10 Quotes to Live By from the Novel Blackhorse Road

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Merida Johns. Today, Merida shares ten inspirational quotes from her new release, Blackhorse Road.

Values, beliefs, and life philosophy form the backbone of Blackhorse Road characters. Book reviewer, Gayle Scroggs, PhD, PCC, suggests that “The exceptional self-awareness that the characters show is what stands out in Blackhorse Road.” Here are ten quotes that give a hint about the characters in Blackhorse Road.

1. Lucinda—Chapter 1: What defines a person are not one’s financial or physical attributes or beliefs. Instead, it’s the choices that one makes in surmounting life’s challenges.

2. Luci—Chapter 1: “Conformity may make life seem more comfortable. But blind obedience, in time, frustrates and disappoints us. It is conformity that robs us of our hope and deprives us of improving ourselves and creating a better and fairer world.”

3. Sam—Chapter 2: “You have three options when you hit a brick wall and can’t get what you want. You can be complacent and accept the situation and endure it. You can live in a fantasy world and pretend everything is fine. Or you can persist and find a way around the wall.”

4. Sam—Chapter 6: “Given the relevant facts and the chance to think things through, most people are smart, creative, and resourceful enough to make the right decisions.”

5. Luci—Chapter 14: Wallowing in self-pity is a waste of energy. Pessimism robs people of their freedom. It closes your mind to possibilities and opportunities. It makes you a victim of your own behavior.

6. Chris—Chapter 15: “. . . You know, there’s that old saying, ‘Better safe than sorry,’ but I like saying ‘Safe but sorry.’ I think my version is better. I don’t want to end my life, Luci, dwelling on all the should-haves or could-haves that I didn’t do because I was afraid.”

7. Barry—Chapter 15: “If you are going to get what you want in life, you have to have a contingency plan in your back pocket.”

8. Geneviève—Chapter 16: If you want to change people’s behavior, it’s best to give them a plausible option.

9. Geneviève—Chapter 17: “Live in the present, and you won’t be anxious or worried.”

10. Chris—Chapter 21: “You cannot contract out responsibility for exercising your conscience to religion, government, or other authority. To mindlessly follow authority thwarts one’s autonomy. After all is said and done, you are accountable for your choices. Those who believe that following the rules will excuse them from moral responsibility are living in fantasy land.”

Blurb

Under another hand, Blackhorse Road could all too easily have been a singular romance. Johns provides more as she follows Luci down the rabbit hole and out the other side of life experience, bringing readers into a world where . . . transgression changes everything and challenges carefully-constructed foundations of belief and values. As Luci lets go of her lifesavers and navigates obstacles to happiness, her story becomes a vivid portrait of hope and self-examination which ultimately moves into unexpected territory. Novel readers seeking a tale that closely considers deception and forgiveness, love gained and lost, and family ties will welcome the multifaceted Blackhorse Road’s ability to come full circle in a satisfyingly unexpected way. – D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

It’s the turbulent mid-1960s, and Luci, an eighteen-year-old Southern California girl, is on the quest for self-determination and new beginnings. Three powerful forces influence her values: the grit of her Irish great-grandmother, Lucinda McCormick; the philosophy of choice of her father, Sam; and the 1960s ideals of equity and altruism. But potent foes thwart Luci at every turn. Her budding romance with a handsome United States Air Force Academy cadet sets the stage for conflict and deception that last for two decades. When Luci discovers how her autonomy and her love affair were hijacked, she struggles with anger and bitterness. But from a surprising source, she finds a forgiveness path that restores her well-being and hope and, in the end, faith in herself.

Excerpt

Uncertain what to make of Luci’s stillness, Barry brought his head close to hers and asked, “What are you thinking?”

Luci held back, still gazing ahead. She turned and drilled into Barry’s blue eyes. “I guess, using an Irish term, I could say, ‘What a bunch of malarkey!’” She drew back her lips in a saucy grin and weighed his reaction.

Luci’s response was unarming but charming. Barry laughed. “No one has ever told me in such a nice way that I’m full of bullshit.”

“Well, I guess there’s that!” Luci chuckled, then turned thoughtful. “Putting the ‘BS’ aside, I’d say the story is about choices, not a lovestruck fairy tale. It’s about risks and consequences and being true to your values. It’s about living who you are and not how someone else expects you to live.”

Author Bio and Links

Merida Johns takes her experience as an educator, consultant, and businesswoman and writes about the human experience. In 2018 Merida took an unlikely off-ramp from writing textbooks and motivational books to authoring women’s fiction. Her stories are learning lessons where awareness and curiosity transport readers to the most unexpected places within themselves. Merida hails from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, grew up in Southern California and has lived from coast-to-coast in the United States. Besides writing, she enjoys fabric arts, including weaving and knitting. She makes her home in the serene Midwest countryside that gives her the inspiration and space for storytelling.

