Last Star Standing by Spaulding Taylor

Welcome to It's Raining Books. What is the sweetest thing someone has done for you?

My best friends are always there for me, but one of the sweetest things was back 15 years when there was only one flight a week to our Crete place, the taxi driving us to the airport broke down at four a.m. (the flight was six-thirty or so) on the M25 motorway and there was some problem with the rescue firm. What did I do? –  I called Helen, my best friend – about 4.30 and yelled “Help!” And she drove to us in her pyjamas and took us straight to the airport. I’d call that pretty amazingly sweet.

How would you spend ten thousand bucks?

At the mo, would be split between my 25-year-old daughter and Ukraine. I don’t need anything.

Where do you get your best ideas?

Irritatingly, in bed, in the stilly watches of the night. I’m always jumping up at 3 a.m. and writing notes to self, about half of which I can decipher in the morning. Would be WAY better were I to get my blazing ideas at 3 p.m. instead…

What comes first, the plot or characters?

Characters. I toil over plot. Over characters… never. That’s the DEFINITION of character-driven writing.

What does your main character do that makes him/her special.

It’s the job of a principal character in a coming-of-age thriller to suffer. So he suffers. But he suffers with a deeply sardonic sense of humor. That makes him a little special, I think.

He’s got a tough backstory, and a chip on his shoulder. But he comes through, and the very last line of the book is: The Beginning.

Aiden has always felt like an outsider. After the rebel assassin is captured and imprisoned by the world’s galactic overlords, he awaits execution. Then a mole working for the occupying regime alerts him to a plot that could destroy the entire resistance...

Engineering a daring escape, Aiden’s growing feud with the new rebel leader leaves him out in the cold and smouldering with resentment. Faced with deceit and betrayals on every side, he recruits a group of overlooked outcasts and stakes everything on one last mission.

Can the restless, reckless Aiden take a stand long enough to save humanity from enslavement?

Read an Excerpt

Nothing. Clean as a whistle. Until my massive hand grasped hold of something, something which must have blended into its background so perfectly that I hadn’t even spotted it. Something alive, nestling under the co-pilot’s seat. I couldn’t believe it. A live gromeline. Trembling, possibly with fury, and trying in vain to squeeze back. Grabbing my trophy – I could feel its hot little heart throbbing like an injury against my palm – I hopped out of the plane so fast that my wound protested.

‘Bully!’

Bully raised one eyebrow. Two would have been overkill.

‘Bully, you are not going to believe this. I found a gromeline!’ The gromeline – only about fifteen centimetres – bit my finger, hard, even though I could have easily crushed its entire body with my fist – and probably would have, had I been a tester, and not merely disguised as one.

Feisty little gromeline. I flicked it lightly with my sausage-sized finger. When it protested, I growled, ‘Cheese it, munchkin,’ though I could feel it struggling obstreperously against my palm.

Bully was intrigued. ‘Is it genuine?’ ‘Of course it’s genuine. It just bit me, didn’t it?’

Bully probably considered this no proof. But they’re rarer than clean air these days and his fascination was obvious. Now gromelines come from the farthest galaxy so far discovered, can speak any tongue and own enviable mental powers. They are also brave to the point of stupidity and ludicrously small. This one was mouse-coloured – they can be spectacular – with tiny red eyes. Few humans have ever seen one.

About the Author:

Alice (Spaulding Taylor) McVeigh has been published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary fiction, by Unbound Publishing in action/adventure and by Warleigh Hall Press in Austenesque fiction. Her novels have won Gold Medal/First Place is the Global, eLit and Pencraft Book Awards, been runner-up in the Independent Press Awards, finalists in the Eric Hoffer, Rone and Wishing Shelf Book Awards and selected by Shelf Unbound as one of the "top indies" of 2021. Two of her novels are currently finalists in the CIBA Book Awards (the Cygnus and Goethe Awards). Her most recent novel (Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation) was just selected as Editors’ Pick “outstanding” on Publishers Weekly.

A professional London cellist, Alice lives in London and Crete with her professor husband: their only child is completing her Masters in Chinese Literature. They also share two miniature long-haired dachshunds and an incurable addiction to tennis.

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Love Blooms in Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard

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

As Jo Fussner keeps the Marketplace humming, her heart dances with a joyous secret. Jo and Michael Wengerd, a shy nursery owner from a nearby town, have fallen hopelessly in love. When Michael buys a courting buggy, Jo is sure a proposal will follow. But she’ll have to work hard to gain her mother’s approval—because the widowed Drusilla Fussner is convinced that marriage will bring her daughter nothing but heartache.

To win Jo’s hand, Michael enlists his father’s help in convincing Drusilla to give the marriage her blessing—and perhaps even open her heart to new happiness of her own. . . . But just as Jo and Michael’s hope for their future grows, an even bigger obstacle looms. The Amish elders vote to forbid any maidel from working once she marries. Now Jo must choose between the beloved store she’s put her heart into, and the man she can’t live without. Conflicted, Jo will have to trust that anything is possible when true faith guides the way.

