Hunger Winter by Rob Currie

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rob Currie will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

If We Don’t Know History Are We Doomed to Repeat it?

Some people don’t think we need to know history. But history is simply other people’s experiences. The same folks who don’t think we need to know history are the same ones who hop on YouTube video to learn how to insulate the attic or they explore Pinterest to get ideas for a birthday party theme. They are tapping into a history of sorts. Someone else, through trial and error has previously figured some things out that we don’t know and now the rest of us benefit from their insight.

Consider the old adage: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” The second half of that statement is about learning from our own experiences, and that again, is history, albeit our personal history. But life is too short, and some experiences are too costly to have to learn only from our own successes and failures. We really need to learn from what others have experienced. Once again, that is history. Or as World War II icon, General George Patton said, “Fools learn from their own mistakes. I prefer to learn from the mistakes of others.”

I think some people resist the idea of learning about history because to them it’s a set of dates and places about which they have little knowledge and even less interest. In short, they don’t value history because it’s dull. But to me, history isn’t so much dates (who did what, when, and to whom) as it is stories. In terms of WWII, the stories are many but they include the fact that Adolph Hitler had a problem with flatulence. Another wartime tale is that during the conflict with the Japanese, future American President, John Kennedy, swam three miles to an island after his ship sunk. The fact that some of us were taught history in an uninteresting way does not negate its value to us today.

It's the Netherlands in late 1944. Thirteen-year-old Dirk's Papa left to fight with the Resistance. Then Mama died. When the Gestapo snatched his older sister and he learned they were coming for him next, Dirk left home in the middle of the night. He had his pockets stuffed with food, his little sister asleep in his arms, and his heart heavy with a dark secret.

Read an Excerpt

At 1:45 a.m. Otto Adler rose from his recliner, walked to a table, and picked up a sheet of paper. He scanned it and set it on the table. “Johann went to kill Ingelse but didn’t come back,” he said to the empty room. He pounded the wall with his fist. “I bet the Dutchman outsmarted him and suckered him into talking. I told Johann not to talk! Just shoot him! But he never listens to his older brother,” he growled. “I won’t make that mistake.”

He made a phone call.

“You ready?” Good. I’ll be there at 2:20.” He reached for the sheet of paper. “Yes, I’m going to go over it again.”

He listened.

“So we get it done. Ingelse is a snake that slithers away. But not this time. Ten minutes to get there. We watch the house for fifteen minutes.”

He drummed his fingers on the phone table.

“At 2:45 we walk up to the house. I stand on the porch, and you crouch in the bushes with your gun.” He shaped his free hand like a pistol.

“I knock on the door and say, ‘It’s Windmill.’” He smiled. “I tell him I have an important delivery. When he looks at me, you jump on the porch. You shoot. We leave.”

He was silent for thirty seconds. “Yes, I’m sure. That Jew-loving Ingelse will be dead in an hour.” He hung up the phone and fed his notes to the flames in the potbellied stove.

About the Author: Life conspired to get Rob Currie to write Hunger Winter: A World War II Novel. His father is a World War II veteran and his wife is Dutch. An award-winning author, it was only a matter of time before he would focus his writing on World War II. Research for Hunger Winter included numerous books, interviews with Dutch WWII survivors, and three weeks in the Netherlands. His investigation revealed astonishing details about the Dutch experience of the war, which begged to be turned into a book.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, he graduated from Cornerstone University and went on to earn a master's degree and doctorate in psychology from St. Louis University. He has taught psychology at Judson University since 1987. His hobbies include playing basketball, cooking, and writing poetry.

Author Web Site: http://www.robcurrieauthor.com
Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Winter-World-War-Novel/dp/1496440358/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ashes and Blood by Katie Zaher

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

“I’ll start at the beginning. Long ago, before roads, before we built structures, before medicine was discovered, before the government was created, before man gained any knowledge, there were The Five. Independent from each other, The Five had a mutual respect for one another. They knew their roles in the world and their duty. They were gods…”

An adventure begins when an otherworldly tree captures the attention of Megan and her friends. The environment morphs around them, transferring them to an exotic planet. Stuck in a rural town still maimed by the plague, a chance encounter with a familiar face gives Megan and her friends some security during their adjustment period.

While settling into new, promising lives, they are attacked and stalked by planet Dalya’s humanoid inhabitants, who focus on Megan. One dark night, after an epic, magical attack, the Fae King’s knight is sent to fetch Megan. When she wakes up a prisoner, she learns that there is much more to this strange world, and it is oddly more like her own than she ever would have expected.

Read an Excerpt

Megan

Today has been a whirlwind, and I’m not looking forward to tonight. I’m positive the elite members of society will flaunt their latest ensembles. A competition among the wealthy to win a proverbial pat on the back for the best dressed. A sport for the rich. They won’t work up a sweat—that’s for the poor. Instead, they compete with wits and money. Women prancing around wearing cage ball gowns, adorned with priceless jewels. Their main goal is to uncover juicy gossip while competing for the wealthiest bachelor. Men swirling this world’s version of expensive scotch talk business and watch women swoon. It can’t be very different from Earth’s aristocratic affairs, not that I ever attended. Movies and the internet displayed enough information to know what to expect.

I had assumed it would be a rather humdrum affair, but my opinion changes quickly, standing before the colossal golden doors. Realization hits me. I am so naïve.

It feels like I’m walking into a fairy tale, but the darker Brothers Grimm version.

Beautiful, handcrafted, golden double doors depict a grand party. Intricate artwork chiseled into the doors displays two long banquet tables of food, roasts on fancy platters, piles of vegetables, and dainty desserts. Between the buffet tables, people adorned with masquerade attire dance. They wave, inviting everyone to the party. Guests laugh, drink, and enjoy themselves under the watchful king. The artwork depicts the king having fun, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he studies everyone, meticulously watching individuals, judging their personality, appearance, and demeanor while in his presence. A crooked smile peels his lips back—it hints at his sly and cruel nature. I can’t help but look at the doors and realize this is a perfect portrayal of what awaits me.

Instead of a warm welcome, it’s a stern warning.

About the Author

Katie Zaber writes new adult fiction. With multiple projects spanning from being transported to an alternate universe, to past lives, reincarnation, and trapped souls, to prophesied pregnancies—there are more stories to tell. She lives in North New Jersey with her boyfriend.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Dalya-Series-110665970357251
Website: https://zaberbooks.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ashes-Blood-Dalya-Book-1-ebook/dp/B087YJ8W87/ref=sr_1_1

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Single Chicas by Sandra C. Lopez

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

Single Chicas is a collection of stories about modern Latinas being in, out, and around the zany hurdles of relationships. One woman receives strange calls from a lonely soul, another seeks advice on how to love herself, and another wakes up in a parallel universe to a man she's never met. These chicas will make painstaking effort to survive the complexities with humor and grace. Once again, López dazzles audiences with her brilliantly candid craft. Smart, witty, and funny, these stories will explore the true endurance of singlehood.

