The Buddha and the Bee by Cory Mortensen

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddes 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.

Life-Changing Journey...
...But this is NOT a typical blah-blah-blah memoir

Planning is for sissies. A solo bike ride across the country will be filled with sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, and 80 degree temps every day, right? Not so much. The Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, an alkaline desert, and the Sierra Nevadas lay miles and days ahead. Disappointment with unrealized potential, and the thirst for what’s next drew farther away in the rotating wide-angle shockproof convex rear-view mirror.

"I will ride my bike down a never-ending ribbon of asphalt wearing a backpack."

Cory Mortensen began his bike ride across the United States from Chaska, Minnesota, to Truckee, California, without a route, a timeline, or proper equipment. Along the way, he gained more than technical skills required for a ride that would test every fiber of his physical being and mental toughness. Ride along as he meets “unusual” characters, dangerous animals, and sweet little old ladies with a serious vendetta for strangers in their town.

Humor ■ Insight ■ Adventure ■ Gratitude ■ Peace

From long stretches of road ending in a vanishing point at the distant horizon, to stunning vistas, terrifying close calls, grueling conditions, failed equipment, and joyous milestones he stayed the course and gained an appreciation for the beauty of the land, the genius of engineering and marvel of nature.

Read an Excerpt DAY TWENTY-TWO

(Takes place September 12, 2001, the day after the terrorist attacks against the US.)

Soon after the Continental Divide, I came across what would become my favorite sign in the world—a yellow diamond shape with a truck going downhill. It was time to stop, check the tyres and brakes—it was peanut butter and jelly time!

My emotions went from dread to elation in mere moments. I found myself overtaking my first car. Pedaling was useless, I didn’t I have enough gear to make it worthwhile, so I rode at the speed of gravity. I smacked my lips, eager to rejuvenate them with water. My main focus was on my speed and keeping my pack from swinging side to side on the turns. I regulated my speed by using my posture. Tucked down, speed increased; straightened up, my body served as an air brake. The brake pads were useless on a downhill like this. Coming to a slow stop in town? No problem. Trying to come to a complete stop doing forty miles per hour plus? Forget about it.

I passed another car, my speed maxing out at forty-five miles per hour. After fifteen minutes, I could see Steamboat Springs in the valley. I couldn’t believe this downhill. It was a present—nay, a reward. It was nine miles of bliss.

Steamboat Springs was more beautiful then I remembered. The last time I had been there was in 1995, when some buddies and I decided to road trip to Moab, Utah, to camp and mountain bike.

My choices of places to stay were abundant, but since I spent the last few hours tackling it, I opted to stay at the Rabbit Ears Motel. I checked in, ordered some Chinese, and turned on the TV. I was eager to finally see the events of the prior days.

The replay of the airplanes smashing into the towers wasn’t resonating. I watched the event repeat itself for thirty minutes, in- terrupted only by tone-deaf commercials. The reporters and news commentators talked, but I didn’t listen to their words. I couldn’t figure out if it was real. How many times had I seen Hollywood blow things up with breathtakingly realistic accuracy? I was more confused than I was upset or angry.

The footage moved from the Twin Towers to a field in Pennsylvania, the wreckage of a smoldering plane, Flight 93, which had crashed in Stonycreek Township. Although the passengers fought with the terrorists to regain control of the plane, in the end, the plane crashed. They played recovered audio of passengers praying, leaving voicemails for loved ones, and planning to fight back. Then they played a voicemail from a man who had been on Flight 175:

“Jules,

This is Brian. Listen, I’m on an airplane that’s been hijacked.

If things don’t go well, and it’s not looking good, I just want you to know that I absolutely love you.

I want you to do good, go have good times—same to my parents and everybody.

I just totally love you… and I’ll see you when you get there.

Bye, babe. I hope I call you.”

At that moment, it all became real. I sat on the bed and cried. I felt so removed from it all.