Read an Excerpt

“What do you think of my new courting buggy, Jo?” he asked eagerly. “I ordered it from Saul Hartzler’s factory in December, and picked it up last night.”

Jo’s jaw dropped. A courting buggy! As they approached the open rig with a seat big enough for only two, her heart skipped like a happy schoolgirl’s. “It’s beautiful, Michael! Look at the way the wood shines. And what a wonderful shade of magenta you chose for your seat fabric.”

Michael smiled proudly. “I splurged on real leather, too,” he confided. “I figured this was the only time I’d be buying such a buggy, so I wanted it to be first-class for you, Jo. Wait here while I fetch my mare.”

Jo ran her finger along the buggy’s black wood, polished to such a shine that she could see her reflection in it. Deacon Saul was known for producing a quality product—and he hadn’t gotten wealthy by undercharging for his work, either. It wasn’t her place to ask Michael how many thousands of dollars he’d invested in his new rig. She and Mamm had considered ordering a new buggy a couple years ago, but when they’d heard what it would cost, they decided to make do with their old one.

“Gut girl—you’re doing fine,” Michael assured his horse as he approached Jo. “Josie, this is Starla, my new buggy mare.”

“Oh, aren’t you a pretty girl?” Jo said as she extended her hand. The mare looked young and angular, not yet in her prime. Her coat was a deep gray, with an irregular white star centered above her eyes. “You can keep her—and your new buggy—at our place!”

“Are you sure?” Michael handed Starla’s lead rope to Jo so he could hitch up his courting buggy. “I wouldn’t want your mamm to think we were overstepping her authority—”

“Starla can stay with us on my authority,” Jo interrupted. “If Mamm makes a fuss, I’ll take the blame. This is quite a surprise, Michael!” she added as she admired the way his black buggy and charcoal-colored mare looked together. Wasn’t it just like Michael to get all the details right?

He helped her up the steps and into his new rig. “I’m glad you see it that way, Josie-girl. I don’t intend to upset your mother, but I don’t plan on tiptoeing around her bad moods, either. We have a whole new life ahead of us—together. Shall we get on with it?”

About the Author:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 60 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

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Complicating Roy by Megan Slayer

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Megan will be awarding a prize pack featuring a bracelet and 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.

Complication doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.

Duke Charles needs a break. He’s tired of life on the road and never having a place to settle down. He decides to head to Norville for a rest in his childhood home. Once there, he realizes his life isn’t quite so relaxed—he’s not only inherited the house, but a cat to go with it. When his friend from high school sends him on a date, he finds out how complicated life can be…in a good way.

Roy Mars likes his life as an artist. He paints, sells work and takes his cat, Raphael, for walks through Norville. He channels his emotions into his art…until he goes on a date and meets Duke. His uncomplicated life gets thrown into chaos, not least because Duke has rabid fans who insist on knowing every detail of his life.

Can Roy handle a little complication in the form of Duke, or will he quit before he finds his forever?

Read an Excerpt

“Why don’t you get a boyfriend? Let him film you. I know a guy who’d be perfect for you,” Erik said. “He’s quiet, sweet, and loves the law. His name is Francis and you’d love him. Francis and Roy has a good ring to it.”

He loved his brother, but this pushiness annoyed him. “I’m good. I don’t need to be introduced to anyone.” Besides, he’d met Francis and wasn’t a fan.

“You’ll like him.”

“I’m fine.” How many times did he have to say that?

“You need to stop being picky,” Erik said. “You’ll price yourself out of the market and be lonely.”

“So? There’s nothing wrong with being picky. It means I know what I want and won’t settle for less.” He stopped pacing. “I need to go. I want to take Raphael home before I go to Dye Hard Style. I’m supposed to show work at Crush Gallery tonight and want to look my best.”

“You can’t take Raphael there? James won’t mind.”

“Maybe not, but Raphael would rather go home.”

“If you’re seen out walking Raphael, maybe you’ll attract a man who will love you and can stand your cat. If he doesn’t know you have a pet, with your luck, you’ll meet a guy who hates cats. Then where will you be?”

“Besides confused by your statement?” He pinched the bridge of his nose, then began to clean up the studio. “Love me, love my cat. No budging. Speaking of not budging, the mayor still wants that painting? I’ll leave it by the door for you to pick up. You can deliver it to him since he likes you more. I need to go, okay? I made the appointment for five and it’s a quarter after four.”

“Is it because James has a dog? I hear he got a dog.”

“Which is why I’m taking Raphael home—another reason why. I need to go. Is there anything else?”

“Nope. Have fun. I’ll get the painting to the mayor, but you need to do something interesting and put it online,” Erik said. “Film yourself.”

