10 Interesting Behind-the-Scenes Facts About Jockeying for You

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m thrilled to welcome Soul Mate author Stacy Hoff to the Power of 10 series. Today, Stacy shares a behind-the-scenes look at her latest release, Jockeying for You.

Here’s Stacy!

1. I knew nothing—absolutely nothing—about the sport of horse racing before I started researching for this book.

2. In order to learn more about the sport, I packed my bags and took several road trips. I headed off to Belmont Park (Queen, NY) and the Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, NY).

belmont-racetrack-2

3. I also visited the National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame, and the Oklahoma Training Track, both in Saratoga Springs, NY.

nrm-2

4. While in Saratoga Springs, I visited the Roosevelt Bath House & Spa, and took a guided water tour of Saratoga Spa State Park. The information I learned about the Park & Bathhouse’s legendary healing waters plays an important part of my story.

5. This is my first sports romance book. I’ve jumped around genres quite a bit (from action/adventure to women’s fiction) although I always stay within “contemporary.”

6. I took my kids to the Saratoga Race Course. Good thing they’re too young to bet. The horse they chose for the race we saw came in dead last.

jockeygoggles-2 7. My youngest son was given a pair of jockey goggles at the Saratoga Race Course by notable jockey Samuel Camacho, Jr., who was kind enough to autograph them. My son treasures this gift.

8. In downtown Saratoga Springs I visited a derby hat store, and learned all about these hats. It was surprising to learn that derby hats are mandatory for a track’s VIP women. If they do not wear one, they are barred from the VIP areas for not meeting the dress code requirements.

9. I also learned from the hat store that fascinations are smaller-sized head coverings. Wearing one of these will make a VIP woman at the track sufficiently dressed to access some of the VIP areas, although not all. Fascinations are not viewed as being as “appropriate” as derby hats.

10. I was challenged to write this book at a writers’ conference I attended, where participants were asked to come up with a plot line with external action showing the protagonist’s internal (i.e. emotional) character arc.

jockeyingforyou1800-2

Blurb

Jake Carter is on a mission—to prove his family wrong. He may have bought a troubled horse, but he’s hired Ryder Hannon, a “horse whisperer,” to get his horse back on track. She’s more than just a trainer to him, she’s the woman he’s been looking for.

Ryder Hannon, a thoroughbred horse trainer, has a big problem—fighting her fear of racing again. Her emotional scars run deeper than her physical ones. But her romantic feelings toward handsome, uber-rich, stable owner Jake Carter is a bigger problem. Is Jake truly in love with her or is he using her to get back at his smug family?

When Jake’s jockey gets injured, he wants Ryder to race. He knows deep down she wants to live up to her family’s legacy. So why does she keep fighting him—and her destiny?

Where to find Stacy…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon

Spotlight on Bailey’s Remarkable Plan

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome businessman, entrepreneur, and author David Hardiman. Today, David shares his inspiring journey and memoir, Bailey’s Remarkable Plan.

Here’s David!

david-and-bailey-2016-2 Have you ever been alone with your thoughts and realized you had a purpose beyond your past or the future others believed was in your cards? Well, I became aware at an early age that my future was more than I understood at the time. In my heart, I realized that my life would change when I became an adult; that it would change from the limited vision of my youthful experience. I planned for a better life from that point forward. I knew at an early age that I would someday express my thoughts and stories through the written word. I wanted to be an author from that time.

As an author, you have options others don’t. You can really be anyone you desire, good or bad; often without the consequences. Your imagination is your road map to success. That is true even if your genre is nonfiction. Why? You decide how to express your thoughts and what your words will show.

As a businessman and entrepreneur, I found myself writing in a different way than as an author. That may sound confusing, but it is not at all. My professional career required an ability to clearly express my thoughts through written words in such a way as to successfully convince an individual or group of individuals what I proposed or desired was the solution needed to complete their wishes. When dealing with contracts worth millions of dollars, you may not get a second chance to convince your audience to do as you wish. The real beauty of this time and effort was it was like the sharpening of a knife; the knife can only cut well when its edge has been honed to perfection. My skills were improved because my style was sharpened for years by my interchange in my written and verbal efforts.

