Blurb Blitz: Promising Love

Posted on November 26, 2021 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Sarah Ohlin. Today, Sara shares her new release, Promising Love.

Blurb

When a glamorous spa owner seduces the grumpy neighborhood bartender, passion smolders…

Ruby Naylor, confident, successful proprietor of Spa La La, has been crushing on Lachlan MacGregory for ages and finally throws herself at the grumpy bartender as he’s helping her tipsy butt home to her apartment above his pub.

Ruby is the only woman Lachlan has ever loved—from afar. When she makes a pass, he finally admits he’s wanted her for a long time. He leaves her that night with three promises—a kiss, a special connection between them and an epic tomorrow.

Unfortunately, when tomorrow arrives and Lachlan is smacked with the knowledge that she’s already in a relationship with two men, he feels he has nothing to offer her.

His day gets worse when his addict father is on his doorstep again, demanding money. The thought that he could end up sick and miserable like his father eats at Lachlan, making him focus on what has never let him down, his successful pub in the burgeoning Corvallis neighborhood.

Learning that Ruby is not taken, Lachlan finally goes all out to win her back. With his heartfelt apology, it’s easy for Ruby to forgive him—she believes in joy, in romance, in happy ever after. What she never expected was how vulnerable Lachlan could make her feel.

Can their love withstand life-shattering events to lead them into a beautiful future?

Excerpt

“Beautiful, I want that.” His voice was rough with need and it gave her a shiver to know she did that to him. “But not on Detective Naylor’s couch.”

Stunned for only a second at the last words she expected to come out of his mouth, Ruby burst out laughing. She couldn’t help it. Lachlan rocked them together.

“Love that sound.”

“Oh my goodness, are we sixteen just waiting to get caught?”

“You think this is funny?”

“Uhm, hilarious. I’ve been waiting a lifetime for you to kiss me and do all the other amazing things. And we’re adults, but we’re getting blocked by my dad who isn’t even here.” The laughter poured out of her. Her energy needed an outlet and apparently it wasn’t going to happen how she imagined it right this minute.

“A lifetime, huh?” Lachlan’s deep, soft voice was a stroke against her skin.

“Yeah,” she whispered.

“I’ve been waiting too.” He brushed his fingers through her hair, following their path with his eyes. Pensive eyes. Tired eyes. Ruby noticed the little details. “I can keep waiting.”

“Me too,” she said, resigned but still in a happy place, lost in him.

“Waiting sucks,” he said. And his pout was so darn cute.

“Yeah.” Ruby chuckled again. “But this sure is nice.”

“Mmm. Maybe you could do that thing to my head again with your hands. Felt damn good.”

Her smile was automatic. It felt amazing taking care of this man. Ruby ran her hands through his hair and kneaded his scalp with her fingers, stroking once in a while with her nails. Soothing, deepening, then soothing again. It was only a few minutes before his breathing changed and his weight settled. Her hottie was asleep. Oh, you precious man.

“Best kiss ever,” she whispered as he slept beside her.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Totally Bound | Kobo | GooglePlay

Author Bio and Links

Puget Sound based writer, Sara Ohlin is a mom, wannabe photographer, obsessive reader, ridiculous foodie, and the author of the contemporary romance novels, Handling the Rancher, Salvaging Love, Seducing the Dragonfly, Igniting Love, Flirting with Forever and Promising Love.

She has over sixteen years of creative non-fiction and memoir writing experience, and you can find her essays at Anderbo.com, Feminine Collective, Mothers Always Write, Her View from Home, Under the Gum Tree, and in anthologies such as Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak about Healthcare in America, Take Care: Tales, Tips, & Love from Women Caregivers, and Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Although she’s the author of many essays about life, grief, motherhood and the connections we make through delicious food and shared meals, Sara loves creating imaginary worlds with tight-knit communities in her romance novels. She credits her mother, Mary, Nora Roberts and Rosamunde Pilcher for her love of romance.

If she’s not reading or writing, you will most likely find her in the kitchen creating scrumptious meals with her two kids and amazing husband, or perhaps cooking up her next love story. She once met a person who both “didn’t read books” and wasn’t “that into food” and it nearly broke her heart.

Giveaway

Sara Ohlin will be awarding a $30 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

Book Blast: Spell Sweeper

Posted on November 22, 2021 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Lee Edward Födi. Today, Lee shares his latest release, Spell Sweeper.

Blurb

There’s nothing magical about wizard school
. . . at least, not for Cara Moone.

Most wizard kids spend their days practicing spells and wielding wands, but Cara? She’s on the fast track to becoming a MOP (a.k.a. Magical Occurrence Purger). You see, when a real wizard casts a spell, it leaves behind a residue called spell dust—which, if not disposed of properly, can cause absolute chaos in the nonmagical world. It’s a MOP’s job to clean up the mess.

And no one makes more of a mess than Harlee Wu. Believed to be the Chosen One, destined to save the magical world, Harlee makes magic look easy. Which makes her Cara’s sworn nemesis. Or she would be, if she even knew Cara existed.

Then one of Harlee’s spells leaves something downright dangerous behind it: a rift in the fabric of magic itself. And when more rifts start to appear around the school, all in places Harlee has recently used magic, Cara is pretty sure the so-called “Chosen One” isn’t going to save the world. She’s going to destroy it.

It will take more than magic to clean up a mess this big. Fortunately, messes are kind of Cara’s thing.