“Right.” He hung up on his brother. Why did Erik have to be such a pain in the ass? He affixed the walking harness and leash onto Raphael after he finished putting his brushes away. Once he tucked his keys, wallet and phone in his pockets, he turned off the lights and locked up. He headed down to the street.

People seemed to like watching him walk Raphael. How many people walked their cat? Not many.

He and Raphael crossed Memorial Park to his apartment. He took Raphael inside and ensured his water was fresh. He filled Raphael’s bowl with kibble. If Raphael wasn’t happy, then neither was he.

“Are you good?” He took the harness and leash off Raphael. “I’ll be back, okay? I’m getting a freshen up.”

He watched Raphael eat. “You’re a good boy. I wish I could find the human that liked me in the same way. Then I’d get Erik off my back and I might not be so lonely.”

About the Author:

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

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

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To Kingdom Come by Claudia Riess

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

Amateur sleuths, Erika Shawn-Wheatley, art magazine editor, and Harrison Wheatley, art history professor, attend a Zoom meeting of individuals from around the globe whose common goal is to expedite the return of African art looted during the colonial era. Olivia Chatham, a math instructor at London University, has just begun speaking about her recent find, a journal penned by her great-granduncle, Andrew Barrett, active member of the Royal Army Medical Service during England’s 1897 “punitive expedition” launched against the Kingdom of Benin.

Olivia is about to disclose what she hopes the sleuthing duo will bring to light, when the proceedings are disrupted by an unusual movement in one of the squares on the grid. Frozen disbelief erupts into a frenzy of calls for help as the group, including the victim, watch in horror the enactment of a murder videotaped in real time.

It will not be the only murder or act of brutality Erika and Harrison encounter in their two-pronged effort to hunt down the source of violence and unearth a cache of African treasures alluded to in Barrett’s journal.

Much of the action takes place in London, scene of the crimes and quest for redemption.

Read an Excerpt

He wondered now why had it taken such an effort to decide which of his plans to set in motion. Walking off with an artifact or two from Franks House, the British Museum’s storage facility in East London, may have given him his political statement, but at what cost? The place was crawling with workers in lab coats and masks—conservators, project managers, photographers, interns, auditors, volunteers—the lot of them engaged in the end goal of moving 200,000 objects from the museum’s collection of Africa, Oceania, and the Americans to its nearly spanking new World Conservation and Exhibition Centre. True, it would not have been an insurmountable task, entering the quiet road where the quaint redbrick warehouse lay and unobtrusively blending into the workforce, but then what? Would he have been forced to shoot his way out of the place at the risk of being gunned down himself? How sordid and at the same time mundane to mow down an uncalculated number of individuals, only to find himself a mere casualty sprawled among them. Hell no, he was neither a loony terrorist nor a crack- head martyr. The plan in place was the more sensible course, no question about it. v It was restful, hearing below his thoughts the rhythmic phrase of train wheels clacking against the tracks in lulling repetition. His calmness surprised him a little, given what lay ahead. His scenario had been well choreographed, but only on an imagined stage with players moving about under his ironclad direction. In real life, even the most meticulous plan is apt to be disrupted by unforeseen circumstances. He knew that it was exactly 1.6 miles from Effingham Junction Station to the mansion on Ockham Lane in Cobham, Surrey, but was he certain that he would not be accosted by a madman or struck by lightning on his walk to the place?

If he allowed his thoughts to ramble on in this manner, his nerves would start acting up. He must lean into the physical moment and move with it into his destiny. He looked out the window past his reflection and focused on the indifferent stars.

About the Author: An award-winning author of seven novels, Claudia Riess graduated from Vassar and resides in Manhattan and Westhampton Beach. Her most recent novel is the fourth book in her art history mystery series. “To Kingdom Come” will be released in Spring 2022 by Level Best Books.

Last year, Riess signed a second three-book contract with Level Best Books to continue the series that began with “Stolen Light.” The plot involved murder, the Italian Renaissance, and the Cuban Revolution—as well as a love story. The book was chosen by the Vassar travel program coordinator and the Vassar Latin American professor for distribution to the participants in their 2017 “people-to-people” trips to Cuba.

The latest suspense novel set in the art world, sleuths Erika Shawn, art magazine editor, and Harrison Wheatley, art history professor. Now married, the couple is caught up in a multiple-murder case involving the repatriation of African art and artifacts seized by the British in the late nineteenth century during the colonial era. Much of the action takes place in London, scene of the crimes and quest for redemption.

“Riess uses words as an artist uses a paint brush; the pages come to life.” –Joseph Epstein, Ph.D

“Mystery. Passion. Crime. What more could a book-lover want!” –Elizabeth Cooke, author of the Hotel Marcel Series

An engaging speaker, Riess has recently given several author talks via Zoom for libraries* and is scheduled for future Zoom and podcast events at more venues. Subjects include “Anatomy of a Murder Mystery,” “Dangerous Liaison: Fiction and History,” and “The Joys and Perils of Creating a Mystery Series.” Her talks are of interest to both authors and readers.