The crew, the passengers, the people in the buildings and on the ground, the firefighters… they were all somebody’s dad, mom, wife, husband, brother, sister, son, daughter, friend. But they weren’t any of those things to me.

About the Author:

Cory Mortensen has ridden his collection of bicycles over a million miles of asphalt, dirt, mud, and backroads. In addition to the cross-country journey detailed in this book, he has traveled to over fifty-five countries, cycled from Minneapolis to Colorado solo to raise money for children born with congenital heart defects. He’s completed sixteen marathons on five continents, and survived three days of running with the bulls in Spain.

Cory is a certified Advanced PADI diver, and has enjoyed taking in life under the waves in locations all over the world. In 2003, he took time off from roaming, and accidentally started and built a company which he sold in 2013. That same year he married his best friend and explored the state of Texas for two years. The couple sold everything they owned, jumped on a plane to Ecuador and volunteered, trekked, and explored South America for sixteen months before returning to Phoenix, Arizona, where he works as a consultant and is soon to be a bestselling author.

The Buddha and the Bee is his first memoir in which he shares how a two month leave of absence redefined his life’s trajectory of sitting behind a desk and his decision to break society’s chains so he could live life on his terms.

Website: http://www.TheBuddhaAndTheBee.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BuddhaAndTheBee
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CoryMortensenAuthor
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/CoryMortensenAuthor/

Amazon Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Buddha-Bee-Cory-Mortensen/dp/1735498114
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735498122
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FLLBBP9

Indiebound Hardcover: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781735498119
Paperback: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781735498126

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Sommerville Holidays Too by Vicki Batman

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Vicki Batman will be awarding a handbag (US Only) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Love blossoms in the small town of Sommerville in these heartwarming holiday tales, filled with fun and forever possibilities.

The Great Fruitcake Bake-off: When five-time baking champion Samantha Greene teams up with new neighbor, Dixon Roberts, for The Great Fruitcake Bake-off, they discover baking a prize-winning entry is complicated, bad guys are plotting to take the crown, and first prize isn't just about a ribbon.

Christmas Romeo: When two feuding co-workers win Christmas river cruises at the company holiday party, they discover each other isn’t so bad after all.

Twinkle Lights: When the owner of a Christmas tree stand, which benefits the children’s hospital, has a heart attack, a do-gooder and a reformed high school delinquent turned lawyer show their holiday spirit and staff the business. The twosome meet the challenges of running the establishment; yet, when revenue goes missing, fingers are pointed.

Read an Excerpt from Twinkle Lights:

"I don't believe it." Hands on hips, I stood in front of the large, white plastic tent. No happy shoppers bustled in and out. No “All I Want For Christmas Is You” blasting from a boom box. No holiday cheer at all.

Instead, I found under the same ol' AXEL'S CHRISTMAS TREES neon sign, which wasn't flashing, a notice, which looked to be hastily printed and stuck on the tent flap with gray duct tape:

Closed. Heart attack. Pray. Axel’s son

I shook my head, saying to the nippy wind whipping my hair, "Poor Axel. This is horrible. Where will the funds for the Sommerville Hospital come from?"

I sensed my stomach kink into a hard knot as I hugged my tote to my waist. I always bought my Christmas tree at Axel’s since...forever. Definitely, since I was a blossoming idea in my parents' mind. Every year on the first Saturday in December, Mom and Dad brought my brother and me to Axel's for the family tree. Who could forget the ensuing arguments over the perfect one—Mom usually won—and the joy of trimming it over hot chocolate and homemade cookies.

All grown up, I continued the tradition.

About the Author:

Funny, sweet, and quirky, Vicki Batman’s stories are full of her hallmark humor and romance and will delight all readers. Along the way, she has picked up awards and bestsellers. She has sold many romantic comedy works to magazines, several publishers, and most recently, three humorous romantic mysteries. Avid Jazzerciser. Handbag lover. Mahjong player. Yoga practitioner. Movie fan. Book devourer. Chocaholic. Best Mom ever. And adores Handsome Hubby.

