Book Blast: Body Snatched

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome Wild Rose Press author Ana Diamond. Today, Ana shares her new release, Body Snatched.

Blurb

What’s worse than losing a body from a funeral home? Losing two. But mortician and amatuer sleuth, Lily Reynolds has a hunch. The new visitor in town, Rick Drakon, may have charmed his way into her life but she’s not fooled by his smooth talking ways. Problem is, Rick is a long-time friend of Lily’s new husband, Detective James Rivers. While James is busy convincing her to look elsewhere, Lily embarks on a dangerous path toward uncovering the truth. Will this case come between the couple or will Lily find herself closer to evil than ever before?

Excerpt

She sprinted toward the ambulance with James inside. Her heart leaped into her throat. She didn’t want to alarm the others, but she didn’t really know if he was going to make it. Antonio had not. And what would she do if he didn’t? Images of her life with James flashed before her eyes.

From the moment when she’d first laid eyes on his silky black hair and tattooed biceps in the basement of her funeral home to their wedding day when he told her they would be together forever, this could not be the end. She would not want to go on. Tears flooded her eyes, clouding her vision as she ran toward the ambulance James had been loaded into. Yanking the back door open wide, she propelled herself inside.

His eyes were closed but his body had been hooked up to monitors that beeped incessantly. Intravenous fluids ran down the tubing and into James’s arms. And there was blood—lots of blood on the floor of the truck and on the linens of the stretcher. She willed herself into tunnel vision to avoid seeing nothing but red. The paramedics sat on opposite sides of the ambulance monitoring the machines hooked up to him.

She stood at the foot of the stretcher watching for any movement. Was he unconscious? Had he slipped into a coma? Was he only minutes from death? She’d stopped breathing altogether until she touched his leg and his eyes popped open.

“You know, this is the first time I’ve ever been shot.” His eyes sparkled with mischief.

She released the air from her lungs and chuckled at him. Her heart could beat again. “Congratulations. I’ll tell you what you’ve won later. Now work on not dying.”

He smiled and laid his head back on the pillow. “Yes, ma’am.”

Author Bio and Links

When Ana Diamond isn’t writing about tough gals finding love in unexpected places, she’s at work by day in the medical field. She writes romantic cozy mystery novels with feisty strong women and alluring men who can’t resist them. Her books are fast paced, entertaining and heartfelt all at once.

Ana is a 2020 Tara Contest Finalist for Body Conscious and 2015 Melody of Love contest finalist. She lives in New York with her husband, two children and two needy but wildly entertaining kitty cats.

Giveaway

Ana Diamond will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

Ten Interesting Facts About the Mesdames of Mayhem

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome the Mesdames of Mayhem. Today, Madeleine Callway shares ten interesting facts about this intriguing group and their new anthology,
In the Spirit of 13.

Here’s Madeleine!

1. We are 10 years old!

In 2013, Donna Carrick and I were enjoying our regular lunch together. We starting talking about social media and how to tackle this new beast. How could we best use – and understand – websites, FaceBook and Twitter?

From our business backgrounds, we knew that teaming up is the best way to handle a thorny problem. We decided to pool our resources and asked our two writing critique groups if they’d like to help. The answer was a resounding yes! And that’s how the Mesdames of Mayhem were born.

2. Thirteen is our lucky number!

The Mesdames write crime fiction in many different sub-genres and styles, ranging from comedy to cozies to thrillers to noir. How could we best showcase our work? We decided to create an anthology that did just that with a story from each of us.

Reading through the final version, we were once again struck by the variety of the stories. What would be the connecting theme? Was there indeed a connecting theme? Well, there were thirteen of us in the group and the number, thirteen, has a dark aura. Why not call our book simply, Thirteen?

Thirteen received warm reviews and award nominations. Ever since, we’ve used thirteen in the titles of our subsequent anthologies: 13 O’clock, 13 Claws, In the Key of 13 and most recently, In the Spirit of 13.

3. We are a national organization

Since 2013, we’ve almost doubled in size from 13 to 25 crime fiction authors who live and write across Canada, from Vancouver Island to eastern Ontario.

4. We have no age bias

It’s true that most of us are of a “certain age”, in other words over 50. Indeed crime fiction readers and writers tend to be an older demographic, but it’s wonderful that many younger people are interested in our genre.

The Mesdames firmly believe that age is just a number. In fact, our members range in age from their 30s to their late 80s!

5. We now include Messieurs of Mayhem

The first 13 Mesdames were all women and one of our goals was to promote and support the work for women crime writers. Most of us also belong to Sisters in Crime.

But did you know that Sisters in Crime also welcomes Brothers in Crime, men who support women writers? We now include three wonderful Messieurs of Mayhem for the same reason.

6. There’s a CBC documentary about us

Dig into our lives and you’ll unearth some strange and interesting facts about us. One author had dinner with dictator, Idi Amin; another grew up in a family linked to the Mafia. Yet another author grew up in South Africa during apartheid. And still another worked on the mysterious deaths at Sick Children’s Hospital and met Queen Elizabeth II – though not at the same time.

