The Final Crossing by Vince Santoro

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Vince Santoro will be awarding a $15 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.

*****

Would you have guessed that I flew in a flight simulator? While working for a large aircraft manufacturer I wrote some articles about flight safety and pilot training. The company had a simulator on site to train pilots for the aircraft it manufactured.

I interviewed the manager of the flight training school. After asking questions about the fight simulator, he invited me to see it and then asked if I want to try it out. I immediately said yes. I sat in the pilot’s seat and the instructor was in the co-pilot’s seat. After he gave me a few pointers what to do, we began the flight. Take off went well and during the flight he introduced a few scenarios; flying at night, adding some turbulence, etc. Every once in a while, the instructor would take control to keep me on track. Actually, to keep me from crashing.

Then came the landing. I did everything as instructed. At least I thought I did. We touched down, a rather bumpy landing. When we came to a stop he said, “That wasn’t too bad. Except you didn’t land on the runway.” I landed in the field next to the runway.

Would you have guessed that I lived in three countries? I was born in Italy, then at the age of three we moved to Belgium where my father worked in the coal mines and then at the age of five, we moved to Canada which has been my home ever since, and I love it!

Would you have guessed that I had a full knee surgery exactly one year ago (Sept 3, 2021). After many, many years of sports, including professional basketball in Italy, the injuries finally caught up with me. Everything went well. No more pain but no more high impact sports. I stick to golf. So, there’s another thing you might not have guessed about me. I played professional basketball.

After I graduated from university I set a personal goal, to see how far I could go with basketball. I excelled in the sport, but I was also realistic. So, I set my eyes on Europe. I made some contacts and off I went and ended up playing professional basketball for a few years, where else, in Italy.

During my time in Tuscany, I met a very interesting person. While I lived for a while in Siena, I vividly remember reading Irving Stone’s The Agony and the Ecstasy, the story of the life of Michelangelo. During one of my several jaunts to Florence, I stopped at the Piazza della Signoria. Sitting at a café, reading about Michelangelo, while drinking one espresso after another, I knew I was at the very place where the political and social life dominated fourteenth-century Florence. A place where great triumphs were celebrated, and protests occupied the public square. I looked up, across to the Palazzo Vecchio, where next to the entrance stood a replica statue of Michelangelo’s David. I imagined the original – gigantic and impressive. Even from where I sat, I could make out the veins that Michelangelo painstakingly carved to bulge out of David’s right hand.

But my experience with reading the story of Michelangelo didn’t end there. Back in Siena, I was fortunate to have met and had tea with Ginevra Bonelli Chigi Zondadari Colonna, also referred to by Irving Stone, in his credits, as a descendant of Vittoria Colonna. While we sipped from fine China cups, sitting across from each other on antique divans in her salon, adorned with Renaissance artifacts and paintings, Signora Colona recounted her meetings with Stone and how she helped him with his research about the Marchesa di Pescara, Vittoria Colonna.

The Marchesa, an Italian noblewoman ranking above a countess and below a princess, developed a close relationship with Michelangelo. The well-educated Vittoria Colonna had become one of the most popular female poets of sixteenth-century Italy. Michelangelo and Colonna were united by poetry. Some of his finest sonnets were about the Marchesa and he made drawings of her too. In turn she gifted him with a manuscript of spiritual poetry. During that time, she was 50 years old, and he was 65.

I still hold dear to me the original paperback of Irving Stone’s novel, signed by Signora Ginevra Colona.

Ok, now for something embarrassing. During my professional career in aerospace, I attended a conference where I was asked to speak about Canadian regulations regarding the export of controlled military products to foreign entities. I was ready for the presentation, having rehearsed it at work and in the hotel room the night before. When it was my turn to present, I reached into my bag for the presentation. To my dismay, it wasn’t there. I checked and checked. No luck. Where was it? What do I do? I must have left it in the hotel room.

I walked up to the podium, empty-handed and smiled. I owed to my faux pas and said I would do my best. Luckily for me, I had made a similar presentation in the past. It’s nice to be among supportive colleagues. The presentation went well. I answered questions and everyone appreciated my effort with an applause. All’s well that ends well.

In this tale of self-discovery and adventure, we are connected with a history we've come to know as the cradle of civilization.

Nenshi, an Egyptian house servant, raised in nobility, is well-schooled, a master huntsman and hungers to be free. His master agrees to grant his freedom but while the petition is set to be heard, Nenshi's indiscretion gets in the way. He is caught in a secret love affair with a woman above his social status.

As punishment, he is exiled to labour in the Nubian gold mines. His life turns upside down as he is thrust into a world for which he had been ill prepared. He escapes from the mines and vows to return to Thebes, but his attempts push him farther and farther away on a journey that redefines him – a journey mired with cruelty, bloodshed, and the discovery of a new deity.

In the end Nenshi learns his freedom has been granted and must decide whether to return to his homeland or start a new life.