Excerpt

* * *
There’s nothing magical about a broom
* * *

It’s one of my earliest memories, vivid as a full moon. I’m only four or five, and Su is walking me to school like any good big sister. We stop at the crosswalk and I see an old woman sweeping the pavement, just a few feet away. She wears a frayed sweater, grimy jeans, and maybe a secondhand pair of sneakers. Her broom is wisps of straw, the handle fashioned from a twisted stick of wood. Everything about her is ordinary. Mundane. But as I watch her, the morning sun catches her just right, and for an instant she ignites with a golden luster, frozen in a perfect moment of magic—a fairy sweeping away the shadows of the night.

Then she vanishes. Maybe it’s a trick of the light, maybe my childish frame of mind, but I’m convinced she’s a witch, that she has leapt upon her broomstick and taken to the clouds. When I tell Su this, she doesn’t laugh or chide me for having an overactive imagination. Instead, her eyes dance with wonder.

“Well, there is magic in the world, Cara. That’s what Dad always says. Right?”

I nod dramatically in agreement.

Of course, that was a long time ago. A lot of things have changed since then—with me, with my sister, with everything.

I know now that you can’t fly away on a broomstick. It’s not that I grew up and stopped believing in magic—actually, I believe in it more, which is what happens when you’re chosen to attend one of the most prestigious wizard schools in the world. But here’s the thing: when I was given my own broom, it wasn’t so that I could soar across the skies, read prophecies in the stars, or fight dragons in wand-to-fang combat.

It was because I’m a failure.

Trust me. It doesn’t matter if you’re some old lady on a street corner or a kid with a whisper of magic in her blood—a broom is for one thing and one thing only: sweeping.

Yay, me. I’m going to wizard school.

And it’s terrible.

Author Bio and Links

Lee Edward Födi is an author, illustrator, and specialized arts educator—or, as he likes to think of himself, a daydreaming expert. He is the author of several books for children, including The Secret of Zoone and the Kendra Kandlestar series. He is a co-founder of the Creative Writing for Children Society (CWC), a not-for-profit program that helps kids write their own books. He has the joy of leading workshops for kids in Canada, the US, Korea, China, Thailand, and other places here and there. Lee lives in Vancouver, where he shares a creative life with his wife Marcie and son Hiro.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Purchase Links

Giveaway

Lee Edward Födi will be awarding a Spell Sweeper prize pack: Hand-made miniature broom, hand-made magical creature egg, spell bottle, and bookmarks to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

Virtual Book Tour: The House on Crow Mountain

Posted on November 15, 2021 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Rebecca Lee Smith. Today, Rebecca shares fascinating facts about crows and her new release, The House on Crow Mountain.

Ten Fascinating Facts About Crows

1. A group of three or more crows is called a Murder.

2. Crows can recognize human faces. (Researchers had to disguise themselves by wearing rubber face masks to keep the crows from considering them their enemies.)

3. Crows have the same brain-to-body ratio as a chimpanzee, which makes them one of the smartest birds in the world.

4. American crows use scraps of food as bait to catch fish.

5. Crows have funerals. Not only to mourn, but to find out what killed their fellow crow, then they band together and chase the predator.

6. They make and use tools (usually some kind of twig) to dig insects out of sidewalk cracks for food.

7. Crows build decoy nests if they think another predator bird is watching them.

8. They enjoy playing games while flying. (Tag, maybe?)

9. American crows like to party. They will stand on anthills and rub the ants into their feathers, which causes them to get drunk from the formic acid.

10. Crows can live up to fourteen years. (And I bet they have fun doing it.)

Blurb

When her aunt suffers a stroke, New York portrait artist Emory Austen returns home to the North Carolina mountains to mend fences and deal with the guilt over her husband’s senseless death. But that won’t be as easy as she hoped.

Someone in the quirky little town doesn’t like Emory. Is it the sexy architect who needs the Austen land to redeem himself? The untrustworthy matriarch? The grudge-bearing local bad boy? Or the teenage bombshell who has raised snooping to an art form? Even the local evangelist has something to hide. Who wrote the cryptic note warning her to “Give it back or you’ll be dead?” And what is ‘it’? As the clues pile up and secrets are exposed, Emory must discover what her family has that someone would kill for.

Excerpt

Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.

“Fat chance of that.” I glanced up from the tiny sticker someone had stuck to the dashboard of my rental car and focused on the narrow winding road. I’d kept the little Ford Fiesta ten miles under the speed limit all the way in from the airport, and the drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains had still been one mini-adrenaline rush after another.

I pulled into a foggy scenic overlook, bemoaning the fact there was zero cell service, and grabbed the map I’d picked up at the North Carolina Welcome Center. I reached for the bag of candy I used to keep myself calm and selected a dark chocolate square, perilously warm from sitting too near the heating vent. With two miles and six switchbacks to go, I risked the inevitable mess it would cause and tore the foil open with my teeth.

One single drop of dark raspberry chocolate dripped onto the center of the map. One tiny dark red dot. Just like the one that had been sitting in the middle of Kent’s forehead when the coroner rolled him over on his back.

I shoved the memory out of my head—something I had gotten decidedly better at in the last two months—and tossed the map on the seat.

It had been a long day.

