This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Aline Hunter will be awarding,United States only, a Special Book Themed gift basket to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Believe in second chances.
After his heart was broken by his first love, Kamden Stone avoided romantic entanglements. He lives in the moment, taking partners who understand his desires and know things will end after one encounter. He's comfortable with the life he's carved out for himself, refusing to need anyone or anything until a young woman he can't stop thinking about changes the game.
Everly Mason moved to escape toxic family ties. All she wants is a fresh start and a new life. The house left to her is the perfect place to fall, isolated and in the middle of nowhere, providing plenty of work to keep her occupied. She's on the right path, taking things one day at a time, when she's introduced to a mysterious man she can't stop thinking about.
Despite everything, Kamden and Everly can't deny their chemistry. When they agree to a trial period, curious to see where things will go between them, they discover they need each other in a way they never thought possible. When the time comes, they'll have to accept what they want and need. To be together, they both have to find a reason to make them stay.
Read an Excerpt
"You wanted to bring me here, right? Things will stay like this unless you talk to me." When he didn't say anything, she took a chance. She reached out and placed her fingers on his forearm. His head turned, his eyes resting on her hand, then slowly inched up. She met his gaze, determined and unafraid. "I want you to talk to me. I want to understand." Because she felt like he needed to hear it, she told him, "You don't know me either, but when you do, you'll find out you can trust me."
Slowly, as though pained, he released the steering wheel and rested his hand over hers. She tried to place the look in his eyes. He was a good man. She'd learned that while visiting his parents. They told her he could have moved away a long time ago, going to live with his brother in Tennessee, but decided to build a small house on the opposite side of their property. He lived nearby to watch over them, always ready to make their lives easier, visiting them often to make sure they were taken care of.
He gazed down at their hands, brushed his thumb over her knuckles, and then his golden-brown eyes returned to her face. She wanted to crawl over, climb into his lap, and twine her fingers in his hair.
"We'll talk in Penny's," he said softly.
"Promise?" she asked, hoping she wouldn't scare him away.
His lips parted, and he almost responded.
Then he looked away and nodded. She wanted to understand the man who'd been on her mind for weeks. She'd been captivated the minute she'd spoken to him. If he was willing to reveal himself, she was more than ready to listen.
About the Author:
Aline Hunter has written stories featured in horror magazines, zombie romance anthologies, and flash fiction contests. Her work has a dark undertone, which she credits to her love of old horror films, tastes in music, and choices in reading, and has been described as “full of sensual promise,” “gritty and sexy,” and “a breath of fresh air.”
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.
Three hearts can equal one great love...
Hera, the goddess of mothering and childbirth, wants more than to be Zeus’s throwaway partner. She wants a lover and a hot romance she can call her own, but she’s not sure she deserves to be happy. When she meets Crane in Vegas, all bets are off.
Crane Gray is a man of contradiction. On the stage, he’s a superstar, but at home, he’s alone. He wants love and Hera is the woman of his dreams. But Crane has unfinished business with John.
John has loved Crane for so long and only wants him to be happy. When he sees Crane with Hera, he knows what’s been missing between them and craves making Hera their third.
Can these three make a go of their relationship despite the glare of the spotlight or will a mistake from Hera’s past threaten their future?
“I’m Crane Gray and it’s nice to meet you—someone who doesn’t know me. I’ve got a concert here at the hotel tonight. I should be prepping for it, but I just don’t care and I want out of my life for a while. You fascinate me and I’m enjoying myself here in the bar. I’d like you to stay. Please?”
She debated what to do. Stay with Crane, the celebrity, or find someone a little more boring.
“Will you at least tell me your name?” he asked. “Have a drink with me?”
She liked him, despite his ability to drive her crazy. He was physically what she wanted in a man—blond hair, blue eyes, tall, handsome, and younger than her. Then again, most men were younger than her. She’d like to spend time with him because, honestly, this would be the only encounter. He could be that pure gold she’d been looking for.
“Honey?” He gave her space. “It’s just a drink.”
She could handle this. She’d ruined many a man, forced Echo to repeat the same words, turned individuals into monsters, and destroyed mortals. Having a drink with Crane was nothing. “Sure.”
