Midnight Masquerade by Anya Summers

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

Sophia is in trouble. Again.

Maybe it’s the masks. Maybe she needs to feel something other than regret. Whatever the reason, she is either daring… or foolish… when she trades places with another submissive, and ends up spending the night in her mysterious boss’s bed.

He doesn’t recognize her, but now she’s had him, she knows one taste of his dark love will never be enough.

Gabriel Ryan has one firm rule: don’t sleep with employees.

Even though he’s infuriated beyond measure to discover Sophia in his bed after a night of mind-blowing pleasure, she is now in his blood. He craves her. Needs her. Yearns for her surrender.

But she is forbidden. He will break her with his dark desires.

When Sophia’s dangerous past waltzes into his club, Gabriel must protect her. He must claim her. And break every single one of his rules to keep her safe.

Read an Excerpt

By the time he ventured down into the Eros Pit, his exclusive, members only BDSM club hidden a floor beneath Eternal Eros, he was in no mood to play. It had been a spectacularly long day at the office. Shame, really, that his mind and body weren’t on board, given the submissive bounty in his club.

But tonight, he would participate in the event, under threats and orders by Sophia. He sighed over the fact that he could deny the woman little. And she had badgered him from the start about joining in the events each month, until he finally yielded.

Granted, that might have had something to do with the way she had stood in his office earlier today, her hands on her lush hips, a fierce scowl on her face and a glimmer in her eyes that told him that she would forcibly escort him if needed.

He’d folded like a house of cards while ignoring what the sight of her in his office did to him and his libido. Gabe refused to let his dick do his thinking for him, no matter how much Sophia stirred him.

In the elevator, he adjusted the black mask covering his face. He’d not changed into a costume, as much as his event coordinator had pestered him to wear one. The woman had gone so far as to have a costume made for him. But he couldn’t see himself prancing around in the dandy seventeenth century garb, not even to make her happy. Instead, he had stuck with his black suit and navy-blue tie. His one concession, besides his willingness to participate tonight, was the mask covering the top half of his face.

And the mask was all Sophia would get out of him.

The mood in the Eros Pit most nights tended to be more subdued—with the extra added elements of scenes in progress and muted music—than the club upstairs. That was by design on his part. At least, it usually was more laid back, with scenes at various stations and the occasional high-pitched moans from submissives. But tonight, with the masquerade event, the air in the Eros Pit held a thrill of excitement. Submissives in their exotic costumes were grouped together, talking excitedly, wondering who they would end up with for the night.

All participating Doms had been given a station in one of the scene areas or private rooms a floor down. Then the submissives, in their erotic ball wear, selected from a bowl a marker with the scene area and Dom listed. The submissive would head to the scene area or private room upon selection, and then the Dom would join them once all the selections were made.

It was a rather brilliant strategy and way of introducing unattached Doms and submissives to one another. In participating, they were agreeing to scene with another for the night—and possibly more, depending on the connection.

And the place was packed to the gills tonight.

Scanning the crowd, Gabe discovered that even his rapscallion brothers were in attendance—and had gotten into the spirit of the event, given their costumes, or most of them had, anyhow. Dean was a no show, but that had been the norm the last few months.

The submissive selection process was already in progress, with peals of laughter and squeals of delight from the women. It was arranged so that by midnight, all the submissives would be at their stations. With time to kill before he went to his private room, Gabe made his way through the throng to his private section of the club. Most nights there were available subs standing near the black velvet rope separating his section of the club, or sitting at one of the booths or tables nearby with the hope that either he or one of his brothers would give them a nod and join them. Yet, this evening, all those subs were dressed in costume and waiting in line to select their Dom..

About the Author:

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

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

Website: http://www.anyasummers.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AnyaSummersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anyabsummers
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15183606.Anya_Summers
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Anya-Summers/e/B01EGTVRKC/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anya-summers
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anyasummersauthor/
Newsletter: https://anyasummers.com/newsletter/

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MSosG4
Nook: http://bit.ly/3e0yf8e
Kobo: http://bit.ly/389cG1p
Apple: http://apple.co/30bEOga
Universal: https://books2read.com/u/me7vDl

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Haunting in Old Tailem by Janice Tremayne

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter to win a print copy of the book. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Five Things You Might Not Know About Me

1. I like to visit haunted houses and I use a spirit box app on my phone to try and establish an energy source or presence. These haunted houses inspire me to write ghost stories and finding unique settings. There is many ghost towns in Australia that grew from boom-and-bust gold mines. It makes history so interesting in terms of people, their life struggles, disease, and death.