I began writing my first book in 2003. Shortly thereafter, I met with a literary agent to reach out and to see what my possibilities were from his understanding of the industry. It troubled me that an author who creates a work is relegated to the back row, at least in the beginning, and really has little control of the end product once it has been handed off to a publishing house. I suppose that is a struggle many authors face. I began looking for the way I could get my books to my audience without the mainstream publishing industry possibly changing or diluting my words.

When learning to walk, you experience lots of stumbles and you fall down far more times than you would like. It was very difficult to decide whom to trust with the responsibility of publishing my book. The best part of my decision was that it provided me the ability to control the content of my book so that I was able to show the quality of my style of writing. Of course, making sure my story was everything I wanted was part of my enjoyment as I achieved success.

Bailey’s Remarkable Plan tells part of my life story and shares some of my journey to become a writer. Challenges in life are not unusual, and my challenges were numerous. As a child, I faced many obstacles that often other people are unable to overcome. I was ill with many different health problems throughout childhood and visited the local hospital on several occasions; in one instance, for a long extended stay.

The cause of my health problems would not be known until I reached the ripe old age of 53. In 2000, after two years of illness and living on antibiotics, my internal medicine specialist referred me to a hematologist/oncologist. His diagnosis would answer a lifetime of questions. A rare congenital immune system defect diagnosis would finally explain over five decades of illness.

Knowing the cause of nearly all my life long health difficulties was not the most enlightening storyline to come out of this difficult time. My condition is considered medically life threatening and non-curable. The most recognized approach to helping my condition is an infusion of gamma globulin. About three months into my first regimen, my doctor examined me and then invited me into his private office. It was here my story would take on a whole new dimension, and the real amazing part of my life would be revealed.

He began our conversation by asking me why I believed I had been able to overcome the medical obstacles in my life. I was confused by his question; after all, I was not the doctor. He clarified that he wanted to know my opinion of why I had been able to overcome all my challenges in life. I explained to him that I had trusted God and Christ throughout my life after I was baptized at the age of 11. Each time my life spiraled out of control with illness or other challenges, I simply gave it all to God in prayer and allowed Him to take care of me.

9377337_s

It was then that he shared with me that I am unique in all his experience and knowledge of this condition. My genius oncologist researched at length other medical cases in addition to those he himself had diagnosed and cared for. He told me that historically people who have my condition are not successful in life. Those who are born with this long and difficult to spell and say genetic immune system defect and with the medical history I had growing up, typically, do not survive childhood.

He told me that no case he could find showed any of the people who have this immune disorder being successful in even one area, much less all areas of life as I have enjoyed. He told me that in spite of his own Buddhist belief, my answer had to be the reason for my survival and success in life. I was stunned that he would so readily agree with me as to my faith being the explanation for how I had accomplished my life. My shock was even further magnified when he explained to me that my faith was the one element he did not find in all his research of the cases he was able to find and review. That was evidence to him of why I was successful in living my life.

Fast-forward 10 years and my life would have yet another onslaught of unexpected difficulty that would take every fiber of my being to survive. In the previous two years, I had started treatments again because I kept living on antibiotics. My doctor’s hope was that he could once again revive my immune system as had occurred all those years ago during my first round of infusions.

This time, things would not go so well. He was forced to stop treatment when I failed to respond and began getting worse. New and different problems were causing me to lose all my energy, and I began to have difficulty with a new beast. Whereas I had always been able to take the stresses of my life and turn them into achievements, I became overwhelmed and was unable to force my way through the problems I faced. Instead of accomplishment, I now had failure whenever I pushed out on any project. I caught whatever new bug was frequenting our area and was forced to try and recover instead of accomplishing tasks. Then my doctors discovered that my issues were due to a weakened adrenal system. Eventually some of my function would improve, but I never returned to my normal.

The scary part was yet to come. In 2008, just a few months before my treatments began, my wife, Trish, and I bought a new shih tzu puppy. Bailey was to be my wife’s little girl. She, however, refused our plan; Bailey insisted that I was hers and she was mine. Almost everyone who saw us together observed that this little bundle of fur would not let me out of her sight.

When I began taking treatments, I noticed something special about Bailey. After spending three to four hours each time receiving my intravenous treatments, I would come home and go to bed. Bailey would climb in bed with me and stay as close as possible until I woke up. When I got up, she either sat with me or stayed by my feet and did not leave my side. It became apparent she was taking care of me.

During and after the months of treatment, Bailey did her best to minimize my stress and seemed to concentrate on making me well. We began to refer to her as Nurse Bailey or Dr. Bailey.