And it was about to get longer.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Author Bio and Links

Rebecca lives with her husband and a dog named Wilbur in the beautiful, misty mountains of East Tennessee, where the people are charming, soulful, and just a little bit crazy. She’s been everything from a tax collector to a stay-at-home-mom to an award-winning professional actor and director. She loves to travel the world (pre-pandemic) because it makes coming home so sweet. Her Southern roots and the affectionate appreciation she has for the rural towns she lives near inspire the settings and characters she writes about.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway

Rebecca Lee Smith 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 Rebecca on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

10 Life Lessons from Jarrett Brandt, the Hero from A Hero’s Heart

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back multi-published author, Amber Daulton. Today, Amber shares ten life lessons learned by the protagonist of her latest release, A Hero’s Heart.

Here’s Amber!

DEA Special Agent Jarrett Brandt has made a lot of mistakes in his life. Though he’s doing his best to move on and do better, what exactly has he learned?

1. Youth is wasted on the young. — His wild teenage years led him on a path of destruction, but…

2. Hitting rock bottom is a good thing. — Faced with prison time and a hard reality check, he finally realized what kind of man he wanted to be, and he was nowhere close to becoming it.

3. Redemption is hard but worth it. — He’s pushed down his regret for so long while ignoring his pain and plastering a smile on his face. Now it’s time to do what he fears most—make amends.

4. Pride isn’t everything. — For some men, it’s all they have. That’s true for Jarrett. But he needs so much more, so he casts aside his ego for what his heart truly desires.

5. Goodbye isn’t always forever. — He’d left home with no intention of returning, but fate has a will of its own.

6. True love never dies. — He’s only ever loved one woman, and it’s never too late to win her back.

7. Family is forever. — Though he and his overbearing father rarely get along, he learns the hard way that his dad loves him.

8. Enemies lurk around every corner. — As an undercover agent, he’s met a lot of unscrupulous people, but the most dangerous foes are often the ones pretending to be his friend.

9. Allies come from unexpected sources. — At the darkest hour, truths are revealed, and the friends he never knew he had stand with him.

10. Second chances are rare. — With love and family welcoming him with open arms, he finds the courage to accept it and becomes the man he always wanted to be.

Blurb

Lies. Betrayal. A million-dollar bounty.

After an undercover mission goes awry, DEA agent Jarrett Brandt hides out in the last place he wants to be—his hometown. Now he’s stuck with his judgmental parents and the memory of his perfect brother hanging over his head. His one bright light? Marissa Reinn Brandt—his high school sweetheart and former sister-in-law.

Marissa lost Jarrett once before. No way will she let him back in; then her son offers him their guestroom. His wicked charm and smoldering stares are hard to resist, but she’ll make him work to reclaim his spot in her bed.

When his enemies close in, how will Jarrett keep Marissa and her son safe, or will he lose his shot at redemption?

– Triggers: drug use (discussed) and a brief assault of the heroine
– A Hero’s Heart is a smoking hot second chance, romantic suspense novella. No cheating. HEA guaranteed.
– Second edition. Newly revised and edited.

Tagline

Rekindling the flames of love has never burned so hot.

Excerpt

“You can trust me, Jarrett. I won’t tell your parents anything you don’t want me to.” She sighed and stood as well. “You used to tell me everything. We never kept secrets.”

Jarrett paced between the coffee table and fireplace. “My parents’ opinion doesn’t matter. Dad would still throw up my juvie record or the fact that I’m not a cop, even if I was a model citizen. I’m not that lost, angry kid anymore. I know who I am now, and it’s not someone you’d want to know.”

“I disagree.”

“God, you don’t understand. Marissa, I’ve missed you so damn much. I’ve laid awake so many nights wondering what my life would’ve been like if I’d stayed here.” When he made love to other women, he imagined Marissa beneath him or above him, panting his name. When the nightmares of blood and gore faded, he dreamed of her. Those bittersweet memories and what if scenarios were almost worse than the nightmares. “I’ve done things I’m not proud of.”

“I hated you after you left, but I’ve gotten over it. Everyone feels regret and guilt over something. It’s all about being human.” She dashed away her tears. “I told you mine last night. Will you please show me the same courtesy?”

“I can’t.”

“At least tell me what you did last Christmas. Jason made it crystal clear that he didn’t want you alone. He wants you to have a tree.” She pointed at the Douglas fir. “Well, there you go. What did you do last year?”

Jarrett licked his dry lips, heat swelling in his cheeks.

He’d joined the Consuelo gang last December and spent the holiday in a slummy apartment with five thugs who sold cocaine on the streets of Albuquerque. Living around his drug of choice had nearly destroyed him.

“What about your last birthday?” Marissa blocked his path and braced her hands on her hips. “Did you have cake or go out with a bunch of buddies and get drunk? Did something horrible happen? Why won’t you tell me anything?”

He shoved a hand through his hair. “Damn it, Marissa. Yeah, I got drunk. A few of us went to a strip club where I fucked two dancers in a backroom. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

Her eyes widened as she stepped back.

Way to go, you fucking idiot. He brushed his shaky hands on his button-down shirt to steady them. “Marissa—”

She strode past him with a high head and left the room.

Her cold shoulder skewered him, but he didn’t deserve better.

Add to Goodreads – https://bit.ly/aherosheartgoodreads

Check it out on BookBub – https://bit.ly/aherosheartbookbub

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Apple | Kobo | Google Play

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.

Universal link – https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

Virtual Book Tour: Lady and the Tribe

Posted on November 8, 2021 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Brenda Ridgley. Today, Brenda shares an inspiring message and her new release, Lady and the Tribe.

YOU are #1

Calling all Superheroes!

You know who you are. You are always being of service to others, volunteering to sit on the hump in the middle of the back seat, taking the smallest piece of cake, working from dawn until dusk and putting everyone else’s needs before your own. I am here to say…. STOP IT!

