Spotlight on Time and Forever – 99¢ on Amazon!

Susan James is sharing Time and Forever…The ebook is available for 99¢ on Amazon (US) and Amazon (UK), today and tomorrow (April 19 and April 20).

Blurb

Two women in their sixties time travel to 1969 — London and Los Angeles.

One finds an old love. One finds a new.

But time travel has rules. And that’s a problem.

Being in their sixties has its perks. Sherry is a successful businesswoman. Lorena’s an actress on a popular sitcom. Sherry’s husband dumped her for a younger woman eighteen years ago. Lorena’s husband died of cancer. Sherry wants a second chance at love. Lorena doesn’t think second chances are possible. She can’t imagine loving anyone but Dave.

But when a glitch in a Virtual Reality Adventure game sends them back to 1969 London, “possible” takes on a whole new dimension. Are they willing to pay the price to alter their future?

I was captivated from the first page and stayed up late two nights in a row to finish reading.

Beautifully crafted and well-paced, Time and Forever crosses several genres and features dual storylines spanning over 40+ years on two different continents.

Best friends Sherry and Lorena decide to embark on a virtual reality adventure back to the summer of ’69. Obsessed with the memory of a handsome stranger she once kissed on a London train, Sherry hopes to rewrite history and indulge in an unforgettable fling. Lorena later returns to her own unlived adventure during the summer of ’69 in Los Angeles.

The “what if” aspects of this novel make the storyline so compelling. While these scenarios could never be explored in the real world, it is heartwarming to read about two women who are able to navigate the ups and downs of relationships in extraordinary circumstances.

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

Author Bio

Susan writes second chance romances with a touch of magic as Susan B. James and children’s books as Susan J. Berger.She writes older heroines because she is chronologically gifted and enjoys creating characters who remember that change is only on the outside. Inside our older shells is a much younger psyche.

In her debut romance, Time and Forever, two women in their sixties inadvertently travel back to London in 1969. Time and Forever was a 2015 Golden Quill finalist for Best First Book and a 2015 RONE finalist for Best Time Travel Book.

Maybe This Time, the companion book, came out July 12, 2017.

Susan’s other career is acting. Last year, among other things, she killed Kathy Bates on American Horror Story. This she, among other things, she got stabbed by a pen on Future Man and played the victim on Major Crimes. Karma? Who knows what’s next. The joy is in the journey.

Where to find Susan James…

Blog (Adult Books) | Blog (Children’s Books) | Facebook | Goodreads

Where to find Susan Berger…

Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Website (Acting)


All About Haiku Poetry

Today is National Haiku Poetry Day, a day aside to encourage everyone to try his/her hand at poetry.

Haiku poetry is a classical form of Japanese poetry that is non-rhyming and consists of three lines with the following syllable pattern:

First Line – 5 syllables
Second Line – 7 syllables
Third Lines – 5 syllables

These poems are usually inspired by nature, abstract subjects, and individual experiences or events.

Continue reading on the Sisterhood of Suspense blog.

Believe in You

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Whenever I need a quick pick-me-upper, I listen to these motivational messages from Debbie Allen. Background music is by Patrick Ki.


Spotlight on Highland Hope – Free on Amazon!

Madelyn Hill is sharing Highland Hope, Book 1 of The Wild Thistle Trilogy…It’s available free on Amazon, today through Thursday.

Blurb

“Remember, lasses. Through Hope, Faith, and Honor, ye can rule,” were the last words Lady Hope MacAlister’s father spoke before dying. Those very words direct her every action and thought. Sword fighting and leading the men of her clan was second nature to Hope and she has little time for herself or any thoughts of love. Until Aidan MacKerry is captured spying on the clan.

She is beautiful, strong, and quick to pull a sword. But when he kisses her, all thoughts of the lairdship Aidan MacKerry seeks flee his mind. When the enemy continues to undermine Hope, Aidan is determined to aid her—only he didn’t think he’d lose his heart to the Laird of Wild Thistle Keep. When the enemy reveals Aidan’s secret, he must fight for his right to be laird and prove, despite their differences, he loves Hope.

The enemy refuses to back down and continues to threaten not only Hope, but the security of the entire clan. Only together will they be able to save the clan and save their love.

Amazon (US) | Amazon (Canada) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon Australia

Bio

Madelyn Hill is an historical author who loves the lure of Scotland, captivating Highlanders and the strong women they love.

Many of her novels were finalist for the National Rone Award, which honors literary excellence in romance writing. Highland Honor was awarded the coveted Crowned Heart by In’Dtale Magazine.

Madelyn’s first book, Wolf’s Castle has been #1 in the Historical and Scottish Romance category at Amazon.