"I greatly enjoyed this well written story by Vince Santoro. He takes us across the Ancient World through the protagonist, Nenshi, an exiled Egyptian servant who struggles with class structure, both around and within himself. Santoro weaves a story of ideas – a sense of belonging, monotheism, and the human soul - told through Nenshi's rite of passage through to his final crossing. The setting is visually evocative of "spirit of place" as the novelist and travel writer Lawrence Durrell called it. It's a story worth reading." - Terry Stanfill
Award winning historical fiction author of The Gift from Fortuny, Realms of Gold, The Blood Remembers and other works.

"Vince Santoro is a gifted storyteller. I found The Final Crossing difficult to put down because it is well written. As an historian and author of non-fiction books, I am impressed with the amount of research that Santoro has done to prepare this story of adventure and romance set in the ancient Middle East. The customs, the beliefs and even the character names are all authentic to that region and era. With so many plot twists and turns, Santoro will keep you guessing about what might happen next to the protagonist until the very end!" - John Charles Corrigan
Author of The Red Knight and "Love Always"

Read an Excerpt

Twilight was fast approaching, and they returned to the trail. From a distance they saw an abundance of trees and vegetation that sprung from the hard soil. Moments later, they heard rushing water. A twisting river murmured. It called out and invited them to consume its wealth. Nenshi and Aziza went to explore it.

Aziza stopped and kneeled to examine small flowers in bloom. On the river’s edge Nenshi bent over and splashed water on his face. He cupped his hands and drank its cool refreshing offering. Rocks jutted out from the shallow water. He heard footsteps and threw a glance behind him. Aziza, ran towards him, as free as the wind blew, eager to jump into the river. Nenshi screamed from the top of his lungs to warn her.

“Aziza ... Aziza ... be careful, the water is shallow! There are rocks!”

Her excitement muffled his warning. Nenshi then stood, flapped his arms to get her attention. She pushed her legs hard against the water to run faster until it was just deep enough to jump in.

“Aziza …. Aziza … stop …” Nenshi cried. Aziza took another step but this time slipped and almost fell. She tried to regain balance and continued moving forward. Nenshi gasped hoping she realized the danger and would stop. But she didn’t and it was too late. She slipped again, fell and hit a rock. Nenshi immediately ran to her, stepping and slipping on rocks that almost caused him to lose balance. Babak who had heard Nenshi’s cries dashed to the river. Nenshi crouched over the wet and motionless body.

“Help me get her out,” Nenshi cried out as he lifted her, propped her head and shoulders in his arms. Blood, washed by the water, dripped from her head.

About the Author:

Vince is an Italian-born Canadian who grew up in Toronto, Canada, and now lives in Pickering, a suburb of Toronto.

In his youth, education and sports became a priority. A private boys' school, St. Michael's College in Toronto, provided the opportunity for both. He graduated from York University, Toronto, with a degree in history and a minor in behavioural science.

Vince was always up for new challenges. After completing his studies, he set his eyes on Europe and played professional basketball in Italy. When he returned home, he shifted gears and worked in the aerospace industry in several capacities. The most rewarding was managing internal communications for a large aircraft manufacturer. It was during this time he decided to hone his writing skills by studying journalism at Ryerson University, Toronto, and he had several articles published.

His career in communications along with studies in history and journalism prepared him to take on his next challenge: to write a book. His debut novel, The Final Crossing, has been a labour of love, one he worked on for many years. It reflects life experiences, woven into a story that inspires and entertains, and perhaps even show the world in a different way.

Website: http://www.vsantoro.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VSantoro14
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22350667.Vince_Santoro

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Jack 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 necklace and bracelet 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.

I call on the fates to bring my love to me. As I will it, so mote it be…

What if those simple words plus a name on a scroll could guarantee true love? The moment Mandy meets Jack, she knows he’s the one. Tall, dark, handsome and those tattoos… He’s quiet, smart and brooding, too. She wants to run her hands all over his body and taste his kiss. What’s a girl to do? Turn to the Summon a Bad Boy spell and take a cooking class with him?

Mix a bad boy with some magic and have faith. Anything’s possible, and Mandy won’t stop until she gets her man.

Read an Excerpt

“Hi.”

She flinched, then put the stick of deodorant down. “Sorry. You startled me. Was lost in my thoughts.” She faced the man speaking to her. Jack clasped his hands together and the lopsided half-smile curled on his lips. “Jack.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you. You looked like you were in the groove.” He remained in his place.

“How are you?”

“I’m good.” She leaned her elbow on the box and turned her full attention to him. “You found me.”

“You mentioned the store,” he said.

“I did.” He’d been listening? Nice. “How are you? Did you have a long night?”

“Long enough,” he said. “Didn’t have to throw anyone out.”

“That’s a plus.” She wasn’t sure what to do with her hands. Part of her wanted to reach out to him. The rest of her had to remember she was in public and at work. “Are you shopping? Can I help you find something? We just put a bunch of new stock on the shelves. I can help you if you’d like.” She needed to stop talking. “Sorry.”