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Giveaway

Merida Johns 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 Merida on the rest of her Rafflecopter tour here.

Spotlight on BloodBond

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome Wild Rose Press author Sydney Winward. Today, Sydney shares her new release, Bloodbond.

Blurb

Zachariah Degore spent ten years locked under ground as a feral vampire. Now he has to redefine what it means to be healthy and whole. With his human life behind him, he starts anew in the vampire city of Ichor Knell with the vampire shah as his kin. He must prove he is worthy of his place in this new world.

Laurel Covaci is vampire elite, she would never court a feral vampire. After two hundred years she has yet to find a mate who meets with her satisfaction. She hides the pain of past hurt and abandonment behind a cold façade. Zach is confident that Laurel is the vampire for him, but can he break through her icy walls and convince her he’s the mate she’s been waiting for?

Excerpt

“You obviously won’t bring up what is ailing you,” Oriel said, “therefore, I will. What is it?”

Her scowl deepened as she glared at a patch of red flowers that didn’t deserve her anger. “Zachariah is receiving mounds of handkerchiefs, and I fear it will interfere with his learning.”

He grinned slyly as he turned to face her. She didn’t like that look, as if he knew something she didn’t.
“I believe you are experiencing feelings of jealousy. Laurel, you are in love with Zachariah Degore.”

Shock hit her like a sleigh slamming into her at breakneck speed. Never in her life had she expected to hear the words “Laurel”, “Zachariah”, and “love” in the same sentence. Still, she shook her head stubbornly, but in her shock, she tripped on her bad foot, wincing as pain shot up her leg. She lowered herself onto a stone garden bench and took her slipper off, massaging the place where it hurt most while Oriel hovered worriedly.

“I am not in love with Zachariah,” she insisted. “We are only friends and I am simply worried about his studies.”

“Then why is your heart beating like a hummingbird’s wings?” he teased.

This time, she directed her scowl at her brother. “Curse you, Oriel. Mind your own business.”

“Your business is my business. I never liked Luca, but I like Zachariah plenty. I approve of a union between the two of you.” He sat beside her, draping an arm across her shoulders. “Zachariah is Dracula’s kin. He won’t be on the market for long.”

“I know,” she grumbled miserably, though she admitted to nothing. She was afraid to tell even herself that she felt more for Zachariah than just friendship.

Buy Links

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About the Author

Sydney Winward was born with an artistic brain and a love of discovery for new talents. From drawing to sewing to music, she has loved to explore every opportunity that comes her way. At a young age, Sydney discovered her love of writing, and she hasn’t been able to stop writing since. Her active imagination and artistic mind take her away to different worlds and time periods, making every new story a fantastic adventure. When she is not writing (or fawning over animals in the neighborhood) she spends time with her husband and children at home in Utah.

Spotlight on A Hundred Lies

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome Wild Rose Press author Jean M. Grant. Today, Jean shares her new release, A Hundred Lies, Book 3 in The Hundred Trilogy.

Blurb

1322, Scotland

Rosalie Threston’s fortune-telling lies have caught up with her. Uprooted yet again, she’s on the run from a ruthless English noblewoman. She flees to Scotland and seeks refuge in the arms of a laird’s son who happens to be a real Seer.

A bloody past and inevitable future plague Domhnall Montgomerie. He avoids physical contact with others to ease the painful visions. When an accidental touch reveals only delight, he wonders if Rose is the key to silencing the Sight.

Mystical awakening unravels with each kiss. But can Domhnall embrace his gift in time to save her life, even it means exposing her lies?

Excerpt

He inhaled the fresh, earthy fragrance of impending rain. The crack of thunder sounded as droplets began to patter the ground in beat with his boots. He swam through the mugginess, each step determined, each step a liberation from the vapors of the vision. He made for the gardens, steadying his thoughts. Something didn’t feel right.

A commotion drew him to the rows farthest from the keep. Ewan waved frantically toward him. Ewan then crouched by a body, prostrate in the carved garden row.

Domhnall dashed to the scene. Others congregated.

A lass in a simple gown.

He jerked his head at the sight of her hands bound loosely with twine, and a sack over her head. “Sir Montgomerie! Thank the Lord. I came when I heard her scream and—” Ewan’s cheeks were splotched with red, his eyes wide and confused as he blinked away the rain dripping down the furrows in his forehead.

Domhnall dropped to the ground beside her and ripped the linen sack from her head. His stomach clenched. “Rose! Wake, lass. My God, Rose!”