*“Thank you for a fun evening. It was very interesting to hear about the process of writing.” –Jocelyn Ozolins, Head of Reference, Shelter Island Library

Claudia Riess has worked in the editorial departments of The New Yorker magazine and Holt Rinehart and Winston. She has also edited several art history monographs. For more about Riess and her work, visit www.claudiariessbooks.com.

All four books in the art history mystery series are available through Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com,IndieBound.org and at independent book stores. For bulk discount purchases, contact https://levelbestbooks.wordpress.com.

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The Undeniable Truth by Diana Rhodes

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn host. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Is who you have become who you really are?

People are lost. They are roaming around looking for answers and can not find them in the typical places where answers should be. They are looking for the truth and that is hard to find in a world that is bombarded with false messages, lies and manipulations.

The truth as we once knew it has become distorted. The world has become inverted, turned inside out and it is only getting worse.

Only those who have the spiritual fortitude to fight their way through will get to the ultimate truth, the undeniable truth. At that level, all will be revealed including the truth about who you are, why you had to go through the things you went through and ultimately, what God’s purpose is for your life. (Hint: The answer has something to do with the gifts he gave you)

For some of us, in the beginning it is a turbulent journey at best, one that starts off with disappointment, heartache and pain, but that is where perseverance comes in. For those of you who are able to move beyond our circumstances and still honor that energy that is God, thereis a reward!

Read an Excerpt

Lottie directed us to sit in an area that was out of the way, but close enough for us to watch her do her thing on stage. When it was her time to go out, the music played loudly and the men got pumped up. The MC said her name and the stage lights came on instantaneously. He introduced her as, “Lottie The Body”. The colored lights swirled around the stage creating a mesmerizing effect. Lottie took center stage then emerged from the lights to thunderous applause and a number of whistling men started calling out her name like she was a superstar. She became this whole other person on stage. She morphed into this goddess that men had to have.She flung her body effortlessly into the air then strategically wrapped her long legs around a brass pole twirling herself around like a doll in a music box I once had. As the music played, she went up and down the pole rhythmically keeping perfect time with the beat as she contorted her body into positions that delighted every man in the room, even the dj.

About the Author

Diana Rhodes is an African-American playwright, screenwriter and author. She is the proud mother of two sons and has written, directed and produced several Off-Broadway plays. She is most noted for her theatrical production of “Troubled Little Angel”, a tribute to the life and legacy of R & B songstress Phyllis Hyman.

Diana continued her writing after moving from New York to Atlanta in 2015 and a few years later was selected as one of the contributing playwrights in the annual production of 50In50 “Letters to Our Sons”, a production usually performed at the Billie Holiday Theater. Her works also include an impressive list of short stories featured on the Ebook website Write On Press. Website: http://www.DianaRhodesProductions.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076821250884
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drpvip/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DRPVIP

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Undeniable-Truth-Darkeness-Light/dp/B0B1CMT1TW/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

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Like a Lily Among the Thorns by Karen S. Bell

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a copy of the book to a randomly chosen winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

There are those who are born into loving families and then there are the less fortunate who must forge their own families through strong friendships. At a local small library in New York City, one such family was born. And just like so many capricious happenstances in life, this family unit embraced newcomers and grew exponentially. But this clan was also charged with far more than spreading love and joy and a sense of belonging. This clan was formed by divine Providence to help save the planet.

Gabrielle Bernstein, the MC of Like a Lily Among the Thorns, is a woman in her twenties and has started her career as a librarian at a NYC public library. Abandoned by her father as a young girl and now orphaned by her deranged mother, Gabby longs for a family connection. Coincidentally, she finds this connection at the same time she inherits a B&B in Vermont from her estranged and now deceased father. This enchanted inn is under the watchful eye of goddesses of myth and legend who have been tasked to save mankind from destroying itself and this planet. These goddesses will use their powers to try and stall the onslaught of the effects of droughts, floods, and rising temperatures. But as a safety net they have collected human saviors all over the planet to erect safe havens at high altitudes away from flood waters and blistering temperatures.

This one group of saviors are ordinary people who have some extraordinary abilities and enjoy a higher consciousness. They are brought together to join forces in Vermont to create one such refuge. Along the way there is romance, misunderstandings, conflict, and internal growth. Locations are Manhattan, London, Brooklyn, and Rutland, Vermont. Woven through this tale is Gabrielle’s inherent understanding that she must be grateful, mindful, and present in this journey called “life.”