“Why?”

“I don’t always know when to stop while I’m ahead.” She cleared her voice to sort herself out. “May I help you find something?”

“Not exactly.” He squeezed his fingers. “I have a question.”

“Sure.” She stood upright and tucked her hands into the front of her smock. “What can I do for you?”

He sighed and his fingers trembled. “I signed up for a cooking class tonight.”

“Very nice. I’d love to try those. I’m a terrible cook, but I’ve never been brave enough to sign up for a class,” she said. “What are you going to learn to make?”

He tensed, but dipped his head slightly. “Salmon steaks and roasted potatoes.”

Her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t realized she was hungry until now. “Sounds delicious.”

“It does.” He squeezed his fingers again. “Would you like to join me?”

“At the class?” She hesitated. It almost sounded like he’d asked her out on a date. Sort of. “Tonight?”

“If you’re busy, then don’t worry about it.” He closed his eyes. “It’s okay.”

“No, I’d like to go.” She touched his hand. The sparks shot from her fingers to her heart, then to her pussy. The man had a quiet strength and stability about him. “Sounds like a great time.”

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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The Genes of Isis by Justin Newland

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Justin Newland will be awarding one signed copy of the paperback (US or International) 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. Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

For me, the best writing environment provides solitude, silence and continuity, a place and a time and space with as few interruptions as possible. No cooking, cleaning, food preparation, and minimal time for eating. In other words, a writing retreat.

The best place I have found to write is on a monastic retreat.

I’ve been to two: the first was a Cistercian Monastery in Orval, Belgium. The other one, nearer my home, is the Benedictine Monastery at Buckfast Abbey in Devon, England.

The writing can be so prolific that, by the end of the day, my fingers are tired from typing. The imagination seems to prosper and follow the story from one line to the next. Other than the bells tolling the monastic hours, the retreat is so quiet you can hear your own thoughts winging their way across the plasma of your mind.

This is my odd and interesting writing quirk.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I am a bit of both.

The important thing in writing a novel is for the denouement to be organic. For example, characters act according to their nature, and events occur and follow from one to the next, foreshadowing plot twists to come in subtle ways.

A good analogy for this is this: imagine a trellis or wooden framework in the garden and plant seeds at its base. Water and nurture the seeds, and let them grow up the trellis as they are want to do.

When writing historical fiction, the story is bound by certain fixed points, events that happened in history, at certain times, places and involving certain historical personages. Those fixed historical points are represented in the analogy by the trellis. Once it’s erected, you can’t change it; you’re stuck with it.

But what you can change and alter in the story is the characters and the plot line – they are the seeds that grow up the trellis, using the wooden framework to anchor the action as they weave in and out of the frame in an organic fashion.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

I’m working on a two-book series set in Elizabethan times. The series is called The Shoes That Don’t Wear Out. The hero is Nelan, a young Flemish-Dutch émigré who flees to England to escape Spanish persecution of his Protestant family in the Netherlands.

Nelan then participates in two of the most formative events in English history: Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the world and the repulse of the Spanish Armada.

Do you have a question for our readers?

Reading is not a simple art. Reading is a complex art because a book is like a mirror, and each reader will see something different in a book as it reflects back to them what’s prominent in their mental and emotional arrangement at that time in their life.

That’s why reading a book years later for a second time, you see different aspects in it, learn new things, and understand the characters’ motives in another way.

They say the question to ask about a book is not who wrote the book? But what was out of balance in the author that made him write the book? From that standpoint, an author writes a book as a catharsis, an exorcism of what is bothering or haunting them.

My questions for your readers are these: what, then, will you read in my book, The Genes of Isis? What will you read in it?

Akasha is a precocious young woman who lives in a world where oceans circulate in the aquamarine sky waters.

Before she was born, the Helios, a tribe of angels from the sun, came to Earth to deliver the Surge, the next step in the evolution of an embryonic human race. Instead, they left humanity on the brink of extinction and spawned a race of monstrous hybrids.

Horque is a Solarii, another tribe of angels, sent to Earth to rescue the genetic mix-up and release the Surge.

When Akasha has a premonition that a great flood is imminent and falls in love with Horque, her life becomes an instrument for apocalyptic change. But will it save the three races - humans, hybrids and Solarii – from the killing waters?

Read an Excerpt

She willed her ka towards Du'at, the realm of the dead, and quickly located the pair of columns at its entrance, the colossal Anubis Gates. She expected to find the jackal-headed Anubis operating its gates, but they appeared unguarded. Her voyage to the underworld couldn't be easier - she'd enter Du'at, find the Hall of Truth, and rescue Horque's ka. 

 

As she approached, a curtain of force shimmered between the gates. On it silky, misty surface appeared a thousand faces - young and old, happy and sad, and all strangely familiar people she'd met in her lifetime, human and Solarii - until one only remained. No. It couldn't be. It was her own face. She was so startled she nearly ruptured the precious umbilical connection to her physical body. Was it a mirror? No, it was a replica. It was more than that. It was her double.