“Sir, should I lift her?” Ewan knelt, ready for action.

What the hell?

Domhnall’s cowardice to touch people—to help people—shuddered through him with humiliation. Did they all think him an ignorant lout? Did they truly think he held himself higher than them because of his rank? No more. Let the visions take his soul.

He loosened the twine around her wrists and gathered her into his lap, lifting her up from the muddy ground. He was tired of being idle and looking like a haughty nobleman. Or worse, a dastard who could not face the devil. No more feeding fears.

“Sir, should I fetch a soldier, or watchman—” Ewan sputtered at Domhnall’s action. “I can help.”

“Get the healer. Send him to my bedchamber.” He wasn’t going to drag the poor lass to the servants’ quarters and cause a stir with the celebratory preparations. Cawley would lose his wits if Domhnall brought this extra quandary anywhere remotely close to the kitchen or hall.

“Aye, sir.” Ewan rose.

“No. No, wait. My mother. Get her, please. Send her, with some linens.”

A puzzled frown crinkled Ewan’s brow. “Sir?”

He released an impatient, heavy sigh.

Ewan bowed. “Aye.” He ran toward the keep.

Domhnall swiped tangled wet hair from Rosalie’s forehead. A large, red welt formed on the side of her face, along her cheek. Her skin was chilled. Yet…she felt divine. Smooth, vibrant, and ever silky. Energy prickled his fingertips. The wind rustled in an eddy. To hell with you, Wind. Release your wrath. I don’t care.
He felt for a pulse in her neck. Good.

He’d forgotten what others felt like. Her hands upon his last night had been the stepping-stone. A trickle of need coursed within him. It begged for more. He took a fingertip and gently touched her lips, hovered to assess breathing. He wanted to help her. Protect her. Be with her.

Sensation puddled within his soul like a spicy brewed cider ale on midwinter’s eve. He’d been cold for so long, fearing fire. Fearing touch. Heat melted his resolve.

Buy/Book Links

Bio

Jean’s background is in science and she draws from her interests in history, nature, and her family for inspiration. She writes historical and contemporary romances and women’s fiction. She also writes articles for family-oriented travel magazines. When she’s not writing or chasing after children, she enjoys tending to her flower gardens, hiking, and doing just about anything in the outdoors.

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Exploring a New Craft

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Wild Rose Press author Jeny Heckman sharing her writing journey and new release, The Warrior’s Progeny.

Here’s Jeny!

Briefly describe your first act.

Daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend. My husband and I eloped after knowing each other three months. three months after we were married, I became pregnant with my daughter, Paisley. So, we had our daughter and nine days later had our first anniversary. Twenty months passed and we had our son, Charlie and I started a business. We dug in and had a fantastic and exciting life together filled with friends, sports, the business, charities and fun.

What triggered the need for change?

The kids graduated from high school and our very busy life came to an abrupt halt. It was hard enough saying goodbye to my daughter at college, but when my son left two years later, the house became very quiet. I had written my first book and self-published it but didn’t really know much about the business. I had extra time on my hands and was interested in exploring this new craft.

Where are you now?

After I published the first one, I wanted to try to write a series. I was going to a lot of classes and conferences. At the conferences, people go to a kind of cattle call where they pitch their books to agents, editors and publishers. I didn’t have a book yet, so I pitched an idea for a series on Greek mythology and modern-day descendants. Kind of a Percy Jackson meets Nora Roberts. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and I began the series, just releasing book two July 27th.

Last Monday, I began writing book three and will have a side novella come out around Christmas time. I also will be turning all my books into audio next year.

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

Well, I’m no expert, but I wasn’t prepared for all the marketing that goes into a book and find myself continually playing catch up. If I had it to do over again, I would’ve written two or three books first, while establishing a simple media presence. The editing process takes a long time too, so I would have started with book one and got that out while doing the time consuming editing and marketing, all the while knowing I didn’t have to be writing the next book so quickly because I had two or three in the coffers. It just gives you time rather than writing one, editing, and releasing, then writing, editing and releasing.

Any affirmations or quotations you wish to share?

My favorite quote of all time is from the movie, Hope Floats. Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts the most. Remember that when you find yourself at the beginning and give hope a chance to float up, and it will.

My other favorite quote is from Betty Jean Eadie, author of Embraced by the Light. I met her once and she is amazing. She said…Everyone is a writer, some people just don’t know their own story.

I don’t know if she knows how much that resonated with me, but it was very powerful.

Tagline

If love dies, can it be reborn…only stronger?

Blurb

Colton Stone is a newly traded tight end whose reputation is as battered as his football helmet. When he receives a vacation invitation from his new teammates, he accepts. There he collides with Dr. Lillian Morgan, a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon, and doesn’t know what to think.