In 2010, a new and even more frightening chapter of my life began; a chapter that would change me and bring to bear how important Bailey is to and for me. Four letters describe a condition that only those who live with it can truly understand and attempt to explain. PTSD – which stands for post-traumatic stress disorder – is a demon that comes to visit and stays. This evil monster consumes the person it attacks and changes the life of those affected. In addition, PTSD impacts and stresses those closest to the one being attacked. It creates unimaginable difficulties in living daily with the beast influencing how one reacts to the personal environment, human interchanges and a host of normally taken for granted occurrences.

My life went 180 degrees the opposite direction from how I had accomplished my history. Gregarious and outgoing previously, I now became withdrawn and introverted. This was the scariest moment in my life that I could remember.

Medicine did not help. Talking did not help. Nothing my doctors or I did helped me deal with life as I had always been able to do. What emerged was new and fascinating once I was able to realize what was occurring to me. I began to notice that Bailey made me more comfortable with everything happening around me. She somehow knew when I was about to experience a panic attack, and she would alert me to its impending arrival in time that I could prepare myself to deal with the explosion of vile emotion. Bailey became my service dog, and she now makes it possible for me to recover a larger portion of how my life once was.

Bailey’s Remarkable Plan tells the story of how a boy became a man living with some unimaginable difficulties. It also shares how, thanks to my trust in God, I overcame immense obstacles to live a full-and-successful life.

This story, my story, will inspire you and lift you. Bailey is my rescuer, and her story is woven into the intricate framework of our history together.

Without Bailey, I would never have written this book. Without Bailey, it is doubtful I would have ever realized my dream of becoming a published author. Now, as a published author, there is still much I wish and need to learn.

In 2003, I began writing a book of fiction; and I still intend to publish that book. You might think that was the end of my journey to become an author, but that would be incorrect. That book was not the end of my beginning because it is not the story I was meant to tell at this point in my life. I had worked for years on that book, only to put it aside so I could write this book.

I awoke one morning with Bailey’s Remarkable Plan in my head. I got out of bed and immediately began the pursuit of completing our story. It took less than three months to write, and it was if the story flowed from my fingers. Amazing!

bailey-cover-revised-3

Where to find David…

Website | Facebook | Amazon | Email

Top 10 Fav Noir Films!

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome award-winning Canadian author M.H. Callway to my blog. Today, Madeleine shares her favorite Noir Films and her books.

Here’s Madeleine!

I’m a visual writer. I fell in love with the movies at age three. As a teenager, I fell under the spell of noir cinema: tough settings criss-crossed with black shadows, peopled with sinners doing horrible things to each other – what was not to love?

So in honour of Noir at the Bar (Bouchercon 2016), here are my Top 10 Fav Noir Films. Most centre on strong, complex female characters. Their striking settings are often surreal and have stayed in my mind forever. The characters get justice even if that justice is harsh and twisted. And almost all feature devastating endings with a darkly satiric edge.

So here’s my list. I’d love to hear from you about your 10 Fav Film Noirs.

10. BLOOD SIMPLE (Joel & Ethan Coen) – The debut film of the Coen brothers who developed the story from Dashiel Hammett’s phrase “blood simple” meaning crazed by violence.

An unpleasant man hires a shady PI to murder his wife and her lover. Things naturally go awry with a literally harrowing murder scene that rivals the death of Rasputin. One of the best exit lines ever, delivered by veteran character actor, M. Emmet Walsh whose performance oozes sleaze.

9. LADY FROM SHANGHAI (Orson Welles) – Orson Welles ran out of money trying to stage a musical version of Around the World in 80 Days. He allegedly pitched The Lady from Shanghai to Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn while looking at the cover of a pulp novel he’d never read. It’s a “who’s gonna kill who” thriller with adult dialogue sparked with sharp-edged barbs.

Welles invented the final shoot-out in a fun house of mirrors, a sequence that’s become standard in action and horror films. Nearly 70 years later, Welles’s original remains the best.

8. SORRY WRONG NUMBER (Anton Litvak) – A spoiled, bed-ridden heiress overhears a murder plot on her telephone. Through a series of phone conversations with strangers and her unhappy husband, she realizes the thugs are about to murder her.

Based on a radio play by Lucille Fletcher, the film works because of its unusual plot structure and a terrific performance by Barbara Stanwyck as the woman you love to hate.

