Drive Down the Price of Your New Car by Dale Dallman

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dale Dallman will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Share five things about me!!

Mmmm. I always go blank when I am asked these questions. Anyway, here it goes.

1. Well, lately I have been in treatment for cancer! The pre-cleaning of the Colon can be exciting! (Not) The rush to the Throne, the failures to win that race!! (I think that’s graphic enough) Great news, though. I survived surgery and am here to write more. (I hear the groans and the cheers and I accept them both.)

2. I have a habit of adjusting when I stand up. I didn't realize it until one of my employees was asked to mimic me! The first thing she did was the "adjustment." Suffice it to say, I am more conscious of my state, ur, um…and hands, when I stand.

3. Most people who meet me see me as reserved, low-key, and standoffish! I attribute this to the stature the US MARINES taught me. They teach a certain walk, a certain stare, a certain Alpha personality! BUT--I can feel pain, sorrow, love, hate; I just don't show my emotions on my sleeve!

4. I have a habit of strict order in some areas of my life. The tools in my shop are so neatly assembled that an outsider is afraid to use them. BUT—that strict order is nowhere to be found when it comes to my office. Most people wouldn’t guess it is mine because of the 180-degree switch-up! Things piled up; I can't find anything!

5. I’ve been told that I am unwittingly funny. I see life a certain way and react accordingly. I don’t go about life looking for a laugh from my conversationalists but it tends to happen with little to no effort from me. I can’t say I would want it any other way. I like the thought that I bring a smile to people’s faces, even when it is unintentional.

Buying a car. Just those three words can conjure up a whole swirl of emotions.

For some, it’s the thrill of a sleek new model—the scent of fresh upholstery and the promise of open roads. For others, it’s a daunting odyssey filled with jargon, pressure, and the fear of an expensive mistake.

Wherever you fall, you’re reading this because buying a car is a significant life event.

We’ve all stood on the lot, squinting at price tags, decoding financing offers, and feeling the push to “act now.” It’s easy to feel outmatched—to wish for an expert at your side. Consider this book that expert: your trusted co-pilot on a journey that’s both exciting and rewarding.

This isn’t just a checklist—it’s a philosophy. You’ll learn to approach car buying with clarity and confidence, understand financing, master the test drive, and negotiate with purpose, ensuring that you walk away feeling like a winner.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, upgrading, or simply overwhelmed by options, this book is for you.

So, buckle up. Get ready to embark on a journey that will not only lead you to the perfect vehicle but will also leave you feeling empowered, informed, and ready to hit the road with a smile.

Happy driving!

Read an Excerpt

The Mega car dealers worked up a sales system designed to cost you money! It was to psychologically make your brain pick the one item out of four you reacted to most. The four items are PRICE, DOWN PAYMENT, TRADE ALLOWANCE, and MONTHLY PAYMENT! The designs were different, but the concept was just as deadly.

The top, center of the Four Square Sheet describes the vehicle you are buying. The Brand, Year, and Serial number, then, at the bottom of the sheet, they drew four separate squares. They were all blank squares. The salesperson would have you settle into a specific vehicle and fill in the center part. He wouldn’t fill in the squares. He would talk to you about price, down payment, trade-in, and monthly payment, but not write in the squares. He would ask about a down payment.

Then, he would leave you to talk to the boss. This time alone does two things. It allowed you to talk over the information you had given the salesperson, and it was a cool-down period to settle your jitters.

Now he has left you to tell the Desk Manager everything you discussed. The Desk Manager then fills out the four squares on the bottom of the selling sheet. He lists the FULL selling price, including all dealer-added options and extra profit, in one square. He writes a very low value in another square for the price they offer for your trade. The next square gets a very high cash down payment figure. The last square gets a very high monthly payment figure.

