I’m happy to welcome author Kristabel Reed. Today, Kristabel shares her new release, A Curvy Girl’s Haven.

Blurb

Dr. Arabella Stanton is back in Havenbrook, California, seeking a break from her work with Doctors Without Borders. Exhausted and haunted by memories of the refugee camps, she finds solace in the familiar yet changed landscape of her grandmother’s old town. She plans to rest, recuperate, and plan out her next steps—until a persistent knock at her door changes everything.

Garret de la Rosa, a Navy SEAL with his own shadows from missions past, is back in Havenbrook to recover and find some peace. When a mutual friend brings Arabella to his door, he’s bleeding from an injury, and neither expects the connection that sparks between them.

As Arabella and Garret navigate their growing attraction, they also face their personal demons and the reality that their lives are on different paths. Amidst the tranquil beauty of Havenbrook, they find themselves questioning their futures and what they truly want.

Excerpt

Why subject herself to disappointment? No matter how attractive she found him, he was only being grateful. The fact she was ready for a new chapter in her life did not mean Garret would be any part of that new chapter.

“It was nice to see you. If you have any problems”—she made a small gesture to his side—“let me know.”

Arabella offered another smile and nod, and turned to leave.

“Doctor!” Garret called again. “I’m experiencing a problem.”

Frowning, she turned back around, already in doctor mode. “Oh, does it hurt? Is the pain more intense—”

“This beautiful woman,” he interrupted, “refused to go out with me. Twice! I need your advice. Is there anything I can do to convince her that lunch is harmless enough?”

Shocked, she wanted to give a sharp retort about leaving the woman alone if she said no. And then Arabella realized Garret was talking about her. She blinked and laughed, shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Depends on where you want to have lunch.”

After all, if she had lunch with him, he’d stop trying to thank her. Because he’d already have thanked her. And they could both move on. Or something. That was logical reasoning, wasn’t it?

Author Bio and Links

I’m an East Coaster with an insatiable love for pizza and movies. This love has also produced a chubby girl who thought it would be fun to write a few romances for the fuller ladies. And after a long break from writing, I decided to explore the small, California community of Havenbrook; where curvier ladies find hot guys who fall madly in love! After all, curvier girls need love too.

Website | Twitter | Amazon Buy Link | Email

Giveaway

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

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

I’m happy to welcome author Amy Craig. Today, Amy shares her creative journey and new release, The Starlight Motel.

Here’s Amy!

What was your inspiration for this book?

When my husband and I relocated from California to Louisiana with our black lab/shepherd mix, who we refused to put on a plane, we drove through Palm Springs, CA. The agricultural influences amazed me! I always thought of Palm Springs as a 1950s Hollywood resort, but its character goes deeper than Sinatra and desert sands. Don’t get me wrong, those aspects are part of its identity, too, but I wanted to explore the farms and single-story motels dotting the windswept highways.

Also, Kada has more than one identity. She’s a devoted daughter, an artist who needs to regroup, and a caring, compassionate woman who walks the line between responsibility and self-sacrifice. Dane’s not about to let anyone push him around, but what has he missed by being so hardcore?

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

I turn curiosity and personal experiences into complex stories with happy endings.

I turn hours of free time into social media posts.

I think you know which is which!

Describe your writing space.

Crowded desk by my bed and a geriatric Mac. Microsoft doesn’t even support my vintage version of Word. I like to share scenes and beta read on Google Docs, so I’m not totally partying like it’s 1999.

Which authors have inspired you?

Slow clap, Colleen Hoover, for changing your life, but I’m not sure I look to romance authors for life inspiration. Nora Roberts does deserve a lot of respect. I picked up Montana Sky in middle school, and I still have a thing for cowboys. More recently, Ali Hazelwood is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Her witty, smart, and deeply engaging stories always teach me something new.

What is your favorite quote?

I have failed this question since middle school yearbook submissions, and I’m not about to get it right now.