Find Vicki Batman at:

Website and Newsletter: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com/p/more-about-me.html/
Blog: http://www.vickibatman.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vicki-Batman-sassy-writer-of-sexy-and-funny-fiction-133506590074451/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickiBatman/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatman/
Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/vickibatman/
Email: vlmbatman@hotmail.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4814608.Vicki_Batman/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/vicki-batman/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/vickilbatman
MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/vickibatman
Word by Word: https://wordbyword.net/about/

Find Sommerville Holidays Too at:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JQN19L6/
KU: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JQN19L6/

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Haunting in Old Tailem by Janice Tremayne

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a print copy of the book to two randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter. Please click the tour banner at the top of the page to see the other stops on the tour.

An Australian Ghost town. A resident demon and a local Shaman. A confrontation with evil awaits.

Clarisse realizes that running from evil is not a bad idea until you figure out you can't hide. When some ghosts get tired of hanging around, they latch onto you. At the centre of the war on evil is a historic Church that carries dark secrets within its walls. After she meets with the local Shaman, Clarisse discovers secrets with evil consequences by digging too deep into the town’s past. When matters become complicated, she visits a circus of young performers on the outskirts of town triggering unexpected paranormal events and unleashing memories of a one-hundred-year curse. After being caught in the crossfire of a battle for evil supremacy, Clarisse confronts Little Charlie as he rallies the town's ghosts into an impeccable evil stronghold.

Can the local Shaman and townsfolk rally in her quest to defeat the evil incarnate or will the town succumb to Little Charlie and his evil crew? Haunting in Old Tailem is the third book of the Haunting Clarisse Series. If you like spine-tingling, chilling, creepy and spooky supernatural thrillers, then you will love this story by 2020 USA Readers' Favorite International Book Awards Finalist in Supernatural Fiction, Janice Tremayne.

Pick up your copy today and follow Clarisse through her battles with evil!

Read an Excerpt

She heard a flurry of steps run across the graveyard as stones flicked off the ground and crushed, dried-out weeds propelled into the air. Tiny steps that she had encountered once before—in Hartley. Was it Little Charlie?

Then another ominous sound. Children laughing and giggling while the faint sound of a circus tune played in the background. Da, da, da, da, da …

She immediately turned around to find four children, each one standing next to an unmarked grave.

One little girl, no more than ten years old, with a black ponytail, knee-high cotton socks, and a white frilled dress, played with her hula hoop. She swung it around in motion and with the equilibrium of an expert. She smiled as her, dark eyes with thick, black eyeliner resonating toward Clarisse.

Next to her was a young boy, no more than eight years old, playing hopscotch between two graves. His knee-length shorts, long socks, and blood-stained shirt, held up by suspenders, were ragged and worn out. He looked like he had been in a terrible accident and dragged across the ground, oblivious to any pain. While playing hopscotch, he balanced three small balls in the air like a juggler, quite a trick and well-coordinated.

Next to him was Little Charlie, sitting on a gravestone with his rope lassoed and legs crossed. He swung his lasso repeatedly and flung it toward an empty can as his target. He liked showing off his prowess to Clarisse, even though he couldn’t say any words, throwing his hands up in the air each time he conquered his target.

Another girl, albeit younger than the first, stood behind Little Charlie on an unmarked grave. She was wearing a crimson dress with frills and brown, country-style boots. Her dress was tainted red in parts from bloodstains, and her face was white as snow. It accentuated the eyeliner around her black eyes and sculptured face. She tilted her head slightly to the side as her red hair was tossed around in the slight breeze while holding a Raggedy Ann doll next to her face. She looked directly at Clarisse, smiling while caressing the doll.

The Raggedy Ann doll smiled one thoughtful expression, blinked its right eye two times rapidly, and then nodded before going back to its original posture.