2. When I was about ten years old, I saw a ghost in my room. I was terrified, and I called for my parents. It was so real I have never forgotten about it after all this time. It was the ghost of a man in uniform kneeling in front of a fireplace. The ghost never looked at me, but it wasn’t threatening in any way—just disturbing for a child. When my parents came racing into the room it disappeared.

3. I am Australian and grew up in the city of Melbourne. That means I speak with an Aussie accent. “Good on ya mate! Let’s throw another shrimp on the barbie.”

4. Janice Tremayne is my pen name. I am a male author. I created Janice because I was changing genre and it made sense from a marketing perspective. I also wanted to keep my business life separate from writing. Most people are ok with me using a pen name—it does not seem to bother them. I hope it does not bother the readers of this blog.

5. When I wrote my first book in the horror genre, I did not know what I was doing. I had no idea of book marketing and building a readership (audience). I wasted a lot of time and marketing my first book as an unknown and without having a follow-up sequel to continue the relationship. One fundamental mistake after another.

An Australian Ghost town. A resident demon and a local Shaman. A confrontation with evil awaits.

Clarisse realizes that running from evil is not a bad idea until you figure out you can't hide. When some ghosts get tired of hanging around, they latch onto you. At the centre of the war on evil is a historic Church that carries dark secrets within its walls. After she meets with the local Shaman, Clarisse discovers secrets with evil consequences by digging too deep into the town’s past. When matters become complicated, she visits a circus of young performers on the outskirts of town triggering unexpected paranormal events and unleashing memories of a one-hundred-year curse. After being caught in the crossfire of a battle for evil supremacy, Clarisse confronts Little Charlie as he rallies the town's ghosts into an impeccable evil stronghold.

Can the local Shaman and townsfolk rally in her quest to defeat the evil incarnate or will the town succumb to Little Charlie and his evil crew?

Haunting in Old Tailem is the third book of the Haunting Clarisse Series. If you like spine-tingling, chilling, creepy and spooky supernatural thrillers, then you will love this story by 2020 USA Readers' Favorite International Book Awards Finalist in Supernatural Fiction, Janice Tremayne.

Pick up your copy today and follow Clarisse through her battles with evil!

Read an Excerpt

He hung with the rope around his neck, his tongue sticking out with a red-starved oxygen face. At the same time, he was smiling as though he was only having fun. Death was a reenactment that he had become accustomed to, to the point he thought it funny; a way of horrifying others and making them pay attention. He had a young mind—innocent and conditioned to get the attention of others. Little Charlie didn’t know whether he was dead or alive; far too young to understand. As far as he was concerned, tying a loop around his neck, jumping, and choking to death made him realize he felt no pain. He could do it over and over again.

Clarisse knew from her encounter in Hartley that Little Charlie was an attention seeker and someone who liked to cling onto you. That could explain how he had ended up in Old Tailem Town. Running away from evil might seem like a good idea at the time, but you could not hide.

“Come over here, Little Charlie. There is nothing to be afraid of,” she said.

He replied with a cheeky grin on his boyish face. His mousy brown hair thrown from side to side, he signaled with his right index finger, waving it left to right many times.

“Nuh-uh,” he mimed, his way of saying no.

About the Author:

Janice Tremayne is an Amazon bestselling and award-winning ghost and supernatural writer. Janice is a finalist in the Readers' Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in Fiction-Supernatural.

She is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. Her recent publication, Haunting in Hartley, reached number one on the Amazon kindle ranking for Occult, Supernatural, and Ghosts and Haunted Houses categories, for hot new releases and bestsellers.

Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She has developed a passion and style for writing ghost and supernatural novels for new adult readers.

The concept of writing the Haunting Clarisse series was spawned over a cup of coffee many years ago, and she has not looked back since. Her books contain heart-thumping, bone-chilling, and thought-provoking ghost and paranormal experiences that deliver a new twist to every tale.

Website: http://www.janicetremayne.com.au
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hauntingclarisse

Buy the series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HGPL2G5
Buy Haunting in Old Tailem: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B524JNW

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The Salty Rose by Beth M. Caruso

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

Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I’ve always loved history, facts, and research, but there are also elements of magical realism in my books. Living in New England, history is all around me in the locations and homes of everyday life prompting curiosity toward the past. Even though I consider myself an intellectual, I am also quite aware and fascinated by the reality that there are some things in life we cannot understand through science or facts alone. This viewpoint allows for magic and spirituality to flow as a subtle undercurrent in my reality-based stories. It’s important to me to provide a space in my novels for not only an authentic historical background, but also for the less tangible and esoteric facets of life.