Madelyn lives in Western New York with her husband, three children and a naughty puppy named Cannoli.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | BookBub | Amazon | Goodreads

Reading in the Time of COVID-19

During this challenging period, I find myself craving a daily escape into another world, one totally removed from the present reality. With the help of three amazing authors, I was able to escape into well-crafted novels that kept me reading well into the night.

Here are my reviews:

I struggled to put down this fascinating tale about two women from two different eras. While I tended to sympathize more with 1950s housewife Nellie Murdoch, I will admit that Alice Hale faces her own demons as she navigates a turbulent contemporary marriage.

Determined to launch a writing career, Alice finds inspiration in the most unlikely of places: Nellie’s cookbook and unsent letters. Intrigued by Nellie—who happens to be the deceased former owner of her new house in the suburbs—Alice cooks her way through the recipes and reflects upon the subtext within the letters. Not all is as it first appears in this character-driven novel filled with suspense and something possibly more sinister.

A thought-provoking book that will linger in consciousness!

buynow


All the elements are there—intrigue, romance, and murder—set against the backdrop of Mystic Keep, a small town on the Pacific coast. Add in a hot human detective, a rogue warlock, an annoying vampire, sarcastic familiars, a mischievous young witch, and an unknown force of darkness…Protagonist Cassie Black (who also happens to be a witch) has more than her hands full in this second installment of the Perfect Brew Trilogy. Ms. Carson has expertly woven all these elements into a delightful tale that borders on fantasy and cozy mystery.

Well done!



buynow


Captivated by the first chapter, I stayed up two nights to finish reading this character-driven novel brimming with suspense. It definitely helps to have an unexpected inheritance, hidden secrets and tunnels, an eclectic cast of characters, and a murder conviction that needs to be overturned. Set against the backdrop of small-town America, the book succeeds in completely transporting me to Sweet Iron. At times, it felt like Ms. Van Kirk had endowed the town with human characteristics.

An excellent start to an intriguing new cozy mystery series!



buynow

Change One Thing

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

In this time of COVID-19, it is so easy to become overwhelmed by our circumstances. Focusing on what is within our control and taking tiny steps toward future goals can help us gain perspective.

This excerpt from Cassie Werber‘s article provides more details:

In order to make any change in one’s life—whether it’s to get out of debt, become fit enough to run a marathon, or get on better with your family—start with a single change. It should be small; not a goal, but a tiny first step. It could be to run for ten minutes; to spend two minutes drawing; to prepare a healthy work lunch for one day a week. It could be to stay in hard conversations for a moment after you want to leave, and spend that moment trying to listen.

Leo Babauta (founder of Zen Habits) advises that to turn changes into habits, it’s important to make the change tiny, and let it embed: he suggests making one change every four to six weeks. Having experimented on himself, he also advises addressing one thing at a time, rather than trying to solve work, love, health, or family problems simultaneously. He’s boiled down all his teachings into what he calls one “algorithm…a series of steps that you can apply to make any change, no matter what your situation”:

1. Start very small.

2. Do only one change at a time.

3. Be present and enjoy the activity (don’t focus on results).

4. Be grateful for every step you take.

The beauty of the method is that its smallness removes the problems that result from many self-help recommendations and resolutions: too often they leave people quickly overwhelmed by the task in hand, or swamped by a sense of failure. The change should be so small it’s not hard to do. What takes rigor, for people drenched in stimuli and commitments, is identifying something that is truly small enough.

Source: The Zen Rule for Being Happy: Change One Thing

Book Blast: Dog Town

I’m happy to welcome author Debbie L. Richardson. Today, Debbie shares her latest release, Dog Town.

Blurb

Harry loves to race around the streets of Dog Town. When he stumbles upon the lost city of cats, he finds himself in a race against Dog Town’s fastest canine, Grizzly.

The winner of this race will have the power to save Cat World, or destroy it.

Harry wants to win, but there is one small problem. The race is in the ocean, and Harry is terribly afraid of water.

Can Harry overcome his fear of the water and save Cat Town?

Excerpt

Harry spied the bell of the clock tower over the treetops. He heard the bell strike the first of twelve chimes.

“First place, here I come,” he whooped with delight.

“First to the finish line has to take a bath,” Fleabag shouted, right on his tail.

“Stop changing the rules, Fleabag,” he barked.

“At least we can tolerate a bath,” Junior cried out, though from further away.

Junior was talking about Harry’s phobia – called ablutophobia, a fear of water. Harry suffered terribly from it. He was even afraid to get too close to his water bowl in case it tipped over. And he never bathed. His brown coat could very well have been white underneath the dirt for all anyone knew.

