Thursday, October 27, 2022

Stairway to Heaven by Alex Stevens



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

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

I’d need to apologize to much more than one person. I made a lot of mistakes when I was younger. Certain things haunt me to this day.

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

Definitely a dragon.

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

One thing I do that I haven’t seen anyone do in fantasy fiction is write from first person and use multiple perspectives. My stories and how I tell them is the other factor. Even when you think you know, you never know the spin I’ll put on things.

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

The best was before I started my first book. I wrote a paper for college and shared it on social media and a friend said that I really had a voice and should consider writing. The worst is that I was a horrible writer. I’ve actually heard that several times.

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

All of the above.

Corporal Jack Graven should be dead. Murdered by a vengeful angel at his own father's funeral, Jack is resurrected and returns to life carrying a terrible secret: he is the Archangel Gabriel reincarnated.

Jack's not the only one with secrets. His older brother, Lieutenant Colonel Tyler Graven "Demon of Kyoto", has just inherited his father's fortune and legacy as Lord of War, with no intention of stopping there: Tyler will someday rule the world.

The brothers reunite their elite military unit, “The Four Horsemen,” with Tyler’s longtime flame Colonel Diana Levitas and the mysterious Lance Corporal Jin Xialong. Together they seek to uncover the truth of Jack’s past life and propel Tyler to his impossible destiny.

Thrust into a supernatural war, the Gravens find salvation through the Black Muramasa, a cursed black katana and the only weapon that can destroy immortals. As they uncover more mysteries behind the ancient blade, they come face to face with the Devil himself, but in the most familiar of faces. Their pasts, presents, and futures all linked, the Four Horsemen must end the war once and for all to survive with their souls intact. Failing could mean the end of the world.

A follow up to the explosive first book in the Ballad of Fallen Angels series, “Sympathy for the Devil,” Book 2 is an action-packed, gun-slinging adventure that packs the punch of a military thriller with high-stakes supernatural intrigue.

Read an Excerpt

Before the man could blink, I pulled the twin Berettas from their holsters, my fingers hammering the triggers. Time for a bloodbath.

I had died once, and it wasn’t pleasant. An angel had swooped from the sky and smashed through my chest as if it were thin wallpaper at my father’s funeral. Since then, I realized, amongst other things, that I could move with godlike speed as necessary, which saved me from anguish on most occasions. The drug dealer's trigger squeeze stretched longer than the instant it took me to draw and fire, as I rolled to the right while dodging the threat of the man’s final shots. I fired several more times before he could accomplish the same feat.

He was the first to die.

I could feel the rounds closing in on me furiously, like an angry storm of tiny projectiles absent of remorse. I leapt forward into a dive and rolled to dodge several of them, sprinting to cover behind a cluster of barrels in the room’s corner. I would regenerate if anything pierced my armor, but after taking quite a few rounds over the years I realized pain was never enjoyable. A roomful of men would soon learn a powerful lesson: everyone is a hero until it’s time to reload. Unfortunately for the amateurs before me, they had begun firing simultaneously, and thus would be incapacitated in tandem while reloading.

A few seconds could stretch into a lifetime.

About the Author:
Alex Stevens is a Marine Corps Veteran with two deployments and a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Interdisciplinary Studies program, a unique undergraduate degree that caters to students with various interests of study. He is also an advent traveler and philosophy enthusiast who has spent a lifetime studying religions, with a focus on Non-denominational Christianity. Alex spends most of his time going for walks, spending time with loved ones, and when the juices are flowing, writing. Fantasy fiction is his great escape from the mundane and he likes to create fantastical realities that are blended with non-fictional people, places, and events.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DemonofKyoto

Amazon Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Stairway-Heaven-Ballad-Fallen-Angels-ebook/dp/B0BCMKVFQP/ref=sr_1_1

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Wednesday, October 26, 2022

A Diet of Death by Jinny Alexander



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jinny Alexander 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.

Welcome to It's Raining Book. What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I enjoyed everything about writing A Diet of Death. I even still enjoyed the story when I was editing and proof-reading it! I love the world I have built for this series and I find it easy to slip into the head of the main character, amateur sleuth Jess O’Malley. Cozy Mystery is such a fun genre to write in, and a genre I love to read. With Cozy, there are certain conventions to adhere to, and certain reader expectations, so this gives a useful framework to work within. Some typical features of Cozy Mystery are the inclusion red herrings, false accusations, and a large bunch of characters who could easily be the perpetrator of the crimes. When I began writing the book, I had no idea who the perpetrator would turn out to be, and only uncovered it for myself as the story unfolded. This was a really fun part of the writing process, as it kept me invested in solving the puzzle just as I hope it will keep the readers guessing.

Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?

I’m currently in the final module of a Creative Writing MA, so I’m mostly writing towards that. This final module is to write a novel. My work-in-progress novel is quite different from my other novels. It’s the first time I’ve had a male viewpoint character, and the first book I have set in a city rather than in a rural village. It features an elderly bookshop owner, a quest, and a puzzle and is set in the 1980s, which is fun and nostalgic and I’m enjoying the soundtrack of my teenage years while I write.

I’m also working on the third Jess O’Malley book (the second is already finished and will be out in 2023) and making good progress with that – Jess and I both love a new mystery!

Can you tell us about what you have planned for the future?

My immediate plans are to finish the third Jess O’Malley book, and my MA, including the standalone book mentioned above. I’ll be doing National Novel Writing Month in November, and will dedicate that to one of these two books, so hopefully one of them will finished before the year’s end. Luckily, I already have ideas for the fourth Jess O’Malley AND for another standalone!

How long have you been writing?

I’ve enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember, and one of the earliest stories I can recall was also a cozy mystery! I even illustrated it. I imagine it was around the time Bob Geldof’s daughter was born as it featured a poodle called Fifi Trixibelle. It also featured some missing jewellery and the rich owner of the jewellery (and, I presume, also the poodle). I don’t remember the woman at all, but I do know she must have been rich, and not just from the ‘lots of nice jewellery’ clue, but because the culprit turned out to be her butler. And only rich people have butlers. I must have been aware of cozy mystery conventions even way back then (Thanks Mum and Dad for the love of old Agatha Christies!) because I knew enough to give the butler a solid alibi, and for the finger of blame to be firmly pointed elsewhere. It was also absolutely impossible for the butler to have committed the crime, and the detective (now long-forgotten) solved the mystery purely on the cliched argument that it must have been the butler, because the butler always did it. In more lucrative news, my first published work was a letter to Horse and Pony Magazine. I was ten, and they accidently paid me twice. £50 for a ten-year-old in 1983 set my writing-for-payment expectations extremely high!