Readers can learn all this and more by watching the CBC documentary, The Mesdames of Mayhem, on GEM.

7. We love to help emerging writers

Several Mesdames have taught creative writing for many years at both the University of Toronto and/or at community colleges, like Sheridan, Loyalist and George Brown. We’ve also taught seniors in the community and given numerous talks and seminars through the public library.

We also sponsored contests for emerging writers for two of our anthologies: 13 O’clock and 13 Claws. It’s been wonderful to see the winners and runners-up go on to publish several more works.

8. We adore our cover artist

Sara Carrick, a gifted graphic designer, created the cover for our first anthology, Thirteen. She used a mysterious purple background and we loved it. Ever since then purple has become our signature colour.

Sara has continued to design the cover for every one of our anthologies. We especially love the spectacular image for our latest book, In the Spirit of 13.

9. We write more than crime fiction

Though all of the Mesdames and Messieurs are crime fiction writers, several of us also write literary, historical, fantasy and speculative fiction. Many of us are secret Trekkies. We also enjoy writing more cross genre works, crime fiction set in historical times or stories that bring in elements of fantasy or futuristic settings.

We let our imaginations go wild in our latest anthology, In the Spirit of 13, where each of us interpreted “spirit” differently. It could be ghost or demon or even just evil itself. Others of us took it to mean alcohol – or the prohibition thereof. Readers will discover that most of the stories are cross-genre with supernatural elements – or not.

10. We welcome the future and its challenges

Ten years ago when we first got together, most of us barely knew how to use FaceBook. In short order, we had the Mesdames of Mayhem up and running with our own website, FaceBook page and Twitter account.

Many of us now run our own author websites and social media accounts. We’ve ventured into podcasting, thanks to Dead to Writes, hosted by Donna Carrick. And because of COVID, we’ve become experts at launching books on Zoom.

We have no idea what the future will throw at us – and at our crime fiction genre, but together as the Mesdames and Messieurs of Mayhem, we’ll handle it!

Readers are very welcome to join us for our Zoom launch of In the Spirit of 13, Sunday, November 13th, 2 pm EST. Entry is free but please pre-register at carrickpublishing@rogers.com.

Blurb

Ghosts and demons and booze, oh my!

To celebrate their 10th anniversary, the Mesdames and Messieurs of Mayhem have let their imaginations run wild to bring you their fifth anthology, In the Spirit of 13. Does “spirit’ mean ghost or demon – or debunking of same? Or simply the evil in twisted human hearts? Or could it be alcohol? You must read these 23 tales to find out!

The Mesdames and Messieurs of Mayhem are established award-winning authors as well as talented new writers. They aimed to keep their stories light-hearted to counter the world’s troubled times, but some of them have strayed into the dark. They are crime writers after all!

Laugh, shed a tear and prepare to be deliciously frightened.

Buy Links

Amazon CA | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU

Mesdames of Mayhem Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Henry VanderSpek is the photographer of this signature photo. He was also the official photographer of the documentary, The Mesdames of Mayhem, by director Cat Mills and producer, Felicity Justrabo.

Benji Starwell’s Ten Best Moments

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome multi-published author Amber Daulton. Today, Amber shares the ten best moments of her protagonist, Benji Starwell, and her new release, Arresting Benjamin.

I’m Benji Starwell, the hero from Amber Daulton’s latest romantic suspense novel, Arresting Benjamin. When Amber first told me she’d scheduled me to appear on yet another romance blog, I rolled my eyes. I mean, c’mon, she knows I’m busy at the garage. The engines aren’t going to fix themselves. But after she told me about all the guest topic options, I relented and dropped the wrench (I was in the middle of a client’s tune-up and not threatening her—I promise!).

Anyway, I’m excited to be featured here today on Joanne Guidoccio’s blog. It didn’t take me long to come up with my 10 Best Moments post, so what life memories made the cut? Read on…

1. The first time I met Belle Hamlin. I saw her at a restaurant with some of her girlfriends, and though I’m not shy and more than capable of approaching a sexy woman, I knew one of her friends. By using Mia as my in, I got to know Belle pretty well that night. Too bad I acted like an idiot the following morning and fled her bed.

2. Learning Belle was pregnant. At first, I was shocked our one-night stand had resulted in a baby. I even contemplated that she was trying to pass off some other man’s baby on me. I know, that line of thinking isn’t flattering on my part, but I’m nothing if not honest. Belle’s a good person, so I quickly trashed that idea. Getting her pregnant, though it was an accident, was the best thing I’ve ever done.

3. Getting hit with flowers. Belle was a hormonal mess during her first trimester, so when I gave her a bouquet of roses to apologize for skipping out on her months earlier, she took the flowers and whacked me over the head with them. Maybe I shouldn’t have added that to this post. It’s not one of my shining moments, but in hindsight, it’s hilarious.

4. When Belle popped the question. I’d asked her to marry so many times I lost count, so when she asked me to marry her, how could I refuse?