The impending devastation that will be brought about by the effects of global climate change is the underpinning of this Cli-Fi/speculative fiction novel. Like a Lily Among the Thorns focuses on how this potential disaster will have dire consequences for us all and is currently becoming more top of mind as people are waking up to strange weather events such as the scorching temperatures that have gripped the Northwestern states and torrential rains in the Northeast.

Read an Excerpt

On this ordinary day, we find Gabby Bernstein going about her daily ordinary chores. A lass of modest means, she hummed as she tidied up her small studio apartment. Although bereft of material accoutrements typical of a twenty-something New Yorker, she didn’t dwell on it. Rather, she chose to focus on being grateful for all the kindnesses bestowed upon her by the universe and the miracle of life with the richness and diversity of the flora and fauna that blessed this planet. She was so attuned to the preciousness and beauty of all living creatures that she never was inclined to harm even the smallest insect preferring to capture it and send it out her window to climb down the fire escape or fly away. But most especially, she was grateful for her life, which she never took for granted. In fact, at this very moment, she paused to acknowledge her joy of just being alive and to mark her calendar with the #gratitude entry, giving thanks for each and every day she had her wits and her health.

As she went about her light chores, an unexpected random play on her music app added a spark to her usual sense of wonder and bliss. A coincidental gift from the cosmos of a cherished performance of Luciano Pavarotti singing the aria Addio, fiorito asil from Madama Butterfly, a captivatingly wistful melody that was one of her personal favorites. She gleefully acknowledged this gift and said a silent “thank you.”

About the Author:

All my work is inspired by social issues to which we all can relate. Work/ life stresses, the loss of a spouse and how marriage can sometimes swallow a woman’s identity, and the prevalence of greed in modern society.

Walking with Elephants is my first novel, although I am not new to writing. I was a theater critic and celebrity interviewer for a weekly tabloid in Jacksonville, Fl and I earned a Master’s in Mass Communication from Oklahoma State University. For 15 years I worked in Corporate America as a technical editor/editor/writer. I experienced first hand the politics and intrigue that goes with that territory and the balancing act that comes with being a working mother. I salute all those mothers who are the glue that holds their families together while pursuing the nine to five brass ring and were the inspiration for this work. Audible book is available and narrated by me.

With my second novel, Sunspots, I continue to be in awe of the magical and wondrous phenomenon called life. As an observer and obvious participant in feminine values and approach to our human challenges, I bring this perspective to my work. Fascinated by the mysteries of the unseen forces that perhaps play a role in guiding our choices, I search for answers in the mundane as well as in the cosmic forces that surround us.

Alexa’s pact with the Devil in When a Stranger Comes…is an allegory for the evil lurking in our midst. The social decay of modern society with its excessive greed, the ignorance of our political leaders, and our indifference toward the survival of all species from the effects of climate change, among other environmental pressures, are perhaps brought forth by the darkest forces of human nature. The audible book narrated by me is in production.

The genre of magical realism appeals to me and all my work has elements woven in. My current project is focused on a Bed and Breakfast that becomes a safe haven from the effects of climate change while celebrating the Feminine Divine and is set squarely in that realm.

I am working on my next novel in Ponte Vedra, Fl. where I live with my husband and our two furry kids. Our human kids have flown the nest and are scattered far and wide, alas.

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Prophet's Debt by Robert Creekmore

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Robert Creekmore will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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

I can’t rightly say I’m sure what my genre is. This is my second novel, but it’s my first one to be traditionally published. Afiri, my first novel, was firmly science fiction. Prophet’s Debt, however, is a completely different type of monster.

It’s a coming-of-age story, dark horror, adventure, fantasy, thriller, backwoods survivalism, superhero origin, cult-murdering, white supremacist slaying, revenge epic ignited by an abused girl. But most of all, it’s a love story. Just remember that during the parts that repulse you to the point of wanting to throw it across the room.

What draws you to it?

Because I’m a huge fan of sci-fi, I figured it was my genre. But in a lot of ways, that was just me contorting myself into a mold I found comfortable. With Prophet’s Debt, I let what was baking inside of my brain pour out completely unrefined by expectation or decorum.

What research is required?

I didn’t have to because I’ve lived a unique life, by circumstance, and later, by what I at least tell myself is choice. I didn’t grow up in a suburb orbiting a large city. Rather, the world I started in was an isolated stretch of northeastern North Carolina. I had a shotgun in my hand by the age of six and my own single-cartridge Sears and Robuck 4.10 shotgun by eight. Hunting, fishing, and boats were just a part of my regional education. A few months after getting married, my wife and I moved into a remote cabin built-in 1875 under the shadows of the Black Mountains. It was rudimentary. There, I applied what I learned down east, and picked up new skills from neighbors. Some are more fun than others, like making moonshine, for instance.