A devastatingly satisfying one-line ending: “Sorry, wrong number.”

7. MILDRED PIERCE (Michael Curtiz) – Based on the novel by master noir writer, James M. Cain. The film depicts the rise and fall of businesswoman, Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford).

Abandoned by her husband, Mildred battles poverty and terrible grief to support her family. Against all odds, she becomes rich, but her insatiable drive to join high society ends up destroying what she fought so hard to save: her family. A remarkable film even in 2016, because the tragic hero is a woman rather than a man.

6. VERTIGO (Alfred Hitchcock) – A masterpiece mystery thriller that shows how a grippingly profound story can be created with a minimum of characters. The film explores the destructive power of self-delusion and mental illness at a visceral level.

A law officer develops vertigo after a nearly fatal fall. His phobia makes him the victim of a diabolical plot. James Stewart is at his best as the unsympathetic hero: even Hitchcock’s heavily artificial camera work, invented to mimic vertigo, does the job. One of the best and most devastating movie endings of all time!

5. THE THIRD MAN (Carol Reed) A thriller filmed on location in the rubble of post-WWII Vienna. It goes beyond genre in examining business corruption, betrayal and the tragedy of misplaced loyalty.

Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton), a broke pulp fiction writer, travels to Vienna to meet his old friend, Harry Lime, who’s promised him a job. But he arrives to find that Lime has been killed in a hit and run car accident and is wanted by the police. Looking for answers, Martins uncovers some nasty truths about Lime.

Despite being on screen for only a short time, Orson Welles is the perfect Moriarty, intellectually brilliant, articulate, urbane and utterly indifferent to his friends. The final chase through the sewers of Vienna is pure noir, the unromantic ending logical. When visiting Vienna, do check out the Third Man Walking Tour.

4. FARGO (Joel & Ethan Coen) A police thriller where the misery of a North Dakota winter and the mundanity of Midwest culture work as well as the mean streets of noir.

A beleaguered car salesman (William Macy) conspires with a pair of criminals to kidnap his wife for money and to get revenge on his rich father-in-law. Naturally things go pear-shaped, partly due to the dogged investigation by the local – and heavily pregnant- police chief (Frances McDormand).

Some really macabre scenes – we all know what’s gonna happen with that wood chipper – and lots of dark humour. Who can forget Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) burying the ransom money in the endless snow along the highway then marking the spot with a tiny ice scraper? Ordinary folks and petty criminals alike die because they’re not equipped to deal with true evil, as portrayed by Danish Shakespearean actor, Peter Stormare. For once good triumphs over evil…sort of.

3. THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (John Huston) The heist film that spawned the caper sub-genre. Classic noir: tough criminal characters, mean streets, desperate motivations, greed and corruption.

Four criminals and a corrupt lawyer conspire to rob a fortune in jewels, but are undone by mutual treachery and unforeseen hitches in their plan. Great performances by Sterling Hayden and Sam Jaffe. Interestingly, the film features the debut of Marilyn Monroe as the elderly lawyer’s young mistress. At the time, she wasn’t big enough to be on the movie poster!

2. TOUCH OF EVIL (Orson Welles) Tough choice between my top two favs: they’re really a tie.

I first saw Touch of Evil on late night TV. Deemed weird and disturbing at the time, I secretly loved it and still do. Seeing it now, I believe that the film was too truthful for the time because of its candid portrayal of police corruption and violence. Today it’s listed as one of the best films of the 20th century.

In the story, two people are killed when a car bomb goes off at a border crossing between the USA and Mexico. The veteran American cop, Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles), wants a quick solution and plants evidence to frame the most likely suspect, a Mexican citizen. Vargas, the Mexican detective (Charleton Heston), stands up to Quinlan with blowback that nearly kills him and his American wife, Susie (Janet Leigh).

Classic noir: mean streets, corruption, nasty characters, drugs, illicit sex, but much, much more. The film foreshadows tech noir: the final confrontation between Quinlan and Vargas takes place in a decayed industrial setting. It’s brutally frank about the bullying nature of American-Mexican relations, the corruption of male cronyism and women’s vulnerability in a patriarchal society. Some neat touches: Mercedes McCambridge plays a frankly lesbian hoodlum. For readers who don’t know her, McCambridge was the voice of the demon in The Exorcist.