5. Lindy’s birth. My nerves were through the roof when Belle went into labor. I was with her every step of the way, and after all the screaming and her cursing me to the moon, our daughter was finally born.

6. The first time my sister, Meghan, brought her future husband home to meet the family. She’d always dated losers when she was a teenager and young adult, so I expected more of the same. Her new guy, Alan Harding, proved me wrong. He was kind, respectful, and a decent person. We quickly became good friends. Heck, he’s my best friend, the brother I never had.

7. Loving my nephew, Danny. Alan and Meghan’s brief marriage ended after their son’s birth, so I stepped in and helped Alan raise the baby. I don’t have a particular best moment when it comes to Danny—every moment I spend with him is special—but if I really had to choose, I’d say it was the first time he crawled into my lap and fell asleep. I’d always wondered if I’d make a good father, and Danny’s love and trust proved that I could.

8. Working with my father at the garage when I was a teen. At age sixteen, I replaced a distributor cap and a couple of sensors by myself. Dad was overseeing, but he didn’t tell me what to do. I did everything right on my own and even handled the business transaction with the customer. The pride in Dad’s eyes meant everything to me.

9. Taking over the garage when Dad went into semi-retirement. I learned everything I know about fixing vehicles and running a business from my dad. Instead of watching cartoons after school as a kid, I was running errands for the guys in his shop. So when Dad was ready to retire, I was prepped to take over. My first day as boss was both thrilling and nerve-wracking, but I loved it.

10. Having the chance to tell my story. Belle and I have had our ups and downs, but we made it through each obstacle and came out stronger for it. Against the odds, we survived. We’re happy and in love. I have no complaints.

Blurb

A one-night stand, a surprise baby, and a mysterious stalker.

Mechanic Benjamin Starwell can’t stop thinking about Belle Hamlin, the ballsy musician he slept with and skipped out on months earlier. He never meant to get her pregnant, but he’ll do whatever it takes to win back her trust and be a part of his child’s life. His desire for Belle drives him to be a better man, but he’s worn thin with a garage to run and his estranged sister dumping her troubles on him.

Belle’s juggling impending motherhood, her indie rock career, and a stalker who’s determined to see her fail. Even though she’s desperate to get her priorities straight, she pushes aside her past hurt and welcomes Benji back into her bed. She never expects him to slip into her heart.

When the danger escalates, they face the greatest challenge of all—protecting their unborn child.

Tagline – With enemies at every turn, how will they survive with their lives and love intact?

Excerpt

An eerie chill crept down her spine as he pulled into the parking lot. Her heart slammed. “What the hell? Benji, stop the truck.”

He parked in a vacant spot near her little green bug. “What is it?”

“My car. Someone trashed my damn car.” She jumped from the cab and hurried across the shadowy lot. Air puffed white from her mouth as she heaved.

A streetlight cast a dim glow across the shattered back windshield, four slashed tires, and broken taillight casings of her car. Someone had even keyed the doors.

Benji grabbed her arm. “Careful.”

Fear clutched her in a stranglehold. “The guy who left the photos did this. I’m sure of it.” She walked from one side of the vehicle to the other, stepping over glass and plastic shards. Nausea swam in her stomach. “What does he want?”

“That’s pretty obvious.” He nodded toward the driver’s side front and rear doors. “He wants you to stop singing, or so he scrawled here.”

Belle snatched her cell from her purse, smashed a button on the screen, and lifted the glowing phone to the passenger side doors. As the light lit up the keyed letters, she shuddered. “The word bitch is on this side. I can’t believe this is happening.”

He stomped around the car and scowled at the nasty word.

She gazed around the lot. No one was there from what she could see, but were they really alone? Was someone lurking behind a vehicle? Perhaps watching them from a window or rooftop with a high-powered assault rifle?

Don’t panic. The cold breeze raked her skin as she dialed for help.

Add to Goodreads | Check it out on BookBub

Download Links

About the Author

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

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Ten Reasons Why I Participate in Anthologies

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back multi-published author Nancy Lee Badger. Today Nancy shares her reasons for participating in anthologies and her new release, Yuletide Kisses: A Medieval Christmas Romance Anthology.

Here’s Nancy!

I stopped by today to share 10 reasons why I participate in anthologies. Participating is something I learned a few years ago that has helped me to sell more books than if I publish a story on my own. So, I decided to contribute.

1. An anthology is a compilation of several stories, generally of a similar theme. Themes run the gambit: neighbors in love, time travel, science fiction romance, or holiday themed.

2. Unlike a boxed set of stories written by one author, an anthology is made up of three, four, or ten authors. This way, you offer a reader a bunch of stories that one person did not have to spend years writing.

3. Writing for publication in an anthology can mean submitting a story that you published years ago. Sometimes this brings renewed life to an older series. I did this in 10 Timeless Heroes and Medieval Redemption. Cleaning up the stories was easier than writing a new one.

4. An anthology can also include brand new stories as readers will happily discover in my newest anthology compilation YULETIDE KISSES?