 

The guard to Du'at was Issa herself. The face stared back at her, inspecting her, a most unnerving experience. To be investigated by oneself. She felt naked to the core.

 

"What do you want?" The double even spoke in her own voice.

 

"Entry to Du'at," she replied.

 

"This is the realm of the dead. You're still alive; go back to where you belong."

 

The face of her double stared back, eyes unflinching, scrutinising her inner being. There was nowhere to hide from oneself.

 

"No, I can't do that. Let me in. My son must live again."

 

"Many come to plead for their loved ones. Don't think you're the first," the face snarled. "Enter here at your peril, because you'll never leave."

 

"What does that mean? I'm more powerful than a mere guard dog," she scoffed. "Let me pass."

 

About the Author:

 

Justin Newland is an author of historical fantasy and secret history thrillers - that’s history with a supernatural twist. His stories feature known events and real people from history which are re-told and examined through the lens of the supernatural. He gives author talks and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Bristol’s Thought for the Day. He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.

His Books

The Genes of Isis is a tale of love, destruction and ephemeral power set under the skies of Ancient Egypt. A re-telling of the Biblical story of the flood, it reveals the mystery of the genes of Isis – or genesis – of mankind. ISBN 9781789014860.

“The novel is creative, sophisticated, and downright brilliant! I couldn’t ask more of an Egyptian-esque book!” – Lauren, Books Beyond the Story.

The Old Dragon’s Head is a historical fantasy and supernatural thriller set during the Ming Dynasty and played out in the shadows the Great Wall of China. It explores the secret history of the influences that shaped the beginnings of modern times.  ISBN 9781789015829.

‘The author is an excellent storyteller.” – British Fantasy Society.

Set during the Great Enlightenment, The Coronation reveals the secret history of the Industrial Revolution. ISBN 9781838591885.

“The novel explores the themes of belonging, outsiders… religion and war…  filtered through the lens of the other-worldly.” – A. Deane, Page Farer Book Blog.

His latest, The Abdication (July, 2021), is a suspense thriller, a journey of destiny, wisdom and self-discovery. ISBN 9781800463950. 

“In Topeth, Tula confronts the truth, her faith in herself, faith in a higher purpose, and ultimately, what it means to abdicate that faith.”

http://www.justinnewland.com/                

 https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Genes-Isis-Justin-Newland-ebook/dp/B07D7FMDZG/

 

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The Madness of Mercury by Connie di Marco

This post ispart of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Connie di Marco 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.

The Zodiac Mysteries feature San Francisco astrologer, Julia Bonatti, who never thought murder would be part of her practice. In The Madness of Mercury, Julia’s outspoken advice in her newspaper column, AskZodia, makes her the target of a recently-arrived cult preacher who advocates love and compassion to those less fortunate. But the power-hungry preacher is waging war on sin and his Army of the Prophet will stop at nothing to silence those who would stand in his way. Julia is at the top of his list.

 

Read an Excerpt

Zora was walking in circles around the table, murmuring to herself. Nikolai had donned purple robes and placed several large candles around the room. He cut a very impressive figure. He caught my eye and winked. Gudrun and Eunice were closeted upstairs in Eunice’s room, while everyone else waited in the parlor. I was fairly certain Nikolai would put on a good show. Depending on what happened, I just hoped it wouldn’t be too upsetting or disappointing for Evandra.

Zora turned to me, “There are strong energies close by. I feel sure we’ll have some communication tonight. Julia, will you ask everyone to come in, please.” I nodded and left the room. I found Reggie chatting happily to Alba in the front parlor. She nodded occasionally, but seemed distracted. She looked frightened and I was sure she was only here under duress.

Richard led Evandra slowly down the stairs and into the library and helped her sit. Her face was flushed with excitement. Richard sat next to Evandra and Dorothy took the seat on the other side of her aunt across from Reggie. Alba hesitated in the doorway but finally took a seat at the round table next to Reggie. I sat on Reggie’s other side. When we were all seated, Nikolai and Zora sat down across the table from each other. Outside the rain pelted furiously against the library windows. I caught a flash of lightning and the lights in the chandelier flickered for a moment. It happened so quickly I wasn’t sure I hadn’t imagined it.

Nikolai had turned off the lights in the front parlor and dining room. A small lamp was still lit in the front hallway. No light could reach us in the library. Candlelight cast eerie shadows against the bookshelves and ceiling. No one spoke a word. We waited for Nikolai’s instructions. He stood and raised his arms. In a booming voice, he spoke. “As I pass through the vays, I feel the presence of the gods. They are vith me and I vith them forever.” He glanced around the table at each of us, and finally with a nod from Zora, said, “May vee in this circle be protected from any and all harm.”