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.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Diane Morris is part of the thin line separating a happy, mundane world from all of the horrors of the anomalous. Her federal agency is underfunded, understaffed, and misunderstood, and she’d rather transfer to the boring safety of Logistics than remain a field agent. When a troupe of international thieves make off with a pair of dragon eggs, Diane has no choice but to ally with a demon against the forces looking to leave her city a smoldering crater. Facing down rogue wizards, fiery elementals, and crazed gunmen, it’s a race against time to get the precious cargo back before the dragon wakes up and unleashes hell.
Read an Excerpt
When you think about how the FBI gets around by helicopter, you probably think of Black Hawks or at least heavy, coal-colored aircraft bristling with instruments and/or weapons. Something very spy movie, or at least crime drama. Hell, it’s what I imagine and, actually, what I was used to. So when we landed at a small airstrip a couple miles south of Las Vegas and the only helicopter in sight had a large yellow smiley face painted onto the side with a logo for “Big Bob’s Canyon Tours,” I figured I was in for a wait until my actual transport arrived. The stewardess thanked me for flying and closed up behind me as Tomas and I staggered down the stairs. I was rubbing sleep out of my eyes as two large men in khakis and flowered shirts came over from the chopper.
Now these were some violent men. The way they walked, the way they held themselves, and the way they carried very large pistols under those loose clothes made me immediately think they were professional, but still violent. I paused where I was, and they stood, arms clasped in front of them, easy expressions on their faces and an almost lazy posture. We all waited until the private jet taxied away toward the little fuel shack at the other end of the runway.
“What’s your name?” Oh boy, that’s not a polite first question.
About the Author:
Robert Gainey is a born and raised Floridian, despite his best efforts. While enrolled at Florida State University and studying English (a language spoken on a small island near Europe), Robert began volunteering for the campus medical response team, opening up a great new passion in his life. Following graduation, he pursued further training through paramedic and firefighting programs, going on to become a full time professional firefighter in the State of Florida. He currently lives and works in Northeast Florida with his wife and dogs, who make sure he gets walked regularly. Robert writes near-fetched fantasy novels inspired by the madness and courage found in everyday events.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. David Pereda 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.
Welcome to It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?
I like to explore different genres. I have written novels in the following genres: romantic suspense, mainstream, Young Adult, and thrillers. My novels often combine genres—like in THE WALL. However, they have one thing in common: whatever type of novel I write, I try to make it exciting and entertaining.
Variety and inspiration drive me to the genres I write. My reading taste is like my genre selection. I read everything, from Shakespeare to Dickens to Hemingway to Kazuo Ishiguro to John Grisham, Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly, and Ken Follett.
What research is required?
Most of my books are based on my own experiences. I’ve been to more than thirty countries, have lived in six of them, and speak four languages. The exotic locations and characters in my books are based on my observations. When necessary, I augment details by doing research on Google or reading journals.
When I wrote Freaking Fast, which mostly takes place fifty years in the future, I relied on journals and magazines I subscribe to—like Quanta and Mensa – and my own imagination.
Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.
I learn many things from my characters since I allow them to tell the story. Specifically, to this book, I learned a lot from the character of Alex--in real life.
Alex’s character is based on a real character, also a Prince with the same name. The real Alex stayed in my home for over a year and taught me how to fight with a knife and hand-to-hand combat. Like the Alex in the book, he was also a movie star in Mexico, where he usually played the nasty gringo. He was a soldier of fortune too.
Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?
I like to write between 2:00 and 7:00 in the morning when everything is quiet and only Deirdre and, sometimes, the leprechauns keep me company. Although, to be honest, I prefer it when only Deirdre comes—the leprechauns get kind of rowdy sometime.
During the workweek, I roll out of bed between 1:30 and 2:30. I have a quick breakfast and work until 6 or 7 am, shower, get dressed and start teaching at 8. At night, I sleep maybe 2 hours, sometimes 3. In the afternoon, between classes, I sleep one or two more hours. During weekends, I may linger writing and checking emails until later.
It is now precisely 6:02 am on Thursday morning.
Are you a plotter or pantser?
I’ve tried different methods of writing throughout the years, from detailed plotting to seat-of-the pants.
I have settled on having a general idea of the book, a solid first line, great characters, a climax (or two) and an end in mind. Once I start writing, I let the characters tell the story. I try to interfere with them as little as possible. I learned that from my years jumping horses in equestrian competitions: the best riders are the ones who interfere the least with their horses. I apply the same principle to the characters in my books.
Look to your right – what’s sitting there?
It’s not what is sitting there; it’s who. Deirdre, my muse, is sitting there. She’s red-headed and has green eyes and visits me often. She’s Irish and sometimes brings along a couple of Leprechauns who are a riot.