What research is required?

Writing historical novels requires a plethora of research into old archives and documents. The information provided by those sources is necessary to create an accurate historical timeline and cultural details of the era I am writing about. It was complicated to pull together details for The Salty Rose because I was describing the culture and customs of two distinct colonial empires—the English colonies of New England and the Dutch colony of New Netherland. I also pieced together the personal historical timelines of each character based on the real person they represented. All of these components need to fuse together seamlessly to maintain an accurate historical representation. With all this in mind, I then create fuller character profiles and use literary inventions to complete the story.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

Marie du Trieux shows that it’s possible to be true to oneself while also having a generous heart. She teaches that peacekeepers should be acknowledged in a much bigger way than those who perpetuate war. Their actions save many from unnecessary suffering.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

Astrological charts for characters. Yes, I’m serious. I know the rough birthdates or baptisms for some of my main characters who were adapted from real people. So why not see if my intuition fits what I find in a chart? It usually is very in line with their character development and enriches what I’ve already come up with based on the actions of the historical figures turned into characters in my novels.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

Plotter. My novels are complex and follow a background of historical and detailed events. I can’t do this kind of writing without a concrete structure to follow. However, that doesn’t mean that characters can’t change course within that structure.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

The spirit of my father Joe Caruso. We were extremely close. He encouraged me and loved hearing my stories as I developed my first novel One of Windsor: The Untold Story of America’s First Witch Hanging. Sadly, he was very ill at the time it was published and died just a couple of weeks later. He never got to read it. However, I always feel him near me, continuing to cheer me on. He was a chemist and The Salty Rose: Alchemists, Witches and A Tapper In New Amsterdam is in large part about alchemy, the beginnings of modern chemistry. I know he would have been fascinated.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

The next novel in progress is very dear to my heart as it involves the legend of a kidnapping on the Sicilian side of my family. Again, it’s a way to be close to my dear dad since his passing and learn more about the culture he came from and what he was passionate about. As I research, I’m also learning Italian and meeting family members from afar who are helping me to understand the cultural significance of the customs in this story. And, my more metaphysical nature urged me to write a ghost story. The outline for it is complete, but the writing has not yet begun.

Do you have a question for our readers?
Would you like to learn more about early colonial history in the form of an enticing novel full of witch trials, mystical alchemists, and a fiercely independent rebel rouser and tavern keeper named Marie du Trieux? Have you ever heard of the Connecticut Witch Trials? Surprisingly, most Americans have not. What topics would you, dear readers, also love to have discussed in future novels?

Thank you so much for this time at It’s Raining Books. I hope you found this information to be interesting.

Marie du Trieux, a tavern keeper with a salty tongue and a heart of gold, struggles as she navigates love and loss, Native wars, and possible banishment by authorities in the unruly trading port of New Amsterdam, an outpost of the Dutch West India Company.

In New England, John Tinker, merchant and assistant to a renowned alchemist and eventual leader of Connecticut Colony, must come to terms with a family tragedy of dark proportions, all the while supporting his mentor’s secret quest to find the Northwest Passage, a desired trading route purported to mystically unite the East with the West.

As the lives of Marie and John become intertwined through friendship and trade, a search for justice of a Dutch woman accused of witchcraft in Hartford puts them on a collision course affecting not only their own destinies but also the fate of colonial America.

Read an Excerpt

“Marie. Enough of this! Go roll out another barrel to tap. We are already out. These ravenous sailors will drink us dry with their unending thirst. And, think about minding your manners with the wealthy man at the window table,” Mr. Couwenhoven scolded me as he glared in the man’s direction.

The tavern was humming with activity, encased in a cloud of smoke and overflowing with not only beer but also boisterous laughter that night.

I’d rebuffed a lecherous traveler again. My mistake was that he was a repeat customer and one who had a little wealth to spread around.

“What shall I do? Let the letch grab me? You ask too much of me,” I retorted. “Certainly, you understand I must protect myself against some of these animals,” I emphasized.

Mr. Van Couwenhoven was a hideous man, only thinking of his coin.

“Listen to me quite well, you little Walloon,” he retorted as his chubby face reddened with anger. “I’m giving you a chance to have a living, but you will end mine if you are not a little more lenient with my good customers! I don’t care if you unleash that sharp tongue of yours with the foolish rogue sailors who are too drunk to remember what you say, but you will not chase away my better clientele. You understand me? Be polite!” he yelled.

I looked at Van Couwenhoven’s son, Pieter, nodding as he raised his eyebrows at me, motioning to the back.

