I’m happy to welcome author Jessica Rakus. Today, Jessica shares her creative journey and her new release, Haven Strong.

Here’s Jessica!

What was your inspiration for this book?

The book started as a personal reaction to the Humboldt Broncos hockey team bus crash in April of 2018. As a hockey fan, the next several months contained frequent reminders, and every time, I’d feel a strangely deep pain. I was still crying months later. Eventually, I decided to write something down, to try to take my emotions and give them to someone else.

What is the best part of being an author? The worst?

The best part has definitely been getting feedback now that my debut novel is out in the world. Probably because the feedback has been positive (haha), but also just because there’s something about it being a book I can hold in my hands that means I’m a “real writer” (whatever that means). The hardest part is finishing! I have so many projects sitting at 75% ready for publication, and getting to that 100% mark feels impossible some days. I know I need to (and not just because I’m getting asked when my next book is coming out).

Describe your writing space.

I mostly work at a desk in my living room, a room that has also become my home office since I started working remotely a couple years ago. It’s scattered and messy, because my brain and my life are scattered and messy. I do have a separate desk and computer for writing and for work, so I can at least keep the two separate.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Healing powers! I’ve always thought that would be incredible, being able to lay hands and fix everything. I’d imagine that’s something I do by writing – I can fix the things that are hurting these people, even if they’re pretend.

Besides writing and reading, what are some of your hobbies?

I’m an avid scrapbooker (hence the scattered and messy desk!), and currently my daughter and I are learning to crochet together.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

My advice would be to read everything you can get your hands on, write constantly, and write what you love. Don’t stress about market trends and how it’s “supposed” to be done. Sure, learn the craft, but if you love writing about werewolves, just write about werewolves (or whatever they’re saying is “out”).

What are you working on next?

Almost certainly by the end of 2026, I’ll have a new book out, title TBD, about a newly widowed woman navigating her grief and finding love in a surprising place (sound familiar, readers?).

Blurb

Josephine Grant lives a charmed life – a husband, three perfect children, strong bonds with family and friends in the small town where she’s lived her entire life. She’s the helper, the hostess, the one who always shows up. The person who can do it all.

Then the bus carrying her son’s basketball team crashes, and Jo’s husband and son are among the lives lost. Now she has a new identity. Widow. Single mother. Woman who lost everything. Grief begins to tear apart the place that’s always been her home. Infighting among friends. Gossip and rumors. Wounds that may never heal and bonds that just might.

Now Jo has to rebuild her life, but as the person who thinks of herself as the helper, asking others to help hold her together is impossible. Jo must learn to lean on others as she learns to stand on her own.

Excerpt

I handed my husband his sneakers, shoes he should have been able to keep better track of, given how often he wore them. At least he didn’t leave them where I’d trip on them, like the kids did.

“Thanks, Jo, you’re a lifesaver.” He cupped my face with his free hand. My shoulders relaxed and I melted against him, forgetting all the things on my to do list. My eyes drifted shut as he kissed me, the lingering kiss we were rarely allowed, with three kids running around the house. Our daughters were spending a few hours with their grandparents, and our son was upstairs ignoring us. And even without the kids interrupting us, Steve’s cell phone pulled us apart, ringing incessantly from his pocket.

“Ignore it, Steve,” I murmured against his lips.

“It’s Reston, and we have to leave anyway.” He stepped away from me and answered the phone call before sitting down to tug on the sneakers, grubby with constant wear. “We’re on our way, I swear. Walking out the door as we speak.”

A lie. Despite multiple reminders we needed to leave, Matt was still in his room. Matt and Steve were due at school in ten minutes to catch the bus to this evening’s basketball game. And if the head coach was calling, we had to leave the house now.

Author Bio and Links

Jessica Rakus is a debut novelist, after many, many years of writing practice. She currently lives in Louisiana, after living briefly in seven other states.

Website | Amazon Buy Link | Barnes & Noble Buy Link

Giveaway

Jessica Rakus will be awarding a $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

Follow Jessica on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

I’m happy to welcome author C.P. Silver. Today, she shares her creative journey and new release, Whispers of the Elixir.

Interview

What is the best part of being an author? The worst?

For me, the best part about being an author is getting to do what I love. During all the years I practiced law, writing was always my dream job, and it has lived up to my expectations. Even the frustrations of having to scrap something and start over, or facing writer’s block, don’t take the joy out of it for me.

The worst part then, isn’t about the writing itself, but what happens after: marketing. Getting your book into the hands of the people it was written for isn’t always straightforward, and sometimes feels like an uphill battle.