Orson Welles is amazing as bloated, uber-corrupt, sixtyish Hank Quinlan; impossible to believe that he was only 43 at the time. Incredible, surreal scenes between him and Marlene Dietrich as his former mistress and the owner of a Mexican bordello. The single 3-minute tracking shot at the start of the film, that follows the convertible with the ticking time bomb, made cinematic history.

1. SUNSET BOULEVARD (Billy Wilder) Not just my favorite film noir, but one of my all-time favs period. In the story, a broke screen writer, Joe Gillis (William Holden) is trying escape the repo men. He hides out on the grounds of a mysterious Hollywood mansion inhabited by a forgotten star of the silent movies, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). Determined to make a comeback, Norma hires Gillis to rewrite her awful screenplay. Gillis figures it’s easy money, so he agrees, but gradually he becomes Norma’s boy-toy. When he decides to escape, well, guess what happens.

Like all great films, Sunset Boulevard is much more than its gripping story. It’s about the tragedy of vanity and delusion – and the price paid by enablers. It’s also about the cost of refusing to accept change and abandoning your self-worth for easy money.

Gloria Swanson gives a legendary performance as Norma Desmond as does Erich von Stronheim portraying Max, her ex-husband who works as her butler. (Sick or what?) Wonderful gothic sets. Who can forget the image of the dead chimpanzee’s funeral or the rats in the dry swimming pool?

Billy Wilder broke several Hollywood conventions: many celebrities played themselves ( Buster Keaton, Cecil B. DeMille) and the narrator is a dead man. Truly one of the most haunting and satisfying endings in the movies when Norma walks into the camera for her close-up.

Books

glowgrass GLOW GRASS and OTHER TALES – COMING FALL, 2016

My latest book contains nine noir and dark comedy stories. It includes the Arthur Ellis novella finalist, Glow Grass, Bony Pete winner, “The Lizard” and Derringer runner-up, “The Ultimate Mystery”. The Kindle and print editions will be available on Amazon this week. The print edition will be on sale at selected bookstores in November, 2016.

windigofire WINDIGO FIRE – SERAPHIM EDITIONS, SEPTEMBER 2014

A critically acclaimed thriller, Windigo Fire, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Best First Novel Award and a Huffington Post Book for Book Clubs Selection.

Danny Bluestone, a young native Canadian, overeducated and underemployed, has holed up in his hometown of Red Dog Lake in Northern Ontario. Fighting boredom while working as a camp counsellor at a children’s camp, he plays the role of native guide for an illegal bear hunt, organized by Santa, a shady Australian who runs the local highway attraction, Santa’s Fish Camp. He flies out to a remote hunting camp in the bush and wakes up to find all the hunters murdered, all but one, an enigmatic American. The two must team up to survive the wilderness, the killers and the Windigo, a spirit evil unleashed by the killing of the bear.

This book is the first in a series featuring Danny Bluestone and the many characters in Red Dog Lake where the favorite pastime is karaoke strip night!

Bio

madeleine-2 M. H. Callway is a writer to watch – Margaret Cannon, Crime Fiction Reviewer, The Globe and Mail

M. H. Callway is an award-winning crime fiction writer. Her critically acclaimed debut novel, Windigo Fire (Seraphim Editions) was a finalist for the 2015 Arthur Ellis Best First Novel Award.

Madeleine’s short stories have been published in several anthologies and magazines. Many have won or been short-listed for major awards such as the Derringer and the Bony Pete. In 2016, her novella, Glow Grass, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award.

Madeleine blogs regularly on her website about street art and weird encounters (Surreal Trapdoor), books and bookstores (Eat this Book) and wonderful people in her life (Cyber Café). Visit her at http://www.mhcallway.com.

In 2013, she founded the Mesdames of Mayhem, a group of 15 established Canadian women crime writers. Readers can enjoy their stories in the anthologies: Thirteen, 13 O’clock and 13 Claws. Visit the Mesdames at http://www.mesdamesofmayhem.com

Madeleine is a longstanding member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime. An avid cyclist, runner and downhill skier, she has participated in the Toronto Ride to Conquer Cancer every year since 2008. She and her husband share their Victorian home with a spoiled cat.