“A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” -John A. Shedd

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” – Invictus by William Ernest Henley

Wait, isn’t THE STARLIGHT MOTEL set in the desert? It does talk about about agriculture and water rights! Poor Kada and Dane. They want to explore sexy time, but their families and professions keep getting in their way.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

I would live forever. I know vampire romances and The Book of Elsewhere: A Novel by Keanu Reeves have that superpower locked down, but I’m pretty sure I would love seeing civilizations evolve on a macro scale.

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

I wake up at five in the morning to run a mile, read, and drink my coffee before my kids and husband claim my time. I also play USTA league tennis. I didn’t pick up a racquet until I was thirty, but it’s a great social and cardiovascular workout. I’ve played pickleball a few times, but I haven’t converted… yet.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

Plan to write more than one book and learn to generate social media content without eroding your writing time. I’m not a great social poster (and I refuse to put my super-cute kids in my public posts), so once you figure out the secret sauce, let me know, too!

What are you working on next?

The third book in a mafia series, THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, comes out September 3, 2024. It’s the third novel in a Romantic Suspense/Mafia Romance/Corporate Romance series called the Sun Valley Mafia Series. Working with two publishers, The Wild Rose Press and Totally Bound, means release dates occasionally overlap! In THE BROKEN BODYGUARD, which can be read as a standalone novel, a corporate bodyguard finds himself protecting a stubborn cowgirl and untangling windswept land politics in Patagonia, Argentina.

Blurb

Experienced muralist Kada took charge of her family’s Palm Springs motel to give her mother time to grieve. As a grant deadline approaches, Kada must convince her mother to manage the motel so she can return to her art. Late in December, Kada encounters a horseman approaching the property. Dane, the reserved son of a local farming family, is a loyal workaholic with limited spare time or experience outside the valley. When lightning startles his horse, he lingers at the motel and stirs up Kada’s emotions about leaving the desert oasis. Wary of mixing business with pleasure, she struggles with her attraction. As New Year’s Eve approaches, will the cowboy convince her to chart a new course?

Excerpt

Kada’s cry of delight bounced off the casita walls. Looking up from the desert pavers, he watched her launch herself into an older woman’s arms. The pair grinned, and their smiles shone brighter than the swaying patio lights. Staying back, he leaned against an adobe wall and watched Kada and Mrs. Ritchie greet each other. The pair did the hug-shake mother-daughter thing he never understood. In twenty years, Kada would be just as beautiful as her mother. She soaked up her mother’s presence like a drought-stricken plant. He envied their connection. His mother gripped him hard, examined him, and spun him back into the world to do good work.

“Just look at you, runnin’ around the desert like Pops.” Ms. Ritchie gripped Kada’s long, black hair and rubbed it between her fingers. “If I hadn’t seen you for myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. I thought you would stay in Los Angeles, but here you are, the queen of the desert!”

He cocked his head and imagined Kada tearing into a sourdough loaf over drip coffee. She would look at home on the winding streets wearing a wrap-tie dress, but he preferred her stained jeans.

“I thought I would stay in Los Angeles, too, but you needed me.” Reaching to the side, Kada shifted into her father’s arms.

Lean by most standards, he sported the small belly that developed from a desk-bound lifestyle.

“Hi, Daddy.”

He kissed her forehead. “Princess. Good to see you.”

Author Bio and Links

Amy Craig lives in Louisiana with her family and a small menagerie of pets. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense featuring intelligent heroines. In her spare time, she plays tennis and expands her husband’s honey-do list. Before writing, she worked as an oilfield engineer, project manager, and incompetent waitress. For more information and giveaways, visit http://www.amy-craig.com or follow her on social media channels.

Amazon | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | BookBub | Website | Universal Link

Giveaway

Amy Craig will be awarding a $15 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

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

I’m happy to welcome author Nick Bannister. Today, Nick shares his new release, The Husband Chair.

Blurb

Our hero: Bone tired. Lost. Desolate. A man pushed to the outer limits of his very being. His struggle: Satisfy the need to rest whilst still supporting his beloved in her hour of need.

While his wife negotiates a seemingly endless list of fashion stores in her quest for perfection, her loving husband must stave off the weariness that visits each partner in a shopping spree with their significant other.