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Yes! Dear readers, please keep on reading! Writers across the entire globe appreciate you more than you know. Just knowing that you read our books is what keeps us writing. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Also, keep reading the books you want to read and love to read. Reading for pleasure should always be a pleasure. Thank you to, for your support and interest in my books. I always love to hear from readers, so don’t be shy about following me or sending me a message.

Ballyfortnum Get Slim group--putting the die in diet.

In the close-knit Irish Village of Ballyfortnum, getting slim might just get you dead. Mystery-lover Jess O'Malley is distraught when her elderly friend dies, but that's not all--he's the third of the local slimming group to die this year and it's only February. Is something amiss in the Get Slim group?

Jess, aided by her sidekick Fletcher, her boisterous Labrador, must convince local policeman Marcus that there may be a murderer at large in the village. If she doesn't solve the mystery, will another of the dieters end up dead? Or worse--if she doesn't stop asking awkward questions, will Jess become the next victim?

Read an Excerpt

“What is it that’s worrying you?” Marcus asked, his voice soft and caring.

Jess got up again, reached for the tin of biscuits Linda had pressed into her hands that morning, bus herself with finding plates. She kept her back to Marcus as she voiced her concerns.

“It’s like I started to say the other day,” she eventually said, “it just seems, well … odd.”

“Odd?” Marcus prompted, raising an eyebrow.

“Odd … I mean … all of them in the slimming group … all of them from this small village; all of them dying kind of unexpectedly, I mean … I know Bert was getting on a bit, but eighty isn’t so old these days is it? And Dave was young enough … and poor Angela—she wasn’t much older than me.” Jess clenched her fingers around a piece of shortbread and it crumbled onto the plate, such was her indignance at the thought of someone dying in only their earliest forties. “I know Dave drank, and all that, but …”

About the Author:Jinny was first published in Horse and Pony magazine at the age of ten. She’s striving to achieve equal accolade now she’s (allegedly) a grown up. Jinny has had some publishing success with short story and flash competitions and secured a publishing deal in December 2020 for her first three novels. The first of these, Dear Isobel, was released in March 2022. A Diet of Death is Jinny’s second novel and the first in her Cosy Mystery series. Jinny is currently studying an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Hull, UK.

Jinny also teaches English as a foreign language to people all over the world. Her home for now is in rural Ireland, which she shares with her husband and far too many animals. Her two children have grown and flown, but return across the Irish Sea when they can. She quite likes to shut the door on them all and write.

Facebook: https://facebook.com/JinnyAlexanderAuthor
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/CeramicFairy
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@jinnyalexanderauthor
Website: https://jinnyalexander.com

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Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Kaine by Megan Slayer



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn winner will be awarded a necklace created by the author. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

I call on the fates to bring my love to me. As I will it, so mote it be… Nikki Sinclair isn’t interested in love. She’s happy as a model and doing her own thing. Besides, keeping people at bay means she won’t get hurt again. Then she runs into Kaine. He’s nothing like she expects and exactly what she never realized she needed. But he’s got a past. It’s up to her to decide if she’s willing to summon this bad-boy mechanic or keep going on as a solo act.,br>
Love can be a tricky thing. What if fate has its own idea for Nikki? She’s not willing to argue, especially if it means having her bad boy. Time to do some summoning.







Read an Excerpt:

“He gives you hell often, doesn’t he?”

“He does.”

“You turned him down.”

“I did.” She disengaged from her pretend suitor. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. I’m game to help a lady in distress.”

“I appreciate it.” She held out her hand. “I’m Nikki.”

“Kaine.” He kissed her knuckles.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kaine. Thank you. I should mingle, but you’ve saved me from a huge headache.” If she didn’t start circulating again, she risked losing her job.

“Okay, but if Eunice gives you a problem, you direct her to me. Just tell her Kaine McDermott wants to discuss it, and she’ll know.”

“You don’t have to cover for me.”

“Who says I’m covering? It’s an archaic rule. If you’d met me outside of tonight, we could be together, no problem. Inside, it’s off-limits? Silly.” He nodded. “I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

“Thanks.” She smiled, not wanting to leave him. He was a nice guy. Not grabby. Cute and seemingly sweet.

If only that no-dating rule hadn’t applied tonight. “See you.” She resumed circulating until the end of the event, then joined the other girls to change into little black dresses for the after-party.

She wasn’t a fan of mingling and schmoozing, but if she could actually flirt with Kaine again, then it might not be so bad.

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

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library. Find out more about Megan and Wendi at: http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm Sign up for the newsletter here: http://ymlp.com/xgjmjumygmgj

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Friday, October 21, 2022

Island of Dreams by Harry Duffin



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Harry Duffin will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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

I don’t write sci-fi, horror, or crime. Most of those genres have basic formulas and I don’t like writing to a formula. I wrote many hundreds of hours writing drama for television and that was usually to a formula, so I avoid that.

So, I don’t know where my ideas come from. They can from something I read, or something someone has told me. They are often about one particular person and, for some reason, I especially like stories about strong women. My characters May Sharpe [Chicago May] and Anna Mueller are strong, feisty women, and the main characters in my novel ‘Birth of the Mall Rats’ are Amber and Ebony. They are both are leaders.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

The main thing is never give up on your ideals and dreams. Keep trying.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I may start with an idea of the story, but then I let the characters take control of their lives. I often don’t know what they are going to do. I let them surprise me. If what they do feels good and right, I go along with it. If not then I have to start again.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

I am just researching the sequel to my first novel, ‘Chicago May’. It is set in Los Angeles in the 1920’s when the film industry in Hollywood took over the city. It was a crazy, fun, exhilarating time. I am looking forward to going back there and seeing what my characters get up to.

Do you have a question for our readers?

Sometimes do you put down your phone and read a book? If not, you should, because there are so many wonderful stories out there for you to enjoy.

In May 1939, when Professor Carl Mueller, his wife, Esther, and their three children flee Nazi Germany, and find refuge on the paradise island of Cuba, they are all full of hopes and dreams for a safe and happy future. But those dreams are shattered when Carl and Esther are confronted by a ghost from their past, and old betrayals return to haunt them.

The turbulent years of political corruption leading to Batista’s dictatorship, forces the older children to take very different paths to pursue their own dangerous dreams.

And - among the chaos and the conflict that finally leads to Castro’s revolution and victory in 1959, an unlikely love begins to grow - a love that threatens the whole family.

Having escaped a war-torn Europe, their Island of Dreams is to tear them apart forever.

Read an Excerpt

Freddie stopped the car in the path, and watched Anna get out.

Freddie was surprised. ‘Oh, well, goodbye,’ he said.

‘Can you get out, please, Freddie,’ she said quietly.

Very curious, Freddie got out. Anna came and stood in front of him. She looked around, then taking his arm, she led him into the forest. Freddie was very puzzled now. Did she think he might go back and tell the police where the camp was? Surely, she knew he wouldn’t do that? She led him to a clearing, out of sight of the path.