“Yes. For you, I can be ever so lenient,” I said under my breath, staring into Pieter’s bright blue eyes.

My heart raced a little at the chance to meet Pieter in the back. It was hard for me to take my eyes off his handsome cherub-like face, a face that hid the personality of a little rascal.

Mr. Van Couwenhoven ordered me to the storeroom one more time, not wanting to lose business.

“Marie, I said to go get another barrel of beer from the back. Do as I say!” Mr. Van Couwenhoven ordered me.

As mad as he was, he still liked me. It was worse when his wife was around too. The husband was greedy but only resented me if I got in the way of profits. His wife was another story. I knew she’d despise me once she got wind of my budding romance with her son.

About the Author:Award-winning author, Beth M. Caruso, is passionate to discover and convey important and interesting stories of women from earlier times. She recently won the literary prize in Genre Fiction (2020) from IPNE (Independent Publishers of New England) for her most recent novel The Salty Rose: Alchemists, Witches & A Tapper In New Amsterdam (2019). The Salty Rose is Beth’s second historical novel and explores alchemy in early colonial times, an insider’s view of the takeover of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, and the Hartford Witch Panic with information she gathered from previous and ongoing research. Beth’s first historical novel is One of Windsor: The Untold Story of America’s First Witch Hanging (2015), a novel that tells the tale of Alice ‘Alse’ Young and the beginnings of the colonial witch trials. She based the story on original research she did by exploring early primary sources such as early Windsor land records, vital statistics, and other documents. She lives in Connecticut with her family. Beth kayaks and gardens to unwind.

Website: http://www.oneofwindsor.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/oneofwindsor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethmcaruso/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Salty-Rose-Alchemists-Witches-Amsterdam/dp/1733373802
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-salty-rose-beth-m-caruso/1133991342

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Ellerslie by William Francis

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

Did you know author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda lived in a haunted house?

It’s the Jazz Age, it’s Prohibition and aviator Charles Lindbergh is the most famous person in America. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald rents a mansion in Edgemoor, Delaware called Ellerslie hoping for a quiet retreat so that he can write his next novel following The Great Gatsby.

April Ross, the first and only female history major at the University of Delaware, is commissioned by the owner of Ellerslie to research the estate’s history for a potential sale. At least, that’s what April is told. In the days ahead, April’s historical research uncovers Ellerslie’s former owners dating back to 1810. She interacts with the Fitzgeralds, yet endures unexplained occurrences and visits by an unknown woman. Against her better judgement, April eventually accepts that the woman is a ghost and realizes that her true purpose is to find out who this woman is, or was, and what happened to her in real life.

Read an Excerpt

“I signed a two-year lease,” Scott said. “And I came here to get away from the noise of New York so that I could write. I also came here because I have a fascination with medieval Europe and feudalism. I wanted to study the DuPonts and their quasi-feudalism over this area and create a novel loosely based on them. Unfortunately, every time I sit down to write it nothing happens. I think my problem is that I always want to write something that’s never been written before, something unique and extraordinary rather than another rehashing of a familiar plot.”

“If the DuPont idea isn’t working, then stop trying to force it and write something else.”

“You sound like my editor, Max Perkins. He’s pretty upset with me right now. I promised him a novel by July first. That’s not going to happen.”

“Well, as they say, get crackin’. And don’t worry about your lease. I’m sure Mr. Sellers will let you break it when you tell him that Ellerslie is haunted.”

“Haunted?” Scott said with an uneasy laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“It’s not ridiculous. Mr. Sellers knows it. The maids know it. Phillipe knows it. My real purpose here is to discover the identity of a crying female ghost."

Scott moaned. “Well, then. I guess Elena spilled the beans.”

“She did not. Marie did, but I would’ve figured it out. This female manifestation has been reaching out to me, giving me clues meant to help my investigation. Of course, if she could speak it would go a lot faster, but in life she was strangled and possibly crushed her throat. I guess this makes her spirit unable to speak. I don’t know. I’m no expert on ghosts. Have you seen her?”

“Yes, I was drunk and in the kitchen the first time, about two weeks after we moved in. I knew who she was by Mr. Sellers’ description. I didn’t believe it. I still don’t believe it.”

“Do you know anything about her?”

“Not much. Apparently, she’s been on the estate for many years. Mr. Sellers said his father knew about her and called her the ‘melancholy lady.’ Servants recalled hearing the old gentleman talk to somebody late at night, usually in the library, and when they entered the room he was the only one there. Then shortly before his death he told his son about her, said she cried all the time and he couldn’t figure out why. Mr. Sellers Junior dismissed it as the rantings of an old man. Then one tenant after another kept telling stories about a ghost or unexplained acts of violence. Junior didn’t believe them until he saw the lady for himself.”