Read the Excerpt

Dear Single Chicas,

Hey, hey, love your site! I was wondering if you could help me. I have a boyfriend I'm crazy about, but he has a tendency to call me at work. It's getting annoying. Any advice?

Sincerely, Looney Cell

"Ah, a typical relationship conundrum," Simone said with a mouthful of pizza.

"Yeah, a typical headache," Georgia added.

"So what do we say?" Chrissy asked.

"Try this," Simone said, waiting for Chrissy to start typing.

Dear Looney Cell,

Your boyfriend needs to realize that, when you are at work, you are NOT his girlfriend. You need to give him specific hours, just like in any other job. Lay down the line with him. Point out that each time he calls you at your job, it keeps you from doing the work—work you're getting paid to do and work that in no way, shape, or form involves him. Besides, it may get you in trouble with your boss, if it hasn't already. Instead tell him to send you a simple text, but be careful not to overload your phone memory. Thanks for the shout out!

Single Chicas

The next email read:

Dear Single Chicas,

What's up! Problem: I'm engaged and I'm totally freaking out about it. Would I be a fool to ask if we could postpone the big day until I'm less freaked?

Yours truly, Runaway Bride

Reply:

Dear Runaway Bride,

Absolutely not! Don't do anything you don't feel ready for. Be honest about it. If nobody can understand that, then you would save yourself the headache and the hassle, not to mention the time and money, for that whole shindig. If it wasn't meant to be, then so be it. If, however, you have a guy that is willing to wait, then, by all means, let him wait. Wait, wait, wait until you are sure you can make it down that aisle without breaking out in hives. Just make sure you bring your running shoes on the big day....just in case. ;)

Sincerely, Single Chicas

The next email read:

Hey, Single Chicas,

I saw this one episode of "I Love Lucy" where Lucy suggests a vacation from marriage. What are your thoughts? Yay or Nay?

Sincerely, TV Addict

Dear TV Addict,

Yay! A vacation from marriage allows for the re-discovery of one's individuality―the "I" before the "we." There is such a thing as spending "too much" time together. Lucy said it best in that episode: "I'm sick at the sight of your face." Take a vacation to avoid this sickness.

Sincerely, Single Chicas

About the Author:

Sandra C. López is a writer, artist, blogger, and book reviewer. She is one of today's funny and influential authors in YA and chick lit. Her first novel, Esperanza, was published in March 2008 WHILE she was still in college. Her most recent and bestselling book is Single Chicas, a collection of humorous short stories about zany chicas. She is currently working on the next installment of the Single Chicas series called Holiday Chicas. Release date coming soon! When not writing her stories, Sandra supports the art and literary communities with freelance work and book promotion.

Website: http://www.sandra-lopez.com
Book Review Blog: http://sandrasbookclub.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandraLopezAuthorArtist/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArtistSandraL

Purchase Links: https://www.amazon.com/Single-Chicas-Sandra-C-Lopez-ebook/dp/B01KG85F1Y/

Please note: The book is free during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Becoming Animals by Olga Werby

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Olga Werby will be awarding a $25 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.

Three books that influenced you

I read everything…well, not histories or biographies or horror. I usual discover an author I like, and then read everything they’ve ever written! It is so much easier to know that the book will be good than to be disappointed. I know this sounds crazy. But I read a lot. I have thousands of books at home. I have books shelves in my bathrooms, bedrooms, hallways, kitchen, living room… I have books stocked on most flat surfaces and up the stairs. I’m not allowed to buy physical books anymore…unless I really want to. I do most of my “fun” reading on my phone now—Kindle App. I have thousands of books on my phone as well. The good thing about that is that the phone is always in my pocket (I no longer buy clothes that don’t have pockets to accommodate my cell phone.). I can whip out a book while I wait in line, while I sit in a doctor’s office, while I exercise… It’s a perfect delivery mechanism for reading.

As for which three books that influenced me…that’s a complicated question. The list changes based of what’s going on in my life. When I wrote “Becoming Animals”, I read about animal cognition. In fact, my book comes with a bibliography – there are always people who are as passionate about the science that I describe in my book as I am. I want to give them a chance to explore the topic at a deeper level. For instance, Robert Sapolsky’s 2002 “A Primate’s Memoir: A Neuroscientist’s Unconventional Life Among the Baboons” was an amazing book that had me in tears for pages and pages. Not only was this book full of amazing science, but the humanity with which it was written just broke my heart. I can’t recommend it strongly enough. Another author that I absolutely love is Dr. Oliver Sacks. Pick any book of his, just any book, you won’t be disappointed – the man was a poet…and a neuroscientist. And if you are into ravens, read Heinrich’s “Ravens in Winter” for an insight at how smart these little dinosaurs descends are.

Humans have always wanted to know what goes on inside the minds of other animals. But what if humans could become animals? Toby’s father leads a team of neuroscientists directly connecting the brains of humans with those of animals. And Toby is a prodigy at throwing her mind into the animal subjects in his lab—she’s the best there is.

But Toby suffers from cystic fibrosis and she’s not likely to live into adulthood. Could a radical plan to embed her consciousness into an animal allow Toby to survive? And what does it mean to live without a human body?

Can Toby and her father solve the problem of fully merging two beings before she takes her last breath? Will the government succeed in stopping their efforts before they are done? It’s a race against death and into the minds of animals.

Read an Excerpt

After the major had left, Toby came into Will’s office and slipped onto his lap.

“I’d like to go to work in the lab with you and Ruffy,” she said.

“You heard?” Will asked, gently rubbing the girl’s back.

“School is boring,” Toby said. “And I like playing with Rufus,” she added. She was convincing herself as much as him, Will noted.

Toby didn’t say she’d miss playing with the other kids. Friendships needed plenty of time and some freedom. She was so restricted with her interactions and she missed so much school, she hadn’t gotten to make friends. Will felt the weight of responsibility. Could he keep his little girl happy? Was this the right thing for her?

“You’ll get a lot of time to play with Rufus,” he said. “But maybe you’ll get bored hanging around with us and all those lab rats.”

“There’s just Ruffy, Dad!”

“There will be more soon. Now that we had a breakthrough, I’m sure we’ll get more animals, more different kinds of animals. But we’ll take it slow. I’ll make sure no one pushes you to do things you don’t want to do. I promise.”

“Don’t worry, Dad,” Toby said. “I loved being Ruffy.”

Will hugged his daughter and he felt how fast her heart was beating. Almost as fast as Ruffy’s.