‘You don’t think I’m going to go back and tell the army where the camp is, Anna?’

‘Is that what you think?’

Freddie shrugged. He had given Anna his gun in the car. ‘You’ll need it more than me,’ he’d said. Not that he would use it on her anyway.

Anna came close to him. As he was about to speak again, she put her fingers to his lips. ‘You don’t know, do you?’ she said.

‘Know what?’

She reached up and pushed a lock of his hair back from his forehead. ‘Freddie, I hated you from the moment you picked me up and dragged me off the boat.’

Freddie attempted a smile.

Then her fingers ran softly down his cheek. ‘And loved you just as much.’

Before he could speak her lips met his. It was a long kiss. Twenty years in the making.

About the Author:
Harry is an award-winning UK screenwriter, who won the Writers’ Guild Award for Best TV serial, while writing for Granada Television’s ‘CORONATION STREET’. Before that, in 1985, he was on the first writing team for the BBC’s ‘EASTENDERS’.

Before beginning his career writing drama for television, Harry spent a dozen years working in British theatre, as stage manager, writer, designer and director, working with actors such as Nigel Hawthorne, Anne Reid and Lesley Manville.

After script-editing the BBC’s HOWARDS’WAY, he freelanced for series like DISTRICT NURSE, THE BILL, BOON, THE BRETTS, EMMERDALE.

In 1994 he became Head of Development at the UK independent company, Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment. As the script executive he was responsible for seven major television series, included ‘SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON’ starring RICHARD ‘JOHN BOY’ THOMAS, and ‘TWIST IN THE TALE’, featuring WILLIAM SHATNER. He also wrote the film, RETURN TO TREASURE ISLAND.

In 1998 he was the co-creator of the UK Channel Five teen-cult drama series ‘THE TRIBE’, which ran for five series, numbering 260 episodes. ‘THE TRIBE’ has been sold world-wide, and all series is on YouTube.

His first novel, CHICAGO MAY, is the first book of a two-part series. He has also written JAIL TALES, about his wife’s 20 year career in the prison service, and the novel BIRTH OF THE MALL RATS, the prequel to THE TRIBE.

He has just finished his third novel, ISLAND OF DREAMS, to be published on December 1st 2022.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4674467.Harry_Duffin
http://www.harryduffin.co.uk
https://twitter.com/duffin26

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Thursday, October 20, 2022

Sophia Freeman Series by T.X. Troan



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. T.X. Troan 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.

EARTH AWAKENED ... SEED PLANTED ... PATH REVEALED.

What begins as a special trip for eleven-year-old Sophia Freeman and her father, leaves her trapped on a mysterious island with a tree boy and fantastical creatures. Later, she learns she is dying from an eternal curse and the only way to prolong her life is to drink the island’s sacred water. Can Sophia and her companions reach the fountain and defeat the guardian before time runs out?

THEY MUST RISK IT ALL TO REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM ... OR BE SEALED AWAY FOREVER.

Sophia Freeman and her best friend, Tim Charnal, must beat all contestants in a three-round Beyond Event organized by the mighty arbiters to free him from the penalty of murder and gain the islanders' trust. Entering the hologram and surviving environments filled with everything from hammer-throwing cave giants to a slimy tentacled sea monster, they will need all their courage, wits, and skills. But how are they going to win when magic is forbidden?

EVIL RISING ... ISLANDERS MISSING ... AND FRIENDS BETRAYING.

With the increase in deaths of Pandilone Islanders, the arbiters devise a strategy to free the god demon within five days to lift the Eternal Curse. All goes as planned until iron-masked creatures kidnap magic users, weakening the army. To gain reinforcements, Sophia Freeman, Tim Charnal, and rescued Allen Chan must gather all six items to cast the Dream Spell, connecting them with Sophia’s father and his air force. But how can the trio succeed in time while surrounded by enemies and traitors aiming to stop them at any cost?






Read an Excerpt from SOPHIA FREEMAN AND THE ERA OF DARKNESS (book 3)

Another flaming whip slashed between Sophia and Tim, and they swiftly dodged it. Who could possibly be using Dark Art spells? They looked over and saw Allen’s smoking wand in one hand and Sophia’s scroll in the other.

“S-sorry, guys—I got curious,” said Allen, trembling.

Tim roared, “Curious? You’re not supposed to—”

Sophia raised her hand like Dad did to her, to silence him.

“Allen, can I have my scroll back?” she asked calmly, easing toward him.

Staring at it, he said, “Um … yeah,” and handed it to her.

“Did you hurt yourself?” Sophia asked. “Do you feel any different?”

“I’m fine—actually, I feel good,” said Allen, with a tiny grin.

“Interesting—could you show us how you did that spell?”

Allen gave her a puzzled look. “You mean I’m not in deep trouble? Uh … sure.” He shifted into the attack position and shut his eyes.

“Sophia, I don’t understand—why are you wasting our time?” Tim demanded.

“Shh … Mona was right—you should really work on your temper.” She kept staring at Allen without blinking. “Just watch.”

A moment later, a strong gust howled past them as his wand lit up.

“Allen, break that tall boulder with roots wrapped around it!” Sophia shouted.

He struck with an aggressive roar. “HELLFIRE LASH!” The third flaming whip was unleashed, and it was much bigger than the previous two. It struck directly at the target.

KABOOM!

The spell left a hole through the boulder the size of Allen’s fist.

“Wow, that was impressive,” Tim mumbled.

Sophia handed him the scroll and turned to Allen. “Do you feel any different this time?”

Admiring his wand, he said, “Yes, I felt … confident. Something I didn’t think was possible.”

I get it—he’s attracted to Dark Art spells! At that instant, an absurd idea came to her mind.

About the Author:
Thuan Doan was born in Indonesia, and grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

Thuan has been fascinated by art from a young age, especially fantasy. He would wake up hours before school, sit outside the classroom, and scribble in his sketch book.

After college, he worked on a series of jobs, including: an advergaming association as a storyboard/concept artist, gaming company as lead concept artist, and graphic designer for various clients.

Thuan conceived his first middle-grade fantasy novel, Sophia Freeman and the Mysterious Fountain, during a trip to Gabriola Island, British Columbia in the summer of 2013. Then he took his work and settled in a small town of Enderby, where it’s peaceful and quiet. 4 years later, the story is complete. While book 1, 2 and 3 are being shared with the world, he's writing and illustrating book 4 of the Sophia Freeman series.

Thuan is writing under a pen name of T.X. Troan. “X” stands for Xu, his grandmother’s name who passed away. And “Troan” is a combination of his parents' names.