The world my protagonist, Naomi Pace, lives in, and the mythology that underpins it, were both crafted by these formative experiences and settings.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

I didn’t so much as learn from my protagonist as I learned better what perspective to take when writing. In my first novel, I wrote it as though I were an omniscient storyteller. My first draft of Prophet’s Debt was similar. After reading it, Kisstopher at Cinnabar Moth Publishing offered me the chance to publish it if I rewrote it in the first person. This was not an easy process. But this go-round, I attempted to put myself in Naomi’s body and walk around a three-dimensional version of her world in my head. I don’t think I would have harnessed that ability without using the first draft as training wheels. Now it seems second nature.

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

I’m not superstitious. The most unusual bit about the way I write is that it’s almost exclusively late at night.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I’m a sculptor. The story already exists, I just chip away until it’s exposed.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

A Kobo e-reader

Anything new coming up from you? What?

Yes, several things. Prophet’s Debt was released on July 5. But that’s not the end. It’s a trilogy. I’m halfway through with the second book, which will come out in the summer of 2023, the third title will hit shelves in 2024. I also have a supplemental novella I’m hoping to have time to write.

Do you have a question for our readers?

If you had to choose between living in the world of Star Trek or Star Wars, which would it be?

At fourteen, Naomi Pace knows she loves her best friend, Tiffany. During the Perseid meteor shower of summer 1993, she finds out Tiffany feels the same, just as they’re outed.

Naomi is sent away to a conversion program in the remote Appalachians of North Carolina, knowing nothing of the horrors that await or the strength they will catalyze.

Escaping into the frigid wilderness, she forges her own destiny. Trapped in hiding, Naomi fights to conquer fear and find her way back to Tiffany.

Taking bloody vengeance to end a cult that tortures and murders children seems impossible, but so is having the guidance of a mythic creature of strength and violence.

Those who hurt Naomi as a girl will come to fear the woman she has become and the path she will tread to find revenge, safety, and Tiffany.

Read an Excerpt

When I awake, my face is swollen and my head throbs with each heartbeat. I hear the muffled sounds of a woman singing hymns. It is the voice of Shelby Howell, the pastor’s wife. I hear the clank of dishes and the water running. Shelby is the kind of person who likes to occupy herself with chores during a crisis.

I sit up and attempt to swing my legs off the right side of the bed. My arms are snatched back with a clink and rattle. Both of my wrists have been secured to the bed with medium gauge chains, no more than a yard in length. The links have already left marks on my skin. The padlocks holding the loops of chain around my wrists clatter when I moved. I hear the water in the kitchen stop running, followed by the high-pitched snap and clap of cheap flip flops. Mrs. Howell is a woman in her late sixties, short, round, and pale. She has a shitty perm, which gave her hair the appearance of a puffy white helmet.

As Mrs. Howell enters the room, she comments, “I thought I heard you wrestlin’-bout.”

“Where are my parents?” I ask.

“They’ve gone out of town with Pastor Howell.”

“Why?”

“They’ve gone to get help for you.”

“I don’t need help.”

About the Author:

Robert Creekmore is from a rural farming community in Eastern North Carolina.

He attended North Carolina State where he studied psychology. While at university, he was active at the student radio station. There, he fell in love with punk rock and its ethos.

Robert acquired several teaching licenses in special education. He was an autism specialist in Raleigh for eight years. He then taught for four years in a small mountain community in western North Carolina.

During his time in the mountains, he lived with his wife Juliana in a remote primitive cabin built in 1875. While there, he grew most of his own food, raised chickens, worked on a cattle farm, as well as participated in subsistence hunting and fishing.

Eventually, the couple moved back to the small farming community where Robert was raised.

Robert’s first novel Afiri, is a science fiction love letter to his childhood hero Carl Sagan. It was nominated for a Manly Wade Wellman award in 2016.

Robert’s second novel is the first in a trilogy of books. Annoyed with the stereotype of the southeastern United States as a monolith of ignorance and hatred, he wanted to bring forth characters from the region who are queer and autistic. They now hold up a disinfecting light to the hatred of the region’s past and to those who still yearn for a return to ways and ideas that should have long ago perished.

Website: https://robertcreekmore.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RobertCreekmore

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1136405
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Prophets-Debt-Robert-Creekmore-ebook/dp/B09TZNZPZ9/ref=sr_1_1">https://www.amazon.com/Prophets-Debt-Robert-Creekmore-ebook/dp/B09TZNZPZ9/ref=sr_1_1
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prophets-debt-robert-creekmore/1141121648?ean=9781953971418

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The Spider Green Mystery Thriller Series by Norm Harris

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

*****

5 things we'd probably never guess about you.

It was challenging to think of five things, so how about one thing? A story about my mom’s cat.

Mom’s cat was an orange and white longhair cat who my son, K-K, had her care for while he was at college. He wanted the cat back when he returned, but his grandma would not give it to him.