Read the first few chapters here: https://interfaces.com/blog/becoming-animals/

About the Author:

Olga Werby, Ed.D., has a Doctorate from U.C. Berkeley with a focus on designing online learning experiences. She has a Master's degree from U.C. Berkeley in Education of Math, Science, and Technology. She has been creating computer-based projects since 1981 with organizations such as NASA (where she worked on the Pioneer Venus project), Addison-Wesley, and the Princeton Review. Olga has a B.A. degree in Mathematics and Astrophysics from Columbia University. She became an accidental science fiction indie writer about a decade ago, with her first book, "Suddenly Paris," which was based on then fairly novel idea of virtual universes. Her next story, "The FATOFF Conspiracy," was a horror story about fat, government bureaucracy, and body image. She writes about characters that rarely get represented in science fiction stories -- homeless kids, refugees, handicapped, autistic individuals -- the social underdogs of our world. Her stories are based in real science, which is admittedly stretched to the very limit of possible. She has published almost a dozen fiction books to date and has won many awards for her writings. Her short fiction has been featured in several issues of "Alien Dimensions Magazine," "600 second saga," "Graveyard Girls," "Kyanite Press' Fables and Fairy Tales," "The Carmen Online Theater Group's Chronicles of Terror," with many more stories freely available on her blog, Interfaces.com.

http://www.interfaces.com/blog/
http://www.amazon.com/author/olgawerby
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4056895.Olga_Werby
https://www.facebook.com/OlgaWerby/
https://twitter.com/OlgaWerby
http://Pipsqueak.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDE3BNceupMYgvoaoAps2mg
https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgawerby/

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078P6BB6K/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Diary of a Lost Witch by Reut Barak

This post is part of a virtual tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly dawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour or you can go to the author's site here: http://reutbarak.com/lostprizes/

For a quick look at the very first post of the blog, check here: http://reutbarak.com/lost

Visit http://reutbarak.com/diary-of-a-lost-witch-april-10/ to begin the story featured on Reut Barak's new blog

Molly is in trouble. Running away from home to escape the dangers of her coven, she ends up in Edinburgh at a time of Corona. Homeless and running for her life, she must find a new coven and get the help she needs to protect herself, or she is not going to make it back.

Read a Blog Entry:

April 14

Yesterday, I finally met another witch.

Her name is Gemma. She’d just graduated from nursing school and was volunteering to help out with testing patients for the virus.

I had seen her on the street, falling on her knee, while walking a dog, and her body magically heal the wound. I walked to her to ask if she was alright, coming close, but still pretending to keep that two meter distance.

“Just a scratch,” she assured me, and got up without help.

The dog was being difficult and kept pulling even when she was still on the ground. I offered to help and take the leash, but she shook her head. He was a friend’s dog, but they were self-isolating so he was stuck at home all day. She was trying to show patience.

I told her that we had a dog back home and that she was also finding it difficult. She asked where I was from and the conversation flowed from there.

We must have walked together for about half an hour before I felt she could be trusted. I was not about to make the same mistake twice.

She told me that there were many witches in the city, some solitary and others belonging to covens. Luckily for me, she was one of the later, and she invited me to the next coven meeting. We exchanged numbers.

I still couldn’t sleep right at night. Even after that ray of hope.

There was no accommodation anywhere and I must have checked five times. Apartments were difficult too. I could forge the documents for the lease, but I would still have to open a real bank account, and get some sort of job, which was dangerous, because I might have to expose my true identity. Even to Gemma, I gave a different last name. Wood, instead of Evans.

I ended up back in the forest under Arthur’s Seat, in my tent spell, that failed to really make me feel safe, despite the conjured mattress and warmth.

I hate being homeless.

In the morning, I felt I needed to move my legs, after all those nights of troubled sleep. I went up Carlton Hill. That place in the photos where people go to get a view of the whole city.

A message from my moms, from last night, reminded me of the dangers I had ran away from. It came from Sally, my birth-mother, who was usually high spirited, and perhaps one of the happiest people I’d known in my life. But from the tone of her note I could tell that she was worried.

Two witches from May’s coven had been seen outside the house. When my mom, Joe, came out to talk with them they left a message for me. Alice wanted to speak with me. Urgently.

“Keep safe,” was the end of Sally’s message.

I had promised myself that I wouldn’t cry, but the past few days had been so difficult.

When I reached the top and looked down at this beautiful city, the frustration, the fear and the exhaustion of the past few days hit me like a boomerang, and I couldn’t stop the tears anymore.

Molly Evans

About the Author:Following a short stint in the military, Reut graduated as a trained Opera Singer from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and then worked in Berlin, singing church music by Mozart, Haydn and Bach. While arranging concerts in the city and managing artists, she discovered her passion for business. She joined fellow entrepreneurs in the 2013-2014 class at the University of Oxford, with a scholarship to study business (MBA), where she founds that creativity goes far beyond art. She later had a taste of corporate life, seeing the inside workings of some of the world’s largest finance, energy and manufacturing companies, and wrote for National Geographic. Leaving the world of corporate drama behind, she now pursues her dreams of becoming a fiction novelist, a self-published vegan author, blogger and youtuber. She first arrived in Scotland as a hiker, eager to explore the mysterious highlands, where she got her inspiration for her books and blogs.

Well, no not really… The true story is:

Once upon a time…

Reut was born in Camelot in the year 1201, following the famous explosion of the northern dragon tower. She has a degree in fantasy and science fiction from the University of Atlantis and this record can be found in the central library, now twenty thousand leagues under the sea. She likes phoenix riding, dragon fighting and painting the roses red. And Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Website: http://www.reuatbarak.com
Lost Witch Blog: http://reutbarak.com/category/lostwitch/
Start reading from the beginning of the diary: http://reutbarak.com/diary-of-a-lost-witch-april-10/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reut.barak/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorReutBarak/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReutBarak

a Rafflecopter giveaway

7 Steps to Clarity by Nicole Stephen

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Please click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The sheer amount of decisions in life can become an overwhelming burden. Sometimes we just want to know the answers to our questions. We want to know we are making the right choices. It can be hard to see the right path with the noise of the world. There are voices and media all around us, influencing everything we do. In all that noise, where is the true voice, the one that knows? You can call it God or Source or the Universe or your Higher Self, but it is contained within you. Accessing it and giving it room and silence to speak to you is the real key to achieving your best life.

In seven steps, Nicole Stephen shows the way to a happier, more peaceful daily life. To reclaim yourself, you need to shut out the "shoulds," but in order to do that, you need to notice them. Exploring the questions and challenges that Nicole includes in this book will open your eyes to the pressures that you may have been submitting to unknowingly. In clearing up the way you see the world, you can clear a path to knowing yourself, and with that true voice guiding you, you will always find the way.

Read an Excerpt

You have so much more potential than you realize. You are not your body. You are not the roles you play. You are not the jobs you hold. You are a soul having a human experience and you always have access to higher guidance. You do not have to believe this for it to be true. But you do need to fi nd a way to understand this at a deep enough level, in order to accept the magnificent implications of it. Your soul is an individuation of God. You are a part of God and God is part of you. Because of this, you have access to your higher potential in each moment. Now some people prefer not to think of God and so it is equally appropriate to think of your connection to Source, to the Universe, Life, or even your Highest Self. It matters not what your belief system is. If you are focused on the brain, then know that the brain is like a muscle that will continue to grow and get stronger as it is exercised. If you are focused on the body, know that you have only barely begun to see what your body—made up of 11 interdependent systems—is capable of. If you are focused on your senses, know that the 5 senses you use on a daily basis are just the tip of the iceberg for what is available to us—most of us know about our unrealized 6th sense, but the more likely number is 9, and some people believe there are upwards of 20 senses! Are you consciously tapping into all these potentials each day? I know I am not, but how amazing if we started to move in that direction. By expanding your view of what is possible, you will invite opportunity to use new ways of thinking and being which will create a virtuous cycle. Unfortunately, for many of us, we create a vicious cycle by using less and less of our minds, bodies, and senses, and drawing the square around us so small that we barely believe we can get through the day. This sense of limitedness is not how we are meant to live.