I am the author of Lady and the Tribe, How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles and it is my mission to wake everyone up to the FACT that we thrive on connection! In a world of social media, virtual offices, fitness apps, and on-line dating, people are detached and longing for connection. We need connection to our own spirituality and real relationships with others. We weren’t created to go it alone. Many people unknowingly have removed themselves from their close community, believing they are connected because of the number of social media “friends” they have yet feel empty, and unfulfilled. This longing and need can be fulfilled by re-connection to the self, a few close friends, and community.

So, listen up Superheroes I am talking to you! That tendency you have to always put yourself last has to go! When you continually take care of everyone and everything but yourself, you gradually have less and less to give. If you don’t KILL the martyr within you, you unknowingly will become needy. Right now I am going to remind you (your inner being already knows) that re-connecting to who you really are is easy.

Re-connecting to your essence requires self-care, self-love and getting your needs met. What do you need? What would fill you up and make you feel better? Maybe you are so far gone down the path of service that you can’t even answer this right now. If this is the case, carving out a little “ME” time is important. Take time to sit and be quiet with yourself and the Universe and remember what lights your fire. Think about a time in your life when you were eager and excited. What is it you were doing? Who were you with? Why was it so special? What activities make you joyful? Is it singing or dancing, painting, or writing? Are you doing these things now? You need to!!!! This fills your tank so that you have more to give… which you also love. You are a giver.

Once you know what you need, all you have to do is ASK for it! Guess what? Your friends and family can’t read your mind. They don’t know what you need and can’t help if they don’t understand. Other people also like to be of service, believe it or not. YOU need to be #1 in your own life! Once you do this, be #1….. a leader in your own life… and don’t feel guilty about it. You will be WHOLE. Everyone around you benefits when you are whole.
Thank you for connecting with me today. I encourage you… take the best piece of cake today! You deserve it!

I would love to hear from you about how you feel about this topic, especially if you are a recovering Superhero! Please share with me via email or on my Facebook page Brenda Ridgley Connections.

When three or more gather, we are Tribe.

Blurb

Wives, mothers, and career women—we have all fallen victim to the silent epidemic that is, literally . . . letting ourselves go. Not the makeup free, yoga pants, weight gain routine. Little by little, we have allowed our preferences, interests, and individuality to slip away until we no longer recognize ourselves outside of our role as wives, mothers, or professionals. Who we are has become what we do.

In the process, our friendships have become the casualty of a “busy life” and lack consistency and depth. We have a gaping hole inside us that longs to be filled. How do we reclaim who we really are and fill this empty space that seemed to appear from nowhere? The answer lies in our Tribe. Our best friends see us more clearly than we see ourselves and are representations and extensions of our individuality. They are our companions, cheerleaders, and counselors—always in our corner. They are the branches of our tree of life that lift and support us, so we can flourish. Our Tribe is the family with whom we choose to live our life . . . with no strings attached.

Lady and the Tribe is a blueprint for building deep connections. As you read, you’ll be swept away on a journey of friendship as the author shares her own personal stories and those of other women. In the process, you’ll discover how to find, nurture, and deepen friendships and create a Tribe culture that is unique to you.

We can become whole again through the power of connection.

When three or more gather, we are Tribe.

Buy Links

Amazon | Lady and the Tribe

Excerpt

Loneliness Can Be Lethal

Since we live in this global, socially connected world, how is it possible for anyone to be lonely? Psychologically speaking, loneliness does not necessitate social isolation. Being lonely means feeling detached from others yet having the desire for a connection or a relationship.

Why is loneliness so lethal? As human beings, one of our greatest needs is to be seen, acknowledged, and cared for. We want to belong and be a part of something larger than ourselves. More so than men, women need to maintain close connections. Relationships increase serotonin and oxytocin, the bonding hormone. In times of stress, women don’t just experience the drive toward fight or flight—they also release oxytocin. This hormone surge can compel women to “tend and befriend.”

Research is clear. Close friendships are necessary for optimal health and well-being. A longitudinal study of aging found that strong social networks lengthen survival among older people. Dr. Amir Leving suggests that social connections are the most powerful way for us to regulate our emotional distress and that proximity to someone you are securely attached to is the most effective way to calm yourself.

An article in the New York Times reported that close relationships create positive mental and physical reactions in our body, mind, and heart. We are less likely to experience high levels of loneliness when we feel supported by intimate and close relationships. Strong relationships with close friends or family benefit us greatly and fulfil our social needs.

Author Bio and Links

BRENDA RIDGLEY is an author, speaker, and girlfriend guru who loves helping women connect, find success, and discover joy through friendship. Her mission is to start a movement: women coming together to build thousands of new Lady Tribes around the globe. Through her workshops, vlogs, blogs, and book clubs, Brenda helps women connect and communicate with respect, love, and trust. She holds an MA in human resources and has spent decades cultivating her own Tribe. A Colorado girl at heart, Brenda lives in the Carbon Valley area with her husband, Parker, two kids, Parker Jr. and Gillian, and pooch, Perry. She enjoys hiking and has conquered Longs Peak and several other 14’ers. To connect with Brenda, visit her website at http://www.BrendaRidgley.com.

Giveaway

Brenda Billings Ridgley will be awarding a Cape Diablo wrap bracelet and a $25 Amazon Gift Card (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

Ghosts and World Religions

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back award-winning educator, author and speaker, Dr. Randy Overbeck. Today, Dr. Overbeck shares an interesting perspective on ghosts and his new release, Scarlet at Crystal River.