Fighting hunger, rising frustration and the mental fatigue associated with tracking credit card usage, will he ever find peace? And honestly, can he just go and sit down for a minute…

Excerpt

Awake! Sun is shining, it’s Saturday morning.
I sit up in bed with some stretching and yawning.
My beautiful wife, the love of my life,
Looks terribly grim and it signals a warning…

I ask her, “My darling, what troubles you so?”
She goes on to tell me her tale of woe.
“I’ve booked a girls’ dinner but I’ve nothing to wear!”
And now I must prepare for what she will declare.

Author Bio and Links

Nick Bannister: Nick & Terry are long-time friends & first-time author/illustrators. Each has their own vast experience with husband chairs, as both are happily married. Both reside in Brisbane, Australia.

Website | Goodreads | Amazon AU | Indigo | Booktopia

Giveaway

The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/Barnes & Noble to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

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

THE AUTHOR IS RUNNING A SEPARATE GIVEAWAY ON GOODREADS FOR A COPY OF THE BOOK

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Husband Chair

by Nick Bannister

Giveaway ends September 15, 2024.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

I’m happy to welcome author Mary J. Rocco. Today, Mary shares her new release, Proven Innocence.

Blurb

Cynthia Evans wakes up in the trunk of a car, no idea how she got there, only to discover she’s wanted for the murder of her husband and children. With no memory of life prior, Cynthia is sure she did not commit the crime.

Only problem is-how does she convince anyone she’s not a murderer when she is not sure who she is?

With the help of a downtrodden diner waitress, Gabrielle, Cynthia fights to prove her innocence.

One thing is clear: Rick Evans is dead. But who is the real killer?

Excerpt

My eyes are open, but there is no sight to see. Darknessremains. It is black—pitch black. I squint and shut my eyes to adjust to the darkness faster, but it does not help. No shadows lurk in the night for me to redirect my corneas upon. The darkness encloses me, encasing my body in its depth. My body is not upright. It is stretched horizontally across the ground. I am lying down. I try to stand, but my weak body forbids me. My left hand falls upon the surface I am lying on. The ground feels furry, almost carpet-like. I am not outside.

Where am I?

My best deduction indicates I am trapped in a restrictive box. My head has only four inches to move before hitting the top, and my legs are bent at the knees with my toes resting upon the opposite wall from my head. I look up and find a wall of darkness just inches above—pure darkness with no stars or moonlight.

Am I buried alive?

Every human’s worst nightmare is to be mistaken for dead and lowered six feet underground where no one can hear the perilous cries for help. I try to scream, but no sound escapes from my vocal cords. Thoughts of Edgar Allen Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart filter into my brain.

What if the people walking above can hear the faint beating of my heart from the depths below?

Get a hold of yourself!

I raise my right hand slowly to dislodge the top of my coffin. My arm shakes as it rises off the ground above my head. I am limp and exhausted. A sharp pain pulsates throughout my entire right side as I try to move. Electric shock waves run from my toes to the left side of my brain. It is not a comforting sensation, and I would rather not move ever again in my life than experience such agony once more. The only options are, however, shift my body to experience discomfort for a slight moment or lay still awaiting death.

My head is pounding from an obtrusive headache. It is as if a jackhammer is chiseling through the right side of my outer cra¬nium. I wince in pain as I raise my hand to the right side of my head. An overbearing shockwave shoots out of my brain when I touch that area. The hair follicles are mushy, raw, and tender where they meet my skull. The hair is matted to my brain. A huge, painful lump has started to protrude underneath the skin. I am not sure how it got there. I am not sure how I got into the situation I am in at the present moment.

My fingers are sticky from whatever substance has glued my hair to my head. I try to smell them by placing my fingers underneath my nose, but I cannot ascertain the odor. I bring my index finger to my mouth to utilize one of my other senses. It is the last one available to unveil the mysterious substance. My saliva moistens my tongue to activate my taste buds. I recognize a fluid taste mixed with a hint of salt. It is blood––my own blood.

Why am I bleeding? How did this happen?