A widow with two children, Lilly is looking forward to her friends’ wedding. When she meets Colton Stone, his arrogant attitude only makes her long for the love she took for granted. Lilly struggles between letting go of her perfect past for an uncertain future.

Strange events occur, out of the realm of normal consciousness. When black energy touches their world Colt and Lilly become the pawns of the immortal Greek gods. Is the love developing between them natural, or part of a larger prophecy?

Trailer

Buy Links

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Author Bio

Award-winning author, Jeny Heckman, was born in Bellingham, Washington, and was the youngest of two daughters. She met her husband, Jeff, in August 1992, and eloped three months later, at Magen’s Bay, on St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.

She wrote her first book, the Catch, in a few short months but took several years before she gained the courage to self-publish it at her son’s urging, and her love for writing began.

In 2018, Jeny knew her next project would be a series that showed adults could have adventures in the paranormal-fantasy genre too. So, she created the Heaven & Earth series, a story of doomed Greek gods and their only salvation, their modern-day descendants. Her first book of the series, the Sea Archer, was immediately picked up by the New York publishing house, the Wild Rose Press, and won, “Best in Category” from the 2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards.

In the year 2020, Jeny released, Dancing Through Tears, a short story from the anthology, Australia Burns: Volume Two, highlighting the Route 91 massacre from the perspective of one family at the concert, and at Mandalay Bay. She also intends to release, the Warrior’s Progeny, and Dee’s Cornucopia, in 2020, continuing the Heaven & Earth Series.

Jeny lives in Washington State with her husband of over twenty-eight years.

Book Blast: The Baby Contract

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome USA Today-bestselling author Nan Reinhardt. Today, Nan shares her latest release, The Baby Contract.

Blurb

She wants a baby…he wants a family

Firefighter and paramedic Tierney Ashton has always been a bold adventurer, but at thirty-four she longs to embark on a new adventure—motherhood. But who will be the father? Although financially challenging, a sperm bank appears to be her best option. That is, until she shares her dream with her long-time pal, Brendan Flaherty.

Government analyst and world traveler Brendan Flaherty returns home to River’s Edge to help out at his family’s thriving winery and his brother’s new community theater. He also plans to finally achieve his lifelong goal of writing a novel. But when Tierney shares her wish, Bren offers to be her baby daddy—with one condition. Marriage.

It seems like a perfect contract, but will love get in the way?

Excerpt

Sean scowled, then acquiesced. “I don’t blame you.” He licked his fingers and wandered over to the wall full of photos that Brendan had hung earlier that morning. “Wow! Is that you on the Great Wall of China?”

Bren nodded, his mouth full of bread and cheese.

“And where is this?” Sean pointed to a black-and-white photo of Brendan standing in front of a huge clock.

Brendan swallowed. “Prague. That’s the world’s oldest astronomical clock. Amazing, isn’t it?”

Sean’s brow furrowed as he scanned the display of more than a dozen photos from places all across the globe—some that were obvious—Moscow, London, Paris, Tokyo—and some that Bren was sure Sean wouldn’t recognize, like Zagreb, Croatia, and Podgorica in Montenegro. “Good God, Bond, all those times you said you were ‘on travel,’ we had no idea you were all over the damn globe. Conny, Ace, come check these out.”

Bren grinned. “You never asked where I was going.”

“We weren’t sure we were allowed to ask.” Aidan rose from the table to amble over to the photo wall. “Who knew? If you’d told us, you might have had to kill us.” He peered at a framed photo of Bren standing in front of an ornate palace, his arm around an attractive brunette. “Who’s this and, where are you?”

Bren stood and carried Griff, who was still gnawing on a chunk of bread, over to his brothers. “Oh, that’s Agent 99, we’re in front of Bojnice Castle in Slovakia.” He said, working hard not to crack a smile. He couldn’t help being rather proud of his perfect Slovak pronunciation, particularly since it clearly impressed his gaping brothers. Because of the research and analysis work he did for several government agencies, he’d mastered, at last count, seven different languages, but that wasn’t something he boasted about. It was simply part of his job.

Sean stared at him over the top of his glasses while Conor looked askance and said, “Oh, sure, of course it is.”

“Agent 99?” Aidan chortled. “You’re kidding, right?”

Bren just smirked. They were so convinced he was a spy, it was a kick to tease them.

Buy Links

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Author Bio and Links

Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today-bestselling author of romantic fiction for women in their prime. Yeah, women still fall in love and have sex, even after 45! Imagine! She is a wife, a mom, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. Nan has been a copyeditor and proofreader for over 25 years, and currently works on romantic fiction titles for a variety of clients, including Avon Books, St. Martin’s Press, HarperCollins, Kensington Books, Tule Publishing, and Entangled Publishing, as well as for many indie authors.