5. An anthology has many parts that need to come together to make a successful book launch. Each author submits their book along with their title, dedication, list of other books, and social media links. They sign a contract in order for Amazon to accept the book. One person formats them for a cohesive look. Another gets a cover made. Another works on advertising and distribution. Everyone helps.

6. Because more than one person is involved in one published book, all the authors will share the news of this book’s release. In YULETIDE KISSES, that means four different people from different parts of the world will share with their readers.

7. Social media such as twitter, Facebook, and blogs like this one will get the word out in many ways, but many authors will share different aspects of the book with readers I would never be able to reach.

8. I love all things Scottish. Ancestry.com/DNA says I have a decent percentage, which must be why I enjoy attending Scottish Highland Games. I love everything about the culture and find it easy to use my trips to these festivals to give me ideas for a plot.

9. Accepting the offer to participate in a multi-author anthology gives me the incentive to write. Knowing there is a deadline and that others depend on me to finish producing a fantastic story is the motivation I need.

10. I am a romantic. I write to share what is in my heart and head. I also love the holidays around Christmas or, as we say in the book…Yuletide!

Blurb

The book: Yuletide Kisses: A Medieval Christmas Romance Anthology

Grab some hot cocoa and snuggle under the covers this season with four all-new medieval romances by best-selling and award-winning authors. From friends to lovers to a marriage of convenience, hidden identities and his best friend’s sister, you’ll be swept away to the magic of Christmas in Scotland where braw heroes will do anything for the women they’ve come to love.

Authors: Aurrora St. James, Allison Butler, Ria Cantrell, Nancy Lee Badger

Find buy links HERE.

Author Bio and Links

Nancy Lee Badger grew up in Huntington on New York’s Long Island. After attending Plymouth State, in New Hampshire, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree and met and married her college sweetheart. They raised two handsome sons in Rumney, New Hampshire while dreaming of being a writer. When the children had left the nest, and shoveling snow became a chore, she retired from her satisfying job as a 911 Emergency Medical Dispatcher and moved to North Carolina, where she writes full-time.

Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and the Triangle Association of Freelancers. She finds story ideas in the most unusual places. Connect with her here:

Taking the Risk: To Live, to Write

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome West Coast author K. L. Abrahamson. Today, Karen shares an inspiring post about risk-taking and her new release, Trapped on Cedar Trails.

Here’s Karen!

I used to work with young offenders. We’d worry about their ‘risk-taking’ behaviours—drinking, using drugs, unsafe sex, and so on. We wanted those youth to take fewer risks so that we could keep them safe. On the other hand, we often see overprotective parents remove all risk from their children’s lives. The result is children who have very little understanding of adversity or the skills to overcome it.

To me, a certain level of risk taking is normal and necessary to our human development—after all, so much in life requires us to take a risk. From leaping into the old swimming hole, to changing a job or career, to taking a chance on love—all of them require a certain level of risk. You put your trust in the rope swing over the pool, in the new job being better than the last, and you put your vulnerable heart out there.

I enjoy adventure travel and I usually go on these adventures alone. Every time, before I leave, I go through a few days of feeling a little sick to my stomach with trepidation. Am I doing the right thing going to a place I’ve never been? Inevitably my life has been enriched by each adventure. I just have to get through that period of doubt.

Writers take a risk each time they sit down at the computer (well maybe not Stephen King or Norah Roberts, but the rest of us).We might have a brilliant idea for a new story or novel, but the risk is whether we have the writing chops to pull it off. What’s the old saying? You need to write a million words before you start to pick the right ones? It’s a pleasure when things go well when we write, but we need to keep taking risks and trying something new or else we’ll find ourselves mired in a rut of safety, and writing the same old, same old, again and again.

Our characters also need to be risk takers because who wants to read about the person who chooses safety again and again? If the character does choose safety, then there must be consequences for that choice. I think of my decision to leave a well-paying government job after seventeen years. All of my coworkers said they wished they were as brave as I was, but they chose safety, a pension, and the grind of a job they didn’t love, while I got uncertainty and freedom to write and the ability to choose my own direction. Choosing to take a risk, or choosing not to, comes at a price. Our characters may take their risks with less trepidation than we do in real life, but we still help them take their big leap—because that’s where the story generally is. The price is what comes after.

With writing, unlike real life, when things don’t work out, we can simply throw the manuscript out. Or rewrite.

We don’t find ourselves halfway up a Burmese mountain dealing with food poisoning.

Of course I lived through that little episode, too.

Blurb

The discovery of a woman’s body trapped in driftwood off a small, west coast town turns a five-day photography class into a nightmare for Phoebe Clay, her sister Becca, and Phoebe’s niece Alice.

The specter of murder hangs over the family as they join the other students at an isolated fish cannery guesthouse. On their first night, Alice spots ghostly figures outside and on the first morning, Phoebe finds a dead grizzly bear with parts removed. She doesn’t want to get involved, but there’s something wrong at the Bella Vista Cannery Guesthouse, and someone is not who they say they are.

Against her better judgment, she begins quiet enquiries. When Alice decides to pursue her own risky investigation, events take a sharp turn, revealing an insidious plot that threatens all their lives.