About the Author:

Dale Dallman worked in the CAR business for decades. He started at Frontier Chevrolet in Billings, Montana. He worked the hardest part of the dealership, the USED CAR LOT! Frontier Chevrolet had 37 salespeople after it was bought out and renamed Denny Menholt Chevrolet. Dallman was #1 in sales from the beginning. Dallman invented the tool that made him famous, “THE BIRD DOG BUCK.” It was a copy of a $100 bill, with his picture on it. It had a section for the previous buyer to print their name, and for the potential new buyer to print their name. The idea was to send ten copies to every person who bought a car from him. It asked the buyer to give one to every person they thought might be interested in buying a car. The instructions printed on the fake bill were “Give this to a potential buyer. If they present it to the dealership and ask for Dallman, you will receive a $25 “Bird Dog” check! The potential buyer will get a $500 discount on their purchase.” It got to the point that he didn’t even need to stand at the door and wait for new walk-ins. He had a secretary who handled his appointments!

Dallman then went out to the West Coast. Here, he worked on new and used cars for a Chevrolet dealer in the car village in Olympia, Washington. He and his best friend (both from Billings) worked there. The idea for a book started there, but Dallman needed a broader cross-section of the car business, so he moved to Gilchrist Buick in Tacoma, Washington, to reach a different class of buyers. He did so well that Buick Motor Division had him do training videos that they used internally in National training.

Dallman decided to go to Germany on a contract with TOYOTA WORLD. The job was working the locations on the military bases where the military could buy cars and use them in-country, order one to be picked up at a dealer back in the states when they rotated home.

Dallman now does consultant work for buyers. He has instructed sales classes and trained both BUYERS and the salesmen, trying to get your money! Dallman has advised many dealers and salespeople. But he loves helping buyers outsmart the Dealers more!

Website: https://www.dallmanproductions.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Grizzlytrack
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dallmanproductions/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49906767.Dale_E_Dallman
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/dale-e-dallman
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dale-E.-Dallman/author/B0D57RY38J

Titan Mage Havoc and the Frigid Flame by Edie Skye

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Edie Skye will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

IT'S INDIANA JONES WITH MORE ASS (and GIANT ROBOTS!)

Titan Mage Orion “Rion” Havoc has a reputation to match his name—and that’s exactly what the captain of the airship Indigo Gryphon is looking for.

The world of Haven is an adventurer’s paradise, brimming with mysterious ruins, ancient artifacts, and dangerous secret powers the Arcane Index’s combat archaeologists just can’t help but unleash. Fortunately, the Index has a protocol for that, and it involves giant mechs called titans—and their pilots, the titan mages.

***

When mousy archaeologist Mery Arkady hires the Indy for an expedition to the lost city of Aeterna, Rion fully expects danger and derring-do. He even expects her to have more secrets than she’s letting on.

What he doesn’t expect is to be joined by Sanja Grimes—a rough and tumble titan mage, a vigorous partner in rank and in bed … and the one who got away.

Nor did he expect their shared academy rival Nepherik Damian Oldershaw to show up, suspiciously interested in Mery’s expedition and as vicious as he is vindictive.

Even in an adventure that takes them through monster-infested ruins, sky pirate territories, untamed jungles, and lost cities, their greatest threat might be from their own pasts.

Embark on the adventure of a lifetime with Amazon bestselling author Edie Skye in this brand-new action-adventure fantasy series. If you’ve ever said “I like the Indiana Jones movies but I wish they had more ass,” this just might be the story you’ve been waiting for.

WARNING: Titan Mage Havoc is a fun mecha fantasy adventure where the hero saves the day and gets all the girls. (So don’t read it and then complain about the spice. Y’all know exactly what you’re getting into.)

Read an Excerpt

“Your chief’s here!” Nova said brightly.

“My chief?” The woman startled again. “What time is it? Gouda usually barks when—”

She half-stepped, half-stumbled down the ladder, which was when Sevas noticed the bed positioned beside it, and the loaf-shaped white and fawn dog snoring next to a chewed-up wooden bat. The dog wore a leather eyepatch over an eye marred by an X-shaped scar and clenched an inert alarm clock in its teeth. Also chewed up.

“Gods dammit, how’d she even reach it—” the young woman muttered, then swung to face the hatch. Her eyes landed on her visitors right before she would have crashed into Sevas. She jerked to a halt with a disconcerted “Eep!” and her face froze as she re-processed the situation.