About the Author:

Janice Tremayne is an Amazon bestselling and award-winning ghost and supernatural writer. Janice is a finalist in the Readers' Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in Fiction-Supernatural.

She is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. Her recent publication, Haunting in Hartley, reached number one on the Amazon kindle ranking for Occult, Supernatural, and Ghosts and Haunted Houses categories, for hot new releases and bestsellers.

Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She has developed a passion and style for writing ghost and supernatural novels for new adult readers.

The concept of writing the Haunting Clarisse series was spawned over a cup of coffee many years ago, and she has not looked back since. Her books contain heart-thumping, bone-chilling, and thought-provoking ghost and paranormal experiences that deliver a new twist to every tale.

http://www.janicetremayne.com.au
author@janicetremayne.com
https://www.facebook.com/hauntingclarisse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCj4DGrx7VA

Buy the series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HGPL2G5
Buy Haunting in Old Tailem: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B524JNW

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No More Secrets by Joanne Guidoccio

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Joanne Guidoccio will be awarding a $20 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 Little Known Facts About Me

1. Decluttering is one of my favorite stressbusters. Whenever I feel anxious or overwhelmed, I take several deep breaths and search for something (anything) to declutter. It could be an individual file, drawer, closet, or storage area. I can spend anywhere from fifteen minutes to an entire week on the project. Once everything is in its proper place, I feel happy and peaceful. And often lighter…I lost three pounds the week I decluttered the storage area.

2. I love my stability ball. Ten years ago, Guelph trainer Rose Parr introduced me to this flexible, easy-to-store vinyl ball that has helped improve core stability and balance. I quickly learned how to do push-ups, sit-ups, curls, chest flies, and squats using the ball and eight-pound weights.

3. I am controlled by a bird clock. Each hour, one of my feathered friends, among them the Downy Woodpecker, Belted Kingfisher, and Great Horned Owl, chirp and remind me to pace myself. A much kinder reminder than the annoying kitchen timer.

4. I was a toastmaster from 2008 to 2015. During those seven years, I achieved the following designations: Competent Communicator, Competent Leader, Advanced Communicator Bronze, and Advanced Communicator Silver.

5. David Bowie’s song— “(You Will) Set the World on Fire”—inspires and motivates me whenever I need an extra dose of confidence. While Googling the title, I discovered it’s also part of the following quote by Saint Catherine of Siena: “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” Even more inspiring!

Angelica Delfino takes a special interest in the lives of her three nieces, whom she affectionately calls the daughters of her heart. Sensing that each woman is harboring a troubling, possibly even toxic secret, Angelica decides to share her secrets—secrets she had planned to take to the grave. Spellbound, the nieces listen as Angelica travels back six decades to reveal an incredulous tale of forbidden love, tragic loss, and reinvention. It is the classic immigrant story upended: an Italian widow’s transformative journey amid the most unlikely of circumstances.

Inspired by Angelica’s example, the younger women share their “First World” problems and, in the process, set themselves free.

But one heartbreaking secret remains untold...

Read an Excerpt

Tupperware in all the pastel shades. Head-to-toe clothing and accessories in the same hues. Who does that? Bellastrega shook her head at the avalanche of plastic that accompanied Velia Russo into the kitchen. She was already on her third trip back from the car, puffing and panting as she placed her food gifts on the kitchen table. Bellastrega could feel her jaw clenching at the thought of all those white devils—heavy sauces and creams and pounds of sugar—contaminating the kitchen.

Velia held one finger. “One more trip,” and then she was gone.

Bellastrega turned her attention back to the hearty vegetable stew that had been simmering on the stove. She sighed contentedly as she breathed in the aroma of the rosemary and Italian seasonings. Angelica’s favorite. As she glanced at the appetizing array of vegetables, she mentally calculated how long it would take to finish cooking. Everything was on schedule, and dinner would be on the table at six o’clock. Why had Velia decided to arrive three hours early?