Anything new coming up from you? What?
I’m halfway through writing another novel with the main characters of THE WALL, a thriller titled GOLDEN, already scheduled for publication in 2022. Someone is trying to kill Alex, and he doesn’t know who—so, he enlists the help of his best friend Thomas and they chase around the world following leads looking for the responsible individual until they finally find who the person is: and it is shocking. You can read the first chapter of GOLDEN at the end of THE WALL.
Do you have a question for our readers?
I have a question for your readers: Do descriptive sex scenes in a novel titillate you or put you off? And why?
THOMAS BERTRAM is an American living in San Salvador with his fiancée CECILIA. They own a popular neighborhood restaurant and plan to wed soon. Thomas's dream is to obtain a resident visa for Cecilia and return to the United States.
DOMINGO JIMENEZ and his wife BLANCA own a small repair shop across the street. Domingo's dream is to move to America as well so that his seven-year-old daughter NANCY can grow up speaking English and having a good education and a better life than he and Blanca had.
When armed gang members invade their neighborhood to demand "protection" money and threaten them with death if they don't pay, Thomas and Domingo's dreams for the future take on a new perspective. They decide to flee the country with their families through Guatemala and Mexico to seek asylum in the United States.
But their journey is more challenging than expected, and they face a myriad of difficulties and must overcome multiple obstacles that put not only their dreams but also their lives at risk.
Read an Excerpt
Domingo didn’t know how long he’d been asleep when the sound of the sputtering engine and the jerking of the trailer woke him up. The trailer was shuddering and shaking back and forth. He sat up and listened as the engine faltered and crackled and finally died.
“I think our truck broke down,” José said with alarm. “I’m going to go check.”
He rose to his feet as if on springs and rushed, jumping over bodies and backpacks, to the front of the trailer and banged loudly on the metal, trying to attract Carlos and Teofimo’s attention.
“Hey, Carlos and Teofimo, what’s happening?”
There was no response for a few moments, and then Carlos answered.
“The truck broke down,” Carlos said. “The Mexican police are coming. Our local contact just called to let us know. We need to go.”
“What? You need to go where?”
“Police are coming, didn’t you hear? We’re running away. We’ll come back for you!”
“Where are we?”
“Puebla.”
“Where in the hell is that?”
“Close to Mexico City. We gotta go!”
“Wait! Unlock the trailer before you go. We’re trapped in here.”
“We don’t have time. If the Federales catch us, they’ll have to put us in jail for a couple of days. That will delay our trip.”
“Let’s go!” Teofimo screamed at Carlos. “We’re wasting time. We’re going to get caught! Don’t you hear the sirens?”
People in the trailer were awake now and aware of the situation. A group of men took turns trying unsuccessfully to kick open the trailer doors. Women and children were screaming and yelling.
Domingo heard distant sirens getting closer.
A woman shrieked, “We’re all going to suffocate and die in here! There’s no air. We won’t be able to breathe.”
Domingo tapped José on the shoulder to attract his attention as he was still yelling at Carlos and Teofimo to come back and unlock the trailer doors.
“What’s happening here?” he asked. “Is it true what that woman said?”
José took his time to reply as if he was measuring his words and wondering how to respond to Domingo’s question.
“The truck broke down, and our two coyotes ran away,” he finally said in a gloomy voice. “We are surrounded by the Mexican police and trapped inside this trailer without ventilation.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “That’s what’s happening here, my friend. In other words, we’re fucked.”
About the Author:
David Pereda is the award-winning author of eleven thrillers and mainstream novels. His books have won the Lighthouse Book Awards twice, the Royal Palm Awards, the National Indie Excellence Awards, and the Readers Favorite Awards twice. He has traveled to more than thirty countries around the world and speaks four languages.
Before devoting his time solely to writing and teaching, Pereda had a successful international consulting career with global giant Booz Allen Hamilton, where he worked with the governments of Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, and Qatar, among others.
A member of MENSA, Pereda earned his MBA from Pepperdine University in California. He earned BA degrees in English literature and mathematics at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He loves sports and has won many prizes competing in track and show-jumping equestrian events.
Pereda lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where he teaches mathematics and English at the Asheville-Buncombe Community College.
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.
Two men, one song and a summer to reconnect.
Jude Sanders walked away from Blake Payton three years ago and vowed not to look back…but the song he wrote and recorded with Blake has become a hit and he’s forced to perform the song with Blake all summer. He’s got to make a decision—face the mistakes in his past and give Blake another try or turn his back on their love forever.