“No matter how this turns out, I want my family to be a part of this wonderful journey.”

T.X. Troan married Sarah, his original fan and longtime love, in 2016. They live in Enderby with their pack dogs and school of fish!

AWARDS

★ Entrada Publishing Incipere Award, 2020
★ Readers' Favorite 5 star Badge, 2019, 2021 and 2022
★ Literary Titan Badge, 2020

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Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Searching: Dragons of New York by Rachel Graves



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

Welcome to It's Raining Books. Do you ever wish you were someone else? Who?

I wish I could be a healthier version of myself who had more energy and slept better. That’s a pretty boring option, when I could be a superstar or a hero with magical powers, but it’s something I think about almost every day. Just getting rid of my allergies would be wish-worthy – I’d love to be able to taste watermelon or snuggle up to a cute cat. When most people make wishes, they look at the big things but I’d be happy with a lot of little everyday joys. Most of my characters practice a sport as a hobby, there’s a runner, a swimmer, and, in my latest release, a woman who does aerial yoga. That part of my writing is definitely wish fulfillment.

What did you do on your last birthday?

Walked by the ocean and enjoyed a delicious plate of fried shrimp from the best clam shack in New England. I moved to Salem, Mass. in February, and while this Florida girl hasn’t adapted to the winters – and probably never will – I love being close enough to the ocean to walk along the beach. It’s a simple pleasure that always brings a smile to my face. The water is way too cold for swimming, but just watching the waves feels special.

What part of the writing process do you dread?

From about twenty-thousand words to around forty-thousand. That’s the part where there’s almost no momentum in the story. It leaves me half-convinced I should just delete everything and start over from scratch. Stories are like starting a fire for me. The bad part comes when the spark of an idea has almost fizzled out, but the slow smolder of a real story hasn’t caught on yet. I have a lot of unfinished stories that died around twenty-thousand words. Sometimes they just need to rest for a while. I’ve had manuscripts sit at twenty-thousand words for five years before I picked them up and finish in three months.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

Sometimes! When I turned forty, I challenged myself to write every day for a hundred days. It was a defining moment for how my writing worked. Now, writing streaks keep me motivated. I’ve either written or edited a book every day for the last 239 days. Trust me, I don’t wake up ready to write with a thousand great ideas all of those days! Instead, I’ll write what I see – a pretty sunrise becomes the sun hanging over a crime scene, the knickknacks on my bookshelf turn into magical relics in a museum collection, and the blanket tucked around my toes turns into someone’s bedsheets.

Tell us about your latest release.

It’s a murder mystery and a slow burn romance with middle aged adults as the main characters. They all know their own minds and have complicated lives. Ravenna, Raven to her friends, has three doctorates, two best friends, and one slightly crazy ghost of a mother hanging around. She’s a dragon who can shift into human form but she spends a lot of time on the move to avoid anyone finding out. The second main character, Ian, is a former trauma surgeon who was injured in a shooting. He went through a dark period after he was hurt, but eventually found a new calling helping paranormal citizens. He’s gotten into his trust fund, so he’s rich again, but still estranged from his family. And then there’s Cloak, the relic that’s bonded to Ian’s soul, a very sassy magical creature that can hide as a tattoo or shift itself into any piece of fabric. The three of them have wonderfully thorny interactions as they work together to solve a string of murders. I really enjoyed writing characters who didn’t trust immediately and who brought so much of themselves to the page.

A dragon terrified of being discovered by the government, Ravenna Drake is constantly on the move. When the woman who raised her gets cancer, Ravenna trades her nomadic work restoring black market magical goods for a steady job. But her cautious life ends after her name is found at the scene of a werewolf murder.

Dr. Ian Chen, a sorcerer bonded to a powerful relic, works for the government treating supernatural citizens. He insists on investigating when his patient’s body is discovered completely drained of blood. His search leads him to the beautiful but frustrating Ravenna Drake, who refuses to stay away from the case or follow his instructions.

As more bloodless bodies surface, threats from secret societies and corrupt politicians force the dragon and the sorcerer to work together. If Ravenna and Ian can’t catch the killer, the people they love the most may be the next to die.

Read an Excerpt

He wanted to pry more of the story out of her but decided against it. As she followed him down the block, they blended into the small crowd on the street. Ian watched the people around them for a second. Normal people, with no idea my world even exists.

She broke the silence, “You know this neighborhood?”

“There was a gang that recruited a witch. He wasn’t that powerful but he knew how to use sacrifices to call a demon. It took me a while to figure it out.” Ian shivered with the memory of living fire, a monster in the shape of flame. He could work with dead bodies but remembering the smell of burned corpses would always be a problem.

“I thought you didn’t like the word witch.”

He glanced at her expression of wide-eyed innocence. It had to be fake. “This guy, he wasn’t doing much. Calling him a sorcerer would be a bit of an insult to the real ones.”

“Not that you know any real ones.” She smiled up at him. Why were they playing this game? She probably wasn’t the murderer, if she was, she knew what he was. Why not just come clean?

Cloak answered the question as if he’d been asked, “Then tell her about the BPA.”

“Right, that was why.” Because once she knew who she was helping, she’d probably stop. The BPA wasn’t popular with all the people they protected, and even the non-paranormal citizens seemed to think his agency was either evil or a scam. He’d say enough to get her help, but leave things vague enough to keep her, and the investigation, safe.

About the Author:
Rachel Graves writes mysteries that blend the supernatural with steamy, sexy scenes. Her work explores the many shades of gray found between the lines of right and wrong. Rachel's books focus on strong heroines who take charge of their own fate, their friends, and their families. Rachel is a member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and uses research skills honed getting a graduate degree in psychology to seek out rare folklore and magical creatures. Her writing incorporates popular monsters like vampires and werewolves as well as diverse creatures like selkies and yuki onna. Rachel has lived in a cursed town, taken far too many ghost tours, and counts down to every Halloween starting in November. You can read short stories and learn more about her on her website.

Website: http://www.rachelgraves.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Graves/e/B011H977D0
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/RachelGraves
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorRachelGraves/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_rachel_graves/

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Dragons-New-York-Book-ebook/dp/B0BGFGNF7V/ref=sr_1_1

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Friday, October 14, 2022

The Fate of a Crush by Marie McGrath

 



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

Welcome to It's Raining Books. How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?

The trope of a best friend’s brother is one of my favorites and when I looked around, I didn’t see as many of them as I had hoped. It’s a soft spot because I had experienced it myself. As a high school teenager, my crush never went past that. Nothing had ever happened, but I liked the idea of what if it had. How would a character navigate that scenario: betraying her best friend while dating someone who you really liked. Once I started there, everything else sort of snowballed.