On the run on the cannery’s treacherous, rain-soaked, night-shrouded cedar trails, Phoebe and her family will face brutal foes determined to ensure the family doesn’t survive to reveal the cannery’s secrets.

Available here.

Excerpt

From this position by the water, there was only the still water, the mountains and mist, and the blue sky above. Ahead, gulls squawked and wheeled and a huge bald eagle circled overhead, then swooped in low, scattering the gulls. The eagle disappeared around the end of the point and didn’t reappear, but the wind brought a whiff of something unpleasant.

Carrion. Eagles and gulls were both scavengers, regardless of the esteem with which the eagles were held.

Stones creaking and crackling under her, Phoebe approached the headland cautiously, not sure what she’d find and not wanting to disturb the birds. Out on the water a lone sailboat coasted the blue-black water ahead of the breeze, toward the white-capped peaks of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park.

She reached the point of land that was partially blocked by fresh driftwood and stepped up on a log to see what waited on the other side. It took her a moment to understand.

A flurry of black raven wings beat in the sun. The eagle lifted up from the shore and settled again on a huge hump in the sand, sending the ravens scattering.

Ravens.

The huge black birds also liked carrion.

Phoebe squinted against the sun’s glare. The hump sorted itself out into a furred mass of dark brown with tawny flecks.

Bear. Except that there was only a vacancy filled by ravens tearing at bloody flesh where the head should be. Another gust of wind brought the stink of rotting flesh and she swallowed back the rebellion of her stomach.

Author Bio and Links

West Coast author K.L. Abrahamson writes mystery, fantasy and romance. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the Derringer and the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Book Blast: Cause for Elimination

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome Wild Rose Press author Marla White. Today, Marla shares her new release, Cause for Elimination.

Blurb

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

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

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

Excerpt

Dennis snapped on his own set of gloves and gestured toward the woman standing just outside the stall-cum-office. “Nice coat she’s got on. Didn’t you used to have one like it?”

“That’s Emily Conners. She found the body.”

“And so what, it’s a new gimmick? Everyone who reports a murder wins a free Blueberry coat?”

“It’s a Bu—never mind, you philistine. What was I supposed to do? We took her coat and shoes as evidence.”

Dennis wanted to say, you mind your own business and solve the crime, not take every hard-luck case you see under your wing. Nobody, not even Justin, had big enough wings to take in all the strays they met in this line of work. Instead, he left it alone. It was a lesson every cop had to learn for themselves.

Justin ignored his unspoken disapproval and took a sip of coffee. Instantly, his face scrunched up in an expression of pure horror.

“Don’t blame me. It was the only coffee I could find around here,” Dennis said while he checked out the office. “Hey, you take the horse out of the stall, add a ceiling fan, crappy furniture from the local office supply store, and a phone and you’ve got—a stall minus a horse.”

“People who live in glass cubicles,” his partner countered. “I kind of like the Feng Shui, it’s very grounding, especially with the window—”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s facing south and angled toward the moon, whatever,” he scoffed.

Buy Links

Books2Read | Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads | All Author

Author Bio and Links

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

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Giveaway

Marla A. White will be awarding a $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

Interview with Katie Groom

Posted on October 7, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Katie Groom. Today, Katie shares her creative journey and new release, Fixed Moon.

Interview

What is your favorite quote?

This is such a great question, and sometimes my answer changes depending on my mood. Right now, I quote enjoy this quotation from the Twelfth Doctor at his time of regeneration:

Never be cruel. Never be cowardly. Hate is always foolish. Love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind.

I think the world needs a little bit of everything that he said in that moment.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

I believe that everyone has little superpowers. They are little seemingly-mundane things, so no one really notices. For me, my superpower is getting a really great parking spot! When I first started to notice this, no one believed me, but I started to take pictures to prove it – hahaha! Then one day, my family and I were at an extremely busy shopping center, and I *magically* got the best spot in the entire lot! They really started to believe in my “special” power then.

If I had to pick a traditional superpower, I think that I would pick a power that would let me take on someone else’s power with just a touch. It would never get boring, that’s for sure! I’m not sure if that’s a thing, but if I can dream it, it can be. Maybe I’ll add that superpower to a character in possible future stories in the Cardinal Moon Saga (Fixed Moon is the first novel in the saga, but Cardinal Moon is Hugh’s “origin story” — a short story in the Darkest of Winters side of Cinnabar Moth’s winter 2021 anthology).

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

I love music. I used to play the clarinet regularly, but it has been a while since I’ve done that. However, I love love LOVE live music. My favorite band is Hanson, and I go to see them any time they are in a nearby (and sometimes not-so-nearby) city.

I also am very interested in tarot, and have been teaching myself about the cards and how to read them. Additionally, I casually enjoy reading oracle cards and runes.

One other hobby I enjoy is learning Spanish. I took four years in high school, but it’s been more than twenty years! I’m refreshing my skills because I want to go to Spain (and another one of my favorite things to do is travel).

Any advice for aspiring writers?