Where to find M.H. Callway…

Website | Facebook | Twitter

When Less is More

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Joanne Guidoccio

flashfiction3 I reread the blurb for the flash fiction writing contest several times. It was the perfect antidote for the lingering writers’ block that was preventing me from moving forward with the next book. The entry fee was a bargain—three flash fiction stories for only $15—and the $500 prize added to the contest’s appeal.

I resurrected two unpublished stories from my files. Only one problem—both were close to 1500 words and the rules for the contest specifically called for flash fiction of less than 500 words. While some writers may balk at the idea of trimming almost 1000 words from a short story, I welcomed the challenge of revamping both manuscripts. But before starting the whittling down process, I decided to research this style of fictional literature.

Continue reading on the Sisterhood of Suspense blog.

Spotlight on Lori Spangler

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m thrilled to welcome author Lori Spangler. Today, Lori shares her amazing journey and her memoir, Miles of Memories.

Here’s Lori!

lorispangler1 I did not grow up planning to be an author. I was in my 50’s when I decided to write a book. Throughout my life, I set goals, meet them, and then move on to the next. About 20 years ago when I finished graduate school, I was ready for another challenge and decided to visit all 50 states.

What a beautiful country we have, filled with talented, friendly people. I finished my 50th state, Hawaii, on my 53rd birthday. A few weeks later my friend Shelley and I were out to lunch and she said, “Now you are going to write a book.” She said it as a statement, not a question. So I set another goal.

Off and on over 5 years I worked on my book and remembered my travels. It would have been much easier if I had kept a journal but thanks to a good memory, souvenirs and travel brochures I had kept, I was able to write about my experiences. There were a lot of decisions. Should my book be organized alphabetically by state? Or in the order I traveled them? Did I need to include maps? How do I include my humor?

As most writers know, the writing process is not always an easy road. I had my ups and downs. During my writing process, Shelley sent me the postcard I had sent her when I was in Hawaii. It provided motivation for me to finish AND included it in my book: “Shelley, I have not officially visited all 50 states!! In Hawaii for my birthday—53 was never this good! Love, Lori.”

Someone told me to be sure you are proud of a book that has your name on the front. I am proud of my book and am glad others are enjoying reading it.

milesofmemories002cfinal-2

Excerpt

Several years before I turned eighteen, the voting age changed from 21 to 18. After a lot of debate at my high school, the policy for absence notes changed. Once a student turned 18 she could write her own excuse for being absent from school. Since I turned 18 at beginning of the school year, I was one of the lucky few. I felt grown-up to not need a parent’s signature. Since I never cut classes, and had to be seriously ill for my parents to allow me stay home from school, there was little chance I would abuse my excuse-writing responsibilities.

I wrote my first absence note because I planned to miss school for a college visit. I wanted to go to a college that offered a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement. As a freshman, for a social studies assignment I wrote a paper about a career that interested me. All the other girls wrote about being a nurse, secretary or teacher, except one girl who wrote about being a dog groomer. I wanted to do something different, so I decided on a policewoman. My paper focused on a career in law enforcement, and being a detective on a police force. In essence I probably wanted to be Nancy Drew and solve mysteries, but get paid for it.

My goal of being in law enforcement stayed with me as I shopped for a college. I looked for schools with degrees in Criminal Justice. The University of North Dakota (UND) in Fargo offered this curriculum. Fargo is across the border from Moorhead, a city in northwestern Minnesota.

I arranged with Mom and Dad to miss two days of school, take the Greyhound bus to Moorhead, stay overnight with my sister in her dorm room at Moorhead State University, tour UND, and later get a ride home with her.

When I wrote the absence note, I gave it to the school secretary the day before I planned to be gone. Classes ended at 3:32 p.m. each day, but about 3:20 the principal came to my classroom and asked to speak to me. It was a big deal to get called out of class by the principal. The other kids said “Oh. Oh. What did Lori do now?” and “Busted!” as I walked out of the room. The principal asked me about my note, wanted to ensure my parents knew about my trip, confirmed I had notified my teachers, and that I was considering UND. Yes, yes and yes.