About the Author:

Nicole Stephen is the founder and principal consultant for Miramar Group. During her 20-year career as an executive coach and organizational development consultant she has worked to help individuals, teams, and organizations accelerate growth and realize their potential. She holds a Masters’ and PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic and State University. Nicole lives on the coast in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband, two children, and dog Henry.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20026975.Nicole_Stephen
https://www.miramarconsultinggroup.com/

Links to buy:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Steps-Clarity-Personal-Guidance-System/dp/1734181443/ref=sr_1_1
Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Steps-Clarity-Personal-Guidance-System-ebook/dp/B085HB5SNP/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jungle Beauty Goddesses Series by Cassandra George Sturges

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. What group did you hang out with in high school?
,br> I took a GED out of high school. When I decided to take my GED, I had only accumulated 9th grade credit hours due to truancy. I used to skip classes with my best friend Lisa. Each morning we would make an alcoholic drink of Southern Comfort with Canada Dry ginger ale in a large olive green Tupperware cup. So the first thing, I would do when my parents left for work, I would get up and make our favorite alcoholic drink and place it in the freezer so that it could be cold and slushy. We would drink this while walking to high school.

Once we arrived we would go to our locker, talk to a few friends, before heading out the back door to return either one of our homes, catch the city busy down town Detroit, or walk to the mall. Lisa moved away to Georgia and I never found a friend that could replace her.

I started skipping classes by myself and catching the Joy Rd bus to downtown Detroit alone to go the Main Detroit Library on Woodward Avenue. Oh my god! I loved this library so much because of the medieval paintings on the ceiling on the top floor and the old musty smell of the library books. I still love this scent today. I skipped school to go to the library to read and read and read. It was my home. I still have an affinity for libraries. When I travel, I try to find old libraries so I can find some obscure book, read, and sniff the pages.

What are you passionate about these days?

I collect Crystal Skulls and Alien Star Being Gemstones. I love them so much. Each one has a different energy. Right now, as I am typing --I am wearing my pietersite Alien Gemstone with labradorite eyes in between my breasts in the center of my bra. They are approximately 4 inches tall, 4 inches long, and 3 inches wide. Pietersite is a very powerful gemstone for harnessing your energy to complete tasks. It will will help you discipline yourself to tackle large and small projects. The first time I wore this gemstone, I nearly fainted because the vibration was so strong.

I had a past life regression reading where I was placed under hypnosis. It was an amazing experience. I was a white male name Peabo, I had a wife her name was Estelle, and four boys. I was a sergeant in the army. My current boyfriend was my wife in that lifetime. I was a horrible husband and father because I was always worried about money.

I plan to do this once a year or so. I was loopy for a couple of days. I learned a lot about myself. I bought a past life regression oracle cards and I plan to do some past life readings on my YouTube channel.

Jungle Beauty Goddesses “Pretty Blue” Book 1

If you were given planet Earth as a gift to develop its life forms—would the world be a better place than it is today? What would your primary expectation and goal be for each human? Would you give them free will or plan their destiny? Would you demand that your humans worship you as their creator? Would you be available to assuage their every desire; and acquiesce to their demands, prayers, and wishes? Would you grow to resent them for living the life you imagined?

The Jungle Beauty Goddesses were free-spirited goddesses who enjoyed their freedom as the youngest children—and the last deities born to their parents—creators of the universe. Per the family tradition of being awarded a planet, the septuplets were given planet Earth as a gift for their birthday. Their siblings, also gods and goddesses of the universe since the beginning of time, warn them about the challenges of selflessness, power, worship, and divine duty.

The seven sisters struggle to maintain their own freedom as limitless beings, while sibling rivalry makes it difficult to accept their collective duty to fulfill the family obligation to the deity-hood as creators for planets.

The entire universe threatens to collapse due to their negligence and disobedience. They question the boundaries of their divine powers as they ponder whether it is possible to mold a being to be superior to its creator.

Jungle Beauty Goddesses “Aquatic Ball” Book 2

Sometimes your worst nightmare is having everything you ever wanted. Upon visiting planet Earth, the Jungle Beauty Goddesses discover that the life forms they created are in danger of extinction, and an unforeseen dominant species has positioned itself to take dominion.

Unprepared and disillusioned about how to access their highest vibrational frequency; the Jungle Beauty Goddesses face their own demise.

The only way they can save themselves, their planet, and ultimately the universe is by managing to align with their deity powers and the wisdom of their highest selves in the face of their worst fears, disappointments, and betrayals.

Jungle Beauty Goddesses “Dirty Ball” Book 3

If you had the power to make anyone in the world fall in love with you—would you? Jungle Beauty Goddess Afar revokes her deity vows and takes her destiny into her own hands by participating in the life she was born to create for others.

Afar embraces the deepest, darkest nuances of her shadow self with brutality, dignity, and integrity. She brazenly unleashes the murkiest qualities of the human condition and leaves the chaos for her unsuspecting sisters to clean up or suffer the consequences of losing the planet given to them by their parents--creators of the universe.

Jungle Beauty Goddess Afar’s actions give a new meaning to the saying, “Hell has no fury like a woman scorned.”

Read an Excerpt

“They will never have to worry about a male demanding to be let into their being or feeling betrayed by another female who decides to do so. Their fishtails represent the wholeness of femininity; nothing can be taken away or added to who they are as complete beings. They are capable of reproducing themselves without males. I have decided that ten percent of the hybrid fish human water beings will be males; however, they will not be capable of reproducing, and they will only be attracted to other males. This is the best way for me to control masculine energy so that it aligns with feminine power and domination.” Afar continued to style the hair on various heads, never looking up at Mada.

Swish. Bloop. Engh.Engh. Engh. Swoosh. Blurp. Blurp. Sheesh. Sheesh. Bloop. Engh.Engh. Engh.

The loud silence of the hybrid half fish half human beings, swimming in the aquariums, fills the air in the room between Afar and Mada.

Mada walks around the table to Afar, places his hands on her shoulders, pulls her close to him, and asks, “Why are you so aloof, distant, and cold?”

“You mean like your kisses, dahling?” Afar quipped, looking deeply into Mada’s eyes.

“What happened to you? Have you gone mad?...Where is the woman? I fell in love with? Hhmm?” Mada asked.