Although she loves her life as an editor, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten, a love story between the most sophisticated person she knew at the time, her older sister (who was in high school and had a driver’s license!), and a member of Herman’s Hermits. If you remember who they are, you are Nan’s audience! Her latest series, the Four Irish Brothers Winery series is available from Tule Publishing and all book retailers. Books 1 through 3 are currently available; Book 4 releases July 16, 2020 and is available for preorder.

Visit Nan’s website at http://www.nanreinhardt.com, where you’ll find links to all her books as well as blogs about writing, being a Baby Boomer, and aging gracefully…mostly. Nan also blogs every third Tuesday at Word Wranglers, sharing the spotlight with five other romance authors, is a frequent contributor to the RWA Contemporary Romance blog, and she contributes to the Romance University blog where she writes as Editor Nan.

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Giveaway

Nan Reinhardt will be awarding a set of 6 handmade wineglass charms and a $10 Starbucks gift card. (USA only) to 5 randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

Blurb Blitz: Madam in Silk

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome award-winning author, editor and teacher Gini Grossenbacher. Today, Gini shares her latest release, Madam in Silk.

Blurb

San Francisco, 1849. Despite her objections, twenty-year-old Ah Toy and her servant Chen voyage from China to San Francisco with her husband who dies on board ship. With little cash and bound feet, how is she to find employment in the Gold Rush town? Since she is the only Chinese woman there, she opens a “Lookee Shop,” catering to miners who pay in gold dust to see her exotic beauty. As her notoriety grows, so does her attraction to the devoted policeman, John Clark. Yet should she put her faith in one man? Will their love survive despite her frightening encounter with Sydney Ducks, threats from rival madam Li Fan, and a tempting offer from Henry Conrad who promises her wealth and security? Armed with her mystical beliefs of the inner dragon and Goddess Mazu, Ah Toy faces much more than the journey from the ancient ways in China to the new world in America. In fact, she must find the true source of courage in a life or death struggle for her own fate, justice, and dignity. Based on page-turning accounts about the life of Ah Toy, one of San Francisco’s most legendary madams.

Excerpt

After she swallowed what seemed like a rock, she found her voice. “If you knew this Mr. Painter, why did you not contact us in Guangdong?” If only her dragon would reach out its fangs to bite him.

“I tried, but even when I sent your husband the letter, I knew you would not receive it by the time you sailed. News came too late.” He twisted the brim of his cap.

“Now what do I do?” Those dragon fangs would tear off that hair on his face. Then she would feed it to the chickens.

He reached into his inner coat pocket, drew out an envelope, and held it out to her. “Here is money to get by for a month. Lodging, room and board.”

“Only a month?” She took the envelope, her hands trembling.

Painter’s patient tone grew curt. “I got you a room in Little Canton until you can get another ship’s passage home. You better leave on the next sail. Believe me, without a job you are a gone circumstance amidst all these varmints.”

“What are varmints?” she asked.

He tapped the badge clinging to his lapel. “Men with no good intent. You’ll see men who call themselves Hounds from New York who parade around town with fife and drum. Stay away from that lot. They prey on immigrants, such as your fellow Celestials and Mexicans. . .

She took a half-step toward him. “I am strong. Willing to work.” Maybe if she said the words, they would come true. Was her dragon listening?

Author Bio and Links

MADAM IN SILK is California teacher and editor Gini Grossenbacher’s second historical fiction novel. Her debut novel MADAM OF MY HEART garnered the 2018 IPPY silver medal for Historical Fiction; finalist in the 2018 American Fiction Awards for Historical Fiction; honorable mention at the 2018 San Francisco Book Festival for General Fiction; and runner-up in the 2017 Hollywood Book Festival for Genre Fiction. She is also a copyeditor and leads an aspiring writers group called Elk Grove Writers and Artists, providing lessons in novel writing, memoir, poetry, and flash fiction. When she’s not writing, Gini can be found taking long walks, tending the roses in her garden, and barbecuing with her husband and beloved dog, Murphy Brown.

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Ms. Grossenbacher has produced a beautifully crafted novel filled with fresh insights into the plight of Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush. Captivated from the start, I couldn’t read fast enough to discover how a 20-year-old widow with bound feet and limited financial resources survived and thrived in rowdy and dangerous 1800s San Francisco. Despite the many obstacles she faced, among them threats from a rival madam and encounters with local vigilantes and street thugs, Ah Toy listened to her inner dragon and capitalized on her extraordinary beauty.

