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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Giveaway

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

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

Interview with L.T. Getty

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome paramedic and author L. T. Getty. Today, she shares her creative journey and recent release, The Mermaid and the Unicorns.

Interview

What was your inspiration for this book?

I wanted to write a book for my niece, who was just starting into chapter books. I aimed it for a little older than she was, now she’s in High School but that’s kind of how it goes in the publishing world. I basically wrote a book that I would have liked to read at the age of 8, but catered it towards things she enjoyed.

What’s the best part of being an author? The worst?

I love being creative. To me, writing is about making sense of the ideas in your head, and giving them form and structure, and making a product that can be enjoyed by others. In particular for this project, I made something for someone else, even if she technically outgrew it before I decided to go ahead and publish it. You have no idea how happy she and my other nieces were when they saw their names in the dedication.

The worst for me is the elitism and the sense that some stuff is worthy, other stuff is rubbish and some people are real authors and writers, and then there’s us plebs. Don’t get me wrong: There’s plenty of product that doesn’t appeal to me and I’m very likely to talk about the quality of the writing of something I’ve read, but I’m not someone who is going to pretend that anyone’s intrinsic value is more than anyone else’s. My work can speak for itself and it’s also not for everyone. I’d rather ask you what you like to read, and steer you to another table then sell you a book I suspect you won’t enjoy.

Describe your writing space.

I have my own office, but 90% of my writing takes place at my kitchen table on my main floor when the sun’s out. At night, I’m likely to go upstairs and write. I love the natural light in my house, plus I’m in close proximity to the tea pot so I don’t have to run down the stairs for a top up.

What is your favorite quote?

I’ll give you my favourite from a book, then a favourite just in general.

From “Till We Have Faces” by CS Lewis

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

I’d like to be able to fly.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

Usually when you’re starting out you have really good taste but you don’t have the skill level to pull off what you want to do. There are exceptions, but even if you are very gifted in writing I’m sure by the time you’re on your third or fourth title, you’re looking back at your first one going, “I really should have…” that’s normal.

My general rule is write the best you can, and get feedback from people who know what they’re talking about. When you’re starting out, generally speaking you’ll get feedback from whoever, and sometimes that’s great, but I find that different people want to focus on different things in a book. Usually great advice may be out of place for certain types of genres; for instance the general rule is “Show, don’t tell” the audience. If you’re writing a very technical science fiction novel and you have an audience who actually would like to know, it’s a rule you can break but I think it also needs to be broke with caution.

I’m not saying you can’t take advice from someone who writes very different than you, but I think if you and I are both writing an intermediate middle grade book, we should find someone who’s more familiar with the market and audience expectations then someone who has been writing for a very intellectual adult audience. I think lots of people can offer different insight and can help you grow the book, but what might be a deal breaker for say, someone who likes contemporary fiction might be a great plot twist for someone who reads science fiction.

If you want to write a certain genre or length, read that genre or length. One of my problems was acknowledging that most publishers were scared of books much longer than 100k, and I was regularly reading books in the 150k+ range and meanwhile I was trying to write a short story without really reading them. I’m not saying know market trends, I’m saying learn how they pace their books and hey, if you’re hung up on an issue – let’s say, you’re not certain how to communicate how mermaids speak under water – see what other people have done and how they’ve dealt with the same issue. Most people are okay wih Aquaman talking below the sea without any explanation, but a certain audience may want specifics.

What are you working on next?

I signed the second book of the Rogue Healer series with Champagne, and they have the third book under consideration but I have work to with the editor on book 2. I’ve technically started work on book 4, but really the plan is to really go at it for NaNoWriMo. I am finishing up a YA novel that’s about the Puppeteers from The Mermaid and the Unicorns, but it needs to percolate and I’ll send it to my niece/creative consultant and get her to tell me what she likes, what she doesn’t. I also have to pick a project that’s written to edit for self-publishing for next year; there’s no rush and I’ve narrowed it down but I lack commitment at this time.

Blurb

Daphne’s a typical mermaid, and at least according to her, that’s a problem. She’s courageous and has a beautiful singing voice, but lacks the power of an elemental, the ability to command water with the sound of her voice. Jealous of her best friend, she makes a deal with a sea-witch, only to be betrayed, in place of her beautiful tail and flukes Daphne’s left beached with a pair of human legs. The spell keeping Daphne looking human will become permanent, unless Daphne can hunt down and bring the scheming Lorelei a unicorn horn before the next full moon.

Unable to reach her friends and family for help, Daphne doesn’t know how to walk, much less where to find a unicorn or how to catch one. Even if she’s successful, Daphne’s still not sure if she can trust Lorelei and her pint-sized kraken to keep their end of the bargain and let her return to the sea.

Excerpt

“What’s wrong?”Esperanza asked as Daphne went to retrieve the arrow.