Nikolai sat down. “Please. Take hand of the person next to you.” He reached over and took Richard’s hand on one side, and Alba’s on the other. He nodded once to Zora. “Be patient everyone, and vhatever you do, this is most important, do not break circle.”

Zora closed her eyes, breathing slowly and deeply for several minutes. We watched her intently. No one spoke a word or appeared to breathe. Nikolai studied Zora’s face. After several interminable minutes, Zora’s head dropped to her chest, her breathing was faster.

Nikolai spoke. “Is someone here? Do you haf message for us?”

We waited. Zora continued to breathe rapidly. Nikolai asked again. “Is anyone vith us tonight?”

Zora raised her head slowly, her expression had shifted. She rose higher in her chair, her head slowly turning from side to side with a coquettish air. Her neck appeared to lengthen. “I’m here. I’ve been trying . . .” I stared, not sure if what I was seeing was a trick of the light.

Dorothy gasped. Nikolai shot her a warning look.

“ . . . to reach you.”

“It’s Lily!” Evandra cried.

I glanced at Reggie and Alba. Reggie’s mouth hung open in disbelief. Alba looked frightened, as if she were about to flee the room.

Nikolai spoke, “You haf message for us?”

“Yes.” The voice was not Zora’s normally rough tone. It was several octaves higher. The skin on my arms prickled. What was happening? I struggled to stay in this reality. Could Zora really be channeling Lily’s spirit?

“Danger.” Zora’s head dropped to her chest.

“What nonsense,” Dorothy muttered her breath. Richard shushed her.

Nikolai spoke, “Danger for whom, spirit?”

Zora raised her head, her eyes were blazing, “For all.”

“Lily!” Evandra cried.

Nikolai asked again, “Vhat danger?”

Still in that girlish voice, Zora spoke, “Danger . . . death is planned.”

A tremendous thunderclap struck, shaking the entire house. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky beyond the library windows and threw the stone statuary in the garden into high relief. A cold draft swept through the room. The candles flickered in the sudden rush of air and were extinguished. Evandra cried out and collapsed in her chair.

About the Author:

Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries featuring Julia Bonatti, a San Francisco astrologer who never thought murder would be part of her practice: The Madness of Mercury is the first in the series. Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the national bestselling Soup Lover’s Mysteries from Penguin Random House. You can find her excerpts and recipes in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Connie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, The Crime Writers Association and Sisters in Crime.

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Grayality by Carey PW

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.

Pate, Oakley, Bullet, Jody, Maybelle, and Stormy
Where Do They All Come From?

It’s not worth writing unless it’s personal. While the novel is not a memoir, the characters are loosely based on people from my lived experiences, or they are created from my own fears or insecurities. In a sense, readers can’t read my works without getting inside my head in some way.

Pate Boone

My inspiration in writing this novel comes from my own transition from feminine to masculine. Pate’s age may serve as a metaphor for the naivety that I had going into transitioning. I had assumed that I knew myself and where my life was going until at age thirty-eight, I transitioned and had to figure myself out all over again. Like Pate, I feared rejection, prejudice, and not feeling loved. I wanted Pate to reflect my own insecurities as I came into my identity, and making him stealth seemed to align with this internal conflict better.

My favorite aspect of Pate is his dancing. Pate’s dancing can reflect this freedom he experiences in his new body. I think Pate sums it up best when he asserts, “I always feel best when I’m in motion.”

Oakley Ogden

Oakley is loosely based on my husband, Joe. Oakley struggles with his feelings for another man because he has written off the possibility of experiencing attraction to men. Joe married me when I presented as a woman with no idea that I was transgender. After coming out to him, he never said anything derogatory; he only believed that his sexuality could not include men. This process carried on for three years until one day, Joe saw a counselor and since then, has been completely on board. Our love has only become stronger.

Joe has told me many times that he appreciated that I gave him time to process and overcome his internal conflicts with my gender. Oakley may frustrate readers at times, but Oakley is going through his own process. I wanted to create a character who was realistic while not ideal. Some readers may hate him while others may understand him. Pate and Oakley have an affectionate friendship because I wanted to show that Oakley’s physical closeness with Pate didn’t change after Pate transitioned. This shows that Oakley is not as rigid as he may appear.

Bullet and Stormy

Readers may clearly identify Bullet and Stormy as foil characters. Both are local to Montana and are stereotypically outdoorsy men. They are also large in stature and physically tough. However, Bullet uses his attributes to bully others whereas Stormy is shy, awkward, and kind. Stormy accepts Pate and Oakley when they arrive in Cloverleaf, especially as someone who hasn’t always been accepted himself. Stormy is open to attending the drag show with Pate and Oakley and shows no prejudices with Oakley and Jody’s relationship. Stormy is meant to challenge the attitudes that small town people are close-minded. On the other hand, Bullet embodies all my fears in terms of prejudices. He is mean, aggressive, and violent. In a way, Bullet provides me a way to explore my own fears. Bullet is large and cannot be ignored.