Here’s Dr. Overbeck!

As I’ve shared my program about ghosts with groups around the country, I’ve encountered more than my share of skeptics. Every once in a while, a participant will be brave enough to challenge, “Ghosts? Really? You want us to believe there are that many people who actually believe in ghosts?”

Usually, I just smile…and then I share a little data.

Whether you think you are a believer of ghosts or not, if you are a member of faith community, you probably profess this belief, even if you weren’t aware. One vital part of the doctrine and mythology of every religion in the world is a belief in the spirit realm and, specifically, in ghosts. This belief shows up differently in different religions, sometimes with the understanding of spirits as benign, other times with the perception of ghosts as more malevolent. But where ever you live on the planet, if you go to temple, church, mosque, or mandir, a part of your creed includes a deep-seated belief in ghosts. A few examples may illustrate.

Most Christian sects retain a belief in spirits and ghosts, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ belief that ghosts are demons or evil spirits who try to deceive humans. (Come to think of it, that’s pretty close to what I was taught as a young Catholic in my Baltimore catechism. For Judaism, those who attend temple are taught about several ghosts including a dybbuk, a ghost of dead person who can possess a human being for malevolent reasons.

Islam takes a very different tact on ghosts, one that you might well recognize. Muslims believe in particular ghosts called Jinns, spirits who inhabit a parallel world and cause mischief for humans. Americans are very familiar with these ghosts, only we call them genies.

Buddhists’ understanding of ghosts falls at the other end of the spectrum. They believe in what they call “hungry ghosts,” suffering spirits who should be treated with pity and compassion, rather than feared. For Hindus, ghosts are usually associated with individuals who experienced unnatural deaths like accidents and murder.

Perhaps, of all cultures, Native Americans have the most profound belief systems of the spirit world. Each tribe has their own particular version of belief in ghosts from the famous Skinwalkers of the Navaho’s to the Ojibwe’s understanding of a Wendigo. But one of the most interesting spirit myths comes from the Passamquaddy tribe of Maine. They believe in a creature called Skudakamooch, who they described as ghost witch.

So, what’s the point?

If, in fact, belief in the existence of spirits is universal across cultures, across countries, across religions, then perhaps, we should not be so quick to dismiss it.

But personally, I’m pulling for the kinder version. Happy Halloween.

Blurb

All Darrell Henshaw wanted was to enjoy his honeymoon with his beautiful wife, Erin, in the charming town of Crystal River on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida. Only a pair of ghosts decide to intrude on their celebration. And not just any ghosts, the spirits of two young Latino children. Unwilling at first to derail the honeymoon for yet another ghost hunt, Darrell finally concedes when a painting of the kids comes alive, weeping and pleading for his help.

When he and Erin track down the artist, they discover the children’s family were migrant workers the next county over. But when they travel there, their questions about the kids gets their car shot up and Erin hospitalized. Torn between fear and rage, Darrell must decide how far he will go to get justice for two young children he never even knew.

Tagline

Darrell and Erin thought they were heading to Florida for a carefree honeymoon, but the ghosts of two immigrants’ children haunt them, pleading for help.

Review Blurbs

“Scarlet at Crystal River is an eerie paranormal mystery I couldn’t stop reading. Randy Overbeck is a masterful writer of the paranormal, drawing the reader in before instilling shivers down the spine. 5+ stars.” –N. N. Light’s Book Heaven

“A rollercoaster of a mystery, hurtling up and down hills and sharp corners until the very end, when the reader is left slightly breathless, waiting for their hearts to beat back to a normal rhythm. ★★★★★—ReadersView

“Scarlet at Crystal River is a suspenseful paranormal novel with compelling characters and an enigmatic mystery that drives the story to a riveting conclusion. Overbeck is a master at building tension–-this is easily a one-sitting read.” ★★★★★—Literary Titan

Trailer

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Bio

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author and speaker. As an educator, he served children for four decades in a range of roles captured in his novels, from teacher and coach to principal and superintendent. His thriller, Leave No Child Behind (2012) and his recent mysteries, the Amazon No. 1 Best Seller, Blood on the Chesapeake, Crimson at Cape May and Scarlet at Crystal River have earned five star reviews and garnered national awards including “Thriller of the Year–ReadersFavorite.com, “Gold Award”—Literary Titan, “Mystery of the Year”—ReadersView.com and “Crowned Heart of Excellence”—InD’Tale Magazine. As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Sleuthfest, Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop. When he’s not writing or researching his next exciting novel or sharing his presentation, “Things Still Go Bump in the Night,” he’s spending time with his incredible family of wife, three children (and their spouses) and seven wonderful grandchildren.

10 Interesting Facts About Forever Winter by Amber Daulton

Posted on October 25, 2021 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back multi-published author, Amber Daulton. Today, Amber shares interesting facts about her new release, Forever Winter.

Here’s Amber!

Thank you for letting me visit today, Joanne. I’m excited to share ten awesome facts about my new release.

1. Forever Winter isn’t a new book. Not really. It was originally published in a Christmas-themed anthology with Bradley Publishing back in 2012. The publisher went under two months after the release, but luckily, one of the authors I met who also wrote for Bradley suggested I submit my story to her other publisher, Books to Go Now. Thankfully, BTGN accepted Forever Winter in 2013 and re-released it as an individual book. It stayed there for years until the rights reverted to me a few months back.