He shook the thought of his previous view from his mind—even as he noticed her bare, slim midriff, and shook that from mind, too. Gods, why was he noticing such things? He was about to fill the pause with a reprimand about the state of the workshop, but then her brain restarted, and the thing it chose to blurt was: “Gods, you’re gorgeous!”

It seemed he wasn’t the only person on this ship with a mouth faster than his brain. The young woman clapped her hands to her face, as if to shove her words back in, and Sevas glanced back to Rion and sighed.

“Yes, it’s a known issue.”

About the Author:

Edie Skye wrote Titan Mage as a joke and, in doing so, discovered that while she really likes writing smart stuff, she also likes writing smut. Pretty spicy smut, too, ‘cause if you’re gonna do it, you might as well do it hard. Specifically, she likes to spin fun (and funny) adventure fantasies about badass women and the equally badass dudes who want to do them. Vigorously. There’s action and monster-punching galore, sometimes with airships and mech upgrades, sometimes with monster girl gamers, but always with a substantial side of harem and fun-for-all-involved graphic spice. (Which is to say, it’s super NSFW. Unless your workplace is, like, really cool.)

Website: https://edieskye.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edieskyeauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edieskyeauthor/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@edieskyeauthor
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/edieskyeauthor
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@edieskyeauthor
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/edieskyeauthor

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Mage-Havoc-Frigid-Flame-ebook/dp/B0H3LTT8L5
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Titan-Mage-Havoc-and-the-Frigid-Flame-Audiobook/B0H9ZYZ4CW
Signed Books at the author's Direct Shop: https://store.holowriting.com/pages/titan-mage-havoc

Me, Mom, and the Monster by Corinne Brown

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Corinne Brown will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Corinne Brown will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

"The results of your predictive testing are here, and they show that you did inherit the gene for Huntington's disease."

Those words, delivered by the neurologist to 57-year-old Mae Brown, forever changed her life and the lives of her family. Me, Mom & the Monster is a soul-stirring memoir that follows the path of this farming wife, businesswoman, mother and grandmother who lived a life with a monster of a disease. Interwoven with Mae's story is that of her third child, Corinne, whose life is intrinsically connected to her mother's diagnosis. Told from alternating voices of Corinne and her mother, this is a candid account of the harrowing effects of living with a fatal, genetic disease. Me, Mom & the Monster captures the authenticity and vulnerability of a mother and daughter who find themselves entwined in a long dance with a neurodegenerative disease.

Read an Excerpt

MOM

I remember hearing stories of distant aunts and uncles who were afflicted with the Devil’s Dance—a colloquialism used in some circles to refer to those who were afflicted with HD. They were said to have the Devil’s Dance because of the chorea—a movement disorder causing involuntary spasmodic movements—that looked like an awkward, uncontrolled dance. Chorea is a primary symptom of HD. The Devil’s Dance was whispered about because of the shame, stigma and fear of this disease no one knew much about.

Times were different back then. There was no genetic testing or genetic counselling. Families just waited to see if symptoms would appear in them or in loved ones. Not much was known about the genetics of this disease or what the probabilities were of being affected if a parent had the disease. All I knew was what I heard about family members being sheltered and, in some instances, locked up so they wouldn’t harm themselves. They were deemed to have the Devil’s Dance, and not everyone behaved the same way. There was shame among afflicted families. There was also incredible fear.

This was in the early to mid-1900s in a remote community in northeast Newfoundland, where not many people talked about HD. Partly because there wasn’t much known about it, and no one in these small towns knew what to do anyway, especially if the afflicted person had rage tendencies and dramatic outbursts. My aunt Edna, who, along with my aunt Marg, helped in raising me after my own mother died, often became quite violent and would hit her husband, and hit him hard. She was sent away periodically for shock therapy because that was the preferred “treatment” of a disease that no one knew much about. I had an uncle who took his own life after he started exhibiting symptoms.

I suppose they call it the Devil’s Dance because those who are afflicted can’t keep still, legs going, feet going, torso bending. And the devil part? Well, that probably doesn’t need much explanation or observation. Only the devil could conjure such a tragic infliction. Some days I do feel like I’m in hell, to be honest. Fitting, I suppose. Not like I have a choice to dance with anyone else except with this devil of a disease.