Simply irresistible!

Giveaway

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

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

Top 10 Things to See in Scotland

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome Wild Rose Press author Jean M. Grant. Today, Jean shares her must-sees for travelers to Scotland and her upcoming release, A Hundred Lies, Book 3 in The Hundred Trilogy. On sale for 99 cents!

Here’s Jean!

I visited the land of my daydreams, Scotland, over a decade ago. It stirred the muse within to write about medieval Scotland. From that inspiration sprung my trilogy. Here is my list of must-sees for the history and nature buff.

Scotland—be prepared for rain, be prepared for beauty of nature and people.

10. The abbeys—Abbeys are poetic and serene and back in the middle ages served as monasteries to different Christian orders. We walked among ancient gray and rose stone ruins at Dryburgh and Melrose Abbeys.

9. The isles—It is hard to not visit an isle while in Scotland. There are many: Lewis and Harris, Shetlands, or my beloved Uist. We visited Isle of Skye on a dreary day and could not even see the Black Cuillin mountains in the torrential rain.

8. Lochs—Like isles, lochs, many glacial, are a must-see and hard to miss whether it is the deep blue Loch Ness, expansive Loch Lomond, or the inspiring Loch Awe.

7. Crags & Glens—High and low crags abound…the Trossachs, Cairngorms, or the five sisters of Kintail are impressive mountains. With crags, come glens (valleys). Glencoe is not one to skip.

6. Standing Stones—Standing stones are one of the few places we couldn’t visit on our trip as most are on the isles. Note to self for next time!

5. Scottish Folk & Pubs—Scots are pleasant people and we had a great time chatting with the locals. And yup, there are plenty of the other kind of locals: sheep!

4. The Lowlands—The lowlands often get overlooked, but they are green and lush with undulating hills.

3. The Highlands—Rich in clan history and natural beauty and oh so many hikes, the Highlands are the epitome of Scotland. Tramp (hike) through glens, up stony crags, visit Culloden Battlefield, and just get lost on the winding one-lane roads.

2. Highland Games— Up for putting the stone, caber tossing, tug-o-war, music, and dancing…oh yes, and lots of kilts? Get thee to a Highland Game. We visited one in Pitlochry.

1. Castles—Castles, last but not least! I visited over a dozen on my trip. My favorites: Eilean Donan (seat to Clan MacCoinneach in my books), Kilchurn (we kayaked to it), Threave (we took a rowboat across a river to it), and Borthwick (we stayed overnight in this 14th century tower house that is haunted).

Blurb

1322, Scotland

Mystical awakening unravels with each kiss. But can Domhnall embrace his gift in time to save her life, even it means exposing her lies?

Buy/Book Links

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10 Inspirational Quotations

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back Wild Rose Press author Sadira Stone. Today, Sadira shares ten inspirational quotations and her new release, Gelato Surprise.

Here’s Sadira!

Thanks so much, Joanne, for welcoming me back to your blog. Since I’ve already chatted with your readers about my reinvention from high school teacher to romance novelist, today I’d like to share ten of my favorite inspirational quotations. ‘Cause goodness knows we all need inspiration to keep us moving forward during the Quarantimes!

1. “Honey, ever’body’s got somethin’ to teach you, even if it’s how not to be.” This golden nugget came from an older Southern lady I worked with when stationed in Fort Stewart, Georgia. My job: to help folks process their claims after a reassignment move had mashed up their household goods. Lots of negativity heaped on me by pissed-off customers who often took out their ire on me. This reminder served me well then, and every year since.

2. “Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we’re here we might as well dance.” I couldn’t hunt down a reliable attribution for this one, but it’s my Northern Star. There’s so much I can’t change about my circumstances, but I can still enjoy my time, look for new opportunities, and write schmexy romance books.

3. “The grubby chores will still be there when you’re done whining, so you might as well do them now.” ~Mom

Her work ethic and practicality have served me well.

4. “The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Don’t you feel exhilarated after going somewhere new, meeting someone new, trying something new? I sure do.

5. “Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large. I contain multitudes.” ~Walt Whitman

My favorite poet and proto-hippie refused to be squashed into a box of others’ expectations.

6. “Don’t fence me in.” ~Gene Autry

We women, especially, face societal pressures to make our lives smaller. Phooey to that!

7. “Insight, curiosity, to wonder, to mull and to muse why it is that man does what he does. And if you have that, talent makes no difference, whether you’ve got it or not. ~William Faulkner

As a writer, I sure hope he’s right.

8. “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” ~Marie Curie

She should know!

9. “Take a lover who looks at you like maybe you are magic.” ~Freda Kahlo

Again, we women must resist others’ urgings to settle for less than we deserve.