Blake Payton knew the moment he and Jude recorded Summer Song that they’d created a hit. Summer hasn’t been the same without Jude in his life and he sees the tour as the ultimate chance to prove they belong together.
Will the tour, their lost love and the song of the summer be enough to put the pieces back together for good?
Reader advisory: This book contains references to excess drinking and cocaine addiction, references to abusive alcoholic father and childhood poverty. There is a scene involving sexual assault.
“I want out of this fucking movie. I’m tired of being cooped up on the set because I’m not needed.” If he could spend time with Jude, then all the better. Maybe he could get them back together and work out his issues…because he loved Jude.
“Consider yourself on tour.”
“I film for two more days doing retakes and close-ups,” Blake said. “And there’s Kel. He’ll be pissed. He thinks I’m going to do more movies.”
“Let me handle him.”
He didn’t know how Bob would make this work, but he trusted his old friend. “Once I’m done here, I’m flying out. Where am I going? You’re sending an itinerary? Getting a band together? We’ll have to do some rehearsals.”
“You’ll come here to Cleveland. I’ve got a suite booked at the Crown Hotel and my own recording studio for rehearsals. Two weeks to iron out the wrinkles and you’re off,” Bob said. “I haven’t steered you wrong, have I?”
“No.” He’d been a fool to dump Bob as his management, but he’d thought Kel would get him into bigger venues. He’d been wrong. Kel had got him more notice and made him a bona fide star, but it had been a hollow victory. Blake had had to sell out to get to the top.
“This will be good for you. We’ll work up a theme. How about a sand, sun and fun theme? Tour dates are firming up as we speak. You’ll do three shows a weekend and it’ll be great,” Bob said. “The career will be back on track and you’ll be happy.”
“You can do all of that in one summer?”
“If you trust me.”
“I trust you.” He lived for the thrill of being on the road, holding court on stage and the camaraderie of the touring company. He needed to log miles and play music, but more than that, he needed to talk to Jude. He missed being held, being loved and protected… Jude gave him a place to explore and understood who he was without being judged.
He wanted Jude’s kiss, his arms around him and his love. Just because the song was old didn’t mean the passion had to have ended. His summer song with Jude had another verse yet to be written.
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. Find out more about Megan and Wendi at her website.
This postis part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Grace Morgan has been on the music scene long enough to know the life of sex, drugs & rock & roll is just a dream. But after a messy divorce, Grace wants to give her dream of being a music journalist one last shot.
She moves to LA with her 21-year-old foster son, Zeus. They live in a motel on cup noodles and hope, until Grace finally gets a break: a story about Inez Carter, hot-mess frontwoman of the popular band Karma Korn.
The story delivers more sex, drugs and rock & roll than Grace bargained for. Karma Korn’s drummer, Nelson, has Grace rethinking her post-divorce vow of celibacy. And after they’re invited to an elite Hollywood rave, where they mistakenly drink the electric Kool-Aid, Zeus is scouted to be the lead guitarist for another star band.
However, the story soon goes sideways, and things aren’t adding up. Someone is spreading rumors about Grace, trying to sabotage her career and reputation. Then someone tries to kill her. Grace is left frantically trying to connect the dots in the dwindling hope she’ll be able to salvage the story, her relationship with Nelson, and her life.
Read an Excerpt
Zeus crafted an impossibly good song out of nothing as he swung back and forth on his knees, making the chandelier sway. His song’s hook was completely nonderivative, and perfect enough to make Grace’s scalp tingle. It wasn’t until Zeus caught her eye again and broke out in a wide grin that she realized she was smiling like a maniac. He pursed his lips at her in an exaggerated rock-n-roll face and played the final chords, letting them squeal. As they died away, the crowd broke out in cheers, stomping for more.
Zeus swung himself upright and dropped to the ground, the guitar held gently in one hand. He gave it to Nicholson, who looked at it like he’d never seen it before. People pressed forward to mob Zeus, patting him on the back, giving him hugs, but he ambled through them to stand before Grace with his hands in his pockets. He broke into a beatific grin. “I’m so high right now.”
Grace laughed, tears rolling down her face. “That was awesome. But you’re so stupid.” She smacked him on the shoulder. “Why do you do things like that?”
He shrugged. “Even orangutans like to play guitar sometimes.”