Some years later, my dad died, and three weeks later, the cat died. I did not want to tell my mom. In the meantime, I looked for a replacement cat that looked the same as the dead one. I finally found him. My mom asked where her cat was several times. I told her he was sick. I took a photo of the replacement cat and showed it to her so that when the new cat arrived, it would look the same as the photo. She never did know the difference. In her mind, her cat lived for 35 years. A world record for a house cat. According to her. The vet went in on it and relabeled the dead cat’s files to the new cat, so his staff did not get confused about cat one and cat two. My mom died. About two months later the cat went out one night and never returned.

Oh, here is something else. My first book in the Spider Green Mystery Series, Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, was read by Miramax for a possible feature film.

One more thing. While I am working on book five, Rain and Wind And Fire, I am also auditioning for a narrator to treat the four books for audiobooks.

Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, Book 1

Navy SEALs, with the help of a former president’s daughter, hijack the Russian Guided Missile Cruiser Moskva to stop a North Korean missile crisis.

Navy JAG lawyer Faydra ‘Spider’ Green is the daughter of former President William Green. His power and influence plagues her every move and she contemplate if her achievements are from her own merits or his. Faydra is both nervous and eager as she undertakes her first homicide investigation —the brutal murder of a Navy SEAL. Faydra discovers the accused man, a Special Ops Marine war hero, may be innocent thanks to her astonishing deductive capabilities. The Navy is using her as a pawn in an intricate cover-up. Will Faydra play along or leak the cover-up?

Seasoned Navy Sea Captain Egan Fletcher struggles to balance his Navy career with raising a son alone after his wife died eight years ago. When the Navy purposefully pairs him with Faydra, the two embark on an adrenaline-laced adventure. The top-secret mission will propel them halfway around the world in an attempt to avert a catastrophic act of biological warfare.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Puget Sound and the mystique of Asia, Faydra is a paradox: one minute she is pure as the driven snow and the next minute she thrusts herself into harm’s way, ignorant of the consequences. Determined to complete her mission at any cost, she defies logic and throws herself into dangerous situations. Will she succeed where everyone else has failed?

Fruit of the Poisonous Tree is book one in the riveting Spider Green Mystery Thriller series. If you enjoy razor-sharp dialogue, strong-willed characters, suspense, twists, and high-octane action, you’ll want to start reading this fast-paced adventure today.

Arid Sea, Book 2

Faydra “Spider” Green is a spirited Navy lawyer who wants nothing more than to do the right thing and see justice done. After reconciling with her father, former President William Green, Fay is asked to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Alvin Joe, a retired admiral. He has vanished – seemingly into thin air – from his Florida home, along with secret files for a top-secret military weapon. Alongside her bubbly, quick-witted sister and a handsome, affable Sheriff, Fay sets out to track down Joe. But she soon finds herself embroiled in a deeper and far more sinister plot involving an unscrupulous corporation, the mafia, and a truly evil man who has his sights set on destroying her.

Deception Pass, Book 3

Faydra “Spider” Green has had a storied career as a Navy lawyer, all while juggling being the daughter of a former U.S. President. She has successfully navigated complex diplomatic situations, pulse-pounding legal investigations, and dangerous military missions, managing each time to save the day. But now, Fay finds herself faced with a task unlike anything she has ever tackled before: fierce mafioso Roman Justine, the man who had nearly cost Fay her life, has seemingly returned from the dead. Now, Justine, hellbent on revenge, poses a threat to Fay and national security. Fay will have to go to extraordinary lengths to stop him, even tampering with the bounds of time and space.

The Girl Who Knew Death, Book 4

Princess spy Katrinka Lavrova meets Death in an epic showdown. The classic cat and mouse, but this time the Kat purposely becomes the mouse. Navy lawyer and former First Daughter Faydra (Fay) Green is no longer haunted by the dark memories of her past, but what about her adopted daughter, Katrinka (Kat)?

Fay's world is once again turned upside down when a shocking secret about her adopted daughter, Katrinka (Kat), is revealed. For Kat, her nightmarish reality is just beginning. Before Fay can help Kat make any decisions about her future, Kat is arrested and thrown into an Egyptian prison. She manages to escape but must flee to safety across Europe, trying to stay one step ahead of numerous mysterious pursuers.

Faydra's grip on certainty distorts as she confronts the angel of death whose interest in Kat is unsettling. Can Faydra and Kat stay one step ahead of Lady Death and demons? Will Kat determine her own future, or will she allow it to choose her?

Read an Excerpt

Occasionally, the glow cast by the divers’ torches below her would momentarily disappear. She supposed—prayed—it was perhaps Romeo or Juliet passing between her line of sight and the torches, temporarily interrupting the beams of light, rather than a predator.

Fay grew fascinated by the many air bubbles emitted by the divers, reflected in the light of their torches’ eerie glow. Like a surreal field of vapor flowers, they appeared and disappeared as they slowly wobbled toward the surface. Fay reached for a bubble but instead found it to be a jellyfish, not a bubble as she had first thought.