From the start, Bellastrega had her misgivings about this all-girls weekend. She had listened while Angelica lovingly described each niece and shared her concerns regarding their unhappy lives. At first, Bellastrega had humored her, not realizing Angelica was intending to help her nieces get back on track. Her duty as aunt, she had explained.

Bellastrega had formed her own judgments regarding the three younger women. Usually right on target, Bellastrega had been surprised when this particular incarnation of Velia Russo arrived, laden with her food gifts. From Angelica’s descriptions, Bellastrega had expected a younger version of her mother, Rosetta, a heavy-set hausfrau and gossip, not this glamour-puss who could pass for a younger Martha Stewart. But first impressions could be deceiving.

“Help. I need your help.” The whiny voice interrupted Bellastrega’s thoughts. Sighing, she lowered the heat and made her way to the living room.

Bellastrega resisted the urge to laugh as she took in the comical sight before her. To save herself another trip, Velia had decided to lug in a large Pullman using her left hand, carry a pastry box in her right hand, and use her teeth to hold on to her purse.

All this for a weekend get-together? What would she have packed for a longer trip? Bellastrega forced a smile as she took the pastry box from Velia.

About the Author:

In 2008, Joanne Guidoccio took advantage of early retirement and launched a second act as a writer. Her articles and book reviews have been published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories. A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Joanne writes paranormal romances, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.

Website – https://joanneguidoccio.com
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7277706.Joanne_Guidoccio
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.ca/jguidoccio/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorjoanneguidoccio
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneguidoccio/
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Joanne-Guidoccio/e/B00FAWJGCG/

Buy links:

Amazon (US) - ttps://www.amazon.com/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX
Amazon (Canada) - https://www.amazon.ca/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX
Amazon (UK) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX
Amazon (Australia) - https://www.amazon.com.au/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX/

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Dirty and Sweet by Megan Slayer

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a randomly drawn winner a $15 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

There’s a debt and she’s willing to pay -- with her heart!

Alex Malachi wants a sub, but not just any girl. He needs the right one. The moment he sees Jessie, he knows he’s found the perfect sub. He won’t stop until she’s his.

Jessie Brown’s been in lust with Alex Malachi since she started working at his BDSM club, Indigo. When he requests her services, she can’t refuse. Jessie’s always had a thing for older men, and Alex fits her bill. But when Alex realizes Jessie’s father owes him over a hundred grand, will the offer involve paying the bill with her heart?

Read an Excerpt

“I’m told you’re not able to attend college. That’s what you informed me of, too, correct?” he asked.

She stiffened. She’d given him the truth earlier, so there was no need to lie now. “I thought the college had increased my tuition, but it turned out that the money just hadn’t been paid. I don’t know what happened, but I didn’t find out I was late until the past due notices came. By then, the semester had started, and I was out on my ass. I asked my father, but he seems clueless.”

“I see,” he said. “Your father borrowed a lot of money.”

“He did.” She winced. She wasn’t sure where the cash had gone.

“You can’t go back until you’re paid up?”

“Correct. I can afford the books on my wages here, but not the tuition or my apartment. I had to move back in with my father.” She rubbed her bare arms to hide the chill and the embarrassment. “I’m in the hole with the school for almost nine grand.”

“I see.”

She stroked the front of his suit coat, loving the feel of the soft fabric under her fingers. “What do you want from me? You said there was a deal.”

©Megan Slayer 2020, All Rights Reserved

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:

Website: http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm
Sign up for the newsletter here: http://ymlp.com/xgjmjumygmgj
Blog: https://wendizwaduk.wordpress.com/
Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/wendizwaduk.meganslayer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MeganSlayer

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Sweet-Malachi-Brothers-1-ebook/dp/B08LG4BZCW/ref=sr_1_2

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Trusting a Warrior by Melanie Hansen

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

Five things you probably can’t guess about me:

1. I’m way older than I look! People tell me that all the time, and they’re usually shocked when I say I’m 52. I’m proud of looking younger, but catch me first thing in the morning and I do look every second of that age, ha ha.