Author and Links

I have dreamed of being an author since the age of ten. I have been writing and crafting stories for the last twenty years, mostly because, well you know, life… and I got in my own way. After finishing law school, graduate school, travelling the world, getting married and starting a family I figured now was the time.

I was born and raised on Long Island, New York and spent ten years in my early adulthood living carefree in New York City. I currently reside with my husband and two beautiful children in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, where I am a practicing attorney.

I hope to continue to publish many more novels that entertain and thrill readers.

Amazon Author Page

Giveaway

The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

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

I’m happy to welcome author Nancy Stroer. Today, Nancy shares interesting facts about her creative journey and her debut novel, Playing Army.

Interview

What is something you’ve lied about?

Hmmm, sometimes I leave out the bald-faced truth to spare people’s feelings, just like any other well-socialized person, but it is rare for me to tell a straight-up lie. Once I told a senior officer that I thought another cadet would make a good officer someday, when I absolutely thought she was a slacker. As I remember it, it was to close ranks around the women in our training unit. It seems like the right thing to do even as I’m thinking about it now. Men protect each other all the time in the military; this was one time I lied to protect another woman, even though she wasn’t all that great.

What are you reading now?

I always have several books on the go, but I’m reading a Banana Yoshimoto book (The Premonition) that isn’t really doing it for me. We lived in Japan for three years and loved every bit of it, and I like to read Japanese authors to remind me of the otherworldly, often melancholy but beautiful and special country that it is. Maybe it’s just the translation of this one, because although the mood is right, the language feels stilted and I’m not understanding where the story is going. I might go back and re-read Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being for the millionth time! Or maybe I prefer Asian authors who are also Western? I think I need to interrogate myself about this a little…

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

Usually they come to me in a flash (the title of the novel I’m working on was the first thing I knew for sure about the story), but sometimes they take work and patience! Playing Army was called Everyday Athena for a long, long time. That does still sort of tell you what it’s about – the lives of ordinary women in the Army – but I was so glad when the flash for “playing Army” arrived in my brain. That is much more the core of what I wanted to say about faking it until you make it, and feeling like you have to, or can get away with, acting a certain part rather than being authentic.

Share your dream cast for your book.

I can picture my characters very clearly but don’t know actors who look like Min or Logan or Shumacher or the Old Man or Washburn or Storey. If a movie or miniseries were ever made, though, I would positively throw myself at Samira Wiley (from “Orange is the New Black”) to play First Sergeant. Her parents were even in the Army! She’d be perfect.

Blurb

It’s 1995 and the Army units of Fort Stewart, Georgia are gearing up to deploy to Bosnia, but Lieutenant Minerva Mills has no intention of going to war-torn eastern Europe. Her father disappeared in Vietnam and, desperate for some kind of connection to him, she’s determined to go on a long-promised tour to Asia. But the Colonel will only release her on two conditions—that she reform the rag-tag Headquarters Company so they’re ready for the peacekeeping mission, and that she get her weight within Army regs, whichever comes second. Min only has one summer to kick everyone’s butts into shape but the harder she plays Army, the more the soldiers—and her body—rebel. If she can’t even get the other women on her side, much less lose those eight lousy pounds, she’ll never have another chance to stand where her father once stood in Vietnam, feeling what he felt. The Colonel may sweep her along to Bosnia or throw her out of the Army altogether. Can you fake it until you make it? Min is about to find out.

Excerpt

My heart raced, not in a good way, as a helicopter thudded overhead toward Hunter Army Airfield twenty miles away. Had my father died in a helicopter assault? The notification only said he’d gone missing in a fire fight, but he’d been assigned to the air cavalry. He hadn’t been a movie star like Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now, though—just another Air Cav soldier who disappeared in the Mekong Delta in April of 1969. I imagined myself crouched backward over the skids of a Huey. Terrified, with the sound of AK-47s firing below and nothing to connect me to safety but a nylon rope. Nothing but the empty black maw of my ignorance waiting to swallow me whole. You would think, if my father had been liked and respected, the soldiers from his platoon would have responded to the letters I’d written but no one ever had, leaving me only questions so corrosive my insides burned.