About the Author

Corinne was 10-years old when she told her teacher that when she grew up, she was going to be an author. A few decades may have passed since then, but the author dream was realized with the publication of her debut novel, Me, Mom & the Monster in the summer of 2026.

Corinne, a native Newfoundlander, grew up surrounded by books, newspapers and magazines. Her environment must have had some impact since she graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a Bachelor of Arts and then went on to pursue a Journalism diploma at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta.

Although her initial intention was to write fiction, Corinne says the story of Me, Mom & the Monster needed to be told first. She says sharing the intimate story of being part of a Huntington’s disease family opened the space for other ideas.

When she isn’t creating characters, and envisioning scenes and scenarios, she finds comfort in being outside. She lives in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada where she is continuously adding to her To Be Read stack and where she is currently writing her second book.

Website: https://corinnebrown.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corinneiswritingabook
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590646317904
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/71361751.Corinne_Brown

Amazon: https://us.amazon.com/Me-Mom-Monster-Through-Huntingtons-ebook/dp/B0H3NWHCJS/ref=sr_1_10

Coincidence by Jon Ketzner

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jon Ketzner will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome to It's Raining Books. What draws you to the genre you write in, and why?

My new book “ Coincidence” is an historiographic meta-fiction novel. It’s an historic novel with an all knowing narrator to help quite the narrative and put plot points into context. The narrator speaks directly to the reader. My novel is centered by the assassination of JFK. One of the advantages of writing in this genre is that the principal actions and words of many of the main characters…the actual historical folks…are known, often in high detail by the readership. The challenge then is to weave the fictional characters, often based on real people or a conflation of real people, into the known record. This allows for the history to take on a color and depth not available in a dry reading of what is generally accepted as the historical record.

The Kennedy assassination is particularly rich in bigger-than-life personalities and world events. The era is well remembered by Baby Boomers, as well as many members of later generations. The underlying story, despite the hundreds of books, articles, movies, etc already out there, is still rich in drama, personality and cultural impact. That makes writing in a fictional genre that does a deep dive into what went on has a rich trove of record and an inviting challenge to fold that known record around created characters and episodes that enhance and humanize the retelling of the real events.

What research is required?

Well, obviously, to weave fiction into history requires a pretty good command of the actual history. The Kennedy assassination, in particular, is awash in historical record. It happen not that long ago, had an enormous impact on culture, politics and society. The good news is that there is tons of easily available records, as well as a vast library of fictional and alternative explanations for the events. That it is also the bad news when it comes to research. I chose th concentrate on the characters and dialogues…for both real and fictional characters…and deal with the events at a remove but close to the generally accepted history. This was all done on-line. The book is intended as a quick and entertaining read, not an over wrought tome of facts and opinions.

Name one thing you learned from your hero

The closest character that I have to an heroic protagonist is Jackie Kennedy’s Secret Service agent. He is based on an actual person…an adopted orphan who grew up to serve many decades protecting the First Family. My character…Clark Booth…is a dedicated professional, but a romantic at his core. This allows for him to be more than just a hardass…which he is…but also a vulnerable and relatable man.

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

Not really. I do not work from an outline. Due to family requirements, my wife and I spend many hours driving…I use these times to do much of my story plotting. I use these names of friends and family when naming minor, plot benign characters. This makes my books fun for them. They often buy several copies, sign them and give as hostess gifts and things.

I write sequentially, very seldom going back and inserting new chapters or expository wording. My target word count for a novel is 70,000 words, which makes my story a relatively quick read and forces me to eschew flowery, distracting prose.

Are you a plotter or a panther?

As noted, I think about my story until I have it essentially resolved in my brain. Then I write it without benefit of a written outline so that’s kind of by the seat of my pants…but the narrative is generally well plotted in my brain just waiting for a download onto my laptop.

What’s sitting to my right?

A bookstore window overlooking a downtown shopping area. I do all my writing in either bookstores, coffee shops or saloons. I very seldom write at home. I am not a kitchen table Hemingway.