“Under the apple tree waiting for the man who promised to adore her, pacing back and forth searching for him night after night, year after year; listening to the echo of his voice in her head promising that he would love only her,” Afar says nonchalantly before laughing deeply. “She is where you left her, dahling.”

About the Author:

Cassandra George Sturges is the author of "A Woman's Soul on Paper," "Success & Beauty is an Attitude," "The Illusion of Beauty: Why Women Hate Themselves & Envy Other Women," and "Why Racism is a Mental Illness." For many years, she was an advice columnist for Today's Black Woman Magazine and is currently a full-time psychology and sociology professor at a college in the mid-west. She is a high school dropout who graduated with her General Education Diploma and eventually earned five college degrees including two masters and a doctorate degree. In her late forties, she began making life-size fabric sculpture, cloth dolls that turned out to be the main characters in her Jungle Beauty Goddesses coming of age, modern creation Nubian Mythology fantasy fiction, sensuous, romantic series. She is the mother of two adult children, a grandmother, and for over 20-years has shared her life with her twin flame.

Cassandra George Sturges Social Media Links

https://www.facebook.com/Authentikbeauty
https://www.authentikbeautymagazine.com/c-g-sturges-bio
https://twitter.com/georgesturges
https://www.instagram.com/cassandrasturges/
http://junglebeautygoddess.blogspot.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/AuthentikBeautyBlogs
https://www.amazon.com/Cassandra-George-Sturges/e/B00AAPRMBK?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_5&qid=1573637943&sr=1-5

a Rafflecopter giveaway

R.I.P. in Reykjavik by A.R. Kennedy

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A.R. Kennedy 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.

Traveling with your family can be murder.
One wedding party + one estranged mother = another vacation that goes array for Naomi.

Naomi is off on another international vacation. She thinks traveling with her mother will be the most difficult part of her trip until she meets the rest of the tour group—a wedding party. It only gets worse when she finds the groom dead. Everyone’s a suspect on her Icelandic tour of this stunning country.

Read an Excerpt

We stopped for lunch at a local restaurant. As I sat down at one of the long benches, my cell phone rang. Charlotte’s face appeared on the screen. I ran outside to answer it.

“So I heard you had a late night,” Charlotte said.

“Not the time.” I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one had followed me out. “The police think it might not be an accident.”

Charlotte audibly sighed. “Is that why it was a long night? You were with the police?”

“No, one of Ösp’s friends is a police officer.”

“You mean Thor.”

“Please don’t encourage Mother. His name is Ösp. I don’t want her nickname to stick.”

“Her nickname? I called him that,” she corrected me. “He looks like Thor.”

I looked over my shoulder at the restaurant’s entrance. “Looks like? How do you know what he looks like? Did you cyberstalk him? Check the hotel’s website for the staff’s pictures?”

“No. Mom texted me pictures.”

Horrified, I asked, “And how did she get them?”

“She followed you to the lobby.”

“Nice.”

“Give her a break. She was excited. It was like seeing you on your first date.”

“I’ve been on dates before.” I glanced over my shoulder again for any of the suspects.

“But Mom didn’t see that. She didn’t see the first dates, the proms. That was all Dad.”

“Would you like it if Dad followed you out on a date?”

“I don’t think Dad cares about those things.”

She was probably right.

“Anyway, this police officer I met last night said the autopsy must have shown something because they hadn’t closed the case yet.”

“So you turned your date into a fact-finding mission?”

“It was a happy coincidence.” I thought I heard the door open behind me. I turned to see no one. It must have been the wind.

“Why do you keep looking behind you?” Charlotte asked.

“Just making sure none of the suspects can hear me.”

“Suspects? You’ve turned your traveling companions into suspects?” She paused before adding, “Again?”

I ignored her. “Hurry up, Charlotte. Someone is going to come out looking for me soon.”

“Fine. If he drowned, I bet they’d say it was an accident. They’d find water in his lungs if he drowned. Maybe the autopsy didn’t find water in his lungs. That doesn’t rule out a cardiac event. That may be hard to prove. Most likely they are waiting for the toxicology results. That’s going to take a few days.”

I looked at the restaurant door and wished I could run in for my backpack, so I could take notes. “And what would that show?”

“Whatever was in his system. Maybe drugs, poisons.”

“I forgot to ask. If it was poison, how long before he died would he have to be poisoned?”

“Depends on the poison. Probably an hour or two, I guess.”

“Could you get a poison through TSA?”

“In something in a bottle with less than three ounces, sure. Could have been a powder. They could have bought it locally too. Rat poison and antifreeze has been used in a lot human deaths.”

“Can you think of anything specific I should look for?”

“You should look who’s coming up behind you,” she said before hanging up.

About the Author:

A R Kennedy lives in Long Beach, New York, with her two pups. She works hard to put food on the floor for them. As her favorite T-shirt says, ‘I work so my dog can have a better life'. She’s an avid traveler. But don’t worry. While she’s away, her parents dote on their grand-puppies even more than she does. Her writing is a combination of her love of travel, animals, and the journey we all take to find ourselves.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08477CQTR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4
https://books2read.com/u/bpOjP6

Website: http://arkennedyauthor.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/A-R-Kennedy/e/B00GOKCWHE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARKennedyauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ark_author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ark_author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7382548.A_R_Kennedy
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/a-r-kennedy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Biology of the Brain by Kent MacLeod

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

You are invited to today's launch party - click on the following invitation to RSVP:

FOREWORD BY SUZANNE SOMERS
Biology of the Brain
Are you sick?

Are you plagued by chronic health problems with no cure or remedy in sight?

Are you tired of spending thousands on medications that only seem to make you worse?

Think that your drugs are a sham that are just managing symptoms and never dealing with the root cause? You’re not alone!

Millions suffer from similar ailments and health struggles just like you, only to be prescribed more medications that can actually cause harm, and in some cases, even kill you. The medical industry has it all backward!

Chronic health conditions and mental health disorders are increasing at an alarming rate, and yet we are still trying to use the same old ineffective drugs that can have very serious side effects.

We’re the blind leading the blind in the hopes that the next great pill will solve all of our problems. Meanwhile, the health of the majority of Canadians and Americans is deteriorating—fast!

But there is a growing understanding in the community that there’s a bigger beast at the heart of the health epidemic…

It’s called the microbiome. And it’s intimately connected to your brain.

Microbiome health is brain health.

In The Biology of the Brain, Kent MacLeod, pharmacist, founder and CEO of NutriChem Compounding Pharmacy and Clinic, breaks down why modern medicine is killing people instead of healing them. Instead of leaving the problem as it stands, he provides you with clear, actionable steps to not only heal your microbiome, but to restore your brain health and get your life back.

Read an Excerpt

This chapter is about the 50% of people that do not get a full response to our microbiome treatment plans within the first 30 days. We’ll cover how:

• Not everyone responds to diet, probiotics, and prebiotics.

• There are bacteria and fungi that must be killed off, and are dificult to kill off, before certain people can shift their microbiome effectively.