2. I’ve never read the Harry Potter books *ducks* or Lord of the Rings books *ducks again*. I haven’t seen any of the movies either! I fall asleep during most movies, to be honest. Must be my age.

3. Back in my 20s, I used to be an avid camper and backpacker. I’m talking roughing it—filtering my own water, no bathrooms, days without a shower, etc. Now my idea of roughing it is when there’s no coffeepot in my hotel room!

4. I spent thirteen years as a court reporter. I’ve worked on murder trials, pharmaceutical trials, federal and state grand juries, stays of execution, all of that. I’ve flown on private jets and seen bullet holes in lawyers’ office windows put there by disgruntled clients. It was a fun, interesting, and never-boring job, that’s for sure! It might sound crazy, but I also don’t miss it at all.

5. My husband recently retired from the Navy, and during the first twelve years of our marriage, we moved eight times! My boys went to three different elementary schools. Now that he’s retired from the military, we’re finally able to put some roots down here in Arizona. I secretly love moving, though. Don’t tell my family!

Thanks so much for hosting me today!

George Monteverdi always had one goal, to become a navy SEAL. Now that he's both a SEAL and a K-9 handler, saving lives is his priority. When tragedy touches his own life, he handles it—with the help of his crew and his dog, Bosch. Having those guys by his side means he’ll never be alone…though any sort of romance feels like a faraway dream.

Heartbroken after her fiancé falls in love with another woman, Lani Abuel seeks comfort in the arms of a stranger, only to find herself pregnant and alone. She’ll do whatever it takes to be a good mother, which means finally facing the trauma in her past. The last thing she expected was a warrior with wounds all too similar to hers finding his way into her heart and loving her child as his own.

As their worlds entwine, Lani and Geo find the joy and redemption they’ve been seeking. But despite the sanctuary they’ve created, a forever love seems impossible. A K-9 handler who spends most of his time deployed with his SEAL team, staring danger in the eye, is far from what Lani—or her baby—needs, and Geo can’t imagine a future doing anything else.

Read an Excerpt

When they reached the reception hall, Geo and Lani stood just outside the pool of light, watching while the wedding couple danced together on the gazebo. The bride was radiant in a light pink cocktail dress, her groom in khaki pants, the sleeves of his matching pink button-up shirt rolled to his elbows.

“Aww, they look so beautiful and happy together, don’t they?” Lani whispered. “Best wishes to them both.”

Loud laughter drew their attention to a knot of young men leaning against a nearby railing, bottles of beer in hand, their boisterousness and camaraderie instantly recognizable. Geo nodded at them. “Team guys.”

She grimaced, her pleasure at the sight of the happy couple draining away. The bride had not only married her husband, she’d married the whole community and the demands it brought with it. It wouldn’t be an easy or glamorous life, not by a long shot.

“Well, good luck to them both, then,” she said. “They’re gonna need it.”

Geo quirked his lips at her. “Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, huh?”

“Hell, yeah, I got the T-shirt.” Tugging on his arm, she steered them past the wedding and on down the beach. “How about you? What sort of relationship skeletons do you have in your closet?” She’d said it lightly, teasingly, and was surprised to feel his biceps tense.

He didn’t say anything for a few beats, then, “I lived with someone for about a year once. His name was Jake.”

It took a moment for his meaning to sink in. Careful to keep both her face and voice neutral, Lani said, “His name?”

“I’m bi. So yeah, ‘closet’ is a pretty good word for it.”

Risking a glance up at him, she could see how rigid his jaw was, his lips compressed into a tight line. How much trust had it taken for him to reveal that? A pang shot through her. More than she’d ever know.

About the Author:

Melanie Hansen doesn’t get nearly enough sleep. She loves all things coffee-related, including collecting mugs from every place she’s visited. After spending eighteen years as a military spouse, Melanie definitely considers herself a moving expert. She has lived and worked all over the country, and hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to the love stories she gets up in the wee hours to write. On her off-time, you can find Melanie watching baseball, reading or spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.