Anything new coming up for you?

Well, I’m putting some effort into increasing the profile of my latest book. My next book, I think, will be a police procedural in which a Philadelphia detective investigates the 27 Club deaths of famous rock stars who died at age 27. That should be ready for proofing and editing by next Easter.

Any questions for our readers?

Not really. I write fiction exclusively. I read fiction exclusively in book form. But apparently, I am an outlier…apparently, 75% of fiction readers and 75% of fiction writers are female. I guess I would be curios to read your readers take on that phenomenon.

On the eve of President John F. Kennedy's final trip to Dallas, an irreverent narrator from the Ether begins to reveal the hidden chain of events that history never recorded. Spanning decades and weaving together Hollywood legends, political dynasties, secret affairs, and forgotten tragedies, Coincidence imagines how seemingly unrelated lives become entangled in the most infamous assassination of the twentieth century. From Joseph P. Kennedy and Gloria Swanson to Jackie Kennedy, Mary Pinchot Meyer, and the young Lee Harvey Oswald, every choice, passion, and betrayal sends ripples through time. Behind every headline lies another story, and every story hides a secret long buried. As the strands converge on November 22, 1963, the line between fate and accident begins to blur. Rich in historical detail and provocative speculation, Coincidence asks: was it really coincidence at all?

Read an Excerpt

Jackie rarely consulted him about her clothing. Her sense of style, if not her sense of humor, was notorious.

“The pink.”

She seemed surprised. “Why the pink?”

“Texas. All those tired cowgirls raising their brat kids to be Miss America. They adore pink in Texas.”

The First Lady eyed the pink at arm’s length. She shrugged. “Okay. The pink.”

“But the hat,” POTUS said, “could you do without the hat. I hate those things.”

Jackie shook her head.

“I’ll need the hat. Without the bubble top on, my hair would be a mess.”

The president leaned back against the pillows on his rock-hard bed, supine in his boxers and the argyles Bobby had given him which bore the presidential seal. He grinned.

“Remember the times when we would drift down the Potomac, standing by the rail, the wind blowing wildly through your hair, and there on the river in the middle of the city you would sink sexily to your knees…”

“Drop dead, Mr. President.” Words Jackie would soon want back.

The door to Suite 850 opened and George Lapp entered to help The President dress. He nodded at Jackie. He had seen her naked many times and was indifferent to the marital scenario into which he had strolled. Jackie smiled curtly and sidled toward her own room to don the pink Chanel, including its matching hat.

Before she left, the President grinned and said to his valet. “I might need the back brace today, George, had a strenuous night.”

About the Author: Jon Ketzner was born in Cumberland, Maryland in the lovely Appalachian foothills. He grew up in Baltimore then graduated from Towson University with a degree in mathematics and went on to a long career as a consulting actuary. For many years, Jon and his family lived in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania before moving back to Cumberland in 1990.

As a recovering actuary and inspired by the Maryland Writers Association’s “Notable Authors” monthly challenges, Jon decided to try his hand at writing and give his left-brain side a rest. He cites as influences: Henry Fielding, Joseph Heller, Gregory McDonald, and Tim Dorsey.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/34506564.Jon_Ketzner

Cold Hands by Daniela Alibrandi

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Daniela Alibrandi will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In Rome, the past never stays buried for long. When a dangerous man, Cold Hands, is released from psychiatric detention and quietly returns to the city, Commissioner Rosco and his team are drawn into a shadowy investigation where old crimes, hidden grudges, and new threats begin to intertwine. Beneath the surface of ordinary lives, secrets fester in hospital wards, along the Tiber, and in the darkest corners of the capital. Seemingly unrelated crimes gradually intertwine within a hypnotic, subterranean world of hidden Rome, mysterious lakes and ancient legends, revealing a larger pattern that is difficult to recognize. As tensions rise, Rosco must protect the fragile happiness he has finally found while facing a menace that knows how to wait, watch, and strike. Atmospheric, gripping, and rich in psychological tension, Cold Hands is a suspense novel set in a Rome of buried memories and lurking danger.