“So Mr. Sellers told you about the lady ghost before you moved in but you signed the lease anyway?” “Yes. Zelda and I thought it might be exciting to live in a haunted house.”

About the Author:

Raised in Newark, Delaware, William spends his days working in Corporate America and writing about the First State. He achieved a Masters Degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, but also writes non-fiction. Through Arcadia Publishing he has produced 5 books related to Delaware: The DuPont Highway, Along the Kirkwood Highway, Along the Christina River, Building Interstate in 95 in Delaware and Newark Then &amp Now. Fiction titles include: A Life Told to None, The Umpire, Seacrest, and the five-star The Katie Dugan Case. Whether his books are fact or fiction, William hopes to entertain as well as inform and leave the reader with a satisfying experience.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/william.francis.925
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7752881.William_Francis
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XK1JYC7/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4

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Night to Dawn 39 presented by Barbara Custer

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

The apocalypse of the movie screen and the printed page has become a reality. A microbe threatens humanity, making Corona seem like the common cold. Innocents die to appease young and hungry gods. A doctor feeds the souls of his patients to a demon. Featuring Marge Simon, Lee Clark Zumpe, Margaret L. Carter, Rod Marsden, Matthew Wilson, and other authors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt from Harold Kempka’s “Milkweed”

He tingled with excitement, thinking about the possibilities. They stepped from the car and walked toward the house. Lily stopped and bent toward a small strip of clustered, pinkish-white flowers adorning the plants growing alongside the walkway. She held a cluster of the dainty flowers in her hand and motioned for him to lean toward them.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” she asked and looped her arm through his. “They are milkweed, and butterflies just love them. Their aroma is so intoxicating it makes me tingle.”

She snuggled up against him and led him into the house. Upon stepping inside, she surprised him with a passionate kiss on the lips.

Walter held her close and ran his hands from her waist at the small of her back up toward her shoulder blades. He could feel her ribs expand and contract in concert with her breathing. Lily wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him. Her hot breath emanated with the flowery aroma of the plants along the walkway.

“I want you so badly,” she whispered.

Lily kissed him and slid her tongue between his lips. She dueled with his tongue and overpowered him with her passion. Walter opened his eyes and stared stunned as her nose and pulsating lips transformed into a proboscis-like appendage.

The proboscis flicked at his mouth, but before he could react. it slithered between his lips and down his throat. His face turned deep crimson, and he gagged. He fought to breathe while his stomach gurgled and bloated.

About the Editor:

Barbara lives near Phila., PA, retired from her job as a respiratory therapist. Nowadays, she chases Mylar balloons at the supermarket, enjoys a fright flick, or works on horror and science fiction tales. Many of her short stories have appeared in numerous small press magazines. She’s been editor of Night to Dawn Magazine since 2004. Books by Barbara include When Blood Reigns, Twilight Healer, The Forgotten People, Steel Rose, City of Brotherly Death, Close Liaisons, and Life Raft: Earth. She enjoys bringing her medical background to the printed page and then blending it with supernatural horror. She maintains a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and The Writers Coffeehouse forum. Look for the photos with the Mylar balloons, and you’ll find Barbara.

Website: http://www.bloodredshadow.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/barbara.custer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NighttoDawn1

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Dawn-39-Barbara-Custer/dp/1937769674/ref=sr_1_1
BN Buy Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/night-to-dawn-39-barbara-custer/1138692108
Doylestown Bookshop: https://www.doylestownbookshop.com/book/9781937769673

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A Million Things To Ask A Neuroscientist by Michael Tranter

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michael Tranter PhD 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.

FIVE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT GUESS ABOUT ME

1. If you could hear me speak, you would probably guess that I am from the England, in the UK (although most people think my accent is Australian). I lived there all my life but now I have settled down in California, USA, where I do neuroscience research. I swapped the grey clouds and narrow streets for the sun, sand, and hills. My social media name is ‘The English Scientist’ but I have adapted well to the sun and swimming pools, so I might have to modify that name at some point.

2. I have climbed mountains all over the world at extremely high altitudes. I have climbed a mountain (6,189m, 20,305ft) next to Mount Everest in Nepal (I would love to climb Everest at some point), and climbed Aconcagua in Argentina (6,961m, 22,841ft). This is the highest mountain, outside of the Himalayas. For Aconcagua, the climb got called off when we were about to summit due to poor weather, so we never made to the very top. We got pretty high though.