• There are certain herbal antimicrobials that have proven to be as effective as many antibiotics for killing biofilm-forming microorganisms.

• There are other herbals, with less scientific evidence, that have been used traditionally to treat gastrointestinal issues.

We are beginning to realize that almost all substances, be it a drug, a food, or a drink, impact the microbiome, and we must be aware of this. RESPECT THE MICROBIOME! DISRESPECT IT AT YOUR PERIL!

For certain patients, we have to dig deeper into their issues with specific testing. Using urinary organic acid testing (a urine sample), we can look at signs of bacterial or fungal overgrowth and biofilms that may not be treatable with diet, probiotics, and prebiotics. We also look at stool samples for bacterial strains, and perform bacterial DNA testing to identify what bugs are currently residing in your gut.

We are just now beginning to awaken to the fact that any time that you change your diet, fibers, drugs, or herbs, you are always shifting or manipulating the microbiome. Anything that you intake, be it food, drink, or drugs, can impact the microbiome. Exercise, sleep, and stress reduction have also shown to improve the health of the microbiome.

An interesting example is the drug, metformin. Metformin has been the number one oral drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes for decades. Initially, we thought that this drug sensitized the body to insulin via the pancreas or liver, but recent studies have shown that metformin actually exerts its effects via the microbiome.

About the Author:

Kent MacLeod is an international thought leader and award-winning pharmacist, with over 35 years of clinical experience delivering patient-centered health care. He’s globally recognized as a hormone health and nutrition expert, and he has lectured at health conferences, published research, and developed course material for many professional clinics based on NutriChem’s success.

He’s won numerous awards for his dedication to patient wellness, including the Canadian Compounding Pharmacist of the Year award, the Distinguished Pharmacy Practice Award, and the Outstanding Service Award for Innovation. He also wrote the books, Down Syndrome and Vitamin Therapy: Unlocking the Secrets of Health, Behavior, and Intelligence.

He lectures throughout North America and Europe on the gut microbiome, hormones, mental health, Down Syndrome, pediatrics, pain management, as well as pharmacology. His philosophy is to work with every patient—individually—to ensure they receive the best combination of conventional and natural therapies for health maintenance and disease management.

If you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, it’s time you learn why your body is hurting and correct it the right way.

Website: http://biologyofthebrain.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentmacleodpharmacist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kentmacchemist/
Launch Party: https://www.facebook.com/events/152576066192142/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/kent-macleod-7960433b
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kent+macleod+nutrichem
Publisher Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/UltimatePublishingHouse/
Publisher Twitter: https://twitter.com/feliciapizzonia

Print copy: https://www.amazon.com/Biology-Brain-Your-Microbiome-Affects/dp/173253893X/ref=sr_1_2

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mayhem and the Marquess by Win Hollows

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Daughter of an infamous murderer, Ivy Wollard now wields knives instead of needlepoint to survive in a society where no one wants her. When the Marquess of Blackbourne comes along and ruins her chance at a better life, she decides she’d rather have her toes eaten by eels than agree to his proposed scheme. There’s no way her surrender has anything to do with the mesmerizing angle of his jawline or the wicked twinkle in his eyes.

But Asher Blackbourne has a secret. He knows it’s just a matter of time until he goes mad and loses his illustrious title, so when Ivy falls into his path, he realizes he could use her to keep his house of cards from falling down. If every illicit touch between them doesn’t drive him mad first, that is.

Yet Ivy cannot escape her grisly legacy and the dark desires of her father’s admirers. What if violence runs through her veins, and no one who gets close is safe? Mayhem will descend as this rake finally falls for the enigmatic woman who might be just his brand of poison…Er, cure, of course.

Read an Excerpt

Blackbourne came towards the clawfoot tub, running a finger along the porcelain edge.

Ivy shrank back instinctively into the steam.

He chuckled. “Don’t worry, love. I won’t bite,” he drawled, and then paused. “Yet.”

She inhaled as his eyes flashed promises of things she wasn’t sure she understood.

“Your bathwater is quite thoroughly unrevealing with all those suds. What a pity.” He sighed, pulling the nearby chair closer to the tub and lowering himself down into it. “Will you wash your hair for me?”

Ivy blinked “Right now?” she choked, reaching up to pat her hair, which she’d styled in a high chignon.

He nodded, his posture relaxed, although Ivy knew this to be deceptive. He was waiting to hear her answer with taut focus. When she didn’t move a muscle, Blackbourne interrupted her tumultuous thoughts with a soft suggestion. “Let me help you.”

The words reached out to her with tendrils that wrapped her consciousness in a sensual fog, causing the hair on her nape to rise. This was not done, she knew. A proper lady would never allow a gentleman to touch her hair, much less while she bathed. But what about any of their arrangement was proper in the first place? Who would even know?

Besides him.

So she reached up slowly so as not to disturb the water covering her chest and drew the stickpin from her hair, letting its length fall in a heavy coil down her back.

His sharp intake of breath echoed in the tiled chamber.

Was that a good thing? Ivy’s body trembled as she watched him rise and come towards her through the steam…

About the Author:

Win Hollows is a multi-award-winning romance fiction writer who still believes that love conquers all. She currently lives in Colorado with her own real-life hero and their three fur babies. Her passion is writing stories about love and intrigue and will continue to do so as long as characters keep having conversations in her head. Hollows’ other interests include traveling to places with delicious food and languages she can’t speak, having wilderness adventures, and, of course, reading! She loves connecting with readers and fans on Facebook, Instagram, and through her website.

Social Media Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winhollows/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Win-Hollows-166439534079985/
Website: http://www.winhollows.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/44526655-mayhem-and-the-marquess

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mayhem-Marquess-Lords-Havoc-Book-ebook/dp/B07NHR2TYQ
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mayhem-and-the-marquess-win-hollows/1130949870
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/929031
Publisher: https://www.evernightpublishing.com/mayhem-and-the-marquess-by-win-hollows/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Miranda and the D-Day Caper by Shelly Frome

Miranda and the D-Day Caper

by Shelly Frome

on Tour May 1-31 2020

Synopsis:

A modern day mystery with WWII tactics, old-time heroes and values, and the efforts of two amateur cousin sleuths from the Heartland.

On a sparkling spring morning in the Blue Ridge, small-town realtor Miranda Davis approached the tailgate market, intent on dealing with her whimsical cousin Skip’s unexpected arrival from New York. It turns out that Skip was on the run and, in his panic, grabbed his beloved tabby Duffy, recalling that Miranda had a recent part in solving a case down in Carolina. His predicament stemmed from intercepting code messages like “Countdown to D-Day,” playfully broadcasting the messages on his radio show over the nation-wide network, and subsequently forced to flee.