Grace raised an eyebrow. There was a streak of movement. Zeus’s eyes went wide as Inez crashed into him, pressing her lips to his in a drunken kiss. Nicole, still standing in the DJ booth, looked on with a hurt expression. Duke appeared out of the crowd and pulled Inez away, leaving Zeus looking ruffled but pleased with himself.
About the Author:
Elizabeth Roderick is the author of Gracie & Zeus Live the Dream a romantic comedy meets cozy mystery released by Cinnabar Moth Publishing LLC May 11, 2021 as well as many short stories in various anthologies.
She and her daughter help run a small, diversified farm in Eastern Washington. She is a musician and songwriter, and has played in many bands—mostly guitar, bass and keyboards.
Elizabeth’s stories are about love, death, gang warfare, and madness, with characters of the type that society generally shuns: addicts, convicts, and the neurodivergent. She is a neurodivergent person and a disability rights activist.
Elizabeth believes if people get to know those who live on the fringes of society, both in stories and in real life, they’ll find them more likeable than they originally thought.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Bill Zarchy be awarding a $50 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’d Never Guess About Me
1. For my first few decades, I hated basketball with a passion. That's what happens when you grow up very tall — so everyone assumes you’re good at basketball — and you’re not. After fielding a steady diet of “Wow, you’re so tall. Can you dunk? You must be great at basketball!” all my life, I grew to hate the mere mention of the sport and avoided watching it on any level … until the Golden State Warriors got good a few years ago. Since then, I can’t not watch the games! Yes, I know, I am the very definition of a fair-weather fan. Besides dealing with the “you’re so tall” thing since age six, I’ve also learned to hate its clever brother-phrase, “Say, how’s the weather up there?” which I usually hear from blue-haired ladies about four feet tall who need help getting an anvil down from a high closet shelf.
2. I’m over-educated. I grew up in the New York suburbs with a sense of Ivy League entitlement, groomed by a cousin for Princeton. When I didn’t get in there, I was crushed, but ended up majoring in government at Dartmouth, with an eye toward law school and a career in Washington, perhaps on Capitol Hill. None of that happened. After college, I taught high school social studies in Vermont for a couple of years, then moved to California and studied film at Stanford. That got me to the Bay Area, my home base ever since, and into a career in the film business.
3. In over 40 years as a cinematographer, I shot film and video projects in 30 different countries on six continents, and in nearly every state.
4. Since retiring from the film business about six years ago, I’ve reinvented myself in various ways. In 2018, I produced and performed a one-man storytelling show called Billy Solo. In 2019, I curated and hung my first photo exhibition. And in 2020, I published my first novel, Finding George Washington: A Time Travel Tale.
5. I’ve met six presidents in my work and shot five of them. Uh, wanna know more? During my senior year in college, Nixon came to New Hampshire during the presidential primary campaign. Another student journalist and I covered the story of his appearance at a local school, then had a moment to chat with him afterward. But no cameras. On the other hand, I filmed Reagan in his Sacramento office, endorsing a state apprenticeship training film I was producing for my Stanford thesis project. I grabbed a few shots of Bush the Elder in a parking lot at Disney World with Michael Eisner. And for the West Wing Documentary Special, I shot interviews with Presidents Clinton in New York, Carter in Atlanta, and Ford in Rancho Mirage. So I’ve met six presidents, but shot just five. Only Nixon got away.
On a freezing night in 1778, General George Washington vanishes. Walking away from the Valley Forge encampment, he takes a fall and is knocked unconscious, only to reappear at a dog park on San Francisco Bay—in the summer of 2014.
Washington befriends two Berkeley twenty-somethings who help him cope with the astonishing—and often comical—surprises of the twenty-first century.
Washington’s absence from Valley Forge, however, is not without serious consequences. As the world rapidly devolves around them—and their beloved Giants fight to salvage a disappointing season—George, Tim, and Matt are catapulted on a race across America to find a way to get George back to 1778.
Equal parts time travel tale, thriller, and baseball saga, Finding George Washington is a gripping, humorous, and entertaining look at what happens when past and present collide in the 9th inning, with the bases loaded and no one warming up in the bullpen.
Read an Excerpt
Paranoia
Chow stopped and glanced at his watch. He looked stricken.
“I have to go.”
“Go? How can you go now? I have a million questions! Where is the time machine? Can I see it?”
“In time, Tim, I have no doubt that you’ll see it.
“You can’t show it to me now?”