What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

My goal was to provide a feel-good young adult romance. I wanted the tension between the love interests and the room for the characters to be themselves, no matter what. I feel like this is my best book yet. I read passages and still laugh, even though I know what happens. I also think it deals with real life issues for a high schooler and I’d like to think that there are real positive outcomes from some of those events.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

The hardest part for me was making sure their relationship was believable. My crush on my best friend’s brother, never happened. So I was writing something that I hadn’t experienced. I had to dig deep to find out, why would he like her? When would that change happen? How would that impact what he did and said and how would she handle spending time with him without alerting her best friend? I like my plots to feel as real as possible, so it was important for me to build this relationship in the best way.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Their banter. Allie and Hunter were so fun to write. Allie, who I’ve been told is a lot like me in real life, is nose deep in a book and volleyball, but only has eyes for Hunter. She notices everything about him, and yet has to pretend it’s not happening. Those moments were fun, but letting them explore their feelings was the best. Seeing how he would treat her, and how she would respond to his attention was fun to write.

Were there alternate endings you considered?

Not really. The ending was originally a little different, but only in how the conflict was resolved. After my beta feedback, I needed to add scenes and changed where and when/how soon the conflict was resolved, but the ultimate ending in the epilogue was never any different.

Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?

A lot of aspects of this novel are based on my experience. I played volleyball growing up, so it was easy to have Allie be a setter, which was my own position when I play. I also went to Outer Banks in high school … yes with my best friend’s family, just like Allie. So this novel didn’t require as much research to understand details, but it was fun to take something I had experienced and twist into their story. It makes the memories I have even more special to me.

What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

I honestly read a lot of genres, but I focus mainly around romance in the different areas like historical, fantasy, etc. I really like reading about relationships, but a close second is epic fantasy.

Falling in love with a senior was risky … especially when he was your best friend’s brother.

Allie Duncan started sophomore year with two aspirations, make her school’s volleyball team and keep her crush on Hunter Baylor, her best friend’s brother, a secret. If Mia found out, she would feel betrayed. The crush was useless anyway. Hunter was a star basketball player and she was a nobody. Or so she thought until his attention was piqued after Allie went on the Baylors’ summer vacation. When Hunter goes to homecoming with Allie’s sophomore rival, she’s devastated and her confidence is destroyed, especially after his date tells her the Baylors pity her. Hunter tries to make it up to Allie, which leads to a kiss, leaving Allie confused.

Can she push this crush out of her heart to save her friendship? Or is Hunter worth the risk?

Read an Excerpt

“You have no idea how much I think about you, Allie Duncan.” He said my name almost as a whisper against my skin.

My body tensed and sent tingles to every spot he touched.

“I-I …” I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to say it. “I couldn’t think either. Being that close to you practically drowned all my brain cells and short circuited the wiring. If you had asked me my name, I doubt I would have been able to tell you.”

“Good,” he said as he straightened and outstretched his hand.

“What do you mean good?”

“It’s no fun if I’m the only one on the edge.”

I giggled. “You’re terrible.”

“Maybe, but at least I’m honest.”

About the Author: Marie McGrath lives in a small rural town in Maryland. She hopes to inspire others with her stories. Her favorite genres to read are YA Romance and Contemporary Fiction. She loves the color turquoise, tigers, and listening to music.

Website: https://mariemcgrathauthor.wixsite.com/books
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Marie_McGrath_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarieMcGrathAuthor

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Fate-Crush-Marie-McGrath-ebook/dp/B0BBD42D73/
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Hope, Strength, and Courage by Kathryn Lee



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kathryn Lee 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.

This book has been a self-reflective journey of a medical doctor as an ordinary person going through ordinary life's ups and downs. In epistolary form, its articles were written during the special time of her first year of training to become a general practitioner/family physician, including making the tough decision to give up hospital specialist training, "withdrawing" from fast-paced hospital work, transitioning to working from a metropolitan hospital to a rural community clinic, witnessing and getting used to a younger sibling's growing up, and being independent from a close and loving family. Some also feature a promotion of the author's new academic career at the start of the COVID 19 pandemic and how it was perceived. The book shows a journey of love, strength, perseverance, purpose and encouragement. Lots of anecdotes, lots of stories, lots of quotes. With love and respect.

Read an Excluseive Excerpt

Dude, no matter how old we are, and however self-sufficient we are as adults, we are forever children in our parents’ eyes. At times, I secretly get cross that too much food is being packed for me, but I understand that it is not the food that matters; in reality, Mum and Dad are packing their kind, tender, unfailing love into big and small bags for me—for us—to take home. This small yet significant gesture is one they do carefully, tirelessly, and lovingly. Complaints that the food is too much and we are never going to finish it cause them a sense of hurt, as they take it personally, as a sign of unlove and discontent. So I accept it graciously for what it is. Brother … think of the days where Mum and Dad prepared us a routine, normal meal and we felt very content and happy. That’s how Mum and Dad are conditioned to be. They miss the days when we were with them, enjoying home-made meals at the family table. They love us unconditionally, and by feeding us and ensuring that we are healthy, by cooking herbal and medicinal soups and dishes and packing healthy veggies, fruits, and snacks for us (that they deem too expensive to eat themselves), they feel useful and loved again. May God help us be considerate children for our parents and love them as they love us. By better appreciating them, you will be a better parent when the baby is born. Honour your parents, as God commands. May God bless them as well! Yay, we are family forever, even in Heaven!

About the Author:Kathryn Lee is a medical doctor. A Christian. A daughter. A sister. A student in life university. An ordinary person in an extraordinary world.

WEBSITE: https://authorkathrynlee.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22644710.Kathryn_Lee

Amazon.com.au: https://amazon.com.au/dp/0228833280
Amazon.com: https://amazon.com/dp/0228833280
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hope-strength-and-courage-kathryn-lee/1139427777
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Hope-Strength-and-Courage-Kathryn-Lee/9780228833284
Kindle: https://amazon.com/dp/B094DS6C8K
Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/hope-strength-and-courage-with/9780228833307-item.html
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/hope-strength-and-courage
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1083228
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hope-strength-courage-stories-in-medicine-training/id1566675671

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Thursday, October 13, 2022

Salvation by L.C. Conn



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

Their final battle has come, and Chaos will not surrender.

The danger and risks have never been more real for Claire. She has spent her adult life fending off his relentless attacks, and now only wants to protect those she loves, but in doing so, she places everyone at greater risk.

Born of two sacred lines created by Carling, generations before, Aroha must face Chaos. Young, and unsure of herself, Aroha looks to her godmother for guidance, but is it enough? Claire must prepare her for the moment Aroha was born for.

Can Claire keep those she loves safe and reunite those that were once lost?