Which authors have inspired you?

Various authors have inspired me in different ways. In terms of world-building, definitely J. R. R. Tolkien and Jin Yong, with their layered cultures and sweeping epic settings.

But in terms of my writing journey, it would have to be Michael J. Sullivan. He was so open about how he learned to write, which was in part by studying authors he admired. Since I love his books, I was inspired to do the same, and learned so much in the process.

What is your favorite quote?

This changes depending on the season of my life. Right now, I’d say it’s one from The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

This feels so poignant right now, with all that’s happening in the world. Because, while we can’t control everything, we do have the power to determine what we say and do and accomplish in our own lives.

Besides writing and reading, what are some of your hobbies?

I’d have to say painting is the main one. Creating a scene with a paintbrush gives me that same magical feeling as when I’m creating one with words, like anything is possible. And those rare moments when I manage to transmit the picture in my head onto the canvas always leave me with a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

Keep improving through practice. Even the greats (or perhaps especially the greats) say they’re still striving for improvement.

Also, avail yourself of writing craft books and training videos, and really study them. There are a thousand good ones.

But above all, keep going.
When work, or sickness, or family commitments make you drop your writing for weeks on end, pick it up again.

When you have to delete entire chapters because you took a wrong turn somewhere, just start over.

When others read your work, and their feedback crushes your soul, don’t give up.

I’ll borrow a quote used by many people in different contexts: If you keep on writing and don’t give up, finishing your book is “not only possible, it’s inevitable.”

What are you working on next?

I have a number of irons in the fire right now.

The one that will be released the soonest is the prequel to my series. It’s a short story that follows the journey of my protagonist’s mother—who also happens to be the main antagonist of Whispers of the Elixir.

Then there are other short stories that I work on whenever I can, which I find is a wonderful way to vary my writing practice.

Finally, I’ve got the first drafts of books 2, 3, and 4 of the Order of the Ember series in the works. I’m writing these simultaneously to ensure consistency across the series. Needless to say, this is a fairly big project, but I’m loving every moment of it.

Blurb

A matriarchal empire. A princess with forbidden magic. A mother who would kill to protect her own legacy.

As heir to the Min empire, Tori has spent her life under the iron will of her mother, Empress Zinchen—a sovereign determined to shape the world in her own image. But Tori has been hiding a dangerous secret: a forbidden elemental power tied to the world’s mythic past. If Zinchen discovers the truth, it will cost Tori her life.

Haunted by this threat, Tori flees into the hidden lands—an ancient realm of ghost-flowers, sentient forests, and immortals from a half-remembered age. But magic here is neither blessing nor curse—it is a reflection, a test, a force that shapes as much as it destroys. And as her trials progress, Tori is stripped of certainty and pride. To survive her mother’s ambition, she must use what she learns to suppress the power that could doom her—but in doing so, she risks losing the very future she was born to inherit.

Whispers of the Elixir begins the Order of the Ember series—a character-driven epic of legacy, sacrifice, and the strength of a princess destined to rise from the shadows and claim her place in legend.

In Whispers of the Elixir, you will find the political intrigue of Andrea Stewart, the mythic worldbuilding of Ken Liu, and the emotional resonance of M.L. Wang.

Excerpt

A cool, fluid resistance hit her head, flowed down her spine, and clung to her clothes, as though she were walking through a curtain of water. Sounds muffled, apart from the tinkle of trickling droplets, and the earth felt slick beneath her feet.

A moment later, the sensation ended, and she checked her body, finding it dry. All that remained was a feeling of pleasant freshness. Master Banfay stood a few steps ahead, poking idly at the ground, and at the sight of him, relief flooded her—she was in!

She looked around and gaped—the forest burst with color. It was as though she had been viewing the world until now through a dull, gray-tinted pane, and had finally stepped into the open. The air, too, had a purity she had never imagined possible, and everything felt alive in a way that didn’t seem rational.

Elnora popped into sight, looking pale, and Master Banfay finally looked up from the ground.

“Welcome to the Veil of Ayenashi,” he said. “Be happy. Very few mortals ever set foot here.”

From then on, swaying trees bordered their path, along with bubbling fountains where birds bathed, splashing merrily. Lomi filled the place, shimmering and dancing, flashing and swooping, spinning feverishly inside shafts of sunlight.

Author Bio and Links

C.P. Silver writes fantasy set in a world where matriarchy is absolute, with immersive worldbuilding, evocative prose, and emotionally complex characters. A former lawyer who also briefly studied Chinese medicine, her experiences shape the nuance and depth of her debut novel, Whispers of the Elixir, a slow-burn epic centered on legacy, inheritance, and the dangerous cost of power.