“I don’t have it with me,” he said, with careful sarcasm. “It’s not something that fits in your pocket.”
“What’s in the bag? Did you bring a laptop?”
“Yes, but it’s not for that. There’s something else I was going to show you, but I’ve spent far too much time explaining and not enough time planning. You’d be surprised to learn how little you really need to know.”
“Really? How could I possibly know how little I need to know, when, as it stands, I don’t know a damn thing?”
Chow shrugged. “You speak in riddles, grasshopper. The point is, for today I’ve run out of time.”
“What do we do with the General? How much danger is he in? And how about the rest of us?”
I had told Chow about Aunt Rachel’s hit-and-run “accident” and wondered aloud if it had been intended as an attack on George. I was desperate to resolve something, afraid that after this incredible tale Chow would slip away, and I’d never see him again.
“We still need to figure out what to do, Tim. The consequences of his not returning to Valley Forge are huge, as you can guess. We must get him back there. And soon.”
“Frankly, Mr. Chow, I fail to see why this is my problem. Why don’t you take him with you now?”
He smiled. “That does seem like it would be simple, doesn’t it? But there are dark forces at work, and we must sit tight for right now.”
About the Author:
Bill Zarchy filmed projects on six continents during his 40 years as a cinematographer, captured in his first book, Showdown at Shinagawa: Tales of Filming from Bombay to Brazil. Now he writes novels, takes photos, and talks of many things.
Bill’s career includes filming three former presidents for the Emmy-winning West Wing Documentary Special, the Grammy-winning Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em, feature films Conceiving Ada and Read You Like A Book, PBS science series Closer to Truth, musical performances as diverse as the Grateful Dead, Weird Al Yankovic, and Wagner’s Ring Cycle, and countless high-end projects for technology and medical companies.
His tales from the road, personal essays, and technical articles have appeared in Travelers’ Tales and Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, the San Francisco Chronicle and other newspapers, and American Cinematographer, Emmy, and other trade magazines.
Bill has a BA in Government from Dartmouth and an MA in Film from Stanford. He taught Advanced Cinematography at San Francisco State for twelve years. He is a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area and a graduate of the EPIC Storytelling Program at Stagebridge in Oakland. This is his first novel.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Elizabeth Cooke 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.
In this latest cozy mystery, Mimi, and her co-anchor, Nicole Marcel, on the Interview TV Show, TONIGHT, is at her peak of popularity in Paris. Charles Bleisante, who owns the TV Station, proposes a TV interview tour for the pair of certain cities on the continent.
The two, with Nicole’s lover, Detective Giscard Morency, are off, first to Barcelona, later to London. The interviews center on food: the cooking of a paella, in Spain; the braising of a Christmas goose in London, delicious episodes that attract a wide audience. However, certain nefarious incidents occur, in which Mimi is canine sleuth.
CNN–New York requests the co-anchors come to Manhattan for more interviews. There, Mimi helps solve a grisly murder that takes place in one of the highest billionaire luxury buildings in the world.
The resolution of this crime is revealed in Book Five of The Mimi Series: “MIMI TAKES MANHATTAN.”
Read an Excerpt
CNN-NEW YORK CITY
As media mogul and chairman of CNN, Victor Crofton had fallen in love with Mimi.
The combination of Mimi’s reaction to the Christmas goose livers – zoomed in on, by the CNN camera, as she lapped them up with obvious relish – and her breaking Karl’s case – his thefts and robberies – and the very look of her dog-grin with seven little teeth -- had him hooked!
Well, The Chairman of the board of directors of CNN was entranced.
Victor Crofton. He lived in a posh apartment in Manhattan. He was also one of the original founders, along with Ted Turner, of the CNN network. He determined that Mimi should be brought to New York City for an Interview (or two or three) – which would raise her stardom – and that of CNN’s – to the stratosphere. Of course, Nicole’s beauty, as co-anchor, was an additional bonus.
Mimi would become more renowned than ever.
About the Author: Elizabeth Cooke, born and bred in New York City, graduate of Vassar College and The Sorbonne, is the author of several books about Paris, where she lived in the 1950s.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. S. R. Cronin 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.
Do you know what your problem is?
Sulphur knows hers. This 13th-century woman has trained as a fighter all her life in hopes of joining the army. Then, within days, both of her older sisters announce plans and suddenly Sulphur is expected to find a man to marry instead.