3. I have played the guitar for the last 16 years. I started playing an electric guitar, anything from punk rock to blues, but I mostly play my acoustic these days as it is much quieter than the electric guitar. Which keeps me in the good books with my neighbours. I have had the same electric guitar all this time, and have not ventured into an upgrade one yet. Maybe some day.

4. I am learning 3 languages at the same time. I went to a summer school in Valencia, Spain, to help with the Spanish, but for the German and Russian, I just learn on my own. I reach out to others (in Germany and Russia) who want to learn English, and use skype calls to talk to people in what is called language exchanges. It will be a while before I can confidently speak in these languages, but I enjoy learning them and learning about other people and cultures.

5. Although I can play the guitar, it reminds me of a time when I was playing ‘air guitar’. Basically, jumping on my bed, music blasting, and pretending to play some overly complicated Guns N’ Roses song. Without a guitar, only my hands. Once it finished, I looked out of my window to see two of my friends staring at me, laughing like crazy, at just how odd I must have looked. Although let’s be honest, we have all done that at some point anyway.

A Million Things To Ask A Neuroscientist answers some of the most asked questions about the brain, making the science fun and accessible to everyone. Inside, you will journey through some of the most interesting and strange things that our brain does every single day.

Have you always wanted to know just what a memory actually is, or why we dream? What is our consciousness? Why do some people seem to ‘click’ with others? And can our brain really multi-task?

Read an Excerpt

There is no such thing as a perfect memory, but as far as neuroscience teaches us, we never forget anything. Although in reality, most memories cannot be retrieved by us at a conscious level, and so you may think that they are lost forever. However, this forgetfulness is simply a mechanism that our brain does so that we can easily remember the important things and not get distracted by the countless other memories we store. Some people do not appear to have that ability and instead live with a nearly perfect memory recall of their entire lives.

This is called hyperthymesia, and it gives people the ability to have a near-perfect autobiographical memory about their lives. To accurately recall every major news event, day by day, from previous years, or recall what day of the week it was on a random date from the past, even describing the menu from a restaurant they visited on that date.

About the Author:

Dr Mike Tranter is from the North of England and studied how drugs work in our body, but it wasn't long before he found his true calling as a neuroscientist. After a PhD in neuroscience, he spent years in research labs all over the world, studying how the brain works. Although, it is his prominent rise as a science communicator, opening up the world of neuroscience to everybody, that he enjoys the most.

Website: https://www.aneurorevolution.com/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/TheEnglishScientist
Buy Link: http://www.aNeuroRevolution.com

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Fully Involved by Lindy Bell

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Lindy Bell will be awarding a $25 Starbucks gift card (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Katie Garrett is madly in love with her dashing firefighter husband, Andy. When he is diagnosed with cancer, their entire world is turned upside down. Andy clumsily tries to protect Katie from the truth by not telling her, but her fear — and his increasing pain and tumultuous emotions — only feed her deep-seated insecurities, as they fight for Andy’s life and for their marriage.

While the fire station and its camaraderie are Andy’s refuge, station officer Lt. Mike Bentley wages a vendetta against Andy, making Andy more determined to avoid revealing weakness of any kind. In spite of Bentley’s despising Andy, the C shift crew rally to support Andy until events take a downward turn.

As she discovers Andy’s cancer was caused by exposure to lethal chemicals while on duty, Katie navigates the treacherous maze of uncertainty and grief to emerge a stronger, more confident woman who represents her husband and the fire service as an advocate for firefighter safety and protection.

Firefighters face a myriad of dangers, but the invisible dangers – his past, her fears -- can pose the greatest threat of all. Will courage, duty, and love be enough to save Andy from these unseen threats? Will he come to recognize the far-reaching impact his life has on others? If the worst should happen, would his greatest legacy be the love of the fire service or the love for his wife? In the end, the unforeseen might have the greatest significance of all.

Read an Excerpt

“Anybody recognize this guy?” Andy asked, pointing to Hedrick who waved with a silly grin. The children laughed and nodded. “Well, Hedrick is going to put on the rest of the equipment we wear when we’re fighting a fire,” Andy said with a nod at Hedrick.

“First, he’s going to put on his hood. This protects the back of our necks and ears.” Hedrick pulled the hood up over his head and made sure it was securely in place before slipping on his mask. “The mask helps protect our faces and our eyes from smoke and ashes. When the tank is connected to the mask through this place here,” Andy continued, pointing to the regulator, “we can breathe fresh air from the air tank on our back.”