Trusting a Warrior Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Trusting-Warrior-Loving-Book-ebook/dp/B07SJ72DS7/

Website: https://melaniehansenbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009084006829
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelJoyAZ
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13505006.Melanie_Hansen

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Jungleland by M.T. Bass

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

1. Although I am a Commercial Pilot and a Certified Flight Instructor, I am afraid of heights. Or, maybe as my brother-in-law Tom says, I’m actually afraid of falling. I don’t feel that way in an airplane cockpit. There’s a huge difference to me between altitude and heights. I just don’t think about it there.

2. I spent a lot of years doing computer programming, designing business CRM (Customer Relationship Management) projects, and a golfer’s statistical tracking system. I inadvertently prepared for it by studying Philosophy in college. Little did I know how important that class in logic—and all the ORs, ANDs, IFs, THENs, and THEREFOREs I had to sort out—would be for putting together computer machine language arguments.

3. After college I wanted to learn how to do a professional recording of our band, so I apprenticed at a local recording studio. This was in the now by-gone era of magnetic tape, head degaussers, and editing with grease pencils and razor blades. To teach that to us, I found this old assignment given to me and my buddy Kevin to put together a 10 minute (exactly!) audio montage which had to include: 1) an atomic bomb explosion; 2) the sound of a race car; 3) Knute Rockne: https://soundcloud.com/electron-alley/who-is-harry-truman-audio-montage

4. I’ve played 788 live music gigs with Project Mojo and well over a 1,000 total since I started playing guitar at 16 years old.

5. The fastest I have ever driven is 118 MPH on Interstate 70

“There are only two types of aircraft: fighters and targets.” ~Doyle ‘Wahoo’ Nicholson, USMC

Sweating it out in the former Belgian Congo as a civil war mercenary, with Sparks turning wrenches on his T-6 Texan, Hawk splits his time flying combat missions and, back on the ground, sparring with Ella, an attractive young missionary doctor, in the sequel to My Brother’s Keeper.

Read an Excerpt

“Eric.”

He looked at me.

“What is wrong?”

“Do you know what they did?”

“Who is they?”

“The Simbas. Up north. In Stanleyville.”

I shook my head.

He nodded his head quickly up and down. “You would not think that—you know, the cruelty of it all.”

“What did they do?”

“Well, you know they have several hundred prisoners up there and they are threatening to kill them all if the government forces come.”

“And we’re going, right?”

“Oh, yes. Oh, yes. You will hear about it tomorrow.”

“But what did they do?” I asked.

“The Simbas? They are—“ He stood up.

“Eric.” I stood up and grabbed his shoulder. “What is going on?”

Eric slowly sat back down. “It was the mayor.”

“And?”

“And the mayor there, Bond…Bondess…Bondekwe or something. I don’t know, but they stripped him down completely naked and stood him up in front of a mad, mad crowd of rebels.”

I waited. “And?”

Eric shook his head.

“And?”

“And they carved his liver out—while he was still alive.”

I could feel my face squint in repulsion.

“Yes, while he was still alive.”

“Alive?”

“Then they cut it up while it was still hot and—and—and they ate it in front of him as he died.”

I sat down at the end of my cot. “Jesus.”

“Yes, damn it—Jesus Christ, already. Yes, right in front of him. While he watched them and died…”

About the Author:

M.T. Bass is a scribbler of fiction who holds fast to the notion that while victors may get to write history, novelists get to write/right reality. He lives, writes, flies and makes music in Mudcat Falls, USA.