Read an Excerpt

The headache that had started the previous night at dinner, continued into the morning of the next day. It was a continual throb that invaded Claire’s concentration at work and finally she gave up, heading home to try and get rid of it. The painkillers she had taken were not working, so she headed upstairs to bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow her eyes closed against the light.

“Claire!” A shout from somewhere inside her mind came to her and Claire soon found herself at the side of Carling.

“You needed me, Carling?” she asked wearily, the fog of the headache making it hard for Claire to even see her.

“Yes, we do. We have found something, and we need to work together to rid it from us.” Carling pointed to an area that seemed to be turning black and dark.

“What is it?” Claire asked, stumbling slightly towards the infected area.

“It feels very much like the memory dream that our brother inserted into our minds,” Carling told her.

As Claire neared the dark shadow, pain began to sear through her head, pulsating and thumping. Wave after wave crashed over her, driving her onto her knees.

“I can’t. It hurts so much,” Claire gasped, her head dropping into her open hands. Carling rushed to her side and held her up.

“Tony, our brother, help! We need you!” Carling called out to Tony so insistently and loudly that he joined them straight away.

“Claire?” Tony asked when he saw two women before him.

“There is no time to explain. We are being hurt,” Carling told him. The points of light under her skin were now moving rapidly with her agitation. “We need your help to get rid of this,” she begged, lowering Claire gently to the ground.

About the Author:
L.C. Conn grew up on the outskirts of Upper Hutt, New Zealand. Her backyard encompassed the surrounding farmland, river, hills and mountains which she wandered with her brothers and fed her imagination. After discovering a love for writing in English class at the age of eight, she continued to write in secret. It was not until much later in life that L.C. turned what she thought was a hobby and something fun to do, into her first completed novel. Now married, L.C. moved from New Zealand to Perth, Western Australia, and became a stay at home mum. While caring for her family and after battling breast cancer, a story was born from the kernel of a dream. The first book of The One True Child Series was begun, and just kept blooming into seven completed stories.

EMAIL: raindropc1970@gmail.com
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/LCConn
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ConnLoraine
INSTAGRAM: https//www.instagram.com/l.c.conn
WEB PAGE: https//lcconnwriter.wordpress.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BDQTXGYK/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5

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Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Cause for Elimination by Marla A. White



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

Reclaiming her life after a devastating riding accident, equestrian Emily Conners’ world shatters again when she discovers her friend and boss laying in a stall with a smashed skull. Now jobless and with a handsome cop underfoot investigating the case, she's torn between wanting the killer found and keeping her own secrets safe.

Detective Justin Butler always gets his killer, but this victim has a stampede of enemies and few leads to go on. Stonewalled by the tight-knit equestrian world, he looks to Emily for help, but she’s strangely reluctant. Is she hiding something, or is she afraid of their growing attraction?

As the search for the murderer heats up, their hearts become entangled and their lives at risk, forcing Emily and Justin to work together to find the killer before they strike again.


Read an Excerpt

Sitting around the rickety picnic table and talking over old times, she almost forgot for a moment why the detective—Justin, she reminded herself—was there. He sat there, loose limbed and relaxed, interested in their conversation while most non-riders soon got glassy-eyed with boredom. But he wasn’t just chatting, was he? She had to remind herself he was listening for information to help him catch a killer.

“What about you ladies?” he ventured. “Did any of you ever have any problems with Ms. Yates?”

After another fit of laughter, Erin howled, “Like we’d ever ride with Pam. Despite what everyone around here may think, we’re not crazy. Well, not that crazy at least.”

“Hunters are more our speed,” Samantha chimed in. Emily took in her very un-hunter-like, fringed pink half-chaps and raised her eyebrow. “Okay, we don’t fit in with that crowd either,” Samantha admitted. “Which is why we’re here with Ben.”

“Since Pamela had Ben blacklisted, he’s stuck with us ladies who hack.” The three shared another round of titters.

They may not have realized they’d supplied Ben with a motive to kill Pamela, but Emily did. “Hang on, rumors have blown that way out of proportion. Pamela wasn’t thrilled after Ben dissolved their partnership and took his clients to Middle Ranch, but—”

“Hah! ‘Wasn’t thrilled’ is putting it mildly,” Sandy interrupted. “First chance she got, she had him brought up on abuse charges.”

Samantha added her two cents. “They banned Ben from showing for three years, so naturally, his clients who were serious left him and found another trainer.”

“Funny, no one told me this before now.” Justin’s voice lost its light tone, and the heat of his glare rolled over Emily’s skin.

About the Author:
Marla White is a story analysis instructor at UCLA and writing coach who lives in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Kentucky (go Wildcats!), where she took her first horseback riding lesson. After dabbling in hunters, barrel racing, and weekly trail rides, she fell hopelessly in love with the sport of eventing. She conquered Novice level before taking a break to pursue novel writing but hopes to return to the saddle someday soon. Her first novel, “The Starlight Mint Surprise Murder,” was published in 2021 followed by the first two books in her Keeper Chronicles series. When she’s not writing, she’s out in the garden, hiking, or putting together impossibly difficult puzzles.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Daughter of Belial by Jennifer Juvenelle


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

Some Family Trees Should Be Burned. . .

Greer Girls are special. Greer Girls are rare. Greer Girls are central to the secret Order of Belial.

Sophie Greer knows none of this. All she knows is that her now ex-boyfriend cheated on her, she’s alone working in Paris, and her mysterious billionaire boss, Edward Hughes, is way too interested in her life.

But when Sophie is kidnapped in Moscow while on a business trip, she’s plunged into the dark underbelly of the global elite and a sinister secret society with deep ties to her family; ties that lead to revelations darker than anything Sophie could have imagined.

Betrayed by the man who raised her, and targeted by the illustrious Hughes family, only one thing is certain—family history can be deadly. If Sophie is to survive, she must decide who to trust and what to believe, or risk being crushed beneath the weight of the all-powerful secret Order of Belial.


Read an Excerpt

The front door slams behind me with a clamorous thud. I jump, frightened. Marcella Belleville’s ominous laughter sails through the air while the cloaked beings descend the steps to encircle me. Turning to and fro, I try to slip through an opening in their ranks, but they close in so that not even a hairpin could find a fissure for escape. A low chanting starts up, like a rumble from some vile private inferno.

Testor ad sanguinem. Respondendum est in sanguinem.

The primal beating of the drums grows louder, drowning out Marcella’s maniacal laughter. Blood rushes to my face. I hear a whirring in my ears.

Testor ad sanguinem. Respondendum est in sanguinem.

All I see is darkness. My heartbeat keeps time with the pulsing of the drums.