Raised in the Cayman Islands, she now lives in Europe. When not writing, she’s usually reading in a quiet nook or walking somewhere green, listening for the next story.

Author Website | Goodreads | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon Buy Link | All Other Retailers

Giveaway

C.P. Silver will be awarding a $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

Follow the author on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

I’m happy to welcome Canadian author Phillippa Mann. Today, Phillippa shares her memoir, House of Cards: Surviving Munchausen by Proxy and a Mother’s Web of Lies.

Blurb

A raw and unflinching memoir of survival, truth, and transformation. Phillippa Mann takes readers deep into the fractured world of a girl who grew up living with a monster–a world where love and fear shared the same face, and silence became a means of survival.

Through heartbreak, chaos, and betrayal, Phillippa’s voice emerges from the shadows as she begins to piece together a life that was never hers to begin with. Her journey is one of courage and reckoning, of facing the unbearable truths that shaped her, and finding strength in vulnerability.

More than a story of pain, House of Cards is a testament to the power of healing and self-forgiveness. It reminds every survivor that bringing hidden truths into the light is not the end – it’s the beginning of reclaiming your story and rebuilding the foundation of who you were always meant to be.

Excerpt

My parents were married in England in June 1969. They emigrated to Canada in 1970, had my brother in September 1972 and me in October 1974. Both sets of my grandparents emigrated to Canada shortly after this to be closer to us.

I was born in Northern BC. My mother separated from my dad and moved to the Lower Mainland in 1976, approximately 900 km away, with her boyfriend at the time. While I have no recollection of that period as I was quite young, I’ve come across photos of my younger self with my dad and brother, and I can see the joy on my face. In those times, I truly felt happy. I remember camping with my dad, fishing, pretending to shave with him, and the smell of the Coleman stove. It was returning home to my mother after spending time with my dad that was the toughest part. Even though I was so little, I knew that something at home wasn’t right. I always felt such intense sadness and anxiety when my dad brought us back home after summer camping, winter break, or his weekend visits. I didn’t know how to articulate what I was feeling, and I struggled to express my emotions at such a young age, but I just knew that I hated it when my dad brought me back home. This is the first recollection I have of the abuse.

Naturally, at such a young age, I didn’t see it as abuse, and it took me over two decades to realize it. My dad would drop me off at my mother’s house before returning north, and even though I knew I’d see him again in a few weeks, to a three- or four-year-old without a grasp of time, it seemed like an eternity. I would cry when he left because I loved him so much and didn’t want him to leave. After my dad left, my mother would be so unkind to me, often ignoring me for days. I do not remember a single word being spoken to me. I recognize she must have said something to me; however, I remember the silence more than anything—the absence of good nights, hugs, or any trace of warmth. It continued until I finally begged her to say something, anything. Eventually, once she got what she wanted, she’d pretend nothing had happened, slipping back into normalcy as if the hurt had never occurred.

Author Bio and Links

Phillippa Mann is a Canadian author who is passionate about helping others find healing through shared experience.

Her memoir, House of Cards: Surviving Munchausen by Proxy and a Mother’s Web of Lies, explores the emotional journey of growing up in chaos and reclaiming strength through forgiveness and self-discovery.

Family is at the heart of everything Phillippa does. She and her husband share a love of creating together, and their children and grandchildren inspire her every day to live with gratitude, laughter, and purpose. When she’s not writing, Phillippa can be found playing with her Corgi, Glenn, crafting handmade gifts, baking cookies and cupcakes for her family business, Sweet Lavender Designs, which she started in memory of a dear friend.

She is currently working on her next creative project, a heartwarming children’s book titled Hop Hop and the Great Garden Adventure, inspired by the wonder and imagination of her grandchildren.

Website | Instagram | Amazon

Giveaway

Phillippa Mann will be awarding a $10 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here .

Follow Phillippa on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here .

I’m happy to welcome author Stu Strumwasser. Today, Stu shares his new release, A Real Collusion.

Blurb

A Real Collusion is about the secret conspiracy between the Republican and Democratic parties to control the US government through an illegal duopoly.

From the author of the bestselling novel, The Organ Broker, (hailed by Lee Child, New York Times # 1 bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series as, “Exciting and thought-provoking–the perfect package”) comes, A Real Collusion, a stunning political thriller and expose.