10. “The best work anyone ever writes is the work that is on the verge of embarrassing them. Always.” ~Arthur Miller

True! My best work comes when I spill my heart’s blood on the page.

Blurb

She came to the beach to find herself—and found him.

Forty-two-year-old divorcée Danielle Peters ends up alone on her family’s annual beach vacation. Maybe time to herself is exactly what she needs. That and gelato from her favorite ice cream shop. But when the owner’s intoxicating young nephew offers more than sweet treats, she’s tempted to indulge in a hot summer fling before returning home.

Thirty-one-year-old Matteo Verducci craved a fresh start to mend his broken heart, and he’s found almost perfection in Ocean View, where he scoops gelato by day and crafts furniture by night. But when a sexy older woman stops to sample his wares—Mamma mia! He only has two weeks to convince her their passion is more than a delicious surprise.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play Books

Author Bio

Ever since her first kiss, Sadira’s been spinning steamy tales in her head. After leaving her teaching career in Germany, she finally tried her hand at writing one. Now she’s a happy citizen of Romancelandia, penning contemporary romance and cozy mysteries from her home in Washington State. When not writing, which is seldom, she explores the Pacific Northwest with her charming husband, enjoys the local music scene, belly dances, plays guitar badly, and gobbles all the books.

Where to find Sadira…

Book Blast: Kitty’s War

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome author Barbara Whitaker. Today, Barbara shares her debut novel, Kitty’s War.

Blurb

Seeking adventure, shy Kitty Greenlee joins the Women’s Army Corps. In 1944 England, as secretarial support to the 8th Air Force, she encounters her dream man, a handsome lieutenant who only has eyes for her blonde friend. Uncomfortable around men, Kitty doesn’t think the handsome officer could want someone like her.

Recovering from wounds, Ted Kruger wants to forget about losing his closest friends and have fun before returning to danger as a bomber navigator. When Ted recognizes Kitty as the girl who rescued him two years before, he must choose between dating the sexy blonde or pursuing quiet, serious-minded Kitty even though he knows he’s not nearly good enough for her.

As the war gears up with the D-Day invasion, will Kitty and Ted risk their hearts as well as their lives?

Excerpt

It’s all part of the adventure.

Corporal Katherine Ilene Greenlee had reminded herself all the way across the Atlantic. The thrill of exciting voyages to exotic locations had spurred her to volunteer for overseas duty. After fourteen days on a rolling ship with her stomach churning like the waves in a storm, she wasn’t so sure about her decision.

She stumbled onto the gangplank. The heavy duffle bag, balanced precariously on her shoulder, toppled forward and bumped the girl in front of her. One hand went instinctively to her head to keep the steel helmet from falling as she regained her equilibrium.

“Watch it,” the girl complained.

Katherine drew a deep, fortifying breath and straightened under the weight of the bag plus all her other gear. She held tighter, determined to carry it all despite her screaming muscles and roiling stomach.

If she had learned anything in this woman’s army, it was to carry her own load and not ask for help. There had been times when she hadn’t thought she was strong enough to make the grade, but stubborn determination kept her going. She had to prove to herself and everyone else that she could do it.

By rights she shouldn’t be here at all, shouldn’t even be in the Women’s Army Corps. No one knew the truth, no one except her brother, who wouldn’t dare tell, and her father, who’d been so certain she’d fail that he’d let her go without a word of objection.

Buy Links

Author Bio and Links

Barbara grew up in a small town in Tennessee where the repeated stories of local and family history became embedded in her psyche. Fascinating tales of wartime, from her parents and her in-laws, instilled an insatiable curiosity about World War II. After retiring from her sensible career in accounting, she began full time pursuit of her lifelong love of historical romantic fiction. Enjoying every minute of research, Barbara spends hours reading, watching old, black-and-white movies and listening to big band music.

Although Barbara and her husband have been longtime residents of Florida, they both still think of Tennessee as “home.”

Website | Facebook

Giveaway

Barbara Whitaker will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Find out more here.

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

The Not So Pretty Way to the Next Act in Life

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Wild Rose Press author Colleen Donnelly sharing a unique perspective on reinvention and her new release, Letters and Lies.

Here’s Colleen!