Jody and Maybelle

The two love interests in the novel can also be considered foil characters. Jody is confident even though he is also isolated in Cloverleaf. Regardless, Jody knows who he is, making him a nice contrast to Pate and Oakley, too. Jody represents the possibility at the end of one’s sexuality or gender identity journey. Once all the insecurity and fear are overcome, one can stand as oneself with pride. He shows Pate and Oakley who they can become.

Maybelle is far from Jody. She is young, immature, and very easily influenced. She cares what everybody thinks. But Pate doesn’t notice this flaw in her. Instead, he sees a beautiful, lively girl who can help him feel like a man. He so desperately wants to fit that hyper-masculine role.

These are the stories behind the characters in Grayality, which are all some inner working parts of me. Readers may find themselves pleasantly surprised.

Love knows no gender.

Pate Boone, a twenty-six-year-old transgender man, embarks on a new adventure when his childhood best friend, and yes, ex-lover, Oakley Ogden, convinces him to escape their hometown in hopes for something new.

They land in Cloverleaf, a tiny rural town in Montana, so that Oakley can care for his granny who is battling breast cancer. She pressures the two young men to enroll in a nearby college. Pate immediately becomes enthralled with Maybelle, a young, vivacious freshman to whom he fears revealing his transgender identity. Still, he finds it impossible to resist Maybelle, even after he meets her ex, Bullet, a large, violent man determined to keep Pate away from “his girl.”

But there are others who accept Pate immediately, like Stormy. An outdoorsy, rugged freshman, Stormy warns Pate away from Maybelle and Bullet, but Pate’s too infatuated to heed these warnings.

Oakley tries to support his friend’s new love but finds himself entangled in his own emotional calamity when he unintentionally falls for Jody, a gay and ostentatiously confident drag queen. This new relationship awakens deep internal conflicts in Oakley as he struggles to accept his bisexuality, lashing out at Pate and causing friction between him and Jody.

Oakley must decide if he can overcome his insecurities so he doesn’t lose the love of his life. And Pate must discover if the love between him and Maybelle is strong enough for her to accept him as a transgender man, or if she will break his heart.

Read an Excerpt

We sat on his sofa, me sipping water through a straw and listening to a punk rock station that Stormy had found just for me. He held a bag of ice in a washcloth against my jaw for me, and I eventually laid my head on his lap to make it easier to ice.

“I know it’s hard to talk, but I don’t know what transgender means. Would you explain it to me?” he asked. Moving my mouth the best I could, I shared my story with Stormy. I told him how I’d never felt like a girl but rather a boy always trying to be something he wasn’t. I told him about the baggy clothes in high school, the sports bras and binders to squish down my breasts, and Oakley, loving me as a girl but not as a man. I even told him about the suicide attempt. At this point, I figured he had already seen me get assaulted. He had already seen my vagina. Everyone in town already knew. What more could I lose?

He just listened in intent silence. Surprisingly, words flooded out of my swollen jaw, and I kept drooling as I talked. Stormy wiped it away with the washcloth and kept listening. The hours flew by until I saw the sun shining in through his blue curtains and heard the early birds chirping outside. I was exhausted.

About the Author:

Carey PW (he/they) is a debut author, college instructor, and mental health counselor. Carey is currently completing his next manuscript, Acing the Game.

Carey lives in Montana, and identifies as nonbinary, transmasculine (AFAB) and panromantic asexual. Due to the lack of resources in rural communities, Carey has discovered that writing about his lived experiences is a therapeutic outlet for him and hopes that his readers relate to his own personal struggles and triumphs shared through his characters’ narratives. Carey is particularly interested in exploring relationship conflicts around sexuality and gender differences. He has also worked as a high school writing instructor and college writing instructor, earning a B.A. in English Literature, a M.Ed. in English Education, and Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education all from the University of Georgia. In 2020, Carey earned his second M.Ed. in Counselor Education and works as a licensed clinical professional counselor, LCPC. He has a strong passion for working with the unique mental health issues of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Readers can learn more about Carey from his blog. When he is not writing, Carey is busy training for marathons, parenting his six cats, sharing his culinary talents on social media, serving on the board for the nonprofit Center for Studies of the Person (CSP) and learning photography.

Carey PW loves to hear from readers. You can find his contact information, website and author biography at Pride Publishing.

Pride Publishing: http://www.pride-publishing.com
Author Blog: http://www.careypw.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careypatrickwertz
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CareyPW2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerri.p.singer/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Grayality-Carey-PW-ebook/dp/B0B1F4TJJX/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

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The One Woman by Laura May

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Laura May 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? What draws you to it?

Romance has always been one of my favorite genres. I love the feeling a good love story evokes, this tingling sensation spreading to the tips of fingers when two characters are finally together.

A happy ending is a must. Also, I enjoy it when a book has some spice in it. I love reading good spicy moments, and I love writing them.

What research is required?