It was strange how the absence of a person could occupy so much mental real estate, but the Army—all of America, really—was obsessed with the bodies of the soldiers left behind. The dead were probably at peace—I had to believe that—but those who remained were not. For me, nothing but boots on the ground in Vietnam would satisfy my relentless drive to understand, and Korea was the closest place to Vietnam the Army would send me.

Author Bio and Links

Nancy Stroer grew up in a very big family in a very small house in Athens, Georgia and served in the beer-soaked trenches of post-Cold War Germany. She holds degrees from Cornell and Boston University, and her work has appeared in the Stars and Stripes, Soldiers magazine, Hallaren Lit Mag, Wrath-Bearing Tree, and Things We Carry Still, an anthology of military writing from Middle West Press.

She’s a teacher and a trainer, and an adjunct faculty member of the Ellyn Satter Institute, a 503(c) not-for-profit that helps individuals and families develop a more joyful relationship to food and their bodies. Playing Army is her first novel.

Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | LinkedIn

Giveaway

A randomly drawn winner will be awarded a $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card. Find out more here.

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

I’m happy to welcome Australian author and film-maker Gregory Pakis. Today, Gregory shares his new release, The Lonely Australian of the Asian Night.

Blurb

Hookers and hawkers.
Mosques and mosquitos.
Paul has had enough of Southeast Asia.
He’s only here ‘cos it’s cheap.
He’s on the run from police after leaving Australia.
No, that place wasn’t much better either.
Well, it was when he was young.
When his life was full of promise. An up-and-coming boxer. And he had friends. And fun.
Then a bit of bad luck later and he found himself on the run in outback Australia. Paranoid. Hiding from shadows. The heat. The dust. The sweat.

Next stop, Southeast Asia.

Excerpt

Cigarette in mouth, Paul stood on the hotel balcony and stared nervously out into the hot Cambodian night. He hated Asia. He didn’t know why so many loved it. Of course deep down he knew – cheap holidays. But to Paul, Asia was hell – hot, dangerous and always just a bit of bad luck away from some sort of disaster.

Not much could be seen from his balcony. His hotel was down a small street off the main road that led to the tourist centre of Siem Riep. He could see people drifting down the main road, mostly tourists clutching dollar beers. Directly across from him was the construction site of a new hotel.

Paul took another drag from his cigarette, grabbed his beer off the balcony railing and walked back into the hotel room. He looked at his boots next to his duffel bag. He was sick of those stinky boots. He looked at the grime on the duffel bag. That grime was from India. Indian grime was unique. Black. Oily. Nowhere else that he had been in Asia left that kind of grime. It came mostly off the train floors. As he stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray, he remembered what his feet looked like in thongs at the end of those long train trips – black.

Author Bio and Links

Gregory Pakis is an Australian author, film-maker, actor and wacky vlogger.

He has written the short story, The Lonely Australian of the Asian Night; the soon to be released horror-suspense novellas, The Regressor and He., and Memoir of a Suburban Hoe-Bo, which is partly an account of when he lived out of a van for ten years in Melbourne.

Gregory Pakis is also the writer / director of the feature films, The Garth Method (2005) and The Joe Manifesto (2013), which have won national and international awards and been distributed through Accent Entertainment, Label, Vanguard Cinema.

Gregory’s more informal video projects are the feature documentaries, Garth Goes Hitch-Hiking (2007) and Garth Lives in a Van (2011) which have screened at film festivals in Australia.

More recently, he has created the comedy series, suBURPieS and his Wacky Vlog which can found on his socials.

Gregory has been featured in articles in newspapers, The Age, The Herald Sun, Beat Magazine, Inpress, FILMINK, and the Neos Kosmos. He has been interviewed on radio by the ABC, 3RRR, SYN FM, 3CR.

Amazon Sales Link | Book Trailer | Author Chat to Camera Video | Web Page | Books Site | Films Site | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | X | Email

Giveaway

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

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

I’m happy to welcome award-winning author Bobbi Smith. Today, Bobbi shares her new release, Pirate’s Promise.