During high school I tried not to have much contact with the principal because I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, but he inadvertently became a part of my senior goal. I don’t know how or why, but I decided I wanted to pull a fire alarm. Early in the school year I told my goal to the principal, and asked if I could pull it sometime when we had a practice drill. I mentioned it to him once. By the last week of school, since nothing happened, I assumed he had forgotten about it, but I was happily wrong. With two days of school left, he pulled me out of class. And like earlier in the year, everyone in the classroom said, “Oh. Oh. What did Lori do now?” and “Busted!” But this time he walked me to the other side of the school, without talking. I thought I was in trouble too, until he stopped outside his office and pointed to the red fire alarm. I got to pull the lever setting off the alarm. What a feeling of power to make such a loud noise and be able to stop it again. It felt great to meet a goal. Mission accomplished.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Bio

Lori Spangler is a native Minnesotan with a zest for living. Kids and dogs appreciate her infectious laugh, witty sense of humor, and positive outlook. When not indulging in her passion for travel, Lori can be found reading, eating ice cream, or teaching others the finer points of public speaking. She lives in Minnesota with her plants.

Where to find Lori…

Website | Facebook

Interview with Rachel Sharpe

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m visiting Rachel Sharpe’s blog and chatting about my writing journey and A Season for Killing Blondes.

If you have a few minutes, drop by Rachel’s blog.

10 Interesting Facts about Landra Andrews, Heroine of A Woman So Bold

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m thrilled to welcome Soul Mate author L.S. Young to the Power of 10 series. Today, Ms. Young shares ten interesting facts about Landra Andrews, the heroine of her debut novel, A Woman So Bold.

Here’s L.S.!

laurisellersphoto 1. Landra is from a small farming town called Willowbend located in rural 1890s north Florida. The town is fictional but several of the nearby landmarks mentioned, such as the Withlacoochee River and Monticello Opera House, are real.

2. Her first name is a feminized version of her grandfather’s name (Landry) and her middle name is Elizabeth after her mother.

3. She speaks French because she had a governess but she doesn’t find much use for it in backwoods Florida.

4. At the age of seven she refused to cry in front of everyone at her mother’s funeral. Her reasoning: “It’s never been in me to give something to folks just because they expect it.”

5. Her favorite season is autumn and the cooler weather often distracts her from her chores.

6. When a rattlesnake threatens her brother and sister she attacks it with a garden hoe! (This scene was inspired by my grandmother.)

7. The day she meets her hero she is wearing her favorite white dress and he is riding his dapple gray mare.

8. She loves poetry and Mark Twain, but admits she hates the prim and dull heroine Elsie Dinsmore.

9. There is a hint of the witch about her, as evidenced by her superstitious grandmother’s proclamations, her connection to the earth, and her discerning dreams.

10. She has a secret she keeps from almost everyone, even some of her siblings.

awomansoboldcover-2

Blurb

Twenty year old Landra Andrews is as brazen and unique as her first name. Although educated and well-connected, she is trapped by a dark secret from her past. She fears the rest of her life will be decidedly prosaic, until a dashing young man inherits a neighboring farm and sweeps her off her feet.

William Cavendish is a second son from an old Southern family. A gentleman in conduct and an artist at heart, he sowed his wild-oats in the years he spent abroad and is ready to settle down. He is taken with well-spoken, headstrong Landra from their first meeting, and his heart for her only grows.

William seems to be everything Landra has dreamed of but never dared to believe she could have–handsome, kind, and well-bred–but when they are wed, she soon finds herself in all too familiar surroundings, toiling once more against land that won’t yield. Her restless spirit and iron will rebel against her discontent, and when a lover from her misspent youth returns, she finds herself torn between two very different men. Will the mistakes of her past destroy the hope of her future?

Bio

L.S. Young resides in Florida with her husband and daughter. She received her BA in English with a minor in Religion from Southeastern University. After spending several years as a childcare worker and secondary English teacher, she turned to writing full-time.

She enjoys exploring the Suwannee River State Park, hiking in the Appalachian Mountains, swimming, and writing nature poetry. She’s an enthusiastic reader of fantasy, horror, Victorian literature, and historical fiction and has a large collection of coffee mugs and bookmarks. Like Lizzie Bennet, she is fond of a walk and dearly loves a laugh.

Young is a member of the Historical Novel Society. A Woman so Bold is her debut novel.

Where to find L.S. Young…

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Amazon

Dealing with Dialogue Tags

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Joanne Guidoccio

saidbookism Glancing back at some of my earlier work, I cringe at my use of “said bookisms” such as roared, admonished, exclaimed, queried, and hissed. I was trying to avoid overusing the word “said” and searched for suitable alternatives. I realize now that substituting those words made it sound like I enjoyed using my thesaurus. Instead, I was annoying the reader and drawing attention away from the dialogue.