My characters usually travel around the world, so some places need historical fact checking or geographical accuracies.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

Courage.

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

I need silence to write. Often I use earplugs.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

Pantser. I discover the story as I write. Sometimes I know what the major critical points would be, sometimes it takes time to uncover them. But often it’s like I immerse myself into their world and see what the characters are doing.

The writing feels in two ways: as though I’m creating these characters, but they are separate people living somewhere and I just watch their interactions.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

A cup of coffee on a wooden tray :)

Anything new coming up from you? What?

Two more books are already with Creative James Media, both coming out in 2024.

One is historical/contemporary LGBTQ romance with a splash of magical realism. The story takes place in Tallahassee, Riga, and New York.

The other is contemporary LGBTQ romance featuring polyamory and lost love.

Do you have a question for our readers?

What was the last book that took your breath away?

Right Person. Wrong timing.

Julie manipulates what the eye can't see as a graphic designer but no matter what lens she uses, her life and her relationship with her boyfriend Mark remain mundane. Until she meets Ann. Ann is successful, beautiful, and charismatic. Julie can't deny the spark during their chance meeting. When their present entwines once again in Barcelona the spark is impossible to extinguish. When tragedy strikes, Julie must decide between her devotion to Mark and her love for Ann. Can true love survive when the timing is all wrong?

Read an Excerpt

We took our seats towards the back. I was so nervous I was going to faint. Good, at least I would not need to endure this hell for long. I stared forward at the seat in front of me, paralyzed. I am going to die here, played on a loop in my head.

Something warm touched my hand, I looked down and through the fog I saw Julie's hand squeezing mine.

"Breathe," she told me. She was calm. "You are brave—"

And it started. Momentarily, I was pressed deep into the seat. Julie screamed but didn't let go of my hand. A great force made it hard to even take a breath.

As we rushed up, I glanced down. It was so high my poor hammering heart skipped a beat. Now we were on the top, and the wind was freezing here. In the next second, we were falling.

Now, I screamed. Everyone screamed. It made it easier. Julie was not holding me anymore; she clutched me. And we were down. My heart had never beaten so fast in my life.

I turned to Julie, feeling like we were running on pure adrenaline. Time stopped as I drowned in her pools of caramel. She was breathing hard, and I felt her grazing my hand up and down with her thumb. I looked down, but she quickly removed her hand.

"You did it," she said breathlessly.

***

She closed her eyes, the sun shining on her face, and again I couldn't take my eyes off her. Thank God I stopped for the red light; she was a dangerous distraction to have in the car. She opened her eyes and looked at me, her smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

I heard the honk from the back; the light had switched to green some time ago. I pressed the gas, and we giggled.

As the car hit the highway, we immediately got stuck in a traffic jam.

"It's like this almost all the time here, don't worry. We shouldn't be here long. We’ll probably be home in twenty minutes," I assured her.

"I don’t worry," Julie said, touching my hand on the steering wheel. We were not moving at all.

I watched mesmerized by how she took my hand and how she entwined her fingers with mine. Her touch sent jolts of pure energy through my body. I had waited for her, and I would always wait for her. She looked directly at me, her liquid caramel eyes pausing my heart. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement.

"We need to move," she said, breaking the spell.

Damn it, the road. The traffic moved faster and moments later, we were speeding down the highway again. Julie left her hand on my knee, tracing circles. She was talking about work, how it and books had saved her sanity during the last week.

"With each passing day, it was physically painful to stay so far from you," Julie sighed.

About the Author: Laura May is a pseudonym of a Ukrainian-American author. Laura lived in Kyiv till her mid-twenties. Now she can be found traveling around the world. The One Woman is her debut novel published by Creative James Media.

https://www.amazon.com/One-Woman-Laura-May-ebook/dp/B0B33L5MRD

http://www.instagram.com/lauramayauthor
http://www.twitter.com/creativejamesM1
http://www.LauraMayAuthor.com
https://www.facebook.com/LauraMayAuthor/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61221707-the-one-woman

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Irresistible by Darby Burke

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.

Welcome to It's Raining Books. If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?

An old very dear friend who I’ve lost touch with.

If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?

A pygmy puff from Harry Potter. My daughter has a couple of stuffed ones and they are so cute!

How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?

I just try to write my story with my voice. I don’t read a lot of books in my genre anymore because I find I can’t do so while writing, and I write too much, lol.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?

Best: Use objects to block out action scenes. When I do writing retreats with my friends Elisabeth Naughton and Rachel Grant, we are known to use silverware to figure out how something will play out on paper. Yes, it’s as hilarious as it sounds and we have at least one of those on video, lol.

Worst: Luckily, I can’t really think of any bad writing advice I’ve received. I’ve been so fortunate to work with amazing critique partners and editors!

Are the experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

No, I don’t think I’ve ever included anyone from real life in a book. I’m sure I’ve borrowed certain things from events—how I or someone else felt or some detail—but I can’t think of anything in this book.