Blurb

Tall and strikingly handsome, Adam Trent could tempt any woman, especially in his secret disguise as the swashbuckling Captain Spectre. But when this daring buccaneer wagers a seductive campaign against a beauty whose passion matches his own, he’s not prepared for what awaits him…

WINNING HER HOME WAS EASY…

Throwing a young woman out of her home is hardly decent behavior—even for a pirate. But when Adam Trent wins the Ducharme plantation in a card game, he knows it’s the perfect base for a covert scheme of revenge in which he sails the bayous as Captain Spectre. Adam agrees to let Lianne Ducharme stay until she comes of age—a decision he soon regrets. For Lianne fascinates him, and Adam cannot afford the distraction…

WINNING HER LOVE COULD COST HIM EVERYTHING

Too bad that the most virile man Lianne Ducharme has ever met is also the most infuriating. With no choice but to stay at Belle Arbor as his ‘guest’, Lianne gradually yields to her own desires. But there is far more to Adam than Lianne knows. And succumbing to a pirate’s promise of bliss could be the surest path to heartbreak…

Excerpt

Adam determinedly immersed himself in plantation business. He gave strict orders that he was not to be interrupted. He continued his work on the ledgers until his eyes grew tired, and when he checked the time, he was pleased to find it was near midnight.

Only then, when he was too exhausted to continue, did he allow his thoughts to dwell on his real reason for staying locked in the study for so long. Lianne… Adam’s gaze drifted to the loveseat where they’d lain together in a passionate embrace the night before, and he felt the heat rise in his body again in remembrance. In frustration, he wondered what it would take to make him immune to her. Here he was, bone-weary and worn out, and yet just the thought of having her filled him with desire.

Adam shook his head in confusion. She’d made it clear the night before how she felt about him. He knew the best thing to do was to avoid her. Out of sight, out of mind – he hoped.

Adam fought down the need to go to his marriage bed. Instead, he sought out the barren comfort of the loveseat for his night’s rest. It seemed an eternity to him before dawn lightened the eastern sky. He rose from his broken sleep, eager to leave the house before Lianne awoke.

Adam tread softly upstairs to their bedroom to get the clothing he needed. He entered the room quietly and was glad to find Lianne was asleep. He gathered what he needed and made an effort not to look at her, but when his gaze fell upon her, he froze. His breathing grew ragged as he took in her gentle beauty. He almost reached out to touch her, but stopped in time, silently cursing himself. He backed from the room and a short while later he left the house. He didn’t know how much longer he could remain in such close quarters with Lianne and keep from making love to her. Resolved to working out his restlessness through hard physical labor, Adam rode out to the fields, intending to spend the entire day there.

Author Bio and Links

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 | Goodreads | Amazon Buy Link

Giveaway

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

Follow Bobbi on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here

I’m happy to welcome Canadian author Don Butler. Today, Don shares his creative journey and new release, Norman’s Conquest.

Here’s Don!

When I was a lad, I always imagined that someday, I’d be a novelist. Teachers regularly asked me to read my youthful compositions aloud, presumably to inspire – or amuse – classmates with my comedic touches.

To refine my skills, I enrolled in journalism school at university. Then a funny thing happened. I got sidetracked into newspapers for several decades. It paid the bills, and I enjoyed the work. But I never forgot my boyish ambition.

Several years ago, I drafted my first novel, A Life of Bliss. I submitted it to a list of publishers in Canada and waited for their offers to roll in. Spoiler alert: they didn’t. But one of Canada’s smaller publishing houses advised that they’d had three people read my manuscript before deciding to take a pass.

I was encouraged by this. When I finally left a successful journalism career, I got serious about getting A Life of Bliss published. I did some polishing and rewriting and approached a regional publisher, Ottawa Press and Publishing, in March of 2020. You may remember that something else was happening then: the Covid-19 pandemic. OPP’s owner, author Ron Corbett, liked my book but said my timing sucked. He suggested I try again in six months.