A Real Collusion is a David Vs. Goliath(s) story about a man who accidentally becomes the leader of an independent political movement that nearly takes down the two-party system in America, while exposing a conspiracy that affects the results of the 2016 election. It explores universal and deeply human themes of loss, and the tension between justice and power. In the opening sentence the narrator points out that, “Ordinary people often do extraordinary things.” The characters in the book do, and the action is driven by the fantastic events of a unique political satire. It is also the heartfelt story of regular people struggling with lost love, alienation and nearly universal disaffection who find strength in enduring loyalty and friendship

This is the story of John Campbell (a regular guy from the lower east side of Manhattan) as recounted by his friend Skip Winters. Skip becomes John’s campaign manager and later, a congressman in his own right. He narrates the stunning-but-plausible story of how John Campbell and The American Coalition race to popularity, raising over a hundred million dollars from grassroots contributors—and become a threat to the political duopoly of the Democratic and Republican parties. The book sprinkles in references to real events from recent history, and real political leaders including Trump, John McCain, and more. This imbues the novel with a sense of realism, albeit one of an alternate reality. Skip discovers a deep-seated conspiracy within our political system whose leaders orchestrate a murder, destroy his friend and tip the scales of the election. The novel turns out to be Skip’s exposé of the secret collaboration between the two major political parties in our country—a cooperation to protect the duopoly that is, in part, real.

Excerpt

Fenterman and I are forever bound by the one and only direct interaction that he ever had with John Campbell. The tragic events of that day ruined all of our lives, and I will never forgive him for it. Or his handlers.

I have spoken to Father MacCauly about this. I am not a particularly religious man and yet I have prayed—I have prayed less for John, or myself, or our country, than I have prayed, truthfully, for the strength to stop despising Steven Fenterman, to let go of the hate that consumes me, even now, years later. I cannot. Nonetheless, beginning around a year after it happened, every few months I got in the car and somberly headed up the Taconic Parkway toward Ossining. I made those drives alone, leaving the radio off, preferring to listen only to the rasp of the wind upon the windshield and frame of my car. I drove, deliberately and obediently, to Ossining Correctional Facility, otherwise known as Sing Sing. I went to visit the man who was the object of more of my hatred than any other person or thing I have ever been repulsed or angered by. I am probably the only visitor who saw Steven Fenterman who didn’t fall into three distinct categories: media, Secret Service, or women obsessed with murderers on death row.

The first time I made the long, quiet drive to Sing Sing, past the suburbs and through the tree-lined stretches of highway in Westchester and Putnam counties, I was shocked that Fenterman agreed to see me. It was the summer of 2016. Trump had clinched the Republican nomination in May and Hillary clinched for the Democrats a few weeks later. I was running for Congress at the time but was still largely unrecognized out in public. I fully expected to be denied access, turned away at the rifle-guarded gates, pointed back to the city after having accomplished nothing more than sending a signal. Still, I wanted him to know that I had been there. I wanted that vermin to think about it—alone in the worn bed of his barren cell—that I had driven an hour along that tree-lined stretch. I wanted him to know that I was thinking about him, that I remained committed. I wanted him to be reminded, every god-damned day, that someone hadn’t forgotten, and to be afforded constant reminders of the fate that he was slipping forward toward there on death row. He should know that I want to confront him, I had thought. He should never stop thinking about all of it, not for one second, never be allowed the respite of a lapse in those memories—just like me. However, the irascible bastard admitted me.

Buy Links

Amazon Link (ebook) | Amazon Link (hardcover) | Barnes & Noble (ebook) | Barnes & Noble (paperback) | Kobo | Apple Books | Google Play (ebook) |
Google Play (audiobook) | Payhip

To read the first two chapters of the novel please visit the following link.

Author Bio and Links

Stu Strumwasser is a modern-day muckraker who writes literary novels that address important sociopolitical issues. His first novel, The Organ Broker, was published by Skyhorse (distributed by Simon & Schuster) and shortlisted as one of five finalists for the Hammett Prize for literary excellence in crime writing. Strumwasser was also the primary songwriter and drummer for the indie rock band Channeling Owen. He is a longtime investment professional (investing in sustainable technology that improves the manner in which we make food) and hails from Brooklyn NY. His new novel, A Real Collusion, is both an exposé and analysis of broken government and a fictional David Vs. Goliath(s) story of the man who almost took down the two-party system in America.

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | TikTok

Here is a link to the author’s op-ed piece in Fortune Magazine: https://fortune.com/2026/04/01/congress-lower-approval-rating-than-hitler-rigged-system

Giveaway

Stu Strumwasser will be awarding a $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

Follow Stu on the rest of his Goddess Fish tour here.