He could see no point in bathing anyway, because he often rolled in something filthy afterwards.

Even now, the thought of water made Harry look up at the sky. Above was a wide expanse of blue without a cloud in sight. Just the way he liked it.

Sneaking a look behind him, he saw Junior trailing behind in third place. Junior’s attention was more on the traffic than on the race. But Fleabag, who was in second place, was gaining on him. She was competitive, probably more competitive than Harry, yet something other than competitiveness propelled Harry forward. Harry was the champion racer, and he’d been the champion racer for two years. He wasn’t about to quit and give up the title.

Buy Links

Kobo | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Author Bio and Links

Debbie Richardson has published fiction novels as D L Richardson. She has published three young adults supernatural fiction novels, and science fiction and supernatural thrillers for adults. This is her first children’s book.

She was born in Dublin, Ireland and grew up in Australia. It was always crowded and noisy in the family home. At one stage there were also three dogs, a cat, a budgie, and three mice living with seven people the same house.

Debbie learned to find a quiet space within books.

She now lives in the south coast of New South Wales with her husband and a small dog named Teeka.

Website | Facebook

Giveaway

Debbie Richardson will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Enter here

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

My Yoga Practice…Then and Now

In late June of 2009, the following newspaper advertisement caught my attention:

Unlimited yoga during the months of July and August for $160

I planned to attend three classes a week and see how I felt by the end of the summer.

I was hooked after the first week.

The classes were small, and the instructors were able to work with me on an individual basis. I test-drove all the instructors and then zeroed in on my favorites: Amy, the social worker from Newfoundland who had completed her training in India; Claudia, the young mother who offered a structured class that appealed to my left-brain tendencies; and Lisa, the quintessential willow.

Continue reading on the Soul Mate Authors blog.

A Week of Mermaid Posts

I’m grateful to everyone who supported the $0.99 promotion of my mermaid novels, Between Land and Sea and The Coming of Arabella.

Special thanks to the bloggers who spread the news throughout Canada, US, and UK.


Here’s a recap of the week’s posts:

Monday, March 30

Sharing Mermaid Humor (my blog)

Tuesday, March 31

A Tale of Two Trailers (Sisterhood of Suspense blog)

All About Fantasy Hen Lit (Jacqui Biggar)

Antagonist Interview (Sue Berger)

Wednesday, April 1

Are You Ready to Suspend Belief? (Chris the Story Reading Ape)

Mermaid Wisdom (C.D. Hersh)

Inspirational Quotes (Nancy Badger)

Thursday, April 2

Men and Mermaids (Peggy Jaeger)

Interview with Vicki Batman

Friday, April 3

Interview with Helen Hulene Bartell

A Different Kind of Fantasy Element (my blog)

***Today is the last day of the sale***

Blurb – Between Land and Sea

After giving up her tail for an international banker, Isabella of the Mediterranean kingdom is aged, weathered, and abandoned on the fog-drenched shores of southwest England. She faces her human journey as a plain and practically destitute fifty-three-year-old woman.

With the help of a magic tablet and online mermaid support, she reinvents herself as a career counselor, motivational speaker, and writer of self-help books. Along the way, she encounters a cast of unforgettable characters, among them former mermaids, supportive and not-so-supportive women, deserving and undeserving men, and several New Agers. As Isabella evolves into Barbara Davies, she embraces her middle-aged body, heals her bruised heart, and learns to love again.

This contemporary version of The Little Mermaid offers hope and inspiration to anyone who has been dumped, deceived, or demoted. It will also appeal to mermaid enthusiasts.

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

Blurb- the Coming of Arabella

On the day of her engagement party, an ex-mermaid’s life is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of another mermaid—a sister she has never known. Under normal circumstances, Barbara Davies would be overjoyed, but her special day is already wrought with tension. While Barbara is not the first mermaid from the Mediterranean kingdom to settle in small town Ontario, she has yet to reveal her origins to her fiancé. So, when Arabella, the gorgeous sister whose disturbing black eyes banished her to the island of Crete, saunters into her life, clutching the arm of Barbara’s discarded lover, a powder keg of emotion is released.

Relationships falter and careers stall as envy stirs in the hearts of the sisters. On the verge of meltdown after her fiancé leaves Canada for a teaching job in Vermont, Barbara flees to Arizona hoping for a reprieve. There, she finds solace at a retreat for ex-mermaids and a second chance at love with a charismatic preacher. As she contemplates a new life in the desert paradise of Sedona, shocking secrets emerge and tragedy strikes. A stronger and wiser Barbara rises up to face these new challenges and embrace the best parts of her mermaid heritage.

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)