When I did, he agreed to publish my novel as an e-book and print-on-demand paperback on Amazon. A humble beginning, but I was over the moon. When the book came out in 2021, it got a positive review in newspapers across Canada and was featured on CBC. It was far from a bestseller, but sales were brisk enough that OPP upgraded it to a full print run in 2022.

After that, I began my second novel, a murder mystery called Norman’s Conquest, featuring some of the same odd but lovable characters from my début. OPP published the paperback version in May. Reader reviews have been strong and sales at store signings have far exceeded expectations.

There’s no denying it: I’m now a novelist. One acquaintance insists on addressing me as “Famous Author Don Butler.” That’s a kind exaggeration, but I like it. I’m just starting to think about book three. A trilogy – or maybe more – sounds good.

Blurb – Norman’s Conquest

After narrowly surviving a heart attack in Greece, Norman Pugsley, the grizzled managing editor of the Ottawa Daily Advocate, anticipates a quiet retirement. But fate has other plans as he becomes entangled in a decades-old murder mystery. As he delves deeper into the investigation, sparks fly with his former boss, a woman he once couldn’t stand.

In this witty and heartfelt follow-up to Don Butler’s well-received début novel, A Life of Bliss, readers are whisked into a world of eccentric journalists, travel adventures, and a protagonist who unexpectedly discovers his inner feminist. The tale unfolds against the backdrop of unlikely romance and unforgettable encounters—from a spirit bear to a former prime minister. Join Norman Pugsley’s journey, where the past collides with the present, and every twist and turn brings him closer to solving the murder.

Excerpt

Reporter Norman Pugsley tossed the City section of the Advocate aside, rose from his chair and strode purposefully across the newsroom to city editor Morgan J. Peck’s office. He didn’t have a lot of time for Peck, who’d come to the Advocate after failing his probation at the Globe and Mail, a fact Peck had neglected to mention when he applied to the Advocate. The Ottawa newspaper’s editors, giddy at snagging a recruit from the prestigious Toronto newspaper, hadn’t bothered to ask for references.

“Got a minute, Morgan J.?” Pugsley began. Peck preferred to be known by his full name, including middle initial. Privately, though, female journalists at the paper called him Morgan the Muppet while their male colleagues favoured Little Pecker.

Peck glanced up from the story he was editing. “What’s up, Norm?”

“I was just reading our latest story about the Birchmount homicide,” Pugsley began.

“Awful case,” Peck said, shaking his head.

“Yes, it is. Body found in a woodlot in the Greenbelt. It’s been more than a month, and the cops don’t seem to have the first clue who did it.”

“So it appears.”

Pugsley frowned. “I know she was a whore, and most people don’t give a damn when bad things happen to them. But Jesus, Morgan J., she was 19 years old! She had her whole life ahead of her. She turned to prostitution because her so-called father was abusing her. And now she’s dead. Strangled and dumped in the bush like garbage by some sick psychopath.”

“A sad story,” Peck agreed.

Pugsley drew several slow, measured breaths. “When Jenny started selling her body, she was about the same age as my daughter Barbara is now,” he said. “I can’t help thinking how I’d feel if something like this happened to her.”

Morgan J. Peck waited patiently for Pugsley to get to the point. He hadn’t yet developed any chemistry with Pugsley. Found him to be an irritating know-it-all, truth be told. But he’d learned that Pugsley liked to talk things through before committing to a course of action.

“Her death feels personal to me,” Pugsley continued. “I’d like to get involved in the story. I still have great contacts from my days on the police beat. And I’m our investigative reporter now. This story could use some investigation. I have the skills to do that.”

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Bio

Don Butler spent his career at the Ottawa Citizen, including six years as the newspaper’s executive editor. He’s the author of two novels: A Life of Bliss (2021) and Norman’s Conquest (2024), both featuring some of the same journalist characters. He’s married to journalist Christina Spencer and has two grown children and two grandchildren. He lives in Canada’s capital, Ottawa.

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Photo Caption: Author Don Butler hosts a book launch for his latest novel, “Norman’s Conquest” at Perfect Books on Elgin Street in Ottawa on June 3, 2024. Photo by Wayne Cuddington, cuddingtonphoto@gmail.com