2. Forever Winter is my debut book.

3. I’ve given it a makeover with a fresh cover and edit for the re-release. I’ve also added a new subplot, which carries strongly throughout the book. Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it when I first wrote the book almost ten years ago.

4. I love graphic design, so I created the cover for Forever Winter myself. After a couple failed attempts and repeat visits to the drawing board, I finally created something I really liked that also got great feedback from the artists and authors in my book design groups.

5. I prefer to write sensual to smoking hot romance, but Forever Winter is one of two sweet, no on-page sex stories in my backlist. (The other is Lightning Over Bennett Ranch.)

6. I love historical romances, and the Regency period is one of my favorite eras. Most Regency books take place in the heyday of the era—between 1811-1820—but the time period typically ranges from 1795 to 1837. Anyway, Forever Winter is set in 1834, an oddity in the world of Regency romances.

7. Most romance books begin with the protagonists meeting and falling in love with maybe a quick, sappy wedding ceremony before the book ends. Not so in Forever Winter! The reader meets Susanna and Camden on their wedding day. They’ve already courted for a year and are now ready to begin their married life together. Don’t let this put you off from the book, though! It’s a complete, standalone novella that focuses on a single day in the lives of two people who are madly in love.

8. Weddings in the Regency period were typically low-key affairs for the common-folk and just a little better for the wealthy. Most took place in a church before noon, but if you obtained a special license—which was very expensive—you could marry wherever you wanted at whatever time you liked. In addition to the bride, groom, priest, and two witnesses being present, family and friends could of course attend, but few people traveled to attend a ceremony. It was just too expensive, difficult, and time consuming to travel from town to town or clear across the country to witness an event that would be over in less than an hour. There wasn’t a big to-do about the flowers, seating arrangement, or the dress, though some wealthy women did buy a new dress for the ceremony, which they later wore as a regular dress. In Forever Winter, Camden purchases a special license and Susanna orders a new dress, but their big day doesn’t compare to the extravaganzas lots of people throw today.

9. Susanna and Camden’s wedding day tanks! Everything that could go wrong, goes wrong in a spectacular fashion. If I were Susanna, I probably would’ve postponed the wedding, but she didn’t have that option—not as a young woman living under the strict rules of 19th century England. Poor girl.

10. Forever Winter shows the strength of love, friendship, and mutual respect in the face of adversity and that no matter what happens, love will prevail.

Synopsis

A perfect Christmas wedding, a snowstorm, and a shocking secret. What could go wrong?

Susanna Lorican must marry the man she loves before the truth is discovered, or face the gossip of the ton. With an unexpected snowstorm injuring the minister, her future hangs in the balance.
Viscount Camden Beckinworth vows to keep his bride safe, even if he must betray her confidence. When their love is put to the test, how will he uphold her honor without jeopardizing his own?

– Warning: this sweet, complete Regency romance novella features a brief scene where the heroine is assaulted.

– Second edition. Newly revised and edited.

Tagline

Will their love withstand the storm to come?

Excerpt

“Susanna, please, talk to me. Let me know your thoughts.”

He grasped her arms in a firm but gentle hold. Did he expect her to flee rather than confide in him? She couldn’t lie to him, nor did she want to. The truth spilled from her lips in a rush—her shame, her frustration, her anger. Everything poured out of her, except for the most precious reason of all.

“Oh, my darling.” He pressed her close to his chest.

She sniffled. His rich scent of smoke and pure male radiated from him in a soothing balm she scarcely deserved. “I-I planned the perfect wedding but never imagined things might go wrong. I didn’t consider anyone but myself. If I could change what I did, I would, but it’s too late. Too much is underway.” She gritted her teeth and pulled back from Camden’s embrace. She wrapped her arms around her churning stomach and paced again.

As Camden rubbed his creased brow, she bit back a cry of frustration. He tried so hard to be patient with her. Every fiber in his body probably urged him to snatch her arm, pin her against his chest, and kiss her until she melted in a puddle at his feet. She almost wished he would. Who cared about the gossip that might ensue if someone caught them in the act?

“You were right.” Susanna pressed her knuckles against her aching temples. “Mama was right. A spring wedding would have been wonderful, but with my luck, these catastrophes would have happened regardless.”

“There is always the possibility of something bad happening—rain, wind, anything. The dress still might have been late, or a highwayman could have robbed the coach and stolen it. The reverend could have fallen from his horse on a dry road.”

His words rang with truth, but the misery clenching her heart doubled.

Camden blocked her path. “I’m glad you chose today, the anniversary of the day my life changed for the better. I will never forget your blue muslin dress, or how you moaned over your hurt ankle then clammed up when you saw me. You were so stubborn, so beautiful, that I lost my voice. I had never truly seen you until that moment.”

She flushed warm as the memory calmed her racing heart.

She’d been playing with a few of the servants’ children in the courtyard when she fell and twisted her ankle. While the children hurried off to find help, Camden found her and carried her inside. They were inseparable for the rest of the evening. Though his kiss in the library startled her so much that she’d slapped him, her heart had soared and nearly split her rib cage.

He suckled her lower lip between his teeth until a moan escaped her throat. He pulled back and stared deep into her eyes. “You are so kind, darling. I wish you realized that.”

“How could you believe such a falsehood? I’m selfish and—”

“Would a selfish woman invite servants to her wedding, and their brood?” He cupped her cheek. “Of course not. You wanted them to enjoy this day too. I have seen the way the children—both your flesh and blood and the others—gravitate to you. Your goodness calls to them.” He tapped his palm on her upper chest, right above her heart. “If something else happens and prohibits our union, God forbid, we will marry as soon as possible. Nothing will keep me away from you.” He hooked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear and lowered his mouth to hers.