At first, Miranda tried to limit her old childhood companion’s conundrum to the sudden abduction of Duffy the cat. But the forces that be were hell-bent on keeping Skip under wraps by any means after he now stumbled close to the site of their master plan. Miranda’s subsequent efforts to decipher the conspiracy and somehow intervene placed both herself and her old playmate on a collision course with a white-nationalist perpetrator and the continuing machinations of the right-wing enterprise, with the lives of all those gathered for a diversity celebration in nearby Asheville and a crucial senatorial vote on homeland security hanging in the balance.

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: BQB Publishing
Publication Date: March 1st 2020
Number of Pages: 338
ISBN: 1945448571 (ISBN13: 9781945448577)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

“Okay, I get it,” said Miranda, assuming it was playtime as always. “We’re double agents. You keep reading the paper and light a cigarette. A minute later, you toss the cigarette and leave the book of matches on the table with the coded inscription Moscow rules. That’s when I take it and slip away awaiting further instructions.”
This was flippant Miranda. The one with the short bob, over thirty, just trying to set the tone on this glorious Saturday in the Blue Ridge and ease out of it. But at the moment, playful Skip seemed to have lost his way. His eyes were bloodshot, underscored by dark circles. And the signature mischievous smirk on that sliver of a face had been replaced by a worrisome twitch.
Folding the newspaper, with his cornflower blue eyes still gazing into the distance, Skip said, “I don’t know, kiddo. I tell you, I just don’t know.”
“Which makes two of us. So tell me why you couldn’t simply e-mail me?”
“Why? Am I holding you up or something?”
“No, you’re not holding me up. Look, what do you say we cut to the chase? Glancing around, taking his sweet time, making sure no one was within earshot, Skip said, “All right.”
“From the top.”
“Okay. Like I indicated, I was filling in, got a break on a prestige AM station.”
Getting more anxious by the second, his lanky body beginning to twitch, Skip said, “So, when opportunity knocks, you seize the day. Right?”
“Out with it. I am still waiting.”
Scrunching forward this time, Skip said, “One night I started to wing it. No more of this ‘Yup, it’s midnight, folks. Some of these homespun Indiana tales should ease you right off to sleep.’ I was antsy. I’d had it with Russ Mathews who’d signed off that night right before me, sounding more and more like some fear monger back in the day.”
“And what day was that?”
“World War Two.”
More glancing around on Skip’s part. More checking the flow of visitors coming and going.
Getting antsy as well, Miranda said, “Will you get on with it? Is there an upshot in our future? ”
“I’m coming to it,” Skip said, looking right at her this time. “Right after my kazoo rendition of I dream about the moonlight on the Wabash, I lean into the mic and say, ‘Guess what? Ole Russ Mathews must be on to something. I’m talking the plot against America. So I tell the insomniacs all over the Liberty Broadcasting system that, at first, I thought Duffy was pulling down on the blinds out of longing.”
“Duffy?”
“Just your average ginger house cat, left alone, separated from other felines on the prowl. But I come home to my sublet and notice he’s perched in the exact same spot, his green eyes staring across the street. So, over the airwaves, I said, ‘What if I told you night people something was up in a dilapidated rooming house in Hoboken? Right across the river from the Big Apple?’” “That does it,” Miranda said, getting to her feet. “How am I supposed to follow this? When you’re ready to get to the point, let me know.”
“Wait a minute. Don’t you see?” said Skip, getting to his feet as well. “I stumbled onto something. Before you know it, my ratings are starting to climb. But since the weather’s getting warmer, those guys across the street aren’t scurrying in and out of the cold. They’re loitering by the stoop, glancing across the shadows. Next thing I know, I’m getting negative call-ins. Listeners telling me to knock it off or else. Undaunted, I tell everyone in radio-land what’s going on out there may have far reaching consequences. Unless I intercept.”
“Oh, please,” said Miranda, walking away. “Listen to me.” Skip scurried over and held her arm. “I tell you, at the same time, those guys across the street were carting off concealed stuff.”
“I’m not listening anymore.”
“You’ve got to. You have obviously become a born tracker. Tracked down a poison pen perpetrator like the paper said.”
“Enough. Stop hyping everything up. Look at you. You’re coming down with full blown hysteria.”
“Exactly. Because it appears there’s no longer any line between entertainment and politics. While messing around, doing a take-off on Russ Mathews and boosting my ratings, I may have stumbled onto an actual plot utilizing WW II codes.”
***
Excerpt from Miranda and the D-Day Caper by Shelly Frome. Copyright 2020 by Shelly Frome. Reproduced with permission from Shelly Frome. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at the University of Connecticut, a former professional actor, a writer of crime novels and books on theater and film. He is also a features writer for Gannett Media’s Black Mountain News. His fiction includes Sun Dance for Andy Horn, Lilac Moon, Twilight of the Drifter, Tinseltown Riff, Murder Run, Moon Games and The Secluded Village Murders. Among his works of non-fiction are The Actors Studio and texts on the art and craft of screenwriting and writing for the stage. Miranda and the D-Day Caper is his latest foray into the world of crime and the amateur sleuth. He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Catch Up With Shelly Frome:
ShellyFrome.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

Giveaway!!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Shelly Frome. There will be 2 winners of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card each. The giveaway begins on May 1, 2020 and runs through June 2, 2020. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

 

The Right to Remain Silent by Anya Summers

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

The Right To Remain Silent

He never expects to find her there…

Officer Quinten Blackthorne is working undercover to bring the Rudnikov Mob Empire to its knees. He never expects to find his best friend’s baby sister, Becca, in the center of a powder keg situation at the infamous mobster’s home. With her life on the line, he does the only thing he can think of to save her – he pretends that she’s his fiancée, who knows nothing of his clandestine activities with the criminal enterprise, and stands as her stalwart protector.

Forced into marriage…

But Quinten never expects the mob boss to force them into marriage at gunpoint as a test of loyalty. Not to mention, the idea of her belonging to him isn’t unappealing, nor is he as averse to the prospect as he lets on. Becca, with her sweet curves and take no prisoners attitude, fascinates him, stirs him, and leaves him craving her submission. Yet his past is fraught with broken dreams and death, so he uses his friendship with her brother as a shield against his yearning to claim her as his own.

Resistance is futile…

However, circumstances soon compel Becca and Quinten to become the most unlikely allies in a deadly game of deception. Now they must depend on one another for survival. As they race to unlock the keys to breaking the case, will Quinten be able to maintain his hands-off policy with Becca? Or will he surrender to the earth-shattering passion and turn their marriage of convenience into the real deal?

Publisher’s Note: This steamy friends to lovers romance contains elements of power exchange. While it’s the third in the Crescent City Kings series, it can be enjoyed independently.

Read an Excerpt:

Quinten beg someone? Yeah, right.

She imagined even the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang moved out of Quinten’s way when he approached. In front of the entire crime entourage, he snarled, “What the fuck are you doing here, Becca?”

Rudnikov glanced between them, speculative interest and suspicion in his dead gaze. “You two know each other, Quinten?”