***

Who will read the novel will discover the unbelievable seductive settings, on the shores of Rome’s underground lakes, in which a disturbed mind stalks its prey. They will enjoy this important step in the overall journey of the work, which intertwines serial crimes with murders of a different nature, even with the ancient legends that abound in the Eternal City.

Through the MultiDimensionCrime approach, the novel invites readers to enter a world where atmosphere, emotions, and events become almost tangible, entering the mind of the killer, the desperation of the victims, while investigating with the squad in increasing twists and suspense. The novel, set in the Eighties, is also published as an Extended Book, an innovative publishing format experienced by Morellini Editore, that enhances the reading experience. By scanning the QR code printed on the back cover, readers can explore the locations featured in the story, immerse themselves in its atmospheric world, and listen to a curated soundtrack of 1980s music that brings the novel’s setting to life. A journey that doesn’t end with the last page!

Read an Excerpt

Rome in early spring—there’s nothing more enchanting, even for Rosco, who slid behind the wheel, still heavy with sleep, having skipped breakfast yet again. Another night spent with the little one waking up over and over, until he’d earned his rightful place in the big bed. And yet, for Rosco, there was nothing sweeter than feeling that warm little body pressed close, so bossy and so tender—a tiny tyrant to whom he gladly surrendered.

But by morning, Marilena had reached her limit. With gentle hands, she’d scooped up the boy and, for the umpteenth time, tucked him back into his crib. Then she’d slipped back under the covers—a mistake, as it turned out, because now Rosco could smell her, and it had been ages since he’d been this close to her. The child was sleeping soundly now, dawn’s timid light beginning to seep through the shutters, and Rosco could make out the outline of Marilena’s body as she breathed deeply, on the verge of drifting off again. He couldn’t resist the urge to caress her hips, and when she turned toward him, he kissed her lips, then her neck, and finally began to suckle her nipple. She wasn’t nursing anymore, and the scent of her skin had returned to what it once was, before— a whiff of stale caciotta cheese, during those endless months of round-the-clock feedings.

About the Author

Daniela Alibrandi is the author of successful thrillers and noirs in Italy and abroad. She was born in Rome, and lived and studied in the United States. In her professional life, she has been involved in cultural exchanges within the Council of Europe and the European Union. With her seventeen published novels, a Trilogy, an Anthology of short stories and seven English editions she is a prominent figure in the Italian literary scene. Her writings have often been featured in national newspapers and literary columns on RAI Italian television and radio broadcasts. The author, always present with her novels in the most important national bookfairs, has also won several national literary awards and the 2022 Women Art Week Award for her literary career. Some of her Italian editions are present in Harvard and Yale libraries as well as in New York Public Library.

For years and from various sources, such as literary critics and reviewers, this author’s style has been defined as multidimensional, until it was officialized as MultiDimensionCrime (Acronym MDCrime). A reading experience that forges imagination in a multi-dimensional way. In the complex and intertwined plots of her novels, which lead to sudden and unexpected twists, the characteristics of different strands are harmoniously blended. The reader follows the investigation to solve a murder and at the same time he amazingly enters the mind of the killer, reasoning alongside him, preparing the crime with him, and even partaking in the victims’ despair and terror. All in a growing suspense, both during the narration and in the final pages, when the reader often has to question all the beliefs he has developed during the reading. The settings the author chooses as well as the atmospheres are always amazing and palpable.

English website: https://danielaenglishwebsite.wordpress.com/
Italian website: https://danielaalibrandi.com/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100056951476831
Twitter: https://x.com/danielaalibrand
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielaalibrandi/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielaalibrandi/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DanielaAlibrandi

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cold-hands-murders-romes-underground-ebook/dp/B0H6GPXC4M/ref=sr_1_1

Unladylike by Regina Louise

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

Unladylike: A Mythopoetic Reclamation of Love is a lyrical collection of poetry and prose exploring love, survival, embodiment, and the journey of returning to the self. Blending literary poetry with personal reflection, Regina Louise examines relationships, identity, trauma, healing, and the process of reclaiming one's voice after loss and betrayal.