Born in Athens, Ohio, M.T. Bass grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, majoring in English and Philosophy, then worked in the private sector (where they expect “results”) mainly in the Aerospace & Defense manufacturing market. During those years, Bass continued to write fiction. He is the author of eight novels: My Brother’s Keeper, Crossroads, In the Black, Somethin’ for Nothin’, Murder by Munchausen, The Darknet (Murder by Munchausen Mystery #2), The Invisible Mind (Murder by Munchausen Mystery #3) and Article 15. His writing spans various genres, including Mystery, Adventure, Romance, Black Comedy and TechnoThrillers. A Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor, airplanes and pilots are featured in many of his stories. Bass currently lives on the shores of Lake Erie near Lorain, Ohio.

Website: https://www.mtbass.net/
Blog: https://www.owl-works.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owlworks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Owlworks
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/mtbass
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5270962.M_T_Bass

Purchasing Links

Website: https://mtbassauthor.wordpress.com/scribblings/jungleland/
Apple iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/jungleland-white-hawk-aviation-stories-2/id1526689285
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jungleland-mt-bass/1137448962

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The Unholy by Paul DeBlassie III

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Paul DeBlassie III will be awarding $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.

Share five things we’d probably never guess about you. Fun, interesting, edifying or even embarrassing.

Fun: My wife, Kate, and I met doing music. Two years ago late at night, a bunch of Greek musicians on the island of Mykonos urged us on to play a few tunes. We did, and one and all had a great time.

Interesting: I live with the most fascinating person in the world, Kate, my artist/musician/art historian wife of forty years.

Edifying: At Kate’s urging I turned my literary pen from psychology writing to supernatural thrillers, an adventure that left me breathless – just like Kate.

Embarrassing: One time tried to write more sex into my stories and Kate did her thumbs down thing, said my talents in the area lie elsewhere. I think I got what she meant (I hope).

Fifth Thing You’d Never Guess: You’d never guess that my supernatural thrillers charge out of me from my nightmares. Yup, they hit the page white hot and hopefully make it onto your reading list. Check them out, especially The Unholy. It’ll give you a thrill and a chill.

Winner of the International Book Award and Pinnacle Book Award for Visionary Fiction! The Unholy is a dramatic story of Claire Sanchez, a young medicine woman, intent on discovering the closely-guarded secrets of her past. Forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil Archbishop, William Anarch, she confronts the dark side of religion and the horror of one man's will to power.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read an Excerpt

 

As she ran forward, out of nowhere the two crows flew at her, scraping the air near her face with their sharp talons. Fists clenched, she struck out at one and grabbed at the other. They flew up, circled overhead, then dove, talons flaring. Unmoving, Claire placed her hands by her side and held their gaze.

 

They fluttered above her head for a minute, then left. Claire turned and saw an eagle soaring—a healer’s spirit manifestation. Medicine women said it came only when needed, when danger lurked.

 

Frantically tugging away bush, bramble, and cacti, she uncovered the mouth of the seventh cave and stepped in. She had the feeling somebody was watching.

 

Her eyes adjusted and she made out the contour of something. Squinting, she stooped and touched what seemed to be a circle of stones and charred, cold logs. She stood up and pulled back. A bat flew at her. She waved it away.

 

She stopped, waited for her breathing to slow, and, stepping sideways, touched the walls of the cave. They were damp and the stink of blood and guts was everywhere. Using the hard surfaces as a guide, her fingertips suddenly brushed through a hollow space roughly the size of a human body.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D. is a depth psychologist and award-winning writer living in his native New Mexico. He specializes in treating individuals in emotional and spiritual crisis. His novels, visionary thrillers, delve deep into archetypal realities as they play out dramatically in the lives of everyday people. Memberships include the Author’s Guild, Visionary Fiction Alliance, Depth Psychology Alliance, International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, and the International Association for Jungian Studies.

 

https://www.pauldeblassieiii.com/

 

https://twitter.com/pdeblassieiii?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

 

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-DeBlassie-III/e/B00E5TBJXY

 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3938141.Paul_DeBlassie_III

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Unholy-Paul-DeBlassie-III-ebook/dp/B07BL2JQSB

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-unholy-paul-deblassie-iii/1116031770

 

 

 

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