Is it her good fortune her homeland is gripped by fear of a pending invasion and the army now goes door to door encouraging recruits? Sulphur thinks it is. But once she’s forced to kill in a small skirmish, she’s ready to rethink her career decision. Too bad it’s too late. The invasion is coming, and Ilari needs every good soldier it has.
Once Sulphur learns Ilari’s army has made the strategic decision to not defend certain parts of the realm, including the one where her family lives, she has to re-evaluate her loyalty. Is it with the military she’s always admired? Or is it with her sisters, who are hatching a plan to defend their homeland with magic?
The problem with being a woman who fights for what’s right is that now, she has to figure out what is.
(The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters consists of seven short companion novels. Each tells the personal story and perspective of one of seven radically different sisters in the 1200s as they prepare for an invasion of their realm. While these historical fantasy/alternate history books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels, together they tell the full story of how Ilari survived.)
Read an Exclusive Excerpt
First, though, I had to go fetch Ryalgar from her new home and bring her back to our farmhouse so she could attend Coral’s wedding. I thought of the Velka as a sad group of older women who hid from life and had little, huddling together in the trees as they made potions and lotions to sell at the many markets throughout Ilari.
So, I was surprised when the small donkey I’d been given to ride through the thick vegetation entered a large clearing. In the center sat a well-constructed and unusually attractive massive stone lodge. My sister lived here? Perhaps I’d underestimated her decision.
She greeted me with a happy glow. During a feast held in a huge room filled with candlelight, she brushed aside invitations for social gatherings later in the evening so she could spend time with me. We hadn’t hung around much growing up, so I was flattered.
After dinner, when we retired to Ryalgar’s room, I got to know her new best friend, Joli, a sturdy woman with dark hair cut above her shoulders. She came from the forests of Zur and had Ryalgar’s odd talent for moving objects without touching them. When my hair fell repeatedly in my face, I blamed Ryalgar and turned to her, annoyed, but Joli laughed and confessed she’d been joking around with me.
“I’m not nearly as good as Joli is. At least not yet,” Ryalgar said. I admit the “not yet” part got my attention. I’d seen Ryalgar deflect smoke away from her as we grew up and always thought of her skill as a barely useful quirk. At a more advanced level, though, this ability could be helpful in a fight. Did Ryalgar have any idea? She probably didn’t.
“Everyone here develops whatever talents they have,” she added and the Velka became more interesting than I’d once thought.
The next day, I had the rather odd experience of meeting my grandmother. Odd because I believed she died soon after I was born, but my parents had lied about her. She’d run away to the Velka instead, and I guess calling her dead was easier for them.
“You’ve got your own path,” she said as we shared lunch. “You’re a unique kind of human, Sulphur, and I’ve always cheered you on.” It felt strange knowing an unseen older relative had followed the ups and downs of my life, but the woman was so supportive of my goals it was hard to object. The one piece of grandmotherly advice she gave me was to stop hiding my ambitions to be a warrior.
“Your time has come. Ilari needs you. Don’t be shy.”
Funny, no one else had ever accused me of being shy. But I was, sometimes, inside. Perhaps this estranged grandmother understood me better than others.
About the Author
Sherrie Cronin is the author of a collection of six speculative fiction novels known as 46. Ascending and is now in the process of publishing a historical fantasy series called The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters. A quick look at the synopses of her books makes it obvious she is fascinated by people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had.
She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels. She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how eccentric she is.
All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case.
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 (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.
Will Kelly risk her heart for a chance at forever with a man 15 years her senior or walk away?
Kelly Fenn came to the Honey Dripper seeking what she thinks is an easy way to make cash to pay off a loan. Martin Malachi is the one man she never expected to find, let alone fall in love with.
Martin’s not looking for a girlfriend, but Kelly needs a job. When he suggests an offer Kelly can’t refuse, she’s got a choice to make. Will she risk her heart for a chance at forever with a man fifteen years her senior, or walk away?
Read an Excerpt
Amanda grabbed Martin’s arm.
“Hang on,” Martin said. He directed Kelly to the conference room. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.” He left her alone and returned to the desk. “Yes?”
Amanda rested her hands on her hips. The dress clung to her curves and showed too much cleavage, but she did her job and brought in customers. “What’s the deal?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” He raked his fingers through his hair. “What’s your beef?”
“She’s young.”
“She is.” He knew and couldn’t do much about it, but most of the girls who danced at the club were under twenty-five.
“She’s not dancer material.”
“Nope.” He could’ve told her that when Kelly first walked into the building.