Suddenly I feel another presence. Ephemeral. Sinister. It also laughs. Its guttural wails blend with Marcella’s tinny falsetto as it, too, encircles and envelops me. No one is touching me. I know that. And yet…

It feels like hundreds of hands are caressing my body. Sliding up and down the sides of my torso. Untucking my shirt. Unfastening my trousers. Cupping my breasts. Pulling my hair. Wrapping icy, tentacled fingers around my throat…

It feels awful—delectable—disgusting—delicious, all at once. I hate it. The chanting grows louder.

Testor ad sanguinem. Respondendum est in sanguinem.

Testor ad sanguinem. Respondendum est in sanguinem.

“Stop!” I cry out, finding my voice at last. “Please. Stop!”

But it’s too late. Wispy black smoke fills my nostrils. My mouth freezes into a silent scream as the smoke fills every orifice in my head—eyes, nose, ears, mouth. The sound of babies crying mixed with horrific images of children laughing and playing in blood assault my senses. I know it can’t be real, must be a trick of some sort, an illusion, but I’m powerless to stop it.

About the Author
JENNIFER JUVENELLE is a Native American/French author born in Hollywood, raised in Detroit, and fashioned in France. Formerly an actress and model, Jennifer now splits her time between crafting psychological thrillers and the magic of motherhood. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Jennifer made healing from trauma a priority when her life became untenable. Daughter of Belial is the unexpected product of her journey from trauma to triumph. An eager explorer, she currently lives in a remote Mexican seaside-jungle village with her debonair Aussie author husband and their young son.

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Monday, October 10, 2022

Defiant by Bobbi Smith



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Bobbi Smith will award a randomly drawn host a $10 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Clint Williams
Born February 16, 1852
Died March 23, 1877

Those were the words that marked his grave, and Clint knew that although he stood reading his own epitaph, they were true. Ever since the attack that had killed his entire family, he’d been dead inside. Only one thing kept him going—the burning need to bring in the outlaws who’d done it.

The Last Chance Saloon

Posing undercover to infiltrate the gang, Clint could let no one know his true identity or the fact that he’d once been a Texas Ranger. Not even the pretty daughter of a preacher man who burst into the saloon calling upon the gamblers to repent. As far as she knew, he was a gunslinger with a bad reputation who had no right to touch a good woman. But sometimes a man’s got to break all the rules, ignore common send to follow his heart and get downright… Defiant.


Read an Excerpt

Clint arrived in Dry Springs and made his way to the Last Chance Saloon where the outlaws were supposed to show up. After taking a drink at the bar, he joined in a poker game, wanting to get a feel for the place.

“Praise the Lord and repent while there’s time!”

Clint looked up to see the saloon being invaded by what looked like a Bible-toting minster and his entire congregation.

“Get out of here, preacher man!” the bartender shouted.

“I can’t! I’m here to save these souls from the devil!”

“The only devil in here is you!”

The church people gasped at his words.

“Hey, look at the women he brought with him,” one of the gamblers at the table with Clint said, grinning.

“Some of them are grandmothers, but not that one!” the gambler named Ed nodded toward a pretty, dark-haired young woman in a sedate gown. “She’s Rachel, the preacher’s daughter.”

Clint glanced over at her. Tall and slender, she moved with elegance through the chaos. He grew angry that her father would subject her to this. Women like her were meant to be protected and cherished.

“Gambling is a sin!” the preacher called out.

“But sin is fun!” one of the drunks responded.

“I think I need some redemption,” Ed said, reaching out to grab Rachel and pull her onto his lap.

Rachel was shocked by his actions and struggled to break away as he planted a wet kiss on her neck.

“Unhand my daughter!” the reverend demanded.

“Come on, little angel, give me some salvation.” Ed tried to kiss her.

Rachel slapped him, disgusted by his vile behavior.

“Why you little—” Ed drew back, ready to hit her.

Clint had had enough.

“Let her go,” he commanded quietly.

“Hell, no!”

Clint stood up, ready to confront him. “I said, let her go.”

“Mind your own damned business.”

Clint drew his gun. “She is my business. Get your hands off her now.”

Ed froze at the site of his gun. “What are you so riled about? She’s just a whore like the rest of them.”

“No, she’s not.” Clint’s voice was so calm it was deadly. He reached over and took Rachel by the arm, drawing her off the other man’s lap.

“You want some of her, too?” Ed taunted, leering at Rachel.

Clint ignored him as he glanced down her. She was trembling and close to tears. He understood her fear.

“Leave now, while you can,” Clint directed in a low voice.

Rachel looked up at the tall, broad-shouldered, dark-haired stranger who’d just rescued her. She had no idea who he was, but she was thankful for his help. Too upset to speak, she only nodded and hurried to her father.

Clint remained standing with his gun drawn until they’d left the saloon.

About the Author After working as a department manager for Famous-Barr, and briefly as a clerk at a bookstore, Bobbi Smith gave up on career security and began writing. She sold her first book to Zebra in 1982. Since then, Bobbi has written over 40 books and several short stories. To date, there are more than five million of her novels in print. She has been awarded the prestigious Romantic Times Storyteller of the Year Award and two Career Achievement Awards. Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists. When she's not working on her novels, she is frequently a guest speaker for writer's groups. Bobbi is mother of two sons and resides in St. Charles, Missouri with her husband and three dogs.

Website: https://bobbismithauthor.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13375.Bobbi_Smith

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Defiant-Bobbi-Smith-ebook/dp/B009NXLUKE

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Bedtime Stories for the Living by Jay Armstrong



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

Five Things You Might Not Know About Me


1.As a kid, I was expelled from a weekend religious retreat for climbing out of a bathroom and hiding in a nearby woods during a church service. To this day, I contend the homily was painfully boring.

2.I was a stand-up comedian in my early twenties.I won first place, a $1000 prize, in an amateaur stand-up contetest. A few days later, I spent all the money on a TV.

3.On a busy city street, a friend and I dove through the open back door of a random, passing limousine.The door shut, the people inside laughed, and the limo receded into the night.The limo was filled with adult entertainers.

4. In college, I created my own internship.The course description outlined a hard-hitting news show. However, it soon turned into a “fake news” show. In one episode, while I was on camera investigating rumors an old campus building was haunted, my friend was in the background dancing and wearing a white bed sheet. I somehow managed to get an “A.”

5. I eventually married the first girl I ever kissed.

Diagnosed with a progressive brain disease, a young father is determined to teach his children the importance of pursuing their dreams.

A cell phone’s ring interrupts the silence as Jay Armstrong sits in his high school classroom preparing for the year ahead. Something about the ring makes his stomach drop. It’s his doctor.

The words, “diffuse cerebellar atrophy, a rare, degenerative brain disease” float through the speaker. All of Jay’s youthful dreams of being a writer rush back, flooding the twenty years he has spent teaching students how to appreciate novels, memoirs, and poetry. The care he put into teaching them how to write with clarity, insight, and humor, and how to dance at the prom. The bedtime stories he never told his children spin in his imagination. It will all die when he dies.