I have three simple things that I try to remind myself, and I think they are good things for any writer.

One: Believe in your work. No one else will ever believe in your work if you don’t. You have to lead by that example.

Two: If you write, you are a writer. Even if no one ever reads the work — if it stays hidden in your laptop — you are a writer.

Three: Stay true to your style. Yes, grow and improve, but stay true to your voice.

What are you working on next?

I cannot say much, but Hugh’s story is not over. I’m very excited about what potentially comes next for Hugh & Co, but there’s not much to go on yet — just a feeling and the beginning of some ideas.

Blurb

After breaking her engagement and traveling 800 miles to start her life over, literature student Zoie is ready to live her life within the books she reads and the worlds she creates on the page. She will live her life solo — only her stuffed animal Judy by her side.

Werewolf and literature professor Hugh has long been wary of letting people into his life, even for someone who’s almost 200. His life in Birmingham, Alabama, and his only two friends in the world are enough to keep him content. Not happy, but as near as he figures is possible.

Neither is ready for the literal sparks that fly when they meet. But Hugh knows those sparks mean his heart belongs to Zoie, whether she wants it or not. Desperate to prove he’s worthy of her, Hugh takes Zoie to places mortals are forbidden, drawing dangerous attention to them both.

Now, together with their closest friends, Hugh and Zoie fight against ancient foes and even more ancient laws for their lives and their love.

Excerpt

Stevie placed her hands in front of her as if she was holding a big beach ball and closed her eyes. The boat shook ever so slightly and then the water started to rise above the sides of the boat.

Terrified that they were going to take on water, Zoie latched onto Hugh’s arm. She watched as either the water continued to rise above the boat or, maybe, the boat was sinking below the water.

As the water arched over their heads and created a ceiling, a fish fell at their feet. “Do I release it back or will that be an issue?” Zoie picked it up and waited for the signal — a nod from Stevie. Then she tossed it back towards the wall of water before it wiggled out of her hands.

The boat travelled further down into the depths of the ocean, slowly at first — as Stevie gauged Zoie’s potential reaction to increased pressure around the boat. The water grew a darker and darker blue until the only light was what was held in their own bubble.

Zoie was standing at the edge of the boat, holding the railing, when she saw a small light. She leaned forward to get a better look. Squinting her eyes, she tried to make out what was holding the light. She leaned further forward only to be inches from the wall of water — and inches from many rows of giant, pointy teeth.

Jumping back, she gasped and placed her hand over her mouth.

Author Bio and Links

Katie Groom grew up in rural Pennsylvania, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Business Management from PITT and her master’s in Employment and Labor Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 2016, she decided to move to Alabama in order to avoid as much snow as possible (and to advance her career in Human Resources).

When she isn’t working, Katie enjoys reading, writing, jokingly critiquing movies and TV, and campaigning that the plural of moose should be meese. She also loves to take in live music (especially Hanson) and traveling, with the goal of reaching each of the continents. Katie’s favorite pastime, however, is spending time with her beloved Shih tzu, Delta.

Website | Twitter | Book Links | Amazon Buy Link

Giveaway

Katie Groom will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

Virtual Book Tour: The Story That Made Us Stronger

Posted on October 4, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Iris March. Today, Iris shares ten of her favorite foods and her new release, The Story That Made Us Stronger.

My 10 favorite foods – and how most of them are incorporated into this book!

Thanks for having me, Joanne. I’m really excited to be talking about my new novel, The Story That Made Us Stronger. It was inspired by my sister’s struggle of having Hodgkin’s lymphoma while pregnant with twins. Her story is told indirectly through the veil of the main character’s obsession with discovering the past uses of an abandoned building on his running route. The character based on my sister, Katie, helps Connor, the main character, from her hospital room, where he cares for her as a nurse during her stem cell replacement procedure. He’s training for a half-marathon and is trying to eat very healthily during the period of the novel. I am not always a healthy eater, but I still incorporated a lot of my favorite foods into the story.

1 – Indian Food. Connor orders Indian food take out, makes aloo gobi at home, goes on a date at an Indian restaurant, and is overjoyed when his sister-in-law makes chicken masala food for dinner. He loves Indian food and so do I!

2 – Not so much meat. I’m not a vegetarian, but I could be one. Connor too. When given the choice over a vegetarian dish or chicken or beef, I usually pick meatless or fish. Connor asks his mom to make meatless meatballs over spaghetti for his pre-race dinner. He never mentions making a meat-based meal at home but eats it when other people make it for him, mostly at his brother and sister-in-law’s house. I never outright say any of this in the novel and wonder if readers notice or not. Let me know!

3- Popcorn. I have a lifelong love of popcorn. I eat it nearly daily. Connor makes popcorn for his nieces when they sleep over. It needed to be included somewhere!

4 – Oatmeal. I eat oatmeal with chocolate and almonds almost every day for breakfast. Connor eats oatmeal frequently too but makes healthier choices for toppings.

5 – Chocolate. I have such a weakness for chocolate. Connor doesn’t struggle with this, but Leah tells him that there’s no reason to eat a sundae without chocolate. Agreed, Leah.