“Nothing,” Daphne said, unstringing the bow. “Not like I’m ever going need to use this skill. Let’s just pack up and go.”

“What are you talking about?” Esperanza asked. “You’re already better than I am. Here, let me have a try and I’ll show you.”

“I’ve already unstrung it,” Daphne snapped.

“Fine,” Esperanza said, matching Daphne’s tone. Esperanza went to go get more water from the river with the large buckets to boil so that they could wash their dishes.

“I’ll do that. Water’s heavy,” Sean said, ignoring Daphne as she struggled to take their tent down.

“Here, let me help you,” Esperanza said to Daphne once Sean started towards the river.

“Sure—let’s send the person with the tallest reach to the river, great plan,” Daphne muttered, climbing onto the wagon to reach the tip of the tent as Sean descended towards the river.

“What’s your problem?” Esperanza demanded as soon as Sean was out of earshot. “We’re helping you get to Taralee. Sean didn’t have to come all this way, you know.”

“He didn’t come for me, Espy. If it was just me who wanted to go, he wouldn’t care that I had to walk the whole way. What do you want, me to kiss your feet and sing your praises? Wait, I forgot—you’re the better singer, you should sing your own praises. I might not do it good enough without a four-stringed harp and a cat to squeeze for background noise.”

“Our voices are different. Neither one is really better than the other.”

“It’s just… do you know what it’s like to be overlooked?”

“All the time,” Esperanza said. She looked away, towards the river. “Hey, wait… be quiet for a minute.”

“Don’t you tell me what to do—” Daphne became mildly insulted when Esperanza put a hand over her mouth.

“Listen.”

They heard singing. A beautiful, high pitched and soft melody, barely audible above the breeze. The sound had a haunting quality. “Doesn’t sound like it’s Sean’s range,” Daphne muttered, but then really heard it. She ran, and got the arrow and the quiver as well as Sean’s knife and axe. She quickly strung the bow before heading towards the river bank.

“What are you doing?” Esperanza asked, following after Daphne.

“Stay with the wagon!” Daphne ordered.

***********NOTE: The e-book is only $0.99***********

Author Bio and Links

L.T. Getty is a rural paramedic from Manitoba. She enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy and generally being creative.

Giveaway

L.T. Getty will be awarding a $20 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

Blurb Blitz: The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven

Posted on September 16, 2022 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Jennifer Ivy Walker. Today, Jennifer shares her debut novel, The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven.

Blurb

In this dark fairy tale adaptation of a medieval French legend, Issylte must flee the wicked queen, finding shelter with a fairy witch who teaches her the verdant magic of the forest. Fate leads her to the otherworldly realm of the Lady of the Lake and the Elves of Avalon, where she must choose between her life as a healer or fight to save her ravaged kingdom. Tristan of Lyonesse is a Knight of the Round Table who must overcome the horrors of his past and defend his king or lose everything. When he becomes a warrior of the Tribe of Dana, a gift of Druidic magic might hold the key he seeks. Haunted and hunted. Entwined by fate. Can their passion and power prevail?

Excerpt

He opened the brilliant blue eyes that she’d seen in the vision.

As she gazed into them, the earth tilted. Her heart raced; her bearings were lost. In the depths of his eyes, she glimpsed a fountain in a forest. The turquoise waters of the ocean. An underground well encased by sacred stones. She, the forest fairy, was immersed in the blue waters of the warrior’s eyes, the waves emanating from him flowing through her, cleansing her. Beckoning her.

In Tristan’s eyes, Issylte glimpsed a black bird—a sea raven—soaring over an open sea, hovering now before her. A small dove fluttered in her breast, called forth from her soul. White wings unfurled as she took flight, rising into the azure sky alongside the black seabird—-floating together through the diaphanous clouds scattered across the vast ocean.

In the breadth of an instant, Issylte was bound to this warrior, the Blue Knight of Cornwall, as if fate had indeed entwined them. Through the windows of his eyes, she peered into his soul, her own blending with his, as if they were the forest and the ocean, encircled now within the three layers of protective stones, the holy trinity of sacred elements of the Goddess.

Author Bio and Links

Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French.

As a high school teacher, she took her students every year to the annual French competition, where they performed a play she had written, “Yseult la Belle et Tristan la Bête”–an imaginative blend of the medieval French legend of “Tristan et Yseult” and the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast”, enhanced with fantasy elements of a Celtic fairy and a wicked witch.

Her debut novel, “The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven”–the first of a trilogy– is a blend of her love for medieval legends, the romantic French language, and paranormal fantasy. It is a retelling of the medieval French romance of “Tristan et Yseult”, interwoven with Arthurian myth, dark fairy tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, and otherworldy elements such as Avalonian Elves, Druids, forest fairies and magic.

Explore her realm of Medieval French Fantasy. She hopes her novels will enchant you.

Giveaway

Jennifer Ivy Walker 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 Jennifer on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.