Through intimate poems and essays, Unladylike maps the emotional terrain between heartbreak and self-discovery, inviting readers into a deeply human exploration of resilience, self-love, and personal transformation. Her work speaks to readers interested in emotional healing, spiritual growth, women's voices, and the reclamation of dignity through storytelling and creative expression.

Rooted in mythopoetic inquiry and lived experience, this collection moves through memory, desire, grief, and repair, offering language for those navigating change, recovery, and the search for meaning. Unladylike is both an artistic work and an invitation-to witness oneself honestly and to return to what was always there.

Read an Excerpt

Teeth Jewelry

I didn’t take it lying down—
my legs spread eagle, leaking,
like a broke-back Aphrodite,
or Erzulie Freda dispossessed of her longing.

The way you uninvited me
to the wedding—
I’d planned for two months to attend.

Fresh out of a group home,
I was certain I would arrive.
I showed up at your front door.
My hair set in Jada curls—
edges swooped in,
baby hairs laid down—
two hours under a hot-ass dryer
to get them right.

Your brother answered,
fraudulence jutting from his eyes,
said you weren’t home. Yet.
What about the black and champagne
Bentley in your driveway?
Your hubcapped feet, your only wheels.
It belonged to the girl from Baldwin Hills.
Eyes same color as mine.
Her daddy was a doctor.
Yours ran a dojo.

I took my financial aid money,
got myself a crepe de chine
Norma Kamali mini dress—
on sale, sale, sale at I. Magnin.
Fishnet pantyhose.

My first manicure—
to dig desolation from beneath
my dirty fingernails,
just to look respectable.

In pointed-toe flats,

I kicked and scratched my way
through the door,
two stairs at a time.

I followed my knowing into your lair.
My right hook, a javelin.
I threw a punch at your face—
a black belt trophy, barely missed.
You were fifth degree.

My jaw dislocated instantly
from the butt of your palm.

She ran for her life.
I ran into your fury.
And then—
my skin tore
you bit my face,
my arms,
the tops of my hands,
my wrists
my neck,
my bicep,

my shoulders,
the soles of my hands.

Clad in a blusa campesina,
a peasant shirt, off-the-shoulder,
in technicolor—my flesh on parade
fresh with the imprint of your
Central, lateral incisors.
Canines.

I returned to my social work theory seminar.

I wore your teeth jewelry
like a queen.

A gypsy skirt sashayed my hips.

I wore ankle bracelets
with fake gold coins
and fabricated seashells.

Everyone heard me coming.

I returned from Spring Break
baptized in a pain so exquisite,
one might mistake it
or all of who I was.

No matter.

I got my licks in, too.
Not just for me—
but for Tina Turner.
And all the rest of us
who stayed—
wired to do so.

About the Author:

Regina Louise is a poet, writer, teacher, speaker, executive coach, whose work explores the intersection of memory, belonging, identity, and emotional liberation. The author of three books—two of which have been adapted for film: Somebody’s Someone, Someone Has Led This Child to Believe and Permission Granted: Kick Ass Strategies to Bootstrap your Way to Unconditional Self-Love—she has spent more than three decades helping people transform adversity into authorship through story, self-inquiry, and radical compassion.

A senior teacher with the Hoffman Process, Regina is known for guiding profound conversations about restoring dignity, resilience, attachment, and the art of becoming fully oneself. Whether on stage, in classrooms, behind a microphone, or in intimate workshop settings, she invites audiences to reimagine the stories that have shaped their lives and discover the freedom that awaits beyond them.

Her forthcoming collection, Unladylike: A Mythopoetic Reclamation of Love (September 2026), marks her debut poetry collection. Blending poetry, lyrical prose, and aphoristic reflections, it is a fearless meditation on love, loss, self-possession, and the sacred work of returning home to oneself.

Regina Louise lives in California, where she continues to write, teach, and create work that honors the transformative power of language to restore dignity, deepen connection, and reclaim what has always belonged to us.

Website: http://www.therealreginalouise.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealreginalouise
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/regina.louise.5/
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/unladylike-a-mythopoetic-reclamation-of-love-regina-louise/b4379cc65cf1293b
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001IQXN7M

Duke du Jour by Petie McCarty

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Petie McCarty will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

She’s waiting in the past . . . He belongs in the future.