6 – My hometown pizza. General pizza is not my favorite. I could almost do without pizza, to be honest. But I will never turn down pizza made by my hometown pizzeria. That specific pizza is my very favorite. Their sauce is unique and their crust is not too crispy, not too soft. When Katie is leaving the hospital, she mentions that she’s craving her hometown pizza. Since Katie is based on my sister, she has the same hometown pizzeria and that’s the one I had in mind.

7 – Aloo Gobi. Going back to Indian food, aloo gobi is my favorite. It’s just potatoes and cauliflower in a light tomato sauce, but it’s just so so tasty. I’ve tried at least six recipes at home and just can not get it right. I pretend like Connor has a recipe figured out, but I sure don’t.

8 – Salmon. One night, Connor’s sister-in-law makes grilled salmon and asparagus. Salmon is my very favorite protein. Slow smoked over the grill is my favorite, but his sister-in-law didn’t have time for that.

10 – Falafel. Connor goes to a middle eastern restaurant and orders what I would: falafel with baba ghanoush. He says he could eat baba ghanoush all day. Me too, buddy!

Do we have any favorite foods in common? Anyone else eat popcorn every night after their kid goes to bed?

Blurb

An abandoned building. A motivated runner. A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer survivor.

Connor Jackson has been training for a half marathon for the past six weeks. Katie Brandt has been training to beat cancer for the past 50. When Connor discovers an intriguing secret in a tiny, abandoned building on his running route, Katie finds that the mystery is what she needs to help her get through her three-week stem cell replacement procedure. Together, Conner and Katie must find the strength to achieve their personal goals and, in the meantime, expose the many past lives that the tiny building led.

Excerpt

The Stem Cell Replacement Ward

Connor Jackson

The next morning, at the start of my shift on the stem cell replacement ward, I was daydreaming about what might be inside the building. Why was it so small? What was the huge pole for? Did it connect to something inside the tiny room? Was there a dirt floor? Had animals invaded, and were they living in there now? Was there a basement?

After saying hello to coworkers, I looked over the patient charts. Then I set off to check in on my first patient of the day, Katie.

“Good morning, Katie.” I said as I entered her room, knocked on her door, announced my arrival and entered. This was her third day on the floor, and she was still feeling about as healthy as she had when she arrived. We jumped right into her daily weigh in.

“How was your night, Connor, my man?” Katie asked as I made notes on my laptop. Katie had shoulder-length, curly blonde hair and the most decked-out room I’ve ever seen in my six years working on this ward. The rooms are large, as comfortable as they can be for a hospital. She had brought her own bright-pink quilt and pillows, had strings of lights up and pictures plastered everywhere. One entire wall was covered with photos of amazingly cute kids. Katie and her husband, Travis, had a boy who would be three in a few months and twin girls who were just born five months ago, when Katie had full-on Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This lady had a lot to live and fight for. She was there to get a stem cell transplant to make sure she never had lymphoma again. It would take three weeks, and her health would really fade in the next few days as we killed all her white blood cells.

“I went on a run and played some video games. I was in the mood for Indian. Well, I’m always in the mood for Indian, so I made some aloo gobi,” I said. “Kind of boring.” I took her temporal temperature and made another note.

“Not as boring as my night. I’m already totally done with watching TV and movies.” She was twirling her hair. “I miss my little people so much.”

Author Bio and Links

Iris March grew up the oldest of three sisters whose names all began with the same letter. Her sisters are still her best friends. March works in the sustainability field and also writes cozy mysteries in the Succulent Sleuth Series. She lives in Ohio with her husband, young son, and three cats.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Giveaway

Iris March will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

Finding a Happier You

Posted on September 30, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

I’m happy to welcome Wild Rose Press author Darlene Fredette. Today, Darlene shares her reinvention story and new release, Derailed Hearts.

Here’s Darlene!

Thank you, Joanne, for hosting me today!

Briefly describe your first act.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a teacher or a veterinarian. However, university or college were not financially feasible. So, after high school, I took various night classes and online courses in secretary/administration. I held several titles before achieving my career goal, such as cashier, mailroom clerk, and accounting. But I soon found my place as an administrator in pharmacy benefits. I stayed with that company for twenty years, but when I was offered a position as director of administration and marketing, the job was too good to pass. I had finally reached my career objective.

What triggered the need for change?

Unfortunately, the demands of the job resulted in health issues, forcing me to leave that employment. After a year of being away from the workforce, I grew accustomed to being home. I loved taking my daughter to school, doing household chores during the week instead of rushing around in the evenings or weekends, walking with the dog to pick up my daughter, and cooking supper before my husband came home from work. No more hustle and bustle. I felt at peace, and my health did too.

Where are you now?

I’m still home – health and happy. I started writing while working but now had the opportunity to give it my full-time attention. I have ten published books, but I believe I am approaching my third act. I’m not sure how much longer I will continue writing. As I get older, I find the days pass quicker and I want to enjoy a slower pace. I rediscovered my love of art and started drawing and painting.