Hedrick fastened the hose and clicked the breathing regulator onto its place on the front of the mask. Immediately, the sound of his raspy breathing could be heard. “Finally,” Andy said, “his helmet goes on, and he buckles the strap under his chin. The helmet protects our head from anything heavy that might be falling,” Andy finished as Hedrick pulled on his gloves. As Hedrick stood in front of the group, his breathing loud and scratchy through the regulator, the children's eyes went wide with wonder, or possibly fear.

Andy clapped Hedrick on the shoulder. “Remember the goofy-looking guy with an even goofier smile we saw just a few minutes ago? Let’s think a minute . . .”

Andy looked at the unsure looks on their faces. “Do you remember that guy who put on all this equipment to protect himself when he’s fighting a fire?” A few heads nodded tentatively. “Well, that’s the same goofy guy on the inside of all this gear,” Andy said, resting his arm on Hedrick’s shoulder. Hedrick reached over and playfully thumped Andy on the arm, and the children laughed.

Andy smiled. “Show them what we’re talking about, Hedrick.” Hedrick removed his helmet and then unhooked the hose from the mask to the air tank and finally, pulled the mask and hood off, which lifted his hair into spikes all over his head. Hedrick smiled his goofiest smile and waved. The children broke into cheers and applause as Hedrick bowed with a flourish.

About the Author

A project ten years in the making, Fully Involved is Lindy Bell’s debut novel and avidly reflects her admiration and love of the fire service. Thoroughly researched, the quest for accuracy for the book led Lindy to participate in the Plano Citizens Fire Academy, attend classes and accompany firefighters on ride outs. With a retired fire chief and a current paramedic/firefighter in the family, Lindy has witnessed firsthand the dedication and humbleness of first responders which fueled the impetus to convey the importance of the legendary fire service brotherhood and create cancer awareness and its growing effect on the fire service.

Lindy’s first book, Jane Austen Celebrates~Holidays and Occasions Regency Style, is a showcase Regency Era holidays and their impact on modern holiday celebration traditions. A member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Lindy has spoken to a variety of groups and taught Continuing and Adult Professional Education courses at Southern Methodist University (SMU).

A graduate of Abilene Christian University, Lindy currently lives in Plano, TX and works from home for a governmental executive recruitment and training firm. As hobbies, Lindy enjoys supporting Plano Fire Rescue by volunteering with the Plano Fire Rescue Association, writing, reading an engaging novel and cross stitching.

Website: http://lindybellwrites.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindyBellWrites
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LindyBellWrites
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/LindyBellWrites

Amazon Buy Link: https://amzn.to/3cfvbEs



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Theft Between the Rains by Luba Lesychyn

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Luba Lesychyn will be awarding a print copy of Theft Between the Rains to a randomly drawn winner (US or Canada ONLY) via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome to It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

My books are cozy art theft thrillers, although when I started writing my first book, I didn’t realize initially that that was what the book would become. I started off with a character, Kalena Boyko, a museum employee who is seriously addicted to chocolate. And I wanted to set the story in a museum because I had been working in Canada’s largest museum, the Royal Ontario Museum, for a couple of decades. It was such a magical and extraordinary place in which to work and I wanted to share with readers the behind-the-scenes world with which I was so familiar.

The art theft plot came later in the development of the book and I realized how much I loved writing a suspenseful story and leaving readers wanting to turn to that next page and the next. But my books are also humorous (so they’re cozy thrillers) and I love the idea that I might be making people giggle or even laugh out loud when reading some of the scenes.

What research is required?

I was so fortunate to have first-hand access to the world in my books, so there wasn’t much additional research required for the museum aspect of the book. But for Theft Between the Rains, which is still primarily set at the Royal Ontario Museum, I also wanted to take readers to parts of Toronto that are rarely seen or visited.

To discover new locations for my scenes I went on city walking tours, some led by the Lost Rivers group (whose walks trace the courses of the city’s undergrounded or forgotten streams), as well as downtown walking tours organized by the Royal Ontario Museum. There’s also an annual event called Doors Open Toronto which allows the public to explore buildings of architectural, historic and cultural significance that are not usually accessible to the public, so I participated in that a few times. As a result, I not only ran across some captivating locations, but I spent my weekends in a tremendously fun and active way and got to know my city like I had never known it before.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

I learned that despite being very capable, Kalena Boyko lacked confidence and if she stopped getting in her own way so much, she could be a powerhouse.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

If I come up with an idea, or scene or dialogue, and I don’t have pen or paper to jot it down, I trust that I will remember it. And anything that I might forget was meant to be forgotten.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I have been both a plotter and a pantser. With my first book, Theft By Chocolate, before entering a creative writing program, I took one of those ‘How to Write Your First Novel’ courses. In it, I was required to develop my characters, create their back stories, develop detailed chapter outlines, and an overall summary. And that was very useful as a beginning novelist.