Jared Langley, present-day Duke of Reston, tumbles into an abandoned fountain on his ducal estate and is pelted back in time to the year 1816. There, Reston servants and local villagers think him a dead ringer for his namesake and rakehell ancestor—the seventh Duke of Reston, gone missing at the Battle of Waterloo. Unfortunately, Seven got mixed up with French spies out to assassinate the Duke of Wellington, and an unwary Jared ends up in their crosshairs.

Lady Ariana Hart has loved Jared Langley, the seventh Duke of Reston, since she was twelve years old, until the night the rogue broke her heart. Given up for dead, her rakish neighbor makes a miraculous return from Waterloo. Only Jared shows up a changed man and reignites all the feelings Ariana had long ago buried.

Jared is in a race against time.
His tasks?

Waylay the suspicions of his quirky servants and neighbors
Get to Wellington before the French spies do
Fix his fountain–before Seven shows up–so Jared has a way home
And definitely do not fall in love with the irresistible Lady Ariana . . .

Second Edition

Read an Excerpt

The sound of hoofbeats and wheels churning came from the path to the old stone stable. Seconds later, what looked to be a perfectly restored nineteenth-century curricle pulled up with a magnificent pair of spirited blacks in harness. The young man driving tied off the reins and jumped down, and Jared could only stare in stunned disbelief.

Curricle Man matched Jared’s height and build and wore scuffed knee-high boots, what appeared to be knickers, and a woolen waistcoat over a loose, long-sleeved white shirt with a linen scarf stuffed in the collar. A wave of dizziness struck Jared again. Curricle Man strode over and bowed.

Bowed?


“Chappy said you were back, Master Jared. So I took the liberty of bringing round your curricle, so you could take straight off to see Lady Wilder.”

This tableau had quickly turned into a nightmare.

“I do this often,” Jared said. The words came out sounding like a question, and he received two incredulous looks.

“As soon as you arrive, Mast—uh, Your Grace. At least, you did on the last few visits before you left for the continent,” Curricle Man offered. “I only thought―”

“Well, do not think. Maybe this visit I choose to be different. I can change.”

Jared got the you-must-be-daft look again. Truth be told, he felt a bit daft since he had not known he owned a curricle and had no intention of driving this one until he learned how. Harness-racing sulkies he knew.

Restored curricles, not at all.

“Begging your pardon, Your Grace,” Curricle Man persisted, “but you always said if you did not go there, Lady Wilder would come here. And you hate that.” The man gave him a wary stare. “Of course, that was more than two years ago.”

Jared’s head pounded in earnest, and he fought off a wave of nausea brought on by the accompanying dizziness. He did not know these people, he had no idea what or whom they were talking about, and he feared a climactic ending to this delusional scene.

“Yes, but this year is—” He had meant to say different, but Cook—who had been strangely silent throughout their discourse—beat him to the punch.

“—Eighteen sixteen, of course,” she said, looking worried. “Are ye sure ye didn’t hit yer head back at the fountain, Master Jared?”

“Eighteen sixteen?” he asked weakly.

“Right,” the two strangers agreed in unison.

Oh, dear Lord in heaven! I am not just named after Jared Langley. I am Jared Langley, seventh Duke of Reston.

Then everything went black.

About the Author:

Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—"The Most Magical Place on Earth"—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said goodbye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time.

These days, Petie spends her time writing new tales for her Cinderella series, her new The Watchers series, sequels to her Regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and more contemporary romance standalones, along with her two previous releases—Any Fin For Love and Ambush in the Everglades.

Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who makes a cameo appearance in Christmas Watch, Book 2 of The Watchers series.

Visit Petie at her website, www.petiemccarty.com, to get to know her, learn about her current projects, and discover her other published works.

Website: http://www.petiemccarty.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty
Twitter: https://x.com/authorpetie
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094579.Petie_McCarty
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/petie-mccarty
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/petiemccarty

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Duke-Du-Jour-Petie-McCarty-ebook/dp/B0H99Y9Z2Z.