Do you have advice for anyone planning to pursue a second act?

Make sure you are in a good place to move onward. Security in your health and finances are important. Sometimes it’s good to take that leap of faith to find a happier you.

Any affirmations or quotations you wish to share?

I like this quote by Richard Branson… “If you allow yourself to be in the moment, and appreciate the moment, happiness will follow.”

Tagline

Nana Marley has her heart set on more great-grand babies, and with the help of a folklore legendary rabbit, she might receive her wish.

Blurb

Single father and ER doctor, Ethan Marley, is ready to put down roots. He and his daughter embark on a train adventure across Canada from west to east coast. Boarding the train, he meets a woman who steals his breath, and he learns that she too is headed to Redford Falls. He is intent on maintaining a friendship only, but Jenn makes his heart race faster than the train.

Fashion designer, Jenn Martini, travels by train to Redford Falls to visit her father. Her plan for a solitude escape derails after meeting Ethan and his daughter. Sharing a confined-spaced cabin sparks an immediate attraction, and by the end of the trip, she longs to be a part of their family. Only as she opens her heart to love, do the scars from her past begin to heal.

With more in common than relatives in Redford Falls, is their love strong enough to overcome the truth behind the accident…and save their future?

Excerpt

Avery pointed to herself, Ethan, and then Jenn.

Ethan rested his forehead against his daughter’s. “You want Jenn to come, too?”

Avery nodded.

The little voice in Jenn’s head told her to return to her cabin and to stay clear of Ethan and his daughter. They were as enticing as strawberry ice cream. “I would love to join you.” The words fell from her lips.

Ethan stood and set Avery on her feet.

The child held onto her father’s hand and reached outward with the other.

Jenn accepted the tiny hand and in doing so, she sensed a comfortable connection to this family—a connection she suspected would be incredibly hard to break.

Author Bio

Darlene resides on the Atlantic Coast of Canada where the summers are too short, and the winters are too long. An avid reader since childhood, Darlene loved to develop the many stories coming to life in her head. She writes contemporary romances with a focus on plot-driven page-turners. When not working on her next book, or painting, or drawing, she can be found with her husband, her daughter, and her yellow Labrador.

Website | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Universal Purchase Link

Excerpt Tour: God of Summer

Posted on September 26, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome award-winning Wild Rose Press author Kat Chant. Today, Kat shares her new release, God of Summer.

Blurb

Back in the Bronze Age, Angus McCraggan sacrificed his life to break the Celtic curse laid on his kind. He failed. Millennia later, he returns to modern Ireland to find his people have become feral, vengeful shadows. With his hollow hill now packed with tourists, he uses his power to keep his past hidden.

Until an American call him out.

Since a banshee attacked her as a teen, Erin De Santos has been tormented by dreams of a boy she’s never met. Armed with a new identity, she returns to the Emerald Isle determined to face her nightmare. But her discovery turns fatal.

When the banshee strikes again, Angus surrenders his heart—and his hope of freeing his people—to save her. With his life now hers and his curse descending, Erin must make a terrible choice: kill her savior or share his doom.

Excerpt

“Air in,” Angus said.

It was excellent advice so Erin took it, inhaling not any old air, but the smoke’n’sunlight scent she couldn’t get enough of. Her eyelids snapped open to find Angus’ firm, generous lips parted an inch from her own, close enough to kiss. His eyes were closed, the dark points of his lashes distinct against the white of his skin. Heat shifted from her arms to settle in the center of her chest and his expression turned pained.

“Ah, how you care, mo chroí, most especially when you pretend you don’t.”

She looked down. His hand pressed against her sternum while her heart bashed against her ribs as if seeking to return to its rightful owner and lodge in the palm of his hand. His fingers twitched and she looked up. A storm raging across his face, a tempest of desire, fear, and frustration.

“No! Don’t take it!” Extracting her hands from her thighs, she shoved against his shoulders. She might as well have tried to shift Newgrange. “I need it.”

Thundercloud brows twitched into a frown. “It’s yours to keep, Erin.”

Air in.

Not an instruction, but her name as she’d never heard it before, like she was something he needed to live. Had she known it was a loose thread that could unravel her, she’d never have shared it.

“What are you doing, McCraggan?”

“Feeling what you’re feeling.”

For a second, her shock wrote itself across his face.

Then his mouth pinched and his brow puckered. Her panic transmuted into a feverish heat. The heart he’d given her must be to blame, because her own had never felt like it was a furnace. The mix of the emotions churning inside her smelted into a single core of something new and precious and unfamiliar.

Author Bio and Links

Kat Chant is an award-winning writer. A bookworm who grew into a history buff, she swapped beaches for castles and moved from Australia to the UK. When studying medieval history, she fell in love with a lad from Ireland…and fell in love with his country, too.

She and her family live in the heart of Ireland, surrounded by fields in forty shades of green.

Kat is a keen cook and often experiments with traditional farmhouse foods such as making bread, cheese, jam and liqueurs. She also decorates the occasional cake.