From different workshop facilitators, I’ve learned that I don’t have to interpret the dialogue, or worse, tell the reader how the words are said. If the dialogue is strong enough, “he said” and “she said” will do. Like other parts of speech—the, is, and, but—that are used several times on each page, “said” is invisible and allows the reader to concentrate on the action and dialogue.

Continue reading on Carly Jordynn’s blog.

Cover Reveal: Eye of the Pharaoh

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m thrilled to reveal the cover of Nancy Fraser’s next novel…

eyeofthepharaoh

Blurb

Publicist Teri Hunter has her hands full promoting Professor Joshua Cain and his new non-fiction book, The Pharaoh’s Mummy. She’s not convinced it’s even possible to turn this absent-minded, modern-day, Indiana Jones into a best-selling author.

Dr. Cain’s PhDs in archaeology and art history have prepared him for almost anything on the lecture circuit and among ancient ruins. He’s just not sure about a book tour…or the sexy publicist sent to monitor his every professional move.

When an odd request falls in their laps while in New Orleans, Josh and Teri find themselves transported to 1920’s Egypt where they must resolve an ancient curse in order to be sent home. Will the dangers facing them hinder their success and threaten their very lives? Or will help from an ancient guardian keep them on-track and safe?

Excerpt

Wake up. Kick ass. Repeat.

Teri Hunter mouthed the motivational phrase she’d chosen for her personal mantra as she stepped across the threshold into the dark and musty storeroom.

A dim light shone from a glass-enclosed workroom in the far corner. Taking a tentative step forward, she faltered when the floorboards creaked beneath her feet. Something fast and furry brushed against her ankle. A shiver ran down her back, yet she fought the urge to retreat.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

This was obviously today’s obstacle. Were it not for her professional commitments and intricately organized schedule, she’d have no doubt bolted for the door and returned to the safety and illumination of the main building.

‘Sorry, but the storage area doesn’t have overhead lighting. Preservation of the antiquities. You understand.’ The dean’s words echoed in her head. To make matters worse, what little outside light there was had become nearly non-existent due to an impending thunderstorm.

Drawing a deep breath, she took a second step and then a third, winding her way past a half-dozen crates, some open, some not. To her left she heard a rustling of paper; to her right the distinct sound of footsteps.

Her apprehension grew, the hair on her forearms stood at attention. She’d barely made it halfway across the room before bumping into something large and solid. Reaching out, she laid her hand against the oversized object. Slowly, she raised her head and came face to face with the painted mask of an Egyptian noble. The chipped finish gave the death mask a deranged look.

“You come here often, big boy?”

Fun Fact

The idea for Eye of the Pharaoh came about following a trip to the Field Museum in Chicago. For the longest time afterward, I couldn’t get the images of ancient Egypt out of my head. Then, out of the blue, I received a gift from a relative who had passed…a gorgeous necklace fashioned like an Egyptian collar. The late relative had no way of knowing about my recent fascination with Egypt so I took it as a sign. There was obviously a story inside me begging to come out.

Bio

nancyfraser Like most authors, Nancy Fraser began writing at an early age, usually on the walls and with crayons or, heaven forbid, permanent markers. Her love of writing often made her the English teacher’s pet, which, of course, resulted in a whole lot of teasing. Still, it was worth it.

Published in multiple genres, Nancy currently writes for four publishers. She has published twenty-two books in both full-length and novella format. Nancy will release her 25th book in early 2017. She is currently working on her next Rock and Roll novella and two other equally exciting projects.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

First prize: $10 gift card to book retailer of their choice
Second prize: (3) Digital copies of Time and Again, my futuristic time travel.

Enter here.

Where to find Nancy…

Three Steps, No Failure

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Joanne Guidoccio

successjustahead When asked about her extraordinary success, recording artist and motivational performer Jana Stanfield said, “I believe in the power of small steps to create great changes.”

Jana left a lucrative career as a broadcast journalist and moved to Nashville to pursue her dream of securing a recording contract. While waiting for her breakthrough, she signed up for voice lessons and took classes in song-writing, stand-up comedy and dance. She took advantage of Open-Mic nights and sang for free in the evenings. With the help of a small producer, she made a few recordings.

None of the record companies were interested.

Continue reading on the Sisterhood of Suspense blog.