Add to Goodreads – https://bit.ly/foreverwintergoodreads

Check it out on BookBub – https://bit.ly/foreverwinterbookbub

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Apple/iBooks | Google Play

About the Author

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

Universal link – https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

Blurb Blitz: The Assasin’s Legacy

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author D. Lieber. Today, she shares her new release, The Assasin’s Legacy.

Blurb

He hasn’t been Aleksandr Sergeyevich Volonov, legendary monster-hunting assassin for ten years. Now, he is only Sasha, charming deckhand on a merchant airship so recently destroyed by pirates.

All he wants is to find another job and keep moving. But that simple plan is thwarted when his sister sends an assassin to murder him. His only choice is to return to Saint Petersburg and renounce his claim to his family’s title.

Trapped by his late father’s machinations, Sasha finds himself surrounded by death threats, engaged to a brutal villainess, shadowed by his cheeky assassin, and forced to lead the organization bent on eliminating all supernatural creatures from the Russian Empire.

As he struggles to keep hold on the man he is, Sasha must face who he used to be in this modern steampunk fantasy adventure full of folklore, banter, and artifice.

Excerpt

The cold wind off the Gulf of Finland seeped into my soul, greeting me like a mother’s caress. I had left the pleasant autumn of the west behind. Nothing warmed the heart quite like the promise of a Russian winter. Sighing, I smiled to myself and strolled in the direction of the river. A line of small steamboats with black and yellow striped canopies patiently waited on the river’s edge. Their smoke stacks, which stuck up through the canopies, puffed white water vapor, telling us they were ready at any time.

After we’d hopped into a taxi, I asked the driver to take us to Volonov Manor. We chugged up the Neva, and I watched the grand palaces and mansions drift by. I could still remember the names and faces of their boyar residents, those I’d grown up with. Their salons and drawing rooms, the many balls and parties, the dinners and concerts: the gilded façade that was my youth. I also remembered their cellars and basements: prisons for the creatures of the night, poor souls who were only kept alive to torture for information and study to find better ways of killing others of their kind.

Of course, not all of the noble families were members of the Ubyzniki, just the trusted few. Five families, still favored by the empress, made up the Ubyzniki. Five families with their many branches filled the ranks of “monster” hunting assassins. They lurked in forests, alleys, and ballrooms alike, stalking their supernatural prey and keeping the unknowing citizens of the Russian Empire safe. I scoffed at their hypocrisy, their righteous hubris, as all the contentment I’d felt upon landing in Saint Petersburg drained out of me.

Author Bio and Links

D. Lieber has a wanderlust that would make a butterfly envious. When she isn’t planning her next physical adventure, she’s recklessly jumping from one fictional world to another. Her love of reading led her to earn a Bachelor’s in English from Wright State University.

Beyond her skeptic and slightly pessimistic mind, Lieber wants to believe. She has been many places—from Canada to England, France to Italy, Germany to Russia—believing that a better world comes from putting a face on “other.” She is a romantic idealist at heart, always fighting to keep her feet on the ground and her head in the clouds.

Lieber lives in Wisconsin with her husband (John) and cats (Yin and Nox).

Website | Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon Buy Link

Published Works

Conjuring Zephyr June 2016
The Exiled Otherkin (Minte and Magic Adventure, #1) November 2017
Intended Bondmates (Intended Fates, #1) June 2018
In Search of a Witch’s Soul (Council of Covens Noir, #1) March 2019
Dancing with Shades (Council of Covens Noir, #0) August 2019
Once in a Black Moon) March 2020
A Very Witchy Yuletide ) October 2020
The Treason of Robyn Hood ) March 2021
The Assassin’s Legacy (Minte and Magic Adventure, #2) October 2021

Giveaway

D. Lieber will be awarding a Russian tea kit, which includes: podstakannik and glass, tea, jam, and spoon to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

Follow D. Lieber on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

Spotlight on Julie Howard

Posted on October 18, 2021 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back Wild Rose Press author Julie Howard. Today, Julie shares her author journey and new release, The Three Widows of Wylder.

Here’s Julie!

Thank you, Joanne, for hosting me today! This is a lucky day for me because my eighth book, The Three Widows of Wylder, releases today.

I never thought I’d have eight books out. My dream was to someday have one published. My journey to becoming a novelist was both long and short. My childhood dream was to be a novelist and I was always creating stories and jotting down plot and character notes. I majored in journalism in college and was a newspaper reporter, columnist and editor for a number of years. This was a great training ground as I learned quite a bit about human behavior during the stories I reported on (motivations), how different people speak (dialogue), and understanding what made an interesting story (plot). For a few years, I worked in marketing before I realized time was growing short for realizing that old childhood dream.

In my forties, I quit work and started writing my first novel. I learned writing fiction was very different than nonfiction. While I had the technical abilities, I still had a lot to learn. I took a few classes, attended conferences, and read a number of books on writing fiction. I spent a few years researching and writing a historical fiction novel and then, mentally exhausted by that effort, decided to write a mystery to clear my mind. That book, Crime and Paradise, was picked up by The Wild Rose Press.

What seemed like an immediate success to those around me was actually the culmination of years of work putting the building blocks in place. I’ve stayed with the same publisher for seven subsequent titles and am now working on my next novel. Finally, after all these years, I’m living my childhood dream.