Fay stopped sinking. Although she could not see it, she assumed they had reached the wreck. She brought her wrist to within inches of her face to check the luminous reading on her depth gauge. Eighty-seven feet.

She strained her eyes in a vain attempt to see through the black water. Fay may as well have been swimming in a cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee. All she could see was the light from the torch she held in her hand. She experienced complete disorientation. No up, no down. Someone, Andrew Lawrence perhaps, grasped her wrist. He was dragging her somewhere. She saw a deck rail, then a deck, and finally passed through a hatchway. They were now inside the Carr. There was only one light ahead of her—Andrew’s.

About the Author:

Norm Harris' first novel debuted on an Amazon bestseller list in 2002. It was a one-and-done, but now he's back with a plan to publish a couple of sequels to that first mystery/thriller of days gone by. Except for time spent in military service, he is a second-generation Seattleite (that's what they call those who dwell in the shadow of Mt. Rainier), with his legal beagle son, K-K, and five giant tropical fish. His upcoming release, Arid Sea, is the third book in what he hopes to be an award-winning Spider Green Mystery Story series.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/780557.Norm_Harris
Author Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/Norman-A.-Harris/e/B002BOH4R0

Fruit of the Poisonous Tree: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09L56XS21/
Arid Sea: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09N8QWTF5/
Deception Pass: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Q1XVRNR/
The Girl Who Knew Death: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09SVF6XVJ

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Toxic Beer by Simon Bullock

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

Unemployed computer engineer Sidney Ramsbottom inherits a small fortune from his late father’s business investments after he is found dead floating face down in a large vat of beer accompanied by two scantily-dressed Polish pole dancers and their three performing sheep Brittany, Lulu, and Michaela.

Before Sid has a chance to enjoy this unexpected windfall, however, he is abducted by a group of thieving alcoholic aliens who have been bumping and burping their way across the universe while on the run from the Intergalactic Police in a stolen spaceship.

Sid is left unconscious in the spaceship’s smelly cargo bay and left to rot while the aliens set forth to carry out their plans for the planet Earth.

Read an Excerpt

Newly promoted, Harry now found himself with an additional problem. Before the chief had got himself shot, he’d explained the situation with the spaceship’s propulsion system, which was helpful, but not how to solve the problem, which was far from practical. Harry knew that they’d needed additional parts to fix it. Harry racked his brains for a suitable solution. He then did the only thing he could think of that would help by suggesting that they land on the nearest planet before the ship blew itself to pieces. Once he had explained the problem to his senior officer and the captain, Harry went ahead with their blessing and started searching for a habitable planet.

However, after searching for intelligent life and not having much luck, Harry was about to give up when one of his junior engineers, a chap called Chas, came running in one afternoon with some good news. ‘I found a planet that’s habitable, Harry.’ He could hardly keep the excitement out of his voice. However, Harry wasn’t convinced. ‘Where?’ ‘I checked the planets several times for intelligent life, and the computer came up blank every time.’

‘Look, Harry, I’m not messing you about.’ ‘It’s most definitely coming from the planet earth. You need to come and listen to it yourself if you don’t believe me.’

Harry followed his engineer to the ship’s main communication room to see all the fuss was about. The engineer was correct in his calculations, and the signal came from the earth. It overjoyed Harry when he heard the good news, realising that this would mean they could get the vital spare parts they needed to make for repairs, perhaps some alcohol. Harry rushed back to the ship’s bridge with the good news of his discovery. Dick was equally excited and informed the captain.

Harry suggested landing the spaceship on a small abandoned planetoid that orbited the planet earth.

About the Author: Simon, who works as a medical engineer, has had a lifelong passion for writing as well as a sci-fi comedy.

Toxic Beer has been a decade in the making but, as readers and critics alike attest, has been worth the wait. Simon’s zany, joke-rich and earthy storytelling will appeal to anyone who loves the likes of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide, the writing of Robert Rankin, as well as classic British TV sci-fi comedy, show Red Dwarf and the cult sci-fi comedy film Galaxy Quest.

With his first, critically acclaimed novel having gone down better with readers than a cool pint on a scorching day, Simon is now working on a follow-up to Toxic Beer–a prequel revealing the bleary-eyed aliens’ escapades during their extended inter-galactic booze cruise.

A hoopy frood who always knows where his towel is, Simon also plays blues harp in the rising Dutch blues band, BluesShack.

Originally from the UK, Simon currently lives in Utrecht, Netherlands, with his wife Chrissie and two cats. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and likes to brew homemade Beer with more kick than an Arcturian MegaDonkey.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonbullock.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SimonbullockA
Website: https://www.simonbullockauthor.com/

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Beer-TOXIC-BEER-TRILOGY/dp/B0932CXBJ5

The book is only $0.99 or free on Kindle Unlimited.

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