Jay chooses to experience his condition as an inspiration here to teach him to appreciate the time he still has. He writes letters and stories to his three children about his failing voice, his impaired motor skills, and falling down on Christmas morning. Writing helps him cope with the illness and its symptoms. And so, he accepts the mission of writing more stories for them: the difference his father’s wink made at a critical moment of a baseball game, why they should take walks even in cruddy weather, and how he avoided having to explain what semen is for.

As his condition worsens, Jay’s faith in the power of storytelling deepens. His daily life is wildly different than he foresaw, and possibly shorter, but he can leave his children a legacy more valuable than any financial inheritance. He writes "Bedtime Stories for the Living", an episodic memoir to show his children how to accept their limitations and find joy. The collection of tender, witty stories about fatherhood, persevering despite illness, and pursuing your dreams, demonstrates how love gives us the strength to face heartache with bravery and grace.


Read an Excerpt

BEFORE I TURN OUT THE LIGHTS: LETTER #2

Dear Haley, Chase, and Dylan,

I want you to read poetry. Right now. Before you get old and cranky and consumed by jobs, car insurance rates, supermarket sales, and your kid’s soccer practice. You know me as “Dad.” But for seventeen years, in three different high schools, they knew me as Mr. Armstrong. The English teacher. And from the feedback I received from the students, parents, and official administrative evaluations, I was an “A” teacher.

My classroom desk was often littered with chicken-scratched Post-it notes. I did not decorate my classroom with colorful, motivational decor. For as long as I can remember I had just three black-and-white posters: Mohammed Ali, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. I never had a legitimate filing system for student work. Lesson plans were often disorganized and outdated. Classroom novels were haphazardly stacked in a corner, as if the spines were stricken with scoliosis. I failed to keep abreast of the newest advancements in pedagogical theories.

After one particular evaluation, an administrator demanded I stop wasting valuable class time telling personal stories. I told them to “fire me.” I was serious. I told them I would rather stock shelves or lay bricks than be denied the opportunity to tell stories to young people. Fortunately, I was not fired. In fact, later that year, I was awarded “The Teacher of the Year” at my school. Sometimes defiance gets a bad rap.

For years I skirted poetry the way you skirt chores. Poetry seemed too hard. Too tedious. Too much risk and not enough reward. Yet, in my last few years of teaching, when my disease had accelerated, I taught more poetry. I found comfort in its mystery. Each poem presented a learning workshop for the students and me.

I assume I avoided teaching poetry for so many years because I didn't want to be wrong. Being vulnerable in public used to bother me. Maybe I just grew comfortable being uncomfortable. When you’re the only adult in the room, there’s a lot of pressure to be right. When you’re older, you’ll feel this pressure.

Over seventeen years, a student never announced they planned to go to college and major in poetry. No one said they planned to buy a black beret, a black cat, a black turtleneck, or rent a studio apartment in Brooklyn and chain-smoke all night long.

But many said they planned to keep reading poetry after high school. Even the halfhearted students. They said they liked how poetry comforted them in moments of crisis. When their mom lost her job. When they were rejected by their dream college. When COVID-19 hit. When they watched American cities moan and burn amid the fires of civil unrest in the summer of 2020. Caught in the cross-hairs of history, they said they found shelter in the sturdy verse of a poem.

They even said they never realized how cool poetry was. How defiant poets were. Bukowski. Plath. Thomas. And how anything by e.e. cummings broke enough grammar rules to send an elementary school teacher to the school nurse. How Marvell made them laugh. How Frost inspired them. How Angelou, Hughes, and Dickinson feathered their nerves and thawed their frozen spirit. How poetry made them cry. Wince. Shake. Smile. And think deeply about themselves. About others. And how despite being quarantined in a lifeless town, through a well-written verse they sensed the zipping electricity of the living world just beyond.

They said reading poetry was a way to feel less socially distant. I liked one particular email from a student who said it amazed them how a poet from New Mexico could know how a “seventeen-year-old kid from New Jersey felt.” Other students liked how a specific poem, “Good Bones” or “Dover Beach” felt. Like an old friend who stood by them when they stood in the street, looking up, convinced the sky was falling.

Like high school, poetry is not a problem to solve. Poetry is proof of existence. Like your portrait in a high school yearbook. You can take a poem at face value and move on or read it like a scientist, trace its features, and wonder about the mysteries hidden just below the surface.

I suspect the world is much, much more than we will ever know. Such is our calamity. We learn so much, yet we know so little. However, we’re gifted with teachers who tease out little-by-little, line-by-line the ingredients of the world. Science. Math. History. English. I found a teacher in poetry. A teacher who didn’t always understand (with big words, often pretentious rhyme scheme, and obscure allusions to Greek mythology) but who taught me to question, to find humanity in others, and to observe the fine details of fleeting scenery.

Bottom line: Read poetry. You may not become poets but eventually you will have to enroll in the fine art of living. Poems are essential materials for passing the course.For your homework, please read the poems I’ve assigned below. Prepare an oral presentation of three to five minutes and discuss how the poem relates to your life by connecting it to a personal experience. You must set a minimum of two lines to memory. You will make your presentations after dinner. Also, no PowerPoint. Only halfhearted students use PowerPoint.

Haley, please read “The Journey” by Mary Oliver.
Chase, please read “Golden Retrievals” by Mark Doty.
Dylan, please read “The Voice” by Shel Silverstein.

Goodnight.
I love you.
See you in the morning.

About the Author:
In 2013, Jay Armstrong was diagnosed with diffuse cerebellar atrophy. A condition that causes dysfunctional motor skills, speech and vision impairments, and balance deficiencies. At the time of diagnosis, he was establishing himself as an endeared high school English teacher, a varsity soccer coach, and an above average dancer. However, the progressive disorder forced Jay to reevaluate his life.

Supported by his high school sweetheart turned wife (Cindy) and their three children (Haley, Chase, Dylan), Jay retired from teaching in 2021 to pursue his dream of becoming an author.

Jay believes in the power of storytelling. He also believes in dad jokes, laughter, and the unrelenting pursuit of dreams. Jay’s debut book, Bedtime Stories for the Living, is an episodic memoir in which Jay shows his children how to accept their limitations and find joy. The collection of tender, witty stories about fatherhood, persevering despite illness, and pursuing your dreams, demonstrates how love gives us the strength to face heartache with bravery, humor, and grace.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jay is passionate about Philly sports, soft pretzels, and Rocky Balboa.

Bedtime Stories for the Living is available at the following: The book will be $0.99.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jay-Armstrong/e/B09LF9HN51
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Websites: http:www.writeonfighton.org
http://jayarmstrongwrites.com
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