Tagline

Three women. Three terrible secrets.

Blurb

Three women on the run.

After the death of her husband, Clara flees a hanging judge and seeks refuge with her brother in Wylder, Wyoming.

With secrets of her own and good reasons to flee, spoiled and vain Mary Rose joins Clara on the trek to Wyoming. Surely a suitable man exists somewhere.

Emma is a mystery. A crack shot and expert horsewoman, her harrowing past seeps out in a steady drip. She’s on the run from something, but what?

After the three women descend on Wylder, a budding romance leads to exposure of their pasts. As disaster looms, will any of them escape?

Excerpt

Emma stood, legs apart, one hand on the pistol at her hip. The covered wagon was the type used years ago by pioneers, before trains tamed the prairie, and they still lumbered across areas where tracks hadn’t been laid. Two women sat side-by-side, too focused on their argument to yet notice the camp they entered. Their one horse, overmatched by the heavy wagon, was damp with sweat, its mouth flecked with froth.

“We should have stayed on the main road.” The peevish one appeared much younger, curly gold hair topped by a large straw hat. She wore a light-yellow dress with lace at her wrists and throat, a perfectly inadequate outfit for travel. “Someone could have provided directions.”

The older woman had finely-drawn features, a few strands of gray threaded through her dark, uncovered hair. Dressed in sensible blue calico, she gripped the reins too tight and the poor horse gave a pathetic shake of its head. “The whole point was to avoid people,” she sniped.

Emma strode forward and seized the reins. “For God’s sake, you’re killing him.”

The two women gaped as though at an apparition. The horse, released from harsh hands, lowered its head and halted. Its sides heaved as flies drank at its sweaty flanks.

“Whomever let you two fools handle a horse should be whipped.” Tempted to dispatch the women to hell for their cruelty, Emma rested her hand on the pistol’s handle.

They two travelers spoke in tandem. “Who are you?” and “How dare you call me a fool.”

As Emma crooned into in the horse’s ear, her expert fingers undid the buckles at its shoulders and haunches. By the time the older of the two women climbed to the ground, the horse was unhitched and Emma led it to the creek.

“That’s our horse,” cried the one in yellow. “Clara, what is that insane girl doing? She’s stealing him.”

Emma halted, shoulders stiff. She turned and pointed the pistol at the one with lace at her throat. “I’m no horse thief.” She cocked the hammer. “Apologize.”

Buy Links

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes and Noble | Bookbub | Goodreads

Author Bio and Links

Julie Howard is the author of the Wild Crime mystery series and Spirited Quest paranormal mystery series. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. She is a member of the Idaho Writers Guild and editor of the Potato Soup Journal.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time outdoors cycling, walking or gardening. A fifth generation Californian, she now lives in Idaho.

Book Blast: To Entice a Spy

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome multi-published author Diane Scott Lewis. Today, Diane shares her new release, To Entice a Spy.

Blurb

In 1794, Widowed Countess Eseld Trehearne seeks revenge for the brutal death of her female companion during a Paris riot. On her return to England, Eseld delves into espionage to defeat the French rebels.

Baron Robert Penhale, Eseld’s childhood love, rejoins the Secret Services after his wife’s death. He’s determined to protect England from the revolution terrorizing France.

A ruthless French spy fights for the common man while disguised as an English aristocrat. He’s intent on revenge against those who oppose him.

With the spy stalking them and Robert in fear for Eseld’s life, the fate of the couple verges on disaster.

Excerpt

Pierre entered the Blue Anchor tavern. At a table in the far corner, he sat and ordered a small beer. He reached into his greatcoat pocket and pulled out the letter he’d just picked up from the General Post Office. Crackling it open in the dim candlelight, he started to read the coded letter.

Men laughed and talked in the low-ceiling taproom, puffing on pipes. The word, “revolution,” popped up now and then. Had their arguments been for or against?

The nerve of the English to care about his country’s events, but the murder of useless royalty across the Channel had made George III fear for his crown. Now Britain, along with Austria, attacked France to demand the status quo.

A pretty wench in apron and cap sauntered up to his table.

“You promised to visit me. I’m that earnest to run my fingers through your hair blacker than coal, an’ gaze into them blue eyes. Handsome devil.”

“Not now, I’ll come back later tonight. I’m busy.”

Pierre was anxious to finish his note and turned from her. Another chit he dallied with. He heard her walk off in a huff.

He hunched down and snickered.

The note confirmed that a woman, a spoiled aristocrat, was in town to interfere with him.

“How delightful,” he muttered under his breath. Could that be the recent arrival, Countess Trehearne?

He crunched the paper in his fingers as if to rip apart anyone who impeded his operation. This woman, the delectable Eseld, would be easy to fool, and dispose of, if necessary.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Target | Book Depository

Author Bio and Links

Diane Parkinson (Diane Scott Lewis) grew up near San Francisco, joined the Navy at nineteen, married in Greece and raised two sons in Puerto Rico, California, and Guam. She’s a member of the Historical Novel Society and wrote book reviews for their magazine. She’s always loved travel and history and has had several historical novels published. Her most recent is the Oyster War Novel set in the 1950s: Ghost Point.

Her spy novella, To Entice a Spy, set in England during the French Revolution—two former lovers chase a ruthless spy; will love rekindle as murder stalks them? — will be released on October 11, 2021.

Diane lives with her husband and one naughty dog in western Pennsylvania.

Giveaway

Diane Scott Lewis 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 Diane on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

Goodreads: