.

“Oh, my stars,” she said in a breathless voice….Turning around to see her rescuer, she looked up into the most enchanting pair of eyes she had ever seen.


About the Author:

Susan Leigh Furlong was born in the middle of a blinding spring snowstorm at the University of Michigan, which forced her mother to walk across campus in the snow to the hospital while in labor. Susan doesn’t remember any of this auspicious beginning, but it always makes for a good story! As a child she moved across the country six times to various big cities before the age of fourteen because of her father’s career in women’s ready-to-wear clothing. At college she met and married her love, and moved to his small hometown in southern Ohio, and you couldn’t get her out of there with a crowbar! She taught first grade and fourth grade and raised her children who did not have to change schools even once. Creating stories started early in life—as is typical of most writers—even before she could actually write. Then came handwritten pages stuffed in her underwear drawer, followed by stories created on a manual typewriter. Her first computer—a Commodore 64—was replaced by a series of computers and laptops, which her husband promised she could never fill up the storage space, but she always did. At age 32 she performed in her first community theater play—Guys and Dolls—where she quickly realized that she wanted to play ALL the parts, which is exactly what a writer does. She writes and/or directs church-related plays and sketches and also performs and sings with a music and drama ministry, LightReaders.

Her love of history led her to write two plays about her now hometown, presented in reader’s theater style by local citizens, followed by two non-fiction books about the local history published by Arcadia Publishing. She loves to do the research even though old books and documents make her cough and sneeze! Susan first discovered romance novels when she won a copy of Velvet Song by Jude Deveraux at the local bookstore. She reads all varieties of books, but historical romance is forever her first choice.

Steadfast Will I Be and By Promise Made were published by The Wild Rose Press in 2019 and 2020 respectively. By Promise Made won the NEST – National Excellence in Story Telling – for Historical Romance for 2021. Her third book – Keeper of My Dreams – a continuation of the Cullane family adventures – will be officially released on September 6, 2021.

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Unexpected Connection by Sue Jaskula – Spotlight and Giveaway

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

Confident and resilient homicide detective Jennifer Scott is instinctively suspicious when her best friend’s life is disrupted by the arrival of an unbeknownst twin sister. When a murder coincides with her appearance, the mysterious twin becomes the prime suspect.

Adding confusion to Jen’s organized life is another unexpected intrusion, her handsome and sophisticated new partner, Detective Luke O’Connor. As mischievous as he is charming, chemistry between the two intensifies, threatening Jen’s reputation and testing her limitations.

As the murder investigation unfolds, the detectives are forced to back-burner their heated connection while they race against time to figure out what other long-lost family members may be involved, how they’re connected to the twins and why they’ve surfaced now.

Read an Excerpt

His reply was also hushed, but other officers snuck curious glances our way. “Well, you are full of yourself, Detective Scott. I wasn’t hitting on you, I merely shook your hand and re-introduced myself, trying to make the situation between us comfortable since we will be working together. As your new partner, it’s my job to have your back, so to speak, so you have no choice but to have me in your personal space. I also don’t date cops and I would appreciate it if you would keep the “your type” comments to yourself since you know nothing about me, due in part to the fact that you can’t see two feet past your own ego that tells you every good-looking dude who walks by your blonde-haired, blue-eyed, pretty face must want to get into your pants.”

About the Author:

My career has spanned many years in a mix of criminal and civil law and hospital surgical administrative work. Along with my work and life experience, I hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and a Creative Writing Certificate both from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.

I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to take early retirement and pursue a career in writing, a pursuit I have entered into with energy and enthusiasm. I am currently a registered member of Toronto Romance Writers and Crime Writers of Canada.

My husband and I share our home in Grimsby, Ontario, with our youngest daughter, her boyfriend, our dog and two cats. But I spend a great deal of time at our cottage in Kincardine, Ontario near my daughter, son-in-law and first grandson. On these shores of Lake Huron, with some of the best walking trails in the country, my imagination soars and my best stories come to life.

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Final Strike by Vanessa M. Knight – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Vanessa M. Knight 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.

Julie Connolly thought she had perfected the art of emotional eating, but ever since she learned of her father’s passing, she’s taken it to new heights. The bastard has figured out how to destroy her life from the grave.

Her father’s proposal—abandon her son Cody, so someone else can raise him, or lose her inheritance. The outrageous condition doesn’t deserve a response but the lawyer her father hired demands an answer. Before she can tell the ambulance-chaser exactly where he can shove his demands, her worst fears come alive: Cody is kidnapped. Her only hope comes from Ben Mooring, a man she hates nearly as much as her father.

Though Ben Mooring lost his chance with Julie years ago, she and Cody still mean the world to him. He practically raised the kid for years when he was with Julie. When Cody goes missing, Ben drops everything to search for him. He might never win a spot in Julie’s life again, but he can’t rest while Cody is in danger and Julie needs him.

Julie and Ben join forces to find Cody, but they have to work quickly. If she doesn’t find him soon, she might lose her son forever.

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Julie stepped into the stomach-holding, never-to-be-seen-by-anyone panties. Safety in granny-panties. After pulling, prodding, and briefly writhing on her bed to get the waistband over her hips, she was appropriately sardined and ready for an outfit.

She whipped open the door to her closet, and a black-hooded battering ram came at her. Her arms flailed. She grabbed for their arm, but her fingers slid off the black cotton jacket.

Down. Down she went. Whoever it was left the closet and moved toward the sliding glass door.

No. Julie grabbed the intruder’s left leg with one hand. Not enough. She clamped on with both hands, and her body banged against her dresser. Everything on top of her dresser fell to the floor. Bottles slapped against the wood and shattered. Her fabric jewelry box slammed into her shoulder. Julie flinched, and the intruder pulled away. She kicked her legs to get closer.

Yank. The body dropped to the floor with a groan. A deep groan.

The criminal’s right leg barely missed Julie’s face, skinning her neck. She pulled back as that right leg tried another pass. Dammit.

“Stop!” Julie gasped, struggling to roll her half-naked body over both legs and pin them down. The criminal’s shoe caught on the thigh-band of her Spanx. The bad guy jerked like a landed fish, and Julie finally angled her body over their legs, pushing them to the floor.

Another groan.

The bad guy wiggled. Julie held on. Her breathing erratic. Her heart beating out of her chest. “Why. Are. You. Here?”

About the Author: Who is Vanessa M. Knight? Well, I’m an author. Wow. After years and years of wanting to use those words, that is fun to say. It’s almost as fun as supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Did I spell that right?

I write contemporary romantic suspense.

I live in Chicagoland with my family and menagerie of four-legged friends. In my mind, these lovely animals do everything as they should. I’m the alpha, keeping peace and harmony amongst my humble servants. In real life, they own me. I’m the maid, here for their feeding pleasure. Well, that and to clean up their messes.

When not catering to the needs of adorably-furry faces, I slug through the nine to five grind and head home so I can write. Of course, that’s after I make dinner and clean the house and all the other tasks that go into family life. So really, I work, cater to animals and my family… and then, if I don’t fall face first into bed, I write. I love putting my characters into crazy situations and watching how they react. I hope you love reading about them.

I love to hear from fans.

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Beautiful Eyes by Gabbi Black – Spotlight and Giveaway

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

Entrepreneur Smith MacLean is obsessed with Alessandra Soriano, a woman he met briefly who disappeared six months ago. After a shocking reunion at Club Kink, he insists she stay with him. He means to find out where she’s been.

Alessandra walked away from her life after making a mistake that cost everything. Her self-imposed penance is living in poverty and doing questionable things with questionable people. Now she’s in Smith’s luxurious condo, under his hand, and obeying his rules.

He has thirty days to convince her to come back from limbo. She has thirty days to convince him she needs to be forgotten. Unless the flames of lust consume them first.

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“Did you not sleep well?”

“I never do when I’m not in my own bed.” Petulance? Perhaps. Smith deserved her ire.

He snickered. “That crappy excuse for a mattress at your old home could hardly be called a bed, and you should’ve been more concerned with your safety since the room didn’t even have a lock.” His glare lessened a fraction. “Perhaps you can take a nap.”

“That was my problem yesterday—I slept too much during the afternoon. I just want to go back to your place.”

“Why don’t we have lunch first?” He steered her toward a bistro.

“If that would please you.” Her response was listless. She wasn’t hungry and wouldn’t eat, but if this would get him off her back, she could survive. In truth, she had no choice.

He slowed his pace and turned to look down at her. “Maybe we can stop by Indigo on our way home, and you can select several books.”

The joy was instantaneous. “Really? Oh, that would be wonderful. I haven’t had a new book in—” She halted, catching herself.

“Six months?” He completed the sentence.

She nodded.

“Well, eat a full lunch, and maybe we’ll add a couple more.”

Maybe a meal wouldn’t hurt. If that meant she got a book, maybe it’d be worth it.

About the Author: Even though Gabbi Black is a firm believer in happy endings, she makes her characters work for it in every romance she writes, no matter what the genre. From contemporary to BDSM, they are penned early in the morning in her home in beautiful British Columbia while her trusty ChinPoo dog and her cantankerous Himalayan cat keep her company. She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey.

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