Quinten grabbed her hand and squeezed her fingers. Hard. Like he was trying to pass along a meaning that she still didn’t understand—mainly because her entire day had taken on a weird damn Twilight Zone bent, with danger and betrayal filtering in through every crack. Quinten, with her hand still gripped in his much larger one, turned to Rudnikov and said, “Yes, we do know each other. She’s my fiancée, sir. She doesn’t know that I work for you.”

At the pressure on her hand, and Quinten’s declaration, Becca stared at Quinten like he had gone mad. Fiancée? What the hell? What was the man playing at?

“Is that a fact? I don’t see a ring on her hand,” Rudnikov replied, his face an inscrutable mask.

That was it. They were dead. Her story would end, here, now, holding Quinten’s hand. On the bright side, Becca thought, she wouldn’t die alone. Tension oozed in the room. She’d frozen and even forgot to breathe. The guards had their hands in position against their firearms. Becca prayed she wouldn’t pass out or pee in her pants in terror.

“That’s because she’s miffed with me. We had a fight the other night and she took it off. But she loves me.” Quinten stared down at her from his six foot plus height, his cognac gaze imparting a play along message while he pretended to be a man besotted.

Becca didn’t understand—any of it. Not why Sasha had betrayed her trust, or whether Quinten was a dirty cop and only coming to her rescue because he was friends with her brother, or whether the mob boss intended to let her walk out of his house alive.

“Is this true, Miss O’Malley?” Rudnikov asked like he was daring her to dispute Quinten’s outlandish claim.

Pain shot up her arm from her hand as Quinten squeezed. Becca tried to keep her expression serene. Doubt shrouded Rudnikov’s hard glare. Better to have the crime boss believe she was with Quinten than alone and at his mercy. With a silent prayer, she tossed her lot in with the devil she knew. “It’s true, Mister Rudnikov. I’m engaged to the big lug—for now, at least.”

“And why just for now?” Rudnikov’s stare made her want to squirm. But she held it together—barely. Staring Rudnikov in his eyes the color of mahogany, Becca knew what it was like to stare evil in the face. The man would have no qualms about ending her life, right here, right now. The bastard wouldn’t even flinch at the blood spilled in his ornate sitting room.

“Because the blasted man keeps dragging his heels. Any time I try to set a date, he gives me the runaround. He’s the one who proposed and made me all insane with wanting the whole fairytale wedding deal. It’s almost like he doesn’t want to marry me, and I took the ring off until he’s willing to set a date. And why didn’t you tell me about all this, sweetie?” She glanced at Quinten and found approval there.

Rudnikov chuckled and said in a deprecating manner, “Because business is the providence of men, Miss O’Malley… and to show that there are no hard feelings, I will help you young lovebirds out. I can’t have one of my men breaking a vow with my newest business associate, now can I? You’ll marry. Tonight, in fact. Robbie, call Father Vincent. Ask him to be here within the hour to perform a marriage ceremony.”

“But, but… I don’t think—” Becca sputtered. Marry Quinten? Was Rudnikov serious?

Quinten’s hold on her hand tightened even more. She wondered if she would have any bones left before the night was over, or if they would crack into jagged pieces. Quinten protested, “Sir, that’s a generous offer. But she wants a big church wedding and I don’t—”

Rudnikov waved him off. “Nonsense. It will happen tonight. You can always do the fancy wedding later.”

Becca opened her mouth to refuse but shut it again at Rudnikov’s piercing glare. In the game of chicken, he had called their bluff and was waiting to strike. Becca moved closer to Quinten, choosing her side.

About the Author:

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

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

Visit her website here: http://www.anyasummers.com

Visit her on social media here:

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

Available at:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2URBzY2
Nook: https://bit.ly/2JBc20b
iBooks: https://apple.co/3bUKuPv

Dungeon Fantasy Club Series

Her Highland Master, Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/Highland-Master-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01E9UB8SO/
To Master and Defend, Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/Master-Defend-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01FNG23HI/
Two Doms for Kara, Book 3 https://www.amazon.com/Doms-Kara-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01GXGOAK0/
His Driven Domme, Book 4 https://www.amazon.com/Driven-Domme-Dungeon-Fantasy-Club-ebook/dp/B01IIUY8Y2
Her Country Master, Book 5 https://goo.gl/YWhLqm
Love Me, Master Me, Book 6 https://goo.gl/QlTE9u
Submit To Me, Book 7 https://goo.gl/Or8pYr
Her Wired Dom, Book 8 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRJY9TF/

Pleasure Island Series

Her Master & Commander, Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/Master-Commander-Pleasure- Island-Book-ebook/dp/B06Y5SVVB9/
Her Music Masters, Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711R9D1H/
Their Shy Submissive, Book 3 https://goo.gl/ufyJLn
Her Lawful Master, Book 4 https://www.amazon.com/Lawful-Master-Pleasure-Island-Book-ebook/dp/B073SRDNNT
Her Rockstar Dom, Book 5 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VSGP8Q
Duets & Dominance, Book 6 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075TG9RYC
Her Undercover Dom, Book 7 https://goo.gl/HKhVba
Ménage In Paradise, Book 8 https://goo.gl/qce2BD
Her Rodeo Masters, Book 9 https://goo.gl/HDZw6v

Cuffs & Spurs Series

His Scandalous Love, Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/Scandalous-Love-Cuffs-Spurs-Book-ebook/dp/B079GBB57Z
His Unexpected Love, Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/His-Unexpected-Love-Carter-Beginning-ebook/dp/B07C2NBGLQ
His Wicked Love, Book 3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B661RP1
His Untamed Love, Book 4 https://www.amazon.com/Untamed-Love-Cuffs-Spurs-Book-ebook/dp/B07D9ZDHMH
His Tempting Love, Book 5 https://www.amazon.com/Tempting-Love-Cuffs-Spurs-Book-ebook/dp/B07HYT1GVQ
His Seductive Love, Book 6 https://www.amazon.com/Seductive-Love-Cuffs-Spurs-Book-ebook/dp/B07KXP3MMF
His Secret Love, Book 7 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NKN5Y2S
His Cherished Love, Book 8 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SBDTVMV/

The Alcyran Chronicles

Taken by the Beast, Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYNT21L
Claimed by the Beast, Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/Claimed-Beast-Alcyran-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B07Q3HNP26/
Loved by the Beast, Book 3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W3QFLJW/
Seduced by the Beast, Book 4 – Coming Soon
Chosen by the Beast, Book 5 – Coming Soon

Crescent City Kings

Lone Survivor, Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X4JN5DX
Far Reaching Consequences, Book 2 https://amzn.to/2SmLqWm
The Right To Remain Silent, Book 3 https://amzn.to/2URBzY2
Bound To Protect, Book 4 – Coming Soon
Self Sacrifice, Book 5 – Coming Soon
Never Surrender, Book 6 – Coming Soon
Oath & Indenture, Book 7 – Coming Soon

Boxed Sets

The Dungeon Fantasy Club https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H6FPSFV
The Pleasure Island Collection https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N2NLY3L/
The Cuffs & Spurs Collection https://amzn.to/35dAZb4

a Rafflecopter giveaway