“Yet you’re wasting your time on her.” She crooked her eyebrow again. “What’s gotten into you?"
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. Find out more about Megan and Wendi at: http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm Sign up for the newsletter here: http://ymlp.com/xgjmjumygmgj
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Ugliness is power, and the Virus of Beauty is spreading causing panic throughout the witch population.
Wilf Gilvary is a teenage wizard who is terrified of using magic. When his father dies under mysterious circumstances, Wilf is plunged into the middle of a political struggle between the witches and wizards in the Magical Realm. He’d rather play soccer than practice magic, but he’s forced to make a choice between the life of a normal Hong Kong teen and one of wizardry after a powerful virus begins to decimate the witch community. The cure is spellbound in a journal Wilf inherited from his father and when his friend Katryna contracts the virus, Wilf understands that he must overcome his fear of magic to unlock the journal’s secrets – but will it be too late to save her?
Read an Excerpt
Katryna hurried along the dimly lit corridor. Its dark, stained carpet and peeling paint reflected the building’s location. This wasn’t a part of town she usually visited. The balconies and entrance might have a view of the market square, but at the back of the building pulsed the Veil. The swirling gray mist had separated and protected the witches of Mathowytch from the citizens of Kureyamage for over fourteen years.
She unlocked the door of a studio apartment crowded with chintzy, overstuffed furniture. A cat lay sprawled along the back of the sofa in the sunlight, licking his paws. Katryna wrinkled her nose at the smell of cat and decay. Flies buzzed around the cat’s dirty food bowl, and she zapped them, hoping the frail old witch wouldn’t be upset with her use of magic.
Griselda lay on the bed in a fetal position, whimpering. Katryna sat down next to her in a wooden, high-backed chair. She reached to rub Griselda’s back, but then pulled back. It might not be safe to touch the old witch.
“Can I get you something to eat?”
Griselda shook her head and remained facing the wall.
There seemed to be very little Katryna could do. Perhaps that was why Ermentrude had forgotten to add Griselda’s name to the list of new cases to visit. However, her mother had been distracted before she left. Ermentrude might be among the city’s most powerful witches, but she made time to visit the sick whenever she could. Her mother’s hard outer shell hid a soft center of community spirit. The problem was, Ermentrude expected her daughter to pick up the slack whenever she disappeared on a new, urgent assignment for the Witch Council.
About the Author:
Carolyn Lyall was born in Stockton-On-Tees, United Kingdom. As a child Carolyn growing up in Northern England in the sixties Carolyn loved sports, reading and amateur dramatics. She joined a renaissance group, practiced the broadsword and dreamed of visiting other worlds. Her passion for what could be drove her forward when faced with everyday struggles. Her first memorable skirmish with gender inequality came at nine-years old when she was told that only boys were allowed to play soccer. In response, she simply refused to do any classwork until they changed their old-fashioned policies. She won that battle.
At the age of 18, she took a role as typist for a nursing school in Middlesbrough. She then moved to London and enrolled in night school. She was quickly recognized for her ability to fit in anywhere and for not being afraid to push back on the predominantly male leadership. She eventually became a project manager in software development and micro-computers, bridging the gap between computer programmers and management.
Her dream to travel was finally realized in 1990 when she moved to New York City, USA with her husband and the first of three sons. This was the steppingstone to a lifelong adventure that has taken her and her family to India, Belgium and Hong Kong.
Raising her family in multiple countries around the world, she saw that each move, while a shock, was an opportunity for her sons to redefine themselves against new challenges and different cultural norms. Now, that her sons have left home, Carolyn has used her passion for the fantastic to create a world where every day gender inequalities are at the forefront of a world ending conflict. She shares this story through the eyes of a young man who is suddenly thrust into this new world along with all of his own woes and prejudices. The introduction to this world is in Carolyn’s debut YA fantasy novel, “The Virus of Beauty,” due to be released July 31, 2019 under C B Lyall.
Carolyn has published two short stories in an annual anthology by 25 Servings of Soop. She wrote a number of articles for the American Women’s Associates Magazine. Fueled by her love of the works of Terry Pratchett, Sarah J Maas, Cassandra Clare, Brandon Sanderson and others, Carolyn has completed a number of writing courses, which included a Master Fantasy/Science Fiction writers course with Gotham Writers’ Workshop, a YA Voice class and Advance Novel Writing course at Sarah Lawrence College’s Writing Institute.