For Theft Between the Rains, I decided to be more of a pantser and I felt I was more open to new inspirations. However, doing it that way resulted in a much longer and meticulous editing phase.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

An exquisite amethyst crystal, a round palm-sized stone from Iceland that is covered with a kind of woven wool jacket, a glass of water resting on a porous ceramic coaster, and a stunning art deco inspired lamp (it’s a woman holding up a glass globe) which casts just the right amount of light I need while working on my computer.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

The current book upon which I’m working is quite a departure from my first two books. Although it’s still a mystery and set in the museum world, it’s a paranormal story with souls meeting in more than one lifetime. My early writing journey started with screenwriting and I had completed a script that I had always wanted to elaborate more fully into a novel. So, I’m finally going back to that concept to develop it into a book.

I’m also going to be working on a memoir/fiction blend about my family’s struggles and challenges as a first-generation Canadian family. Both works get me very excited about waking up every day and getting to my writing.

Do you have a question for our readers?

I’d be curious to know what readers think about authors who write books in different genres. When in writing school, we were often told to stay within one genre, but I’ve always wondered if it really made a difference to readers when writers switch it up and I know a few writers who write very well in each of their genres.

What would you do if you worked at a reputable international museum and art works listed as still missing since WWII began showing up on your doorstep?

That’s the substance of the newest urban art theft thriller Theft Between the Rains by Luba Lesychyn.

Drawing on her more than 20 years at Canada’s largest museum, Luba reintroduces many of the affable and quirky characters from the prequel, Theft By Chocolate. Also resurrected is the malicious art thief who has been on the world’s most wanted criminal list for decades.

Theft Between the Rains takes readers behind the scenes at museums and to parts unknown of Toronto. And with water being a character unto its own, Luba uses both humor and thriller elements to weave a page-turning story while simultaneously illustrating how changing weather patterns and flash flooding are impacting metropolitan centers globally.

Read an excerpt

“We are coming to yet another fascinating area of the facility. And it is one of the more recent additions to the building,” said Walter.

“Holeeeeeeeee,” said Marco. “This is straight out of some Sci Fi B movie.”

“It is something,” said Walter.

Before us were shelves full of jars – large jars, small jars, roundish jars, square jars – all containing clear liquid and specimens of every conceivable sort. I turned on my phone’s flashlight app, and the illuminated sight before me was truly haunting. Hundreds, probably thousands of fish, sea life, and land creatures floated lifelessly in their ghostly containers. Those whose bodies were turned in our direction seemed to be staring directly at us with beady eyes.

“All of these specimens are suspended in alcohol. If ever there was anything you wanted to learn about aquatic creatures, this is certainly the place to do so. Everything is organized by genus and species. They are whole specimens, and they have been stained to feature various elements. As you can see, the fish turn translucent when preserved, but with the dyes, one can make out the nervous or circulatory systems, for example.”

“Cool,” said Marco.

“I seem to recall we had no choice but to move all this off site?” I said.

“Yes, indeed. Because of their extraordinary weight, they cannot be stored on upper levels without adding costly structural supports. At the same time, if they’re stored below grade, there’s a heightened risk of explosion.”

About the Author:

Luba Lesychyn is a popular Toronto-based mystery writer, a graduate of the Humber School for Writers, and a respected author in the library readings and events circuit.

In her two books, she draws from her more than 20 years of work experiences at the Royal Ontario Museum (Canada’s largest museum), and her time working for a private museum consulting firm to write humorous, international art theft thrillers featuring amateur sleuth Kalena Boyko. Her newest book, Theft Between the Rains, is a sequel to Theft By Chocolate (about a woman looking for chocolate, love and an international art thief in all the wrong places) published in 2012 by Attica Books and launched in Canada and the UK.

Luba currently spends her time writing and virtually touring Theft Between the Rains in which lead character Kalena Boyko returns to find herself pulled into international art theft intrigue when masterpieces missing since WWII start appearing on her doorstep.

Website: https://lubalesychyn.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Luba-Lesychyn/e/B00G9EPC8G
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Luba-Lesychyn-Author-180423355396109
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094572.Luba_Lesychyn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesychyn/
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/search?query=luba+lesychyn
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/lubalesychyn/_created/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LubaLesychyn

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