Jessamine Goodfellow has spent six Seasons avoiding the parson’s trap, and spinsterhood is finally within her grasp. A brilliant scholar, she longs for adventure and new experiences, things her family frowns upon. Presented with the opportunity to use her puzzle-solving talent on a secret mission for the Foreign Office, Jess eagerly accepts. Even when it means posing as the wife of a scorchingly attractive Scotsman who she must also covertly investigate as a possible double agent.

Lord Dougal MacNair, the new Viscount Fallin, has always completed his assignments for the Foreign Office alone. Now he’s saddled with an overly enthusiastic amateur partner. She possesses a remarkable intellect, but something about her isn’t quite right, and after two failed missions, Dougal is certain someone is working against him. Battling their secret suspicions, Dougal and Jess dive deep into their cover as a married couple, which arouses temptations they find irresistible. Danger is all around them, but it’s their hearts that may be the most imperiled.

Read an Excerpt

“Have you ever given up on a cryptogram?”

“No.”

“And I imagine some of them weren’t easy.”

She exhaled. “No, they were not.”

“I assumed as much. I know you, Jess, and you’re tenacious.”

“We haven’t even known each other a fortnight,” she scoffed. “Not officially anyway.”

“What does that mean, ‘officially’?”

She took a generous drink of brandy. “We have met before. Four years ago. I remember it distinctly.”

“Four years ago?” Damn, now he felt terrible. “How can you be sure?”

She gave him a haughty look of certainty that quite frankly pricked his desire. “Because I am. You asked me to dance at the Edgemont Ball.”

He’d danced with her. Four years ago. And never again. Worse, he didn’t remember it. He was an absolute cad. “I should have remembered you. I can’t imagine why I didn’t.” he said softly.

Sentiment, which he preferred to indulge in small, manageable doses, threatened to send him to her chair, to take her hand and beg her forgiveness. A husband would do that. A lover. He was neither and since they were alone, there was no reason to continue the pretense. Only, he was fairly certain he was no longer pretending.

About the Author:

Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Click here to Join her Reader Club.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, artist daughter, and imaginative son who will almost certainly out-write her one day (that may be tomorrow).

They’re a crazy cat family with two Bengal cats, a small, fame-seeking cat named after a fruit, an older rescue Maine Coon with attitude to spare, and a collection of neighbor cats who hang out on the deck and occasionally venture inside. You can find Darcy at a winery, in her comfy writing chair, or binge-watching TV with the family.

Her happy places are Disneyland, Labor Day weekend at the Gorge, Denmark, and anywhere in the UK—so long as her family is there too.

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Jimmy 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.

I call on the fates to bring my love to me. As I will it, so mote it be…

What if those simple words plus a name on a scroll could guarantee true love? Karey’s determined to find out if the spell, Summon a Bad Boy, works, and she knows just who she’s going to ask for. Jimmy McCreadie. The tattooed man makes her weak in the knees -- he’s every naughty desire she’s had come to life. She’s nothing like the women he dates, and far too shy for her own good, but she’s not giving up.

Mix a bad boy with some magic and have faith. Anything’s possible. Karey’s desire just might come true.

Read an Excerpt

As he rounded the corner, he collided with a stack of books, knocking every volume onto the floor. “Fuck,” he muttered. “Damn fool.” He had knelt to pick up the mess when he spotted Karey coming toward him.

“Let me help you.” She picked up a few of the books. “I keep telling them this display is dangerous.” As she stood, she locked gazes with him. “You.”

“Me?” He tucked the books under his arm.

“You’re him.” She blushed, and her eyes widened.

Shit. This usually turned into him being escorted out for potentially causing trouble or being accused of theft. “I wasn’t looking where I was going. I’m sorry. I’ll go.”

“No.” She put the novels on a nearby table. “You’re the man from the tattoo shop.”

“Tattoo You? That’s me.”

Her blush deepened. “You’re quite the artist. I admire your work.”

“You do?” Did that sound dumb? “Thank you.”

She hesitated. “Would you like some coffee? I’m lousy at brewing, but I can pour it for you? On the house?”

“I’ll gladly pay for it. I’m the one who caused the trouble by knocking over those books, but yes, I’d love a cup.” He followed her over to the coffee counter. “Thank you.”

“Here.” She pulled two mugs from the rack. “Have a seat.”

He settled at the counter where she’d directed him and waited. His hands shook. The last woman to invite him to have coffee with her was Jackie, his ex-wife. He’d dated a few times since the divorce, but only one-night-stand kinds of dates. Nothing of substance. But with Karey, he felt a connection, even stronger than the one he’d felt when she looked at him through the window of his store. When she smiled, a piece of his heart melted.

“Here.” She placed two mugs on the table. “My name is Karey. I didn’t know if you’d want cream or sugar. I can get them if you’d like.”

“Black is fine.” Karey. He liked the way her name sounded. “I’m Jimmy.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Jimmy.”

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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