Thank you for allowing me to stand back with your readers and smile at the colorful course I took to my second, third, and fourth acts in life. I was “one of those kids” I hope someone else can relate to.<

Act I – Innocence and Acceptance

Naked we came into the world—then someone added a diaper. Then nourishment, smiles, yawns, pensive looks, raised brows, hugs, and shaking heads. We were kids. Ready to live life fiercely and love unconditionally, empowered by parents or someone we saw as God who was equipped to fulfill our every need. At least I believed that as I sallied forth into what I expected to be a perfect world where all toys were mine, friends would delight me, and no tear would ever be shed. That euphoric journey might be true for many, but I found my nicely charted path diverted by unexpected surprises such as the little brother no one warned me was coming, the amount of sharing that would involve, and new rules which tainted my perception of unconditional love as I pondered it during time out in a chair or a corner. I did not approach Act II gracefully. I came at it determined to make up for Act I.

Act II – Hormones and the Need for Acceptance

Puberty, the doorway between Act I and Act II, opened to a whole world of options beyond our parents to affirm us and meet our needs. It looked glorious from the childhood side and lured me toward what turned into a twisted trek to glowing acceptance mottled with acne, larger thighs, and fierce competition. I floundered forward into brutal, teenage battles to be noticed, yet not to be, while my parents sagely countered my foibles with clever Act II countermeasures to replace Act I’s corners and chairs. Undaunted, I joined the ranks of those who missed a euphoric end to Act II. Hiding red-faced flops of looking for love in all the wrong places, my childhood determination morphed to desperation as I faced to the door to Act III.

Act III – Adulthood and Self-Acceptance

Opportunity sprouted legs in Act III, changed to responsibility, and taught baby adults how to walk. Acceptance became one with success and performance, and schools of sharks began to pool in groups of academics, career, marriage, and children. We found ourselves clawing backward for the tools we recalled from our parents and drew from them to design our own. School became the school of hard knocks, and euphoria began to resemble a never-ending black moment in a romance novel. Act III, in all its agony and trials, did what it was supposed to—give birth to the person we were meant to be in Act I. I spotted a glow the end of Act III that wasn’t Act IV. It was me; the polished shine that remained after I and the world had a hard go at me.

Act IV – The Golden Years of Accepting Others

For three Acts I learned to share, lived in a body never photographed for a cover, suffered bitterly jealous, was betrayed, bought the wrong gift for important someone’s, pretended knowledge I had to later scramble to learn, until I met and liked the culmination I was born to be. I carry the full script now. And when I meet children, teens, and young adults, I skip to the back, to Act IV which is Act I with something extra at the end.

Spotlight for Letters and Lies

How did I write such a tale of a young woman determined to get what she believed was hers at any cost? If you skipped my introduction, you’ll find the answer there. Starting today, you can follow the escapades of jilted spinster Louise Archer for 99 cents as she heads west to find and marry her man.

Blurb

Louise Archer boards a westbound train in St. Louis to find the Kansas homesteader who wooed and proposed to her by correspondence, then jilted her by telegram – Don’t come, I can’t marry you. Giving a false name to hide her humiliation, her lie backfires when a marshal interferes and offers her his seat.

Marshal Everett McCloud intends to verify the woman coming to marry his homesteading friend is suitable. At the St. Louis train station, his plan detours when he offers his seat to a captivating woman whose name thankfully isn’t Louise Archer.

Everett’s plans thwart hers, until he begins to resemble the man she came west to find, and she the woman meant to marry his friend.

Excerpt

“He wrote and changed your plans? Why didn’t you tell me? You know I love hearing his letters.”

Everyone loved hearing his letters. Or at least they’d pretended to. I glanced at my friends, especially the one who’d first suggested I correspond with her husband’s homesteading friend in Kansas who was ready to look for a wife. She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief while she flicked the fingers of her other hand in a weak wave. I dredged my soul in search of a smile. The man she’d introduced me to truly had penned everything I’d ever wanted in a husband, months of letters which convinced Mama Jim was my open door. Letters I’d foolishly carted from family to friend to blather every word like a desperate spinster. Drat.

“He didn’t send his change of plans in a letter, Mama. He sent them in a telegram.” Don’t come, I can’t marry you. The only words I never shared.

“Well I imagine your Jim has a surprise for you and didn’t have time to send a letter before you left for Crooked Creek. How thoughtful to wire you instead.”

Thoughtful…I felt poisoned and Mama would too if she ever found out Jim had shut my open door. Which she wouldn’t, since as soon as I got out there and found him, I’d wedge it back open again.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Bio and Social Media Links

Born and raised in the Midwest, Colleen studied and worked in science, using that career to travel and explore other parts of the country. An avid fan of literature, both reading and writing, she loves tales involving moral dilemmas and the choices people come up against. A lover of the outdoors as well as a comfy living room, Colleen is always searching inside and out for the next good story.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Other Books by Colleen L Donnelly

Amazon #1 Bestseller “Mine to Tell”
Asked For
Love on a Train
The Lady’s Arrangement
Out of Splinters and Ashes
Sonata Contineo